> Unexpected Confessions
>  by Dianwei32
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------

> Working Up Courage
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Unexpected Confessions

Chapter One


        Working Up Courage

        Rainbow Dash stood in front of her full-length mirror, giving herself a pep talk. “Today’s the day.” She swallowed nervously before continuing. “Today... today I’m going to tell Fluttershy I love her.” Even though she was alone, she still found the simple act of admitting her feelings out loud difficult. Dash felt her heartbeat quicken and a soft blush crept into her face. She shook her head, futilely trying to dislodge the blood sitting in her cheeks.

        “Come on, Dash.” She admonished herself. “You’re not some little lovesick schoolfilly. You’re Rainbow Dash. The fastest flier in Equestria. Named the Best Young Flier by Celestia herself. Any mare or stallion would be lucky to call you their marefriend. Who’s awesome?” She struck a pose and puffed out her chest. She jabbed a hoof at the mirror as a familiar cocky smile pulled at her lips. “You’re awesome!”

        Dash glanced over at the clock, which read almost eight in the morning. She had woken up extra early in an attempt to be on time for work with the Weather Patrol for once. She trotted over to her bed and flopped down, electing to run through her plan one more time before leaving for work. It was Thursday, which meant that Dash would swing by Fluttershy’s cottage as she got back from her trip to the spa and make up some excuse about just being in the area. Her friend would invite her in for a cup of tea, just like she always did, and this time Dash would gladly accept. She let her eyes drift closed as she played out the scenario in her head.

        Fluttershy turned and trotted into the cottage. Dash followed her and tried to keep her eyes from drifting down to her friend’s flank. She walked over to the couch as Fluttershy moved on to the kitchen to start the tea. Now that she was finally here, Rainbow felt her nerves starting to get to her, giving her butterflies in her stomach. Smiling, she leaned against the arm of the couch. Nerves had never stopped her before, and they certainly weren’t going to today.

        “So what brings you out this way, Dashie?” Fluttershy called from the kitchen. “I thought you had work today.” She trotted back into the living room. She jumped up onto the couch and patted the open spot next to her, beckoning Dash to join her.

        “Yeah.” Dash stood up from leaning on the couch and hopped up onto the couch. “I got everything done early. Ya know, clearing the sky in ten seconds flat and all that.” She examined a hoof disinterestedly. Fluttershy giggled and gave her a warm smile. Rainbow felt her face heat up as blood rushed to it at the sound, and she suddenly found her mind filled with all the things she loved about Fluttershy. The silken texture of her coat whenever Dash “accidentally” brushed or bumped into her. The soothing, almost angelic, sound of her voice. The adorable way she hid behind her mane when she was nervous.

        Rainbow felt a knot of warm tension building in her chest, and every muscle in her body screamed to lean over and just kiss the lovely yellow mare sitting there. She was sorely tempted to give in to that impulse, but she had planned for this. There would be time for kisses once she had said her piece.

        “Is everything alright, Dash?” Fluttershy’s expression shifted to one of concern. Rainbow shook her head to clear it and realized that she had been simply staring at Fluttershy without saying anything for the past minute.

        “Oh, yeah... of course.” Dash rubbed a hoof along the back of her neck, trying to play her silence off casually. “I just-” She stopped abruptly. Her big planned speech, her confession that she had spent countless nights perfecting was gone. She couldn’t remember a word of it. Her mouth worked open and closed, but not words came out. After a moment, she gave up and hung her head. She felt hot tears well up in her eyes, but she rubbed them away angrily.

        “Oh, to hay with it.” Rainbow mumbled to herself. She took a deep breath, looked up and locked eyes with her friend. “Fluttershy, I love you!” She blurted out. Now that it was out there, Dash waited for a reaction, feeling a small ember of hope building in her chest.

“Dashie, I'm really sorry, but you waited too long.” Fluttershy smiled confidently, throwing her mane back to look Dash straight in the eyes. “I asked Rarity out ages ago. Kissed her right on the lips; she never saw it coming.” Her expression turned condescending and she laid a hoof on Rainbow’s shoulder. "Poor Dashie, I know how it feels to wait and wait. Next time, speak up." She thought for a moment, that cruel smile twisting into a smouldering smirk. "Hey, I know. I bet I can talk her into a threesome!" The hoof on Dash’s shoulder drifted down, trailing along her ribs.

        “I— You— Rare—” Dash sputtered uselessly, her mind still reeling from Fluttershy’s response. Her ear flicked as the sound of hooves drifted down the staircase. Knowing she would regret it, she turned and looked at the stairs that led up to the bedroom.

        “Who was at the door, love?” Rarity rounded the bend in the staircase, a towel wrapped around her mane while the occasional drop of water fell from her coat. “Rainbow, dear, lovely to see you. Terribly sorry, I didn’t mean to interrupt.” She walked over to the couch and nuzzled Fluttershy, a few stands of the other mare’s mane sticking to her damp coat. “You’re running low on shampoo, love. I’ll be sure and pick some up at the spa for you while I’m out today.”

        Fluttershy leaned back, resting her head on Rarity’s neck. “I’m sorry, Dashie.”

        “NO!” Dash flailed as she woke from the nightmare, rolling off of the edge of the bed and sending her tumbling to the floor. Her eyes flew open, taking in the sight of her bedroom from ground level. She stood up slowly, her head still fuzzy from sleep and the sudden meeting with the floor. She felt a wave of panic rise up as she looked at the clock, which read nine o’clock. She was late. “Son of a—” She snorted angrily before turning and galloping down the hall towards the front door.

        “And I was actually gonna be on time for once.” She shook her head as she ran. Reaching the entryway, she grabbed her weather goggles from a nearby table, dove out of a window, and angled toward the weather team office.


*


        Later that day

        “The day has finally arrived.” Rarity paced as she spoke aloud to the emptiness of Carousel Boutique. “Today is the day I tell Fluttershy that I love her.” She paused in her pacing to glance around the shop, ensuring she was in fact alone. Once she was assured of her privacy, she trotted over to a table near the door, where a note sat after being delivered by a robin earlier. Lifting it with her magic, she reread it for the third time in as many minutes, though the words were the same as they had been each time before.


Rarity,

Sorry. Teensy little problem at home.
Can we meet at four?
Sorry.

Fluttershy


        Most of the words were smudged or sloppy, and it had obviously been written quickly. Rarity was more than willing to accommodate Fluttershy’s requested time change in their spa appointment, but she didn’t know what to do with herself in the meantime. Aloe and Lotus will certainly have their work cut out for them this week. She thought to herself. I haven’t been this tense and nervous since... well, I don’t think I’ve ever been this tense and nervous. 

        Letting out a sigh in a futile effort to bleed off some nervous energy, she trotted over to an equinnequin sitting near a window to work on the dress draped across it. The soft yellow cotton hugged the slender dress form, ending in a short skirt. I never figured Fancypants and Fleur as campers, but to each their own.  Circling the outfit, she ran a critical eye over it, occasionally sneaking peeks at the clock.

        Craning her neck up, Rarity stretched as tall as she could, trying to get a good look at the back of the dress. Try as she might, the equinnequin for Fleur’s body type was simply too tall. She huffed in irritation and slid the garment off of the form with her magic, carefully laying it on the ground so that she could examine the stitching along the back. The color of the fabric brought her mind back to Fluttershy, and she could almost see the pegasus’ pink mane spilling across the shoulders. A smile flitted across  her lips, but was quickly smothered as she noticed a glaring flaw in the dress.

        Honestly, Rarity, how could you forget wing holes? It would be terribly uncomfortable for her to have her wings trapped. Shaking her head, she floated a pair of scissors over and deftly cut a pair of neat holes in the back of the fabric, then grabbed a needle and spool of light pink thread to sew a quick border around them. There we go. Her smile returned as she picked up the dress, but her brow furrowed as the forelegs unfurled much longer than they should have for Fluttershy’s form.

        What... no. No no no! Foolish, scatterbrained, idiot! This wasn’t for her! Rarity looked down in chagrin at the beautiful new dress, now completely unsuited to the client. For a brief moment, she considered ripping the dress to shreds in order to vent her frustration with herself, but she knew doing that would only create a mess for her to clean up, so she tossed it across the back of the equinnequin it had been on and trudged over to her desk. Grabbing a piece of parchment and quill, she scribbled a quick note to Fancypants explaining that his order would be a day or two late. She knew he wouldn’t mind, but she still felt bad about the delay.

Rarity glanced at the clock again; it read a quarter to four. “Close enough.” She pulled open the door with her magic and galloped out of the shop, stuffing the note in the mailbox as she passed it. After a few blocks she forced herself to slow down. “A lady does not hurry.” She tried to explain to herself. For a while, she attempted to walk at a leisurely pace, but her nerves and excitement got the better of her and she eventually settled for a light canter.

        Within a few minutes, Rarity reached the spa. She pushed the door open and glanced around the empty waiting room, even Aloe and Lotus were nowhere to be seen. She’s not here yet, that’s fine. You are a bit early after all. She tried in vain to calm herself. When that failed, she trotted over to one of the chairs along the wall and sat down, levitating a copy of Equestria Weekly over to read. She opened the magazine to an interview with Photo Finish, but found herself glancing at the door every few seconds.

        After several minutes that felt more like hours, Rarity almost jumped out of her seat when the spa door opened and Fluttershy entered. “Darling! It’s so nice to see...” Her words drifted off as she got a better look at her spa partner. Fluttershy was covered almost head to hoof in mud and had a number of twigs stuck in her mane and tail. Rarity cleared her throat and brought her magic to bear. “I take it there was quite the emergency with your animals?”

        “Oh, um, yes. Sorry.” Fluttershy waited as Rarity used her magic to remove the mud from her muzzle. “You see, Mister Badger broke his paw and couldn’t dig out his burrow after a tunnel collapsed. Normally it wouldn’t have been a problem, but Misses Badger and their children were on the other side, so I had help dig a new tunnel.” She winced as Rarity pulled a particularly tangled twig out of her mane. “I’m so sorry that I had to move our spa date back. I hope it didn’t cause you any trouble.”

        “None at all, dear.” Rarity smiled reassuringly. “I had an order that I needed to finish, and it gave me just the amount of time I needed.” Never mind the fact that I happened to completely ruin that order. As her magic flowed along her friend’s coat, Rarity could feel the silken texture as though she were running her hooves through it. She did her best to suppress a shiver from running down her spine, but could do little to contain the heat slowly building in her haunches. Come now, Rarity. Control yourself. She scolded herself silently. You are simply cleaning Fluttershy’s coat. There is nothing even remotely intimate about that, even if you can feel every curve of her exquisite body as you slowly work your way down to her... She paused as she felt an involuntary twitch in her tail. I think we’re done here.

        Rarity shifted her magic away from her friend and pulled open the door. She floated the ball of mud and twigs she had removed from Fluttershy’s coat outside and let it fall to the ground unceremoniously. She turned back and cleared her throat. “Feel better?” She asked, moving back to sit in her chair.

        Fluttershy let out a contented sigh before she walked over and sat next to Rarity. “Thank you so much, Rarity. I feel a lot better now, and that felt... nice.” She blushed slightly and ducked behind her mane, occasionally glancing at one of the magazines on the table next to her.

        An unexpected voice caused both of them to jump slightly. “Ah, Miss Rarity, Miss Fluttershy. It is so good to see you.” Aloe had appeared behind the reception desk from a side door. “We were afraid that you were not going to make it today.”

        “Yes, well something came up with one of Fluttershy’s animals, so we agreed to move our... appointment back a few hours.” Rarity explained, trying her best to sound nonchalant. “Now, though, the usual please.” She and Fluttershy stood and moved toward the sauna, the door opening in an aura of blue magic.

        “Of course, of course.” Aloe smiled and waved them into the sauna. The alabaster mare trotted into the room after her partner and closed the door. She used her magic to add some water to the hot rocks, sending a burst of steam through the enclosed space.

        Rarity sat down on one of the benches near Fluttershy, who was currently basking in the warmth with her eyes closed. Following suit, she closed her eyes and felt the tension and nerves melting off of her. Opening her eyes again after a moment, she glanced at the mare next to her, feeling a smile creep onto her face. I could spend the rest of my life like this. Already, she could feel the steam wreaking havoc on her coiffure and causing the barest hint of wrinkling in her hooves. Well, maybe not exactly like this, but with her, at least.

        She started to edge her hoof over to where Fluttershy’s was resting, but her courage faltered and she pulled it back to her side. Instead, she merely watched Fluttershy soak in the steam, utterly at peace. Darling, if you had any idea what you do to me... I'd think you cruel to tease me so, but I know you don't mean it. Well, today it ends. After today I will, one way or another, not have you haunting my dreams. She nodded firmly. All was in readiness, and woe to anypony who tried to get in her way. Should the answer be yes, she had several ideas for potential dates. Should the answer be no... Her home was well stocked with ice cream, tissues, and a nice tart merlot to drown her sorrows in.

         Next to her, Fluttershy let out a light sigh and began humming happily. Rarity let her eyes drift closed and relaxed in the warmth of the steam. She slowly recognized the tune that Fluttershy was humming and began humming it herself. She felt her muscles begin to unwind and her nerves calm down. After several minutes, Rarity noticed that Fluttershy had stopped humming. She opened one eye to find her spa partner staring at her, only to blush and look away when she was caught.

        “Is everything alright, dear?” Rarity asked, a look of concern spreading over her face. She scooted down the bench and laid a hoof on her friend’s shoulder.

        “Oh, um, yes.” Fluttershy responded, trying and failing to make eye contact. She briefly chewed on her lower lip, as if debating what to say next. “I just got a little, um, distracted.” She forced herself to make eye contact, her blush deepening. “You have a beautiful voice, Rarity.” She almost whispered.

        It was Rarity’s turn to blush at the unexpected compliment. “Why thank you, darling. That means a great deal to me, coming from you.” She smiled slightly and let the hoof on her friend’s shoulder lazily drift down her foreleg. An overwhelming urge to lean over and kiss Fluttershy sprang up in Rarity’s mind, but she contained it, barely. There will be time enough for that later, hopefully. Instead, she got off of the bench and made her way across the room to the door. “I believe I have had enough steam for now. Shall we move on to the massages?” Fluttershy merely nodded and followed her.

        As they entered the main room of the spa, Rarity and Fluttershy were surprised to see Aloe and Lotus already waiting for them. The latter of the spa sisters moved toward them as they entered. “Ah, Miss Fluttershy, we have a special treatment for you today.” Lotus smiled and motioned towards her sister. “Aloe has just returned from a special training where she learned how to preen pegasus feathers. We would be so happy if you would be our first customer to receive the service.”

        Fluttershy’s eyes shot open in panic. “Ohnothat’sokaythankyou.” She hurriedly mumbled out in one burst. She dropped her head to hide behind her mane, while Aloe and Lotus looked at each other in abject confusion.

        Rarity moved closer to her friend. “Whatever is the matter, dear?” She asked in a low voice. “I imagine a nice preening would feel marvelous.” She wrapped a foreleg around Fluttershy and pulled her into a light side hug.

        “Um, w-well... y-you see... the th-thing is...” Fluttershy stuttered nervously. She stopped and took a deep breath before trying again. “The thing is, preening for a pegasus is a rather... intimate action.” Her cheeks flushed a deep scarlet. “The only ponies who have preened my wings other than me are my mom... and Rainbow Dash.”

        “Ah.” Rarity pulled away slightly. “Well if that is the case, then you do not have to do anything you are not comfortable with.” She leaned in and nuzzled Fluttershy, who relaxed visibly. Rarity turned back to Aloe and Lotus. “Just the usual today, girls.” She removed her foreleg from around Fluttershy and trotted over to one of the massage tables, followed closely by her friend.

        Laying down on the closest table, Rarity felt any tension she had left after the steam room melt away under the skillful hooves dancing across her back. Oh Lotus, your hooves are magic, I swear. Once again, she stole a glance at her spa partner, who was smiling contentedly while Aloe massaged her shoulders and forelegs. Hmm... I wonder how good Fluttershy is with her hooves. I’m sure she’s had to massage some sore or strained muscles on her animals, though I— The rest of her thought was lost under a wave of pleasure as Lotus found a final knot between her shoulder blades and pressed into it, slowly unwinding the muscles. Their massages finished, the pair moved on to their final treatment, the mud mask, receiving a generous helping and a tiny dab of the green mixture respectively.

        “So, how are all of your pets doing, dear?” Rarity looked over in Fluttershy’s direction despite the cucumber slices covering her eyes. “It just now occurred to me that it’s been some time since I had occasion to stop by. Is Angel behaving himself?”

        “Oh, um, if you’re sure you want to hear about it.” Fluttershy waited for a nod from her friend before continuing. “Angel is still, well, you know how he can be. I try, but... Oh! Ruby, the robin that brought you my note, just had her eggs hatch, and the little babies are just the cutest little—”

        Rarity smiled to herself; she always enjoyed listening to Fluttershy talk about her animals. The passion and enthusiasm that filled her voice was almost intoxicating to listen to. However, something that the other mare had said earlier tugged at her mind, refusing to leave her in peace.

        ...preening for a pegasus is an... intimate action...

        The only ponies who have preened my wings other than me are my mom... and Rainbow Dash.

        She tried to brush away the thought and refocus on what Fluttershy was saying—she had moved on to something about her friend, Mr. Porcupine—but she couldn’t get the idea out of her head. Fluttershy and Rainbow... I know they’ve been good friends since Flight School. But could they have been... together? In the darkness behind her eyelids, she saw the pegasi wrapped in each other’s hooves, trading bashful kisses that quickly grew in frequency and intensity. Rarity wanted to shake her head to clear the vision, but knew it would fling mud everywhere, so she grit her teeth and forced the image from her mind. Luckily, Aloe arrived a moment later to inform them that the mud had set long enough and it was time to remove it.

        After washing away the mud, Rarity and Fluttershy left the spa, both of them feeling refreshed. As they made their way down one of the many dirt roads in Ponyville, Rarity ran over her plan in her head. Phase one, have a normal spa... trip. Given her plans, she could not bring herself to call it a “spa date.” Phase two, find a reason to accompany Fluttershy back to her cottage. Rarity wracked her brain for some excuse to walk her friend home, but couldn’t come up with anything concrete. Her eyes darted back and forth as she scrambled to recall what the pegasus had been talking about at the spa. One of her animals just had babies... but which one was it again? The porcupine? No, I think it was a bird... a sparrow, perhaps? Before she could figure it out, the two of them reached Carousel Boutique.

        “I had a wonderful time today, Rarity.” Fluttershy stopped in front of the door to the shop. “Thank you again for letting me move the time back. Although, it did make it awfully late when we were done.” She looked off in the direction of her cottage, where the sun was creeping towards the horizon of the Everfree Forest.

        Rarity opened her mouth to reply, but was cut off by an audible growl from her stomach. She felt a slight blush flood her cheeks in embarrassment. “Well, it seems it is rather late indeed. We managed to miss dinner.”

        “Oh no!” Fluttershy’s eyes shot open in worry. “I’m so sorry. I didn’t mean make you miss dinner.” She slumped down for a moment, but perked back up. “I still have some of Granny Smith’s zap apple jam. You could come over to my house for dinner. Um, if you want to that is.” She looked at the ground and scuffed a hoof in the dirt.

        Sweet Celestia, she’s adorable when she does that. Rarity thought to herself. She smiled at Fluttershy and resumed walking towards the edge of town. “That sounds lovely, dear.” The pair made their way out towards the Everfree Forest. They walked in companionable silence, simply enjoying the scenery. There was not a cloud in the sky. As she reached the top of a hill near Fluttershy’s cottage, Rarity noticed that there was in fact one cloud in the sky. A cloud with a prismatic tail hanging off of the edge. Rainbow Dash. She groaned internally.

        As the spa partners crossed the bridge in front of Fluttershy’s home, Dash poked her head over the edge of the cloud. “Hey Flutters... and Rarity.” She called down, leaping off of the cloud and gliding smoothly to the ground. “Pretty late to be getting back from the spa, isn’t it?”

        “Oh, that’s my fault.” Fluttershy replied, her ears flattened back nervously. “I had an animal emergency and had to push our trip back a few hours.” She moved past Dash and opened the front door. “Then we were so late that we missed dinner, so I invited Rarity over so have some zap apple jam. You’re welcome to stay too, if you want.”

        “Sure, sounds great.” Rainbow went to enter the cottage after Fluttershy, but a tug at her tail stopped her. Looking back, she saw the end of her tail gripped in an aura of blue magic.

        Before Dash could say anything, Rarity was beside her. “What are you doing here?” She asked, forcing a measure of cheerfulness into her voice. This was an unexpected development, but she was determined to take it in stride.

        “I came by to see Fluttershy, and hay, I’m not gonna turn down free food.” Dash shrugged and trotted into the cottage as the magic around her tail faded. The alabaster unicorn followed her inside closing the door with a flare of magic.

        “Well, I would appreciate it if you could give us some privacy after you’ve eaten.” Rarity muttered. She made her way around the living room while Fluttershy was in the kitchen. After a few moments, she felt hoof poke her in the side.

        “What’s up with you?” Dash stepped up beside her, keeping her voice low. “You want me to leave or something?” She raised an eyebrow while she waited for an answer.

        Rarity looked over her shoulder to make sure Fluttershy was still in the other room. “I’m sorry. I don’t mean to be rude, but yes.” She whispered. “Fluttershy and I have some... private matters to discuss. It would be greatly helpful if you could make yourself scarce.” She disliked being so blunt, but was not willing to risk coming so close to her goal and having Dash ruin it.

        “Private, huh?” Rainbow stared at her, a hint of worry creeping into her features. “Well, sorry, but I kinda had something I needed to tell her myself.” She turned to leave, but was stopped by a hoof on her shoulder.

        Rarity gave Rainbow a pleading look. “Darling, I really hate to impose, but what I need to tell her is very important, and equally private. Is it truly so much to ask that you give me a moment with her? Surely whatever you need could wait, just until the morning?”

        “No, it has to be today.” Dash pointedly looked off to the side. “I can’t put it off anymore, it’s gonna drive me nuts if I do.”

        “Maybe you could just come back a little bit later, then?” Rarity pouted, summoning all of her feminine wiles. “I won’t need long, just a minute or two.”

        “No!” Rainbow had the courtesy to look embarrassed about her outburst, glancing over her shoulder at the kitchen doorway. “Sorry, but it can’t wait. And no, I can’t tell you why.” Her wings ruffled for a moment before she smoothed them back down.

        “Dinner is ready, girls.” Fluttershy came back into the main room, a tray balanced on her back. A half-full jar of zap apple jam sat in the middle, surrounded by various breads, crackers, nuts, and slices of fruit to dip in it.

        “Honestly, Rainbow, is one minute of privacy too much to ask?” Rarity huffed, her rather extensive temper finally reaching its end. “For the love of Luna, you could simply go outside and say ‘hello’ to the animals that lost your little find-a-pet competition and that would be plenty of time.”

        “Girls?” Fluttershy stared at her two friends in confusion, setting the tray down and taking a step toward them. “Girls, what’s wrong? What are you—”

        “I just don’t see why I have to leave.” Dash shot back, her wings ruffling again. “I was here first. If anything, you should have to leave so I can talk to ‘Shy.”

        “Talk to me?” Fluttershy cocked her head to the side in confusion. “Girls, I’d be more than—”

        “Oh, yes, you were here first.” Rarity rolled her eyes. “It’s too bad that Fluttershy wasn’t.” She looked back to Rainbow to find the pegasus glaring at her, so she returned the look. After several seconds of staring at one another, both Rarity and Rainbow Dash acted at the same time.

“Fine!” They shouted at each other. They both ignored the other and turned to face Fluttershy, who nearly cringed under their combined gaze. They both took a deep breath before almost shouting in perfect unison.

        “Fluttershy, I love you!”

        A deafening silence filled the air for a few moments, then Dash and Rarity wheeled back to face each other. “What did you just say?” They yelled together.

        Fluttershy’s eyes widened while her pupils shrank to pinpricks. Her breathing rapidly escalated to the point of hyperventilation, pausing just long enough to say two words.

“Oh, my...” She muttered before passing out

> The Shocking Truth
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Unexpected Confessions

Chapter Two


The Shocking Truth

As Fluttershy’s unconscious form slumped to the floor with a thump, Rainbow Dash and Rarity whipped their heads around to face her. They stood in shock for a second before simultaneously rushing to her side, bumping into each other several times along the way. Reaching Fluttershy at the same time, their hooves collided yet again as they reached out to check on her.

“Look what you did!” Dash shoved Rarity aside and knelt down, pressing an ear to the fallen pegasus’ chest. After assuring herself that her friend had merely fainted, she stood up and turned her attention back to Rarity. “Just what in the hay was that?” Rainbow barked the last word. “Do you think this is some joke?” She stomped a hoof in frustration. “I’ve been planning this for months! Then you just come in a blurt out some half-baked confession tryin’ to steal my thunder?” She slowly stalked forward, forcing Rarity to back up against the wall. “How did you even find out? I’ve only told one pony how I feel about ‘Shy, and she Pinkie Promised not to tell anyone.”

“I— you just— love—” Rarity sputtered futilely. After a moment, her mind refocused enough to form coherent thoughts. She carefully reconstructed her mask of calm before responding. “I assure you, Rainbow, I had not one inkling of a clue as to what you were planning, nor how you felt about Fluttershy. The identical timing of our confessions was merely an unfortunate coincidence.”

“Sure you didn’t.” Dash stepped away from Fluttershy’s prone form and began pacing. “You just so happened to choose the exact same day to confess some little schoolfilly crush as I was going to finally tell her how I feel. Now look what happened.”

“How in Equestria is this my fault?” The alabaster mare shot back, her temper finally rising from the accusation. “If anything this is your fault for interrupting what would have been a perfectly wonderful evening meal between two friends.” On the floor, Fluttershy stirred slightly, but was soon still once again. Rarity closed her eyes and summoned her magic, grasping a pillow from the couch and sliding under the prone mare’s head. Extending the reach of her magic further, she grabbed a glass from the kitchen and filled it at the faucet before floating it into the living room.

“Yea, two ‘friends.’” Dash gave up on pacing and flapped her wings, hovering in the air in an effort to bleed off her excess energy. “At least until you threw out some stupid confession of love hoping that she would even go for somepony like you.”

“Somepony like me?” Rarity bristled, standing from her position next to Fluttershy. “Just what is that supposed to mean? Am I not beautiful enough? Perhaps you think that she only likes tomboys with mussed manes and questionable hygiene?” She walked around Fluttershy and poked Rainbow in the chest with a hoof. “Or maybe you think that Fluttershy is not attracted to mares at all? If so, then I hardly see how you could hope to fare any better than I would; your lack of fashion sense aside, you are just as much a mare as I!”

“Wh... What just happened?” Fluttershy found herself on the floor, her head laying on one of the pillows from her couch. She sat up, rubbing a hoof against the side of her head. Letting her hoof fall back to the floor, it gently bumped a glass of water, which she took a few sips from while she waited for her head to clear. Looking around the room for her friends, she found them in the middle of an argument behind her.

“Well, no, nothing like that.” Dash suddenly seemed unsure of herself. She stopped hovering and kicked a hoof against the ground when she landed. “It’s just that— Wait, what was that about my hygiene?”

“Girls?” Fluttershy tried to grab their attention as she rose somewhat shakily to her hooves. “Could you, um, please listen to—”

“Maybe you think Fluttershy is some kind of barbaric tribalist.” Rarity continued her rant unimpeded, ignoring Rainbow’s question. “Do you think that she is so closed-minded that she would not be interested in me because I am a unicorn and not a pegasus?” She brought her horn to life.

“Um, Rarity? Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy tried again, speaking at a volume approaching normal conversational levels. “Um, i-if you two could please stop fighting, I, um, think that—”

“Of course not!” Rainbow shot back, flaring her wings in annoyance. “’Shy would never do something like that. I just meant...” Her words trailed off into silence.

“Please, enlighten me.” Rarity’s voice dripped with venom. “Whatever did you mean when you said ‘somepony like me’?”

“Girls!” Fluttershy shouted, finally getting their attention.

“Yes, darl—” The words froze in Rarity’s throat as she turned to the object of her affections wearing a look of anger underlaid with fear. She felt her magic slip away from her control involuntarily while her heart threatened to cave in on itself. While it would have pained Rarity to see such a hurt expression on her best friends’ face under any circumstances, it crushed her to know that it was her fault.  Next to her, Dash meekly folded her wings back to her side and cowered down, a slight whimper escaping her.

“Fluttershy, dear, let me be the first to apologize for—” Rarity began.

“Sorry, ‘Shy, I wasn’t—” Rainbow butted in.

“—readfully sorry for losing my temper like that and—”

“—I just had this whole deal planned and then she—”

“Quiet!” Both Rarity and Rainbow promptly shut their mouths and looked at Fluttershy, who let out a small eep at the sudden attention, all of her annoyance-fueled bravery vanishing in an instant. “I mean, um, if that’s okay with you.” Fluttershy’s voice returned to normal levels and she slowly walked across the room. “Rainbow Dash, could you please go upstairs and wait in my room? I’ll, um, be up to talk to you in a minute.” Rainbow nodded quickly and galloped up the staircase without looking back. Fluttershy waited until she heard the sound of her bedroom door closing before letting out a heavy sigh. “Today was supposed to be nice.” She muttered to herself.

        “Fluttershy, d-darling... I-I can explain.” Rarity stuttered as she finally regained the ability to speak. Fluttershy looked at her expectantly. The fashionista opened her mouth to continue, only to realize that she had nothing to say. She chuckled nervously as she felt a meager blush spread through her cheeks. “Maybe not.” She corrected.

        “Well, um, did you...” Fluttershy paused to take a breath. She looked up, forcing herself to make eye contact. “Did you mean it? When you said that you l-loved me?”

        “Of course I did.” Rarity suppressed an urge to reach out and hug her friend, opting instead to place a comforting hoof on her shoulder. “I would never dream of saying something like that were it not absolutely true.”

        “Wh-when did you know?” Fluttershy asked, ducking behind her mane as her resolve weakened.

        Rarity felt a wave of panic spread through her chest, but forced herself to answer. “I can’t say for sure. I’ve always had feelings for you, but I can’t pinpoint a specific time when they shifted from platonic to romantic.” She swallowed and felt her heart hammering in her chest. “The best I have been able to do is to identify the moment when I had to admit to myself that my feelings were more than simple friendship. Do you remember that time that you saved Sweetie Belle and her friends from that dreadful chicken... snake... thing?”

        “The cockatrice.” Fluttershy supplied, nodding.

        “Yes, that one.” Rarity stepped away, turning to look out the window for a moment. “After Sweetie Belle told me about what happened, I was relieved that you had been there to save the day, but I was also angry. I was angry at Sweetie and her friends for putting you in such danger. It was not until a few days later that I ran into Twilight and learned what could have happened to you had you not been able to Stare the cockatrice into submission.” She turned back from the window, a guilty expression on her face. “Please, don’t misunderstand. I love Sweetie Belle dearly, and I am eternally grateful that you were able to keep her and her friends from harm. However, when I learned how close you came to being petrified into stone forever... suffice it to say that I lost my temper.”

        Fluttershy furrowed her brow in confusion. “I’m sorry Rarity, but I just don’t see where in that story you realized that you... loved me.” She blushed and ducked behind her mane.

        “Oh, yes.” Rarity cleared her throat. “Well, that particular revelation was during my... little outburst after discussing the event with Twilight. I mentioned a moment ago that I had been angry with the Cutie Mark Crusaders for putting you in danger, but once I learned that we almost lost you forever...” She paused to collect herself as tears rose in her eyes. “After I learned that, my anger returned with a vengeance. It took me several days, but I eventually realized that I was far more concerned with your safety than that of my own little sister.” She shook her head in detestation. “How horrid does that sound? It’s true though, it was at that point that I had to admit to myself that I loved you. The point when I was willing to sacrifice my own sister to a monster in order to protect you.” Rarity’s voice was full of self-loathing and disgust by the end of her explanation.

        “Don’t be so hard on yourself.” Fluttershy stepped closer and pulled her friend into a hug. “We’ve all done things we’re not proud of. That doesn’t change who you are. You’re a wonderful mare and a great friend, no matter what.”

        Rarity reached up to return the hug, letting out a small sigh. “Fluttershy, somehow you always know just what to say to make me feel better.” She gave Fluttershy one final squeeze and pulled away from the embrace. “Listen, darling, I know that I... that we sprang all of... this on you quite suddenly, but—while I would be thrilled with one—I don’t expect an answer at this very moment.”

        “Oh, thank goodness!” Fluttershy let out a relieved sigh, then brought a hoof to her mouth. “Oh, I-I didn’t mean it like that. I want to give you an answer, it’s just that... I don’t know what to say... to either of you.” She slumped down, letting her head fall until her mane brushed the floor. After a moment of silence, she raised herself back up. “This is all just so... sudden. I think, um, it might be best i-if you went home for now, until I can figure all of this out, okay?”

        “Of course, darling, I understand completely.” Rarity smiled warmly, but it faltered after a second. “I only ask... if you must break my heart, do it now, please.”

        Fluttershy looked up in alarm and shook her head. “Oh, n-no, o-of course not, I... I mean I don’t... I would never...” Her faltering attempts at an explanation were finally halted by a white hoof against her lips.

“Please, don’t worry yourself, dear. I know that you would never be purposefully cruel.” Rarity smiled again at her friend’s visible relief. “Well then, I shall await your answer with bated breath. Now, I imagine you need to go have a nice talk with Rainbow Dash, and I need to go curl up in the corner and have a panic attack.” She held up a hoof as she saw Fluttershy’s expression change to one of fear and concern. “I’m only joking, dear.” At least, I hope I am. She added silently.

        Fluttershy perked up as she remembered the tray of food on the table near the kitchen. “Oh, you should have something to eat before you go. We did miss dinner after all.” Trotting over, she went to pick up the tray, but before she could, it floated up from the floor, surrounded in an aura of blue magic. She looked back across the room at Rarity, who was smiling.

“Thank you for the food, dear. I’ll help myself, you go speak to Rainbow.” As she spoke several pieces of toast levitated off of the tray along with a knife. She spread zap apple jam over the bread and trotted over to the door, pulling it open with an extra burst of magic while she floated the tray into the kitchen. Before walking out of the door, Rarity turned back one last time. “I promise that I won’t press you for an answer. Take all the time you need, I will wait patiently—” She stopped and cleared her throat. “—well, maybe not patiently, but I will wait for your answer.” With that, she stepped outside, closing the door behind her.

        Fluttershy stopped and let out a sigh. “One down, one to go.” She left the kitchen and walked up the stairway to her bedroom. As she pushed open the door, she saw Dash pacing around the room, muttering to herself.

        “Who’s awesome? You’re awesome.” Rainbow repeated again. “Who’s awesome? You’re awesome.” Fluttershy cleared her throat and Dash finally looked up from her pacing. “Listen ‘Shy, I can explain.” She started. Fluttershy raised an eyebrow quizzically, waiting for her to continue. Her prismatic friend chewed on her lip for a moment before speaking again. “Well, the thing is...” She reached a hoof up to rub the back of her neck nervously. “I freaked out, okay? I... I’ve been waiting to tell you for a long time now, and then she comes along and—” She stopped, biting her tongue to try and keep her temper in check.

        “Don’t worry, Dashie.” Fluttershy smiled at Rainbow warmly. “You have nothing to explain. You were honest with me, and I could never be upset with you for that.” She strode over and stood next to Dash, leaning in to nuzzle her reassuringly. She felt Rainbow let out an inaudible sigh and relax at the contact. “I need to ask you something. Did you m-” Before Fluttershy could finish, Rainbow almost leapt forward, turning around in mid-air with a flap of her wings to land facing her.

        “Of course I did!” Dash’s voice was insistent, almost offended. “Flutters, I love you.” She reached out and grabbed one of Fluttershy’s hooves in between her own. “I just want to be with you. I mean, being friends is awesome and all, but I want to take a shot at the whole package with you, you know...” Rainbow blushed, her wings rustling and threatening to spring open at any moment. “I wanna do... stuff with you. Sexy stuff!”

        Fluttershy felt her face heat up and her cheeks flooded with color. “Oh, my.” She mumbled, staring intently at the floor.

        Dash saw her friend’s hesitance and quickly backtracked. “B-but only if you want to. And when you’re ready.”

        Fluttershy pulled her hoof free of Dash’s grasp and put it to her chest, breathing heavily. “S-sexy things?” Her cheeks heated up enough to give off light in the infrared spectrum. “Dashie, I-I’m not sure I’m ready for that yet. N-not that I don’t find you attractive, it’s just... Oh, please don’t be upset.”

        Dash shook her head. “No, it’s okay. That’s not what I wanted to say at all, I mean... Gah!” She stopped, took a breath and tried again. “I just wanted to tell you that I love you.”

“Oh.” With a sigh of relief, Fluttershy sat down on the floor. “When did you know?”

        “What? You mean about the sexy—”

        “N-no!” Fluttershy waved her forelegs, as if trying to bat Rainbow’s words from the air before she could hear them. “I mean, when did you know that you, um, l-loved me?”

        Dash lowered her hind legs to sit on her haunches. “Oh... right. I had this whole big speech planned out... but that didn’t exactly work out.” She paused, looking off to the side. “W-well, I guess I could still...” Her words trailed off and she reached under her wing, pulling out a folded piece of paper. Carefully unfolding it, she cleared her throat and began reading.

        “There once was a pony named ‘Shy.
        Who never could fly very high.
        But she makes my heart leap,
        And I’d like her to keep
        Track of it if she’d like to try.”

        Once she was done, Dash looked up to see that Fluttershy's eyes shone with tears, and heart heart leapt anew, until she heard a quiet giggle.

"Hey!" Rainbow exclaimed, looking wounded.

"Oh! I'm so sorry.” Fluttershy lowered her hoof, looking abashed. “It was very sweet, Dashie. It's just... I've never heard a—" She giggled again. "—love limerick before."

Fluttershy did her best to quiet her giggles, but they proved infectious. Soon, both of them were giggling madly like the old friends they were. It felt good to have a little of the tension eased between them, giving Dash hope that perhaps this could work after all.

When the giggling fit quieted, Rainbow wiped the tears from her eyes. "So, you liked it then?"

"Um... yes.” Fluttershy smiled. “It was, um... nice."

"Cool."

"Oh, sorry. It was cool."

"No, I mean it’s... nevermind."

They sat in silence for a minute, merely enjoying each other’s company, until eventually the calm was broken by Fluttershy. “Um, Dashie? Y-you never told me, um, when you first realized that you loved me.”

Dash blinked in surprise for a moment, suddenly realizing that her explanation had been derailed by the fit of laughter they had shared. “Oh, right. Well, I guess I first realized it after that whole incident with the dragon on the mountain. The way you got that rampaging dragon to up and leave just by yelling at him was so awesome, like single-hoofedly-saving-Equestria-from-a-thousand-years-of-darkness awesome. The fact that you were able to stand up to your biggest fear to protect us... it was just so, so... crazy awesome!”

        “The d-dragon?” Fluttershy shuddered slightly at the memory. “That was quite a while ago... Have you been hiding this for all that time?”

        “Well... kind of.” Rainbow dropped her gaze to the floor. “For a while after I realized it, I tried to convince myself I didn’t really feel that way about you.” She looked up and panicked as she saw tears rising in Fluttershy’s eyes. “No no no... not like... Oh, horsefeathers, that came out wrong. Do you remember how everypony in Flight School used to make fun of me? They would say I was attracted to other fillies just because I wasn’t interested in any of the featherbrained colts in our class. Well, when I first realized that I liked you in... that way, I just couldn’t bear the thought of all the fillies and colts being right. I tried to convince myself that I wasn’t in love with you just to prove them wrong.”

        “Oh, Dashie... I’m so sorry.” Fluttershy leaned forward and pulled Rainbow into a tight hug. She nuzzled into her friend’s neck as her emotions overwhelmed her. Without warning, Dash’s wings shot out to their full extension with a slight pomf. Fluttershy immediately pulled away from the hug and stumbled backwards a few steps.

        “Eh heh heh... Sorry about that.” Dash chuckled nervously. Her face twisted in concentration as she slowly forced her wings back to their proper places at her side. Once they were firmly anchored in place, she relaxed and pawed at the floor with a hoof. “Sorry. You just caught me by surprise with that one.” Rainbow tried to turn and hide her face as it flooded a red deep enough to show through her coat.

        “Oh, it’s um... it’s fine, really.” Fluttershy replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

        “So, what do you think? Can we take a chance?” Dash grinned as widely as she could.

        “Dashie...” Fluttershy looked down for a moment, not wanting to see Rainbow’s face fall. “I... I’m not saying ‘no,’ but I need some time to think about it. Okay?”

        “Oh! Yeah, that’s... cool. Time is... totally cool. Well, if you don’t mind, I think I’m gonna get outta here before I do something else to embarrass myself.” Dash slowly made her way to the door of the bedroom. She looked back over her shoulder at Fluttershy. So close, and yet so far, thanks to Rarity. Part of her wanted to rush back across the room and kiss the other mare, but Rainbow squashed the impulse before it could gain any traction. “Thanks for hearing me out, ‘Shy. I’ll see ya around.”

        Dash left the room and Fluttershy waited until she heard the front door open and close before turning around and flopping down on her bed. “Oh, I could just scream right now.” She complained to the empty air. She lifted her head up and took a deep breath before plunging her muzzle into the pillows and letting out a very quiet, high-pitched scream. Afterward, she rolled over and faced the ceiling. “That never helps.” She sighed.

        What do I do now? She wondered to herself. Okay, let’s start with the basics. Both Rarity and Rainbow Dash are in love with me. The next logical step is to figure out how I feel about them, but how do I do that? She sat up in the bed and put her head in her hooves. I have no idea what I’m doing.

        Fluttershy hopped down onto the floor and slowly made her way back to the living room. I’ve never even thought about another pony... romantically before. She thought to herself, a furious blush coloring her cheeks. I don’t have any experience with... things like this, and I can’t even ask Rainbow Dash or Rarity for help because they’re the problem! Fluttershy felt herself getting worked up and noticed she was pacing the room. She stopped moving and took several calming breaths.

Everything is fine... everything is fine. She chanted in her head. I just have to choose between my two best friends and break one of their hearts. Her ears flattened back as she realized the full extent of what rejecting one of her friends’ confessions would mean. What if the one I don’t pick doesn’t want to be my friend anymore? What if they don’t feel that they can be around me? Fluttershy imagined Rainbow Dash storming off, hurt and angry. She imagined Rarity turning away from her, choking back sobs as tears ran from her eyes.

        “I can’t do this...” Fluttershy protested to the empty cottage. She felt a knot of panic and worry form in her stomach. “I can’t hurt them like that. I would never be able to live with myself knowing that.” She sat on her haunches and let her head fall to stare at the floor. “This would be so much easier if I could just talk to somepony about it. There’s always Applejack.” She held up a hoof. “She’s always supportive of all of us... but I don’t think she would be open to the idea of two mares being together.” She dropped her hoof and held up the other one. “I could talk to Pinkie Pie...” She stopped and imagined the anarchic mare’s reaction to such news. “Maybe not.”

        She mulled over her final option. “I guess that just leaves Twilight.” She finally admitted unenthusiastically. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen her show interest in anypony... much less date them. But she’s probably read about them, and theory is better than nothing... right? Maybe I can even borrow some books from her on the subject, and she can be a neutral third party—”

Fluttershy’s train of thought was interrupted as her front door burst open, the sudden noise and motion sending her diving behind the couch for cover. Tentatively, she peeked out from her hiding place to see a familiar pink party pony standing in her doorway.

        “Did somepony say ‘party?’” Pinkie Pie asked excitedly. She looked around the seemingly empty room for a moment before spying Fluttershy behind the couch. “Hey Flutters, what are you doing back there?”

        “Oh, um, hi Pinkie.” Fluttershy replied as she slowly stood from her position cowering behind the sofa. “I’m sorry, but nopony said ‘party,’ at least not that kind of party. I was just thinking to myself about... something.” She blushed slightly, unable to tell Pinkie about the day’s events.

        “Well, somepony should be talking about that kind of party.” The anarchic mare pulled her trademark Party Cannon out of thin air. She fired off a shot, sending streamers, confetti, and a banner reading “Congratulations!” all across the room. “After all, we have to celebrate!”

        “Um... what are we celebrating exactly?” Fluttershy asked, afraid to hear the answer.

        “Well, duh! We’re celebrating Dashie telling you that she loves you!” Pinkie rushed over and pulled Fluttershy into a vise-like hug.

        “How did you-”

        “Dashie told me how she felt about you a while ago.” Pinkie explained, letting Fluttershy out of the rib-crushing embrace. “She made me Pinkie Promise not to say anything, but now that she told you, I can say ‘Congratulations!’” From the kitchen, a bell sounded from Fluttershy’s oven, which she never remembered turning on. Pinkie zipped over to it and opened the door to pull a cake, complete with frosting, decorations and candles, from inside.

        “How...” Fluttershy briefly considered questioning how Pinkie could pull a fully baked and decorated cake from an empty and cold oven, but ultimately decided against it. “Listen Pinkie, I have a little problem to deal with right now, and I don’t think a party is going to help.”

        The party pony’s smile faded slightly. “There’s no problem that a good party won’t fix... what’s wrong?” She asked, a note of concern sneaking into her voice.

        “Um... well, you see...” Fluttershy kicked at the floor with a hoof. She took a deep breath and blurted it out. “Rarity confessed that she loves me too!”

        Pinkie’s grin grew so big it threatened to split her head in half. She rushed over and pulled the canary mare into a second bone-breaking hug, even tighter than the first one. “Oh wow, Flutters! That’s superfantastamazeriffic!”

        “Can’t... breathe...” Fluttershy managed to gasp. Pinkie released her and she drew in a deep breath. “How...” She paused and held up a hoof while she caught her breath. “How is that a good thing?” She finally managed to ask, her eyes trained on the floor. “Now I have to decide between the two of them, and I don’t know who to choose. What about the one that I don’t choose? It would devastate them, and I don’t want to hurt anypony like that. What if they decide they can’t be my friend anymore?” Fluttershy finally looked up to see her friend staring at her in abject confusion.

        “Well that’s silly.” Pinkie replied, her head cocked sideways. “Who says you have to choose? If they both love you and you love both of them, then all three of you can be one big, lovey-dovey triangle of happiness.”

        It was Fluttershy’s turn to be utterly confused. “Huh?” She tried to wrap her head around what Pinkie was saying. She gave up and shook her head slightly. Oh, Pinkie, I wish it could be that simple. She thought to herself. “Pinkie, I really would love to stay and chat, but I was actually going to the library to see Twilight. We’ll catch up later, okay?” Fluttershy walked over to the door and pulled it open.

        “Okie dokie lokie!” Pinkie Pie responded, bounding out the door with her usual manic energy. Fluttershy followed her out the door, pulling it closed before flapping her wings and taking off in the direction of the library.


> On the Fence
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Unexpected Confessions

Chapter Three


        On the Fence

        Several minutes later, Fluttershy alighted on the ground outside the Ponyville Library. She trotted up to the door and pushed it open. Upon entering the building, she saw Spike carrying a small armful of books from a shelf out to a mountain of tomes in the middle of the room. “Oh, um, excuse me?” She took a small step forward, but the baby dragon plowed on with his task, grumbling under his breath. “Oh, I see, you’re busy. I’ll just come back later.” Turning to leave, one of the floorboards creaked under her hoof.

        Spike put down the books and grunted before sparing a glance at the source of the noise. “Oh... hey, Fluttershy.” He leaned against a taller stack, which promptly fell over and landed him face first on the floor. Climbing back to his feet, he let out a groan at the new mess before turning his attention back to the library’s visitor. “You need something?”

        “Oh, um…” Fluttershy straightened back up out of the half-crouch the falling books had sent her into. “I was actually, um, looking for Twilight, if she’s around, that is.” Her eyes darted around the main floor of the library, but found no sign of its keeper.

        “Oh, she is.” Spike said with an exasperated expression, jerking a thumb over his shoulder toward the staircase. “She’s upstairs. She said she ‘had to conduct some hooves on research’ or something like that.” He sighed and sat down on a book. “She tells me we’re going to re-shelve the whole library, and promises to help. Then what happens? She just dashes upstairs five minutes in, as usual.” 

        “Really? Oh, she sounds busy.” Fluttershy lifted her foot from the first step of the staircase and put it back on the ground floor. “I wouldn’t want to interrupt anything. I’ll just come back later.”

“Don’t worry, odds are she’s trying to draw an ink stain from some parchment again.” Spike waved away the pegasus’ worries and went back to the shelf he had been working on. “Go on, she—oof!—usually tells me if she doesn’t want to be disturbed.” He hauled another armful of books to the center of the room with a second grunt.

        “Well, if you’re sure.” Fluttershy climbed up the first few steps, pausing to look back at Spike for reassurance that it was okay, but the baby dragon had already gotten back to his task. She climbed the rest of the stairs quickly, reaching the door at the top. Tentatively, she extended a hoof and softly knocked on the door, which opened just a sliver. Better make sure she’s not busy. Fluttershy leaned forward, peering through the crack for some sign of her friend. After scanning the room, she found Twilight standing in front of a body length mirror. I didn’t even know Twilight had one of those mirrors. Stranger still was the hat perched on the unicorn’s head. Is that… Applejack’s hat?

        “Fancy meetin’ you here, sugar.” Twilight said in a cheap imitation of Applejack’s accent, smiling all the while. Panic gripped Fluttershy, and she was torn between running away and apologizing profusely for invading Twilight’s privacy. Before she could do either, the other mare continued. “I was just lookin’ for ya.” Fluttershy swallowed nervously, but realized that Twilight was still looking at, and talking to, the mirror. Curiosity got the better of her, and she pushed the door open further, taking a half-step into the room.

        “Twilight?”

        “Ah!” Twilight jumped at the unannounced intrusion. She quickly pulled the hat off of her head and tried to hide it behind her back. “Oh, Fluttershy… H-how long have you been there?”

        “Oh, um, n-not very long.” Fluttershy ducked behind her mane, taking tiny shuffling steps back from the doorway. “But, um, i-is that Applejack’s hat?”

Twilight pulled the hat back out and pretended to examine it. “Yes, it is. She was just over here and I found it on the table after she left. I wanted to take it over to her, but I’m just so busy here with a re-shelving project.”

        “I could take it to her, if you don’t mind that is.” Fluttershy offered, scuffing a hoof on the ground.

        Twilight smiled. “Thanks, but I should take it to her myself.”

“Oh, um… o-okay.” Fluttershy relented, not wanting to argue. “I was hoping I could talk to you about something... personal.” Twilight immediately turned around, her face wavering between concern and curiosity before finally settling on the latter.

        “Oh, of course, how can I help?” She asked.

        “Well, you see...” Fluttershy felt a slight blush creep into her cheeks as she tried to tell her story. “Rainbow Dash and Rarity were over at my house last night and they kind of...” She paused, chewing her bottom lip nervously. She took a deep breath and gathered her courage. “Theybothconfessedthattheyloveme.” She blurted out in one hurried rush.

        “I’m sorry, I missed that last part.” Twilight raised an eyebrow at the flustered pegasus.

        “Oh, they um... They both told me that they love me.” Fluttershy repeated more slowly.

        “Aww, I love you too, Fluttershy.” Twilight smiled warmly. “But, what does that have to do with…”

        “Um, no, Twilight…” Fluttershy swallowed nervously. “They love me. As in, they are in love with me... romantically.”

        “Oh... Oh.” Twilight finally caught on to her friend’s meaning. She cleared her throat and tried to keep a deep crimson color from flooding her face. “Well, that is...I mean... congratulations.” She reached up and rubbed the back of her neck with a hoof. Her horn lit up and Applejack’s hat drifted off in the direction of her nightstand. “Honestly Fluttershy, I’m not all that familiar with... romantic relationships. I don’t really know what you expect me to be able to do.”

        “I know.” Fluttershy sighed, her head dropping slightly. “Normally I would talk to Rarity or Rainbow Dash about something like this, but since they’re the ones who... have feelings for me, I can’t exactly do that.” She pawed at the floor nervously. “I thought about going to Applejack, but with her family being as old-fashioned as they are, I don’t think she would approve of two mares being... together.”

        Twilight tensed. Her horn flickered and Applejack’s hat dropped to the floor. She hastily picked it up and dusted it off while giving Fluttershy a strange look “R-Really? I mean, I guess it could be possible. How do you know?”

        “Um, I don’t really know, it’s just… um… eep.” Fluttershy cringed, afraid that she had upset her friend. “I-I’m sorry. Forget I said anything.”

        “There must be something,” Twilight pressed her. “Please, Fluttershy? What makes you think that Applejack would have anything against fillyfoo— mares being together? Did she say something?”

        “Oh, um, n-no. Not that.” Fluttershy shook her head, causing her mane to fall and cover one of her eyes. “I-it’s just that, well, their family seems very old-fashioned, especially Granny Smith. I don’t know if she would approve, and if she doesn’t, then Applejack probably wouldn’t either.” She frowned as she watched Twilight’s expression fall. “But, um, sh-she might be fine with it. I’ve never really talked to her about it.” She took a step forward, laying a comforting hoof on the unicorn’s shoulder. “I’m… I’m sorry.”

        “There’s nothing to be sorry for, Fluttershy.” Twilight smiled, but it seemed strained. “Regardless, if you don’t want to talk to Applejack, I’m sure Pinkie Pie would be happy to lend an ear.”

        “Oh, she actually already knows.” Fluttershy suppressed a shiver, remembering the party pony’s frightening entrance and multiple bone-breaking hugs. “She actually suggested that the three of us all be in a relationship together, but...” She trailed off into silence, ducking her head to hide behind her mane.

        “Hmm.” Twilight put a hoof to her chin. “Polyamory, huh? A trinogamous relationship would certainly be unusual by societal standards, but if all three parties agree, then there’s no reason why it shouldn’t work.”

        “A tri-what?” Fluttershy looked at her friend as though she were making up words.

        “Oh, sorry.” Twilight folded her ears back in embarrassment. “Sometimes I get carried away and use an excessively large vocabulary.” She perked back up at the opportunity to pass on knowledge to another. “A trinogamous relationship is where three ponies are all in a single relationship together. You could be with Rainbow Dash and Rarity.”

        “Oh, I don’t think we could do that.” Fluttershy felt her cheeks warm up and threaten to catch on fire. “You should have seen Dash and Rarity at my house. They were yelling at each other. If I hadn’t asked them to stop, I don’t know what would have happened. They looked ready to… hurt each other. Thankfully it didn’t get that far.”

        “Have you at least thought about bringing it up to them? Maybe they were just upset that their big moment got messed up? If they knew there was a solution where all three of you could be together, they might actually go for it.”

        “I don’t know...” Fluttershy drilled holes in the floor with her eyes, unable to bring herself to look up. “I’ll... think about it.” She finally relented, sighing slightly. She pushed the thoughts of her love troubles, including what a three-way relationship would mean if things got physical, to the back of her mind for the moment. “Well, thank you for the help.” She turned and began walking towards the door.

        “Wait!” Twilight almost yelled as a sudden revelation struck her. She pressed a hoof to her forehead, silently cursing her tendency to miss the blatantly obvious. “We haven’t even talked about the single most important issue here.”

        “What?” Fluttershy asked as the turned back from the door. Her heart rate picked up slightly as she feared that she missed some crucial aspect of the situation that would only make her decision more difficult.

        Twilight trotted over to her friend and placed a hoof on her shoulder. “How do you feel about all this?”

        Fluttershy blinked several times, stunned by the simple question. “Oh. I... I don’t really know.” She fell to sit on her haunches, letting her shoulders slump a little bit. “It all happened so fast. I haven’t really had a chance to think about it. Both Dashie and Rarity said that I should take all the time I need to figure it out, but I just know that having to wait for me to straighten all of this out is hard for them.” She wiped a hoof across her eyes as she felt tears begin to rise up. “I love both of them, they’re my two best friends. I’m just not sure if I love them in... that way.”

        “Well, as I said, I’m not overly familiar with romantic relationships, but we could always… make a list.” Twilight smiled timidly at her suggestion. “It might help you decide if you enumerate the various traits you like or don’t like about both of them.” Her horn flared to life again and she grabbed a scroll and quill from her desk. “Let’s start with Rainbow Dash. What do you like about her?”

        “Um, w-well…” Fluttershy fidgeted uncomfortably. “She’s very… nice.” She shook her head, letting out a defeated sigh. “I’m sorry, Twilight, I just… I don’t…” She trailed off into silence, staring at the floor.

        Twilight’s quill froze and she peeked over the top of her scroll, her ears drooping back. After a few seconds, she let out a weak chuckle. “It’s okay, it was kind of a silly idea anyway.” She floated the scroll back to the table, laying her quill alongside it. “So, maybe not a list… How about you just tell me how you feel about each of them?”

        “With Dashie, well…” Fluttershy paused for a second, closing her eyes and taking a breath. “We've known eachother since we were foals. I've always thought she was… so wonderful! She protects me, but she also tries to get me to challenge myself. I never… thought about her the way she thinks of me, but knowing how she feels… I realize I feel the same way." She blushed hotly. "Sorry, was that too much?"

        Twilight blinked in surprise, a hint of blush creeping into her own cheeks. “N-no, that was fine. It was just… more than I anticipated. What about Rarity?”

        “Rarity…” Fluttershy began, her blush resurging. “We became fast friends the moment I came to Ponyville. I feel like I can tell her anything, even things too embarrassing to tell Dashie." She looked down, her voice caught in her throat. "I… kind of had a crush on her for a while… She's just so pretty…” She looked up imploringly, as though she needed to justify herself. A moment later, her ears folded back. “But I always thought she only liked stallions, with the way she always talked about her ‘Prince’ coming to sweep her off her hooves…" Smiling nervously, she looked back to Twilight again. “Sorry.”

        “Again, there’s nothing to be sorry for Fluttershy.” Twilight wrapped a foreleg around the pegasus and gave her a light hug. “This is exactly what we were trying to do. Talk it out and see how you feel about each of them.” She grinned sheepishly. “Though, I can’t say that it seems to have helped much. You obviously care for both of them, which isn’t a bad thing—” She quickly backtracked when Fluttershy cringed next to her. “—it just… makes it a little harder to choose if they won’t agree to all be together. And if it comes to that… I’m sorry, but you’re going to have to figure it out on your own.”

        “Well, thank you anyway, Twilight.” Fluttershy leaned into her friend’s hug, taking a moment to just enjoy the friendly affection. Eventually, she pulled away, heaving a small sigh. “I really do feel better about all of this now. Maybe I can— Oh!” She glanced out the window, shocked to see night had fallen outside. Searching for a clock, she found one on the wall and saw it was just past eight o’clock. “Goodness, when did it get so late? I’m sorry, Twilight, but I really need to get home. Good night.”

        “Good night, Fluttershy.” Twilight called, watching the pegasus disappear back down the staircase. She gnawed on her lower lip as the last bit of pink tail vanished from view. “Wait!” Grabbing Applejack’s hat with her magic, she walked over to the doorway. Fluttershy reappeared a moment later, a look of confusion on her face. “Do you think that you could take Applejack’s hat back to her tomorrow?” The hat drifted over, coming to a halt right in front of the other mare.

        Fluttershy looked at the hat quizzically, but made no move to take it. “I thought you wanted to take it to her.”

        “I did… do! But I’m just going to be too busy for the next couple of days.. I wouldn’t want to keep Applejack’s hat away from her for too long, so could you take it to her?”

        “Oh… okay.” Fluttershy took the hat and, after several seconds of trying to figure out the best way to carry it, simply placed it on her head. “Was there anything else?”

        “No, that’s all… and thanks for taking it to her.” Twilight smiled, shifting a little uncomfortably. “Good night, Fluttershy.”

“Um… good night, Twilight.” Fluttershy headed down the stairs again and tiphoofed across the main room, careful not to wake Spike, who was snoozing on a small pile of books. Sneaking out, she pulled the door closed behind her and took off for her cottage, her head buzzing with thoughts of her conversation with Twilight.


*




        Fluttershy awoke the following morning as the sun crept over the horizon. She quietly slipped out of bed and made her way downstairs. Looking around her living room, she made sure all of the animals were still asleep, especially Angel Bunny, before grabbing a set of saddle bag, placing Applejack’s hat in it, and leaving for Sweet Apple Acres.

        As Fluttershy flew towards the Apple family farm, she took the time to admire the serenity of nature before all the animals woke up. Celestia’s sun crawled ever higher, casting the first rays of light on dew-soaked fields and causing them to glitter like millions of diamonds in the grass. She stopped and hovered in place, smiling at the simple beauty. After a moment, she resumed her flight and soon caught sight of a speck of orange and yellow moving between the rows of apple trees. Fluttershy landed a short ways in front of Applejack, who didn’t notice her arrival and continued to wander down the row, her eyes darting around. “Um, good morning, Applejack.”

        “Huh?” Applejack looked up, confusion written on her face. “Oh, mornin’, ‘Shy.” Almost immediately, she went back to scanning the ground and walking down the row. “Sorry, but Ah’m a bit busy at the moment, so… say, have you seen mah hat by any chance, have ya?”

        Fluttershy giggled, reaching over with a wing tip to open the saddle bag on her back. She pulled out the hat and held it up. “You mean this one?” She asked.

        Relief flooded across Applejack’s face, a smile replacing her concerned frown. “Thanks a bunch, ‘Shy. Where’d ya find it?” She asked, trotting over to grab the hat and placing it back on her head. 

        “Oh, it was at the library. Twilight said you left it there yesterday, and she…” Images of the unicorn modelling the hat flashed through Fluttershy’s mind. “She asked me to bring it back to you.”

“The library, huh?” Applejack ran a hoof along the edge of her hat. “Well, thank ya kindly fer bringin’ it back. Can Ah interest you in some breakfast? We got eggs, maybe even some hay waffles if Mac hasn’t eaten ‘em all.”

        “Oh no, that’s okay. Thank you, though.” Fluttershy replied, kicking at the dirt. “Um... I did have something to talk to you about, if you have time that is.”

        “Sure thing, ‘Shy. Ah got some time now that Ah got mah hat back. What’s eatin’ ya?” Applejack resumed walking down the row of trees, periodically inspecting them for signs of disease. “Some cute lil’ colt caught yer eye or somethin’?” She heard a surprised squeak come from behind her. She turned back around to face Fluttershy, a knowing grin spreading across her face. “That’s it, ain’t it? Ya got a crush on some colt, or maybe the other way ‘round?”

        “Um... not quite.” Fluttershy lowered her head to let her mane fall across her face. She tried to gather her courage as she felt her heart beat quicken. “You see, yesterday... somepony kind of confessed that they love me.”

        “Well Ah’ll be. Congratulations, ‘Shy, been a long time comin’.” Applejack reached out and gave the other mare a pat on the shoulder. “Well, don’t keep me in the dark, who is it? Anypony Ah know?”

        “It was...” Fluttershy swallowed and forced herself to continue. “Oh, it was, um...” Her voice trailed off into a mumble.

        “Come again?” Applejack asked, leaning in to hear better. She received only another mumbled response in return. She chuckled and leaned in a little closer. “Ya wanna try that one more time?”

        Fluttershy squeezed her eyes shut and took a deep breath. “It was, um, Rarity...” She finally managed to say at an audible volume.

        “Rare? Really? Ah never woulda guessed she’d be into mares, what with the way she’s always talkin’ ‘bout her Prince Charmin’ comin’ to sweep her off her hooves.” Applejack stopped and knocked on one tree particularly hard, causing one apple to fall. She looked over it for a second then offered it to the pegasus, who shook her head. “Well, Ah’m sure the two of ya will be mighty happy.” She paused and took a bite. “Hmm… not quite ripe.”

        “Yes, but…” Fluttershy continued, pawing at the ground nervously. “Y-you see—”

        “Can’t say Ah really envy ya, though.” Applejack took another bite of her apple before tossing the rest of it at the base of a tree. “That girl is the definition of ‘high maintenance.’ Though, you enjoy a lotta the frou-frou stuff that she does, like goin’ to the spa and gettin’ all fancied up. Prolly be a lot easier fer you to deal with her than, say, me or RD.”

        “W-well…” Fluttershy swallowed and tried to interject again. “About Rainbow Da—”

        “Ah gotta ask, though…” Applejack cut across the pegasus again, her eyes glued to the tree canopies. “Did she make it into some big, romantic production, or did she just come out and say it? Knowin’ her it—”

        “Rainbow Dash said that she loved me too!” Fluttershy blurted out, clamping a hoof over her mouth when she was done.

        Applejack leaned back, her eyes wide in surprise. “Huh. Rare and Dash?” Her voice broke for a moment and she looked off to the side. “Ah can understand where that came from, you two been best friends for Celestia only knows how long. Ah’m surprised it took her this long if’n that’s how she feels. RD usually ain’t shy ‘bout goin’ and gettin’ what she wants.” She paused for a moment and smiled, but the warmth did not reach her eyes. “Even so, that’s great news, ‘Shy. Can’t say Ah envy ya havin’ to choose between ‘em, though.”

        “Are you okay?” Fluttershy stepped forward warily.

        “Course Ah am. Why wouldn’t Ah be?” Applejack tilted her hat down to partially cover her eyes.

        “Really?” Fluttershy asked, a note of skepticism in her voice. “I don’t mean to sound rude or anything, but your family is sort of old-fashioned.” She dropped her gaze to the ground and kicked the dirt. “It doesn’t bother you that we’re all mares? That we would be... fillyfooling?”

        Applejack cleared her throat and adjusted her hat back up. “Nope, not one bit. Ah figure that so long as two ponies love one another, it don’t rightly matter if they’re both mares or both colts.” She looked off to the side as she finished, visibly growing slightly uncomfortable.

        “Really?” Fluttershy smiled in relief. Part of her wanted to end the conversation since it was making her friend uncomfortable, but a larger part of her was curious about what her friend thought specifically about her potential relationship. “I would have thought that Granny Smith would have been too conservative to approve of two mares or colts being together.” Fluttershy took a step closer as she spoke.

        “Well, yeah. She don’t feel that fillyfoolin’ or coltcuddlin’ is natural.” Applejack took a step backwards, but held her head up in her best imitation of Rarity. “However, Ah’m like one of them refined city-types. Ah spent lots of time in Manehattan after all.”

        “But, um, I thought you only spent a week in Manehattan before you came back here to run the farm.” Fluttershy leaned a bit closer.

        “Well... ya see... the thing is...” Applejack looked around nervously before letting out a heavy sigh. “Alright, ‘Shy. Ya got me. Ah can’t rightly be upset at you fillyfoolin’ on account of the fact that... Ah got a crush on a filly too.” Her cheeks flushed a red as deep as her cutie mark as she made the admission.

        “Aww... that’s so cute, AJ.” Fluttershy’s mouth spread into a wide grin. “On who, if you don’t mind me asking?”

        “Well, that’s the thing, ‘Shy.” Applejack stared at the ground, her mouth working but no words coming out. After a few seconds, she met the pegasus’ gaze and took a breath. “The filly Ah got a crush on is… Rainbow Dash.”

        “Oh no.” Fluttershy’s eyes shot open in panic. She stood frozen for a moment while she processed what she had just heard. “B-but… you— she— I…” She was on the verge of a full-blown panic attack when a sound pulled her out of her spiral.

        A single snort escaped Applejack, followed shortly by a few chuckles. “Sorry, ‘Shy. That was mean. Ah’m just messin’ with ya.”

        Fluttershy let out a long sigh, feeling her panic drain out with the breath. “Well, um, then… who is it? That is, if you don’t mind me asking.” She stared at her hooves, kicking a small rock a short distance. “You don’t have to tell me if you don’t want to. I understand.”

        Applejack shook her head. “No, fair’s fair. You told me yours, so Ah’ll tell ya mine. But you gotta promise ya won’t laugh at me.” She stopped for a moment and shifted on her hooves nervously. “It’s... Twilight.”

        “Twilight?” Fluttershy asked, slightly shocked. The scene from the library played in her head again, and she considered telling Applejack what she had seen. No. It’s not my place to say anything. Twilight might have just been having fun. It might not have been like that.

        “Eeyup.” Applejack confirmed, a smirk pulling at her lips. “She don’t have a clue, but it’s not like Ah ain’t been droppin’ hints at it. Heck, before Ah set up shop every Market Day, Ah make a special trip over to Twi’s place to drop off her apples. That way, she don’t haveta come all the way out to the stall to get ‘em.”

        “But, um…” Fluttershy cocked her head to the side. “Don’t you usually set up your stall right near the library?”

        “Well… yeah.” Applejack’s face scrunched up for a moment and she reached up to adjust her hat. “But you know how she can be, gettin’ all caught up in her book learnin’ and such. Sometimes that girl plumb forgets to eat, and by the time she makes it out to the stall, my wares’ve been picked clean.”

        “Oh, well, um, that’s very nice of you, Applejack.” Fluttershy shook her head slightly, sending waves cascading down her mane. You shouldn’t pry into other ponies’ business, Fluttershy.

“Shoot, ain’t nothin’.” Applejack waved away her friend’s compliment, smiling. After a moment, her smile faded, and once again her hoof drifted up to her hat. “Though, Ah can’t believe Ah actually forgot mah hat at the library.” She patted her Stetson, as if making sure it wouldn’t run away. “Do you know how many times Ah’ve ever forgotten mah hat somewhere? Zero. Ah’ve never lost it ever since Big Mac gave it to me after Ah earned mah cutie mark.”

        “Wait... Big Mac gave you your hat?” Fluttershy asked, her curiosity piqued again.

        “Huh? Oh, yea. Ah never told y’all that story?” Applejack shrugged. “It was right after I got back to the farm from Manehattan. Ah was tryin’ to help Mac with buckin’ all the apple trees, but Ah was too small to knock ‘em loose. Ah was a might upset about it. When Ah told him what was wrong he gave me his hat and said that as long as Ah wore it, Ah would be just as strong as he was. Ever since that day, Ah’ve only ever taken off mah hat to bathe and sleep. Heck, Ah even snuck it in to Cadence and Shinin’ Armor’s weddin’.”

        Fluttershy smiled warmly as the story ended. “That was very sweet of him. Maybe if Twilight knew that story she might have seen what a big sign it was that you left your hat there.”

        “Maybe.” Applejack sighed and sat down, leaning against a tree. “Ah swear, she may be one of the smartest ponies in Equestria, but sometimes that filly can be thicker than Granny’s apple custard. Just… don’t tell her Ah said that.” Fluttershy simply stared at her in confusion. Applejack’s cheeks tinged pink as she looked off to the side. “Granny’s mighty prouda her custard, and Ah doubt she’d take kindly to hearin’ Ah said somethin’ like that.” She turned back to face the pegasus. “Don’t get me wrong, it’s good it’s just… It can be a real workout to eat.”

        Fluttershy pressed a hoof to her lips to stifle a giggle. “Don’t worry, AJ. Your secret is safe with me. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” She recited the Pinkie Promise, making the appropriate gestures.

        “Thanks, ‘Shy. This makes me feel loads better, bein’ able to get all this off mah chest.” Applejack leaned back against the tree, tilting her hat down to shade her eyes. “So, back to yer little problem. You got any idea on how yer gonna choose between Rare and Dash?”

        “Not really.” Fluttershy trotted over and laid down next to the tree. “Pinkie Pie was the first one to find out, and she seems to think I don’t have to choose. She said that the three of us could just all be together. Twilight had some fancy word for it, but apparently it’s not unheard of.”

        “Hmm.” Applejack mused over the possibility silently. “Ah see two problems with that idea, and their names are Rarity and Rainbow Dash. Those two ain’t exactly the best of friends. Shoot, Rare’s more friendly to me than she is to Dash, and Ah irritate her every time Ah open mah mouth.” She pushed her hat up with a hoof to look at Fluttershy, who was looking at her with a befuddled expression. She spoke again, this time with a perfect Manehattan accent. “You see, darling, Rarity believes that a proper lady should speak in a more refined manner, such as this. Speaking with an accent such as mine is simply barbaric.” She slipped back into her normal voice. “Just playin’ Discord’s advocate here, but do ya got a plan in case they don’t go for a three-way?”

        “No.” Fluttershy let her head fall slightly. Despite talking to all of her friends, she did not feel any closer to solving her initial problem. Her thoughts were interrupted as her stomach audibly reminded her that she had not eaten yet.

        “Well, nopony says you gotta decide before breakfast.” Applejack chuckled. “Feel free to head over to the house and grab some food, then take yer time thinkin’ it all over.” She stood up and stretched, preparing to resume her patrol of the orchard.

        “I just have one more question, AJ.” Fluttershy spoke up and she rose from the ground. “Why Twilight? I would have figured you would go for somepony like Rainbow Dash. Twilight is the last pony I would have expected you to be interested in.”

        Applejack chuckled at the idea, a light blush coloring her cheeks. “Hoo boy, me and Dash, that’d be somethin’. Don’t get me wrong, Ah love Rainbow to bits, but we’re a little too competitive with each other. We butt heads a bit too often.” She paused and shook her head, a light sheen of sweat forming unnoticed on her forehead. “Ah don’t know what it is about Twi’, there’s just somethin’... attractive ‘bout all the way she can solve so many problems just by thinkin’ on ‘em. Look at what she did when those Flim Flam Brothers came to town. When y’all came to help us, she knew right away what part of the cider makin’ each of ya would be best at. Ah just woulda told everypony to do whatever they thought they were best at, but Twi’ knew everypony’s strengths and weaknesses and sorted y’all out to give us the best chance at beatin’ those two arrogant little-” She stopped herself and took several deep breaths to calm down.

        “Sorry, Ah got a bit carried away there.” Applejack admitted after composing herself. “I guess what Ah’, tryin’ to say is that Ah’m attracted to Twi’ for her brains.” She smiled at a thought that came to her. “And ya have to admit it’s kinda cute when she’s clueless about somethin’ and misses it when it’s starin’ her right in the face.”

        “Well, I hope that Twilight picks up on the hints you’re dropping.” Fluttershy flared her wings and stretched the stiffness from them. “Thanks for the talk, Applejack. I’ve got some thinking to do, so I’ll see you around.” The farm-pony held onto her hat as Fluttershy leapt into the air, sending a small puff of dust across the ground.

        Applejack heaved a sigh once she was alone. Ah can’t believe mahself… can’t even tell the truth to mah own friends. And now ‘Shy thinks Ah got a crush on Twi! She may of Pinkie Promised not to say anythin’... but what if she tries to get us together? She slowly plodded down the path between the north and south fields. She reached up and felt the reassuring presence of her hat. Ah still can’t believe Ah forgot mah hat at the library. Stupid, sexy Rainbow Dash. Why’d she haveta go and fall in love with Fluttershy? Applejack lashed out at a tree with one hind leg, sending several apples cascading to the ground.

        “Celestia damn it all.” She growled, a single tear streaking down her cheek.


*


        Three Days Later

        Fluttershy paced back and forth in front of her door, glancing at the clock every few seconds. It was almost three in the afternoon, the time that Fluttershy had asked Rarity and Rainbow Dash to come to her house to talk. It’s okay, you’ve rehearsed this. She reminded herself, thinking back to the countless times she had practiced in front of the mirror and with a less-than-enthusiatic Angel. The plan is to find some subtle way to bring up the possibility of a trinogamous relationship, and if you can’t do that then just blurt it out in a panic. She reached the edge of the room and turned around to walk back to the other side. She briefly thought she could see a small rut in the floor from her pacing, but she was distracted by a knock at her door. She trotted over and pulled it open to reveal Rarity on the other side of the threshold.

        “Darling, it’s so nice to see you again.” Rarity spoke first in a slightly-too-cheery tone. “I must admit I was getting a little nervous, not having heard from you in quite some time.” Fluttershy went to speak, but Rarity held up a hoof to stop her. “No need to explain, dear. I understand completely. Now, I assume we’re still waiting on-”

        “Me?” Dash supplied, having arrived unnoticed. She lowered her head and began pushing the alabaster unicorn into the cottage. “Hurry up and move your flank. You know how impatient I am... these last three days have been killing me.”

        “How rude.” Rarity scoffed. She adjusted her hindquarters to the side slightly, causing Dash to slip and land face first in the dirt. She smirked down at the fallen pegasus. “A lady does not hurry.”

        “Girls.” Fluttershy interrupted them, placing a gentle hoof on Dash’s withers. “Please don’t fight.” Rainbow stood up and followed Rarity into the cottage, grumbling a bit under her breath. Fluttershy sighed and shook her head, pushing the door closed behind them. She turned to see her two friends sitting on the couch, each sliding as far away from the other as possible without falling off. Well, here goes nothing.

        Fluttershy walked over in front of the couch and sat on her haunches. She cleared her throat, interrupting Dash and Rarity from shooting each other dirty glares. “I’ve been doing a lot of thinking these past few days, and I talked to the rest of our friends about this... situation.”

        “You talked to Twilight?” Rainbow asked. “AJ I get. Maybe even Pinkie, she can be smart when she’s not all hopped up on sugar, which is rare. Twilight, though?”

        “Please, don’t interrupt.” Rarity shot back. “It will only make things more difficult and delay us getting to find out what decision Fluttershy has made.” She examined one of her hooves disinterestedly. “Besides, I’m sure that with all the books Twilight has undoubtedly read on the subject, she had some valuable information to contribute.”

        “Ahem.” Fluttershy cleared her throat and both of the mares on the couch quit speaking. “As I was saying, I’ve been doing a lot of thinking, and I think I may have come up with a solution that will make everypony happy.” Dash and Rarity both looked at her as though she had sprouted a second head. Fluttershy felt her heatbeat hammer in her chest as she steeled herself. “I think we should attempt a trinogamous relationship.”

        “A what now?” Dash replied, confusion written on her face. “What in the hay is a trig-... trim-.... whatever you just said?”

        “Please, Rainbow. Try not to be confused by every word with more than four letters.” Rarity countered. “I think it sounds like a splendid idea, darling.”

        “I’ve got a four letter word for you.” Dash muttered to under her breath. She turned and pointed a hoof at the fashionista. “Alright then, Miss suddenly-so-smarty pants, explain to me what a trigonometrous relationship is.”

        “Why it’s quite simple. It’s when...” Rarity trailed off into silence, her eyes darting back and forth. “Fine, I don’t know what it is. I just wanted to agree to whatever she suggested.”

        Dash practically slammed her hoof against her forehead, letting out a heavy sigh. “Let’s try this again, Fluttershy. This time can you try it in laypony terms? You know, words we wouldn’t have to be Twilight to know what they mean?”

        “Oh, um, well...” Fluttershy could feel her nerves beginning to fray. “I was hoping that, um, maybe we could... that is-” She paused and took a deep breath, trying to slow down her heart’s frantic pace. Alright, subtlety failed, time for a panicked outburst. She took one final breath and screwed her eyes closed. “I want all three of us to be in a relationship together.”

        The only thing that greeted her was silence.

> Rigging the Game
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Unexpected Confessions

Chapter Four


        Rigging the Game

        Time seemed to drag on in endless silence. After a few seconds that felt like hours, Fluttershy peeked out with one eye to see Rainbow Dash and Rarity staring at her from the couch, their expressions somewhere between “stunned silence” and “abject horror.” She involuntarily shrunk down, trying desperately to fall through the floorboards.

“You want to what?” Rainbow and Rarity yelled together, simultaneously regaining the ability to speak. They both started ranting, loudly and animatedly, drowning each other out in a cacophony angry shouting. Fluttershy felt the icy grip of panic rising in her chest. She turned and galloped up the stairs, slamming the door to her room. Even though the door, she could still hear her friends trying to shout over each other for several more seconds before things finally quieted down.

        Back in the living room, Dash reached over and pressed her hoof over Rarity’s mouth, stopping her mid-rant. “Where’d ‘Shy go?” She asked, looking around the room to see if the easily frightened mare was hiding behind some improvised cover.

        “Please, that’s not necessary.” Rarity spat after removing the hoof from her lips. “I’m sure that she is up in her room, trying to get away from your dreadful shouting.”

        “Hey.” Rainbow shot back, offended. “You were shouting just as much as me. In fact, you were probably shouting more than me.”

        Rarity opened her mouth for a retort, but held it in her throat. More fighting won’t solve anything. She took a deep breath before speaking again. “We can sit here and argue about who was arguing more, or we can go try and comfort Fluttershy.” She hopped down from the couch and made her way across the room. She stopped at the base of the stairs and looked back over her shoulder. “Are you coming or not?”

        Dash leapt off the couch and flared her wings open, gliding over Rarity and landing partway up the stairs. She looked back down the staircase, a cocky grin on her face. “You coming?” The pearly white mare grumbled to herself as the pair ascended the stairs. She reached out with a hoof and knocked on the door to the bedroom.

        “Fluttershy, darling.” Rarity called through the door. “Please do come out. Our little... outburst on the couch was merely an overreaction.”

        “I don’t know... I think that an epic level freak-out is a pretty normal reaction to somepony suggesting a three-way relationship outta the blue.” Dash snorted and shook her head, her wings spreading and flapping once.

        “You’re not helping!” Rarity hissed. Her next comment was interrupted by the bedroom door opening.

        “I’m sorry.” Fluttershy immediately launched into an apology, tears welling up in her eyes. “I tried. I really did. I spent days cooped up in my house, pacing around and trying to decide.” A single tear escaped and slowly rolled down her face. “I couldn’t do it. I love you. Both of you, and I could never hurt either one of you like that.” Both Rainbow and Rarity stood frozen in place, taken aback by their friend’s heartfelt sentiment.

        She’s really torn up about this. Dash thought to herself. I never wanted to do this to her. It could work, right? All three of- She stopped short as her mind filled with images of Fluttershy and Rarity in compromising positions, too wrapped up in each other to spare any attention for her. It brought back unpleasant memories about her childhood and her mother, who hadn’t had any time or inclination to take care of her either. Several emotions warred within her, jealousy and anger chief among them. Nope... not gonna happen. She stepped forward and reached out to wipe the tear off of her friend’s cheek.

        “Listen, ‘Shy. I’m really sorry that we put you in this situation. It sucks, but it is what it is.” Rainbow looked over to Rarity, who was giving her a slight glare. “It’d be awesome if we could find a way for everypony to be happy, but we’re not gonna. Somepony’s gonna get hurt, there’s just no way around it.”

        “That was... unusually poignant, Rainbow.” Rarity admitted, genuine surprise in her voice. “However, I have to agree.” She turned to face Fluttershy. “I’m sorry, dear. I wish that there was a way to solve this without anypony getting hurt, but there isn’t. Dash and I will give you space so that you can decide.”

        “I don’t think I can.” Fluttershy murmured.

        “I’m sure that you can.” Rarity reassured her. She reached out with a hoof and lifted her friend’s chin so their gazes could meet. “Just remember that no matter what happens, both of us will still be your friends.” Dash nodded in agreement.

        “Thanks girls. I’ll... I’ll try.” Fluttershy smiled weakly. Rarity and Dash said their goodbyes and made their way back downstairs and out the front door. After they crossed the bridge in front of the cottage, the silence between them finally broke.

        “I think we need to set some ground rules.” Rarity stopped and turned to face Dash, who looked at her quizzically. “First, in order to let Fluttershy make her decision as fairly as possible, I believe we should avoid spending excessive time with her.” She held up a hoof as Rainbow went to protest. “I am not saying that we should actively avoid her as we have these past few days, just that we should not attempt to bias her judgment with our constant presence.”

        “Fine.” Dash agreed. “Anything else?”

        “Just one more thing.” Rarity narrowed her eyes accusingly. “We should not attempt to curry favor from her with gifts or assisting her with tasks she needs completed.”

        “Done.” Rainbow extended a hoof.

        Rarity put out her own leg and shook hooves with the brash pegasus. “You have no intention of abiding by these rules, do you?”

        “None whatsoever.” Dash replied, a predatory grin spreading across her face. “All’s fair in love and war, Rarity.” Without waiting for a reply, she leapt into the air and sped off into the distance. Rarity coughed as the dust settled from Rainbow’s sudden departure.

        “Oh, it is on, Rainbow Dash. It. Is. On.”


*


        Applejack unhooked the collar around her neck and dropped it on the ground. She turned to admire her work. The newest fields of Sweet Apple Acres were all plowed, ready for the next batch of Red Delicious apple trees to be planted. The farm-pony pulled her hat off and wiped the sweat from her brow. “Heh, wait until Mac sees this…” She leaned against the plow, taking a little longer to admire her handiwork. Pride swelled in her chest at having done several days worth of work in one day, but she knew that she’d have to work just as hard tomorrow, regardless. She turned and began making her way back towards the farmhouse for a drink of water, but stopped as a familiar streak of chromatic light appeared over the tree line. Her heart sped up a bit as she realized the streak of light was headed towards her, but the image brought memories of Fluttershy’s visit the other day to the forefront of her mind.

        Is this gonna be what it’s like every time Ah see ‘er? Applejack thought to herself, meandering over to lay down under a nearby tree. A rush of excitement and happiness, followed by a kick to the gut when I remember she’s in love with somepony else? She briefly thought about running deep into the stand of trees and trying to avoid her crush, but before she could Dash landed right in front of her.

        “Hey there, AJ. How’s it goin’?” Rainbow trotted over and laid down under the tree.

        “Oh, ya know... plowin’ fields, buckin’ apples. Just doin’ farm stuff.” Applejack waved a hoof in the direction of the newly plowed fields. Fantasizin’ about makin’ out with yer best friend counts as farm stuff, right? “So, how’s yer little love triangle with Fluttershy workin’ out?” She strained to keep her voice level as she asked.

        “Oh, right, ‘Shy said she talked to you about that.” Dash lowered her head to rest on her forehooves. “Honestly, not good. She actually suggested that her, Rarity and me could all be together in some kind of weird three-way relationship.” She snorted derisively.

        Applejack bit her lip to try and keep a smile from spreading across her face. She railed against herself on the inside, disgusted at herself yet unable to squash the little ember of hope smoldering in her chest. Look at yerself AJ, sittin’ here hopin’ that yer best friend gets her heart broken, just so you can come in and pick at the pieces. You should be ashamed of yerself. What would Mac say if he knew what you were thinkin’? Her self-loathing reached a new peak, and the worst part was that she couldn’t deny that some small part of her wanted it to happen. She managed to pull herself out of her downward shame spiral to hear a question break the growing silence.

        “Say, AJ. Do you think you could maybe give me some advice about this whole Fluttershy thing?” Dash lifted her head up, but kept her eyes off to the side. “I hate to pull you into this, but you know how bad I am at all the sappy romance stuff, and I’m up against Rarity, the sappy romance queen.” She finally looked up, her eyes pleading. “Will you help me?”

        Celestia damn it. Applejack cursed silently. Ah can’t say no to that face, and those gorgeous eyes. She shook her head slightly as she found herself getting lost staring into Rainbow’s eyes. “Sure thing, sugarcube.” She said, reaching up to wipe a hoof across her eyes. Ah’d like nothin’ better than to help the mare Ah love get with somepony else. She felt a devious smile pull at the edge of her mouth. Although... She asked for advice, but she never said it had to be good advice.

        Applejack stood up and began walking around, her feelings of shame and self-loathing resurging. Am Ah really about to try and sabotage Dash’s chances with Fluttershy just so Ah can try an’ get with ‘er mahself? Am Ah really willin’ to stoop that low? She glanced out of the corner of her eye and saw Rainbow laid out beneath the tree. Her friend’s lithe, athletic body was dappled with sunlight filtering through the leaves. Those beautiful eyes looked up at her, waiting expectantly. Yes... yes Ah am. She felt an almost irresistible urge to lunge out and kiss Rainbow, heedless of the consequences, but her iron willpower held, barely. She heaved a heavy sigh. Ah can’t believe Ah’m doin’ this.

        “Alright, sugarcube.” Applejack steeled herself. “The first thing you’re gonna want to do is bring her flowers. Fluttershy loves flowers. Ah’m thinkin’ magnolias.”

        “Magnolias? Really?” Dash cocked her head to the side in confusion. “Wouldn’t something like roses be better if I’m trying to be all romantic?”

        “Nah.” Applejack waved a hoof. “Roses are overdone. Ya wanna be original. Give her somethin’ she’ll remember.” Especially since magnolias happen to be the one flower in Equestria that Fluttershy is allergic to.

        “Huh.” Dash furrowed her brow, thinking. “I guess that makes sense. Anything else?”

        “Ya need a gift, somethin’ personal that shows ya really know what she likes. Maybe somethin’ to do with her animals.” Applejack felt her confidence wavering. There’s no goin’ back now. She reminded herself. “Ah remember Twilight sayin’ somethin’ the other day ‘bout a rare book on bird diseases and how to cure ‘em. You could go talk to her and see if she knows where ya can get it.” Even if the only copy she knows about is in the Canterlot Royal Archives.

        “That sounds like a great idea, AJ. Thanks.” Dash stood up and trotted over, giving Applejack a quick hug. “I’m gonna go see Twi’ right now. I’ll let you know how it goes.” She took to the air, angling for Ponyville, and quickly disappeared over the tree line.

        Applejack sat down where she was, feelings of shame, disgust, and hope warring in her heart. After a moment, she let out an exasperated sigh. “If Dash ever finds out about this, Ah am so gettin’ bucked right in the face.”


*


        Rarity paced around the show room of Carousel Boutique. Several dress forms were scattered about the room, all bare. She had finished all of her outstanding orders during her three day self-imposed solitary confinement and currently had nothing to occupy her mind from creating scenario after scenario of what the future might hold. She stopped her frantic patrolling after a particularly frightening scenario involving crying, maniacal laughter and excessive amounts of ice cream.

        “All of this worrying is getting me nowhere.” She trotted over to a sketch pad, an idea forming in her head. “Surely Rainbow will be attempting to sway Fluttershy, but how?” She grasped a drawing pencil in her magic, tapping it against her chin. Likely with some ridiculous series of stunts or some crude gift. Predictable. She chuckled at the notion, picturing Rainbow spinning and looping through the air, and expecting it to win her Fluttershy. Her little fantasy was cut short, however, when inspiration for her own gift for Fluttershy struck.

“Ah, of course, a dress. Something natural and flowing.” The pencil flew wildly across the sketch pad as she brought the vision in her head to life. “Something that hugs her curves, but isn’t overly suggestive. Modest. Demure, just like her.” She looked over the drawing, a pleased smile unfolding from her lips. Now, what material to use? Velvet? Maybe satin with a nice lace trim? Oh, who am I kidding? I would never dream of making a dress such as this out of anything but the finest silk.

        Rarity levitated a dress form over to the middle of the room and grabbed several rolls of silk fabric in her magic. Wait a moment. She thought to herself. What am I going to do about measurements? If I’m going to pull this off, it needs to fit perfectly from the first time she puts it on. It can’t be too big, or she might think that I think that she’s fat, and it can’t be too small or she won’t be able to wear it. She set down the rolls of silk fabric and resumed her pacing from earlier.

        I suppose I could ask her to come over here and take some new measurements, but that would ruin the surprise. Rarity put a hoof to her chin as a possible solution occurred to her. I could always use the measurements from her dress for the Grand Galloping Gala. I saved everypony’s sizes for those dresses somewhere. She almost facehoofed when she remembered what happened to the measurements. That’s right... they were lost in the fire after Sweetie Belle’s little “accident” trying to levitate a teacup. She let out an exhausted sigh. I still don’t know how she managed to set a porcelain teacup on fire. Maybe her special talent is pyrotechnics.

        “Hmm...” Rarity pondered aloud as a second possible solution presented itself. “Now that I think about it, Twilight has a very similar build to Fluttershy. I could get measurements off of her. The fit won’t be perfect, but it’s the best I can do.” She trotted over to the door, pulling it open with her magic and flipping the sign in the window to “Closed.” She shut and locked the door behind her and made her way down to the Ponyville Library.


*


        The Next Day

        Fluttershy was pacing around her living room, following the slight indentation in the floor that she was sure had formed from her nearly incessant walking over the past day. “Oh, why does this have to be so difficult?” She complained to the empty room. She had asked the same question so many times over the last two days that she lost track of how many times she had said it. She was sure that she would be happy with either Rarity or Dash, but what should have been a no-lose situation felt vastly more like a no-win one. No matter who she chose, one of them would end up heartbroken. She’d hate me forever… Her worried pacing was interrupted by a light knock at her door. She trudged over and pulled it open to see a winded Rainbow Dash on the other side. “Oh, hello Dash. I wasn’t expecting to see you today.” She stepped outside and closed the door behind her.

        “Hi... ‘Shy.” Rainbow managed to say between heaving breaths. She took a wobbly step back, her knees shaking slightly. “I... brought you... something.” She pulled open a saddle bag laying across her back and produced a small bouquet of magnolias. “Here... for you.”

        “Are tho-... thos-” She stopped and brought a hoof to her nose. “A— Aachoo!” She let out a tiny sneeze. “Are those magnolias?” She finally asked. “I really a— aaa... appreciate the gesture Dashie, but I’m allergic to magnolias.”

        “Allergic?” Rainbow looked down at the bouquet of flowers before flinging them away as if they had bit her. “I’m so sorry, ‘Shy. I had no idea.” She pulled open the other saddlebag on her back and retrieved a large, worn tome. “I also brought this. I heard from Twilight that you were looking for it.”

        Fluttershy took the book from Rainbow and held it up to examine the title. “Atypical Avian Ailments and Their Alleviation.” A huge smile spread across her face and she leaned over to pull her friend into a hug. “Oh, thank you so much, Dashie! I’ve been looking for this book for months. Twilight said that the only copy left was in the Royal Archives in Canterlot.” She flipped open the cover, her attention drawn to a stamp on the inside. “Inkpot’s Rare and Hard to Find Books. 503 West Stallion Avenue... Vanhoover?” She looked up, her eyes wide in disbelief. “Did you go all the way to Vanhoover to get this?”

        “Yeah, I just got back.” Dash replied, her breathing still mildly heavy. “Twilight found some crazy spell that let her magically find any copies of the book. There was one in Canterlot, but she also found that one over in Vanhoover. It’s no big deal though.”

        “Just got back?” Fluttershy closed her eyes as she did math in her head. How long does the train take to get out to Vanhoover again? Then factor in time to find the store, get some food, the return train ride... That’s not possible. She opened her eyes and looked at Rainbow with a confused expression. “It should take two whole days to get out to Vanhoover and back. And that’s not even counting the time it would take to find the book. How did you do it?”

        “Train?” Dash chuckled, her trademark cocky grin replacing her tired expression. “Who needs a train when you’ve got these babies?” She flared her wings dramatically, but they faltered after a moment, drooping to her sides. “ Ow… still kinda worn out, though. Still, one of the perks of being the fastest flyer in Equestria; I can get places in a flash.”

        “You flew? To Vanhoover and back, in only a day?” Fluttershy fell to a sitting position, shocked at the seemingly impossible difficulty of the flight.

        “Psh… not even.” Dash puffed her chest out. “I didn’t even leave until this morning. Went to bed early, got lots of sleep, and took off a little after dawn. Well, after breakfast of course. Can’t go flying that long on an empty stomach.” She chuckled again, looking off toward the horizon. “Heck, I passed over Sweet Apple Acres, and it was so early I don’t think AJ was even up yet.” 

        Fluttershy sat frozen in place, her mouth working open and closed, but no words coming out. Rainbow had flown over halfway across Equestria and back in less than a day just to get her this book. She felt a sudden, overwhelming urge rise within her, and for once acted without thinking first.

        She lunged forward, the book falling to the ground. Throwing her forelegs around Dash’s neck, she planted a kiss firmly on her lips. She felt every muscle in Rainbow’s body tense up at the unexpected contact and heard a slight pomfas her wings shot out to their full extension. Fluttershy broke the kiss and stepped back, giggling as she saw Dash’s frozen expression of shock.

        Without warning, her knees gave out and Dash fell to the dirt in a heap. “I’m okay.” She called from the ground, raising a hoof to wave off Fluttershy’s impending concerned outburst. “Just really, really tired... and my brain stopped working after... wow.” Rainbow lay on the ground, a huge grin on her face and occasionally breaking out in fits of giggling like a schoolfilly.

        “Good afternoon, Fluttershy dear.” Rarity chirped as she approached, levitating a large object covered by a sheet behind her. “And Rainbow Dash, how lovely to see you.” She added in a markedly less pleasant tone. She watched as Dash stood from the ground, her knees still shaking some. “Did I miss anything?”

        “Nope.” Rainbow responded before Fluttershy could say anything. “Just came by to see ‘Shy and drop off a book.” She turned and noticed the object floating nearby. “Don’t look now Rarity, but you’re being followed by a ghost.” She held up her hooves and waved them spookily, only to receive an exaggerated eye roll in return. “Well, I’m gonna get outta here, ‘Shy. It’s time for my afternoon nap, and I’ve missed it the last two days.” Dash stopped as she remembered something. “Actually, do you mind if I grab a drink before I head out?”

        “That’s fine.” Fluttershy pushed the door open and stepped aside. “You know where everything is.”

        “Thanks.” Rainbow trotted into the cottage, closing the door behind her. She paused for a moment until she heard Rarity start talking, then slowly made her way over to a small hutch in the corner of the living room. She knocked on the roof of the hutch and waited for its occupant to come out.

        After several seconds, Angel Bunny hopped out of the enclosure. He looked up at Dash with a hostile expression, as if to say “What do you want?”

“Hey there, Angel.” Rainbow said. “I’m sure you’ve noticed that Fluttershy has been kind of upset for the last week or so. Well, I was-” She stopped as Angel began tapping his foot impatiently. “Fine, the short version.” She smirked. “I want you to help Fluttershy choose me, not Rarity.”

        Angel Bunny raised an eyebrow, holding out a paw to say “What’s in it for me?”

        “Two things.” Dash began, reaching back to open up her saddle bag. “First, if she doesn’t choose me, then Rarity will bring Opal over here, and I don’t think you want that.” She smiled at the brief flash of panic that passed over the rabbit’s features. “Second, I happen to be good friends with a certain pony who works at a certain bakery and likes to make things like this.” She pulled a small, hoof-sized box out of her bag. She put it on the ground and opened it to reveal a small carrot cake. “If ‘Shy picks me, then I might be able to bring things like this over for you.”

        Angel hopped over to look at the cake. He sniffed it warily before grabbing a small chunk and tossing it in his mouth. He chewed it slowly, an expression of joy slowly spreading over his face. He immediately dove into the cake, pulling off pieces with both paws and eating them.

        “So we got a deal?” Dash asked, looking down at the feasting rabbit. Angel stopped long enough to look up and nod before diving back into the cake with a renewed gusto. Rainbow chuckled and began walking back towards the door. “Nice doing business with you.” When she pulled open the door, Dash stopped in her tracks.

        “Oh, Rarity. It’s beautiful.” Fluttershy cooed as she craned her head around to try and get a better look at the dress she was wearing. It was made of light green silk that flowed gracefully along her body, ending in a long skirt that ended just short of dragging the ground. Gold thread flowed in a swirling vine-like pattern from the two holes on the back where her wings extended. The final piece of the dress was a gold choker with a butterfly identical to her cutie mark made out of gems. “Are these rose quartz?” She asked, running a hoof along the choker.

        “Not quite.” Rarity replied, a minor blush rising in her face. “I had a deal of leftover pink diamonds from a previous order, so I used them to make it.”

        “P-pink d-diamonds?” Fluttershy’s eyes widened. “Oh, my. Rarity, I love it but I could never accept such an expensive gift.”

        “It is just that, dear. A gift. I made it just for you, and I will not take ‘no’ for an answer. Besides, I see that Rainbow Dash brought a gift.” She looked down at the book still sitting in the dirt. “So it is only fair that I be able to give you one as well.”

        “Um... Thank you, both of you.” Fluttershy reached down and picked up the tome Dash had given her from the ground, taking a moment to dust it off. “I really appreciate the gifts. I know that you’re waiting for me to make up my mind, but-”

        “Hey.” Dash interrupted her, trotting over and resting a hoof on her shoulder. “Don’t worry about it, ‘Shy. I’ve got a tortoise for a pet, remember? I’ve got plenty of patience. You take as long as you need.”

        “This from the pony who was trying to forcibly push me into this very cottage not a mere day ago.” Rarity commented wryly.

        “That was different.” Rainbow countered. “At that point, ‘Shy had already made her... decision and we were waiting to hear it. This time, we’re still waiting for her to make her choice.” she turned back to Fluttershy. “Seriously, take all the time you need. We’ll both be here whenever you decide. Now, if you don’t mind, I’ve got a nap to take.” Dash trotted a short distance away before leaping into the air flapping her wings, angling towards a bank of clouds off to the east.

        “I suppose I will take my leave as well.” Rarity gathered the sheet she had used to cover the dress and laid it across her back. “I’m so glad that you like the dress. I know that we do not attend many events that you would be able to wear it at, but perhaps we can convince Pinkie pie to host a formal-” She stopped just short saying the word ‘party,’ afraid that it would bring the pink pony down upon them. “A formal gathering.”

        “Um... before you go...” Fluttershy trotted over to where her friend was standing. She shifted back and forth on her hooves, glancing around as though making sure they were alone.

        “Whatever is-” Rarity’s words were cut off as Fluttershy leaned forward and kissed her. The world ceased to exist. Nothing mattered to Rarity beyond the soft pressure of Fluttershy’s lips against her own. Before she could wrap her mind around what was happening, the pressure disappeared.

        “Um... I’m sorry.” Fluttershy mumbled, her cheeks flooding with color. “I kind of kissed Rainbow when she gave me the book, so I um... I thought it was only fair for you to get one too.”

        “I... you... kiss...” Rarity stammered, waiting for her brain to resume functioning. After a moment, she partially succeeded in reasserting her normal demeanor, although excited squeals of joy kept threatening to burst from her mouth. “Fair. Yes, everything must be fair. Now, if you’ll excuse me I have to... go do... something.” She turned and cantered away, narrowly avoiding a fall into the stream.

        Fluttershy made her way back into her house, looking first at Atypical Avian Ailments, and then into a mirror on the wall to admire her new dress. “This doesn’t help.” She sighed to the empty room. “Both gifts are lovely, and they both show how much both Rarity and Rainbow care for me. Kissing them really didn’t help either.” She reflected on each of the kisses. They were different, and both mares were too surprised by them to respond, but they were both enjoyable. She felt her face heat up as she relived the feelings in her head.

        “Oh, I could just kick something!” True to her word, she reached out with a hoof and kicked an umbrella stand which wobbled back and forth several times before settling back upright. She flipped the book open, reading the stamp again. Vanhoover and back in twelve hours... just to get me a book that she knew I was looking for. Fluttershy closed the cover and looked back to the mirror. She reached up and ran a hoof along the choker. Pink diamonds, and the rest of it is silk... how much would a dress like this cost? She closed her eyes and pressed both hooves to her temples. “I can’t do this.” She complained aloud. Her eyes shot open as an idea flashed in her head. “No... I can’t do that. It’s... It’s not right.” She started pacing the room, chewing on her lip nervously. “It wouldn’t be fair to anypony. No, I can’t. I won’t.” She stopped, her gaze falling to the ground. “Well... It is the best idea I’ve had so far. Maybe just one wouldn’t hurt.”

        Fluttershy stomped a hoof. “That’s it. I’ll go on one date with Rarity and one with Dashie, and then I’ll be able to decide.” She quickly looked around the cottage to make sure she was alone. Once she was done, she looked at the mirror one more time.

        “What’s the worst that could happen?”


> Hindsight
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Unexpected Confessions

Chapter Four and a Half


Hindsight

The Next Day

“That went better than expected.” Fluttershy admitted as she left the Carousel Boutique. She could still hear Rarity jumping around and squealing excitedly inside the shop, doing her best impression of Twilight’s infamous “Yes Dance.” The canary mare began the walk back to her cottage, having completed of her visits to both Rainbow’s cloud home and Rarity’s shop.

Alright, so now both Rarity and Dashie think that I chose them and I’ve set up dates with both of them. Fluttershy thought to herself as she meandered down the dirt road leading away from Ponyville. Now I just have to go on the dates and then I’ll be able to pick one of them to really be with. Wait a minute... She stopped walking as an unforeseen consequence to her plan came to mind. How do I break up with the one I don’t choose? How do I explain going on one date, dumping them, and then being with the other one? Oh no oh no oh no... She let her head fall. This was a horrible, terrible idea. What was I thinking?

Fluttershy resumed her walk home. Well... it’s too late to back out now. She thought, resigning herself to her fate. I’ve got a date with Dashie tomorrow night on Friday, and then one with Rarity on Sunday. I just need to focus on getting through those, then I can freak out about having to choose one of them. She looked up and saw the library ahead of her. Ooh! I can try and see if Twilight is picking up on Applejack’s hints yet. Content to let her own relationship troubles take a back seat, Fluttershy trotted over to the library door and pushed it open.

“Oh, hello Fluttershy.” Twilight called, looking up from a book. “I haven’t seen you in a few days. How’s your little... situation?” She glanced over to where Spike was reading a comic book on the windowsill. She avoided mentioning the details since he was still unaware of Rarity’s confession of love.

“Um... not well, actually.” Fluttershy replied, scuffing a hoof on the wooden floor. She leaned in to whisper. “Can we go talk about it somewhere a little more... private?”

“Sure.” Twilight stood up and began walking towards the stairs to her room. “Spike, Fluttershy and I are going upstairs for a minute. You’re in charge while we’re gone.” The baby dragon looked at her over the top of his comic book, arching an eyebrow. He looked as though he wanted to make a comment, but instead shrugged and went back to reading.

Fluttershy followed Twilight up the stairs and closed the door behind her after they reached the latter’s bedroom. As soon as the door clicked shut, Fluttershy fell to sit on her haunches. “I really messed up, Twilight.” She had not planned on divulging her current dire straits, but they came pouring out regardless. “I’m in way over my head and I don’t know what to do. I... I kind of told both Rarity and Rainbow that I picked them and set up dates with both of them for this weekend.”

“You what?” Twilight almost screamed before remembering Spike’s presence downstairs. “Fluttershy, how could you do that? What could possibly make you think that was okay?”

“I don’t know.” Fluttershy slid to lay on the floor, covering her face with her hooves. “It seemed like a good idea at the time. I couldn’t pick between them, so I figured that going on one date with each would let me get a better idea of what being with each of them would be like. I figured that after that I would be able to choose more easily.”

“What about the one you choose to break up with?” Twilight began pacing frantically. “Don’t you think they’ll find it a little weird for you to go on one date, then dump them, then start going out with the other one who you supposedly broke up with beforehoof?”

“I know!” Fluttershy felt tears rising in her eyes, but wiped them away with a hoof. “I didn’t think about that until after I already told them. What can I do?”

“I don’t know... I just don't know." Twilight shrugged, shaking her head.

Fluttershy's mind flashed back to her initial reason for visiting the library. “There actually was one other thing I wanted to talk to you about.” She felt blood flow into her face as she tried to find a way to word her next statement. “With all the thinking I’ve been doing about my situation, I got to wondering, is there anypony that you’re interested in... romantically?” She ducked her head down to let her mane fall in front of her, hiding the crimson color in her cheeks.

“Me?” Twilight asked, still slightly confused from her bout of mild insanity. She swallowed before responding. “Um... n-no, not really. I’ve, uh, never really thought about it.” She put her hoof to her chin in thought as her eyes darted back and forth. “I know that it’s the next logical step up from friendship, but I don’t really know anypony that I feel that way about.”

“Really?” Fluttershy asked, picking her head back up. “No pony at all?”

Twilight shook her head, keeping her gaze off to the side. “N-nope. Why do you ask?” Her eyes shot open as an idea occurred to her “Did somepony say that they like me?”

“Oh, um...” Fluttershy briefly considered recounting her conversation with Applejack, but before she could Pinkie Pie appeared outside the window behind Twilight. She floated up, several balloons tied around her waist, shaking her head and mouthing the word “forever.” Fluttershy could only stare in shock as the pink party pony floated by, disappearing from the window right as Twilight turned to see what she was staring at.

“Is everything okay?” Twilight asked, raising an eyebrow in concern.

“Eep!” Fluttershy squeaked. “Oh, I mean, yes. Rather, no... no pony has said anything about liking you. I was just curious.” She stared at the ground as she spoke. “I-If you don’t mind. I’m going to head home and try to figure out what I’m going to do about my own mess.”

“Are you sure?” Twilight asked, a look of concern on her face. “I could try and help you...  “Aha! I’ve got it!” She proclaimed with a flourish. “Cloning!”

“C-Cloning?” Fluttershy asked, peeking out from her study of the floor.

“Yes, cloning.” Twilight confirmed, a slight twitch pulling at her eye. “That way there will be two of you! One of you can be with Rarity, and the other one with Rainbow Dash, everypony wins.” A flash of light filled the room. After it faded a syringe and a pair of tweezers floated next to Twilight, engulfed in a purple aura of magic. “Now, hold still. I need a DNA sample.”

“Um... no thank you.” Fluttershy stood up and backed away. She ran into the door, the crazed unicorn still stalking towards her. “Twilight...” She felt a panic rising in her chest. With an effort, she forced it down and closed her eyes. She took a deep breath and opened her eyes, unleashing The Stare. “Stop.”

Twilight faltered in her advance, the tweezers slipping from her grasp. She blinked rapidly for a few seconds before shaking her head vigorously. “What just happened?” She asked, pressing a hoof to the side of her head.

“You went a little crazy, like mad-scientist crazy.” Fluttershy explained as she stopped The Stare. “You wanted to clone me.”

“Clone you?” Twilight shook her head to dislodge the fuzziness still clinging to her thoughts. “Why in the wide, wide world of Equestria would I want to clone you? What could that possibly accomplish?”

“Well, you...” Fluttershy paused. She doesn’t remember? “I was just... telling you about a little problem I was having, but don’t worry about it.” Her shoulders slumped a small amount. “I got myself into this, so I’ll get myself out... somehow. I’ll see you later.” She turned to open the door to the library’s main room.

“Hold on a second.” Twilight called her back from the door. The lavender unicorn looked off to the side, chewing on her lip nervously. “Um, there was one more question I had for you. I’m sorry if it seems horribly obvious, but you know how I can be with obvious things.”

This could be it. Fluttershy thought to herself. She finally picked up on Applejack’s hints. She suppressed a smile as she trotted back to the center of the bedroom. “What is it?” She asked, trying to keep from sounding excited.

“Well...” Twilight stared at the floor and scuffed a hoof. “Are you even... attracted to mares?” She looked up, having gained some courage by getting the question out. “It just kind of seems like you’re focused on choosing between Rarity and Rainbow Dash to make one of them happy, and not necessarily yourself.”

“Oh.” Fluttershy replied, feeling her spirits fall a little. “Well, I don’t know if I’m attracted to all mares in general, but...” Her mind flashed back to the physical sensations of kissing Rarity and Rainbow Dash, along with several amorous dreams about both of them that she had over the past few nights. She felt her face heat up as it flushed a deep red. “I’m, um... I’m definitely attracted to Rarity and Dashie.”

“Hmm. I guess that makes sense.” Twilight put a hoof to her chin, her eyes darting back and forth as she began thinking. Fluttershy knew that once her friend began thinking about something, it was almost impossible to bring her back to reality, so she chose to make her exit. She pulled open the door and made her way back downstairs, leaving Twilight sitting in the middle of her room deep in thought.

Oh no. Not only is Twilight oblivious to Applejack’s hints, she doesn’t even feel the same way. How am I going to break this to her? Fluttershy wondered to herself as she walked along the path from Ponyville to her cottage. First, I have to make it through this weekend, then I can worry about Applejack.
> The Grass is Always Greener...
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Unexpected Confessions

Chapter Five


Grass Is Always Greener...

The Following Evening (Friday)

Fluttershy stood in front of her bathroom mirror, pulling a brush through her mane and futilely trying to calm her nerves. Don’t panic. Don’t panic. Don’t panic. She chanted to herself. It’s just your first date with Dashie... who happens to think you’ve broken up with Rarity even though you haven’t. I’m sure it won’t be anything too bold, we’re just going to... I don’t know. Dashie never told me what our plans were, just to show up at her place at seven. Fluttershy felt her chest tighten and her heart rate pick up slightly. Just a first date... with my best friend... and I have no idea what we’re doing. Why am I not panicking again?

The canary mare jumped as she heard the clock tower start to chime through the open window. “Oh no! It’s already seven!” She threw down her brush and galloped out of the bathroom. “I’m late. I’m late. I’m late.” She skidded to a stop as she got to the front door. Angel Bunny was blocking her path, visibly straining to hold up a bouquet of red roses.

“Angel, what are you doing with those?” Fluttershy asked, reaching down to take the flowers. The small rabbit pointed to her, pantomimed giving something, and then hopped around wildly, flapping his arms. “You want me to give these to Rainbow Dash?” She translated, looking over the bouquet. She briefly considered questioning where Angel Bunny even got the flowers, much less why he would want her to give them to Dash, but did not get the chance as she noticed him frantically waving a pocket watch and pointing at the time.

“Oh, right, I’m late.” Fluttershy pulled the door to her house open and stepped outside. “Um, thanks for the flowers, I guess.” She looked back to see Angel waving a paw, shooing her away, before shutting the door. She shook her head slightly and trotted a short way before leaping into the air and spreading her wings. She flapped them a few times to climb above the tree line and then angled northwest towards Rainbow’s sprawling cloud mansion.

The flight took longer than normal as Fluttershy flew slowly to avoid damaging the roses. Several minutes later, she passed the liquid rainbow fountain in front of Dash’s house and alighted on the porch. How much does it cost to keep that thing running? She wondered to herself as she reached up to knock on the door. Before she could continue that train of through, the door swung open.

“Hey there, ‘Shy.” Rainbow stood on the other side of the threshold, a towel draped over her shoulders. “I was starting to think you might have gotten cold hooves. You’re never late.” Her eyes drifted down to the bunch of roses her friend was carrying. “Are those for me?”

“Y-Yes.” Fluttershy stammered, holding out the flowers.

“Wow, red roses already? Moving pretty fast for a first date, don’t ya think?” Dash took the bouquet and smelled it briefly.

“Oh... um, I-” Fluttershy tried to explain, fighting the urge to hide behind her mane.

“I’m just messin’ with ya, ‘Shy.” Dash chuckled, standing to the side and waving her friend in. “Come on in. Food’s almost ready.”

“Food?” Fluttershy asked warily. The prismatic mare was not known for her culinary prowess. “Um... are you sure about that? Wouldn’t you rather go somewhere?” She asked, tentatively sniffing the air for signs of burning odors. The smell of charred food was absent, but a tantalizing aroma was wafting out into the entryway.

“Nope.” Dash responded, trotting back into the kitchen. “I’ve been working on this all day, and it’s gonna be awesome.” She passed through the doorway into the kitchen, leading to the sounds of lids clanging among pots and pans. “Make yourself at home. I’ll be out there in a second.”

Fluttershy slowly made her way around the living room of Rainbow’s home, taking time to admire the various pictures hanging on the wall, most of them either of The Wonderbolts or Dash performing one of their various aerial tricks. Fluttershy’s attention was drawn to a large black stereo in the corner of the room. She looked over the various buttons and knobs before finding one labeled “On/Off.” She reached up with a hoof and pressed the button, causing a booming rhythm to erupt from the speakers. After a moment, a deep bass voice came out of the stereo, speaking too rapidly for her to understand.

“No no no no no.” Dash appeared next to the stereo, frantically punching the power button until the music died away. “Eh heh... sorry about that...” She chuckled nervously, running a hoof along the back of her neck. “I was going to set up some nice, romantic dinner music, but I got distracted making the food.”

“What was that?” Fluttershy asked, arching an eyebrow in surprise.

“It... was...” Rainbow looked down, a light color rushing into her face. “The newest Fifty Bit song, ‘In Da Stable.’” She reached up and pressed several buttons, causing a slight whirring sound to emanate from the machinery. After several seconds of silence, the soft notes of a string quartet flowed from the speakers, gently filling the room. “There.” Dash said, scrunching her nose up slightly. “That’s... better, right?”

Fluttershy giggled lightly and leaned in to nuzzle Rainbow’s neck. She smiled as she felt a shiver pass through the chromatic-maned pegasus at the contact. “It’s lovely.” She cooed. She felt Dash relax and lean into her for a moment before she pulled away, trotting back towards the kitchen. “Um... Dashie?” She asked nervously.

“What’s up, ‘Shy?” Rainbow turned back.

“D-do you, um, th-that is, if you don’t mind... could you, um...” Fluttershy felt her face heat up and she scuffed a hoof on the floor. 

“Calm down, Flutters.” The cyan mare made her way over to her marefriend and leaned in to nuzzle against her neck. “Just take a breath and say whatever it is. I’m sure it’s nothing bad.”

“O-okay.” Fluttershy closed her eyes and took a calming breath. Opening her eyes, she locked gazes with Dash. “C-Could you say it again, please? You know, that... well, um, wh-what you said at my house?”

Rainbow cocked her head to the side in confusion. An instant later, she pieced together the meaning behind her friend’s cryptic request. She immediately felt a wave of guilt crash over her. I haven’t told her again since that fiasco at her her house. Some marefriend I am. She broke out of her self-criticism, and reached out to hold one of Fluttershy’s hooves between her own. “I love you, Flutters. More than anything in the world.”

Fluttershy instinctively hid behind her mane, biting her lip to try and suppress a squeal of glee. She felt her already flushed cheeks deepen in color and her heart rate pick up slightly at the other mare’s words. She leaned forward and tentatively pressed her lips against Rainbow’s in a soft kiss. She lingered there, relishing the light contact, before pulling away slowly. “I-I love you too, Dashie.”

“The, uh, th-the food’s ready.” Dash stammered, her own face blushing a light pink through her coat. “You hungry?”

Fluttershy followed her friend into the kitchen, only to be confronted with a veritable mountain of dishes, pots, and pans stacked in the sink, all of them encrusted with charred, black remnants of what presumably used to be food. “What happened here?” She asked, warily extending a hoof to poke at a crumbling ball of thoroughly burnt vegetable matter.

“Oh, yea.” Rainbow replied as she placed a bowl on the dining table. “I finally got this whole cooking thing down... but the first three or four tries didn’t work out so well. That’s why it took all day.” She laid two cushions by the table. “Alright, dinner is served. We’ve got baked eggplant parmesan with spaghetti and garlic toast.” She held up a bottle full of a red liquid. “I even got a nice bottle of wine to go with it.”

“Wow.” Fluttershy looked over the food arrayed on the table, her mouth starting to water slightly. “This all looks amazing. I’m impressed.” She sat on one of the cushions and used her fork to spear a slice of the eggplant parmesan. She jumped slightly as a glass full of wine appeared next to her plate. “Um... I’m not sure if I should be drinking.” She reached out and inched the glass away from her.

“Come on, ‘Shy.’ Rainbow pushed the wine back towards the timid mare. “The nice earth pony at the market said that this wine was supposed to be amazing. Besides, this is a date. One glass won’t hurt.”

Fluttershy picked up the glass in her hooves and sniffed at its contents. The smell stung her nose. She steeled herself and took a small sip. The potent liquid burned slightly as it traveled down her throat, but behind the burn she tasted several sweet and fruity notes to the wine. Well, I guess one glass won’t hurt. She thought to herself. Just enough to take the edge off of my nerves.

Two hours and seven glasses of wine later, Fluttershy stood up from the table and glanced over to a clock on the wall. “Ni -hic- nine o’clock?” She stared at the time piece on the wall, swaying slightly on her hooves. “I... I have to get home. I have to wake up early and... and...” She trailed off into silence as her eyelids slid closed. After a moment, she shook her head and began stumbling back to the living room, bumping into several counters and door frames along the way.

“Are you sure you’re okay to fly?” Rainbow Dash stood from the table as well, markedly less intoxicated since she only drank two glasses of wine. She cantered through the kitchen to catch up with her inebriated date, who was currently attempting to open the grate to the fireplace.

“I’ll be fine. Hic!” Fluttershy responded as she continued to fumble with the grate. “I just need to -hic- get this door open.” She furrowed her brow in concentration, alternating pushing and pulling on the fireplace cover.

“Well, when you’re done trying to get into the chimney, the front door is over here.” Dash stood in the entryway to her home, a bemused smile on her face. She turned and locked the door with a swipe of her hoof. “Not that it matters. You’re way too drunk to fly. You can crash here for the night.”

“Sleep? Here?” Fluttershy looked up from the grate, a confused expression on her face. Soon it was replaced by a predatory grin as she stood up and sauntered over to Rainbow, swaying her hips excessively. “Well well well, now who’s being too forward for a first date?” She stopped walking, her muzzle hovering inches from Rainbow’s and allowing her alcohol-infused breath to play across her friend’s face.

“Huh?” Rainbow asked, confused. Her brain was slow to piece together the drunk mare’s meaning, as it was too busy focusing on her sudden proximity and a desire to lean out and kiss her. After a few seconds, Dash caught on to the meaning and a deep blush flooded her cheeks. “Oh, no. I didn’t mean it like that.” She dropped her gaze to the ground and pawed at the cloud floor. Although... if she’s offering, it would be rude to say no. She shook her head. “No. You’re drunk, ‘Shy. You can take my bed and sleep it off. I’ll bunk on the couch tonight.”

“Uh huh. Sure you will.” Fluttershy leaned in and nuzzled against Dash’s neck. Mmm... her coat is so soft. She thought to herself. With her diminished attention span occupied, Fluttershy did not notice as Dash nudged her and led her down various hallways to the master bedroom. It was not until she bumped into the bed that she realized she had been walking. “Huh?” She mumbled. She looked up at the bed and quickly climbed in, closing her eyes and reveling in the softness of the cloud mattress. She waited for a minute for the feeling of Dash climbing in the bed with her, but when it did not come, she opened her eyes and looked around the now empty room.

I guess she was serious about sleeping on the couch. Fluttershy thought, feeling herself pout slightly. Well, it’s probably for the best, I did drink a little too much. It was very nice of her to let me take her bed, even if it is a little big for just one pony. Very gentlecoltly of her. Still, I have to admit I was looking forward to at least-

“Are you okay, ‘Shy?” Rainbow’s voice broke in, interrupting her train of thought.

Fluttershy looked around, realizing she was back in the living room. How did I get back here? When did I get out of bed? She quickly gave up on trying to figure out how she had gotten back to the living room, turning her attention back to Dash on the couch. “I was just thinking about how big and lonely the bed is by myself.” Wait... did I just say that out loud? She felt a flood of heat in her face as she waited for a response.

Rainbow closed the latest Daring Do book she was reading with a chuckle. “Ha. Lost the old brain-to-mouth filter, huh?” She let out a heavy sigh. “Listen, ‘Shy. It’s not that I don’t want to join you in the bed.” She paused, blushing through her coat. “It’s just that... you’re drunk, and I don’t want you to do anything that you’ll look back on later and regret because you had too much wine. Besides, this is only our first date. We’ll have plenty of time for that later.”

“Why wait? We have plenty of time now.” Fluttershy replied, causing Rainbow to stare at her with a shocked expression. “That was out loud too, wasn’t it?” She waited for the familiar feelings of panic and embarrassment to flood over her. They never came. She felt oddly comfortable, despite saying things she would never even think under normal circumstances. “Besides, I doubt that there’s anything I could do with you that I would regret.” She added, her mouth still running ahead of her mind.

Dash sat on the couch, stunned silent and blushing furiously. I should get her drunk more often. She shook her head, reprimanding herself. No, don’t think like that. I can’t take advantage of her. Not that she’s making it easy to refuse. She let out an inaudible sigh, silently cursing herself. “Maybe not, but I don’t think that taking things slow for one night will kill either of us.” She tried to give a reassuring smile, hoping that her wavering self-control was not obviously apparent.

Fluttershy pouted and let out a small whimper. “If you say so.” She finally relented. “I’m not really sleepy yet, is it okay if I sit out here on the couch with you?” She batted her eyelashes, trying her best to look innocent.

“I, uh...” Rainbow tried in vain to keep a light twitch from passing through her wings. “S-Sure, that would be okay, I guess.” She attempted to keep her eyes from drifting down to her friend’s flank as she strolled past the couch, failing miserably. She almost dropped her book when a particularly forceful sway of the canary mare’s hips sent her tail off to the side, teasing Rainbow by not quite revealing what lay beneath. Dash immediately opened the Daring Do novel to a random page, burying her muzzle in the paper to hide the immense blush spreading across her face. Sweet Celestia of Equestria, I need a cold shower.

“So, what crazy trouble has Daring Do managed to get herself into this time?” A soft voice asked. Rainbow pulled her face out of the book, only to narrowly avoid colliding with Fluttershy, who was laying on the couch as close to her as possible without actually touching her. Dash suddenly found herself face to face with the mare who had been occupying her dreams recently, with only a scant distance separating them. 

“She, uh... I-I can’t remember.” The cyan pegasus was suddenly acutely aware of the situation. The feeling of her crush’s breath playing across her face, carrying with it faint traces of the wine from earlier. Those large turquoise eyes, normally perfect pools of tranquility, locked on her, a rarely-seen fire burning slowly beneath the surface. Dash felt a slight burning in her chest and realized the was involuntarily holding her breath. She inhaled, catching a light floral scent off of the light pink mane in front of her.

Don’t do it. Dash tried to convince herself, though the thundering pulse of her heat beating in her ears almost drowned out her thoughts. Whatever you do, do not kiss her. Her train of thought was interrupted as Fluttershy leaned forward, closing the last inches between them and pressing their lips together, softly but insistently. Well, I guess one or two won’t hurt.

Rainbow dropped her book to the floor, turning and adjusting her position on the couch to  fully face her marefriend. She belatedly realized that her own lips were still motionless and began returning the kiss. This elicited a light moan from Fluttershy, who in turn leaned further forward, pressing into the contact and forcing Dash to roll over onto her back and allowing the inebriated mare to climb on top of her.

I’ve never seen her like this. She’s so... aggressive. Dash mused to herself as she reveled in the silken feeling of Fluttershy’s coat pressing against her. She felt the other mare’s tongue dart forward, brushing her lips with the briefest of caresses. Her mouth parted slightly allowing her own tongue to venture out and dance with her partner’s.

Stop. Don’t do this. She’s drunk. A small portion of Dash’s mind tried to argue. The warnings went unheeded as Fluttershy ran a hoof down Rainbow’s side, drawing a shudder and sending her mind in to a haze. The primrose mare pulled away, lightly nibbling at Dash’s lip as they separated.

“Are you sure I can’t convince you to join me in the bed?” Fluttershy asked, a smoldering glint in her half-lidded eyes.

Don’t do it. I repeat: DO NOT DO IT! It’s a trap! Dash’s mind railed against the idea, but to no avail. “S-Sure.” The word escaped her almost against her will. Fluttershy gave a predatory grin, knowing she had won, and began climbing down from the couch, pausing to flick her tail across Rainbow’s nose as she clambered down to the floor. They made their way back towards the master bedroom, Rainbow Dash trailing behind and trying to keep her eyes off of the swaying flank in front of her. As they reached the bed, Fluttershy climbed up and beckoned with a hoof for Dash to follow her.

Rainbow stood on the floor next to the bed, her eyes roaming over the seductively reclining figure in front of her. Everything she dared to hope and want out of the night was being presented to her on a silver platter and she felt... scared. The realization that she was afraid of what was happening shattered the hypnotic hold that Fluttershy seemed to have on her. She suddenly found herself able to resist the utterly alluring gaze that her crush was giving her, barely. She closed her eyes and took a deep breath, trying to force her heart to slow from its hammering pace.

“Is everything alright, Dashie?” Fluttershy asked, her voice laced with new-found sensuality.

“Yea, everything’s awesome.” Rainbow replied, not risking to look at the mare in her bed. She racked her brain for a way out of her predicament. She opened her eyes and looked up, giving her own best seductive smile. “I just need to visit the little fillies’ room before we get started. You stay there, I’ll be right back.” Without waiting for a response, Dash turned and galloped from the room, careening down several hallways before leaping into a nearby bathroom and slamming the door behind her. The prismatic mare turned on the sink faucet and splashed cold water on her face several times.

I’m... scared? Me? Rainbow Dash is scared? Dash stared at her reflection in the mirror. What is Equestria am I afraid of? Fluttershy is practically throwing herself at me, and I’m shaking like a scared little filly. She paced around the small room. What if she wakes up tomorrow and is mad at me for what we do tonight? What if she’s so angry she leaves and goes back to Rarity?

“Get a hold of yourself, Dash.” Rainbow reprimanded herself, staring at her reflection in the mirror. “You may not have known that Fluttershy turns into some kind of magical, sexy goddess when she gets drunk, but that doesn’t mean you have to act like you’re in heat. Get it together, girl.” She took a break from chastising her behavior to throw some more cold water in her face. “Alright, it looks like I’ve got two options. I can either go back in there and find some way to turn down ‘Shy’s advances, or I can sleep in the bathtub tonight.” She turned to look at the room’s tub. It was of cold, hard, and functional cumulonimbus cloud, just like much of all cloud buildings. Meanwhile, her bed was made of soft, puffy cumulus cloud, complete with a cirrus blanket.

“I never thought I’d say this, but curse my awesome bed.” Dash slowly pulled open the door, trying to make her way back to the bedroom as silently as possible. As she crept around the final corner, she glimpsed Fluttershy’s prone form laying on the bed, her chest slowly rising and falling in the soft moonlight. Rainbow leaned forward slightly, straining her hearing. After several seconds she heard a light, almost dainty, snore escape the now-sleeping pegasus, sending an overwhelming wave of relief through her. She turned and tip-hoofed back towards the living room.

“Okay, option three. 'Shy passes out and I get to sleep on the couch.” She muttered under her breath.


*


Fluttershy awoke the next morning to find herself sprawled out on an immensely comfortable bed, one far too large to be her own. She briefly wondered where she was before she was struck with a splitting headache and a wave of nausea. Sweet Celestia, what happened last night? She wondered as she reached up blindly, pulling down a pillow to press over her eyes and block out light from the room’s windows.

Wait... last night. Dashie! Fluttershy bolted upright, only to have the pain in her head increase exponentially and the nausea threaten to overwhelm her. She quickly lay back down, curling up into a ball and pressing her hooves to her temples. Oh, why do I feel so horrible? All we did was have dinner. The mere thought of food was enough to make her fee like vomiting. Oh no... the wine. I only meant to drink one glass, what happened? She tried to recall her memories from the previous night, but everything after dinner was hazy. Her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of what could only be a herd of angry buffalo stampeding through a nearby hallway. She cracked open one eye to see Rainbow Dash coming into the room, a glass of water in hoof.

“Hey there, ‘Shy. You finally awake?” Dash called as she reached the doorway to the bedroom. A light smirk pulled at her mouth as she watched Fluttershy cringe away from the sound. “Hungover, huh?” She guessed, lowering her voice to barely above a whisper. She offered the glass of water. “Here, drink this it will help some. If you feel like you can stomach real food, I made some eggs and hay waffles.”

“What happened last night?” Fluttershy asked after draining the glass of its blissfully cool contents. She sat up, slowly this time, and ran a hoof through her disheveled mane. “I remember dinner, at least the beginning... and then if gets kind of fuzzy.” She paused and felt a rush of blood flow to her cheeks as a memory came back to her, causing her to blush and making her hangover worse. 

“What’s with the blush, ‘Shy? Remember something?” Dash prodded her, bouncing her eyebrows.

“Oh, um, no.” Fluttershy dipped her head to hide behind her mane. “I just had some... crazy dreams after you put me to bed.”

“Really?” Rainbow tried to keep a smile from spreading across her face. “What kind of dreams?”

“I... I don’t wanna talk about.” Fluttershy mumbled.

“Is that so?” Dash allowed herself a little knowing grin. “Let me guess... You got out of bed, came to the living room, and seduced me into coming back to the bed with you?”

“Th-That...” Fluttershy tried to respond, all of the color draining from her face. “That really happened?” She stared in horror as Rainbow nodded, then leapt off of the bed towards one of the windows. She gently lifted the window open and tried to jump out, only to be stopped by her tail being pinned in place. She looked back to see Dash holding her in place with one hoof and trying to stifle her laughter with the other.

“Don’t worry, ‘Shy.” Rainbow finally managed to say after calming down. “Nothing happened, not that you weren’t trying.” She added with a wink, drawing another round of blushing from her friend. “It’s cool though, nothing too bad happened in the end.”

“Wait, what?” Fluttershy perked up, her face showing relief tinged with slight disappointment. “N-Nothing happened?”

“Not really.” Dash replied, shrugging nonchalantly. “Sure, we made out on the couch a little bit, but I ran to the bathroom for a second and when I came back you were fast asleep.” She felt her own cheeks flush with color as memories of their activities on the came back to her. “So... you feel good enough to eat?”

“Oh, um... no, that’s okay.” Fluttershy pawed at the ground nervously, wanting only to leave before further embarrassing herself. Before she could attempt to excuse herself, an audible growl emanated from her stomach, betraying her hunger. “Well, maybe just a little bite to eat.” She followed Dash back through the various twists and turns leading to the living room and kitchen. How did I make my way through that drunk? She wondered to herself.

“Here you go, eat up.” Dash dropped a plate onto the table in the kitchen, causing it to sink into the deformable cloud material slightly. A large platter on the table was stacked with hay waffles, and a nearby bowl contained heaps of scrambled eggs.

“I thought you weren’t good at cooking.” Fluttershy said as she lifted a waffle onto her plate. “Where’s the mountain of failed waffles and eggs?” She gestured with a hoof over to the now empty sink that had held mounds of burnt food the night before.

“I’ve always made great hay waffles. They were practically all I ate when I first moved in here.” Rainbow speared her own waffle, taking time to drizzle syrup on it. “The eggs were originally going to be sunny side up, but the yolks kept breaking so I just scrambled ‘em up.”

“Ha ha.” Fluttershy gave a forced laugh before quickly becoming serious. “I’m so sorry about last night, Dashie. I only meant to have one glass of wine, but the glass was always full. I’m sorry if I did anything... inappropriate.” She poked at her waffle, not eating it.

“Seriously, it’s all good.” Rainbow waved a hoof dismissively. “No harm, no foul.” She stopped for a moment as a light blush rose in her cheeks. “Besides, it was kind of... nice. What with you being so... aggressive. Lesson learned, though. No alcohol on our next date.”

The remainder of breakfast passed uneventfully. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash ate in relative silence, occasionally trading bashful smiles and glances. As they finished eating and made their way towards the front door, a lingering question pressed to the front of their minds.

“So...” Dash pulled open the door and stared off towards the horizon. “When do you wanna go out again?”

“Um... I’m busy for the rest of the weekend, but maybe sometime next week?” Fluttershy ducked her head to hide behind her mane. “How about I come by on Monday or Tuesday and we can work something out?”

“That sounds good.” Rainbow smiled, leaning forward to plant a light kiss on her marefriend’s cheek. “I’ll see you later, Flutters.”

“Oh, um... okay. Bye.” Fluttershy made her way out the door, leaping from the take-off pad and flaring her wings. She started flapping her wings, but they twitched and flapped stiffly as she flew.

Well... one date down, one more to go.
> ...On the Other Side of the Fence
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Unexpected Confessions

Chapter Six


...On the Other Side of the Fence

The Next Day (Sunday)

Fluttershy flitted around her house, putting out food for her animal friends before she got ready to leave. She felt a knot of worry forming in her stomach, but pushed it down. It’s just the spa. We missed our normal weekly trip with all of the excitement and pressure of me trying to choose between them, so Rarity suggested we have a special spa date today as a prelude to our real date. Nothing to be worried about. She placed a bowl of lettuce and carrots outside of Angel Bunny’s hutch before trotting back into the kitchen to clean up.

After tidying up the kitchen, Fluttershy passed back through the living room and noticed that Angel’s food was still untouched. She quickly made her way over to the enclosure and lifted the roof to find the rabbit in question laying in his tiny bed, seemingly uncomfortable.

“Oh my, Angel. What’s wrong?” She leaned down to examine him more closely. Angel placed his paws over his stomach and pantomimed throwing up. “You feel sick? You haven’t even eaten anything yet.” Fluttershy reached into the hutch with a hoof and felt Angel’s forehead. “You don’t feel warm... let me get a thermometer.”

The nurturing mare cantered across the room and opened a drawer full of medical supplies. She rummaged through the contents for a moment before pulling out a thermometer. She returned to Angel’s small house and placed the end of it in his mouth.

“Now, keep that under your tongue and I’ll come back and check on it in a minute.” Fluttershy instructed him as she left to search for a book. Once she was gone, Angel pulled the thermometer out of his mouth and put it in a bowl of hot water hidden in the rear of his hutch. He watched the red liquid climb higher and higher, occasionally glancing over his shoulder to make sure his owner was not coming back yet. The blue one offered food if he helped his pony choose her over the fussy one, so he planned to make sure his pony could not go and see the fussy one today. Soon, he heard hoofsteps approaching. He pulled the instrument from the hot water and hopped back into his bed, placing the end of it in his mouth.

“Alright, let’s see what we have.” Fluttershy cooed soothingly. She pulled the thermometer out and read it. “One hundred and six?” She reached down and felt Angel’s forehead again, shaking the device in her other hoof to cool it down. “You really don’t feel that warm. Let’s try one more time.” She put the thermometer back in his mouth, staying to watch this time. Angel waved his paws to shoo her away, but she only arched an eyebrow in confusion.

After a minute had passed, Fluttershy reached down and pulled the instrument out of Angel’s mouth again. “Ninety seven. Much better.” She smiled down at the rabbit, who crossed his arms and huffed in annoyance. “I’m sorry that you don’t feel good Angel, but there doesn’t seem to be anything wrong with you. Now I have to go get ready. You get plenty of rest and I’m sure you’ll feel better in no time.” With that, she turned and trotted up the stairs to her bathroom, while Angel slapped a paw to his forehead. Several minutes later, Fluttershy cantered through the living room, pulled open the door and stepped outside. Angel shook his head, shrugged and laid down to take a nap. The blue one would not be happy.

Some time later, Fluttershy alighted on the ground in front of the Ponyville Spa, surprised to find Rarity waiting for her outside rather than in the building. After landing, she took a moment to readjust her wings and mane before walking over to her date. “Hello, Rarity. Is there a problem? Is something wrong with the spa? You’ve never waited outside for me before.”

“Everything is perfect, darling.” Rarity chirped, an eager grin spreading across her face. “I just wanted to be here when you arrived.” She brought her horn to life and pulled the door open in a flare of magic. “After you, dear.”

Fluttershy stepped through the open door, trying to keep her confusion from showing. “Good afternoon, girls.” She called to Aloe and Lotus. When no response came, she looked around the spa lobby, finding it deserted. “Um, girls?” She trotted over and poked her head into the large main room, only to discover it was empty as well. “I think something’s wrong. Nopony is here, not even Aloe and Lotus.”

“Oh, nothing is wrong, dear.” Rarity replied as she locked the door behind her. “Everything is going just as it was planned. You see, I have rented the spa out for the next two hours. Nopony but you and me.” She strode over to stand next to her marefriend, a light blush showing through her immaculately white coat. “I’ve spent the last four days learning from Aloe and Lotus about all the various services of the spa.” She leaned in, hovering her lips bare inches from her friend’s ear and dropped her voice to a whisper. “Today, you are the sole customer of the spa, and I am your personal masseuse.”

Fluttershy felt Rarity’s breath on her ear, sending bolts of lightning down her spine. She repressed a shiver, trying to focus on the alabaster unicorn’s words rather than the sensation of the breath on her ear. “Th-That... That sounds nice.” She finally managed to say. “O-Only if you really want to, that is.” She face heated up to the point she was afraid her coat might burst into flames. “I could, um... I could give you a massage too, if that’s okay.”

“That sounds positively lovely, dear.” Rarity whispered. She leaned in a planted a light kiss on her marefriend’s ear, smiling as she noticed a twitch quickly pass through her wings before being expertly smothered. “Now, if you’ll follow me. I believe the steam room will be an excellent start.” Rarity stepped over to the steam room door, holding it open for the pink-maned pegasus to enter. She followed her in and closed the door before flaring her horn to life. With a quick flurry of magic, she lit a small pile of coals to a smolder and covered them with rocks. 

Hmm... it will be some time before the rocks are hot enough to turn the water to steam. The white mare thought to herself, eyeing a nearby bucket of water that would typically be poured over the rocks to provide steam for the room. She felt a small smirk pull at the corner of her mouth as an idea came to her. One of the advantages of being, or dating, a unicorn... magic. She reignited her horn and began focusing raw magical energy into the water. After a few seconds, the water began to heat up and boil, releasing tiny wisps of steam into the air. Rarity grinned as her plan worked. If a little is good, more must be better. She concentrated her efforts, vastly increasing the energy she focused into heating the water. Without warning, the wooden bucket shattered, sending bits of wood flying in all directions and filling the room with steam.

“Oh my goodness.” Fluttershy called from a bench on the far side of the room. “Are you okay, Rarity?” She squinted, trying to make out her friend’s figure through the steam. “What happened?”

“I’m quite alright, darling.” The fashionista trotted over to the bench and sat next to her date. “I was merely trying to heat up the water and turn it to steam, but I fear I may have gone slightly overboard. I suppose I will need to get Aloe and Lotus a new water bucket.” She reached up to rub the back of her neck, but pulled her hoof away in pain. “Ouch. Hmm...” She reached back up, tenderly feeling around her neck. She stopped as she felt a small piece of wood lodged there.

“Oh dear, you’re hurt.” Fluttershy leaned in closer to inspect the area. She was trying to figure out the best way to remove it when she noticed a quick shudder pass through her friend. “Is everything alright? It doesn’t hurt, does it?” She asked, her voice full of concern.

“No, darling. It doesn’t hurt it’s just...” She paused for a moment as her face flushed with color. “I-I just felt your breath on my neck, and I... it felt nice.” She sat up straighter, reasserting her almost regal demeanor. “My apologies, I will hold still if you think you can remove it.”

“That shouldn’t be a problem.” Fluttershy replied turning back to focus on the task at hand. She hoped that it would help her ignore her own massive blush, along with the increased tempo of her heart. “It isn’t too big, and it doesn’t look to be embedded too deep. There’s no bleeding. It’s not much more than a splinter, really.” She moved her head around looking at the tiny wooden object from various angles. Her already scarlet cheeks deepened in color as she realized how she would have to remove it. “Um, it’s actually too small for me to be able to take out with my hooves. I... I think I’m going to have to-” She stopped and swallowed. When she spoke again, her voice was barely audible. “I think I’m going to have to use my mouth.”

Rarity’s eyes shot open, and all the color that flooded her face drained away instantly. A look of mixed panic and elation flashed over her features before being expertly quenched and replaced with a facade of calm. “If that is what is required, then by all means, dear, please proceed.” She felt more than saw Fluttershy lean in closer and cringed slightly. “Please, do be careful though. I am loathe to admit it, but I am... ticklish.”

“Eep!” Fluttershy let out a small squeak of surprise before she regained her composure. Okay, don’t think of this like a romantic situation. It’s more like a medical procedure. Fluttershy told herself, trying to slow the frantic pace her heart was beating at. Just like removing the thorn from the paw of that manticore. Just don’t focus on the fact that your mouth will be almost pressed up against her neck. Don’t focus on the fact that leaning forward ever so slightly would let you kiss her neck. Don’t focus on... She stopped as she realized her heart rate had spiked even higher and she felt her hooves shaking from sheer nerves.

“Okay... here we go.” Fluttershy said to no one in particular. She leaned in and tried to grasp the splinter in her teeth. As she bit down, her date pulled away and broke out in a fit of giggling. 

“D-Did you get it?” Rarity asked, slightly out of breath.

Fluttershy looked down at her marefriend’s neck, seeing that the splinter was gone. She felt the wood in her teeth and dropped it off to the side. A wicked smile spread over her face as an idea popped into her head. Oh, I shouldn’t... but it’s not like anypony could walk in on us, and this is a date after all. She felt a rush of heat in her face that had nothing to do with the steam. Oh, no. I-I don’t think I can, but maybe-

Maybes are for babies. A soft voice in her head whispered, sending a wave of confidence flooding through her body.

“I don’t think so. Hold still and I’ll try again.” Without waiting for an answer, Fluttershy leaned back in and nipped Rarity’s neck, causing the unicorn to shiver and let out an appreciative moan.

“I-I do believe you already got the splinter.” Rarity pointed out, her breathing becoming slightly labored.

“Oh, no. It’s still there.” Fluttershy shot back. She darted in and gave another quick nibble, following it up with a flurry of light kisses. She smiled as she heard her partner inhale sharply. She slowly worked her way up Rarity’s neck, planting a line of kisses and the occasional nip. After several moments, she felt a hoof gently pushing her back. The canary mare let out a slight whine of disappointment, then leaned forward for one last kiss before backing away.

“Not that I am not thoroughly enjoying this-” Rarity began, her breathing ragged and a wild desire burning in her eyes. “-but I feel that we should move on to the next activity on the list.” She hopped down from the bench and made her way across the room, trying desperately to keep her knees from shaking. She levitated one of the remaining water buckets and doused the coals, extinguishing them and sending another blast of steam through the room. She took advantage of the momentary curtain of steam to let out a head to hoof shiver she had been suppressing.

What in Celestia’s name just happened? Rarity wondered to herself. She pulled the door to the steam room open and held it as her marefriend passed through. I’ve never seen Fluttershy be so... forward. She made her way out of the steam room and headed down the hall to the mud baths. Having been second to leave, she was now trailing behind the other mare, giving her a rather nice view as Fluttershy sauntered down the hallway. Rarity tried to keep her eyes elsewhere, but they kept drifting back to her friend’s swaying flank. After a moment she noticed that Fluttershy’s tail was sweeping to the side more than it should have been. Is she... Oh my, she’s doing that on purpose, the little minx.

Up ahead, Fluttershy glanced back over her shoulder and noticed Rarity’s attention. “Enjoying the view?” She asked, throwing in a wink for good measure. She laughed as her date’s face flooded crimson and her eyes locked onto the floor. That was fun. Fluttershy thought to herself as she trotted down the hallway, actively swaying her hips slightly more than necessary. Wait a minute... why am I so calm and relaxed? In a situation like this, I would normally be a nervous wreck. I’m not drunk, am I? She lifted a hoof to her mouth and tried to smell her breath. No, not drunk.

Fluttershy was distracted as she walked into the mud bath room and narrowly avoided falling face-first into the tub. Once Rarity joined her, the pair lowered themselves into the tubs and settled in to relax. The silence rested between them comfortably, allowing both mares to spend time with their thoughts.

Why am I not nervous? Fluttershy wondered to herself as she rested in mud bath. Where did that rush of confidence in the steam room come from? She leaned forward, letting her chin rest on the edge of the tub in front of her as she pondered. A nagging thought pulled at the back of her mind, bringing up the voice that had whispered to her and given her the confidence she needed. I haven’t used any of Iron Will’s catchphrases since that whole “New Fluttershy” incident. Her mind drifted, recalling the feeling of kissing Rarity’s neck and the sounds it drew from her. She felt a warm tingling between her hind legs and shifted her position in the tub. Why do I feel like this? It’s not like I’m... in... Her mind screeched to a halt as the pieces fell into place.

No. Oh no no no. This can’t be happening. Fluttershy maintained a calm exterior, but began panicking in her head. This kind of thing only happens in those trashy romance novels that Rarity reads. It doesn’t happen in real life. What day of the month is it? When was the last time? It was last month, around... Oh no.

Fluttershy felt her chest tighten as she realized what was wrong. I’m in heat.

What in Equestria has gotten into her? Rarity wondered, sitting in her own tub next to Fluttershy. She watched her friend lean forward and relax, looking utterly at peace. Every other time we’ve been to the spa, she’s been relaxed and more open than normal, but this is something else all together. Not that I’m complaining, mind you. She felt a rush of emotion as she recalled her friend’s actions in the steam room. I actually am quite enjoying this new-found boldness. I just wish I knew its source. Oh dear, I do hope that she isn’t doing this because she thinks it is expected of her. She let her eyes drift closed, focusing on the warmth of the mud bath. I suppose a totally private spa date may be a bit forward for our first true “date,” and that little comment about me being her personal masseuse probably didn’t help. Although, we have been doing this for-

“Rarity?” Fluttershy’s voice broke into the white unicorn’s train of thought.

“Yes, dear?” Rarity opened her eyes, glancing around to make sure nopony had seen her drift off before remembering they were completely alone.

“Um, I think it might be time for us to get out. We’ve been in here for almost twenty minutes.”

“Oh, of course.” Rarity peeked at the clock out of the corner of her eye. Twenty minutes? How is that even possible? However, the timepiece confirmed her marefriend’s claim, indicating that their time alone in the spa was almost a third of the way over. She slowly pulled herself out of the mud bath, levitating a pair of towels over as Fluttershy made her way out of the tub. “Here you are, darling.” She floated one of the towels over. “Now, what would you like to do next? A nice massage? Perhaps a hooficure?”

“A massage would be nice, if that’s okay with you.” Fluttershy finished cleaning herself off and trotted over to one of the massage tables. She lifted her forehooves up and prepared to leverage herself onto the table, but suddenly found herself almost paralyzed. Ah, there’s the panic. Why now? I’ve gotten plenty of massages before, this one is no different.

Not entirely true. A small portion of Fluttershy’s mind argued. All of your other massages have been by the spa sisters, whose job it is to give massages and such. This is Rarity, your marefriend... or at least one of them. This is special. Intimate. Ergo, terrifying.

That hardly seems fair. Fluttershy huffed silently. She focused and slowly forced her hind legs up onto the table, laying down and waiting for her heart rate to slow back to normal. She closed her eyes and concentrated on keeping her breathing slow and even. Any calming effects were negated when she felt a soft pair of hooves land on her shoulders, causing her to almost jump off of the table.

“You’re so tense, dear.” Rarity commented, slowly running a hoof along her marefriend’s spine. “You just relax and let me take care of it.” She saw Fluttershy nod, seemingly incapable of speech at the moment, and began moving her hooves in small circles, pressing into the muscle of the primrose mare’s shoulders. Remember your pointers from Lotus. Rarity thought back to her training sessions with the spa sisters. Apply pressure to massage the deep tissue, but not so much as to be painful. Small circular motions. Look out for knots. She found a knot of muscle just above the wing joint on her friend’s back. The white unicorn redoubled her efforts on the knot, and was rewarded with a contented moan of pleasure from the yellow pegasus.

This is not nearly as difficult as I feared it would be. Rarity thought to herself as she continued working her way down, drawing the occasional sigh from her marefriend. Her coat is so soft, it’s like silk. She marveled at the feeling of Fluttershy’s coat under her hooves as she began working her way back up towards her shoulders. Combined with the appreciative noises coming from the normally reserved pegasus, Rarity soon noticed that her own breathing was becoming slightly heavier and a certain familiar tension was building in her stomach. Oh dear... Her concentration was broken as Fluttershy let out an especially satisfied sigh, allowing her wings to unfold and lay flat against the table. The alabaster mare found her  eyes drawn to the feathers as she continued the massage.

Her wings. They’re so... so... messy. Rarity stared down at the pegasus’ unfurled wings in something akin to shock. The primary feathers along the leading edge and all of the feathers near the end of the wing were fine, but further in towards the base, all of the feathers were out of alignment and seemingly unkempt. I suppose it makes sense. After all, Fluttershy said that she does not let anypony else preen her wings, and she can only reach so far by herself. Even so, such a thing cannot be allowed to persist. She stopped her massaging, ending by trailing a single hoof down her marefriend’s back. She steeled herself to make a personal request. “Darling?”

“Hmm?” Fluttershy turned casually to meet the fashionista’s eyes. Her own gaze burned with a slow intensity and her breathing was labored. Every part of her body screamed at her to jump off the table and do unspeakable things to her marefriend, but she forced herself to remain still.

“I, well... I was just wondering if, perhaps...” Rarity tried desperately to complete her thought, although most of her mind screamed at her to simply ravish the stunning pegasus on the table. She paused to clear her throat. “Ahem. That is to say, I was wondering if you would like for me to preen your wings for you.” She tried to hide her anxiety, but could do nothing to stop the blood that flowed into her cheeks, tinging them pink.

“That sounds lovely.” Fluttershy laid her head back on the table, trying her hardest to appear relaxed. For the love of Celestia, do whatever you want, just don’t stop. She pleaded silently. 

Really, that’s it? Rarity tried to process her friend’s easy response mentally. No stammering? No attempt at a deflection? Not even a blush? She let out an inaudible sigh and flared her horn to life. Just as she was about to begin, a thought at the back of her mind stopped her. Wait. No. If I am to do this, I will have to get my hooves dirty. She closed her eyes and thought back to the lessons Aloe had given her on preening. Ah, yes. Preening is done with the... mouth. Well, here we go.

Rarity leaned down and picked a feather to start with. Alright, nothing to worry about. She tried to calm herself as she lightly gripped the base of the feather with her teeth. Now, just a slight tug. Pull it into proper alignment. She was rewarded with a soft contented sigh from Fluttershy. That wasn’t so bad. Let’s try another one. She moved over a small amount and grasped another feather, pulling on it and eliciting another brief moan of pleasure. 

Rarity built up a steady rhythm and slowly worked her way along the first wing, occasionally drawing a twitch or shudder from the canary pegasus. When she finished with the first wing, she made her way around the table to work on the other one, noticing a light twitch in Fluttershy’s tail. Well, at least it appears I am not the only one who is being... affected by the situation. Rarity thought as she began working on the second wing, which passed much more quickly now that she had a feel for the process. She tried to focus on the task at hand and ignore her own excited state, with little success. “There, I believe I am done.” She said breathlessly as she finished the preening.

Fluttershy stretched and flapped her wings a few times before settling them at her sides. “Thank you, Rarity.” She purred, turning to look over her shoulder at her friend. “That felt amazing.” It felt more than amazing. She thought, her heartbeat thundering in her ears.  All her rational thoughts were overrun by a building desire to attack her lover. Well, she’s not my lover yet, but we can fix that.

“You’re quite wel-” Rarity’s words were cut off as Fluttershy leapt off the table and tackled her to the floor, pressing their lips together in a fierce kiss. The pair landed on the ground roughly, but neither noticed. Did she just... are we... oh, forget it. Rarity gave up on trying to process what had just happened and focused on enjoying the situation. She tried to match the passion of her marefriend’s kisses, but found herself distracted by a hoof tracing down her ribs. She broke away from the kiss to gasp, freeing Fluttershy to trace kisses down her neck.

“Fluttershy, dear... whatever has gotten into you?” Rarity asked, trying to keep her voice level as her marefriend nipped at her neck. “I... I’ve never seen you like this.”

Fluttershy pulled away, biting her lip. “I don’t really know.” She lied before darting back down for a quick kiss. “It’s just... I-I love you, Rarity.” She admitted, blushing furiously.

“I love you too, darling.” Rarity whispered. Their reprieve was interrupted by a crash from the lobby of the spa, followed by three familiar voices.

“Ah told y’all the window’d work just fine.” An accented filly pointed out.

No. Rarity thought to herself.

“I still say that if you had let me try the lock I could have gotten my cutie mark in lock-picking.” A higher pitched voice complained.

No no no. Not them. Rarity turned her head to face the door to the lobby.

“Yea right.” A slightly coltish voice shot back. “If you had tried the lock, you just would have set the door on fire.”

For the love of all that is good and right in this world, let me be hearing things. Just please don’t let it be-

“There you are, Rarity. We’ve been looking all over for you.” Sweetie Belle almost shouted as she entered the main room of the spa, followed by Applebloom and Scootaloo. The white filly stopped, cocking her head to the side as she noticed her sister’s position. “Why are you lying on the floor of the spa all alone?”

“Alone?” Rarity repeated, confused. She finally noticed that Fluttershy was no longer lying on top of her. Probably for the best. She thought to herself as she began searching for her missing marefriend. She spotted a trembling pink tail poking out from behind the nearby massage table. The alabaster mare slowly got to her hooves and made her way over to the table. “Fluttershy and I were enjoying a nice, private, spa appointment. There, there, darling. It’s okay, it’s only Sweetie Belle and her friends.” She spoke softly, trying to calm the frightened pegasus. 

“Oh, hi Fluttershy!” The three fillies called in unison.

“H-Hi g-girls.” Fluttershy stuttered, still recovering from their sudden entrance. All of her previous arousal was quashed under a layer of terror. “Wh-What brings you three here?” She nestled up against Rarity, feeling herself calm down.

“Well, we were lookin’ fer Miss Rarity, but nopony knew where she was.” Applebloom explained. “So we-”

“We decided to try and get our cutie marks in detectiving!” Scootaloo interrupted.

“For the last time, detectiving is not a word.” Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes. “We tried to get cutie marks in detective work.”

“Be quiet, little-miss-dictionary.” Scootaloo shot back. “Anyway, we snooped around, trying to see if maybe Rarity had been kidnapped by the Diamond Dogs again.” The orange filly seemed a little too excited at the prospect of another kidnapping. “But, then we-”

“We saw Aloe and Lotus out by the Quills and Sofas store.” Sweetie Belle cut in. “We thought it was weird that they weren’t at the spa, so we came here to check it out. The door was locked, so Applebloom suggested we try and come in one of the windows. Then we came in here and saw you lying on the floor.”

“Wait!” Applebloom shouted. “We did some dectiving! Did we get our cutie marks?” All three fillies turned to look at their flanks, only to let out simultaneous disappointed sighs when they did not find cutie marks.

“You three...” Rarity sighed, shaking her head. “It is just as well. We should be on our way.”

“Really?” Fluttershy asked, glancing at the clock and pouting slightly.

“Yes.” The fashionista confirmed. “I know that we still have some time left before Aloe and Lotus come back, but we need to get ready for dinner.” She reached up and placed a calming hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder as her eyes shot open. “Don’t worry, dear. It’s nothing overly fancy. Just a nice dinner at a small Prench restaurant. You go on home and get ready. Meet me at the Boutique at eight. If you would, please wear the dress I made you.”

“O-Okay.” Fluttershy glanced over towards the three fillies who were arguing over how to get their cutie marks next. “I’ll see you later.” She leaned in and quickly kissed Rarity on the cheek before ducking behind her mane and trotting out of the spa.

Rarity held a hoof against her cheek where her marefriend had kissed her, feeling a light blush color her cheeks. She shook herself from her stupor and turned to address Sweetie Belle and her friends. “Alright girls, it’s time to-”

“Cutie Mark Crusaders Spa Operators!”
> Tough Decisions
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Unexpected Confessions

Chapter Seven


Tough Decisions

Fluttershy made her way out the front door of the spa, closing it just in time to muffle a Cutie Mark Crusaders shout. She had briefly offered to help Rarity corral the energetic fillies, but the unicorn would have none of it and sent her on her way. As she began the walk from the spa back to her home, her wings struggled to unfurl themselves, painfully reminding her of her agitated and unfulfilled state.

I knew preening was an intimate activity, but I had no idea it was so... thrilling. She mused to herself as she fought to keep her wings in check. Memories of the experience flooded her mind, worsening the situation. It felt so good. No, good isn’t a strong enough word for how it felt. It was amazing. She shivered from head to hoof just remembering the sensations, then quickly checked her surroundings to make sure nopony had noticed her struggle with her wings. Okay, no more thinking about this in public. Time to get home. Fluttershy began a brisk trot back to her home, quickly passing by several houses before a familiar voice pulled her out of her thoughts.

“Psst! Hey, Fluttershy!”  She looked around for the source, unable to find it. “Up here, you silly filly.” She craned her neck up to see Pinkie Pie leaning out of a window on the top floor of nearby Sugarcube Corner. The party pony waved to her with a hoof. “I need to look for you. No wait, I just found you! How’s it going? Oh, no... I need to invite you in first. Come on in!” She disappeared from the window without waiting for a response.

Fluttershy let out an inaudible sigh. She did not want to refuse Pinkie’s ‘request’ to talk, but dreaded the subject she knew her overexcited friend would bring up. She walked up to the bakery door and pushed it open. The bell above the door chimed as she entered and Fluttershy noticed Mr. Cake helping Derpy Hooves bag a large number of muffins. Not wanting to interrupt, she quickly made her way through the lobby and up the staircase leading to Pinkie Pie’s room.

“There you are, Flutters.” Pinkie exclaimed, pulling Fluttershy into a bone-crushing hug.  She pulled away from the embrace and ushered the stunned pegasus into her room, closing the door behind them. “So, how are things with Rainbow Dash and Rarity?”

“Oh, um... well...” Fluttershy stumbled over her words, still trying to recover from the unexpected hug attack. She paused and took a deep breath, steeling herself for the next thing she was going to say. “I-I’m dating both of them.”

“Yay!” Pinkie shouted, confetti spraying into the air from an unknown source. “They agreed! Big lovey-dovey triangles of happiness are the best!” She continued bouncing around the room, a huge grin threatening to split her face in half.

“Um, not exactly.” Fluttershy muttered at at barely audible level.

Pinkie immediately stopped her excited bouncing, freezing in mid-air. “What?” She asked, her face twisted up in confusion.

“I kind of... maybe... might have told both of them that I picked them and dumped the other one.” Fluttershy admitted, staring at the ground. She waited for a reaction, but none came. After several seconds of silence, she looked up to see the normally lighthearted mare staring as her smile slowly faded away.

“No, that is not okay, Fluttershy.” Pinkie Pie rebuked her, grabbing the timid pegasus by the shoulders. “You can’t just go around secretly being with both of them. Secrets and lies aren’t good for anypony, especially secrets about love.” She sat back and crossed her arms. “Now, tell your auntie Pinkie Pie why you decided to try and date both Rarity and Rainbow Dash without them knowing.”

“I’m still a year older than you.” Fluttershy muttered to herself. She gathered her courage and told the story. “Well, I tried to go for the three-way relationship, but they didn’t want to do it. Then they both got me gifts and I was confused and I didn’t know what to do. I thought that maybe I could just go on one date with both of them and decide, but now... I’m more confused than ever.”

Pinkie grinned as a thought sped through her mind. “I just had the most amazeriffic idea, Flutters.” She clapped her hooves together giddily. “I can help you! The problem here is that Rarity and Rainbow Dash don’t want to be in the lovey-dovey triangle, so all we have to do is convince them that it’s a good idea. Problem solved.”

“Oh, um, no. That’s okay.” Fluttershy scooted backwards, staring off to the side. “I wouldn’t want to try and force them into something they don’t really want to do. I-If they don’t want to do it, then I’ll just have to find some way to choose between them.” Her ears flattened back. “I just wish I could find a way to fix this without hurting anypony.”

“Did they at least tell you why they didn’t want to be in the triangle?” Pinkie asked. “If we knew that... it might help.”

“No.” Fluttershy’s head fell as she remembered the chaotic explosion of sound that erupted after she suggested the trinogamous relationship. “They both started shouting a lot, but I couldn’t hear what they were trying to say over each other. I panicked and ran away.”

“Mhmm.” Pinkie nodded, blowing bubbles from a pipe that materialized during the story. She reached into her mane and pulled out a piece of parchment, along with a quill and ink. “Well then, let’s talk about what’s happened so far. How did the dates go? How do you feel about each of them?” She asked as she began scribbling on the parchment.

“Oh, um, well...” Fluttershy fell to a sitting position and felt a rush of emotion as she recalled her date on Friday. “Dash and I had dinner at her house. She cooked a delicious meal and we talked... and I might have gotten a little drunk.” She shrank down, wishing desperately to fall through the floor. “I-I also m- might have tried to d-do some, um, inappropriate things.” She let her mane fall in front of her face as a flood of embarrassment colored her cheeks.

“Really?” Pinkie stared at the blushing pegasus with her mouth agape, although her pipe stayed in its place. After a moment of shock, she resumed writing on her notepad, pausing occasionally to tap a hoof against her chin. “Okay, so what happened after that? Did Rainbow Dash go along with your... advances?”

“Um, well... after a while, yes.” Fluttershy admitted, peeking out from behind her mane. “Dash was really nice and offered to sleep on the couch. She even took me back to her room and put me to bed since I was... drunk.” She cringed on the last word, ashamed to admit that she had let things get out of hoof. “I don’t remember getting out of bed, but the next thing I knew, I was back out to the living room and I kind of... seduced her?”

The near-constant sound of Pinkie’s quill scratching across the parchment stopped abruptly. She looked up from her writing, her expression torn between curiosity and disbelief. “That’s... good, right?” She asked, the beginnings of a smile pulling at her lips.

Fluttershy felt her blush deepen even further. “I-I don’t know. I liked being assertive and being able to get what I wanted, but I don’t like that I had to ignore what Dash wanted in order to do it. Rainbow put me to bed, but I went back out and convinced her to come to bed with me, even though she didn't want to. I kind of passed out on her bed before we really got to do anything. She went to the bathroom for a bit, and the next thing I knew it was morning.”

“Okay, okay.” Pinkie Pie continued scribbling on her parchment. “How would you say that you feel about Rainbow Dash?”

“I love her.” Fluttershy replied without hesitation. “That’s the problem, though. I love Dashie, but I love Rarity too. I love both of them, and I can’t pick one over the other.” She let her head fall slightly and stared at the floor.

“Can I assume that your date with Rarity didn’t go as far as the one with Dash did, physically at least?” Pinkie stopped for a moment to blow a round of bubbles from her pipe.

“Um... about that...” Fluttershy kicked her front hoof on the floorboards nervously.

“Is that so?” Pinkie Pie responded, pausing for a moment to think. “Well, I guess that makes sense. You’re in love with both of them, after all. So, that’s good.”

“I don’t know if ‘good’ is the right word.” Fluttershy replied, a note of frustration in her voice. “It’s just that... well, with Rainbow I was drunk and everything just kind of happened before I could think about it. With Rarity though, I don’t even know how to describe it. She rented out the spa and we had a private little spa date. Nopony else was there, not even Aloe and Lotus. I just felt so relaxed and calm.” She chose to omit the fact that she had cycled into heat. Probably a bit too personal. She mused to herself. Her recently drained face flooded scarlet again. “Sh-She even gave me a massage. It felt so good, and afterward she... she...” The modest pegasus trailed off into silence.

“She... what?” Pinkie prodded. Her quill hovered above the parchment expectantly.

“She preened my wings.” Fluttershy mumbled.

“Oh... um, I’m not sure I get it.” Pinkie cocked her head to the side, a perplexed look on her face. “You, know... earth pony. No wings.” She fluttered her hooves out beside her, imitating flapping wings.

“Well, um, you see...” Fluttershy tried to explain without much success. She paused for a moment and took a deep breath before continuing. “Pegasus wings are r-really... sensitive. Preening is a very intimate activity for a pegasus, and it’s usually something that is only done by very close friends or... lovers.”

“Really? They don’t look that special.” Pinkie reached out with a hoof.

“No, Pinkie. Don- Oooooh.” Fluttershy let out a heavy moan and shivered as her friend stroked a hoof along her folded wing. She suddenly found herself panting lightly as she tried to regain her composure. “Please, don’t do that.”

“Wow, you weren’t kidding, were you?” Pinkie asked, her eyes widening slightly.

“I-It’s usually not that bad.” Fluttershy dropped her gaze to the floor. “It’s just that, well, I’m still kind of... excited from Rarity preening them.” She felt her cheeks heat up to the point she thought they would burst into flames.

“Huh?” Pinkie stared at her quizzically. After a moment recognition flashed across her features, along with a light blush. “Oh. Um, I guess I should let you get back home then. Well, keep working on choosing between Rarity and Dash. The longer you wait, the worse it will get.” The party pony trotted over to the door and pulled it open.

“Thanks, Pinkie.” Fluttershy stood up, her knees shaking slightly, and walked through the doorway. She turned back before leaving. “I promise I’ll figure this out, and I promise I won’t sleep with either of them. Cross my heart and-” Her vow was interrupted by a hoof pressed her to mouth.

“Don’t make a Pinkie Promise you can’t keep.” Pinkie said with a wink. “Just try your hardest to pick one of them soon.” She dropped her hoof from the primrose mare’s mouth and waved as her friend made her way back downstairs. “That girl is certainly in a pickle, although not quite a barrel of pickles.” She blew one last round of bubbles from her pipe before storing it back in her mane and closing the door.


*


Applejack looked over her shoulder, lining up her rear legs with one of the countless apple trees on her farm. She lashed out at the tree, but an overwhelming urge to yawn distracted her mid-kick, causing her to miss the tree. Consarnit, not again. She cursed silently, unceremoniously flopping down under the tree. Ah just- She stopped as another yawn tried to force its way out of her mouth. Ah just need to rest for a minute. The farm pony pulled her hat down to shade her eyes and rested her head on her forehooves. Her ear twitched involuntarily as she slowly recognized a telltale whine streaking through the air.

Applejack forced one eye open, scanning the sky until she saw a familiar blue streak descending towards the farm. ‘Bout darn time. She thought to herself, letting out a sigh. She slowly got to her hooves as Rainbow Dash glided down. Instead of landing, the cyan pegasus tackled her, throwing both of them to the ground in a tangle of limbs.

“Sorry about that.” Dash apologized after spitting out a mouthful of dirt. “I thought I bled off more speed than I did.” The pair began the arduous process of untangling themselves. Once they were both standing again, Rainbow looked over the orange mare, her expression falling slightly. “You okay, AJ? You look exhausted.”

“Ah-” Applejack tried to counter before a yawn interrupted her. “Ah’m fine. Just been havin’ some trouble sleepin’ lately.” She waved a hoof dismissively.

“Really? What’s up, anything I should know about?” Dash’s expression shifted to one of concern.

“Oh, it’s nothin’, sugarcube.” Applejack tried to give a reassuring smile. It’s just that every time Ah close mah eyes Ah see you heartbroken and cryin’ yer eyes out... and it’s all mah fault. “Just busy thinkin’ ‘bout farm stuff. So, what’s got ya so excited?” Rainbow’s face lit up and she threw her forelegs around the other mare’s neck, pulling her into a tight hug. “Dash?” Applejack asked, trying not to focus on the feel of her crush’s coat pressed against her, causing her heart to speed up. “Ah enjoy a good hug as much as the next pony, but you mind tellin’ me exactly what’s got ya so... huggy?”

“Oh, right.” Dash pulled back to look her friend in the eye, but left her legs draped over her shoulders. “Well, I did what you said. I got ‘Shy the flowers, but it turned out she was allergic to them.”

“That’s a darn shame, sugarcube. Ah’m mighty sorry ‘bout that.” Applejack tried her hardest to sound sad, but a small part of her cheered to hear her plan working.

“Yea, but the book was just perfect!” Rainbow’s cheeks tinged pink. “After I gave it to her, she... well, she kissed me.” She looked off to the side, as if embarrassed by the admission.

“Well, that’s too ba-... Ah’m sorry, but did you say you got the book?” Applejack stared at Dash in disbelief.

“Huh?” Rainbow cocked her head to the side. “Oh, yea. Twilight said the only copy she knew about was in the Canterlot Royal Archives. I was totally gonna sneak in and... borrow it, but Twi had some crazy spell that let her look for other copies of the book.” She jumped and back-flipped out of the hug, landing with a flourish. “She found one up in Vanhoover, so I flew there and got it.”

“You...” Applejack tried in vain to wrap her mind around what she was hearing. “Vanhoover? You flew to Vanhoover? Fer a book?” She fell to a sitting position.

“Well, it sounds stupid when you say it like that.” Dash scuffed a hoof on the ground. “It wasn’t just a book, it was the perfect book. She loved it.” She lowered herself to sit down, a huge grin spreading across her face. “You know what happened next? Fluttershy picked me. She picked me!” Dash leapt forward, knocking the farm pony over again and pulling her into another hug. “Your advice worked, AJ. I can’t thank you enough.”

“That-” Applejack started, pausing for a moment as hot tears stung at her eyes. “That’s great news, sugarcube. Ah... Ah’m happy fer ya.” She reached up and returned Dash’s hug, burying her face in her friend’s prismatic mane as tears threatened to overwhelm her. Nice goin’, AJ. Ya somehow managed to buck up givin’ bad advice.

“Sorry about tackling you again.” Rainbow chuckled nervously as they stood up. “I’m just excited. I mean, this is so awesome!” She began pacing back and forth, trying to bleed of excess energy. “We’ve even been on a date already.”

“You have?” Applejack asked, dreading the answer. She listened to Rainbow’s retelling of the date, from burning dinner four times, to the incident with the stereo and Fluttershy getting drunk. As her friend progressed through her tale, Applejack felt her heart sink. When Dash described Fluttershy coming back into the living room and seducing her, she felt a sudden wave of anger. That little hussy. Tryin’ to take advantage of Dash just ‘cause she was drunk. Why, Ah got half a mind to go on over to ‘Shy’s and-

“AJ?” Rainbow broke into her friend’s train of thought, poking her with a hoof. “You okay? You kind of zoned out there for a while.”

“Huh?” Applejack shook herself from her sudden fury. “Oh, yea. Ah’m...” She found herself unable to continue. Come on, girl. Two little words, Ah’m fine. “Ah’m...” Just say it! Ah’m. Fine. She let out a heavy sigh, fighting back tears. “Ah can’t do this anymore.” She looked up to see Dash staring at her in confusion. “Ah ain’t been completely honest with ya, sugarcube.”

“Ha ha ha. Yea, sure.” Rainbow laughed off the confession. “You, Applejack, the Element of Honesty, haven’t been honest with me. Good one.” She reached up to playfully punch her friend in the shoulder, but stopped as she saw a worried and hurt expression on the farm pony’s face. “AJ? What’s wrong... what aren’t you telling me?”

Applejack hung her head, unable to meet the chromatic mare’s gaze. “Ah... Ah knew that ‘Shy was allergic to magnolias when I told you to to get ‘em for her. Ah also knew that the only copy of that book that Twi’ knew about was in the Canterlot Royal Archives and that you would never be able to get it.” She felt tears rising in her eyes, but blinked them away. “Ah gave ya bad advice on purpose, expectin’ it to blow up in yer face.”

“What?” Dash asked incredulously. “You... you’re joking, right? This is all some kind of prank, isn’t it?” It only took one look at the farm pony’s guilty face to let her know she was wrong. “Why?” She demanded, a burst of fury filling her chest. “Why would you do that to me, AJ?”

“Well, Ah... that is...” Applejack pulled her hat off and clutched it to her chest, beads of sweat forming on her forehead.

“Tell me!” Rainbow yelled, flaring her wings in frustration.

“Cause Ah love you!” Applejack shouted back. She let her shoulders slump in defeat. “Ah love you.” She said again, her voice breaking. She stared at the dirt, unable to look the cyan pegasus in the eye. “Ah’m sorry, RD. This ain’t the way Ah planned on tellin’ ya. Ah’ve loved ya for a while, but Ah wasn’t sure if ya even liked mares. Then Fluttershy came to me and told me ‘bout how you confessed to her...” She paused and swallowed. “Ah ain’t gonna lie... it hurt. Then you came ‘round askin’ fer help with ‘Shy, and Ah wanted to tell you how Ah felt somethin’ fierce, but Ah just couldn’t do it.” She continued to study the dirt, but heard Rainbow mutter something under her breath. “Ya wanna run that by me again, sugarcube?” She looked up, giving a weak smile and putting her hat back on her head.

“It’s not fair!” Dash repeated, tears glistening in her eyes. “All of this. Rarity and me with Fluttershy. You and me. Celestia’s flank, this would all be so much easier if it weren’t for her.” She spat the last word, venom dripping from her voice.

“Come again?” Applejack raised an eyebrow in confusion.

“You don’t think I want to be cool with a three-way relationship with ‘Shy and Rarity?” Rainbow continued her rant unimpeded, pacing back and forth. “You don’t think I want to be able to do that, and maybe even see you on the side? Heck, you could join us and make it a four-way!” Applejack blushed furiously at the notion, but didn’t interrupt. “Buck it, let’s bring in Pinkie Pie and Twilight, then all of us can be in some crazy six-way relationship where everypony is with whoever they want and everypony is happy. That would be awesome and get rid of all the pressure, but I just can’t do it. Thanks a lot, mom.” Rainbow punctuated her last statement with a kick against a nearby tree, though the apples remained firmly on the branches.

“Not that I don’t appreciate the thought, sugarcube.” Applejack tried to process what she had just heard, images flying unbidden through her mind. “Ya lost me when you brought yer mother into this. What in Equestria does she have to do with all of this?”

Dash huffed angrily, looking up and down the path they were on for any eavesdroppers. “It’s... complicated.” She turned to face the orange mare, staring her dead in the eye. “I’ll explain it, but I’m only gonna say it once, and I swear that if you tell anypony what I’m about to say, I’ll buck you square in the face.”

“Yer secret’s safe with me, sugarcube. Cross mah heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in mah eye.” Applejack made the appropriate gestures for the promise.

Rainbow nodded, satisfied. “Alright, so I’m guessing you’ve probably noticed that I don’t exactly talk about my family a lot. Heck, just about the only thing I’ve told you guys about my life before coming to Ponyville is that Fluttershy and I were in Flight School together.” She stopped and took a deep breath, letting her shoulders slump. “There’s kind of a reason for that, my mom. Or should I say... my moms.”

The silence drug on for almost a minute before Applejack could bring herself to speak. “Ah think ya might need to explain that just a bit more.” She pressed, keeping her expression neutral.

“I know. I know.” Dash crossed her forelegs defiantly, clearly uncomfortable discussing the matter. She huffed again and uncrossed her legs, staring at the ground. “My home life wasn’t what you would call ‘normal.’ I had two moms and a dad for as far back as I can remember as a foal. Everything was fine for a few years, or at least as close to fine as you can get with two mares being with the same stallion. Then one day, something just... changed. My moms were always yelling at each other. My dad tried to stay out of it, but they kept dragging him into their fights. One day, we woke up and my other mom was just... gone. No explanation or anything. My dad left a few days later to go after her. He said he was going to find her and bring her back, but I doubt he meant it.”

“What happened?” Applejack asked, honest curiosity in her voice.

“I wish I knew.” Rainbow spat, wiping a hoof across her eyes. “It messed my birth mom up, though. She started going out to the club almost every night. She was almost never at home when I got back from school, so eventually I just started going back to Fluttershy’s house after school.” She paused in her story, visibly struggling to maintain her composure. “That wasn’t even the worst of it. For as long as I can remember, she would always go on about how she was a 'free spirit' and that love needed to be 'shared freely'. She started seeing a bunch of different stallions and even a few mares. They all knew about each other and were cool with it. Most of the time she would just see one of them at a time, but sometimes two or even three would come over to our house at once.”

Dash leaned against a nearby tree, tears streaking down her face despite her best efforts. “I could have handled that if it had made her happy, but it didn’t. Sure, she was all smiles and laughter when she was with one of her coltfriends or marefriends, but when she was alone...” She trailed off into silence for a moment, her voice breaking as she resumed talking. “When she was alone, she was always crying. I never had the heart to ask why she was crying, but I always assumed it was my fault. I always felt that I was the reason my dad and my other mom left her in the first place.”

“Dash...” Applejack felt two overwhelming urges pulling her in opposite directions. One wanted nothing more than to reach out and comfort the cyan pegasus and let her know how wonderful she was. The other kept her rooted in place, unsure whether she could trust herself not to try and take advantage of her friend’s current emotional state.

“Don’t worry too much, AJ.” Rainbow gave a smile, but her eyes still held the shadows of pain. “I made peace with it a long time ago. They left us. If they were the kind of ponies who would leave their foal, I doubt they were great parent material. Anyway, my mom just always seemed so... lonely when none of her colt- or marefriends were around. It was like she was an empty shell without them. I promised myself back then that I would never do something like that. I vowed I would never try and be with multiple ponies, no matter how tempting it seemed.”

“Don’t ya think it might be a bit different with Rare and ‘Shy?” Applejack asked, trotting over to sit next to Dash. “Ah can see why ya wouldn’t wanna try it based on how things went with yer parents, but these are two of yer best friends.”

“I know.” Rainbow sighed, letting her head fall. “I just can’t do it though. I saw what it did to my mom, and I could never hurt anypony like that. She was never really happy, even before my dad and other mom left us, and it tore her up even more whenever one of her partners left her. I know that Rarity and Fluttershy are my friends and that everything would probably work out and be awesome, but I can’t take that risk. I’m not worth that kind of heartache.”

“Now you listen here, missy.” Applejack reached down and lifted Rainbow’s chin to look her in the eye. “You are a wonderful mare, and anypony would be goddess-blessed to be able to call you their marefriend.”

“Thanks, AJ.” Dash smiled weakly, still unconvinced.

Desperate times call fer desperate measures. Applejack leaned forward and kissed Dash. She tried to memorize every feeling of kissing her love, knowing that it would likely never happen again. Too soon, she pulled away, leaving a stunned Rainbow Dash staring at her in disbelief. “Sorry ‘bout that.” Applejack muttered sheepishly. “But Ah needed some way to convince you. Don’t worry, Ah know you’re with ‘Shy now, and Ah wouldn’t think of wreckin’ no homes.” She strained to keep her voice from breaking.

Rainbow sat perfectly still, rooted to the ground. “Y-You just...” She stuttered. A small part of her wanted to lunge forward and reforge that connection between them. However, a much larger part of her wanted to reach out and slap Applejack right in her adorable face. Dash shut her eyes and focused on her breathing to calm herself. After several seconds, she opened her eyes to see the orange mare looking at her with a worried expression. “Just what was that supposed to convince me of, exactly?”

“That you’re worth it.” Applejack tried her hardest to sound happy, but her eyes betrayed the deep hurt she felt in her heart, knowing that this wonderful pony she loved thought so little of herself. She reached over and placed one of her hooves on Rainbow’s. “You are one of the most amazing mares Ah’ve ever had the honor of knowin’. If there’s one pony in all of Equestria who’s worth goin’ through somethin’ like that for, it’s you.”

Applejack let the silence hang between them for a moment. She felt her emotions rising in her chest and stood from laying on the ground. “Now, if’n you’ll excuse me, Ah got lots of apple trees to buck. Good luck with ‘Shy. Ah’m happy fer ya, Ah really am.” She turned and meandered down the row of trees, occasionally stopping to look up into the canopy of one and knock on the trunk with a hoof.

Rainbow Dash stood up and reached out a hoof, wanting nothing more than to call her friend back and thank her for everything she had said. The words froze in her throat, unwilling to pass her lips. Eventually, the prismatic pegasus gave up, hanging her head in defeat. She turned and galloped a short ways before leaping into the air and flying into the distance.

Applejack finally turned and looked back as she heard Dash take to the air. Tears streamed down her face, but she had refused to let her love see them. Smooth moves, AJ. She berated herself silently. All ya had to do was say two little words, Ah’m fine. If you’d just said that, then none of this would have happened. Heck, ya coulda avoided all this mess by just tellin’ ‘Shy ya loved Dash in the first place. She stopped dead in her tracks as a thought occurred to her. Oh buck, now Rainbow knows Ah love her, but ‘Shy still thinks Ah’m in love with Twi...

“This is karma, ain’t it?” Applejack asked the empty air, looking off in the direction of Canterlot Castle. “Ah lied for mah own personal gain, and now it’s all blowin’ up in mah face.” She imagined Princess Celestia watching her through some giant telescope, a grin of perverse pleasure on her face. She sat down, letting out a heavy sigh and looking up at the tree she was sitting under.

Suddenly, Ah don’t feel like buckin’ apples. Applejack drug herself to her hooves, looking in the direction of Ponyville and then off towards the west. Celestia’s sun inched towards the horizon, casting the few clouds in the sky in vibrant shades of red and orange. Probably still a few hours of daylight left. Ah think a nice long walk is exactly what Ah need right now.

Ten minutes later, Applejack arrived at the main street of Ponyville. Her breath came in heaving puffs as her “walk” had developed into a trot and eventually a full gallop to town, straining even her formidable endurance. She slowed back to a light canter as she reached the edge of town, not wanting to draw attention to herself. The farm pony felt a pain in her chest that she knew had nothing to do with her recent run into town. Come on, girl. Dash is a grown mare, she can take care of herself. You ain’t doin’ anypony any good worryin’ over her like a mother hen.

Applejack realized she was staring at the ground and she walked and looked up to find herself approaching the Ponyville Library. She stopped in her tracks as a thought forced its way into her mind. Ah ain’t normally one to sit ‘round and talk ‘bout mah feelings, but maybe talkin’ to Twi ‘bout all this might help. She let out a light sigh and adjusted her path towards the library’s door, reaching up and knocking as she stopped in front of it. After a moment, she heard hoofsteps from the other side and the door was enveloped in an aura of purple magic.

“Hello?” Twilight asked, poking her head out the door. “Oh, hi Applejack!” Her expression brightened and she pulled the door open further. “I wasn’t expecting to see you, is everything okay?”

“Oh, yea, everything’s fine.” Applejack tried to sound casual, hoping that her frazzled nerves weren’t evident. “Ah was just in the neighborhood and was wonderin’ if you were free to talk fer a bit.”

“Sure thing.” Twilight chirped. “What’s up?”

Applejack glanced off to either side, noting several Ponyville citizens wandering up and down the main street. “Actually, would ya mind if Ah came in fer a bit?”

“Oh, um, not at all.” Twilight’s expression fell a little bit, a look of concern flashing across her features. She glanced over her shoulder into the library. “Spike’s not here right now, so the library is empty. Come on in.” She turned and trotted back into the building.

“Thank ya kindly, Twi.” Applejack replied as she entered the library. She reached back and shut the door with a soft kick, then continued walking with her eyes trained on the floor, only to run into a massive stack of books.

“Oh, no no no no no!” Twilight exclaimed as the tower of books began swaying back and forth. She quickly lit her horn and wrapped the stack in a cocoon of magic, resetting it upright. She slowly released her magic, making sure the books were stable. “Phew. Sorry about that, AJ. I forgot to mention, it’s a bit of a mess in here.”

“Ya don’t say.” Applejack tore her gaze from the massive heap of tomes and scanned the rest of the building. Many similar mountains of texts dotted the main floor of the library, leaving all of the shelves barren. “Is there a particular reason that all the books are sittin’ on the floor rather than the shelves?” She asked, casting a curious glance at the librarian.

“Semiannual Shelf Dusting.” Twilight stated matter-of-factually.

“Come again?” Applejack chuckled, a smile forcing its way onto her face.

“Twice a year, I take all of the books off of the shelves and dust everything. Even shelves full of books get dusty after six months.” Twilight explained, running a hoof along one of the empty shelves. “I just finished the dusting, but hadn’t gotten around to re-shelving everything when you got here.”

“Uh huh.” Applejack nodded. She suddenly felt like she was intruding on her friend’s work and slowly backed towards the door. “Well, if’n yer busy, Ah can always come back later. Ah wouldn’t wanna keep ya from yer work.”

“Oh, it’s no trouble.” Twilight replied, rolling her neck from side to side. “This will only take a second to clean up... although you may want to come stand next to me, just to make sure you don’t get hit.”

“Hit by what, exactly?” Applejack asked nervously as she made her way over to the lavender unicorn.

“A book, of course.” Twilight flashed a smile before closing her eyes and taking a few deep breaths. She brought her horn to life and took in one final breath. “Just... try not to move.” She opened her eyes, revealing them to be glowing with magical energy. The entire library was bathed in the soft purple shimmer of her magic, causing Applejack to jump slightly. With a sudden flurry of motion, books from all of the stacks began flying back onto the shelves at an incredible speed. After only a hoofful of seconds, the entire library was once again clean.

Twilight let out the breath she had been holding and released the hold she had on her magic. “See? No time at all.” She smiled at her now-clean library floor and turned around. “Now, what did you-” She stopped as she saw the look on her friend’s face.

Applejack stared at the empty floor of the library with her mouth hanging open. “Son of a...” She trailed off into silence, shaking her head slightly. “Just when Ah think Ah’ve seen every trick ya got. That really was amazin’, Twi.”

“Oh, um... Th-Thanks, Applejack.” Twilight cleared her throat, trying not to focus on the blush in her cheeks. “So, what was it you wanted to talk about?” She trotted over to the table near the kitchen, levitating a pair of cushions over to it for them to sit on.

Applejack slowly plodded over to the table, biting her lip. Figures. Now that Ah’m here, Ah’m gettin’ cold hooves over this whole Rainbow Dash mess. She sat on the offered cushion, staring down at her hooves while Twilight waited patiently for her to speak. Come on, AJ. Just spit it out. It’s not like she’ll let ya outta talkin’ now. She knows somethin’s wrong, and she’s almost as stubborn as Ah am when it comes to helpin’ a friend. She felt a smile tug at her lips as she remembered how persistent Twilight had been in offering help during Applebuck Season the year Big Macintosh was hurt.

“Alright, here goes.” Applejack looked up, meeting the unicorn’s gaze. “Ya might wanna put on a pot of tea or somethin’. This could take a while.”
> Coming Clean
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Unexpected Confessions

Chapter Eight (Part One)


Coming Clean

Applejack took off her hat, placing it on the table and running a hoof through her mane. She watched as Twilight trotted into the kitchen and lit up her horn. In a matter of seconds, she had lit the stove top, placed a full kettle of water on it, and prepared a set of cups with tea bags. The farm pony shook her head, an amused smile on her face. “Sometimes Ah watch you and Rarity and the things y’all can do with yer magic, and I wish Ah were a unicorn mahself.”

“It’s not all it’s cracked up to be.” Twilight tried to deflect the compliment, blushing again. “Besides, I envy earth ponies like you who can do everything by hoof. Without my magic, I doubt I could make breakfast for myself in the morning.” She came back into the main room and sat down across from her friend. “I think being a unicorn would hurt the whole farming business, too. I can’t count the number of plants I’ve tried to grow that ended up dying. Heck, I’ve even had a plastic plant that just kind of... fell apart after a few days. I don’t exactly have an overabundance of agricultural acumen.” Twilight’s blush deepened as she realized she had started using unnecessarily big words. “Ahem, sorry. What I meant to say was, I don’t exactly have a green hoof like you do.”

“Well, Ah suppose not everypony can be as talented as me and mah family when it comes to growin’ stuff.” Applejack examined a hoof disinterestedly for a moment before the pair devolved into a fit of giggles. Her mood changed drastically as she remembered exactly why she came to the library. She cleared her throat and steeled herself. “Back to the matter at hoof. Ah assume you’ve talked to ‘Shy recently?”

“Oh, um, yes.” Twilight furrowed her brow, trying to figure out where the conversation was headed.

“Well, then ya know ‘bout her little... situation with Rarity and Rainbow Dash, right?” Applejack paused and waited for a nod from the lavender mare. “Well, a few days ago, Dash came to me askin’ fer advice on how to go ‘bout winnin’ ‘Shy over, and Ah kinda gave her some... bad advice.”

The tea kettle whistled from the kitchen, and Twilight magically lifted it without even looking back. The kettle floated into the main room of the library, followed closely by the two cups. “Bad advice? Like, on purpose?” She cocked her head to the side, as though trying to puzzle out how to fit a round peg into a square hole. Meanwhile, the cups settled in front of each of the two mares and the tea pot filled each cup with hot water before gliding to rest off to the side. After a moment, Twilight gave up and shook her head. “Why?”

Applejack swallowed and stared intently at her cup of tea, feeling a rush of heat in her face. “This is where it gets personal.” She looked up and locked eyes with the unicorn. “Before Ah go on, Ah need yer word that what Ah’m ‘bout to tell ya won’t leave this room. Ah don’t need a Pinkie Promise.” She cut across Twilight’s attempt to make the aforementioned vow. “Just a regular promise will do. Yer word that mah secret is safe with you.”

“Of course, AJ.” Twilight replied. She reached across the table and laid a hoof on one of the farm pony’s hooves. The unicorn felt her heart rate pick up at the contact, but tried to ignore it. “I would never dream of breaking your trust in me. I give you my word that your secret is safe with me.”

“Thanks, Twi.” Applejack smiled, feeling some of her burden lifting. She spent a moment in silence before she realized she was staring into Twilight’s eyes. She quickly averted her gaze back down to her cup, fiddling with the submerged tea bag. “Here’s the thing. Ah gave Rainbow bad advice on account of... Well, ‘cause Ah love her.”

Twilight felt her stomach drop as Applejack’s admission passed her friend's lips. She... loves Rainbow Dash? She wondered to herself. Her mind flashed back to Fluttershy’s visit and the timid mare’s stammering, disjointed denial that anypony liked her. I thought, or rather I hoped, that... it doesn’t matter anymore. Applejack obviously doesn’t- She was pulled out of her thoughts by an orange hoof waving in front of her face.

“Ya alright there, Twi?” Applejack asked, putting her hoof back on the table. Her expression one of concern tinged with pain. “Ya kinda zoned out on me. Everythin' okay?”

“Oh, of course.” Twilight answered automatically before catching herself. “No, wait. I mean, of course not. You’re in love with Rainbow Dash-” Saying the words left a bad taste in her mouth. “-but she’s in love with Fluttershy. Did... did you tell Rainbow that you love her?” She asked tentatively.

“Yea.” Applejack sighed, picking up her hat from the table and clutching it to her chest. “She was mighty understandin’ ‘bout it, but...” She drifted into silence as tears glistened in her eyes. “She don’t feel the same. She’s got it bad fer ‘Shy, so Ah told her Ah’d stay outta their way.”

I’ve never seen Applejack this... vulnerable. Twilight felt an urge to to do something to comfort her friend. She needs me, but I don’t know what to do. A hug? A pat on the back?

Kiss her!

Her muscles tensed as the suggestion flew unbidden through her mind. What in the hay? Now is really not the time for that. She needs a friend, not some... rebound fling! Twilight dismissed the thought as quickly as it had arisen. She stood up and walked around to the other side of the table, sitting next to Applejack. “AJ, I... I’m sorry.” Really? That’s the best I can do? ‘I’m sorry?’ She reached out and laid a hoof on her friend’s back, only to have the farm pony turn and throw her forelegs around Twilight’s neck and bury her face in the unicorn’s shoulder.

Twilight sat dumbfounded for a moment before she belatedly brought her own forelegs up to return the embrace. She nearly jumped as she felt small blots of moisture soaking her coat on her shoulder. Wait, she’s... crying? She reached up and began stroking Applejack’s mane.

“It’s going to be okay, AJ.” Twilight whispered soothingly. “I’m here for you.” She leaned down and rested her head against Applejack’s neck, doing her best to ignore the unwanted fluttering of her heart.

The pair sat in silence for several minutes while Applejack sobbed quietly. As her tears stopped falling, she took several deep breaths to calm herself and pulled away from the embrace. “Ah’m sorry ya had to see that, Twi.” She wiped a hoof across each of her eyes to dry any residual moisture before clearing her throat. “Ahem. If’n we could keep this whole cryin’ business just between us, Ah’d be mighty grateful.” She stared off to the side, unable to bring herself to meet the other mare’s gaze.

“Of course, AJ.” Twilight flashed a reassuring smile. “It’s not a big deal, though. Everypony needs to blow off steam every now and then. That’s what friends are for. Talking, laughing, and even sometimes a shoulder to cry on... literally in this case.” She stifled a giggle at her comment.

“Ah know.” Applejack replied. Her expression was still worried, but her body language was markedly more relaxed. “It’s just... you know how proud we Apple family ponies are.” She sat up a little straighter. “It’d be mighty embarassin’ fer everypony to know Ah was over here mewlin’ like a foal just ‘cause Dash is in love with somepony else.” She let out a sigh and gazed out the window. Celestia’s sun had almost reached the horizon, casting long shadows across the streets of Ponyville and bathing the world in a fiery orange glow.

“It’s gettin’ pretty late. Ah should probably head on home.” She stood up and stretched out her hind legs to work out some stiffness from sitting so long.

Twilight felt a wave of sadness well up in her chest at the comment. She prepared for another round of self-criticism, but was interrupted by a loud growl from her stomach. “Ehehe... sorry about that.” She muttered sheepishly, a light red tinge flooding her cheeks.

“No no. Ah should be the one apologizin’.” Applejack picked up her hat from where it had fallen on the floor and placed it securely back on her head. “Ah didn’t mean to keep ya from dinner. Ah’ll get out from under yer hooves so you can get somethin’ to eat.” She picked up her tea cup and drained it in one swift motion. “Thank ya kindly fer the tea... and the shoulder.” She walked over to the door and pulled it open.

Twilight bit her lip, feeling a surging desire to ask Applejack to stay. “Wait!” She called, trotting over to stand next to her friend. “Um, have you had dinner yet?” She pawed at the floor, suddenly nervous. “We don’t really get to spend much time together, just the two of us. Would... would you like to get something to eat with me?”

Applejack opened her mouth to decline the offer, but was preempted by a growl from her own stomach. She cleared her throat and rubbed the back of her neck with a hoof. “That sounds down right appetizin’, Twi. Ah gotta confess, Ah’m not too familiar with the dinin’ spots in town. Anywhere you can recommend?”

Twilight felt a rush of giddiness. “Oh, I know just the place. There’s a food cart over by Town Hall that makes great oat burgers and has the best hay fries.” She trotted past her friend, pausing to grab a saddlebag and a sack of bits, and out the library door. A portion of her mind recalled a book she had read some time ago on romantic relationships.

“One of the most typical excursions for a romantically-involved couple, also known as a ‘date’, is to get a meal together, commonly dinner.”

She locked those thoughts away in the corner of her mind. That’s the last thing she needs right now. She needs a friend, not a date. If I can help her in some small way by being that friend, then that’s what I’ll do. She thought to herself as she and Applejack wandered down the road.


*


Fluttershy galloped into her cottage and slammed the door behind her. She swiped a hoof down, locking the door to prevent any intrusions. She stopped for a moment to catch her breath, which came in ragged pants that had nothing to do with the fact that she had run almost all the way back to her house. She trotted through the living room, weaving her way towards the stairs before a half-eaten carrot flew in front of her. She turned her head to see Angel Bunny tapping a foot with his arms crossed, his expression conveying his question clearly,“Where have you been?”

“Not now, Angel.” Fluttershy said breathlessly. “Momma needs some... alone time.” She turned and continued her trek towards the staircase, only to feel another partially-eaten carrot softly pelt the back of her head. She turned back to face the small rabbit slowly. 

Angel stood his ground in front of his hutch, his displeasure clear on his face. His scowl was replaced by a grin of smug satisfaction as his caretaker adjusted her path to come and tend to his needs. A dreadfully familiar smell assaulted his senses as she approached. She had been smelling slightly of pheromones all season, but today the smell was exceptionally strong. She’s still in heat? He wrinkled up his nose, trying in vain to wave the stench away with a paw. Fluttershy reached down and picked him up, cradling him in her forelegs.

“I’m sorry, Angel.” She cooed, before unceremoniously dumping him out an open window and closing it. She knew she should be more concerned with what he wanted, especially with his antics from before she left for her spa date with Rarity. However, her mind was occupied with other thoughts, or rather one single, overriding thought. She trotted back across the living room and up the staircase to her bedroom. She closed the door behind her and moved over the window. Outside, the sun crawled inexorably toward the horizon, but a few hours of daylight still remained. She pulled the curtains closed before sitting on the edge of her bed.

Okay, I can do this. Fluttershy told herself. Everypony does it. There’s nothing to be scared or ashamed of. Regardless of her mental assurances, she still felt a wave of worry and guilt wash over her as she finally released control over her wings, allowing them to unfurl to their full extension. She laid down on the bed and took a deep, calming breath. A thought pulled at her mind, distracting her until she acknowledged it. Hmm... maybe a nice, warm bath would be better for... this. Less cleanup afterward.
> Dressing Up
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Unexpected Confessions

Chapter Eight (Part Two)


Dressing Up

Fluttershy lay still, trying to catch her breath and basking in the warm afterglow. That was... was... I don’t even have words to describe how wonderful that was. She settled down lower into the tub, soaking in the remaining heat of the water. After a moment, she grabbed a bar of soap and washcloth, absentmindedly washing herself.  When she was done, she noticed a muffled, yet insistent, thumping drifting up to her bathroom from downstairs. Oh, right. Angel. She remembered with a slight smile, reaching down to pull the drain plug. She slowly lifted herself out of the bathtub, taking time to stretch her legs and wings.

She reached out and grabbed a towel to dry off, taking care not to mess up her newly-preened feathers in the process. Once she was dry, Fluttershy draped the towel over her head before flipping it back and expertly wrapping her wet mane in the towel. She cantered out of the bathroom and pulled open the bedroom door to head downstairs.

The thumping noise rose in volume as Fluttershy made her way down the stairs, stopping as she approached the front door. She unlocked the door, pulling it open to reveal Angel Bunny on the other side. The rabbit glared up at her with loathing, as though trying to say “What in the hay was that about?”

“I’m sorry Angel, but momma needed some alone time.” Fluttershy explained as she turned away from the door. She stopped as she found the small rabbit in front of her again, scowling at her with a raised eyebrow and waiting for a more in-depth explanation. The nurturing mare reached down and scratched behind his ears. “Now, don’t look at me like that. It’s nice outside, you should be out there hopping around and enjoying the weather anyway.” She trotted past him, making her way back upstairs to the bathroom. 

Fluttershy walked through her bedroom, humming happily. She passed through the doorway into the bathroom and shook the towel from her mane. Maybe now I’ll be able to make it through dinner without jumping all over Rarity. She thought to herself, giggling quietly. She slid a hoofbrush onto her leg and began running it through her mane, singing tunelessly as she worked. She tried to imagine what dinner would hold, picturing a small and dimly lit restaurant in her head. A bottle of wine sat on the table. Ugh. No, no wine. She thought as she felt her stomach flip at the mere thought of alcohol. In her mind, the bottle of wine disappeared from the table, leaving only her and Rarity. Her eyes shot open as she felt a familiar tingle between her hind legs. Okay, that’s enough of that.

Fluttershy threw down the hoofbrush and went back into her bedroom, opening her closet. She carefully removed the dress Rarity had made her and laid it on the bed, eyeing it warily. Hmm... Last time I had Rarity’s magic to help get it on. She moved behind the heap of silk and lifted one side of the skirt. It shouldn’t be that difficult to do by hoof. She thought, ducking her head into the voluminous skirt and trying to wriggle the dress around her.

Several attempts later, including no fewer than three occasions in which she tried to put her head through a wing or foreleg hole, Fluttershy threw the dress across the room in frustration. She glanced over to an antique clock on her nightstand, seeing the time was just past seven thirty. She briefly considered giving up on the dress and simply leaving for Rarity’s home, hoping that the seamstress would have an extra dress or two lying around she could wear. A knock from the living room broke her concentration. She shot one final glare at the offending garment and trotted down the stair case.

“Who is it?” Fluttershy called as she reached the living room.

“It’s me, darling.” Rarity responded through the door.

Fluttershy pulled the door open, a sudden worry coming over her. “Rarity? I thought I was supposed to meet you at your house. I’m not late, am I? I thought you said eight, and so I-” Her apology was cut short by a kiss that washed away any feelings of anxiety she had. She melted into the contact, leaning forward unconsciously and causing the unicorn to smile through the kiss.

After a moment, Rarity pulled away, a light tinge of pink in her cheeks. “Please stop worrying, love.” She cooed, leaning forward again to nuzzle along Fluttershy’s neck. “You are correct, I initially planned to meet at eight at the Boutique, but then I remembered that sometimes non-unicorns can have trouble with dresses, especially pegasi trying to get their wings through the wing-holes. The whole process can be a bit... tricky, so I came over to help.” She stepped around the flustered pegasus, making her way over to the stairs leading to the bedroom.

Fluttershy belatedly pulled herself out of her daze. She closed the door and turned to follow her marefriend up the stairs, trying to keep from staring at Rarity’s flank and failing miserably. Remember, sleeping with her on the first date is bad. She reminded herself. Her mind flashed back to her fantasy from earlier for a brief moment. Although... I don’t know how something like that could ever be considered ‘bad.’

Rarity entered the bedroom, only half-surprised to see her friend’s dress in a heap on the far side of the room. She brought her magic to bear and lifted in the garment in an aura of telekinesis. She was magically pressing the material, removing any wrinkles or creases, when she caught a faint scent in the air. She wandered closer to the bathroom, seemingly the source of the aroma. What is that? She mused silently as the dress continued smoothing itself. Ah, of course. The bath herbs I gave her. Although, there’s something else as well. It smells almost like... No, it couldn’t be. I cannot imagine Fluttershy doing something like... that. Her mind sought to prove her wrong, instantly filling with images of her friend lying on the bed in several compromising positions. The alabaster mare inhaled the air deeply, identifying the musky smell of arousal and confirming her suspicions. Oh my, the mere thought of Fluttershy doing... that. It’s... It’s... rather enticing, actually.

Rarity’s train of thought was interrupted as the pegasus in question entered the bedroom. Oh, I cannot simply come out and ask her about such a sensitive subject. She thought, biting her lip. I also must know the answer... maybe I can wheedle it out of her, subtly of course. “So, did you enjoy yourself after our visit to the spa?” She asked, making sure to keep an affectedly calm tone. She could not help but notice the color drain from her friend’s face.

“Oh, um, well... you see, I just-” Fluttershy stammered, unable to form a coherent thought. Her mind played scenario after scenario of Rarity discovering just what she had done after getting back from the spa and storming out in disgust. She felt the paralyzing, icy grip of terror closing around her heart, but expertly smothered any physical reaction under a layer of false tranquility.

“I must say, Sweetie Belle and her friends were quite the hoofful, as always.” Rarity continued, trying to make small talk to ease her fillyfriend’s more than apparent tension. “Though I appreciated your offer of help, I felt it was more important for you to have some small time to relax before dinner.” She levitated the dress to lay across the back of a chair. She was about to let loose another round of thinly-veiled innuendo when she heard a thud from behind her. She curiously glanced over her shoulder to see Fluttershy passed out on the floor.

Oh sweet Celestia, what have I done? Rarity turned as quickly as she could, reaching down to shake the unconscious pegasus. “Fluttershy, dear? Please wake up.” Nice going, Coltanova. She silently berated herself. A sigh of relief escaped her as her stunned friend stirred, blinking slowly.

“What happened?” Fluttershy asked, taking in her new vantage point from the ground. “Why am I on the floor of my bed-” She stopped as she remembered what had happened before she fainted. “I-I can explain. It... it’s not what it looks like.”

“Come now, There’s no need for that.” Rarity countered, flashing a playful grin.

Tears welled up in Fluttershy’s eyes. “Oh no. You must think I’m horrible. I’m nothing but a disgusting pervert.” She scrambled to her hooves and flung herself on the bed, burying her face in the pillows and sobbing softly.

Congratulations. You managed to make her cry before your first date. Rarity cursed herself in her head. You haven’t even made it to dinner yet and you’ve already ruined everything. She stood from the floor and stepped over to the bed. “I assure you, I think nothing of the sort, darling.” She replied soothingly as she sat on the bed and began stroking her distraught marefriend’s mane. “Such... activities are completely normal. Healthy, even.”

“You’re just saying that.” Fluttershy looked up, her expression still one of hurt.

“Not at all, love.” Rarity leaned down and planted a light kiss on the other mare’s forehead. “In fact, if we are being completely honest, I must admit that I... had a very similar experience at my own home after Sweetie and her friends left.” She admitted, a furious blush darkening her cheeks.

“Really?” Fluttershy asked, all traces of pain replaced with surprise and curiosity. “Oh, um, if you don’t mind me asking, that is.” She quickly amended, ducking to hide behind her mane.

“Well... yes, as a matter of fact.” Rarity dropped her eyes to stare at her hooves. “I was rather... excited after our little spa date, and found myself alone when Sweetie and her friends left to go try and earn their cutie marks yet again.” She fidgeted nervously, worried that revealing too much might cause her marefriend to faint again. “I haven’t had many commissions lately, so I closed up the Boutique early and retired to my room upstairs for a... private reverie.”

“Oh... my.” Fluttershy felt her own face flush with heat as inappropriate images of her unicorn friend flashed through her mind. She felt a familiar warmth start to build in her core. Oh no, not again. She squeezed her hind legs together, hoping to stall any physical effects. “Um... I think it’s time that we get dressed. If that’s okay with you, that is.” She suggested, hoping to change the subject.

“Hmm?” Rarity replied, momentarily confused by the sudden shift in the conversation. She glanced at a clock on the nightstand, seeing the time was a quarter to eight. “I suppose it is. Very well.” She reignited her horn, levitating Fluttershy’s dress and pulling her own dress, a simple blue gown with some golden lace trim, out of a saddle bag draped across her back. The dresses floated toward their respective wearers, hovering open to allow them to maneuver their heads and hooves through the appropriate holes.

Once both mares were comfortable in their gowns, Rarity picked up the golden choker in her telekinetic grasp. “Here we are, dear. We mustn’t forget the piece de resistance.” She stepped over to Fluttershy’s side, carefully floating the choker around her neck and clasping it.

Fluttershy repressed a shiver as Rarity’s magic passed over her coat. “Thank you.” She murmured, trying to keep her mind from wandering into risque territory. She leaned over to nuzzle Rarity’s neck, smiling as she heard a contented sigh escape her friend. She pulled away and turned to leave the room. “Are you ready to go? We should probably head out if we’re going to get to... where are we going, anyway?”

“Oh, I would like to keep that a surprise for now, darling.” Rarity flashed a wry grin. “Please do not worry, though. I am quite sure that you will enjoy it.”

“Um, okay. If you say so.” Fluttershy felt a small knot of worry form in her stomach. No. Rarity cares about me. I’m sure that she knows what she’s doing. She made her way out of the bedroom and down the stairs, taking care to avoid stepping on the skirt of her dress. She trotted across the living room, pointedly ignoring a fuming Angel Bunny, and pulled the front door open.

“One moment, darling!” Rarity called from the base of the stairwell. She cantered over to catch up with the pink-maned pegasus. “Before we head out, there is one last thing I need to do.” She flared her horn to life and wove a simple spell, targeting both of their dresses. She saw Fluttershy jump slightly as the magical currents passed through the fabric. “My apologies, dear. I suppose I should have informed you before casting the spell.”

“Wh-What kind of sp-spell was that?” Fluttershy asked, her eyes darting back and forth with the barest traces of panic.

“Just a simple enchantment designed to help keep our dresses clean during the walk back to town.” Rarity moved past her marefriend to step outside. She trotted back and forth a few times, purposefully dragging the hem of her gown in the dirt. Afterward, she lifted the edge of her skirt using her tail to show it was still immaculately clean. “See? One simple little spell and you can forget all about trying to keep your dress clean.”

“My goodness, that’s amazing, Rarity.” Fluttershy stepped out of the cottage and tentatively dipped her own dress to brush the ground. She stared in awe as it came away clean. She looked back to the unicorn. “How does it work?”

“Well... honestly, I am not entirely sure.” Rarity admitted, a light blush coloring her coat. “You would need to ask Twilight about that. I am certain she would be able to explain it in all of its fabulous detail. She is actually the one who taught me the spell, although she used it on books to keep from staining the pages.” She rolled her eyes during the explanation. “All I know about it is that it only lasts for about twelve hours and that it has severely cut down on the amount of laundry I have had to do recently.”

“That sounds nice.” Fluttershy replied as she moved to follow Rarity down the road leading to town. The pair fell into a companionable silence during their walk into Ponyville, occasionally trading bashful glances and smiles. Off to the west, Celestia’s sun was just approaching the horizon.
> Out on the Town
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Unexpected Confessions

Chapter Nine


Out on the Town

Fluttershy glanced around nervously as she and Rarity arrived at the outskirts of Ponyville several minutes later. Stop worrying. She reprimanded herself, to no avail. Her heart pounded in her chest as she scanned the streets and alleys they passed. Normally, she would be worried about anypony seeing her dressed up, afraid it would spark the mobs that had plagued her during her modeling career. Tonight, she was only worried about three specific ponies seeing her and Rarity on what was obviously a date. With her attention otherwise occupied, she startled when her marefriend spoke up.

“Here we are, darling.” Rarity chirped, angling towards a small Prench restaurant. She glanced up at the sign, which read Le Pâturage in an elegant golden script. Every time I see that sign... She mused to herself. I know that not many ponies in this part of Equestria speak Prench, but I would still hope they could find a better name than “The Pasture.” She pulled the door open with a burst of magic and ushered her date through. “After you, dear.”

“Oh, thank you.” Fluttershy ducked her head and trotted into the restaurant. Thank goodness. She breathed a quiet sigh of relief and blinked a few times as her eyes adjusted to the low light. At least I won’t have to worry about running into Twilight, Rainbow, or Applejack in here. This doesn’t exactly look like the kind of place any of them would frequent.

“A table for two, if you please.” Rarity informed the maitre d’. “I have a reservation under the name ‘Rarity.’”

The maitre d’, a refined unicorn stallion with a light grey coat and a short shock of white hair for his mane and tail, looked down at a list of reservations coolly. After scanning it for a moment, he looked back up, an eyebrow slightly raised. “I am sorry, mademoiselle.” He said with a slight Prench accent. “Zere does not appear to be a reservation under zat name.”

“Is that so?” Rarity put on an exaggerated smile, turning her head to face Fluttershy. “Excuse me for a moment, dear.” She trotted over and leaned in close to the maitre d’, whispering vehemently. “What do you mean there’s no reservation? My younger sister begged me to let her make it.” She even went as far as to break out her puppy dog eyes, which she knows I can’t resist. “She assured me that the reservation had been made for tonight at eight o’clock.”

“I do not know what to tell you, miss.” The maitre d’ responded, unfazed by her thinly concealed anger. “Zere is no reservation for a ‘Rarity’ in the book. I am afraid zat without a reservation, zere is nothing I can do.”

“Oh, Sweetie Belle. When I get home-” Rarity seethed.

“My apologies, miss, but what was zat name again?” The maitre d’ ran his eyes down the reservation list again.

“Hmm? Sweetie Belle?” Rarity repeated, confusion written on her face. “She’s my sister, the one that made... the...” She brought up a hoof and pressed it to her forehead. “Let me guess, she made the reservation under her name, didn’t she?”

“Zat appears to be the case.” The maitre d’ tapped a spot on the reservation list. “Here it is. Table for two, tonight at eight o’clock, under the name Sweetie Belle.” He lit up his horn, grabbing a pair of menus in a white glow of magic. “My sincere apologies for the confusion, mademoiselle. Now, if you and your lady friend would follow me, I can seat you immediately.” He turned and led the pair through the restaurant, weaving among rows of occupied tables and moving towards the rear of the dining area. 

Oh, I wonder where he’s taking us? Fluttershy wondered after a time. She glanced off to the side, spotting a single empty table amidst the mostly-full dining room. She looked to the other side, finding a pair of empty tables across the room. He led them through the main dining area, directly past another empty table, and angled for the back wall of the restaurant. She was about make a comment when the maitre d’ stopped and gestured off to the side.

“Your table, mademoiselles.” He gave a slight bow, floating the menus into an alcove in the wall. Rarity turned, not having noticed a table anywhere in the vicinity. Her breath caught in her throat. The alcove held a small table, lit with two tall white candles. A slender glass vase sat in the middle of the table, bearing a single red rose. A window took up most of the back wall, but a maroon and gold curtain covered all of it, save for a small half-moon opening at the top. The uncovered half-moon window let in a small amount of light from the setting sun, bathing the table in a soft glow supplemented by the candles. The alcove made the table secluded, and a retractable curtain afforded a sense of privacy that was missing from the main dining area.

“It looks lovely.” Fluttershy supplied, after waiting several moments for her date to respond. She flashed a warm smile. “Thank you very much.” She stepped past Rarity, craning her neck forward to smell the rose on the table. The maitre d’ nodded, placing the menus on the table and turning to make his leave.

“Thank you, sir.” Rarity watched him walk away. She turned and cantered over to the table, seeing Fluttershy peeking out the window. She made a mental note to thank her sister.

Fluttershy noticed Rarity speaking to the maitre d’ and took the opportunity to walk around their table. She extended a hoof, pulling back the curtain slightly to peek out the window. She glanced up and down the street outside and was just about to step away when a familiar pair of ponies came in to view. Twilight and Applejack! She cringed backward involuntarily, torn between a fear of being seen and an intense desire to keep watching. Oh, I wonder if Twilight finally picked up on Applejack’s hints. She bit her lip to suppress a squeal of glee.

“Darling?” Rarity’s hoof landed on her shoulder.

“Eep!” Fluttershy squeaked, dropping the curtain. She turned to face her date, a rush of blood darkening her cheeks. “Oh, I’m sorry. I was just, um... admiring the sunset.” She ducked her head to hide behind her mane.

Sweet Celestia, she’s adorable when she does that. Rarity smiled warmly. “There’s nothing to be sorry for, dear.” She leaned forward and kissed her marefriend lightly on her rosy cheek, drawing a happy noise from the pegasus. “Shall we?” She gestured toward the table, pulling the chairs out in a soft glow of telekinesis. 

The couple sat down just as their waiter arrived. He was a slender pegasus stallion with a light blue coat and a short blond mane. “Good evening, ladies. What can I get for you to drink tonight?”

Rarity glanced over a portion of the menu quickly. “I will have a glass of wine, a nice Marelot should do.”

“Just a rosewater for me, please.” Fluttershy replied, staring at the table.

“I will bring those out for you shortly.” The waiter gave a short bow and trotted towards the door to the kitchen.

Rarity waited until he was out of earshot before speaking. “Rosewater, darling? Are you sure you wouldn’t like a glass of wine? It is a special occasion after all.” She reached across the table and held hooves with her marefriend.

Fluttershy looked up from the table, meeting Rarity’s gaze. She felt a surge of warmth spread through her chest. Well, maybe just one glass. Her stomach flipped at the mere thought of drinking alcohol again. The blurry haze that was the memory of her date with Rainbow Dash surfaced. Then again, trying to stick to just one glass didn’t work very well last time. She smiled warmly, giving her friend’s hoof a quick squeeze. “I’m sure. Just rosewater for tonight.”

Rarity pouted, batting her eyes. “Please, for me?”

“Um... well...” Fluttershy felt her already weak resolve crumbling. “I guess just one glass wouldn’t hurt.”

Rarity smiled and dropped her eyes to the menu. “Do you have any idea what you would like to eat? I’ve heard they have an excellent tulip au gratin here. Although, a nice daisy salad sounds delectable as well.”

“Um, I think a salad would be nice.” Fluttershy looked down at the menu, running through the available entrees in the flickering candlelight. After a moment of deliberation, settled on a lily salad with strawberries in it. Her eyes shifted over, glancing at the price. Twelve bits for a salad? Um, well, maybe something else then. She continued down to the tulip au gratin Rarity had mentioned. Fifteen bits? Swallowing, the pink-maned pegasus looked up and down the menu, focusing on the prices instead of the food. Twelve. Fifteen. Fourteen. Eighteen. Twenty four? Oh dear, everything is so expensive. She bit her lip, worrying silently.

“Is everything alright, darling?” Rarity asked, a slight crease in her brow.

“O-Oh, um, w-well...” Fluttershy tried to stammer out an answer, with little success. She looked up, her breath catching in her throat as she met her date’s gaze. Rarity’s eyes shimmered in the dancing light, full of concern. She immediately felt foalish for being concerned. “It’s nothing, really.”

The unicorn gave a sly smile. “Come now, dear. I know something is bothering you. Please tell me. I want to make sure you enjoy yourself tonight.”

“Oh, but I am!” Fluttershy replied eagerly. She immediately shrank back down, self-conscious about the outburst. “It’s just that... well, everything here is so, expensive.” Her voice trailed off, barely audible by the end.

“Is that what you’re worried about, dear?” Rarity’s smile blossomed into a reassuring grin. “Please, do not trouble yourself with that. Tonight is my treat.” Her marefriend did not appear convinced. “It may comfort you know that I recently completed a rather large order for Fancypants and Fleur-de-Lis, so I have a sizable amount of bits saved up. Please do not worry, order whatever you like.”

As if on cue, their waiter returned with the drinks. “Have you decided on your meal choices, or would you like a little more time?” He asked, carefully placing the glasses of rosewater and wine on the table.

“I do believe we are ready.” Rarity lifted her glass in an aura of magic, taking a sip. “I would like the tulip au gratin, please.”

“An excellent choice, madam.” The waiter replied, writing the order down with a quill held in his wing. “For you, miss?” 

“Oh, um... I’ll have the lily and strawberry salad.” Fluttershy handed the menu to the waiter. “Um, and, maybe...” She drifted into silence.

The waiter looked at her expectantly. “The lily and strawberry salad. Would you like anything else with that, ma’am?”  Fluttershy tried to speak, but only managed a series of quiet squeaks. “I’m sorry, but I didn’t quite hear that.” She let out another barely audible sound, pointing at Rarity’s glass of wine with a hoof.

“She would like a glass of wine as well.” Rarity offered. “The same Marelot should do nicely.”

“Also a wonderful choice. I will go put these in with the chefs immediately.” He bowed quickly and trotted back to the kitchen.

“I’m sorry.” Fluttershy muttered once he passed through the doors to the kitchen.

“You have nothing to be sorry for, dear.” Rarity waved away the apology. “Although, I must confess that I am confused. Is something still bothering you?”

Yes. I’m lying to you and Rainbow Dash because I’m not strong enough to choose between you. Fluttershy railed at herself. Externally, she gave a comforting smile. “No. I guess I’m just a little nervous.”

“You have nothing to be nervous about, darling.” Rarity placed a hoof on her friend’s. “While it is true that this is our first official date, we have spent the past few years together each week at the spa. That has to count for something.”

“Oh, it does. You know how much I love our weekly spa visits.” Fluttershy smiled as a though occurred to her. “I guess now we can call them spa dates.” She let out a soft giggle as Rarity smiled brightly at the idea. “It’s just... this is more public and, um, romantic than the spa. I’m still nervous about other ponies knowing about... us.”

“I understand completely.” The unicorn caressed her marefriend’s hoof, delighting in the shiver that it sent through her body. “I am still somewhat surprised myself. I keep expecting to wake up and have all of this be some wonderful dream. If it will make you feel better, we can keep our relationship private for now, until you are ready to tell everyone.”

Oh, Rarity. You deserve better than this, better than me. Fluttershy felt warring surges of love and guilt flood through her, stealing her breath. You deserve the truth, if only I was strong enough to tell you. She lost herself in her date’s sapphire eyes, marveling at the unconditional love and trust she managed to convey with a simple gaze. “I love you.”

“I love you too, dear.” Rarity squeezed the hoof she held. Just then, their waiter arrived with a second glass of wine. “Well, here’s to a lovely first date.” She lifted her own glass in an aura of magic, clinking it lightly against her friend’s before they both took a sip.

Fluttershy felt her stomach clench as she brought the glass to her lips. The tart liquid splashed across her tongue, filling her mouth with hints of berries and currant. Okay, that wasn’t too bad... one more drink now to help with my nerves, then as long as I can stick to just one glass, I should be fine. She took another drink before resting her now half-full glass on the table.

The waiter returned, a tray of food balanced on his back. He quickly deposited the plates and retreated back to the kitchen, pulling the curtain closed to afford the pair some privacy. Fluttershy looked down to find her wine glass full. Oh no... not again. I just need to keep track in my head. That’s one half of a glass so far.

“Is something wrong, dear?” Rarity asked after finishing her first glass of wine. “The waiter refilled your glass when he brought the food.”  She smiled as her date chewed on her lip nervously. “Don’t worry, darling. I won’t let either of us have too much.” She winked suggestively, drawing a blush from the pegasus.

Fluttershy grabbed her fork and speared a strawberry from her salad. She popped it in her mouth, chewing it slowly. She let out a small sound of pleasure as the fresh fruit juices washed over her taste buds. She picked up a lily and ate it as well. Oh, goodness. She stopped chewing and grabbed her wine glass, taking a large gulp to wash the taste out of her mouth. That lily tasted terrible! She scraped her tongue along her teeth, trying in vain to get remnants of the taste off of her tongue. Maybe it was just that one... She stabbed another lily and ate it. Her mouth filled with a bitter, acrid taste. She picked up her wine glass and took another drink.

No, definitely not just the one lily. She glanced up at Rarity, who smiled before taking a bite of her tulip au gratin.  Fluttershy looked back down at her salad, biting her lip. I can’t ask for something else... everything is so expensive. Maybe the spinach will be good. She picked up a few leaves of spinach on her fork and placed them in her mouth tentatively. She chewed them a few times, keeping her expression neutral as acerbic and salty flavors ran over her tongue. She reached for her wine glass, finding it full yet again. When did that happen? Okay, that’s two halves... so one glass. She took a small sip of the wine to wash the spinach flavor away. 

“How is your salad, dear? It looks positively delectable.” Rarity put down her fork and sipped at her wine.

“It’s... fine.” Fluttershy replied, spearing a strawberry and eating it.

“Is something wrong?” The unicorn set her wine glass on the table. “Does the salad not taste good? Would you like something else?”

“Oh, um, no.” Fluttershy ducked to hide behind her mane. “It’s fine, really.”

“Well, then could I have a taste?” Without waiting for an answer, Rarity floated her fork across the table in an aura of magic, picking up a lily and some spinach leaves before bringing it back to her. She floated the food into her mouth and bit down. Her eyes immediately widened and she grabbed her wine glass, taking a large drink. “My word, dear. That was positively disgusting. Next time the waiter comes by we will get you something else.”

“Oh, no, that’s okay... I don’t want to make a scene.” Fluttershy shrank down into her chair. “Besides... the strawberries are good. I can, um, just eat those.”

“Nonsense, darling.” Rarity pressed. “An establishment such as this should be ashamed to serve such a horrendous-tasting dish. Here.” She levitated her fork and stabbed a bite of her tulip au gratin. “Try a bit of mine, and if you like it we can see about getting an order for you.” She floated the morsel of food over to the pegasus, maneuvering it gently so she could bite it.

“Mmm.” Fluttershy let out a small pleased sound. “That was very good.”

Outside the window, the sky slowly darkened as Celestia’s sun set, giving way to Luna’s moon and stars and allowing silvery moonlight to suffuse the small alcove. The waiter cantered back over to the table, a bottle of wine hanging in a special saddlebag. “Is everything satisfactory, madams?” He asked while refilling the wine glasses.

“Actually, there is something wrong with my friend’s salad.” Rarity spoke up, knowing the pink-maned pegasus would not voice a complaint. “Would it be too much trouble to get her an order of the tulip au gratin?”

“I am terribly sorry about that.” The waiter lifted the salad with a wing, placing it on his back. “I’ll go let the chefs know and get that right out.” He trotted back to the kitchen.

“You see, dear?” Rarity picked up her wine glass. “We just had to let them know and they were willing to fix it. No scene made.” She put the glass to her lips and drank a small bit.

Fluttershy noticed her own glass full yet again. Okay... so a half and a half of a half, that’s... three quarters of a glass? No, that doesn’t sound right. She looked down and counted on her hooves. One, two, three halves, so one and a half glasses.

A few minutes later, the waiter reappeared, a new plate on his back. “Here we are madam. One tulip au gratin.” He placed the food on the table gently, then cleared his throat. “The chefs wanted to express their apologies for the salad, one of the apprentices knocked a bowl of spices meant for the salt-crusted eggplant onto it. To make up for it, we would like to offer you a complimentary dessert tonight.”

“That is most gracious of them.” Rarity smiled warmly. “Thank you ever so much, sir. Please pass my compliments on to the chefs.” He nodded and walked away. She turned back to Fluttershy who was awkwardly trying to coordinate her knife and fork to cut the tulip. She stifled a giggle. “Allow me, dear.” She took the utensils in her magic and cut up the flower into bite-sized chunks.

“Thank you.” Fluttershy fumbled with her fork, eventually picking it up with both hooves. She stabbed a bite of food and brought it to her mouth, smearing a bit of sauce on her muzzle.

“Oh, dear.” Rarity brought a hoof to her mouth to suppress another giggle. “Fluttershy, darling, you have a bit of sauce on you. Right here.” She pointed to just beside her mouth.

“Hmm?” The pegasus looked up. “Oh, thank you.” She stuck her tongue out, trying to lick the sauce off. “Did I get it?”

Rarity felt her heart beat spike as she watched her marefriend. Her mind filled with inappropriate images of the cream-colored mare putting her tongue to use in other ways. No! Bad Rarity! She cleared her throat. “A- Actually... it was on the other side.” Her cheeks flushed crimson as she watched Fluttershy try again to lick the sauce off of her muzzle. “There... you got it that time.” She said breathlessly.

The pair ate in relative silence, with Fluttershy concentrating to properly control her fork and occasionally sipping her wine. Rarity stared intently at her plate and tried to distract herself from various scenarios playing out in her mind that would be entirely unsuitable for a public place. The unicorn startled at the sound of hooves approaching the table.

“Was the tulip au gratin acceptable?” The waiter cantered up to the table, a small black booklet under one wing.

“Oh, yesh.” Fluttershy dropped her fork on the now empty plate with a clatter. “It was very tashty, thank you.” Her words slurred under the effects of the wine.

“I am certain the chefs will be glad to hear that.” He placed the booklet on the table. “Here is the dessert menu. I will get these plates out of the way for you and be back momentarily.” He lifted a plate with each wing, clearing the table. “Would either of you like another glass of wine?”

Rarity drained the rest of her second glass before responding. “No, thank you.” She glanced across the table at her marefriend, who nodded her head. 

“Maybe jusht a teeny bit more.” Fluttershy held her hooves a small distance apart, swaying back and forth in her chair a bit. The waiter nodded and retreated to the kitchen. She tried to mentally calculate her wine consumption. Let’s see... there was a half, and a half of a half, then a full glass. No... She started counting on her hooves under the table, giving up after several unsuccessful tries. Math is hard.

Rarity ran through her own count across the table as she perused the dessert menu. Two glasses for me and... a little over two and a half for Fluttershy. Half a glass more shouldn’t hurt. She turned her attention back to the menu as a flash of color caught her eye. “How were the strawberries on your salad, darling? They have a delightful looking dessert of strawberries and cream.”

“Um...” Fluttershy scrunched up her face, trying to think back to the salad. “The strawberries were really -hic- good, it was the spinach and lilies that were bad.” She stuck her tongue out at the memory. “Strawberries and cream sound tasty.”

“Oh. This sounds delicious as well.” Rarity continued her way down the menu. “Pêches Louis. Peaches marinated in whiskey, Apple Family of course, then flambéed. How does that sound?”

“Mmm... peaches are -hic- tasty.” Fluttershy nodded.

“Have we decided on dessert, madams?” As if on cue, the waiter reappeared, pausing to pour half a glass of wine into Fluttershy’s empty glass.

“Yes, we will have the Pêches Louis, please.” Rarity closed the dessert menu and gave it back to the waiter.

“An excellent choice. I will be right back.” He gave a short bow and headed back to the kitchen.

“Th-Thank you for dinner, Rarity.” Fluttershy smiled, a light blush coloring her cheeks. “It was really nice.” She reached out and held her friend’s hoof, giving it a soft squeeze. “I really am sorry that I can’t help pay. I didn’t think to grab any bits before we left, and I-”

“Please stop worrying about it, darling.” Rarity interrupted her explanation, a soft smile on her face. “This is something I wanted to do. What kind of relationship would this be if I could not spoil my marefriend from time to time?”

Fluttershy felt a wave of guilt fighting through the fuzzy haze of alcohol, but it was soon overridden by the sight of dessert arriving. An iron skillet full of peaches floating in a pool of whiskey settled on the table. The waiter lit a match and set the alcohol alight, sending a wave of blue-tinged flames up from the skillet. “Ooh...” Fluttershy gazed into the flickering flames as they danced over the peaches.

“Truly, a fabulous show, sir. Thank you ver-” Rarity’s words were cut off by a shrill beeping from the ceiling. Suddenly, water cascaded down, soaking the three ponies around the table. Everypony in the restaurant jumped from their chairs, sending them clattering to the ground, and galloped for the exit. Fluttershy and Rarity followed suit, keeping to the rear of the herd to avoid being trampled.

Outside, they stood off to the side from the main group of disgruntled diners. Rarity ran a hoof through her soaked mane, brushing it back out of her eyes. “That was certainly... interesting. I suspect that from now on they will flambé the peaches back in the kitchen instead of at the table.” She wiped her hoof down her muzzle, sending droplets of water to the ground.

“Hehe...” Fluttershy giggled, her pink mane plastered over her face, hiding her eyes. She threw her head back, whipping her mane out of her face. “At least our first date will be memorable.” She smiled, trying to fight down another fit of giggles.

“I’m glad you’re enjoying yourself, dear.” Rarity leaned in and nuzzled against her marefriend’s neck, holding the contact and letting out a sigh. She pulled away, frowning. “Sadly, it appears it will be memorable for the things that went wrong as opposed to the things that went well.”

“Oh, Rarity.” Fluttershy shifted her position, sidling up to her date. She draped a wing around the unicorn, pulling her into a sideways hug. “It was a lovely dinner, at leasht -hic- until the unexpected shower.” She trailed off as she devolved into another fit of giggles. “Look on the bright shide...” She reared up on her hind legs, flaring her wings for balance. “At least with your spell, we don’t need to worry about our dresses being ruined.” She swayed on her hooves for a moment before falling back to stand on four legs.

A wry smile tugged at Rarity’s mouth. “How many glasses of wine did you have, darling? You seem a little... tipsy.” She pointed a hoof in mock-accusation, wavering lightly on her own hooves. “You weren’t sneaking drinks behind my back were you?”

“Oh, of course not! I only had...” Fluttershy stared down at her hooves, counting. “One... two... three... fou- Whoa!” She fell over as she tried to pull all four hooves off of the ground to count on, landing on her side and blinking in confusion. Rarity brought a hoof to her mouth, suppressing her laughter as the restaurant’s maitre d’ approached. 

“Mademoiselle Rarity. I am terribly sorry about zis.” He apologized, standing in a rapidly growing puddle as water dripped from his coat and tuxedo. “We recently had a new magical fire containment system installed, and it seems ze chefs did not understand that any dishes with flammable elements are supposed to be taken care of in ze kitchen.” He glanced over his shoulder at a pair of brown earth pony stallions wearing white aprons trotting out from an alleyway leading behind the building. Both of them were wringing out their toques and pointedly avoiding eye contact with any of the soaked customers. He shifted on his hooves awkwardly before continuing. “In light of the disaster with ze sprinklers, we are offering a fifty percent discount on your meal.”

“That is very kind of you.” Rarity smiled, trying to ease his obvious anxiety. “While the... unexpected shower was an inconvenience, I would hardly refuse to pay for services rendered over it.” She pulled a sack of bits from the voluminous folds of her skirt with her magic.

The maitre d’ relaxed visibly. “Thank you for being so understanding, mademoiselle.” He reached into his jacket and pulled out a damp piece of paper. “The total comes to twenty eight bits.”

“That is most generous.” Rarity ran through a mental calculation in her head. One hundred bits. Take out the bill... the waiter... some for the chefs. She sent the sack over to the maitre d’. “Here, this should cover everything.”

He took the bag from her telekinetic grasp, blinking in surprise at the weight of it. He pulled it open with a hoof, staring in shock at the massive mound of bits inside. “M-Miss Rarity, this is...”

Rarity shushed him, glancing over her shoulder to see Fluttershy staring up at the stars. She leaned in to whisper to him. “After you deduct the amount for the bill, I would like an equal amount to go to our waiter, he was simply wonderful. After that, split thirty bits amongst the kitchen staff, please. Then, pass the remainder along to the apprentice who knocked the salt into our salad. Let him know that we all make mistakes, and this particular patron bears him no ill will.”

“Of course, mademoiselle Rarity. Thank you.” He transferred the bag to his back. “We hope zat you will come back for another, hopefully drier, meal.” He bowed curtly and trotted off to speak with another pair of customers.

“The shtars are really pretty tonight.” Fluttershy sighed. She trotted over and nuzzled against Rarity’s neck, reveling in the softness of her coat. She pulled away to see her marefriend biting her lip to keep from laughing. “What’s so funny?”

“I’m not quite sure how to put this... Actually, I know precisely how to put it.” Rarity pointed a hoof. “You have dirt all over your face, dear.”

“Huh?” Fluttershy turned to a nearby window, trying to see her reflection in the dim moonlight. After a moment, she gave up. Turning back around, her eyes were drawn to a dark streak in her friend’s otherwise immaculately white coat. “Yea? Well, you have dirt all over your neck right there.” She pointed a wavering hoof.

Rarity levitated a small mirror out of her skirt, holding it to look at her neck. “So I do.” She returned the mirror. “In that case, let us head back to the Boutique, we can wash up and dry off.”

“Now now, Rarity.” Fluttershy sauntered closer to her date, a goofy smile on her face. “I think you’re supposed to wait until we’re actually at your house before inviting me in.” Without waiting for a response, she turned and began walking down the street toward Carousel Boutique, leaving a temporarily stunned Rarity to follow her a few seconds later.
> Cheering Up
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Unexpected Confessions

Chapter Ten


Cheering Up

Twilight and Applejack walked south along Ponyville’s main street toward Town Hall, the latter staring at the ground while the former tried to make small talk. “So you’ve never been to Dine n’ Dash’s food cart over in the food court?” Twilight asked.

“Me and the family don’t exactly eat out a lot.” Applejack kicked a loose rock in the road. “Ah been there a time or two, but Ah ain’t familiar with it.”

“There’s all kinds of food over on the edge of town.” Twilight tried to stay upbeat as the pair passed Town Hall. “There’s restaurants, snack bars, and of course Dine’s food cart. He makes the best hay fries in Ponyville. I don’t know what he does to them, but they’re addictive. Oh!” The unicorn perked up, tapping a hoof in the dirt as she walked. “Remind me to get an order of them to go for Spike. He would be so mad at me if I went to Dine’s cart and didn’t bring him any.”

“Uh huh.” Applejack mumbled, her gaze never leaving the dirt.

She’s really broken up about Rainbow Dash. Twilight bit her lip, casting about for another topic of conversation. A flash of pink passed through the edge of her vision. She looked over, searching for the source. The building across the street was a small Prench restaurant which had all its windows covered in curtains. After scanning the other side of the road for a moment, she gave up and went back to trying to cheer up her friend. “So, how’s Applebuck Season going this year?”

“Fine.” Applejack replied flatly as they approached the food cart.

“Hey there, Sparkle. How’s it goin’?” Dine n’ Dash called out. He was a gruff-looking earth pony stallion, a grease-covered apron hanging from his neck. His light grey mane stood out against a dark brown coat. “The usual?”

“Yes please, Dine.” Twilight chirped. She was such a regular at Dine n’ Dash’s food cart that she rarely had to place an order anymore. As soon as he saw her, the cook knew she wanted an oat burger with cheese and extra pickles with a side of hay fries, and a separate order of hay fries, extra crispy, to take home to Spike.

“Comin’ right up. What about you, miss?” He reached down and picked up a spatula in his mouth, flipping an oat burger onto the grill.

“Ah don’t know.” Applejack lifted her head, glancing at the menu plastered on the front of the cart. She cocked her head to the side as she reached the bottom of the menu. “What in the hay is this one? ‘The Ursa Major. Warning: Not for the faint of heart or weak of stomach.’” She arched an eyebrow after reading the description.

Dine dropped the spatula and smirked. “Oh, I don’t think you want that one, miss.” He shook his head. “I’ve been selling that burger for almost ten years now, and I’ve only ever seen three ponies finish it.”

“Is that a challenge?” Applejack bristled, a slight feeling of offense rising in her chest. “Just what exactly comes on this darn burger that makes it so special?”

“Well, it starts with a special blend of oats that comes all the way from Neighjing. They’re the spiciest oats known to ponykind. I use those oats to make a burger that’s a full pound, as opposed to the regular quarter pound.” He paused, his eyes flashing momentarily to Applejack’s cutie mark, a grin spreading across his face. “Then I take the patty and soak it for twenty four hours in the highest proof Apple family hard cider I can get my hooves on.”

“The One-Fifty-One?” Applejack supplied, a proud smile creasing her features.

“That’s the stuff.” Dine nodded. “After I cook it up, I top it with the typical stuff: lettuce, tomato, onions and pickles. Then comes the kicker. A special sauce from Stalliongrad, the hottest stuff in Equestria. If you can finish it in under forty five minutes, your order’s on the house. But like I said, I’ve sold it for almost ten years, and only three ponies have managed to finish it.”

“Really? Only three?” Twilight cocked her head to the side. “Who were they?”

“The first one was a big, red earth pony stallion.” Dine scratched his chin with a hoof. “Not much of a talker, that one.”

“Mac?” Applejack guessed, a smirk on her face. Of course her brother would be one of the ponies that finished it, what he lacked in conversational skills he more than made up for at the dinner table.

“Yeah, that’s the one.” Dine n’ Dash squinted for a moment before stomping a hoof. “That’s it! You’re Applejack, Mac’s sister. Sorry, I had a feeling I’d seen you around, but I couldn’t remember your name.” He paused to clear his throat. “Anyway, the next pony to finish it was Pinkie Pie.”

“Pinkie Pie?” Twilight asked skeptically. “I can’t believe... you know what? Scratch that, I can definitely believe Pinkie could finish it. Who was the last one?”

“That mail mare. The grey one with the crossed eyes.” Dine scratched the back of his neck with a hoof. “I still don’t know how she did it.”

“Derpy?” Twilight blinked in surprise. “The mail mare that’s always delivering the wrong mail to everypony?”

“That’s her, all right.” Dine shook his head. “Not only did she finish it, but she ordered another one to go.”

“Well, shoot. You best be ready to make that four. Ah certainly ain’t gonna let Mac beat me. Ah’ll take one.” Applejack shot back.

“Are you sure, AJ?” Twilight eyed the massive oat patty warily as Dine n’ Dash lowered it onto the grill. “It looks really... big.”

“Heck yea, Ah’m sure.” Applejack puffed out her chest. “Ah’ve only met two ponies who can eat more than me, and those are Pinkie and Rainb-” She stopped mid-word, her chest deflating slowly and her head falling back toward the ground.

Oops. Twilight bit her lip. I didn’t picture Rainbow as a big eater, but she probably does burn a lot of energy flying... She shook her head. Focus, Twilight. I need to fix this.

Dine n’ Dash looked back and forth between the suddenly dejected farm-pony and the worried unicorn. “Well, if you don’t think you can handle it...”

Applejack looked up, a competitive fire rekindled in her eyes. “Just cook the burger.” She walked off to sit down at a nearby table.

“Thanks for that.” Twilight whispered, trotting closer to the cart.

“Don’t mention it.” Dine glanced over to where Applejack was sitting, staring at her hooves. “What’s her problem, anyway?”

“Um...” Twilight shifted uncomfortably on her hooves, unsure of how to answer. “Love troubles.” She reached back and pulled the sack of bits out of her saddlebag. “I’m trying to cheer her up, but it’s been more difficult that I thought it would be. So, how much do I owe you?”

“Not yet, Sparkle.” The cook waved a hoof. “We’ve gotta see if Applejack can take down the Ursa Major. If she can, then it’s on the house. For now, you just try and make your friend feel better.”

“Really?” Twilight blinked in surprise. “Okay... thanks, Dine. You’re the best.” She put the sack of bits back in her bag and went to sit at the table, dropping her saddlebag next to her. The pair sat in silence, with Applejack staring at the dirt and Twilight trying to come up with a suitably mundane topic to talk about. After a while she gave up, opting instead for a direct approach. “Are you okay, Applejack?”

“Ah’m fine.” Applejack huffed, crossing her forelegs. “It’s not like the mare Ah love is probably cuddlin’ up with somepony else right now.” She slumped down and let out a sigh. “Sorry ‘bout that, Twi. Ah shouldn’t be burdenin’ ya with this. It’s not yer problem to deal with.”

“Oh, it’s okay. I don’t mind.” Twilight waved a hoof dismissively. A thought popped into he head. No. Whatever you do, don’t ask that. It will only make things worse. The silence billowed between them. Applejack looked down, studying her hooves under the table. Twilight cast about for some mundane topic of conversation, anything other than the thought that had  planted itself in her mind. After half a minute of silence, she gave in. “Actually, I’ve been a little curious... why Rainbow Dash? Don’t take this the wrong way, but what do you... like about her?”

Applejack shook her head, moisture pooling in he eyes. “No. It’s fine, Twi. Ya don’t need to do this. Ah’ll be alright, Ah just need a little time.”

“Come on, AJ.” Twilight scooted closer around the table. “I told you, I’m here for you. Maybe talking about this will help. It has to be better than just holding it in and letting it fester.” Listen to yourself... At least she had the guts to come out and say it. She watched as Applejack wiped the half-formed tears from her eyes. Then again... she didn’t have to worry about making things worse.

“Well, if ya wanna talk about it that much, Ah will.” Applejack looked up, admiring the sunset. “It sounds mighty shallow, but the first thing Ah noticed ‘bout Rainbow was... well, her figure.” Her cheeks flushed a dark red. “The girl’s fit as a fiddle. You’d be hard pressed to find an ounce of fat on her.” She paused, clearing her throat. “Don’t get me wrong, there’s plenty else Ah love ‘bout her, but she’s certainly easy on the eyes.”

“You look good, too.” Twilight replied without thinking. She glanced down at the table, frowning slightly.

“Thank ya kindly Twi. If’n Ah had a bit fer every time Ah heard that... well, Ah wouldn’t have enough to buy one of them burgers. Ah ain’t exactly got what ya would call a flatterin’ figure. Shoot, just look at mah legs.” She stood up and turned her back to Twilight, displaying her hind legs. “Ah got legs most stallions would envy.”

Whatever you do, don’t look. Twilight kept her gaze on the table. Do. Not. Look.

The farm pony glanced over her shoulder and noticed her friend staring at the table. “Ah’m bein’ serious, Twi. If’n ya only saw mah flank and legs, it’d be pretty easy to mistake me fer a stallion.”

Twilight looked up from the table slowly. Don’t stare at her rump. Don’t stare at her rump. For the love of Celestia, don’t stare at her rump. Her eyes drifted over the powerful legs in front of her, watching as the sinewy muscles bunched and flexed just under the skin as the farm pony displayed her heavily muscled legs. She chewed on her lower lip to keep herself from making several undignified noises. Her gaze darted upwards for a brief instant, passing over her friend’s toned flank before whipping back to study the table again.

“But Dash...” Applejack let out a whistle, turning back and taking her seat. “That girl’s built like some kinda jungle cat.” She looked over to Twilight and saw her slumped over the table. “Don’t take it the wrong way, Twi. You ain’t half-bad lookin’ yerself.” She gave an exaggerated wink. “Ah reckon you’ll make some stallion mighty happy one day.”

I don’t want to make ‘some stallion’ happy. I want to make you happy. Twilight fumed silently. Her eyes drifted down to her own body. Still, going to the gym every once in a while wouldn’t hurt. She cleared her throat. “Ahem. So... what else is there?”

“Well, Dash is a heck of an athlete, and Ah admire that ‘bout her.” Applejack gazed off into the distance. “You remember the Runnin’ of the Leaves a few years ago, when Rainbow and Ah raced? Ah figured Ah’d be able to just wear her out and wait ‘til she ran outta gas, but that girl’s got endurance that gave me a run fer mah bits.” She smiled as memories of the event played out in her mind. “Although, you did beat both Dash and me. Ah never woulda guessed that one. Yer whole plan of pacin’ yerself got ya fifth place, after all.”

“Oh, um, thank you.” Twilight felt warmth spread through her face and hoped it did not show through her coat. Quick, say something before she notices. “Hey, um, speaking of the Running of the Leaves...” Shoot, what about it? “I know it, uh, was a few weeks ago...” Duh! It happens every year, and we run it every year. Bingo! “But, um, I was hoping to do some... training for the next one. Do you think that, maybe, you could help me train?”

“Oh, uh, sure.” Applejack blinked for a moment. “Ah never really had ya pegged as a racer, but if ya did so well that one year without any trainin’, ya might be able to win the whole thing with a little work.” She paused, putting a hoof to her chin. “If yer free, we can get started tomorrow. We’re ahead of schedule in getting’ things ready for the summer harvest, so Ah can take an afternoon off.”

“Okay, I’ll swing by a little after lunch.” Twilight responded. Excellent. This way, I can spend some more time with her.

“Now, we can’t go forgettin’ ‘bout Dash’s loyalty.” Applejack continued. “No matter what happens, you can rest assured she won’t let ya down.” She shook her head, laughing at a memory. “Granted, it don’t mean she’ll always be there on time, but that girl would move heaven and earth to be there fer a friend.”

Twilight’s heart sank as she listened. I can’t beat Rainbow at loyalty. She’s the Element of it, after all.

“Here ya go.” Dine trotted over to the table, dropping their food on the table. He patted Applejack on the back. “Remember, you’ve got forty five minutes to finish this bad boy if ya want it on the house. Good luck, you’re gonna need it.”

Applejack stared at the mammoth monstrosity before her. The oat burger spilled over the edge of its bun, and an ominous red sauce dripped from it onto the table. She picked up a small dab of the sauce on her hoof and cautiously licked it off. Her eyes shot open and she immediately began coughing. “Sweet Celestia.” She wheezed. “That’s got a kick like a mule.” She picked up the burger with two hooves, taking as big of a bite as she could. She squeezed her eyes shut, taking several deep breaths through her nose before chewing.

“You okay there, AJ?” Twilight asked, already noticing a light sheen of sweat forming on her friend’s forehead. She floated a few hay fries up to her mouth, taking a quick bite as she watched the orange mare try to finish her first bite.

Applejack nodded and kept chewing. After several seconds, she swallowed. She opened her mouth and exhaled, as though expecting flames to pour out. “Sweet Celestia of Equestria.” She took off her hat and tried to fan her tongue. “Feels like Ah just ate a hot coal. Ah need somethin’ to drink.”

“Oh, I know just the thing.” Twilight lit up her horn and wove a quick teleportation spell. She scrunched up her face in concentration as her magic flared brighter. Come on... adjust the leylines... account for distortion, and... A blinding flash lit the air, leaving behind a glass of milk. She smiled as Applejack arched an eyebrow at her. “Hey, milk is much more efficient at counteracting the spiciness from capsaicin than water is. Go ahead, take a sip. If you still don’t think it’s better, I’ll get you a nice pint of Apple Family Hard Cider from Dine’s cart.”

Applejack rolled her eyes and picked up the glass, taking a small drink and visibly relaxing. “Fine, you win this round, Twi.” She put the milk down and picked up the burger again. “Now sit back and watch me work.”

The next half hour passed with Applejack trying to take down The Ursa Major and Twilight barely containing fits of giggles whenever her friend got an especially large bite of the spicy red sauce and turned as red as Big Macintosh before she could gulp down some more milk.. One snort of amusement forced its way out. Oh no. Twilight froze. I laughed at her. I hope I didn’t offend her, I wouldn’t want her to- She stopped as she saw Applejack smile through her coughing fit, an occasional short laugh mixed in her her wheezing coughs. Whew. The unicorn relaxed, tittering lightly. After swallowing the last bite, the orange mare fell over, laying in the dirt and clutching at her stomach.

“Well, I didn’t think ya had it in ya. Guess this one’s on me.” Dine strolled over to the table, a grin plastered on his face as Applejack rolled on the ground. He reached around and grabbed a bag from his back, dropping it on the table. “Here’s Spike’s hay fries. Tell the little guy I said ‘hi’.”

“Thanks, Dine. Will do.” Twilight smiled before turning back to her friend. “You okay down there, AJ?”

“Ah’ll be-” Applejack pressed a hoof against her mouth and hunched over. After a moment, she finally rolled over and stood up. “Ah’ll be fine. Ah just need a minute.” She pulled her hat off and fanned herself. “If’n you’ll excuse me, Ah need to visit the little fillies room.” She quickly trotted off in the direction of a nearby restroom.

Twilight sat at the table, trying in vain not to laugh. A moment later, her ear twitched as a shrill beeping sound drifted over to her. She turned to follow the direction of the sound, and saw mass of ponies stampeding out of the small Prench restaurant down the street. At the rear of the pack, a familiar-looking unicorn and pegasus exited the building, trotting off to the side to get away from the congregation of displaced diners.

Are those... Rarity and Fluttershy? She couldn’t be sure with the dresses they were wearing. Twilight decided to get a closer look, trotting across the street and angling around behind the pair. Why would they be at a fancy restaurant? She ducked into a nearby alley, peeking out over a barrel. Hmm... it’s definitely them. Fluttershy did mention that Rarity likes to go out after the spa sometimes. Wait a second... She squinted. Why are they wet? Right, fire alarm. She scanned the small crowd standing outside the restaurant, many of whom were wringing out their manes or clothes.

Across the road, Rarity leaned in and nuzzled the pink-maned pegasus, holding the contact a little too long to be purely platonic. Twilight jerked backward in surprise. Wait, what? She watched in confusion as Fluttershy hugged the unicorn with a wing, then reared up on her hind legs, narrowly avoiding falling over. Is Fluttershy drunk? Twilight rubbed a hoof across her eyes. When she looked back up, the pink-maned pegasus was inexplicably lying in the dirt, clumsily trying to get back up.

What’s going on here? Twilight ducked back into the alleyway, running through a mental checklist. Fancy dresses. Expensive restaurant. Alcoholic drinks. This has all of the hallmarks of a date, but Rainbow Dash said Fluttershy picked her. She stomped a hoof in the dirt. I need more data. She edged out of the narrow space, but did not find Rarity and Fluttershy where they had been. She scanned along the road quickly and spotted them heading away from her.

Shoot! She trotted out from the alley and after her friends, sticking to the shadows in case one of them looked back. Rarity walked behind Fluttershy, her eyes hypnotically following the other mare’s swaying flank as they swerved along the street. Twilight dove behind a flower bed as the cream-colored pegasus stopped in the road to say something. The lavender unicorn peeked around the edge of the flower box to see the pair staring up into the night sky. Ugh. I wish I could hear what they were saying... but if I get that close they could see me. She stood up and kept following the pair. They’re headed for Carousel Boutique. She ducked into an alleyway as they approached the shop.

Twilight leaned out from between the buildings, keeping to the shadows. She watched as the pair stopped in front of Rarity’s store. Fluttershy’s voice drifted over, but the words were indistinguishable. Gah! This would be so much easier if I could hear them! She almost smacked herself in the face when she remembered a simple spell that would amplify her hearing. She peeked out of the alleyway and quickly wove the spell together, completing it just in time to catch the end of Rarity’s response.

“-am glad that you enjoyed yourself.” Rarity pulled back from a nuzzle and leaned down to kiss the pink-maned pegasus on the cheek, but a yellow hoof pressed against her muzzle to bring their lips together, a flash of pink visible between their moving lips.

Twilight ducked back into the alley, her mind refusing to acknowledge what she had just seen. They k-kissed, and not just kissed but... kissed. Like, tongues and all. But, Rainbow told Applejack... Fluttershy wouldn’t do that, would she? She leaned forward and pressed her forehooves to her face, groaning as she futilely tried to figure out what she had just witnessed. Her ear twitched as more words floated over to her. The unicorn leaned out from her hiding place to watch.

“Fluttershy darling, you’re drunk.” Rarity shook her head, helping up from the ground.

“I’m not as think as you drunk I am.” Fluttershy replied, waving a hoof and pushing open the door to the Boutique. “Now, wee s-sshould-” The rest of the words were lost as the hearing spell ran out of power. Before Twilight could re-weave it, the pair entered the store and the door closed behind them.

Twilght stood up and walked absentmindedly back the direction she came, her mind trying to follow a thousand different thoughts at once. Okay, so Fluttershy was possibly on a date with Rarity, but they were both drunk, so I can’t be sure. If that’s the case, then logically Fluttershy lied to Rainbow Dash and Rarity. She kicked a rock in the street, sending it rolling down the road. What’s my responsibility in this? I can’t say anything without more information... but I shouldn’t butt into their personal lives. So, I can’t get more information, but if I don’t do anything then somepony could get hurt.

“There ya are, Twi.” Applejack called, a slight edge to her voice. “Ah was startin’ to think ya walked out on me, too.”

“Huh?” Twilight looked up, pulled forcibly out of her thoughts. She chuckled nervously as she saw the farm-pony. “Ehehe. Of course not. I just saw... something interesting.” Should I tell her about Fluttershy and Rarity? She sat down and glanced across the street to the restaurant, but only a fraction of the crowd from before was still present.

“Ah guess it’s a darn shame Ah missed it.” Applejack shot back, the edge in her voice growing stronger.

“Look, I’m sorry, AJ.” Twilight fought to stay calm despite her friend’s tone. Okay, now is definitely not the time. “I didn’t mean to make you think I left without you. I thought I would be back before you got out of the restroom.”

Applejack looked ready to snap at her, but stopped herself. She took a deep breath before speaking. “No... Ah’m sorry. It wasn’t fair of me to get all upset. Ah know you’d never leave me out to dry.” She glanced up at the sky, where Luna’s moon and stars shone brightly, and then off in the direction of the farm. “Well, Ah really need to be gettin’ home now. Ah’m sure Granny Smith and Applebloom are worried ‘bout why Ah ain’t back yet.” She paused, a warm and genuine smile on her face. “Ya know, the rest of us sure are lucky to have as good a friend as you.” She trotted over to Twilight and sat down, draping a foreleg across the unicorn’s back and pulling her into a sideways hug. “Ah think we forget that most of the time.”

“Uh, well, thanks for that, AJ.” Twilight stared at the ground. What brought that on?

Applejack turned her friend’s shoulders and adjusted herself so that they were facing each other. “You were such a good friend when Ah really needed one today.” She smiled. “That really means a lot to me. Thank ya, Twi.” She pulled the unicorn into a tight hug, nuzzling her neck against the other mare’s.

Oh my goodness. Twilight froze. Okay, don’t panic. It’s just a friendly hug. She brought her forehooves up returned the embrace. Physical sensations overwhelmed her. Strong legs held her and pulled her close. She felt Applejack’s breath play across her coat as the farm-pony nuzzled against her neck. She almost jumped as she felt the other mare’s heart beating against her chest. She bit her tongue to keep from making any noise. Her friend’s words echoed in her head, sending another spike of guilt through her chest. She thinks I’m only comforting her as a friend. I have to tell her how I feel. This isn’t right.

No! A portion of her mind railed against the idea. She needs a friend, not half-desperate romantic advances.

I’m taking advantage of her! She thinks she’s with a friend, not somepony who’s head over hooves in love with her! It’s not fair to her. Heck, it’s not fair to me. Her train of thought was interrupted as Applejack let out a contented sigh. A shiver raced down Twilight’s spine as the breath swept across the back of her neck.

Applejack pulled away, her smile giving way to a worried look. “Actually, before Ah go, there’s one more thing Ah need to tell ya, Twi.”

“I’m all ears.” Twilight replied, trying desperately to slow her heart rate.

Applejack chewed her bottom lip nervously. “Ya see, when ‘Shy first came ‘round to tell me ‘bout her... little situation, Ah kinda let slip that there was somepony Ah had a crush on, but Ah couldn’t bring mahself to tell her the truth.” She drifted off into silence.

“Okay...” Twilight raised an eyebrow. “So I’m guessing you told her you liked somepony other than Rainbow Dash. Who was...” She stopped as the obvious answer presented itself. “Oh.”

“Yea...” Applejack scuffed a hoof in the dirt. “Ah kinda told ‘Shy Ah had a crush on, well, you.”

Twilight felt her heart skip a beat and a wave of giddiness wash over her. No. Don’t do this to yourself. You know she’s in love with Rainbow Dash. She fought to keep a straight face as the reminder brought her emotions crashing back down.

“Sorry ‘bout that.” Applejack looked up apologetically. “Don’t worry, it ain’t true or nothin’.”

The unicorn felt an icy stab of pain in her chest. “Well, that does explain Fluttershy’s visit the other day.” She replied mechanically, straining to keep her voice level as tears threatened to overtake her.

The farm-pony winced. “She came by already, huh?” Her eyes shot open as her mind replayed the evening, highlighting every action that could harbor romantic undertones. “She... she didn’t say nothin’, did she?”

“No.” Twilight shook her head. “She wanted to know if there was anypony I was interested in.”

“Whew...” Applejack relaxed. “Sorry ‘bout that... again. Ah just didn’t want ya thinkin’ anythin’ funny was goin’ on.” She smiled playfully. “So, is there anypony ya got yer eye on?”

Yes, you! Twilight dropped her gaze to her hooves and bit her lip. I can’t lie about this again. It’s one thing to lie to Fluttershy, but AJ... On the other hoof, I can’t tell her without making things horribly awkward.

Twilight looked up and forced a smile. “No. There’s nopony right now. Just me and my books.”

“Well, don’t worry none. Ah’m sure you’ll find yer special somepony eventually.” Applejack stood up and adjusted her hat. “Thanks again fer everythin’, Twi. Ah’ll see ya ‘round.”

Twilight stood up as well, and grabbed Spike’s order of fries with her magic, placing it in her saddlebag and placing the bag across her back. “Take care, AJ.” The pair parted ways and the unicorn headed back toward the library. Why couldn’t I just be honest with her? I’m taking advantage of her while trying to not take advantage of her. She let out a heavy sigh as she plodded down the road, tears pooling in her eyes. An image of Rarity and Fluttershy passed through her mind. I don’t even know where to start with that. I should talk to Fluttershy about it before jumping to conclusions... but I don’t want to stick my nose in other ponies’ business.

She arrived at the library and pulled the door open. The soft sound of snoring drifted down from the bedroom. Looks like Spike’s already asleep. She walked into the kitchen and placed the bag from Dine’s cart on the counter. She quietly tiphoofed up the staircase, trying to avoid making any noise. Twilight sneaked into her room, a smile spreading across her face at the sight of Spike laying in his basket. She made her way over to the baby dragon and leaned down.

“Goodnight, Spike.” She whispered, kissing Spike on his forehead as a single tear fell from her eyes and landed on his nose. She quickly wiped her eyes and climbed into her own bed before letting her feelings run their course. She cried softly as she went through the day, sniffling every time she was hit by another wave of guilt and shame.

“Oh, Applejack...”

Twilight froze, listening for a snore from the foot of the bed. After a few seconds of silence, she heard a single soft snore drift up. She let out the breath she had been holding and descended back into her tears. She tried to be even quieter, but couldn’t quite contain her sniffles. She pulled the blanket tighter around her, imagining the sheets were strong orange forelegs. Her breathing grew deep and even as exhaustion finally washed over her.

“Applejack...” Twilight half-whispered to the empty room, her eyes sliding closed. “I love you.” Moments after the words passed her lips, she drifted off into a fitful sleep.
> This Day is Going to Be Perfect
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Unexpected Confessions

Chapter Eleven


This Day is Going to Be Perfect

Rarity felt a sense of pride well in her chest, not to be confused with less savory feelings welling up in other areas, as she followed Fluttershy down the street. She stared at the swaying green skirt in front of her, visualizing the yellow flank underneath. It had been the ideal first date, right up until the end. A nice, private dinner at an intimate, albeit slightly expensive, upscale Prench restaurant. She had even been able to convince the cream-colored mare to partake in a couple glasses of wine. The only thing that marred the evening’s perfection was the accidental triggering of the restaurant’s sprinkler system during dessert, dousing them and the rest of the restaurant, and even that was not without its silver lining. Fluttershy looked exceptionally gorgeous in her dress, and the wet fabric only served to accentuate her curves.

Despite winter not officially starting for another week, a light chill permeated the night air. Luna’s moon and stars shone down, providing a soft, silver glow to the world. A shiver passed down Rarity’s spine as a breeze washed over her. A warm bath will be fabulous once we get home. Her eyes were drawn back to the swaying flank before her, the green skirt of the dress seeming to flow in an ephemeral breeze as the pink tail hidden beneath it twitched.

Fluttershy stopped in the road, her eyes drawn upward. “Ooh... look, Rarishee.” She pointed a hoof skyward. “It’sh the... the...” She paused for a second, blinking. “The Luna! No...” She squinted up at the silver disk, leaning forward shakily to get a closer look. “Oh, it’sh the moon!”

Rarity followed her inebriated date’s hoof up to the full moon which shone down on the sleepy town, surrounded by glittering stars. “Indeed, Princess Luna has done a wonderful job with the night sky tonight.” She looked back down, only to see that Fluttershy had already resumed walking back toward Carousel Boutique. She rolled her eyes and broke into a trot to close the distance. She watched as the pink-maned pegasus simply stood in front of the door, knocking on it.

        “Pinkie?” Fluttershy called out, dropping her hoof from the door before she fell over. “Pinkie, open up. 'M hungry. I wanna cupcake!” She reached up to knock again, but stumbled to the side.

        “What is going on, dear?” Rarity focused all of her calm to keep from breaking into a fit of laughter. She sidled up to the pegasus, providing her a surface to lean against.

        “S’locked!” Fluttershy tried to wave a hoof at the door, but slipped and ended up headbutting it.

        “I’m sorry, but I didn’t quite catch that.” The unicorn felt her poise slipping as a smile pulled at her lips.

        “Door!” The other mare flailed a foreleg toward the Boutique, her head still resting on the door. “It’sh locked! Pinkie won’t open it!” She stood up and looked around, seeming to finally notice she was not at Sugarcube Corner. “Bout... Booties?” She turned to face her marefriend. “I had a really... nicshe time tonight.” She leaned in and nuzzled the other mare, bumping into her with a little more force then she meant to. “Thanksh.”

        “You are quite welcome, darling.” Rarity returned the affectionate nuzzle. “I must confess that I was initially worried that it all might be a little... much for a first date, but I am glad that you enjoyed yourself.” They pulled apart, and she leaned down to kiss her marefriend on the cheek. However, a hoof pressed against her muzzle and redirected it so that their lips met. She felt a brief moment of shock as Fluttershy’s tongue forced its way into her mouth. After too-brief a moment, they separated, a light pink tinge coloring both of their cheeks.

        “That was -hic- fun.” Fluttershy dropped her hoof to the ground, but it slipped, sending her sprawling to the ground.

        “Fluttershy, darling... you’re drunk.” Rarity shook her head, a small smile tugging at her lips as she helped the other mare back to her hooves. She unlocked the door with a quick flare of magic.

        “I’m not as think as you drunk I am.” Fluttershy waved a hoof dismissively, coming dangerously close to falling over. She pushed open the door. “Now, we s-sshould go sho... shoe... shushhh... shusher...” She gave up on trying to pronounce the word ‘shower,’ and pouted. “Take a bath.” Without waiting for an answer, she turned and trotted inside, heading for the staircase. Before she got halfway however, she tripped over the hem of her skirt, and fell to the floor with a surprised squeak.

        “Are you alright, dear?” Rarity followed her date inside, closing the door behind her. She watched as the inebriated mare tried to right herself, and her eyes were drawn down to the skirt of her friend’s dress. It had bunched up around the pegasus’ legs during the fall, revealing the curve of her rear legs. The unicorn traced the gentle sweep of her date’s legs with her eyes, following them tantalizingly high before they disappeared under her voluminous tail. What am I doing? She shook herself, taking a step toward her floor-ridden friend. We don’t normally wear clothes. I’ve seen them countless times. Still... She stopped, finding her gaze wandering up the cream-colored calves again. They’ve been covered all night. Seeing them now is... rather enticing.

“I’m okay!” Fluttershy waved a hoof from her place on the floor. She awkwardly clambered to her hooves, taking care not to step on her skirt again.

        “Perhaps you should take your dress off first." Rarity watched the other mare sway on her hooves unsteadily. “On second thought, allow me.” She  trotted over to her drunken friend, loosening the laces on her dress with a brief pulse of magic. She grabbed on to the shoulders of the gown. “Here, I’ll hold onto this end while you back out.”

        “Okay.” Fluttershy began pulling backward, her hair bunching up around her head as she backed out of the dress slowly. She lowered her front end, extending her forehooves to pull them through the leg holes.

        Rarity smiled, stifling laughter as her marefriend tried to maneuver her way out of the dress. The laughter died in her throat as a yellow rump protruded from the other end of the fabric, wiggling in the air as its owner slowly backed up. The unicorn looked off to the side, blushing furiously as she fixed her gaze on the wall. Although... Her eyes drifted back. She should be the one mare I am allowed to... admire.

        “There we g-whoa!” Fluttershy broke free of the dress, stumbling backward and falling to a sitting position. She brought her hooves to her mouth, swaying slightly as she tried to hold in a fit of giggles. “Oopsh.” She managed to get out between dainty snorts. She stood up, a playful smile on her face.“Your turn!” She chirped, trotting over and pulling at the shoulder straps of Rarity’s dress.

        Rarity held up a hoof to ward her off. “Perhaps it would be best if I took care of this.”

        “Aww...” Fluttershy sat down. “But... I jusht wanted to help.” She sat down and pouted, letting out a small whine.

        “Very well, darling. Just, please do be careful.” Rarity tried to use her magic to help, but insistent tugs on her gown kept breaking her concentration. The tugs slowly moved down the dress, causing her to startle as a hoof snaked up under the skirt. “Hold on, darling.” She gently pushed her marefriend away with a hoof, color blooming in her cheeks. “As much as I appreciate your... enthusiasm, I don’t think that pulling on the waistline of the dress is going to work. There’s a zipper on the back. Undo it for me, if you could.”

        “Oh, zhipper, right.” Fluttershy reared up and planted a forehoof on her friend’s back, leaning most of her weight on it. She fumbled around and stepped on a dress hem again, only this time it was Rarity that stumbled. The pegasus grasped blindly at the first object she found, pulling on what turned out to be a lock of the unicorn’s mane. On the second try, she located the zipper and pulled it down.

        “Thank you, darling.” Rarity’s voice was slightly strained under the sudden addition of weight. “I can handle it from here.” She held in a soft moan as the pegasus stepped down, dragging the hoof on her back. The action pulled the dress off part way, the silk sliding over her coat sending shivers through her body. With a few more well-placed pulls, the gown fell to the floor in a heap. “There we ar- ah!” She jumped as she felt a light smack on her flank.

        Fluttershy brought a hoof to her mouth, trying in vain to suppress the laughter bubbling out at the look her marefriend was giving her. “Washn’t me...” She slurred, looking around for a scapegoat. “It waaaash... Opal.” She pointed a hoof at the cat, who was laying on the other side of the room. Opalescence glared at them, clearly upset at being woken up by their drunken stumbling.

        “I am certain it was.” Rarity deadpanned, a smile tugging at the edge of her mouth. She cast an apologetic look over to her pet, who hissed in response. “Now, let’s head upstairs and we can get cleaned up.” She took a few steps toward the stairs, but paused to look over her shoulder at the two dresses on the floor. They both lay discarded on the ground, crumpled haphazardly in ways that promised significant wrinkling come morning. “Actually...” She sighed. “You go on ahead, dear. I’ll take care of the dresses and be up shortly.” She turned back to find her marefriend already gone.

        “Rarishee!” Fluttershy called from the top of the stairs. “Thish door ish locked too!” She pressed against the door, leaning all of her weight into it. Her wings fluttered in agitation. After several more pushes, she gave up, turning to look down at the show room. “S-sssee?”

        “Try giving it a pull, darling.” Rarity suggested.

        The pink-maned pegasus reached out with a hoof, pulling the door open with ease. “Oh.” She walked into the room, followed by the sound of her bumping into a number of surfaces. After a few moments of silence her voice drifted down, somewhat muted by the distance. “Wow... It’sh really... big.”

        Rarity ran through a mental list of objects in her bedroom, wondering what the pegasus could have found to elicit such a reaction. She panicked as she thought about a box hidden under her bed. Oh no. Please, please, don’t let her have found that... She swallowed and tried to keep her voice steady as she called up the stairs. “What is, dear?”

        “Bathtub.” Fluttershy yelled back.

        Rarity let out a breath. “It is one of the luxuries I have afforded myself.” She replied loudly to ensure her voice would carry. She grasped the discarded dresses in an aura of telekinesis, floating them over to a pair of empty equinniquins, opting simply drape them across the backs.

        She turned to head upstairs but a portion of her brain refused to let her leave dresses she had so lovingly crafted in such a state. She sighed and floated a pair of hangers over from a nearby clothing rack. She picked up her dress, but a shocked squeak broke her concentration, followed by a thump and splashing water. “Fluttershy?” Rarity called up the stairs, taking a step toward them. When she didn’t receive an immediate reply, she tried again. “Darling, is everything okay?” This time, when only silence drifted down to answer her, she felt the sting of rising panic and she galloped across the show room. Her hoof landed on a stray piece of fabric and slid along the tile. She fell forward, crashing headfirst into the wall. A wave of dizziness and nausea washed over her, but she shook her head to try and clear it. Darkness clouded her vision as the dizziness increased. She didn’t even made if up the first few steps before the darkness swallowed her, making her sink to the floor in an unconscious heap.

        Rarity felt a throbbing pain in her head as she came to. She brought a hoof to her forehead, gently probing the area. What was I... Fluttershy! She scrambled to her hooves and bolted up the staircase, two steps at a time. She rounded the turn into her bedroom at a full sprint, slamming into the door frame. Grunting, she galloped into the bathroom, only to see Fluttershy’s unmoving hindquarters hanging out of the tub.

        Oh, goddesses... Rarity skidded to a stop, sliding along the slick tile and banging her head on the tub. She lit her horn and carefully pulled Fluttershy from the tub. She stared at her marefriend’s still body, her mind overwhelmed with the horrific sight until a single thought pushed through the panic. The hospital! She rushed downstairs and out the front door, galloping off in the direction of the Ponyville Hospital. Buildings blurred by her as she ran. A soft light poured out the library’s windows as she sped by, the hooting of Owlowiscious calling after her. The bright colors of Sugarcube Corner, subdued in the faint silver light of the moon, came and went in an instant. The hospital appeared before her, and she ignored the burning in her lungs as she poured the last of her remaining energy into a final burst of speed. She crashed through the door of the Emergency Room, the unconscious pegasus floating behind her.

        “Help!” Rarity screamed at the shocked doctors and nurses before her. She lowered Fluttershy gently onto an empty gurney. The pegasus’ unnatural stillness brought a fresh wave of panic over her. “She fell... into the tub. She’s not... breathing. Please, do something!” Her words were broken up by heaving breaths, and her vision fogged over as tears filled her eyes. “Please, you have... to save her!”

        One of the doctors, a yellow unicorn stallion with a badge reading “Doctor Stable”, was the first to recover. He grabbed the gurney’s handle in a field of magic, pulling it across the room and down an adjacent hallway. “Nurse Redheart, get me an ECG monitor to Room 104, stat. Nurse Tenderheart, with me.” With that he disappeared down the hall, followed by one of the nurses. Rarity moved to follow, but was blocked by a large earth pony stallion with a brown coat, a white mohawk mane, and a police badge cutie mark.

        “Sorry, miss.” Vigilance extended a hoof, holding her back. “They’re taking her back to the Intensive Care Unit. No visitors allowed.”

        “You don’t understand.” Rarity looked over his shoulder to see the gurney disappear around a corner down the hallway. “I have to-”

        “Doctor Stable is going to do everything he can to help your friend.” Vigilance placed a comforting hoof on her shoulder. “I know you’re scared, but he and the nurses have trained for this. At this point, you would only get in the way.” He finished with a tone that suggested he was speaking from experience.

        “I... but...” Rarity stammered. The enormity and the reality of the situation caught up to her now that it was out of her hooves. Her lower lip quivered as tears pooled in her eyes.

        “I’m sorry, but she’s in good hooves.” Vigilance stepped up and placed a hoof on her shoulder, gently turning her around. “We’ll let you know as soon as we hear anything.”

        Rarity let herself be led back to the waiting room, where she paced back and forth as her mind tried frantically to erase the images of Fluttershy hanging limp in her telekinetic grasp. Time dragged on at an excruciatingly slow pace. The white mare completed her fourth circuit of the waiting room. Or was it the fifth? Sixth? Tenth? She could only guess since she hadn’t been keeping track. A hoof landed on her shoulder, startling her out of her thoughts.

        “Ma’am?” Doctor Stable was standing behind her, his expression carefully neutral. “I’m afraid... she’s... she’s gone.” He looked down at a chart floating in his magical grasp. “Her brain had been without oxygen for too long, causing her death. There was nothing we could do. I’m sorry. There was no way to save her.”

        “Gone?” Rarity breathed the word, refusing to acknowledge it. She stepped back, shaking her head. “No.... no, she... she can’t be. She-” Words failed her, and her world came crashing down around her. She turned and ran, bursting out the door and galloping down the road.

        Closer to her home, a single cloud drifted above the streets of town, on which Rainbow Dash snored. She rolled over, grumbling, as the sound of hooves striking the ground floated up to her, mixed with heaving breaths and choked sobs. She peeked over the edge of the cloud, her eyes cracking open as she saw Rarity sprinting down the road, crying. The soft cloud beneath her beckoned, pulling Dash’s eyelids down as she traced the unicorn’s path backward. Her gaze fell on the Ponyville Hospital, the only building with any signs of activity. Her mind sluggishly put two and two together. Something was seriously wrong. She stood up, stretching her legs and flapping her wings to work out some lingering stiffness. She looked back to Rarity, who was nearing her home, and back to the hospital. She knew how difficult the unicorn could be when she was emotional, and she was in no mood to deal with that at this goddess-forsaken hour. She leapt from the cloud and angled toward the hospital.

        Back on the ground, Rarity threw the door of the Boutique open, careening inside and up the stairs. She threw herself onto the bed, devolving into an endless stream of incoherent sobs. She squeezed her eyes shut, hoping that the physical fatigue aching in her muscles would drag her into unconsciousness of dreams, but every time she began to drift away, visions of Fluttershy’s lifeless body flooded her mind. Distantly, she heard the clock tower in chime twice, and exhaustion finally pulled her into a fitful sleep, though she tossed and turned as the events of the night replayed endlessly in her nightmares.


*


        She was awoken by the sound of shattering glass. She rolled away from the noise reflexively, landing on the floor with a dull thud that knocked the air from her lungs.

        “You!" A familiar voice shouted from the other side of the room. The unicorn scrambled to her hooves to see Rainbow Dash standing in front of the now broken window with her wings flared and trembling in anger. “How... you... when...” She had trouble putting words together in her rage. She took a deep breath, expelling it violently. “How could you let this happen? You should have been taking care of her!” She bounded over the bed, pressing her snout up against Rarity’s own. A vicious glint flashed in her eye. “Where were you?” She punctuated the last question by jabbing a hoof into the white mare’s chest forcefully.

        “I... I-I was downstairs, taking care of our dresses before heading up here to join her.” Rarity took a step back, matched by the other mare taking a step forward. “It wasn’t my fault! When I realized something was wrong, I came as quickly as I could. I slipped on a piece of fabric and hit my head. When I came to and got up here, it was too late.” She glanced over the prismatic mare’s shoulder to see dawn breaking over the horizon. Lovely shades of pink played across the scattered clouds, reminding her of Fluttershy’s mane and causing her heart to break yet again.

        “So you just left your drunk marefriend alone while you were worrying about some stupid dresses? If you had been there, you could have done something. Anything!" Dash was outright sneering now, a twitch in her eye hinting that she was inches away from losing control. She raised a trembling hoof, visibly restraining herself from lashing out. Blood was seeping from several shallow cuts, giving her a truly vicious and dangerous appearance. “Then, you didn’t even have the guts to tell us about what happened yourself! I only found out after seeing you running from the hospital!” In a blaze of motion, Rainbow struck the other mare, hitting her on the nose.

        Rarity stumbled back from the blow, feeling blood start to leak from her nostrils. “I-I don’t know what else I can... possibly...” She tried to match the pegasus’ passion, but wilted under the intensity of her glare. The pure, unfiltered rage and hatred of Rainbow’s expression hit her like a physical force, driving her back until she ran into her dresser. Her mind filled with things she could have done differently to keep Fluttershy alive. What if I had never said anything to her? What if none of this had ever happened? What if I hadn’t insisted she drink? Oh, Celestia. Why couldn’t I just leave those accursed dresses alone?

“I-I’m sorry. Is that what you want?” Tears rose unbidden in her eyes as the cyan mare stalked closer. “You’re right, this... this is all my fault, and I’m sorry.” She summoned her remaining courage and straightened up, draping a thin veneer of poise over barely-concealed panic. “I loved her just as much as you did.” Her voice dropped to barely above a whisper. “At least, I thought I did.”

        “You could have... You should have been there!” Dash yelled, her tone going from angry to hysterical. Another hoof flashed out at the unicorn’s head, almost too quick to be seen, but missed by mere inches. A dull crunch sounded as the hoof connected with the dresser, leaving a dent behind. “But no! You were too worried about your precious dresses!” She whirled around, swinging her strong legs and hitting the unicorn’s chest with a sickening crack and sending her sprawling to the side.

        Rarity took a breath and gasped as a sharp pain surged through her ribs. She slowly rose to her hooves, faltering and falling back to the floor. She took a deep, painful breath and struggled into a sitting position, taking a moment to truly look at Rainbow. The pegasus’ eyes were blazing with fury and she showed no signs of slowing her assault.

        She lifted her head, fighting the urge to cower. A few errant tears silently made their way down her cheeks as she waited for Dash’s next attack. Her body trembled as her guilt fought with her instinct for self-preservation.

        Run. Hide! Her mind screamed at her. She’s going to kill you!

        She ignored it, closed her eyes and waited for her fate to arrive. Time slowed to a crawl as a feeling of serenity settled over her.

        So this how it all ends? It’s no less than I deserve...

        I’m so sorry, Fluttershy... Will I see you again, I wonder?

        Her mind drifted to her remaining friends as she waited for the next blow to land. I never got to say goodbye to the others.

        At least they’ll take care of Rainbow... They won’t let anything happen to-

        Time returned to its normal flow as a hoof hit Rarity in the gut, making her double over with a pained grunt. She took in a breath, renewing the pain in her side and causing her to cough. Flecks of blood splattered the floor. Again, she sat up and raised her head in what could easily be mistaken for defiance. She wanted Dash to continue, if only for the other mare’s peace of mind. She waited for the final blow to land, hoping the pegasus would be merciful enough to give her a swift end.

        “Fare well, Rainbow Dash. I-” Rarity’s throat tightened with emotion. “I am truly sorry...” I hope that you can find somepony to be happy with. She closed her eyes and waited.

        The next hit sent her reeling, her mind to be exact. It was something she hadn’t expected: a slap.

        Opening her eyes, she saw Dash staring at the floor, her body shaking and her wings drooping as she cried. The pegasus collapsed into a heap, tears streaking down her face and mixing with the rivulets of blood from her many cuts.

        Seeing Rainbow crying hurt her more than any of the physical blows had. Rarity rushed forward, draping her forelegs around the weeping mare and pulling her close as her own tears spilled over. The calm acceptance with which she had been willing to face her punishment faded away, and in its wake, the pain of losing Fluttershy returned with a vengeance.

        “I-I know that I can never undo this.” Rarity choked out between pained breaths. “I’ll understand if you never want to see me again, but... I promise I will do anything I can to help you...” She froze, afraid that her next words would reignite the fury and hatred that had burned in Rainbow’s eyes so recently. She immediately felt foalish, remembering her willingness to give her own life for the other mare’s peace of mind. I’ll do anything I can to help her move past this.

        Rainbow Dash and Rarity sat together and cried. Neither of them knew or cared how much time had passed. When their tears finally ran dry, Rarity broke the growing silence. “The-” Her voice was raspy after crying for so long. She swallowed and cleared her throat to try again. “The others should know.” She stood up, stretching the soreness from her legs.

        Dash nodded her head, unable to respond verbally. She wiped a hoof across her face, trying to get rid of her tears, and stared at her foreleg when it came away bloody.

        Rarity looked at the other mare, and realized her physical injuries were worse than they had seemed. The cuts on her face were shallow, and mostly clotted by now, but there were several deeper, longer gashes along her sides, one of which was still bleeding. The pegasus cradled her right foreleg gingerly, not putting any weight on it.

        The unicorn trotted through to the bathroom door and up to the sink. She splashed a few hooffuls of water on her muzzle and scrubbed away the dried blood, then lifted a washcloth in her magic and soaked it in the sink. She came back into the bedroom with the wet towel, noting that the pegasus sprawled on her carpet looked nothing short of exhausted. She forced a smile and grasped the wet cloth with a hoof, gently brushing it along her friend’s muzzle to remove the drying blood trails, then repeated the process with the cuts on her sides.

         She then helped the other mare to her feet and guided her to the bed. The pegasus climbed in wordlessly and curled up as Rarity pulled the covers over her. The unicorn sat on the edge of the bed and ran a hoof through her friend’s prismatic mane. She began humming a lullaby she used to get her sister to sleep as a foal, watching as Dash’s eyes fluttered closed and her breathing grew deep and even.

        When she was sure Rainbow was asleep, Rarity slipped off of the bed and made her way out the bedroom. She tiphoofed down the staircase and exited the Boutique, locking the door behind her. Hundreds of thoughts whirled through her mind, but she pushed them away and focused on how to gather her friends. A hint of motion drew her attention down the road, where Pinkie Pie was exiting Sugarcube Corner.

        “Hiya Rarity!” Pinkie chirped, giving a her warm smile. “Is... is everything okay?”

        “Actually, Pinkie... c-could you do me a favor?” Rarity put on a smile, hoping that something about her appearance or posture hadn’t betrayed her beleaguered mood. “I need you to go get Applejack and bring her to the library. I have... some news for you all.”

        “I know!” Pinkie replied. “I was upstairs just now, and my ear twitched!” The pink pony pointed at her ear, which twitched as if on cue. “That means that somepony has news to share. Oh, ow!” She pulled her left rear leg off the ground. “Leg cramp. Leg cramp! Oh no. That means that the news is bad.” She looked at the unicorn pleadingly, and she saw a haunting look in the other mare’s eyes. Pinkie stepped forward and wrapped a foreleg around her friend. “That’s okay though, Rarity. We’ll all do our very bestest to help, no matter what it is. So smile, okay?”

        “Thank you, dear.” Rarity hugged her friend, feeling tears rising in her eyes again. “I knew I could count on you.” She pulled away from the hug and tried to smile, but it cracked and fell away. “Bring Applejack to the library, I’ll be there with Twilight.” Pinkie opened her mouth to say something, but nodded instead. She turned and galloped off in the direction of the farm.

        Rarity continued slowly down the road, passing the bakery and Town Hall, until she arrived at the library. She knocked on the door and waited for an answer. Shortly afterward, it opened without magic, revealing Applejack on the other side.

        “Mornin’, sugarcube.” The farm pony smiled briefly at the dumbfounded expression on the unicorn’s face. “Ah was on mah way into town already when Ah ran into Pinkie, who said ya had some mighty important news to share,” She explained before the inevitable question was asked. She turned and walked into the main room. “C’mon in.”

        Rarity followed her friend inside, only slightly surprised to see Twilight and Pinkie already sitting at the table. She belatedly realized that she had not spent any time thinking about what she was going to say. She took a seat at the table and stared at her hooves, wracking her mind for some gentle way to bring up the subject.

        Across the table, Pinkie shifted uncomfortably. “Are you super sure you don’t want me to go get Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy?” She asked, lowering her head to try and meet the unicorn’s eyes. “It won’t be as fast as getting Applejack, but it won’t take too long, especially with Dash flying all ‘whoosh’.” She whipped a hoof through the air.

        “No.” Rarity whispered, shaking her head slightly. “Rainbow... already knows. As for F-” The departed mare’s name stuck in her throat, threatening to choke her, but she pressed on. “As for Fluttershy... Well, this concerns her.”

        “Is she okay?” Twilight cut in, a worried expression falling over her face. “Did something happen? Do we need to-”

        “Calm down, sugarcube.” Applejack reached over the table, placing a hoof on Twilight’s. “We’re all curious, but throwin’ a bunch of questions around ain’t gonna get us anywhere when we don’t know what happened yet.” She patted the other mare’s hoof and turned back to Rarity. “You were sayin’?”

        “Thank you, dear.” The alabaster mare took a deep breath. “Y-You see, last night... Fluttershy and I... she...” She felt her emotions threatening to overtake her yet again. “W-We were a-at the Boutique, a-and...” The next words lodged themselves in her throat, refusing to pass her lips. What if they blame me like Rainbow did? What if they all hate me? Her emotions threatened to overwhelm her once again. No. They... deserve to know. Whatever comes of it, I will accept. The same sense of calm from her encounter with Rainbow Dash returned and made it easier to speak.

        “What happened, sugarcube?” Applejack leaned over and placed a hoof on Rarity’s shoulder. “Ya can tell us, we’re here fer-”

        “She’s dead.” Rarity said the words flatly. Her calm demeanor shattered as tears flowed once again, matting the fur under her eyes. “I-It was an accident, I swear. Sh-She fell into the bathtub and...” The rest of her words were lost as sobs shook her body. The room grew quiet, her crying the only sound any of them made.

        After over a minute of stunned silence, Twilight ventured to speak. “D-Dead?” She breathed the word. “F-Fluttershy is...” She could not complete the sentence, but a nod from Rarity made the last word unnecessary. “H-How?”

        Rarity took a moment to compose herself before answering. She sat up, trying to portray a real serenity, even though tears continued to stream from her eyes. She briefly wondered where her tears kept coming from, she thought she would have run out long ago by now. “She drowned.” Her voice wavered, but she managed to speak without pausing or stammering. “We went out to dinner, and we had a few drinks. We ended up back at my home and went to take a bath. I heard her fall from downstairs, but in my rush to reach her, I slipped on a bit of fabric and hit my head. When I woke up, I got upstairs as quickly as I could, but... I was too late. I took her to the hospital, but there was nothing they could do.”

        The other three mares sat quietly, letting the news sink in. The only movement came from Pinkie, as her mane deflated slowly down to its straight, depressed state. No one dared to speak, or even breathe, fearing it would somehow make the situation real. Applejack took her hat off, holding it to her chest.

        “Y-Ya said Rainbow already knows?” She asked, keeping her voice as steady as she could manage. Rarity nodded. “How ‘bout her parents? Anyone gotten a hold of ‘em yet?”

        “I-I don’t know.” The white unicorn replied. “Wh-When the doctors told me, I... Oh, Celestia, I ran away.”

        “No one’s blamin’ ya, sugarcube.” Applejack scooted around the table and put a foreleg around her friend, who shied away from the contact for a moment. “Any one of us woulda done the same. It’s... it’s a lot to hear.” She hesitated, taking a deep breath. “We need to let her parents know. Does anypony know where they are? Where they live?” She looked around the table. Pinkie stared at her hooves, muttering incoherently under her breath.

        She... doesn’t blame me? Rarity let her gaze drift over Pinkie Pie and Twilight, both of whom appeared to be in shock, but not angry. None... none of them blame me? They’re trying to... help me. Her heart swelled painfully, forcing yet another wave of tears to cascade from her eyes. Oh Celestia, I... I don’t deserve you all as friends. She leaned into Applejack’s side to ride out the latest wave of emotion.

        “No, sorry.” Twilight rubbed a hoof against her temple. “It shouldn’t be too hard to find them, though. All we need to do is take their names to... Does anypony know Fluttershy’s parents’ names?” She looked around the table as each of her friends shook their heads. The lavender mare stood from the table, a look of thoughtfulness on her face, and walked over to a stand with ink and a quill on it. “I’ll send a letter to the Princess, she can help us find them.”

        “Good thinkin’, Twi.” Applejack interjected. “Ah’d write this one yerself though, we’ll need to be gentle breakin’ this to Spike.” She looked back down to Rarity, surprise registering on her face. “What happened to yer nose, Rare?”

        “Hmm?” The unicorn pressed a hoof to her nose, which came away bloody. “Oh. It’s... nothing, trust me.” She glanced around the room and levitated a box of tissues over to her, grabbing one in a hoof and pressing it to her nostrils.

        Twilight looked over from her podium. “Ponies don’t start bleeding from their noses for no reason. Did you run into something?”

        “Really girls, it’s nothing.” Rarity grabbed a fresh tissue, wiping under her eyes before swapping it out with the one on her nose. “I’ll be fine.” She got a look from Twilight that said ‘I’m not buying it’. “Fine. My nose is bleeding because... Rainbow Dash punched me.”

        “She what?” Twilight and Applejack said in unison while Pinkie continued muttering to herself.

        “I assume she saw me leave the hospital crying and went to see what had happened. She broke into my bedroom through a window and had some... choice words for me.” A terrified shiver ran through her body as she remembered thinking that Dash would kill her. “It was nothing I didn’t deserve.”

        “And just why in Equestria would you deserve something like that?” Twilight asked.

        “Because it’s my fault that Fluttershy is... dead.” For once, tears did not start running from Rarity’s eyes at the thought.

        “It most certainly ain’t.” Applejack held her friend tighter with the hoof draped over her shoulders. She paused to sniff and wipe away the tears from her eyes before they could fall. She leaned her head down to nuzzle the alabaster mare. “Ya did nothin’ wrong, and ya did everythin’ ya could to save her. This ain’t anyone’s fault. It was an accident.”

        “I-If I had been there...” Rarity whispered.

        “Don’t do that to yerself, Rare.” Applejack used her free hoof to bring the other mare’s head up and look in her eyes. “Don’t go torturin’ yerself with ‘what if’s’. It ain’t worth it.” Her voice grew hoarse as she spoke, but she held herself together. Rarity nodded, shutting her eyes against tears that her eyes could no longer produce. Applejack turned to Pinkie Pie, eyeing her nervously. She walked around the table and pulled the pink pony into a hug.

        “Huh?” Pinkie looked up, blinking in surprise. “Oh, don’t worry about me, Applejack.” She patted the farm pony on the back and pulled away slightly. “I... I’m fine, really.” She smiled, a fake and glassy smile that looked as though it would shatter at the slightest word.

        “No, Pinkie.” Applejack’s voice was tight with emotion, and she wiped a hoof across her eyes again, forestalling any tears. She put her hooves on the other mare’s shoulders. “Yer not fine. None of us are, but it’s okay to be sad or scared at a time like this. We’re all here fer each other.”

        Pinkie slowly brought her forelegs up and returned the embrace. Her smile faltered and cracked, giving way to flowing tears and sobs. “I... I didn’t get to... say goodbye.”

        “Ah know.” Applejack stroked a hoof down her friend’s back. “None of us did.”

        Pinkie broke away, dragging a hoof along her nose. “Hey, um... would you guys mind if I planned her fu-” She stopped, as though the word were physically painful to say. “Her farewell party?”

        “No.” Applejack spoke with such force that even Twilight looked up from writing her letter. “Don’t do that, Pinkie.” She shook her head. “Ah know it hurts, but ya can’t do things like that. It’ll only make it worse in the end.” Her eyes filled with moisture, but not a drop fell.

        Rarity mastered herself enough to speak again. “Yes, dear. You can plan her... her funeral.” A renewed wave of grief washed over her as the last word passed her lips. “I... I think she would like that.” She sat up straighter. “Is there anything I can do?”

        “Ah don’t think so, not right now.” Applejack gave her a small, warm smile, but her eyes seemed haunted. “Get some rest, if’n ya can, sugarcube. Ya had a rough night. We can handle things fer now if ya wanna grab a few winks. I’m sure Twi would let ya use her bed.” Twilight nodded her ascent, not looking up from her podium.

        “Thank you, but no.” Rarity stood, taking a moment to stretch her legs. Her mind flashed back to Rainbow Dash at her house. “Actually, I should be heading home. Rainbow is still there,and I can’t very well leave her by herself. I’ll go and let her know how things are going over here.” She trotted over to Twilight and nuzzled her, then did the same with Applejack. She walked over to Pinkie Pie, who pulled her into a tight hug.

        “I love you, Rarity.” Pinkie whispered, tears still running freely down her face.

“I love you too, Pinkie.” Rarity returned the hug, holding it for a few heartbeats before pulling away and making her way out the door. She walked back in the direction of Carousel Boutique, her eyes wandering as her hooves followed the path she had walked countless times before. All around her, the residents of Ponyville were stirring to life and going about their daily business, completely unaware that one of their peers was no longer among them. She passed by Lyra and Bon Bon’s house, where an upbeat tune from the former’s lyre floated out. Something in Rarity wanted to burst into the house, screaming hysterically that Lyra stop playing, but enough of her rational mind had returned that she knew they wouldn’t understand. She plodded down the dirt road until the notes were lost on the wind.

        When Rarity finally reached her home, it was quiet. She tiphoofed up the stairs, unsure if her chromatic friend was still asleep. She opened the bedroom door and peered inside, spying the gentle rise and fall of Rainbow’s chest under the covers. The unicorn stepped into the room and shut the door silently. She made her way over to the bed and slid under the covers, next to Dash. Though she was totally exhausted, her mind continued to buzz with activity. She lay in bed for hours, tossing and turning as images of Fluttershy hanging limply in the air floated inside her eyelids. She eventually gave up and dragged herself out of the bed and back down to the show room.

        She did the only thing she could think of to stave off her lingering thoughts of the previous night. She grabbed a roll of black fabric in her hooves and began draping it across a blank equinniquin. She poured all of her focus into the project, using her hooves instead of her magic simply for the distraction. Occasionally, she noticed the light coming in the windows had shifted in color, but she never deigned to look at a clock to see the time.

        After a time, her exhaustion got the better of her, and she found her eyelids growing heavier. A yawn forced its way out of her mouth and she placed the last pin in the fabric, dropping the pincushion in her hoof. She trudged over to the stairs and up to her bedroom, throwing open the door. She looked to the bed, surprised to find it empty. I hope she’s okay. She flopped onto the bed, sinking into the blissfully soft mattress. She closed her eyes and fell into a restless, fitful sleep.

Rarity awoke the next morning as sunlight streamed through the broken window. She rolled over and tried to go back to sleep, but it eluded her once again. She sighed and got out of the bed, making her way down to the show room. She lit her horn, bringing her sewing machine to life. She carefully removed the dress from the equinniquin and brought it over to her work table, feeding a pinned seam into the sewing machine. She sat in front of the machine, watching the needle run through black fabric. She focused on the rhythmic thrumming of the machine, letting it drown out her thoughts. The fabric ran all the way through the machine, leaving it clicking against air for a time before the unicorn realized it. She let go of her magic and the sewing machine slowed to a stop. She held up the fabric in her hooves, inspecting the simple black dress one last time with a dispassionate, professional eye before its purpose came rushing back to her. She levitated a small pair of scissors and cut the thread hanging from the recently sewn seam.

        A simple black dress. For a funeral.

        Fluttershy’s funeral.

        A wave of irrational fury washed over her, and she ripped the dress to shreds, dumping it into a nearby trash can. Tomorrow. I’ll make the dress tomorrow. A noise from outside grabbed her attention as she slid the trash can under a table. She trotted over to the door and pulled it open with a faint pulse of magic, just in time to catch the end of an argument between a light grey pegasus stallion and another pony she could not see yet.

        The stallion trotted after the other pony, trying to talk to them. “-but, boss... The schedule says-”

        “I don’t give a flying feather about the schedule!” Rainbow Dash whirled around to face the other pegasus. She grabbed a piece of parchment in his hoof and ripped it in half, then ripped the resulting pieces again. “It is not going to be sunny on Friday! Overcast. Rain, but no lightning. That’s final.” She turned and resumed walking away.

“B-But...” The stallion faltered for a moment before following her. “W-We don’t have enough clouds for that! That’s why it was scheduled to be sunny all weekend. We used up too many clouds during last week’s storm, there are barely any in the storage lockers as it is.”

        “Then get more!” Dash yelled, turning back to face him. “I don’t care how, just do it. Write to Cloudsdale and request more. Borrow some from the system heading out to Baltimare. I don’t care if you have to go all the way up Princess bucking Celestia to do it, just get it done!” Her wings ruffled in agitation. “But so help me, if it’s sunny on Friday, I will fire every last one of you!” The stallion took a step back, his mouth working without any words forming. Eventually, he just nodded and took off, flying away as quickly as he could.


*


        Fluttershy’s funeral arrived sooner than anypony had expected or would have wanted. Rarity stood in the cemetery, watching her lover’s casket slowly lower into the ground as rain pelted her. Tears ran down her face, mixing with the rain water. Rainbow Dash stood next to her, a wing draped over her back. They did not say anything, leaving only the soft patter of rain hitting their coats to break the deafening silence. The rest of their friends stood slightly off to the side, trying to give the pair a modicum of space.

        “Fluttershy was...” Twilight tried to say something, but words failed her momentarily. She took a moment to gather herself and tried again. “Fluttershy was a kind and loyal friend. One who would stand up for those she cared about, those who needed her, even in the face of danger.” She looked over to Rarity and Dash, but neither of them met her gaze. “Sh-She knew that... that-” She stopped again, unable to say the words she had written beforehoof. She had worked tirelessly on preparations for days on end to make sure that everything was perfect. Now that there was nothing left to plan or organize, the emotions she had worked so hard to avoid finally caught up with her. She began shaking as her tears made themselves known.

        Applejack moved to stand next to the lavender mare, clutching her hat to her chest as she allowed her tears to fall for once. Throughout the planning, the farm pony had remained strong and held her emotions in check. Now, she gave in to her grief, crying openly and leaning on Twilight for physical, as well as emotional, support. The farm pony nuzzled against the unicorn, trying in vain to comfort her. Behind them, Pinkie Pie sniffed, brushing her straightened mane out of her face.

        Pinkie watched the casket descend into the ground, muttering under her breath. Every few seconds, she would smile. They were wooden, fake smiles that crumbled and faded quickly. She slowly drifted away from the grave site without saying anything. Twilight and Applejack followed her, stopping to offer some small words of encouragement or condolence to Rarity and Dash. Rainbow did not acknowledge the words of their friends, and Rarity offered only token, mechanical responses. They stared down into the hole in the ground. Soon, they stood alone in the cemetery, and Rarity finally broke the silence between them.

        “I... I’m so sorry.” She whispered, her voice tight with emotion. “I know it doesn’t change anything, but... I am, truly.” She leaned over to nuzzle Dash, who tensed up at her touch. She pulled back, a knot of fear building in her chest. She looked over to see the pegasus looking away slightly, her eyes clenched shut. “R-Rainbow...” She reached out to hold the other mare’s hoof, but it pulled away.

        “I can’t...” Dash paused, wiping a hoof across her eyes. “I’m sorry, Rares. I just... I need some time.” She turned to leave, but stopped in her tracks as her friend jumped in front of her.

        “Please, don’t do this, Rainbow.” Rarity pleaded, her voice shaking. “Don’t... don’t push me away.” She felt a wave of fresh tears pour out, but they were lost among the raindrops. She... she still blames me. “I... I don’t think that you should be alone right now.”

        The prismatic pegasus smiled, but it was a cold, sad smile. “Don’t worry about me, Rares.” She reached up to stroke the other mare’s cheek, but even that small action felt distant and forced. “Like I said, I just need a little time... alone.” Her voice dropped to a barely audible level. “It... it’s all my...” She shut her eyes against a renewed stream of tears. “I-If only I... I had listened instead of yelling...”

        “No!” Rarity lifted the prismatic mare’s head to look in her red-rimmed eyes. “This was not your fault. I was the one who made the mistake, you can’t blame yourself for it.” She felt her own emotions rising as she looked into Dash’s haunted eyes. Please, don’t make me carry that as well. The fear in her chest fought against a reborn wave of self-loathing. “I just wish we could have realized our mistakes before...” The rest of her words trailed off into silence.

“I... I’m sorry, Rares.” Dash’s voice broke as she muttered the words. “I-I’ll see you around.” Before the unicorn could respond, Rainbow stepped around the other mare and strode away, leaving Rarity alone with Fluttershy, just as she had been on that fateful day.


*


        Rainbow Dash changed after that day. No longer was she bold, daring, and full of reckless energy. Instead, she spent more and more time in the clouds, staying away from Ponyville, and away from her remaining friends. Days passed without the familiar sight of Dash’s prismatic mane and tail hurtling through the skies. Her friends questioned the local weather pegasi, who reported only fleeting encounters with the estranged mare after she resigned as the weather team leader. It also seemed to rain more often, to the bafflement of the weather team, who could never figure out where the clouds had come from, even though they knew who brought them there.

        It became harder and harder for Rarity to watch, until one overcast morning she pulled the prismatic pegasus down from one of her clouds and dragged her into the Boutique. She wheeled on her friend, ready to deliver a verbal tirade about how her behavior was not what Fluttershy would have wanted. The harsh words died in her throat as she saw the haunted expression in Rainbow’s eyes. The unicorn bit her lip, wracking her brain for a gentler way to phrase her concerns.

        “Rainbow, darling, this isn’t what...” Her departed friend’s name stuck in her throat, but she forced herself to continue. “This isn’t what Fluttershy would have wanted. Isolating yourself, distancing yourself from the rest of us.” She reached out, lifting Dash’s chin to see tears in her eyes.

        “Yeah...” Dash whispered, her voice choked with emotion. “I’ve been thinking a lot about what...” She paused, swallowing. “What ‘Shy wanted. We messed up, Rares.” Tears started running down her cheek. “Y-You should have been there with her.”

        “Rainbow Dash, I’m so s-” Rarity’s words were cut off by a hoof pressed to her mouth.

        “I... I should have been there.” Dash’s voice was barely audible.

        Rarity swatted the hoof away. “I am not going to stand here and lis-hmph.” The hoof returned.

        “She was right, ya know?” Dash stared at the floor, and all the frustration Rarity felt at her friend's behavior melted away as she tilted her head in confusion. "She wanted you and me. Not just one, both of us. None of this would ever have happened if we'd both been there." On the floor below Rainbow, a pool was forming, fueled by the steady stream of tears the pegasus had been feeding it. The hoof she held against the unicorn’s muzzle fell to the floor.

        “I... you’re right.” Rarity stepped forward and leaned down to nuzzle against Dash, who was shaking. She sat down on her haunches, wrapping her forelegs around the pegasus and pulling her friend into an embrace.

        Rainbow succumbed to her grief, breaking down into heaving sobs as tears continued to pour down her face. “I’m... so sorry...” She choked out between sobs. They sat like that for a time, Dash cried into the other mare’s shoulder while Rarity simply held her and stroked her mane. After what felt like an eternity, Rainbow’s sobbing slowed, and she pulled back from the embrace, looking up with an expression the fashionista couldn’t quite place.

        “Rainbow? Wha-hmmph!” Rarity’s words were cut off as Dash leaned forward, closing the distance between them and pressing their lips together. The kiss did not move any deeper, staying just a light brush of contact, but the pair let all of their hurt and anger, directed both at each other and themselves, drain away. Rarity felt a massive burden lift from her chest, and she felt Rainbow push a little further into the kiss, extending her tongue to brush Rarity’s lips. She let her mouth open a small amount at the contact.

        Dash responded eagerly, sending her tongue into the unicorn’s mouth to dance. A soft moan escaped her, and she pulled the other mare up to stand on their hind legs, flaring her wings for balance. A blue hoof trailed down the alabaster mare’s ribs, sending shivers through her body, but stopped just above her flank. Rainbow felt the need to say something, anything, but knew that words were not needed.

        Rarity lost herself in the kiss, not knowing or caring whether seconds or hours had passed. She pulled away reluctantly after a time, drawing a disappointed whine from the cyan pegasus. They locked gazes, each of them trying to wordlessly express their feelings. “Bedroom?” Rarity offered.

        A predatory grin spread across Dash’s face as a long-lost spark lit in her eyes. “Bedroom.” She replied breathlessly. They raced up the stairs, unable to contain themselves as they reached the soft, comforting embrace of the bed. The pair dove into the silken sheets and turned to face one another, laying side by side, their breathing labored.

        Rarity waited for Rainbow to make the first move, as she had downstairs, and she didn’t have to wait long. The reckless bravado that had reignited in Dash’s eyes burned brighter, and the pegasus leaned in for another kiss. Rarity lay back on the bed, more than content to let her friend take the lead.

        She shifted her position, allowing the other mare to climb on top of her. She broke the kiss, planting a line of soft, light pecks down the pegasus’ neck. A moan broke free from her as Rainbow trailed her tongue along her ear, but it became a sharp intake of breath as the languid lick ended with a quick nip on the sensitive appendage. She reciprocated, mixing an occasional nibble into the kisses along the light blue fur. She was rewarded with a throaty purr that vibrated through the skin below her lips. Another bite landed on her ear, firmer than the first, that sent a shiver of pleasure racing down her spine.

        Rarity gasped as Dash shifted on top of her, the feeling of their coats sliding together was like a thousand tiny caresses across her chest and stomach. Without warning, a bolt of unbearably intense pleasure coursed through her body, racing from her horn, down her back, and out to her hooves. She recoiled from the other mare, letting out a sharp hiss of discomfort.

        “Sorry... sorry.” Rainbow lifted herself up, a worried expression on her face. “You okay?”

        “I am... quite alright.” Rarity took a deep, calming breath, letting the residual waves of stimulation fade. She gave her best seductive gaze. “Now, where were we?” She asked, batting her eyelashes.

        “Oh, you know...” Dash broke out in another predatory grin. “Right about here.” She leaned back down for another kiss, fiercer than any of the previous ones. Rarity met her lips eagerly, parting her lips to allow the other mare’s tongue into her mouth. Unnoticed by either mare, the room slowly brightened as sunlight broke through the clouds and poured in the window. The pair fought back and forth, content to let the outside world pass them by. The movement of their coats against one another grew progressively slicker as both of their coats were matted with a light sheen of sweat. The silence was broken only by occasional moans and gasps as each mare’s wandering hooves found sensitive spots. They were eventually drawn out of their reverie by a far-off rumble of thunder.

        “Huh?” Dash pulled away, resulting in a disappointed whine from the unicorn under her. She glanced around the room in a sudden panic. “Shoot, what time is it?” She grabbed a clock from the nightstand. “Ten thirty? Oh no oh no oh no.” She jumped off of the bed and bounded over to the window. She threw the pane of glass open and looked back over her shoulder. “Sorry, Rares. I’m late for work. I’ll... swing by later, okay?” She smiled nervously.

        “That sounds lovely, dear.” Rarity replied before watching the chromatic mare leap out the window. After her friend disappeared from sight, she lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling as the events of the morning replayed in her mind. She still felt the icy stab of grief in her chest from losing Fluttershy, but now it was countered by a pleasant warmth. She knew that while she missed the pink-maned pegasus, and would for the rest of her life, she and Rainbow Dash had grown closer in sharing the burden of the departed mare’s death. If only it hadn’t taken such a horrific event for us to realize it. She thought. A knock drifted up from the show room, pulling her back to reality. Ten thirty? The store. It’s still closed. I should have opened hours ago. She scrambled out of the entangling silk sheets of the bed and raced out of the room. “One moment, please!”


*


        Rarity and Rainbow Dash walked down the streets of Ponyville, the sun passing directly overhead as they headed for toward the center of town. “Are you sure about this?” The former asked yet again. “We don’t have to do this if you don’t want to.”

        “For the last time, yes, I want to do this.” Dash replied, rolling her eyes. “You’re the one who’s been asking for us to do it. What’s the matter, having second thoughts?” She stepped over and bumped into her marefriend’s flank playfully.

        “Of course not.” Rarity feigned offense, sticking her nose in the air. “It is simply that you have requested time and again that we keep our relationship secret, and now you want to tell Pinkie Pie. Pinkie. Pie.” She reiterated the last words. “You realize that if we tell her today, then by tomorrow everypony from Manehattan to Los Pegasus will know about us.”

        “I know.” Rainbow looked off to the side for a moment. “But it’s been nine months, and I can’t-” She stopped mid-sentence and cleared her throat. “Ahem, I mean... I think our friends deserve to know about us... even if everypony else gets invited to the party.” She looked up as they approached Sugarcube Corner. She laid a hoof on the door handle and took a deep breath. “Well, here we go.” She pushed the door open and stepped inside.

        “There y’all are.” Applejack called as the tinkling of the bell over the door died away. “We were startin’ to get worried.” She leaned back in the booth she sat in. A plate in front of her held the last few remaining bites of an apple fritter. Twilight sat across the table her nose buried in a book. Her horn flared briefly as she flipped the page.

        “Whatever for, dear?” Rarity asked, her head cocked to the side in confusion.

        “Oh, uh... no reason.” Applejack threw the rest of the apple fritter into her mouth, forestalling any more discussion.

        “It’s just that Rainbow Dash doesn’t exactly have the best history with punctuality.” Twilight offered, never looking up from her book. “She’s even just not shown up on occasion, although... she does seem to have gotten better about that in the last few months or so.” A twitch of a smile flashed across her face for the briefest moment. She lit her horn again, placing a bookmark and closing the tome in front of her.

        “So she has.” Rarity eyed her marefriend, who trotted over to the booth with a forced casualness and sat next to Applejack. She followed suit and sat next to Twilight, who bit her bottom lip to keep from smiling. She turned to Applejack, who stared out the window as she swallowed the apple fritter in her mouth. Finally, her gaze fell on Dash, who gave her an artificial smile. “You’ve already told them, haven’t you?”

        “No, of course not.” Rainbow replied with a smile that screamed ‘blatant lie.’ She held the smile for several seconds before dropping her gaze to the table and speaking again. “Okay, yeah, I did.” She peeked up to see her marefriend’s reaction.

        Rarity sighed, shaking her head. “After all the resistance, you went ahead and told them without me.” She reached across the table and gave the pegasus’ hoof a light squeeze. “Very well, if you’ve already told them, why are we gathered here today?”

        “Hey, all of that was real.” Dash shot back, visibly relaxing at the contact. “I only told them a few weeks ago.”

        Pinkie Pie interrupted the discussion, coming out from behind the counter with a plate in her teeth. “Here yu guh.” She dropped the plate on the table in front of Rarity. “Made it just for you.” She looked over at Dash and winked. The fashionista stared at the pastry, her mouth agape. It was a cupcake, but a monstrously huge one. It was at least a foot across and just as tall. The base was made of chocolate with white frosting, complete with three blue diamonds resembling her cutie mark.

        “What are these made of, Pinkie?” Rarity poked at the blue diamonds with a hoof. “They are not actual gemstones, are they?”

        “Of course not, silly.” Pinkie patted the unicorn on the head. “They’re made of sugar glass. Looks just like glass or crystal, but it’s a lot tastier.” She reached behind her back and pulled out another sugar crystal, this one in the shape of a balloon, and popped it in her mouth, the sweet treat crunching loudly as she munched on it.

        “How intriguing... Even so, this is far too large for me to eat alone.” Rarity looked around the table. “Would any of you like a piece?”

        “Sure.” Twilight chirped, her smile a little too big.

        “No, thanks.” Applejack waved a hoof. “Ah just had a bite to eat.”

        “Um... yeah, sure thing, Rares.” Rainbow replied, a hint of nervousness in her voice.

        “Very well...” Rarity arched an eyebrow at her marefriend. “Does anyone have a-”

        “Knife?” Pinkie finished the question, pulling a knife from behind her back. “Oh, and yes, please.”

        “Thank you, Pinkie.” Rarity took the knife in her telekinetic grasp and hovered it over the cupcake. She lowered it into the pastry, slicing it in half. As the knife neared the bottom, it met resistance. She looked quizzically at Pinkie, who appeared to be fighting a head-splitting smile and vibrating slightly, then across the table at Dash, who shifted uncomfortably. The unicorn cut the cupcake around the resistance and pulled the two halves apart, revealing a long black box in the bottom. She shifted her magic and hovered the box in front of her. She heard her heart rate speed up and begin to roar in her ears.

        “Pi-Pinkie Pie.” Rarity’s voice shook slightly. “Wh-What is this?” She looked to the party pony, who shook her head and kept her mouth shut tight. She turned to her marefriend. “R-Rainbow Dash?”

        Rainbow got out of the booth, her wings fluttering in anxiety. She reached up and grabbed the box out of mid-air. “Well... i-it’s a gift, f-for you.” She sat down and opened the box with a hoof. Inside was a single cyan pinion, a flying feather. Rarity clapped a hoof to her mouth in shock. “I-It means-”

        “I-I know what it means, Rainbow.” Rarity cut her marefriend off, worry in her eyes. “Are... are you sure?”

        Dash smiled, reaching out to hold the other mare’s hoof. “I’ve never been more sure of anything in my life.” A hint of uncertainty flashed over her features. “What do you say?”

        “Yes!” Rarity blurted the word. “Yes, yes, yes! A thousand times yes!”

        In a blur of motion, Rainbow stood and swept Rarity up in her forelegs and leapt into the air, flying a quick circuit around the interior of Sugarcube corner before stopping to hover a few inches above the floor. “Y-You mean it?” Her voice wavered slightly.

        “Of course I do.” Rarity’s spirits soared as she floated in the air, held aloft by only the hooves of the mare she had come to love so dearly. She’s... getting better. She leaned in for a quick kiss. When she pulled back, she saw an all-too-familiar pain in her marefriend’s beautiful eyes, but it was softer than before. She idly wondered if that same pain was present in her own gaze.

        “I love you, Rarity.” Tears glistened in Dash’s eyes.

        Rarity’s heart swelled, just as it did every time she heard those words. “I love you too, Rainbow Dash.” She briefly thought back to the first time the pegasus had said those words to her. Dash, normally so confident and sure of herself, had stuttered and blushed for nearly three minutes before she managed to get them out.

        “Oh my gosh, I’m so happy for you two!” Pinkie Pie nearly exploded in excitement, jumping onto the floating mares and dragging them slowly back to the ground. She somehow wrapped her hooves all the way around them. “When Dashie told me about what she was planning I wanted to throw a party about it soooo badly, but she made me Pinkie Promise not to say or do anything until she asked you. Now she has and I can say ‘Congratulations!’”

        “Ah’m mighty happy fer ya, sugarcube.” Applejack patted both mares on the back before joining in on the group hug. Twilight piled on to the group hug, not saying anything but letting out a small squeal of excitement. Rarity and Dash merely looked into each others eyes as they filled with tears once again. For once, they were tears of joy.


*


        The weeks and months leading up to the wedding blurred by in a haze of preparations, and before she knew it, Rarity was standing next to Rainbow Dash in the Grand Hall of Canterlot Castle. She looked down, taking one last chance to admire her exquisite white dress, which she made herself, of course. Beside her, Dash was dressed in a gentlecolt’s tuxedo. She ran a critical eye over the tuxedo, smiling as she noticed Dash had finally remembered to make sure her tie was straight, something she had constantly had trouble with in the weeks before. Princess Celestia stood before them, flanked by the rest of their friends. Applejack, wearing her hat despite strenuous objections from Rarity, stood proudly to one side as Rainbow’s best mare. On the other side, Twilight and Pinkie Pie stood as Rarity’s bridesmares. The princess smiled warmly, brightening the hall before speaking.

        “Mares and Gentlecolts, we are gathered here today to bear witness to the union of Rarity and Rainbow Dash in marriage.” She looked out among the crowd. “If anypony has a reason that these two should not be wed, speak now or forever hold your peace.”

        “If anypony has an objection...” A dreadfully familiar voice sounded in the silence. “It should be the groom... or one of the brides in this case.” All eyes turned to the source of the disturbance. At the end of the front row stood a white unicorn stallion with a blond mane and a compass rose cutie mark. He smirked as everyone in the Grand Hall turned to stare at him.

        “Honestly, Rainbow Dash, what were you thinking?” Prince Blueblood asked mockingly. “Asking such a low-born, commonplace pony to marry you? Hardly befitting of a future Wonderbolt.” He took a step forward, moving away from the rest of the crowd. “Even worse, you chose to marry the very mare who is responsible for the death of somepony you professed to love. That pretty little pegasus, what was her name? Flut-”

        “Don’t you dare say her name!” Rainbow Dash leapt from the dais, flaring her wings to glide and land in front of the prince. She jabbed a hoof into his chest. “And don’t you dare say another word against Rarity! It wasn’t her fault, it was a mistake!”

        “Of course, a mistake.” Blueblood sneered, towering over Dash. “Just a little slip up that happened to kill your best friend. Something like that...” He paused, making a tsk sound. “It seems unforgivable.”

        “You think she didn’t lose just as much as I did?” Rainbow reared up on her hind legs, extending her wings. “You think she didn’t blame herself for it? That she didn’t spend nights crying her eyes out and wishing that somehow, someway she could take back what she did?”

        “Oh, but she can’t, can she?” Blueblood poked a hoof in the cyan mare’s chest, knocking her back onto all four hooves. “No one can. She’s gone forever, and there’s nothing you can do to change that.”

        “I don’t care!” Dash bellowed, a feral snarl on her face. “I love her, and that’s all that matters!” She stalked closer to the prince. “And I swear, with Celestia, Luna, and Cadence as my witnesses, if you say one more word against Rarity, I will buck your teeth in.”

        “Is that so?” The stallion smirked. “Well, I-”

        “Blueblood.” Celestia broke in, unleashing the full power of the Royal Canterlot Voice. Every eye in the hall turned to face her. A twitch at the corner of her mouth was the only indication that she was upset. “I believe it is time for you to leave.”

        “Of course, Aunt Celestia.” Blueblood gave an exaggerated bow and made his way slowly to the exit. Rainbow Dash trotted back up to the dais, taking a moment to smooth her ruffled feathers and mutter under her breath.

        “Rainbow...” Rarity whispered, her voice thick with emotion as tears filled her eyes.

        “Sorry about that, Rares.” Dash looked over her shoulder to where Blueblood had left and snorted.

        “You-” Rarity cut off her response before her emotions overtook her. She simply leaned over and kissed her soon-to-be wife on the cheek.

        “Ahem.” Celestia cleared her throat quietly. She leaned down. “I do believe you’re getting ahead of things. You’re not supposed to kiss her until after I pronounce you married.” She whispered with a wink.

        “My apologies.” The alabaster mare felt her cheeks flush with color.

        “No no, it is I who should be apologizing, but there will be time for that later. For now, let’s get this show on the road.” Celestia stood up, flaring her wings and speaking so her voice would carry. “Now, for the vows.” She turned to Rarity. “Do you, Rarity Belle, take Rainbow Dash to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, for all the days of your life?”

        “I do.” Rarity felt a warmth spread through her chest as the words passed her lips.

        Celestia turned to Dash. “And do you, Rainbow Dash, take Rarity to be your lawfully wedded wife? To have and to hold, for better or worse, for richer or poorer, in sickness and in health, for all the days of your life?”

        “You bet I do.” Rainbow said, a huge grin spreading across her face.

        The solar princess smiled beatifically. “Then, by the power vested in me as ruler of Equestria, it is my great honor to pronounce you mare and wife. Now, you may kiss the bride.”

        The couple turned to face one another. They leaned in, sharing a simple, chaste kiss. Rarity felt a joyous tear run down her cheek. This is... perfect.






















Love you, Rarishee...

> And Now, Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Programming
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Unexpected Confessions

Chapter Twelve


        And Now, Back to Our Regularly Scheduled Programming

        “-Love you Rarishee... Wake up! Rarisheeee!”

        The first thing Rarity became aware of was a horrible headache, the second thing was that her wife was shaking her forcefully. She shook her head, trying to clear it of all the cobwebs and cotton somepony had stuffed in it. She tried to open her eyes, but the light shining down threatened to blind her, so she clamped her eyes shut. What is wrong with Rainbow? Why in Equestria is she shaking me? She forced an eye open, trying to see through the blinding light. “D-Dash?”

        “Yoo’re okay!” A yellow and pink blur tackled her to the floor and peppered her with kisses. “I wash... sooooo... worried.” It said, the words broken up by pecks around her face.

        “Wh-What happened? I remember... I remember...” Rarity’s words trailed off as she tried to think about what she had just been doing. Rainbow Dash? It concerned her. At that moment, her brain re-engaged, attaching a name to the blur that had tackled her. Fluttershy? Fluttershy! She gently pushed the pegasus, who was still kissing her, away to get a better look at her. She stared at the cream-colored mare in front of her while her mind screeched to a halt. How? I remember... Oh, Celestia, my head. Images and emotions came flooding back to her She struggled to sit up, pressing a hoof to her head as her mind tried to reconcile the pegasus sitting before her with the events of the past months. “What happened, dear? How... How long was I unconscious?” She asked in an effort to buy herself time to think.

        “Well...” Fluttershy paused, looking down and counting silently to herself. “I don’t really know... I was turning on the... the waters. Then, I... um... falled in.” She scrunched up her face in concentration. “I got out, and... uh... came down here, and there you were!” She glanced around, but found her vision blocked by her wet mane. She decided then and there that the best way to get it out of her face was to shake her head vigorously, flinging water all over the room. She looked around at the now wet walls and floor. “Oopshie.” Her cheeks flushed in embarrassment, and she ducked to hide behind her mane.

        I... How did I get here? Rarity wondered, although the pounding pain just under her horn made coherent thought difficult. The last thing I remember is... Bits and pieces came back to her. Canterlot. Rainbow Dash. A wedding dress. She tried to think further back, remembering a funeral and Fluttershy’s death before that. But... This all has happened already. Hasn’t it? She recalled hitting her head the night her marefriend had died. I... hit my head, yes. But... it all seemed so real. So much time passed... Rainbow and I- Oh Celestia. She pressed a hoof to her forehead as scenes of Rainbow Dash and her in bed flashed before her, each one punctuated by another wave of pain. She looked up and realized her marefriend was still shielding herself behind her mane, afraid that the unicorn would be upset about the water she splashed everywhere.

        “It’s quite alright, darling.” Rarity pulled the other mare into a tight hug. She... she really is here. Alive. While a minor alcoholic haze still clung to the edges of her mind, the adrenaline coursing through her system, combined with the rapidly escalating pain in her head, sobered her up immensely. Was it... could it have been a dream? Some sort of vision? She closed her eyes, listening to the beating of Fluttershy’s heart as though it were the most magnificent symphony ever composed. Rainbow Dash’s voice floated through her mind. “So you just left your drunk marefriend alone while you were worrying about some stupid dresses?”

        Her eyes fell on the dresses, laying across the back of a nearby equinniquin. A fresh wave of guilt rolled over her. How could I have been so foolish? It could have cost me... Her emotions welled as tears pooled in her eyes. She buried her head in the other mare’s mane, letting the tears stream from her eyes. She struggled to control her breathing and held the pegasus tighter, to the point that Fluttershy began straining to breathe. The image of a casket slowly lowering into the ground filled Rarity’s mind, threatening to send her over the edge, but she was pulled out of the depths of her mind by a noise from upstairs. “Darling, did you turn the water off before coming downstairs?”

        Fluttershy cocked her head to the side, angling an ear up to the bedroom door. “Water?” She put a hoof to her chin. “What water?”

        “Oh, dear.” Rarity climbed the stairs, forcing the image from her mind and leaning against the wall for support, and heard a telltale splash of water hitting the ground. She trotted into the bathroom and lit her horn reflexively. It felt like an ice pick had been driven into her skull. She twisted the water spouts closed before clamping her hooves to her head, a hiss of pain escaping her. “Perhaps...” She paused, taking a calming breath. “I am not as fine as I thought.”

        “Yoo’s hurt.” Fluttershy walked into the bathroom, wavering dangerously, and galloped over to the sink. She opened the medicine cabinet and swept up all of the contents in her forelegs. She made her way back across the room unsteadily, on only her hind legs, extending her wings for balance. Her hoof landed in the puddle of water next to the tub, sliding a bit and upsetting her diminished sense of balance. She stumbled forward, then leaned back before falling to sit across from her marefriend. “Don’t worry, Rarishee. Momma Fluffer... Momma Flusher...” She stopped as her drunken state once again precluded proper pronunciation. “I’s gonna make it allll better.” She dropped the items from the cabinet on the ground in front of her.

        “I appreciate the effort, dear.” Rarity smiled as her marefriend surveyed the materials before her. “However, I do not know how you plan to fix my head using the makeup from my medicine cabinet.”

        “Um...” Fluttershy picked up a tube of lipstick. “I could, um...” She dropped it and grabbed a loose eyeliner pencil. “Maybe thish could... no.” She put the pencil back on the floor, tapping a hoof to her chin as she looked over the remaining beauty products. “Oh, I don’t... aha!” She picked the tube of lipstick back up and opened it, leaning forward to smear some across her marefriend’s lips and up her muzzle. She darted in and kissed the other mare on the lips, giggling as she pulled away, then stood up again and planted a light kiss on the unicorn’s forehead. “There. I can just kish it and make it better.”

        Rarity opened her mouth to respond, but fell silent as the kiss sent a light wave of warmth through her. It may not be the most helpful course of action... She smiled as her marefriend took her silence for consent and peppered the injured area with kisses. But it certainly doesn’t hurt. The kisses slowly made their way downward, journeying along her muzzle before arriving at her lips. After half a minute or so, the unicorn pulled away from the kissing. “Thank you, dear, but I-” Her words were cut off as Fluttershy started making small whimpering noises and pouting.

        She shook her head, a bemused smile on her face, and pulled her marefriend into another kiss. The other mare resumed her journey south, moving down the unicorn’s neck and onto her chest. She reached down as the trail of kisses passed along her stomach and pulled the pegasus’ head back up. “Darling, your kisses are helping a great deal, but I believe an ice pack might make them even more effective.” She prodded at the sore area below her horn, searching for any significant damage. She let out a sigh of relief as she found her horn to be intact.

        She stood up, putting one hoof to her pounding head and using the other to brace herself against the bathtub for balance. A small splash of water fell to the floor, drawing her attention to the full tub. “Fluttershy, dear, could you get me one of those towels?” She pointed with a hoof to a rack of towels across the room and the pink-maned pegasus trotted off to grab one. Meanwhile, Rarity reached a hoof down into the tub, sending another wave of water over the edge, and fumbled around for the drain plug. After several seconds of searching, she found the chain and gave it a pull, opening the drain.

        “Hmph mph mmm.” Fluttershy came up beside her, carrying one of the towels in her mouth.

        “Thank you, dear.” Rarity grabbed the towel and using it to dry her foreleg. She wiped it across her face, inhaling sharply as she hit the tender spot below her horn. “Come, darling, let’s head down to the kitchen and we can get an ice pack.” She lowered the towel to see her date vanish through the doorway. Oh Celestia, the stairs! An image flashed through her mind of Fluttershy lying on the floor, her legs and spine twisted and bent at unnatural angles. She threw the towel to the ground and ran after the cream-colored mare, skidding to a stop as she passed through the doorway out of her bedroom. She heaved a sigh of relief when she saw her marefriend still on the staircase, slowly making her way to the kitchen. She followed her date down the stairs and into the kitchen.

        “Icshe...” Fluttershy trotted around the kitchen, pulling open various drawers and cabinets in her quest for an ice pack. “Icshe... Icshe...” She dug into the cabinets under the sink, shoving aside various household cleaners as she searched.

        Rarity leaned against the doorway and watched the pegasus explore the kitchen with a disbelieving smile. She’s back. She’s alive. I... I can’t believe it. After a minute, she cleared her throat. “Darling, perhaps you should try the freezer if you are looking for ice.” She pointed a hoof to the refrigerator.

        “Hmm?” Fluttershy pulled her head out from under the sink and followed the direction of her friend’s hoof. She stared at the refrigerator for several seconds, blinking. “Oh, yesh. Icshe.” She trotted over, stopping for a moment to grab a loose towel from the counter, and pulled the door to the freezer open. After several seconds of rummaging, she backed out from the icebox, holding a carton of ice cream in one hoof and licking her lips. “Mmm... Icshe cream.”

        “Um... darling?” The unicorn grabbed the other mare’s attention. “What happened to the towel?” The pegasus simply stared at her uncomprehendingly. She pointed to her forehead. “Towel. For ice, for my head.”

        “Oh, right.” Fluttershy ducked back into the freezer and emerged a few moments later with an ice-filled towel in her mouth. “Hrrr ooo guu.”

        “Thank you, dear.” Rarity took the ice pack in a hoof and pressed it to her forehead.

        “Now, off to beds with yoo, young lady.” Fluttershy pointed a hoof out of the kitchen dramatically. “No excushes.” She added when the unicorn opened her mouth to protest.

        “Darling,” Rarity persisted, trying to distract her marefriend from sending her off to bed like a foalsitter. “Before we head off to sleep, would you care for a cup of tea?”

        “Ooh.” Fluttershy perked up at the suggestion, her earlier stern demeanor completely forgotten. “That does shound nicshe.” She placed a hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “Yoo s-sssit there and I’ll get everything ready.” She turned and pulled open a random cabinet, rummaging through it and emerging with a medium-sized iron pot. She trotted over to the sink and filled it with water before dropping it on the stove. After a minute of drunken fumbling and hitting, the pegasus managed to light the stove.

        Rarity stood up. “Actually, dear, the tea kettle is...”

        “Shh... Just ss-sit down and let me take care of it, okay?” Fluttershy wheeled around, the tip of her tail passing through the flame of the stove. The end of her tail caught fire, burning with a tiny flame that slowly grew as it crept up the hairs.

        “Your-” Rarity froze as she saw the fire on her marefriend’s tail. “Your-”

        “Shh...” The pegasus raised a hoof, trying to calm her date. “It’sh okay.” The flame on her tail grew.

        “Your tail is on fire!” Rarity screeched.

        Fluttershy turned her head and stared at her tail, taking a few seconds to realize it was, in fact, on fire. She turned around to look at it, but glanced around in confusion as her tail disappeared. She looked behind her and spotted her tail again. “Ooh... pretty.”

        Rarity jumped up from her seat and ran to the stove. She grabbed the pot of water in her mouth and moved behind the other mare. She turned the pot over, dumping water onto the floor and the flame. It went out with a sizzle, sending up a trail of smoke.

        Rarity dropped the pot to the floor with a clang and grabbed her date by the shoulders to turn her around. “Are you hurt, darling? Did you get burned?” She trotted around her marefriend, inspecting her singed tail and looking for any further injuries.

        The cream-colored mare flicked her tail around to look at it. “No. I’m okay.” She noticed the pot on the floor and picked it up, filling it at the sink and placing it back on the stove as though nothing had happened.

        Rarity sat back down and watched the scene before her unfold, shaking her head slightly. I can’t believe she’s not hurt. Her eyes flitted down to the blackened end of her date’s tail. Thank Celestia. She watched her marefriend searching through another set of cabinets and emerge with a pair of water glasses. Oh, the tea cups were right there! She bit her lip, wanting to let her date take care of her. She let out a quiet sigh of relief as the inebriated mare successfully found the container of sugar and brought it to the table.

        “Tea...” Fluttershy stepped into the pantry, followed shortly by the sounds of jars and bottles clinking together. She emerged after several seconds of searching with two small bags in her teeth. She walked back over to the table and dropped one bag in each water glass.

        Rarity chewed on her lip, hesitant to say anything. “Darling... this isn’t tea.” She lifted the packet out of her cup and examined it for a moment.

        “Hmm?” Fluttershy leaned in and squinted, staring intently at the packet. “Insh... Inshtant Oats... Oatmeal. Oh.” She kicked a hoof on the floor. “Um, where ish the tea?”

        “It’s on the middle shelf, left-hoof side.” Rarity explained.

        “Left... left...” Fluttershy stared at her hooves for a moment, looking back and forth between them. “Middle shelf.” She trotted back to the pantry, rummaging through it noisily. After another minute of searching, she reemerged with two tea bags clenched in her teeth. “Rrr thee thmm?”

        “Yes, dear. That’s the tea.” Rarity took the bags from her marefriend in a hoof, dropping one in each water glass on the table. Meanwhile, Fluttershy walked back over to the stove and picked the pot up in her mouth. She balanced it carefully on the way back to the table. She tilted her head above each cup, pouring a generous helping of the boiling water into them. A splash of water flew out of Fluttershy’s glass, landing on her hoof.

        “Ow!” She yelped in pain, letting the pot fall toward the floor.

        Rarity grabbed the pot with her magic reflexively, which sent a spike of pain through her head. The aura of her magic wavered as the pain made her concentration falter. She released the pot as the pain grew to feel like her head was splitting open. She pressed the ice pack more firmly against her forehead so that the ice could numb it. “Are... are you alright, darling?”

        “Mmm fhmm.” Fluttershy replied, the burned portion of her hoof in her mouth. “Hmph rrr yph?” She pointed her unburned hoof across the table.

        “I’m fine, dear.” Rarity grimaced as the pain in her head reduced to merely a pulsing ache. She watched her glass as the tea bag floated on the bottom and the water slowly changed color. She picked up the spoon in the sugar container and sprinkled a small amount of sugar into the glass. Her gaze frequently drifted up to the pegasus sitting next to her, afraid Fluttershy would disappear at any moment. After a minute, the steam rising from the glasses reduced to small wisps and she lifted the cup to her mouth with both hooves. She took a sip of the tea, letting out a satisfied sigh. “Mmm... a wonderful job, dear.” She took another drink, glancing over to the other mare, and immediately spit the liquid out in a fine spray, followed by a mixture of coughing and laughing.

        Fluttershy looked up from where she was bent over her own glass, lapping at her tea, just in time to be sprayed by her marefriend. “Whassat?” She wiped a hoof along her face, sending droplets of tea falling to the table and floor. “Wha... wha’s wrong?”

        “Why-” Another bout of coughing interrupted Rarity’s question. When it subsided, she tried again. “Why were you drinking your tea like that, dear?”

        “Huh?” Fluttershy tilted her head to the side in confusion. She stared at the glass in the unicorn’s hoof for a moment. “Oh, yeah.” She placed a hoof on each side of the glass and picked it up, bringing it to her lips. She tilted it back to drink, but it turned too far and spilled some tea along her muzzle. She tilted the glass back down and dropped it on the table. “Oopsh.” She mumbled, wiping a hoof across her face.

        Rarity chuckled and sat back to take another sip of her tea, reveling in the warmth as it traveled through her body. She nestled deeper into her chair, letting her eyes close momentarily as the calming nature of the tea took effect. “It’s fine, dear. Just finish your tea and then we can go to bed.”

        “Ooh... I like bed.” Fluttershy smiled, with a blatantly suggestive tone, before going back to lapping at her tea. When the liquid got too low for her to reach, she gripped the glass in her teeth and picked it up off the table, tilting her head back to dump the rest of the tea in her mouth. She swallowed the tea and dropped the glass on the table. “Ahh... that was tashty.”

        Rarity lifted her own cup and drained the remaining liquid, letting out a satisfied sigh. “Are you ready, dear?”

        “Mmm, yesh.” Fluttershy purred. She hopped down from her chair and sauntered around the table. She leaned in and nuzzled her marefriend’s neck for a moment before planting several light kisses trailing up to her ears. She turned and walked away, heading for the staircase and swaying her hips.

        The pair exited the kitchen and ascended the stairs again, somewhat awkwardly due to the pegasus’ inebriation and the unicorn walking on only three legs to hold the ice pack to her head. When they reached the second floor, Fluttershy meandered over to the bed while Rarity trotted into the bathroom to throw the ice-filled towel into the sink. A nagging thought pulled at the unicorn’s mind as the ice settled in the sink.

         Rarity fixed her eyes to the tile floor, her brain resuming the internal battle she had been having ever since she realized that Fluttershy was alright. She’s... alive. She really, truly is here. She closed her eyes, and the hauntingly familiar image of the pegasus lying limp and still floated before her. Could it... could it have been a dream? A resurgent throbbing in her head certainly lent an amount of credence to that theory.

        “Rarishee?” Fluttershy called from the other room.

        “Coming, dear.” Rarity tossed the towel over the edge of the bathtub and walked back into the bedroom. Her marefriend was lying on the bed, patting the spot next to her. She climbed onto the silken sheets warily, leaving a space between them. She extended a hoof cautiously, afraid that this was the dream, and that the pegasus would vanish at the lightest touch. She shook her head and scooted closer, laying down next to her date and running a hoof through her still slightly damp mane.

        “Mmm...” Fluttershy let out a contented sigh and leaned forward to nuzzle the unicorn. “I love you, Rarishee.”

        “I love you too... Fluttershy.” Rarity pulled her marefriend into a hug, and a sudden wave of emotion threatened to bring tears to her eyes before she corralled it. “I... I’ve missed you, so much.” She whispered, feeling Fluttershy’s ear twitch in her direction. She nestled into the bed, content to merely hold the pegasus, if just to remind herself that she was real. The fog of sleep encroached on her, only to be driven away by an unforeseen sensation. She startled as her marefriend kissed her neck and began trailing upward while a hoof simultaneously wandered down her side. “Darling?”

        “Hmm?” Fluttershy pulled away reluctantly, a barely concealed desire smoldering in her eyes. “Wha’s wrong?”

        “Nothing is wrong, per se.” Rarity chewed on her lip for a moment, searching for a way to dissuade the other mare gently. It would be so much easier without this accursed head- she mentally facehoofed at the obvious answer. “You see, dear, I am not feeling terribly well.” She pointed a hoof at her injured forehead, where the red welt was darkening into a purple and blue bruise. “Perhaps we should simply go to sleep.”

        “Oh no.” Fluttershy looked up at the afflicted area, scrunching up her face in concentration. She perked up as an idea struck her. She craned her head up and kissed the bruise, just as she had earlier.

        Rarity smiled as the wave of warmth from before passed through her. She lay on her back and motioned for her marefriend to curl up next to her. The other mare obliged, and slid over to snuggle, laying her head on the unicorn’s chest. Rarity leaned down and kissed her marefriend on the forehead, making her tilt her head up so their lips could meet.

        Fluttershy shifted, rolling onto her stomach and reaching a hoof up to lay it on her marefriend’s shoulder. She stretched up, pressing into the kiss and increasing her tempo as her partner reciprocated. Her tongue darted out, wiggling between the soft lips pressed against her own for a moment before they parted. A moan slipped out of her as a hoof ran through her mane. She tried to return the favor and trailed a hoof along the other mare’s ribs, smiling as a shiver of pleasure ran through her body. Her hoof continued its journey downward, briefly flitting across the white flank below her before being pulled back.

        Rarity pulled the yellow hoof back up and trailed her own down her marefriend’s side, smiling as tensed up and let out a series of giggles between kisses. They lay together for a time, content to merely hold each other and steal the occasional kiss. Every few minutes one of Fluttershy’s hooves would wander too far down, forcing Rarity to pull it back up and redouble her efforts to distract the inebriated mare with kisses. Eventually, Fluttershy’s movements became slower and uncoordinated, and her head would droop as her eyes slid closed.

        Rarity pulled away from their latest kiss, drawing a disappointed whine from her marefriend. “Are you tired, dear?” She leaned down and kissed the pegasus on the nose. “Would you like to get some rest?”

        “I’m not really tired yet.” Fluttershy protested halfheartedly, trailing a hoof down the alabaster mare’s stomach. She yawned cutely and rubbed at her eyes.

        “Is that so?” Rarity smiled and reached down to pull the covers over them. She ran a hoof through her marefriend’s mane and started humming “Hush Now, Quiet Now.” She felt the other mare nestle deeper into the bed, and after barely a minute had passed, the sleeping pegasus let out a small, dainty snore.

        Rarity lay back and stared at the ceiling for a moment before closing her eyes. She waited for sleep to take her, but her mind refused to shut down. Something was missing, but she couldn’t put her hoof on it. She shook her head, being careful not to wake Fluttershy. What could possibly be missing? She’s back. She’s here, in my hooves. I... I have a second chance. Despite her mental assurances, she couldn’t shake the feeling of emptiness that plagued her. Something is missing... but what?

        You have your marefriend sleeping next to you after a wonderful, if unorthodox, first date. What more could you ask for? Her mind questioned.

        That’s just it... I don’t know. Rarity sighed. I have everything I could have hoped for, and yet... Next to her, Fluttershy stirred, wiggling around for a few seconds before settling back down with a small sigh. It still feels... empty. She thought idly as she leaned down to kiss her marefriend lightly on the forehead.

        Maybe it’s just exhaustion?

        Maybe... Rarity closed her eyes. But with this goddess-forsaken headache, I fear sleep may prove elusive. She pressed a hoof to her temple, the introspection was making her headache worse. She took a free pillow from the bed and put it in her mouth, biting down, then focused her magic to grab a bottle of pills in her medicine cabinet. The pain in her head doubled as she floated the bottle into the room and over to the bed, causing her to bite down harder. As it floated closer, her concentration faltered, breaking the spell and letting the bottle fall. She quickly re-wove the spell and stopped the pills inches above the floor. She grasped the container as it drifted into her reach, letting go of her magic and fighting to keep silent as she spit out the pillow. She popped it open and dumped a few of the pain-relieving pills into her hoof before tossing them into her mouth and swallowing them. She placed the bottle on her nightstand, then turned her attention back to the ceiling as she waited for them to work. She brought her free hoof to her mouth to cover a yawn as her eyes slid closed and she fell into the peaceful realm of sleep.


*


        “Morning. How’re ya feeling?”

        Rarity rolled over, draping a foreleg over her eyes. It’s too early for this. She grabbed a pillow and put it on top of her head. “Ugh... my head. What time is it, Fluttershy?”

        “Rares...” The voice sounded infinitely sad.

        Several things registered for her at once. The softness of the bed. The lack of sheets. Her eyes snapped open and she turned to face the source of the voice. “R-Rainbow?” She breath caught in her throat. “Oh goddesses, it was a dream after all.” She leaned forward embracing her wife with a foreleg.

        Dash returned the hug for a moment before pulling back. “What was it about?” She asked, cocking her head to the side.

        Rarity rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling. “It was...” She hesitated, realizing it the truth would hurt Rainbow as sure as it had hurt her just now. “It’s not important, love.” She reached down to hold one of Dash’s hooves. “I had a dream, and I woke up a little muddled... and with a terrible headache for some reason.” She pressed her free hoof to her temple. “Did we have wine last night?”

        “No, we didn’t.” Rainbow brought the hoof she was holding up and kissed it lightly. “So, what did you dream about?” She asked again, a little more insistently.

        “Please, love, let it go. It was a dream. That’s all it was.” She rolled onto her side and draped a foreleg across the other mare’s shoulder. “Now, come here. I want to kiss my wife good morning.”

        The kiss didn’t last long enough, not nearly long enough.

        “It was about Fluttershy, wasn’t it?” Dash asked after she reluctantly pulled away.

        “Wha-” Rarity’s eyes flew open. “N-No! Why would-” She stopped, trying to tone down her reaction a bit. “I’m sorry, throbbing headache. No, dear. It was nothing important. I’ve already forgotten it.” She moved to the edge of the bed and hopped to the floor, experiencing a moment of vertigo as she sunk into the cloud surface slightly. “Come now, let’s get some breakfast. You really wore me out last night.” She looked back over her shoulder, winking.

        Rainbow smirked, but didn’t get up. “When you woke up just now, you asked ‘what time is it, Fluttershy?’.” She patted the spot next to her on the bed.

        “Oh...” Rarity’s ears folded back, and her cheeks flushed with color. She climbed back into the bed and lay down.

        “How do you know?”

        Rarity raised an eyebrow at the question. “How do I know what, exactly?”

        “How do you know it was a dream?” Dash propped herself up on an elbow and ran a hoof along the unicorn’s chest and stomach.

        Rarity closed her eyes, smiling as the feather-light touch sent a shiver through her. When it passed, she opened her eyes again, gazing lovingly at her wife. “Because... What I have here, with you love, what I feel for you... that is real. The dream...” She dropped her gaze to stare at the bed. “It was just my mind wishing for things.”

        Rainbow reached down and lifted the other mare’s chin. “Are you sure?”

        “That I love you?” Rarity asked, searching desperately for a way out of the conversation. “Oh yes, love. I am very, very, sure.” She did her best to impersonate Dash’s predatory grin.

        Dash smiled, but tapped a hoof on the other mare’s stomach in annoyance. “Stop deflecting, Rarity. Are you sure that it wasn’t real, and this is?”

        “A-As sure as I can be.” Rarity shifted uncomfortably, a knot of worry forming in her stomach, yet a corner of her mind wondered if her partner was right. “Why are you doing this? I just want to forget-”

        “No!” Rainbow pounded the mattress with a hoof, sending up small wisps of cloud. “Don’t forget her! Never even think about forgetting her. We both love her.”

        “Well, yes.” Rarity admitted. “But, she’s... gone.”

        “Are you sure?” Dash placed her hoof against her wife’s muzzle. “What if she wasn’t? What if it was real?”

        Rarity didn’t answer for a time, and her voice was small and shaky when she finally did. “Th-That would be... horrible.”

        Without warning, Rainbow drew her foreleg back and slapped Rarity across the face. The unicorn flinched, but there was no pain, only the same nagging headache that had been present when she woke up. She stared at the pegasus, her emotions rapidly fluctuating between hurt and angry. “What did you do that for?”

        “Because you needed it.” Dash replied flatly. She placed her hoof against the spot she had just hit, rubbing it gently. “Did it hurt?”

        “Well, no.” Rarity looked at the other mare warily, unsure where the conversation was headed. “I don’t see what-”

        “Doesn’t that seem you as a little, I don’t know, weird?”

        Rarity gently pushed the hoof rubbing her cheek away, her mind working feverishly. After a few moments of silence, she arrived at the only conclusion that made any sense, but immediately discarded it. “Please, stop this. I love you, Rainbow. Don’t... don’t do this.” Her vision grew blurry as her eyes filled with tears.

        “Rarity...” Rainbow smiled sadly. “You already figured it out. This isn’t...” She drifted into silence, as though finishing the thought was physically painful for her.

        A single overwhelming thought filled Rarity’s mind. “Why?”

        Rainbow lowered her eyes. “Did you think I was worth marrying?” She asked, her voice wavering.

        “O-Of course!” Rarity lifted her wife’s head to look into her eyes. She gazed into those rose-colored orbs and memories came flooding back to her. Their first kiss. The first time Rainbow said that she loved her. The proposal. Dash standing up to Blueblood at the wedding. “How can you even ask that?”

        Dash smiled and leaned into the hoof pressed against her cheek. “Then isn’t she, the real me, worth fighting for?”

        This time, Rarity looked away. “But... she doesn’t...” Her words were silenced by a cyan hoof.

        “You didn’t think that ‘Shy did, either.” Rainbow tapped the unicorn on the nose. “You had to work up the courage to ask. Now come on, you have to go back now. ‘Shy’s waiting for you.”

        Rarity felt tears spill over from her eyes, trailing down her cheeks, and she choked back a sob. “But... Rainbow, th-the real one... she doesn’t love me.”

        Dash pulled the alabaster mare into a hug, wrapping her wings around the unicorn. “She just doesn’t know what to look for yet. Give it some time. She’ll love you, just like I do.”

        Rarity buried her face in the prismatic mane before her, trying and failing to slow her tears. “B-But... what about you?”

        “Don’t worry about me.” Rainbow ran a hoof through her wife’s mane. “If you ever need me, I’ll be right here.”


*


        Morning came after a fitful night’s sleep. Rarity jolted back into consciousness with a start, the feeling of Rainbow’s hug lingering in her mind. She opened her eyes as sunlight tried to force its way through her eyelids. She looked upon the still sleeping form of the love of her life, torn in indecision. That feeling of something, or somepony, missing was back, and she was doing her best to ignore it. She shook her head, being careful not to wake Fluttershy. “What could possibly be missing?” She voiced the question aloud, unable to ignore it any longer and keeping her voice low.

        You know exactly what’s missing, Rarity. She scolded herself. You’re just afraid that admitting it will somehow soil or diminish this, even though you had a dream that told you everything you would care to know. Coward.

        “It’s a perfectly rational fear.” She bit her lip and looked out the window, gazing at a patch of cloud as it languidly floated past her window. “Rainbow and I forced Fluttershy to choose between us. She didn’t want to, but we made her do it. We made her hurt one of us. Now I suddenly want to tell her it was all for nothing? What would they think of me?”

        She grimaced, feeling the combination of headache and hangover squeezing her head like a vice. She shut her eyes, and a pair of rose-colored eyes floated in her vision, their beauty marred by a haunting pain. She squeezed her eyelids shut tighter. None of that happened! None of it! A knot of tightness formed in her chest as she continued along the train of thought. It wasn’t really Rainbow. It was a construct that my mind... made up. That’s what I have feelings for, not the real Rainbow Dash.

        “But, are the two really mutually exclusive?” She wondered aloud, thinking back to the reasons she had fallen in love with Rainbow in her dream and comparing them to the real Dash. “They’re all there. She just has... other tendencies that get in the way.”

        Rarity opened her eyes, if only stop the memory of Rainbow’s gaze from hovering in her vision. “Memory...” Her ear twitched as a bird chirped outside. “Is it still a memory if it never happened?” Next to her, Fluttershy stirred, wiggling around for a few seconds before settling back down with a small sigh. Keep quiet! She rebuked herself, waiting for a sign the pegasus was asleep before continuing. Several seconds later, she heard a soft snore from the mare in her hooves, and her mind drifted back to her dreams. Not that all of this makes a difference. She sighed and leaned down to kiss her marefriend lightly on the forehead.

        A niggling thought at the back of her mind forced its way to the front. Of course it makes a difference, fool. She chided herself. Just look at why you didn’t agree to the trinogamous relationship when Fluttershy brought it up.

        Rarity snorted, not looking forward to revisiting that particular event, then checked to make sure her date was still asleep. She sighed and stared at the ceiling, thinking back to when Fluttershy suggested the three-way relationship. “In order for it to work, Rainbow and I would have to be... together. I wasn’t sure if I could do that. I was in love with Fluttershy, and I... never thought that I could truly love another pony, much less at the same time.” She whispered.

        Well, problem solved, no? She asked herself. I’m in love with Rainbow- She stopped herself from completing the thought. No. Don’t think that. She pressed a hoof to her temple, the introspection was making her headache worse again. She glanced over to the nightstand, where the bottle of pain-relieving pills sat. She reached out with a foreleg, stretching as far as she dared without waking her marefriend, but the bottle sat just out of her reach. She strained to extend the last few inches, but Fluttershy stirred lightly, mumbling in her sleep.

        She edged back to her original position, snuggling up to her fillyfriend. Though, I... am right, in a way. The Rainbow in my dream may not have been the real one, but... She turned her head to watch the sunlight crawl across the floor. Even though I love Rainbow, she was also opposed to the idea, rather vehemently.

        A wry smile pulled at her lips as she got an idea. Well, I could always hit her over the head, knock her out, and hope that she has a dream like I did and wakes up in love with me. She rolled her eyes, bringing her free hoof to her mouth to cover a yawn. Yes, I’m sure there’s no possible way that could backfire. She giggled as an image of that scenario played through her mind. Her gaze was drawn back to the mare laying in her hooves. “Perhaps I should go talk to her.” She sighed, running a hoof through the pegasus’ mane. “It seems so unfair. Dash loves her as well, after all. We could be so happy, just like I was.”

        She frowned as she realized she had used the past tense. “I... was, but am I still?” She watcher her marefriend sleep for a moment, her smile returning as the other mare mumbled in her sleep before sneezing. “I am, but it’s... different now. Before, I was ecstatic being with Fluttershy. Now, though?” She went back to staring at the ceiling, her grin faltering slightly. “I’m still happy, but I know how much better it could be with Rainbow here.”

        Would she even consider it? She wondered. Could she ever accept such an offer, or would it just be cruel to even ask?

        Rarity bristled. “I want her to be happy as well.” She whispered, a bit of vehemence creeping into her voice. “So what if it wasn’t really her? The Dash in my dream was every bit as loyal and loving as she is in the real world.”

        Even so, that doesn’t mean that she’ll say yes if I ask her to give me- us, give us a chance.

        She sat up, a fiery determination burning in her stomach, and flinched as Fluttershy rolled over, mewling something unintelligible. She glanced down at her fillyfriend, making sure she was still asleep. I have a second chance here, a fresh start. I’ll just have to make her fall in love with me. She nearly clopped her hooves in excitement as she got an idea. Oh! I could beat her to the punch on the proposal this time!

        Doubt tugged at her thoughts, eroding the confidence she had in her own words. Life doesn’t work like a romance novel. You can’t just tell somepony you had a dream and now find yourself in love with them. She lay back down, pressing herself against Fluttershy’s back and wrapping a foreleg around her. She held in a snort of laughter as the pegasus’ wing twitched, sending the feather tips brushing across her stomach, and laid her chin on the sleeping mare’s shoulder.

        “Actually, why not?” A spark of hope lit in her chest. “Love is inspired by so many things. Rainbow is a wonderful friend, one who has saved my very life without hesitation not once, but twice, and that’s ignoring the various times she has saved me indirectly. Dash has a very big heart. Just look at how quickly she forgave all of us for the Mare-Do-Well incident, not to mention how much she cares for Tank despite the fact that he can’t fly without his heli-pack. I just hope that she can find room for one more pony in there. Besides, it would make Fluttershy happy as well, I see no downside.”

        She was immediately confronted by a glaring flaw in her logic. The downside is that if she refuses, we’ll be no better off. She followed that line of thought, the knot of worry in her stomach growing. If she refuses... There may be only one way to make her happy. Could I make that sacrifice?

        She blanched, as much as an already white unicorn can blanch, anyway. The fear took root in her mind and she looked down at Fluttershy.“G-Give her up and let her be with Dash?” She swallowed nervously.

        If you love them, it may be the only way you can make both of them happy.

        Her attempt to wrap her mind around that possibility was interrupted as the mare laying on her chest stirred.


*


        Fluttershy woke up slowly, her head once again pounding in the vise grip of a hangover. That’s it. I’m never touching alcohol again. She brought her free foreleg up and draped it over her eyes to shield what little sunlight filtered through her eyelids. Her hoof landed on an expanse of soft fur, and she belatedly realized her head was lying on the same coat of fur. Hazy memories of the previous night came back to her. The last thing she remembered clearly was Rarity persuading her to have a drink of wine, everything after that was fuzzy. She vaguely recalled falling down a lot, and something about a bathtub.

        “Good morning, darling.” Rarity cooed, smiling lightly as her marefriend cringed from the sound. She felt her own hangover pulsing at the back of her head, but it paled in comparison to the resurgent pain in her forehead. She lowered her voice to a whisper. “I’m sorry. Are you hungry?”

        “Ugh...” Fluttershy’s stomach flipped at just the thought of food, but she hoped it would help her hangover. She struggled up to a sitting position, waiting for the accompanying wave of nausea to pass. “Kind of, um, if you are, too.” She cracked an eye open, but shut it again as the sunlight seared her retina. “So bright...”

        “Allow me, dear.” Rarity offered, holding in a chuckle. She lit her horn, sending a minor surge of pain through her head, and tried to pull the curtains around the closed. She focused, but the curtains remained where they were. She concentrated harder, but only succeeded in giving herself a worse headache. She moved to the edge of the bed and hopped to the floor, walking around the room and pulling the drapes shut. She climbed back on the bed and lay next to the other mare. The pain’s not as bad as last night. She lifted a hoof to probe her forehead, wincing as she poked the bruised area. Although, it will be weeks before this heals properly.

        “Oh my goodness, what happened to your head?” Fluttershy stood on the bed, ignoring the pounding her head caused by the sudden movement. The room swam around her, and she fell back to the bed. She paused to take a deep breath and pushed herself back up. “Are you okay? Does it hurt? We need to get some ice on it.” She trotted to the edge of the bed, but was held back by her marefriend’s hoof.

        Rarity smiled apologetically. “It’s alright, dear. We iced it down last night, and I took some painkillers. It just needs to heal now. Speaking of painkillers, do be a dear and grab that bottle, won’t you?”

        Fluttershy turned to the bedside table, spotting a bottle of pills on it. She scooted to the edge of the bed and grabbed it, bringing it back to her marefriend.

        “Thank you, darling.” The unicorn took the container and popped the lid off, dumping a pair of pills into her hoof before handing the bottle back to the pegasus, who dropped it back on the table. She tilted her head back and swallowed the pills. “Could I interest you in some breakfast? I believe I could manage some scrambled eggs and toast.”

        “That sounds nice, thank-.” Fluttershy pressed a hoof to her mouth as her stomach threatened to empty its non-existent contents at the thought of food. “On second thought... maybe not. I think I should just head home, if that’s okay with you.” She dropped her eyes to stare at the bed, glancing up occasionally to gauge her marefriend’s reaction.

        “That’s quite alright, dear.” Rarity moved to the edge of the bed and hopped down, heading for the bedroom door. She made her way down the stairs, looking back over her shoulder every few steps to make sure her friend was still following her.

        Fluttershy stepped out of the bedroom, raising a foreleg to shield her eyes from the light streaming through the many windows on the ground floor. “Nnng... bright.” She moaned, fighting the urge to get back in bed and bury her head under a pillow for a few hours. She stepped to the edge of the staircase and leaned against the wall, sliding along it as the went down the stairs.

        “Here, darling.” Rarity held out a wide-brimmed hat and a pair of sunglasses as the pegasus reached the bottom of the stairs. After the other mare had donned them, the pair made their way slowly toward the front door.

        “Thank you for last night.” Fluttershy said as they reached the entryway of the shop. “I had a really nice time. I’ll... see you around?” She reflexively tried to hide behind her mane, but her hat obscured her face as she ducked her head.

        “Of course, dear.” Rarity lifted her marefriend’s chin with a hoof and leaned it to give her a quick kiss on the cheek. She pulled the door open and stood aside to let the pegasus pass. A small portion of her wanted to walk the other mare home, but she knew that it was unnecessary. As Fluttershy began her trek home, Rarity couldn’t help but call after her. “Be careful, darling.” She immediately felt foalish and closed the door, turning to trot into the kitchen for a light breakfast.


> Expected Confections
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Unexpected Confessions

Chapter Thirteen


Expected Confections

        Twilight dropped her fork onto the table, sitting back with a contented sigh. A few splotches of pasta sauce on her plate were all that remained of the spinach lasagna that had been there minutes earlier. “Mmm... that was delicious. Thanks for lunch, Spike.” She stood up and made her way back to the stack of books she had been reading before the aroma of her assistant’s meal lured her away.

        “No problem, Twilight.” Spike waved a hand, deflecting the compliment. “We both know that if I didn’t pull you away from studying every now and then, you’d read until you started eating the pages.” He chuckled to himself, picking up the plates and utensils from the table and carrying them to the sink. When he turned back around, the unicorn was staring at him, aghast.

        “Eat... a book?” She looked at him like he had suggested she try and overthrow Princess Celestia. She lifted the book she had been reading, The Magic of Mathematics, glancing between it and her assistant for a few moments. “Why would anypony even do that? While paper is made from plant fibers, the process of turning the fibers into sheets of paper destroys virtually all of the nutritional value. Also, ink can be harmful if ingested in sufficient quantity, causing-” She stopped, belatedly noticing Spike giving her a disbelieving look. She cleared her throat and trotted over to the couch, hopping up onto the cushions. “Right.”

        Chapter Fifteen: The Various Varieties of Vector Calculus and Their Effects on Gravitational Theory. She couldn’t help but smile at the opportunity for new knowledge. She settled into the cushions of the couch and began reading. Vector calculus, also known as vector analysis, is a branch of mathematics concerned with differentiation and integration of vector fields, primarily- She startled as a clawed hand landed on her shoulder.

        “Ah!” Twilight turned, facing her assistant. “What was all that about?”

        “Sorry.” Spike pulled away, rolling his eyes. “I tried calling you, but you were too busy reading.” He walked back toward the kitchen, talking over his shoulder. “Didn’t you say you had to head out to Sweet Apple Acres after lunch?”

        Twilight quickly compiled a list of possible reasons she could need to go out to the farm before remembering her training session with Applejack. “Oh shoot, I’m going to be ta- late. I’m going to be late.” She placed a bookmark in her mathematical text and closed it with slightly more force than necessary, floating it over to rest on top of the nearby pile. She hopped down from the couch and trotted over to the door, pulling it open with a brief pulse of magic. “I should be back in a couple of hours, you’re in charge until then.” She shut the door behind her, leaving the baby dragon alone in the library.

        “Alright, Spike’s in charge.” He rubbed his claws together, looking around the room. “What to do... What to do?” He continued gazing around the main room for a moment before walking over to a beanbag near the window and flopping down. He grabbed a comic book off the floor and flipped it open.


*


        Twilight walked down the dirt road to Sweet Apple Acres, basking in the sunlight as it shone down from the mostly cloud-free sky. A nagging thought tugged at her mind, but she pushed it away. Not yet. Instead, she focused on identifying the various flowers along the road that had already bloomed. A splotch of color in the sky caught her attention, drawing her gaze upward. She spotted a familiar rainbow-hued tail hanging off one of the few clouds in the sky, and the sight brought the image she had spent fourteen chapters of advanced mathematics trying to suppress to the forefront of her mind. The memory of Rarity and Fluttershy kissing flashed through her head. She gulped, looking at the cloud for any signs that its occupant was awake.

        A small green head poked over the edge of the cloud, a smile growing slowly on its face. Tank activated the magical device strapped to his shell and lifted off of Rainbow Dash, floating down to Twilight. The sudden absence of her pet’s weight caused Rainbow to stir, rolling over on the cloud.

        “No, Tank. Go back to Dash.” Twilight whispered. She chewed on her lip as he kept falling. Can’t use normal telekinesis. No idea how it will react with the magic powering his heli-pack. She lit her horn and sent a light wave of telekinetic force skyward, hoping to lift the tortisecopter back to the cloud. Tank merely slid along the wave of force until he fell off, and continued his gentle descent to the ground. The wave kept going upward and clipped the edge of Rainbow’s cloud, bumping it off to the side. The pegasus stirred again, scooting to peek over the edge of the cloud as she cracked an eye open.

        “Hmm?” Rainbow gazed down, looking for anything that could have woken her. She saw Tank floating down to the ground, headed for Twilight. “Oh, hey-” She stopped as the urge to yawn overpowered her. “Hey, Twi. How’s it goin’?” She stood up and stretched, flapping her wings a few times. She lifted a rear leg and kicked the cloud, causing it to burst into a fine mist, and spread her wings to join her pet in gliding to the ground.

        “Fine.” Twilight replied, narrowing her eyes at Tank as he finally reached the ground. Her gaze shifted as Rainbow landed next to him. “Don’t get up on my account. I’m just passing through.”

        “Nah, it’s cool. I needed to get up anyway.” Dash rolled her neck, eliciting a series of cracks. She glanced around, getting her bearings, and spied the top of the Apple family barn over a hill behind her. “Headed out to the farm, huh? Does AJ need help with something? Or do you need to buy some apples?” She perked up as an idea struck her. “Oh! Did AJ find a hidden barrel of cider leftover? Can I have a cup or two... or five?”

        “Wait, what? No.” Twilight tried to think of a possible excuse, but came up with nothing. “I... asked Applejack to help me train for the Running of the Leaves this year, and today is our first session.”

        “Really?” Rainbow cocked her head to the side. “No offense, Twi, but don’t you have a book to read or something? Racing doesn’t really sound like your thing.”

“Well, I did beat both you and Applejack in the Running of the Leaves that one time.” Twilight replied with a smile.

“Beginner’s luck.” Dash snorted.

Twilight nodded. “Exactly, which is why I want to actually train this time... believe it or not, I enjoy the Running of the Leaves and getting to race with you girls. It would be even better if I could actually keep up with you two.”

That got a smile out of Dash. “You know, Twi, you’re pretty cool... for an egghead. Anyway, that sounds like fun. You mind if I tag along? I could use a good run.”

        Twilight wanted to refuse. This was supposed to be her time alone with Applejack. She quashed that impulse as quickly as she could, knowing she couldn’t stop Rainbow from coming along if she wanted to. Besides, saying no would just be impolite. “Sure thing, Rainbow. The more, the merrier.” She fell into step next to the pegasus as they headed off in the direction of the farm.

        Dash looked back over her shoulder and called to her pet. “Come on, Tank. Up, boy.” The heli-pack on his shell powered up, lifting Tank off the ground to fly over and land on Rainbow’s back. “Good boy.” She flexed a wing around and patted him on the head. She turned her head to talk. “So... what’s with the sudden urge to train? You’ve never really cared about where you finished in the past. Something about the journey being more important than the destination, or some other philosophical thing.”

        Because I want to spend time with Applejack. Alone. Twilight commented to herself as she searched for a less awkward reason to share with her friend. “Well, over the years I’ve finished fifth and fourth most of the time, and even third one year, but I’ve never been able to beat you two. I don’t think that I’ll be able beat either of you with just a few days or weeks training, but I could at least finish third consistently.” She shrugged as best she could while trotting. “Just wanted to try and push myself, I guess.”

        “Yea, I get that.” Dash nodded, a familiar smirk creasing her features. “Although, if you really wanna push yourself, you should’ve come to me. AJ will wanna start off slow, build up your endurance... blah blah blah.” She rolled her eyes. “It’ll take months before you’re ready to actually run the Running.” She puffed out her chest. “Me on the other hoof, I’d have you ready in a week. Granted, you probably wouldn’t be able to walk after the first few days, but hay... no pain, no gain.”

        “Maybe, but Applejack’s way is better.” Twilight snickered at her friend’s look of disbelief. “I read a book on training before our first Running of the Leaves. Her way is, quite literally in this case, the textbook method of training for a race. You have to start small and work your way up.”

        “Whatever.” Rainbow rolled her eyes and turned back to the road.

        They crested the last hill, bringing Sweet Apple Acres into view. She looked out over the rows and rows of trees, searching for a telltale speck of orange among the sea of green. Calm down, Twilight. She chided herself. You just saw her yesterday. Hay, you had dinner with her. It was practically a da- She stopped short. The mere thought of the word ‘date’ brought several things she would rather not think about to mind. The image of Rarity and Fluttershy kissing in front of Carousel Boutique flashed through her head again, followed by several dreams from the night before, mainly featuring a certain blond cowpony. The pony in question stepped out from between two rows of trees, pulling her hat off to wave as Twilight and Rainbow trotted down the hill. Tank started up his heli-pack, lifting off of Dash’s back and buzzing along a row of apple trees for a few seconds before Winona burst out from between two trees and started chasing him.

        “Well, howdy there, Twi.” Applejack called as she pulled her hat off and wiped a leg across her forehead. She put her hat back and noticed the pegasus. Her face lit up for a brief instant before she spoke, her smile now a little tighter than before. “And... Dash. Ah, uh, wasn’t expectin’ you. Not that yer not welcome or anythin’, of course.” She paused to clear her throat. “The, uh, more, the merrier, right?”

        “Yeah, I guess. I just ran into Twi on her way here and figured I’d tag along.” Dash shrugged and frowned, furrowing her brow. “You okay, AJ? Do you... want me to go?”

        “No!” Applejack responded before realizing she had nearly shouted. “Ah mean, no ya don’t have to leave.”

        Seriously? Twilight looked back and forth between them, watching Applejack glance around nervously while Rainbow frowned. How can she not see it? Rainbow knows Applejack is in love with her, but it’s like she can’t see how much just being nearby affects her. She pressed a hoof between her eyes as the irony of her thought became apparent. Says the pony who’s only in this situation because she couldn’t handle a simple compliment.

        “Well, it’ll be, um, nice to have ya around.” Applejack shifted uncomfortably before walking past the pegasus, who made an affirmative noise. Her face fell as she kept moving, passing by Twilight. “How ya feelin’, Twi? Ready to get a good workout in?”

        “Huh?” The unicorn blinked, having gotten lost in her own thoughts. “Oh, yea. I had a nice lunch, so I’m all fueled up and ready to go.”

        Applejack wrinkled her brow. “When’d ya eat?”

        “Um...” Twilight shifted on her hooves, suddenly afraid she had done something wrong. “About... twenty minutes ago? Is that a... problem?”

        “Not a problem, but not really a good idea, either.” Applejack started walking again, turning to talk over her shoulder. “First lesson: Don’t eat anythin’ fer an hour or two before yer gonna work out. It’ll sit in yer stomach like a rock. It’s uncomfortable and it’s gonna make everythin’ a little harder on ya. Now, come on. Ah figured we could run along the trail out by the eastern fields.” The other two mares fell in step behind her, letting silence reign for the next few minutes.

        Eventually, Rainbow grew frustrated with their pace and cantered ahead, grumbling in frustration. She turned around and skillfully trotted backward to face the other two ponies as she spoke. “Come on we’re going so slow...” Her wings fluttered in agitation. “If we’re out here to train and run, why don’t we g-whoa!” The rest of her question was cut off as she tripped over a root and landed on her back in the dirt.

        “That’s why, sugarcube.” Applejack replied, stopping to lend the downed pegasus a hoof up. She held onto the contact a bit too long, staring at the cyan mare for an instant before dropping her hoof and looking off to the side. “The road out to the eastern fields has roots stickin’ out all over, and if we try and run down it, we’re liable to trip over ‘em like you just did.” She resumed walking down the path, a distinct weariness creeping into her voice as she spoke. “Don’t you fret none. The trail’s just a ways up ahead, right round this bend.”

        Really? Twilight watched Rainbow, who showed no indication of noticing anything out of the ordinary. 

        Dash huffed dramatically and followed the farm pony, falling into step next to the unicorn again. “See? What’d I tell ya?” She whispered. “Slow. If it were just you and me, we’d be done by now... or you would have passed out from exhaustion. One of the two.” She shrugged, trying to contain her confident smirk.

        “Maybe.” Twilight agreed as she tried to keep her gaze from settling on the orange flank in front of her for too long. “On the other hoof, your whole ‘fast approach’ did land you rump-first in the dirt.”

        “That’s only because I was going backwards!” Rainbow shot back, her wings ruffling again, this time in annoyance. “If I had been facing forward I totally could have avoided that root.”

        “Just like you avoided all those roots and rocks during our first Running of the Leaves, right?” Twilight quipped, enjoying the back and forth. The only one of her friends who she could regularly have this kind of banter with was Pinkie Pie, but she cheated by throwing out random non-sequiturs when she was losing. Dash opened and closed her mouth a few times, searching for a witty comeback, but was interrupted before she came up with one.

        “Here we are.” Applejack announced as the path they were on ended at a junction with a wide dirt trail. She pointed down the road, explaining their course. “’Bout half a mile down that way, there’s a stream and pond just off the trail. Ah figure we can run down there to get warmed up, then just follow the trail ‘til it loops back ‘round to the farm house.”

        “How far is that?” Twilight asked, squinting to make out any sign of the supposed stream down the path.

        “Right about two miles overall. Good for a first day.” Applejack pulled off her hat and ran a foreleg through her mane. “Next time we can-” She stopped, turning back in the direction they had come as a faint ringing drifted over the trees. She chewed on her lip, glancing at Rainbow longingly. “Shoot. Dash, you take Twi and run down to the stream. I’ll go see what that’s all about and catch up with ya there. Ah reckon Twi’ll need some rest by the time you get there.” She smiled at the unicorn before galloping off toward the source of the ringing.

        Twilight watched the cowpony go, silently cursing until Applejack disappeared around a bend in the dirt path. She turned back to the trail, still unable to see the stream. She gave up searching for it and started stretching her legs, loosening up before the run ahead.

        “Uh... what’re you doing?” Dash watched the unicorn with a raised eyebrow.

        “I’m -nnng- stretching.” Twilight replied as she limbered up. “It’s important to -nnng- make sure you don’t pull anything -nnng- while running.” She finished up, shaking each leg individually before stepping to the middle of the trail.

        “Sure, okay.” Rainbow trotted over and took her place next to the other mare. She took a second to shake her own legs loose before digging her hooves in to get a good first step. “Ready?” She asked, smiling as she got a nod in reply. “Let’s go!” Dash bounded off, galloping as fast as she could and pulling away from her running partner after only a few seconds. She glanced back over her shoulder to see the unicorn sprinting down the trail, but rapidly falling even further behind. Turning back to the front, she saw the stream coming up in the distance. Letting out a light sigh, the pegasus spread her wings and leapt into the air, flapping several times and pulling up into a loop that would bring her down close to her running buddy.

        “What’re... you... doing?” Twilight asked between heavy breaths, looking over at Dash as the landed and broke into a canter to keep pace with the lavender mare.

        “Well, I didn’t wanna leave you in the dust.” Rainbow’s breathing was barely strained as she ran. “Besides, the whole point of this is to run together, so it wouldn’t make sense for me to run on ahead.” She glanced ahead, spotting the stream finally coming up ahead. “Come on, the pond is up here.” She jerked her head off to the left and drifted over to the side of the trail. She leapt into the air again, somersaulting as she flew over the stream and splashed down into the pond just beyond it. She surfaced moments later, spraying a jet of water into the air. “Come on in, Twi.” She waved a hoof, beckoning the unicorn into the pond. “The water’s great.”

        “Can’t... breathe...” Twilight gasped as she trudged over to the stream, flopping down on the bank. She lowered her head and lapped at the flowing water, drenching her parched throat. She rolled over and clutched at her sides, groaning.

        “Don’t worry, Twi.” Dash snickered as she swam around. “It’s a mistake you’ll only make once.”

        After spending a minute to catch her breath, Twilight finally managed to speak again. “We have to do that three more times?” She scooted forward and dipped her head under the water, shaking the excess from her face and mane after she resurfaced.

        “Huh?” Rainbow looked up from where she was floating across the pond. “Uh, maybe?” She shrugged, moving into a backstroke through the water. “I’ve never been good at math.”

        Twilight shook her head, still waiting for her heart rate and breathing to return to normal. As she watched the pegasus swimming happily around the pond, feeling another pang of guilt and questioning yet again if she had any real right to tell Rainbow about what she had seen. She looked over her shoulder, down the trail, checking to see if Applejack had caught up to them yet. After finding the dirt road empty, she turned back to the pond, just in time to see Dash climbing out to come and lay next to her. “Hey, Rainbow... can I ask you something?”

        “Sure.” Dash ran a hoof through her mane, pushing the wet strands out of her eyes. “What’s up?”

        “Um... well...” Twilight dropped her gaze to the ground, staring at a small clump of grass between her front hooves. “Let’s say that, hypothetically, you had this friend, and they’re in l-love with somepony.” She silently berated herself for stuttering, but kept going. “But, the somepony they're in love with is in love with somepony else. What would you do?”

        Rainbow furrowed her brow, trying to follow her friend’s hypothetical situation. “So, your ‘friend’ is in love with somepony who’s in love with somepony else, huh?” She tapped a hoof to her chin as the hypothetical began to sound eerily familiar. “Do you mind me asking who this ‘friend’ of yours is? Anypony I know?”

        Twilight’s heart rate picked up at the question, but she maintained her calm demeanor. “Uh, nope. Sh- They’re not from around here. They live out in Fillydelphia.” She watched the pegasus’ reaction out of the corner of her eye, then glanced across the pond. She started subconsciously running calculations for a teleportation spell, in case she needed to make a break for it.

        “Calm down, Twi.” Rainbow laid a supportive hoof on her friend’s shoulder. “AJ already told me everything.”

        “Oh, uh... okay.” Twilight pawed at the grass, confused by Dash’s statement. “Told you what? What did she say?” Dozens of possibilities ran through her mind, and word came flowing out of her mouth. “I know she told Fluttershy she was in love with me, but then she told me that wasn’t true when I talked to her. Did she say something else to you?” She looked up hopefully.

        “Wait... what?” Dash arched an eyebrow. “AJ told me she loves me, not you.” She shook her head, sending droplets of water into the grass. “I mean, I don’t know how she feels... about...” She looked over the unicorn carefully, noting the slightly frantic look in her eyes and the light blush under her coat. “Twi... how do you feel about AJ?”

        “She’s, uh...” Twilight went back to staring at the ground in front of her. “She’s a good friend, and, um, she loves you a lot. She didn’t want Fluttershy to find out, so when Fluttershy asked her, she said she had a crush on me instead.”

        “Huh. ‘Shy talked to AJ?” Rainbow gazed across the pond, deep in thought. After a while, she shrugged. “Sorry, Twi, but I can’t help ya. AJ never said anything about you.” She gave a friendly, if somewhat teasing, smile. “Although... it’s pretty clear that you’ve got it bad for her.”

“I... don’t know what you’re talking about.” Twilight looked back across the lake. Thirty feet to cross the lake. Another fifteen to the tree line. She started crunching numbers in her head, frowning as she realized her friend’s immense speed and inequine reaction time would allow her catch up after a teleport with ease. She toyed with the idea of layering multiple teleportation spells to jump several times in quick succession, but abandoned it when she realized Applejack would come back to find her gone with no explanation.I can’t just run off on her. What would she think? Especially after last night.

        Dash’s smile grew a bit predatory. “I’m talking about how you kept staring at AJ’s flank on the way out here.” Her smile broke into a full-fledged grin as the unicorn blushed uncontrollably.

        “Oh, was it that obvious?” Twilight asked, a hint of sarcasm creeping into her voice. “Because the one pony that I want to notice... just won’t! She just keeps going on and on about you! One of the main reasons I asked if I could train with her so that I could get some time alone with her, but all she can think about is you!” She realized she was nearly shouting in frustration and her shoulders slumped. “I’m sorry, that’s not fair. It’s not your fault that she loves you, but it’s just so... frustrating!” She crossed her forelegs in front of her and laid her head on them. “I’ve been driving myself crazy over this. Though, you might be one of the few ponies who can understand, I mean, being a part of a love triangle yourself.”

        “Yea, although that one kinda worked itself out before it really got going.” Rainbow rolled over onto her back, folding her forelegs behind her head. “I really should swing by Rarity’s place. She put up a good fight, but the better mare won.”

        The image of Rarity and Fluttershy kissing flashed through Twilight’s head again, and she bit her lip, unsure of whether to say something. It will hurt her if I tell her... but it could hurt her more if she finds out later. She imagined herself in Dash’s position and wondered if she would want her friends to tell her. Yes, I would... She sighed and picked up her head, turning to face the pegasus. “Rainbow?”

        “Hmm?” Dash looked over and sat up, seeing the worried expression on her friend’s face. “What’s up, Twi?”

        “Well, I, uh... you see...” Twilight went back to staring at the ground as she searched for the right words. “I was out getting dinner last night and I saw...” She trailed off, wondering one last time if she wanted to do this. She took a deep breath and forced herself to continue. “I saw Rarity and Fluttershy together.” She watched the other mare expectantly, prepared for a myriad of reactions, but got one she didn’t expect.

        Indifference.

        Rainbow shrugged nonchalantly. “Okay, so?” She looked at the unicorn as though she had just said she saw an apple fall from a tree. “It’s cool that they can still be friends. I’m not gonna make Rarity stay away from ‘Shy or anything.” She lay back down, basking in the dappled sunlight as it filtered through the trees.

        Twilight sat frozen for a moment, her mind churning as she tried to process Dash’s response. “No... not just together, in the same place...” She explained further. “I mean they were together, as in, I think they were on a... a date.”

        Dash didn’t move, but she visibly tensed up and her mouth set in a hard line. “Why do you think that?” She asked, keeping her eyes closed and her voice carefully neutral.

        “Well, I was out getting dinner last night, like I said.” Twilight pretended to gaze out over the calm waters of the pond, but she watched the pegasus out of the corner of her eye. “I happened to see them coming out of a restaurant together.” She paused, her nerves getting the better of her momentarily.

        “That’s it?” Rainbow relaxed again, cracking an eye open to look at the unicorn. “They go to dinner after the spa sometimes. ‘Shy’s told me about it before, it’s not romantic.”

        “Yeah, okay.” Twilight wanted desperately to just let the conversation end, but her conscience wouldn’t let her back out now. “This one seemed awfully romantic, though.” She watched for another reaction from Dash, but the pegasus merely shook her head. “They were at a small Prench restaurant and dressed up nicely.”

        Dash bolted upright, bringing a hoof to her face in shock. “Rarity? Dressed up?” She feigned surprise for a few more seconds before letting loose a fit of laughter. She spoke again after she calmed down. “No offense Twi, but Rarity gets dressed up for no reason all the time. It’s not exactly cause to freak out.”

        “I, uh, I guess she does.” Twilight chuckled nervously, remembering her earlier plan to teleport across the pond and run. “But, uh, that’s not all that I saw...” She swallowed, gathering her last scraps of courage to continue. “I also saw them... kissing.” She braced herself for a more animated, possibly more violent, reaction than she got last time.

        She didn’t get one.

        Rainbow sat frozen in place, not even blinking as she turned the other mare’s words over in her mind. Eventually, she brought a hoof to her head and rubbed her ears, convinced she misheard. “Ya wanna run that one by me again, Twi? I coulda sworn I heard you say Rarity and ‘Shy were kissing.” Her mouth pulled up into her trademark confident smirk.

        Twilight opened her mouth to repeat herself, but the words stuck in her throat, so she just nodded. Dash’s smile disappeared with such speed that the unicorn had to wonder whether it had ever been there to begin with. She tried to talk again, pushing the words out by sheer force of will. “They were, in front of Rarity’s house. I kind of... followed them. They kissed, t-tongues and all.”

        Dash was on her feet before the other mare even realized she had moved. She paced back and forth along the stream as it fed into the pond, wracking her brain for an innocent scenario that Twilight could have misinterpreted as a kiss. She couldn’t think of one, especially not one for the kind of kiss the unicorn claimed to have seen. She shook her head as her pacing slowly moved her closer to the trail next to the stream. “No. They... ‘Shy wouldn’t do that. She dumped Rarity. She picked me.” She stopped her pacing, now in the middle of the dirt road, and flapped her wings a few times as her eyes darted back and forth.

        “Rainbow...” Twilight got to her hooves, taking a cautious step toward the pegasus. “Please don’t do anything reckless. Let’s just talk about this.”

        “Reckless?” Dash flashed a confident smile. “I prefer ‘adventurous’ or ‘daring’. Don’t worry, Twi. I’m gonna talk about it, just with Rarity.” She dug her rear hooves into the ground and checked the sky for any obstacles.

        “Rainbow...” Twilight repeated, a little more forcefully. She lit her horn, prepared to stop the pegasus if she had to.

        Dash sighed and rolled her eyes. “Seriously, Twi. I’m just gonna go talk to her. I’m not mad or anything. I just wanna find out what was going on. You know, get all the facts and get everything sorted out instead of overreacting to something that isn’t true.”

        “That’s... actually very well thought-out and rational.” Twilight blinked a few times in surprise. “Who are you, and what have you done with Rainbow Dash?” She pointed in mock-accusation.

        “First, you got me reading, and now you’ve got me actually thinking before I do things.” Rainbow smirked. “I think you’re a bad influence on me, Twi.”

        Twilight still felt like Dash going to see Rarity wasn’t a good idea, but the cyan mare seemed remarkably calm about the situation. For now. “Well, go ahead then.” She conceded.

        “Thanks, Twi. Sorry for bailing on ya.” Rainbow looked over her shoulder just as Applejack appeared a ways down the trail. “Looks like AJ’s back, anyhow. Have fun training.” With that, she galloped a short ways down the trial and leapt into the air, spreading her wings and flapping them to climb above the tree line before angling toward Ponyville.

        Twilight turned and greeted the farm pony as she trotted up. “Hey, Applejack. What was the ringing about?”

        Applejack just shook her head, letting out an exasperated sigh. “Well, Apple Bloom and her little friends decided to try their hooves at makin’ chili... darn near set the whole kitchen on fire.” She reached up and adjusted her hat. “Nopony got hurt, but we’re gonna need a new stove, and some new drapes fer the window... and a new window.” She shook her head, letting out another sigh, and looked around the clearing. Her expression fell as she realized Rainbow wasn’t there. “Where’d Dash run off to?”

        “Um, well...” Twilight glanced around nervously, searching for an answer. “Something came up. It’s not a big deal.” She walked back out onto the trail and got ready to get moving again. “So, you ready to run?”

        “Oh.” Applejack’s entire body slumped. “That’s... fine.” She mumbled, though her tone suggested it was anything but. After a few seconds, she straightened up again. “Alright... how’d ya feel after the first half mile?”

        AJ... Twilight wanted nothing more than to run over, embrace the other mare, and confess everything she felt. She ached to let Applejack know that she was loved, even if it wasn’t by the mare she wanted it from. “Not too bad.” She lied. When she fell down next to the stream after the ‘warm-up’ run, it had felt like her lungs were on fire and someone had dipped her muscles in acid.

        “Good, cause Ah don’t wanna have to carry ya back to the house after ya collapse halfway through.” Applejack winked playfully, bumping the lavender mare with her flank as she got ready to run. “Ya ready?” She waited for a nodded response and then took off down the trail, kicking up a small plume of dust in her wake. She glanced back over her shoulder to see her partner running after her, but falling behind, so she slowed down a bit to let the unicorn keep up, but not quite catch up, with her.

        Twilight felt the burning in her lungs returning, but pushed through it. Even though they had been running for less than a minute, she was already gasping for breath. Her eyes fell on the orange flank in front of her as it bobbed in time with the cowpony’s running. She tore her gaze away, focusing on the path in front of her and scanning for potential hazards. She tried to avoid it, but her eyes frequently drifted back to watching her friend’s rump as they ran. She was hypnotized by it, feeling her already hammering pulse spike ever higher each time the blond tail in front of her drifted off to the side a little bit. The hypnotic trance was broken when the farm pony jumped over a branch laying in the path. Twilight leapt over the fallen tree limb, forcing herself to keep running as every muscle in her body screamed for a break.

        It can’t be that much farther, can it? She craned her neck up to look past Applejack and down the path, searching for the farmhouse in the distance. It feels like we’ve been running for- The rest of her thought was cut off as her foot hit a rock in the path, sending her tumbling forward. She scrambled to try and catch herself, but came down on the edge of her left forehoof, twisting it off to the side awkwardly as pain shot through her leg. She curled up, landing hard on her shoulder, and rolled several times before coming to a rest on her side.

        Applejack looked over her shoulder to see her friend lying on the ground. “Twilight!” She skidded to a stop and galloped back over to the fallen mare. “Ya alright? Are ya hurt?” She knelt down next to the unicorn looking her over for any serious injuries.

        “I’m okay.” Twilight rolled onto her stomach, craning her neck around to look herself over. She gathered her hooves under her to stand. “A few scrapes, but nothing bad. I’ll be-” She stopped as she stood up, pain shooting through her left foreleg. Okay... it’s not that bad. “Are you ready to- Ah!” She took a step and fell back to the dirt, cradling her forehoof.

        Applejack lay down next to the injured mare and gently grabbed her hoof to look it over, twisting it lightly and feeling along the ankle for a few moments. “Well, good news, it ain’t broken.” She let go of the hoof and rose to a sitting position. “Bad news, it’s a pretty nasty sprain. Come on, let’s get ya back to the house and we’ll get some ice on it.” She snaked a hoof under the unicorn’s chest and helped her stand up.

        “Thanks.” Twilight took a step, making sure to keep her injured leg off of the ground, and nearly tripped again. She tried again, letting out a grunt of frustration.

        The farm pony shook her head and walked over to her friend. “Alright. Hold still for a second, Twi.” She lowered herself to crawl under the other mare and picked her up in one smooth motion, depositing the unicorn on the small of her back.

        “Wha- hey!” Twilight flailed her legs momentarily as they rose from the dirt.

        “Quit squirmin’, sugarcube.” Applejack shifted to keep her passenger from falling off. “We need to get ya back to the house and get that ankle taken care of. This’ll be fastest, seein’ as how yer not in a fit state to be walkin’ there. So, hold still.”

        “A-Are you sure?” Twilight continued to paw at the empty air, her recently slowed heart rate rocketing back up to full throttle while her cheeks flooded with color. “I mean, I appreciate the offer but... I’m afraid I might be a little too heavy for you. Spending days on end studying hasn’t exactly done my flank any favors.” She fixed her eyes on the ground in front of her. Wait... did I just call myself fat? She immediately dismissed the thought, finding it preferable to her real, much less innocent, reasons for objecting.

        “Seriously, Twi?” Applejack looked back, raising an eyebrow. “Ah make a livin’ buckin’ trees and haulin’ carts chock full of food between here and Ponyville. What part of that makes ya think that Ah can’t handle a little extra weight? Besides... like Ah said last night, ya may not be an athlete, but Ah’d be surprised if ya had an ounce ya didn’t need.”

        Twilight froze, her mind searching for an alternate meaning to her friend’s words, other than the obvious one. She felt her own face heating up and was sure that it was visible through her coat. Did she just...

        Applejack cleared her throat. “Well, let’s get goin’, then. Ya comfortable back there?” She asked, reaching up to readjust her hat.

        “Not really.” Twilight replied. Her position, lying across her friend’s back, forced her to support all of her weight on her stomach and sternum, making it difficult to breathe. Although, I can’t complain about the view. Her gaze flitted back to the orange flank that was now barely a foot away. She ran through several possible alternate positions before settling on one. “Hold still for a minute.” She said as she lit up her horn. She lifted herself into the air and turned so that she was facing the same direction as the other mare, then lowered herself back down, straddling her hind legs and wrapping her forelegs lightly around Applejack’s neck. “There. Much better.”

        “Alright then, hold on tight.” Applejack took off, galloping down the road and eating up ground in chunks.

        Twilight reflexively shut her eyes as they blazed down the path and held onto the farm pony’s neck a little tighter. The wind roared in her ears and through her mane, making her feel like she was flying. After a few seconds, she forced her eyes open and watched the scenery around her blur by. She broke out in a big grin and let out a small whoop of excitement, noticing the running mare’s mouth twitch up in a brief smile. In what felt like an impossibly short time, the Apple family farm house came into view, growing closer at an alarming rate. Applejack slowed as they approached the door, kicking it open with practiced ease and trotting through without breaking stride.

        “Here we go.” She stepped up to a cushion on the floor, turned around, and reared up, dropping the unicorn onto a pillow with a surprised yelp. “Now, lemme get ya some ice fer that ankle.” She moved over to the sink and pulled open a cabinet below it, emerging with a small burlap sack and heading over to the freezer.

        “Uh, Applejack? Won’t the water leak as the ice melts?” Twilight asked after readjusting herself following her unceremonious arrival on the cushion. She glanced idly around the room, eventually reaching the stove, or what was left of it. Several sections of the iron appliance sagged toward the floor as though they had nearly melted. Impossible. She stared at the drooping metal, her mouth slightly agape. Iron doesn’t melt until twenty-eight hundred degrees. She looked up at the wall, which was now a charred black mess. The window was gone, though streaks of melted and cooled glass trailed down the wall below it, and any drapes that had adorned it had been reduced to cinders. What in Equestria were they cooking?

        “Nah.” Applejack replied from inside the ice box. She backed out, holding the sack full of ice in her teeth by a drawstring. She walked over and laid the bag on her friend’s injured ankle. “Things like this happen pretty often ‘round here, so Ah asked Rarity to make an ice bag that wouldn’t leak. She just lined it with some rubber, but Ah had to fight with her fer half an hour to keep her from makin’ some frilly bag outta silk and lace.” She shook her head.

        Twilight raised her good hoof to her mouth to stifle a giggle. She shivered as the ice pack chilled and then numbed her ankle. “So, how long do we leave this on?”

        Applejack shrugged. “However long ya feel like.” She smirked as her friend raised a questioning eyebrow. “It ain't exactly science, Twi. Just keep it on there until yer ankle feels better, simple as that.” Her smirk became a snicker as the other mare rolled her eyes playfully. She leaned against the table and pretended to gaze out the window, but instead watched the unicorn out of the corner of her eye. “So, where’d ya say Dash ran off to again?”

        Twilight froze for an instant, then glanced off to the side. “She just had to go get ready for her date.”

        “Twi, don’t lie.”

        “Huh?” She blinked in surprise. “How did- I mean, why would you say that?” She asked, trying her best to sound nonplussed.

        “Well...” Applejack pushed her hat back. “Normally Ah’d go fer the whole ‘Element of Honesty’ bit, but this time Ah’m gonna say it’s ‘cause Ah know Dash barely ever bothers with a brush. Her idea of gettin’ ready is flying through a rain cloud.” The cowpony smirked and leaned forward. “Now, the real question is: What could Dash be doin’ that you would feel the need to lie about?”

        Twilight’s gaze roamed the kitchen, looking everywhere but her friend’s eyes. “She’s... modeling dresses for Rarity!”

        “Twi...”

        “Helping Fluttershy take care of a bear!”

        “Twilight!”

        “Baking cupcakes with Pinkie!”

        “Celestia damn it, Twilight Sparkle! Just tell me what she’s up to!”

        “She’s... she’s...” Twilight gave up and dropped her head to lay on the table. “Fine, she went to go talk to Rarity.”

        It was Applejack’s turn to arch an eyebrow in confusion. “Now why in the hay would ya lie ‘bout somethin’ like that?” She sat back and thought for a moment before a dawning realization spread over her face. “Dash went to talk to Rarity about Fluttershy, didn’t she?”

        Twilight briefly considered lying again, but knew the other mare would see right through it. “Yes.” She admitted. “I kind of... saw Fluttershy and Rarity together while you were in the bathroom last night. That’s where I went off to. I followed them for a bit and I saw them... kiss.”

        “Kiss?” Applejack repeated the word as if were her own foal’s first word. “Ya mean... ‘Shy was cheatin’ on Dash?”

        “No!” Twilight sat up, but then slumped. “Well, I don’t know. I didn’t hear much of what they were saying, and it sounded like Fluttershy was drunk.” She pressed her hood hoof to her temple. “Anyway, Rainbow went over to talk to Rarity and find out what was going on.”

        “Is that so?” Applejack tried and failed to keep a grin from her face. “Feel free to stay as long as ya like, Twi. Ah gotta... go do somethin’.” She got up from the table and practically galloped for the door.

        “Oh no you don’t.” Twilight lit her horn and slammed the door shut, locking it and placing a protective shield over it for good measure. “I know what you’re trying to do. You’re going to go over there and try and blow up the situation so that Rainbow will break up with Fluttershy.”

      “Ah was not!” Applejack shot back. She gathered herself and lashed out at the door as hard as she could with both legs, to no visible effect, then sat down and let out a defeated sigh. “Look, Ah don’t want things to go bad, but from what yer tellin’ me, it seems like they already are. Ah promised Dash Ah wouldn’t do anythin’ to trouble her and ‘Shy again.” She looked up at Twilight with a pained expression. “But Ah gotta be there if things do go south. This might be mah only chance, Twi!” She looked away, moisture glistening in her eyes. “Ya don’t know what it’s like. Seein’ her every day, wantin’ nothin’ more than to just hold her and let her know that you’d do anythin’ to make her happy. Knowin’ that at the end of the day, she’s got somepony to come home to, but all you’ve got is an empty bed.”

        Twilight tried to keep calm, but her frustration finally got the better of her. “AJ, think about it. Rainbow will never love you the way she loves Fluttershy, you would always be her second choice, her safety net. Don’t you want better? Don’t you deserve somepony who loves you for you?” She snorted and stamped a hoof. “But what would some bookworm shut in know about that, right? I obviously have no idea what that’s like.” She stood up from the table, the ice pack falling to the floor. “I have no idea what it’s like to be in love with somepony who loves someone else. I wouldn’t know about crying yourself to sleep at night, wishing they were there to hold you, or that you could wake up and have them be the first thing you see in the morning.” Despite her sudden anger, tears pooled in her eyes and blurred her vision.

        “I... I...” She choked back and sob and grabbed a hold of her magic, weaving a quick teleportation spell to get her outside the house. She cast the spell and, in a flash of light, found herself outside the farm house, but now she was moving. In her haste, she had overcompensated for gravity, and came out of the spell with residual velocity. She slammed into a rapidly approaching tree, letting out a pained grunt. After climbing to her hooves, she galloped down the road that led back to Ponyville, ignoring the resurgent pain that shot up her leg with each step and a stinging in her side every time she took a breath.

        Back in the kitchen, Applejack merely stared at the spot her friend had been standing in a moment ago, listening to hoof steps and sobs fade into the distance. She sat down as her brain tried furiously to figure out what had just happened.

> The Cat's Out of the Bag
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Unexpected Confessions

Chapter Fourteen


        The Cat’s Out of the Bag

        “Thanks, Twi. Sorry for bailing on ya.” Rainbow looked over her shoulder and spotted Applejack coming out onto the path behind her. “Looks like AJ’s back, anyhow. Have fun training.” She shot one last glance at Twilight before galloping down the trail and leaping into the air. She beat her wings to climb above the surrounding trees and angled toward Ponyville. She beat her wings harder, picking up speed and blurring the ground beneath her. Twilight’s words echoed in her mind.

        “They kissed, t-tongues and all.”

        Dash sped through the air ever faster, trying to outrun the words in her head. Come on, Dash. Calm. Down. I’m sure it was just a misunderstanding. She flared her wings to slow down as she reached the edge of town. Fluttershy wouldn’t do that. No way. She noticed several ponies on the ground waving up at her as as she passed overhead, but didn’t bother to respond. Twilight’s words continued to plague her like an itch she couldn’t scratch.

        “They kissed-

        She pulled her wings in, going into free fall for several seconds and nearly clipping a thatched roof before she caught herself. She pumped her wings to climb back above the buildings.

        “- t-tongues and all.”

        She shook her head, trying to dislodge the memory. ‘Shy wouldn’t do that... would she? No, no way. She banked to avoid a cloud, scanning the ground for any sign of her target as another possibility dawned on her. Fluttershy wouldn’t... but Rarity? She lowered her gaze and spotted Carousel Boutique almost directly below her. She pulled up and looped over to dive straight down, flaring her wings to land with a dull thud a few feet in front of the door. Her confusion festered in her stomach, slowly building into anger. Whatever’s going on here, somepony had better have a bucking good explanation.

        Dash stepped forward and knocked on the door.


*


        Rarity hummed tunelessly to herself as she worked, listening to the scratching of her pencil as it flew across the page. She pulled back and looked at the sketch, pausing to massage her temple. Her head still hurt, but inspiration had struck, and she needed to get it down on paper. The design was wispy and flowing, something that would look wonderful in flight, yet didn’t inhibit the flier’s movements. Fluttershy would surely love it, even if she rarely took to the air. Rainbow might like it as well. She pulled her pencil away from the paper and admired her work. Still needs a few finishing touches, but- She froze as her eyes reached the back end of the design. The tail of the model was eerily familiar, even in monochrome, as was the short, ruffled mane. Oh dear. Her gaze drifted down to the model’s flank, where a three-tone lightning bolt cutie mark was clearly visible through a part in the skirt. Oh goodness. Well, it’s not like she’ll ever see it.

        Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at her door. She got up and trotted over to it, opening it with a faint pulse of magic as she cleared her throat. “Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where everything is chic-” She stopped as she recognized the pony standing outside. “Rainbow, lo— dear. How are you?” She went to step forward and hug the pegasus, but caught herself. Careful, Rarity. She moved aside. “Please, come in. This is a lovely coincidence, I was hoping to speak with you.”

        “Thanks.” Rainbow trotted inside, watching the unicorn cautiously. “I wanted to talk to you too.”

        “Oh?” Rarity walked back over to her work table and collected her sketches, trying to hide the familiar model from her visitor. “By all means, go ahead.”

        “No no, you first.” Dash trotted over and leaned against the table, waiting expectantly.

        “Oh, I wouldn’t dream of it.” Rarity motioned for the other mare to speak. “Please, darling. I insist.”

        Silence filled the room, each of them waiting for the other to speak. Honestly, Rainbow... trying to wait me out? Seconds dragged on into one minute, then two. Rarity smiled. Three, two, one...

        “Fine.” Dash stood up from the table. “Have you seen Fluttershy lately?”

        That’s it? Rarity took a moment to recover before responding, much to her friend’s annoyance. “Well, yes, as a matter of fact. She and I stopped by the spa yesterday before having a nice, quiet dinner.”

        Rainbow let out a short, irritated huff. “So, why were you kissing her? Are you trying to steal her away from me?”

        “Excuse me?” Rarity pulled a hoof to her chest.

        Dash moved forward and pressed her forehead to Rarity’s, trying to overpower her through sheer force of will. “Why. Were. You. Kissing. Her?” She asked, venom dripping from her words.

        A million responses flooded the unicorn’s mind, ranging from indignant to conciliatory. Her friend and former rival was acting as though kissing one’s marefriend was a problem. Is she jealous? She backed up a step to put some space between them before responding. “That is the typical thing one does when ending a date, dear. I’m sorry if it upsets you.”

        “If it upsets me?” Dash yelled, flaring her wings and making herself even more imposing. “’Shy’s my marefriend, and you’re not going to steal her away from me!”

        “Y-Your...” Rarity pressed a hoof to her temple, where her headache was making a comeback. “I’m sorry, Rainbow. I... am not at my best this morning, so I may be misunderstanding you. Come, let’s sit down and talk about this so we can get it all sorted out.”

        “Rares.” Dash growled, her lip pulling back into a sneer. She stepped forward, stopping inches from the unicorn’s face. “Twilight told me that she saw you making out with ‘Shy, after she picked me. There’s no bucking way I’m letting you get out of this by calling is a misunderstanding.”

        “Well, yes.” Rarity nodded. “As I said before, Fluttershy and I had just eaten dinner. She had a bit too much to drink, so I brought her back here to get some rest. Yes, we did kiss, although that was the extent of it, if it makes you feel any better. First date, you know. It’s not proper to do much more, no matter how tempting it is.” She shook her head, straining to keep a straight face as she remembered Fluttershy’s actions from the previous night. “Regardless, that isn’t what’s confusing me-”

        “Are you confused about what the word ‘dumped’ means?” Dash flapped her wings once, sending stacks of papers floating to the ground. She arched her wings up, ringing her head like a spiked halo. “Fluttershy picked me, and dumped you!” She snarled. “If you’re still confused, that means you can’t go out and get her drunk so that you can make out with her!”

        Rarity backed away reflexively, her thoughts freezing as her mind conjured images of her dream. Dash’s bloody, vengeful scowl flashed before her, threatening to sap her resistance. She dismissed the image, focusing on the less bloody but equally furious mare in front of her. “I-I don’t...” She stuttered uselessly, her brain working furiously to reconcile her friend’s words with reality. Fluttershy did pick me. She came by and told me she had broken it off with Rainbow.

        Suddenly, the pieces clicked, and Rarity’s world shattered around her.

        Rainbow was telling her that Fluttershy had dumped her, but that wasn’t true. Oh no. Both Dash and Rarity thought that Fluttershy had chosen them. Oh no, please not that. That meant that in all likelihood, neither of them were right.

        Nopony had been dumped. Fluttershy was dating both of them.

        Oh, sweet Celestia. Have I become an adultress in my own relationship? Rarity stared ahead blankly. How? She belatedly remembered that Dash was still present. “Rainbow, darling, you are clearly owed an explanation. Just... give me a moment, please.” She dropped her eyes to the ground, unable to look at the cyan pegasus. “I need a moment to gather myself. I-I’ll go make some tea. How does that sound?”

        Rainbow growled for a second, but took a few deep breaths and walked over to sit at the kitchen table with a huff. “Whatever.”

        “Thank you, dear. I am terribly sorry I upset you. Just give me one moment, please.” She trotted into the kitchen, taking several deep, calming breaths of her own. This isn’t right. It was supposed to be different. She had meant to ask if Dash would reconsider joining Fluttershy and her, forming the trinogamous relationship they had both initially rejected. Well, that’s out of the question, now. She chewed on her bottom lip as she started pacing the kitchen, making sure to stay away from the doorway. This had gotten incredibly awkward. In Rainbow’s mind, Rarity was the interloper, the third wheel. She had nothing to offer because she had already ‘lost.’

        Still... there might be a way out. One that doesn’t break three hearts. She could see now why Fluttershy had been so distracted during their date. She had been worried they would be discovered, and with good reason. The poor dear didn’t want to break it off with either of us... but how could she have thought this was a good idea?

        No, you can salvage this. There’s a way, there has to be. Think. She stopped pacing as inspiration stuck. Of course! I can frame it as a misunderstanding. I asked Fluttershy to dinner to see if she would talk to Rainbow about the three-way relationship again. I hoped that now that she had ‘won,’ she might be more inclined to agree to it. We got a little drunk, and yes, there was kissing, but that was the end of it. The whole point was to come back to Dash with the proposal from both of us this time.

        Rarity’s spirits sank as she noticed a flaw in her logic. However, that does still put me in the position of trying to wedge myself into their relationship behind Rainbow’s back. She bit her lip, trying in vain to work around that particular aspect of her story. So be it. If that is the worst I must endure to make this work, I shall count myself lucky. She pounded one hoof into another in determination. I will make this work. She walked back out into the main room. “Sorry to keep you waiting, darling.”

        Rainbow raised an eyebrow, a look of cool displeasure on her face. “Where’s the tea?”

        Shoot! Rarity froze in her tracks. “Tea. Right. One mom—”

        “Don’t bother.” Dash cut across her, motioning to the seat across the table. “I think we both know that neither of us really wanted any.”

        “O-of course.” The unicorn resumed her walk to the table, her nerves threatening to undo her at any moment. “Well, then it’s explanation time, I suppose.” She sat down and tried to drown out the thundering rush of her pulse in her ears. She looked at Rainbow, who was glaring at her with thinly veiled contempt, and launched into her story. “You see, I... asked Fluttershy out to dinner after our weekly spa da— appointment, though I assure you it wasn’t meant to have romantic implications.”

        She shrunk back under the intensity of the other mare’s scowl, finding her silence more frightening than her earlier verbal tirades, but Rarity forced herself to continue. “I had hoped to discuss the idea of the trinogamous relationship with her again. After all, we both love her, and it seems silly to fight over her when she loves both of us back.” She swallowed as Dash’s glare reached new heights. “I admit, we both had a bit too much to drink, and yes, I kissed her. I’m sorry, but I do love her, as you know. That’s the whole reason we got into this mess in the first place. We—” She faltered under the ferocity of the pegasus’ gaze, feeling the urge to put a very solid barrier between them. “W-we were planning to speak with you about this later today, but... the cat’s out of the bag, as it were. Could you ever—”

        “No.” Rainbow’s tone brooked no possibility for argument or persuasion, but her eyes softened ever so slightly.

        Rarity leaned back in shock. No... Just like that? You couldn’t even... Am I truly so undesirable? “Rainbow, darling, I really don’t understand. When Fluttershy first broached the subject, I was appalled. I love Fluttershy, and I was unsure if I could love anypony else, much less at the same time. Naturally, I said ‘no’ to the idea, but...” Do not tell her about the dream. At best, it will come off as remarkably creepy, and at worst it will make you seem absolutely mad. “I-I’ve been thinking, in the wake of Fluttershy’s decision. I’m not saying that I love you—” Even though I do. “—but I truly believe that I could, and would like to, if you would give me the chance.” She turned away to keep the other mare from seeing the tears welling in her eyes. “Am I truly so detestable that you would not even entertain the idea of being with me?”

        “Thinking, huh? Funny how all this thinking happens after you lost.” Dash watched as the unicorn cringed at her words and saw a tear fall to the ground, followed swiftly by several more. Really, Rares? Gonna try the water works on me? She rolled her eyes and prepared another remark, but paused as she realized the alabaster mare was choking back sobs and trying to slow her tears. Wow, she really is torn up about this. Wait, she tried to steal ‘Shy from me! Her anger welled up again, but it was drowned out by concern for her friend. Well crap, now I feel like a total mule. She sighed and flexed her wings slowly, trying to bleed off excess tension. “Listen Rares, you’re not ‘detestable,’ whatever that means. I just don’t love you.”

        “I’m not asking you to, not out of the blue, at least.” Rarity rubbed a foreleg across her eyes to dry them, only to have more tears flow out. “All I’m asking for is a chance, Rainbow. We’ve been friends for quite some time now, and though we don’t always see eye-to-eye, I have always been patient with you whenever you ask for my help, and you have done the same with me in return.” She stood up and walked around the table, sitting down next to the pegasus, who shifted nervously but didn’t move away.

“For Celestia’s sake, you saved my life, even after my positively horrid behavior almost cost you your victory. Then, you did it again, with Fluttershy’s help no less, without ever asking so much as a word of thanks.” Her tears redoubled as she began to question her own worth. She’s done so much for me, time and time again. What have I done for her? Upstage her on the biggest day of her life? Make some paltry dress for that dreadful Gala?

        She forced the thoughts from her mind, focusing on her current situation. “We both know how we feel about Fluttershy, but take her out of this for a moment. I’m asking if I can be with you.” She reached out to hold Dash’s hoof, but the pegasus pulled it away. Even that simple, unintentional act of rejection crushed Rarity’s spirits even further. “That’s the only way that all of this will work. I love her, you love her, but unless we also love each other...” She dropped her gaze to the floor, unable to bear looking into the other mare’s eyes anymore. “It will only end badly for everypony.”

        “I-I’m sorry, Rares.” Dash stammered, all traces of her earlier anger evaporating. “I can’t do it. I love Fluttershy, not you.” She stood up and walked away from the table, pacing the room and working her mouth open and closed in an effort to find the right words.

        “Things like this...” She stopped and looked at her former rival, pangs of guilt striking her as she saw the hurt in those large, sapphire eyes. She swallowed and forced herself to continue. “Three-way relationships always end badly. Period.”

        “How can you say that?” Rarity stood up and walked over to her friend, who turned to avoid her gaze. She trotted around to try and meet the other mare’s eyes, but Dash kept turning away. “You couldn’t possibly know that, unless...” She stopped, bringing a hoof to her mouth in shock. “Rainbow, have you been in a trinogamous relationship before?”

        “No!” Dash barked. She finally faced the unicorn, tears glistening in her eyes. “No.” She repeated, softer. “I’ve never done it, but I’ve seen it.” She noticed the other mare’s gaze turn inquisitive and shook her head. “It was a long time ago... I don’t wanna talk about it.”

        Rarity took a step back. “I-I see. If it’s too painful to discuss, I understand completely. It was never my intention to hurt you. I’m sorry.” Her ears flattened back and she pawed at the floor nervously.

        Rainbow stared at the unicorn, debating her next words. She let out a sigh. “Don’t be. It was... my parents.” She couldn’t help but smile at the shocked expression on her friend’s face. “Yea, that’s pretty much always the reaction.” Her smile faded as quickly as it arose, replaced by a fresh round of tears. “I’ve seen what this can do to ponies, Rares. It takes ponies who love one another and pits them against each other, day after day.” Her voice wavered, and she rubbed a foreleg across her eyes. She smiled weakly. “I-I’m sorry. I just can’t do it. It’s not that I don’t like you...” Her smile faded and her eyes welled with tears again. “I just know where that road leads. We might be fine for a while, but it won’t last. I don’t want that to happen to us. It was hard enough just watching it happen. I don’t think I could handle actually being a part of it.”

        Every fiber of Rarity’s body and mind screamed at her to pull the other mare into a comforting embrace and assure her that nothing like that would ever happen, but she knew it wouldn’t make a difference. She looked down at her hooves, uncertain what else to say. What else could she say? That's it. You gave it your best. Now, for the hard part. Do you break her heart, and Fluttershy's, by forcing a confrontation? Or do you let them be happy?

She made a decision then, by far the most difficult in her life. Before she acted on it, morbid curiosity made her ask a seemingly random question. “Rainbow, you don't have to answer if you don't want, but...” She paused, hope and fear warring in her chest. “Were it not for Fluttershy, could you have loved me? Did we ever have a chance?"

        She shook her head ruefully before Dash could respond. "Nevermind, that was unfair of me. Look at me, causing all this turmoil in your new relationship. Hardly generous of me, is it?" She looked resolutely, if tearfully, at Rainbow. "Tell her... I will always love her and that I am sorry we couldn't work it out. I-I had hoped...” She shook her head again. “But no, it was foolish. I think that may be the thing I love most about you, Rainbow. Loyal to a fault. Go, be happy. I won't stand in your way. You have my blessing, and my love, both of you." She stepped forward then, and kissed Rainbow gently on the cheek. "I am so sorry, my love." Both of you.

        Rainbow looked stricken, but couldn’t bring herself to say anything. She touched her cheek softly, tears in her eyes. “Rares...”

        Rarity nodded primly. “J-just promise me you will love her enough for both of us, won’t you? Go now, before I make a bigger fool of myself.”

        Rainbow turned, getting ready to leave. She walked toward the door, stopping halfway and looking back, her expression torn. She started to turn back, but thought better of it and kept moving toward the exit. She laid a hoof on the doorknob and looked back over her shoulder. “If I could, I would, Rares. I just... I can’t. I’m sorry.” Then, she opened the door and sped off.

        Rarity reached out, as if to call Rainbow back. The world seemed drained of color, the mare who had sped off had taken it all with her. She trudged up the stairs, laying down on her bed. She eyed the painkillers on the nightstand. Not quite what I was looking for. Then again, my head does still hurt a bit. She grabbed the bottle, popped the lid off, and took a dose. She lay down and closed her eyes, but her mind refused to shut down.

        She got up from the bed and walked into the bathroom, pulling open her medicine cabinet. She scanned the shelves until she found a bottle of sleeping pills. Her horn glowed in an aura of magic, resulting in only a miniscule spike of pain, and she floated the container down from the shelf, pulling the lid off with a thought. Hmm... only three left. I’ll have to get more soon. She dumped a pill into her hoof and popped it in her mouth, placing the bottle back in the cabinet.

        She trotted back into the bedroom and lay down, but kept seeing Dash speeding away, taking with her the shattered remains of the unicorn’s heart. Rarity rolled over, pulling the covers tighter around her. I just hope Fluttershy doesn’t take this too hard. Her intentions were pure, even if her methods were not. She sniffed back tears as she felt the painkillers start to take effect. Her mind finally wound down, and she fell into the comforting embrace of sleep.


*


        She woke up in the deep, cushioning softness of a cloud bed. She felt the mattress shift next to her, and she opened her eyes to see Rainbow lying next to her. She moved forward and held her wife tightly. “I tried, love. I did all that I could, but she just wouldn’t listen-”

        Dash silenced her with a kiss, then wiped away her lover’s tears before they could fall. “I know, I saw. I’m sorry, Rares.” She smiled glumly. “We both know how stubborn I can be.”

        Rarity nodded, burying her face in the prismatic mane before her. “Something happened with her parents. I can’t just ask her to forget that.” She nuzzled into her wife’s neck, her tears soaking the chromatic hairs. “I had no other choice. I... I gave up on her. I let Rainbow be with Fluttershy. If we can’t all be together, I at least want them to be happy.”

        Rainbow covered her wife with a wing and kissed her on the forehead. “I know, and I’m proud of you.” The pair nestled down into the bed, content to merely spend time holding one another and let the outside world pass them by.


*


        Some time after Rarity had fallen asleep upstairs, the bell above the door chimed as it opened. An earth pony entered the building hesitantly, pausing to glance around the empty show room before entering and closing the door behind her.

        “Rarity?” Applejack called tentatively, walking over to the doorway into the kitchen. “Dash?” She tried again, a little louder. No reply came, and she took a seat at the table, pulling her hat off and setting it down. “Well, shoot.” She rested her chin on a hoof and drummed the other on the table. Ah guess Dash ain’t here no more. As fer Rarity...

        She glanced up the staircase to the bedroom door, which was slightly ajar. Ah could just pop up there and check- She shook her head, banishing the idea. No way, not again. Not after last time. A shudder passed through her as she remembered the last time she had entered the unicorn’s room unannounced. Ah coulda lived just fine never seein’ her do that. Then that durn uppity cat jumped all up in mah face, fangs bared and claws flyin’. She lifted a hoof to her cheek, where a small scar was hidden by her coat, a gift from Opalescence. And after all that, Rare still had the guts to make me model dresses fer her. Those monstrosities ain’t clothes, they’re silk and lace prisons.

        Applejack stood up and placed her hat back on her head. “Well, Dash ain’t here, might as well get goin’.” She turned and started for the door, but stumbled as her hoof slipped on something. She looked down to see that she had stepped on a stray piece of paper. Never known Rare to be messy. She noticed several more sheets laying nearby, so she gathered them up and flipped them over. It took a few seconds of glancing over the drawing before she recognized it. These are... She flipped to the next page, and the next, and the next. Our Gala dresses. She smiled, remembering the fiasco that the Grand Galloping Gala had been until Fluttershy had burst in with all of the animals from the garden. She flipped to the next page and her breath caught in her throat.

        “Whoa, nelly.” The words were out of her mouth before she could stop them. She dropped the papers onto the table and simply stared at the sketch, examining it piece by piece. The plunging neckline. The gentle slope of the saddle. The slippers that seemed to shimmer and glow even on paper. It was gorgeous. It was ineffably alluring. It was classy and elegant, yet somehow managed to be enticing and seductive at the same time. It was...

        Twilight?!!

        She backed away in sudden alarm. How would Twilight feel if she knew Applejack was leering over a sketch of her like that? Although, Ah gotta admit... She crept back toward the table warily, as if afraid it would bite her. Rare’s sure got a gift fer detail. Her eyes drifted along the drawing, ignoring the dress and focusing on the model beneath it. For the first time, she noticed just how toned Twilight was. Nothing on Dash, of course, but... Her gaze lingered on the sketch’s flank for a few seconds before she tore it away. She did herself wrong last night, sayin’ she was gettin’ a little pudgy. Kinda surprised Ah never noticed before, especially since Twi’s been goin’ outta her way to hang around.

        She chuckled lightly, then pressed a hoof into her face. Ah really gotta check up on her... She’s a big girl, but she needs a friend somethin’ fierce right now. Applejack stepped away from the table and headed for the door. She pulled it open and looked back over her shoulder. After a moment of deliberation, she flipped the ‘Open’ sign to ‘Closed’ and trotted outside. That outburst looked to have been a long time comin’. Maybe Ah can help her out, or at least give her a shoulder to cry on. She started down the road to the library, a renewed energy in her step.

        She was there fer me when Ah needed her. Now it’s mah turn.


> A Comforting Touch
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Unexpected Confessions

Chapter Fifteen


        A Comforting Touch

        Rarity and Rainbow Dash lay together on the latter’s bed, neither feeling the need to speak. Outside, the sun crawled ever closer to the horizon, bathing the room in a warm orange glow. Rarity glanced around the bedroom from her position laying on her wife’s chest. The walls were adorned with numerous Wonderbolts posters and weather charts, although the charts were all dated from several months ago. The mare below her noticed her restless movement and gave her a quick squeeze.

        “Looking for something, Rares?” Dash asked, leaning down to give her lover a quick peck on the forehead.

        “Hmm? Mmm.” Rarity’s response lost it’s questioning tone as she shivered after the light kiss. It took her a moment to remember that the other mare had asked her a question. “Oh, no. I was merely... exploring.” She rolled over, snuggling up to the pegasus and sighing as a comforting cyan hoof wrapped itself around her middle. “I’ve never actually been up to your house, yet it’s exactly what I expected it to be.” She found more posters on the far wall and a pile of dirty flight suits and goggles in the corner.

        “Well, duh.” Rainbow leaned forward, resting her chin her the unicorn’s shoulder.

        “I beg your pardon?” Rarity turned her head just in time to see the other mare roll her eyes.

        “You just said you’ve never been here, and all of this is happening in that adorable little noggin of yours.” Dash paused to plant a kiss on her wife’s cheek. “So, it’s only natural that somewhere you’ve never been looks the way you imagine it would in your head.”

        “Oh.” Rarity paused as the reality of the situation came back to her. “Oh, of course...” She mumbled, her gaze falling to stare at her hooves. I had almost forgotten. This is just... so nice. She was pulled out of her thoughts by a nuzzle from the pegasus behind her.

        “Hey. Sorry about that.” Rainbow muttered, her voice muffled by her lover’s hair.

        “About what, darling?” The unicorn rolled back over to face her wife, wrapping a foreleg around her and pulling her closer. “You did nothing wrong.”

        “Yeah, I did.” Dash extended a wing, wrapping it around the other mare. Her normal confident smile was replaced by a downcast one. “I made you sad.”

        “How did-” Rarity’s words were silenced by a kiss.

        “I’m from up there too, Rares.” Rainbow punctuated her statement by tapping her wife on the nose. “I know everything you know.”

        “Oh, right.” Rarity absently stroked the wing draped over her, marveling at the feel of each individual feather. An errant thought tugged at the corner of her psyche, but Dash moved before she could even voice the question forming in her mind. A gentle kiss against her neck turned whatever words had been forming into a contented sigh. “Mmm... I think I could get used to this.”

        “Used to what, exactly?” Dash asked before planting another kiss on the swath of silken fur before her.

        “You being so... attentive.” Rarity shivered as the kisses started moving along her neck, leaving small wet patches that chilled in the open air. She ran a hoof along the leading edge of the wing laying across her, smiling as its owner let out her own sigh of pleasure.

        “Believe me, I think I-” Rainbow paused to lay down another kiss, slowly working her way up toward the unicorn’s muzzle. “-could get used to it too.” She made her way up the unicorn’s jawline, inching ever closer to her lips. She stopped just before reaching them, drawing a disappointed whine from her lover, but she trailed a hoof along the alabaster mare’s side and turned the whine into a moan. The pegasus began moving back along her lover’s muzzle, angling up toward her horn.

        Rarity bit her lip, not wanting to say anything and risk spoiling the moment. Not the horn, love. I’m not quite... ready for that, yet. On cue, her wife changed course, headed for her ears instead. I’ve never understood the fascination with ears. She stifled a giggle as the edge of Rainbow’s mane tickled her ears, causing them to flick back and forth. Though, I shan’t knock it until I’ve tried it, as it were. She tried to keep from squirming as the trail of kisses rose ever higher, leading to more of her lover’s mane brushing her ear. After several excruciating seconds, the other mare reached her ear, but then stopped.

        “You know, I don’t even really need to read your mind.” Dash whispered, grinning as her wife shuddered. “You do that cute little lip bite whenever you don’t like something, but you don’t want to say anything about it.” She leaned forward and kissed the ear in front of her, giggling as it flicked around and tickled her nose. “But... you could speak up and tell me what you do want. Unless you want me to occupy you with some kisses, of course. That would be fun, too.” She nipped her wife’s ear playfully, then moved back down to look her in the eye. “So? What’s it gonna be?”

        Rarity opened her mouth to respond, but immediately lost herself in the other mare’s magenta eyes and the words dried up in her throat. In those eyes, she saw boundless depths of unconditional love, but there was something else. Just beneath the surface was a smoldering desire that she found contagious. She decided to forgo words and leaned forward, closing the final distance between them and pressing their lips together.

        Rainbow pushed forward into the kiss hungrily, forcing the unicorn to roll onto her back and allowing Dash to climb on top of her. Rarity tried to keep pace with her wife, but quickly found herself being enveloped in a flurry of rapid-fire kisses that peppered her mouth and the surrounding area. Her lover once again started to trail pecks down her muzzle toward her neck, so she contented herself with laying back and enjoying the attention. She reached up and ran a hoof through the other mare’s mane, squirming on the bed as an occasional nip was mixed in with the kisses moving down her neck.

        Dash paused for a moment, nuzzling into the expanse of white fur below her. She felt her wife’s tail twitching underneath her and entwined it with her own. She resumed kissing a path down the alabaster neck before her, but she glanced up and noticed her lover’s eyes were closed. Grinning playfully, she slowly unfurled her wings, taking care not to make any noise by ruffling her feathers. She gave a slow, languid lick down the unicorn’s collarbone, drawing a low moan from her. Rainbow moved back up slightly as her wingtips settled just above the other mare’s sides. She brought both wings down, dragging the primaries across her wife’s ribs, and paired them with a slightly more forceful nibble.

        Rarity inhaled sharply. The twin sensations battled for supremacy, sending bolts of pleasure racing through her body before settling in her haunches, where a warm knot of tension was slowly forming in response to her paramour’s ministrations. Her tail tried to fidget back and forth, but it was tied up in her partner’s chromatic one, so the attempts only tugged at her hindquarters. She opened her mouth to speak, but the feather strokes returned and danced along her sides, tracing delightfully erratic patterns across her ribs. Any thought that had been forming in her mind dissolved amidst a surge of ecstasy, leaving only a satisfied moan to escape her lips.

        She reached down and gently pulled her wife back up to eye level, wrapping a foreleg around her and bringing her in for a kiss. Dash was more than happy to oblige, darting her tongue between her lover’s lips. The unicorn fought back, running a hoof through Rainbow’s wing in an effort to distract her. The cyan mare moved the other wing lower, brushing it across her partner’s stomach. Their make-out session was interrupted as Rarity pulled away, trying in vain to stifle a round of giggles.

        “What are you-” She stopped to let out one last chuckle. “-doing, love? She covered her stomach with a foreleg as the tittering laughter faded. “I’m a little ticklish there.”

        “Oh, really?” Rainbow gave a predatory grin. “I think I’ll have to investigate this further.” She slid downward, nuzzling along her partner’s chest and forcing the protective hoof out of the way. She brushed her snout across the swath of fur and began planting kisses.

        “No no no-oooo.” Rarity’s protests turned into a contented sigh as she let her wife continue to lavish her with attention. “Mmm... that feels wonderful, darling.”

        Dash paused in her task to look up, smiling impishly. “You think this is good? We haven’t even gotten started yet.”





        The world slowly came back into focus, though whether it took seconds or hours Rarity didn’t know. A sheen of sweat matted her coat and stung her eyes, forcing her to close them and wipe a forehoof across her face. The cloud-mattress shifted as her wife climbed back up the bed, laying down and snuggling up to her. She looked down to see the other mare smiling back up at her smugly.

        “Enjoy yourself?” Rainbow asked, licking her lips.

        “I... You... My...” Rarity sputtered incoherently for a few moments before deciding to forgo words and leaning down to give her lover a passionate kiss. She only pulled away when her lungs started to burn and remind her she needed to breathe. She lay back on the bed, staring at the ceiling while her mind treated her to a replay of recent events. “That was... was... Goodness, I don’t even know what to say.”

        “Yeah, I tend to have that effect on ponies.” Dash examined a hoof disinterestedly for a few seconds before snickering and burying her face in the unicorn’s chest. They laid there for a time, content to bask in the slowly fading sunlight as Celestia’s orb made its final descent below the horizon outside. The stars had just begun to twinkle into existence when Rainbow stirred, rolling onto her stomach and reaching up to stroke her wife’s cheek.

        Rarity smiled and gazed into her lover’s eyes, seeing a pure and unconditional love in them that was every bit as warm as their coats pressed against one another. Her mind wandered, contemplating whether it might have been preferable for this existence to be the real world rather than the reality she wanted so desperately to escape. Fluttershy wouldn’t choose either of us for fear of hurting the other, and Rainbow won’t give me a chance. Do I even have a place there anymore?

        “Don’t do that!” Dash snapped, rising up on an elbow and frowning.

        The unicorn winced, knowing she had been caught, but resolved to play innocent. “Don’t what, darling?” She tried to pull the other mare back down to the bed.

        “You know darn well what.” Rainbow shot back, pushing herself up. “Sweetie Belle would miss you, and so would your parents. You can’t just run and dream your life away. It’s not fair to everyone who depends on you.” She slumped down, and her voice softened. “I know it hurts, and I wish there was something I could do to make it better. You still have your friends, your family, and your life to go back to.”

        Rarity pouted. “You know, it’s very difficult to have a good sulk around you.” She couldn’t help but smile as Dash stuck her tongue out playfully, but her mood quickly soured again as she thought about returning to the real world. “I suppose you’re right. It would hardly behoove a lady such as myself to run from her problems. Besides, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash need to see that I am happy for them, not that their being together is hurting me.” Despite her words, a stab of regret, tinged with a hint of jealousy, pierced her chest at the thought of her friends.

        No. Don’t think that. She immediately rebuked herself. Your happiness isn’t worth more than theirs. They have every right to be happy, and now they can. Now that you’re... out of the way. Tears welled unbidden in her eyes, and she tried futilely to wipe them away. Wings enveloped her in a tight hug.

        “Shh... It’s okay.” Dash stroked her wife’s mane as she tried to calm her. “You can be sad. Hay, I’d be surprised if you weren’t. The trick is that you can’t let it win. You have to be better than it. Stronger than it.” She pulled back and lifted the unicorn’s chin. “You’re too awesome to let something like this get you down.”

        Rarity sniffed and wiped the residual tears from her eyes. “You... you really think I’m awesome?”

        “Well, yeah.” Dash flashed one of her characteristic smiles. “You’d have to be to score a mare like me, don’tcha think?”

        The alabaster mare rolled her eyes. “You’re incorrigible, love.” She wiggled out of the embrace and hopped down to the floor, stretching the stiffness from her legs. “Though, you are right, I suppose. I should be heading home.” She looked around the room for a moment. “Um... How do I get home, exactly?”

        Rainbow jumped down from the bed and walked over to stand next to her wife. “You could always try falling. That usually works... for non-pegasi anyway. You fall, and then you wake up right before you hit the ground.”

        “And how would you suggest I do that, hmm?” Rarity arched an eyebrow and gestured toward the window. “Do you propose I simply leap from the balcony?”

        “You could.” Dash shrugged. “But if you’re chicken, we could just do this.” Without warning, she spun around and stomped the floor with her hind legs, knocking a large hole in it directly underneath the other mare.

        Rarity’s eyes bulged for an instant before gravity overtook her and pulled her through the hole in the floor. She screamed on her way down, flailing her legs wildly as the wind whipped at her mane and tail. She dared to look down and saw the hard, unforgiving ground rushing up to meet her. She squeezed her eyes shut and let loose one final terrified scream.


*


        Rarity was falling.

        Dash could see it in her terrified expression. Despite the fact that she was now speeding after her with every bit of thrust her wings could manage, she wasn’t getting any closer. She could feel the strain all around her, the air before her was trying to hold her back. A familiar white cone formed before her, elongating and closing in on her ever tighter. The pressure built until it felt like it would crush her, but her hooves inched ever closer to it. All she had to do was reach it and the barrier would break. She knew she could do it, she had done it before, after all.

        Actually, yeah. I have done this before... huh. She brushed the feeling off. She had a unicorn and some Wonderbolts to save. Her hooves touched the cone of compressed air and it parted, falling away with a resounding boom as she breached the sound barrier. A cocky grin crossed her face as she closed in on a familiar orange mane. Easy peasy. First Spitfire. She pulled the Wonderbolts’ leader onto her back. Then Soarin’. She grabbed the stallion as she sped past him. Finally, Misty Fly. The last stunt flier settled onto Rainbow’s back and she looked ahead. Just one more to go. Her smile faded. Something was horribly wrong.

        She was still too far away. I should be closer by now. She quickly glanced between the ground and the falling unicorn. I’m still at least thirty feet away... should be less than five. A wave of fear washed over her as she tried to will herself to go faster, inching slowly closer. Her lungs ached, her muscles burned, and she let loose a feral scream. The world ceased to exist outside of her friend and the ground that was seconds away from obliterating her. No. I’ll save her. I have to.

        Rarity looked up at her, smiling sadly as tears were pulled away from her eyes. She spoke, and somehow Dash heard her whisper over the roar of the wind. “J-Just promise me you will love her enough for both of us, won’t you?”

        Dash yelled back, but the wind tore her voice away. No! I can’t let her down! I won’t!

        “Rarity!” Rainbow screamed, bolting upright. She was covered in a cold sweat and her heart hammered in her chest. She looked around frantically, confusion replacing her panic as she realized she was sitting on a cloud. She remembered laying down to take a quick nap after leaving Carousel Boutique. That memory started a train of thought that she had tried to escape by napping. She flopped back down on the cloud, letting out an exasperated sigh and replaying her conversation with Rarity in her head yet again.

        Were is not for Fluttershy, could you have loved me? Did we ever have a chance?

        Dash pulled a bit of cloud off in her hooves and toyed with it absently. What did she mean? She grunted in frustration and squashed the bit of cloud she was playing with, a more pressing concern rising in her mind. Why the hay did she kiss me? The scene replayed in her head. Rarity leaned in and kissed her on the cheek, whispering softly before she pulled away.

        I am so sorry, my love.

        Rainbow slammed a hoof on the cloud below her, knocking a portion of it off to float away. Why did she call me that? Question after question flew through her mind, but she didn’t have any answers. When did this get so... complicated? She shut her eyes and draped a foreleg over them. A vision of Rarity falling at the end of her dream swam behind her eyes, but something tugged at the back of Dash’s mind. She had seen that same sad, resigned look before. She spent a few minutes pondering the situation before the answer leapt to the front of her mind.

        It was the same look Rarity had given her right before she left the Boutique.

        She looked like she wants to say something... important. Why didn’t she? What was it? She looks like I let her down somehow. But, I’m Rainbow Dash. I don’t know how to let ponies down. All of the deep, thought-provoking questions were giving Dash a headache. She kicked the cloud she was laying on with a hind leg, hitting it hard enough to destroy it. She fell through the air, savoring the wind whipping through her mane for a few seconds before rolling over and flaring her wings. She banked into a glide, angling for Fluttershy’s cottage.

        She shook her head in irritation, dropping lower as she neared the cottage. That can't be right. I'm just feeling guilty. I mean... if Shy hadn't picked me I might try what Rares did myself. She alighted on Fluttershy's doorstep. That's all it was, stupid conscience. Rare's gonna be fine, she said so herself! Right now though... She looked nervously at the door. Right now, I need to get some things straight with Shy. After that, maybe we can both sit down and lay out some ground rules with Rares. I may not want to date her, but I still want us to be close friends. She smiled happily. Yeah, that's what we should do! She nodded, satisfied. Hey, I'm pretty good at this intro... interspec... um... self-talking-to thing! Yeah!


*


        Rarity jerked awake in her bed, gasping for breath and feeling her heart race in her chest. Looking around frantically, it took a few seconds for her to realize she was safe in her bedroom and not, in fact, plummeting to her death. She stared at the ceiling and waited for her heart rate to return to normal.

        “Very funny, Rainbow Dash.” She grumbled, though she couldn’t keep a slight smile from her face. Rolling over, she glanced out the window and saw the sun moving inexorably toward the horizon. Oh, dear. What time is it? She grabbed her alarm clock from the nightstand. Seven thirty? I slept for almost seven hours? She dropped the clock onto the bed and pressed a hoof to her forehead. Looks like I’ll be burning the midnight oil tonight, as it were.

        She got out of bed and began compiling a list of projects that could occupy her time. Her gaze fell on the door to the bathroom and she remembered the nearly empty bottle of sleeping pills in the medicine cabinet. Hmm... I should probably get those refilled before the pharmacy closes. She trotted out of the bedroom and down the stairs. As she entered the show room, an errant thought ran through her head. Oh Celestia, I forgot to close the store! She looked around the empty room and broke into a canter over to the door. She stopped in the entryway as she saw the sign in the door had been flipped to ‘Closed’, though the bolt was still unlocked.

        Odd... She grabbed a pair of saddlebags with her magic and pulled the door open, walking through it and flicking the lock shut before trotting toward the road. She passed Sugarcube Corner, but for once the bakery was dark and quiet. A few delectable aromas lingered in the air, but they were easily carried away by a slight breeze in the air. Her stomach growled as the wind died down and she caught a whiff of one baked good or another. She picked up her pace, turning a corner and crossing the street to a small store with various plants in the window and a sign above the door reading simply ‘Pill Pusher’s Pharmacy’.

        Rarity pushed the door open, causing a bell above the door to jingle, and she stepped into the store. Numerous small lanterns hanging from the ceiling lit the room, revealing shelves packed with flowering plants, bottles of various colored liquids, and even a few small stones and crystals. The alabaster mare weaved around a display with a vial of bright green liquid that claimed to cure the Cutie Pox and stepped up to the counter at the back of the store.

        “Good evening, miss. What can I do for you?” The stallion behind the counter asked. He was a slender unicorn with a muted green coat and a white mane streaked with several stripes of amber. The cutie mark on his flank was a white mortar and pestle.

        “Oh, good evening.” Rarity looked him up and down. “I don’t believe I’ve had the pleasure of making your acquaintance, mister...?”

        “Red Filler, but please, call me Refill.” Refill gave a short bow. “Mr. Pusher is on vacation this week, so he hired me to watch over things while he’s gone. Now, what can I do for you, miss...?”

        “Rarity.” Rarity replied, dipping into a light curtsey. She glanced down at the pharmacist’s coat and bit her lip, trying to silence the question bubbling up in her mind by sheer force of will. After several seconds of deliberation, her curiosity finally got the better of her.

        “I’m sorry. I know it’s dreadfully rude of me to ask, but I simply must.” She gestured in his direction with a hoof. “Red?”

        “Yes.” Refill chuckled, turning and looking down at his leaf-green coat. “Don’t worry, I get that all the time. You see, my father was out of town on business when I was born, and my mother is colorblind. She can’t distinguish red from green, and she thought I was red when I was born, so that’s what she named me. If nothing else, it makes for an interesting story.” He finished with a shrug.

        “Indeed it does.” She agreed, taking a moment to giggle at the notion before remembering her reason for visiting the pharmacy. “Anyway, I have a prescription for some sleeping pills, and I’m running out. Could you be a dear and refill it for me?” She pulled open her saddlebag with a pulse of magic and levitated a small scroll out of it, dropping it on the counter in front of the stallion.

        “Let’s see what we’ve got here.” Refill picked up the scroll in an aura of light green telekinesis and unrolled it. He scanned down the parchment for a few seconds, nodding to himself. “Nighty-night Sleeping Pills, simple enough.” He leaned down, rummaging around under the counter for a bit before coming back up with a small orange bottle floating next to him. “Here we are. That’ll be five bits.”

        “Thank you very much, Mr. Filler.” Rarity floated the appropriate amount of coins from her saddlebags and dropped them onto the counter. “I appreciate you helping me at such a late hour.”

        “It was my pleasure, Miss Rarity.” Refill pulled the bits across the wood, dropping them into a bag below the table. “Again, call me Refill, please.” He added, waving as the alabaster mare trotted out the door and into the night.


> Getting Burned
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Unexpected Confessions

Chapter Sixteen


        Getting Burned

        Fluttershy reached the east wall of her living room and stared out the window, looking at the tops of Ponyville’s taller buildings which were barely visible from her house. She bit her lip and turned around to pace the length of the room yet again, just as she had been doing all morning. She walked mindlessly, forcing herself to move only because she couldn’t bear to stand still. Her hooves ached, her muscles burned, and she tasted the metallic tang of blood on her tongue from chewing on her lip so hard that she broke the skin. Despite all of this, she continued to pace her living room while her thoughts followed the same tired loop they had been since she got back from Rarity’s house.

        What should I do? I have to choose. The longer I put it off, the worse it’s going to be... but how can I? If I pick one, I’ll have to break up with the other. That would hurt them. She stopped her pacing and turned to Angel’s hutch, where the rabbit was currently glaring at her over an empty food dish. “Oh Angel, what should I do?”

        Angel began hopping around, gesturing in her direction, and squeaking angrily. After several seconds of ranting, he kicked the empty food dish, sending it sailing directly at his caretaker’s head. The pegasus mare dodged it easily, fixing the irate rabbit with a stern gaze.

        “Angel Bunny, such language is not acceptable in this house.” Fluttershy trotted over to where the dish had landed and picked it up with a wing, never breaking eye contact with her favorite furry friend. “I know it’s lunch time, but if you can’t ask nicely, then you’ll just have to go without food for the day.” She waited patiently, engaging in yet another battle of wills with the rabbit. They stared at each other for nearly a minute before Angel caved in, huffing and pressing his paws together while looking up at his owner pleadingly.

        “That’s better. Thank you.” She nodded and walked into the kitchen, pausing to drop the bowl on the table before she opened her refrigerator and pulled out a head of lettuce, a couple carrots, and a cucumber. She tore a few big leaves off of the lettuce and was cutting up the carrots when a new thought froze her in her tracks.

        What if one of them figures it out? What if they discover I didn’t really pick one of them? Her mind immediately filled with images of Rarity and Rainbow Dash, but both of them wore pained expressions. She cowered, trying to hide under her table and escape the hurtful things her marefriends were saying in her head.

        Not cool, ‘Shy. Rainbow spat, her face a mixture of anger and sadness. After all we’ve been through, you try this? Going behind my back? I didn’t even ask you to pick me, did I? Just to pick one of us. She blinked away tears forming in her eyes, her shoulders slumping. Did you ever stop to think about what would happen when we found out? Did you even think about how much it would hurt us? She sniffed and looked away. I can’t believe you would be so cruel.

        Darling, please understand. I’m not angry, but I am disappointed. I expected better from you. I cannot and will not, be somepony’s mistress. Rarity explained, looking down on her with thinly veiled disgust. I shall have to reevaluate our friendship after this. She looked off to the side and shook her head. How could you? She and Dash turned and walked away, pausing only to throw one last dejected gaze over their shoulders.

        A slice of carrot smacked her in the head, pulling her back to reality under her table. Fluttershy looked up to see Angel leaning down to look at her, his growing frustration clear on his face. She sheepishly crawled out from under the table and quickly finished chopping up the vegetables.

        “Here.” She pushed the bowl across the table, where the rabbit was tapping his foot impatiently. He looked over the contents carefully before diving in, any earlier irritation forgotten.

        The cream-colored mare walked back into the living room and flopped down on the couch, burying her face in the pillows. She pressed her hooves over her ears, but the words continued to echo in her head.

        I can’t believe you would be so cruel.

        I expected better from you.

        Every repetition broke her heart a little more. Her eyes welled with tears, which spilled over and trailed down her cheeks. She would have preferred them to be angry. She could hide from anger, but disappointment? The look of hurt and betrayal in their eyes cut her like a knife and crushed her. She rolled over and stared at the ceiling, taking deep breaths to try and sooth herself. Calm down. They don’t know yet. I just have to choose soon and this will all be over. She stood up and started pacing the room again, weaving around her furniture.

        Right. All I have to do it pick one... and break up with the other. I have to break the heart of one of my best friends after lying to them and building up their hopes. She fretted in her usual quiet way. Oh, I’m a horrible pony. Maybe I should just move away and send both of them a letter explaining what I did... but that would make both of them sad instead of just one. I don’t deserve either of them. She stopped and leaned forward, resting her head on the wall. Oh Celestia, I can’t do this. I should just-

        Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock at the door which made her jump a little. She edged closer to the entryway cautiously calling out to her visitor. “Wh-Who is it?”

        “It’s me, ‘Shy.” Rainbow’s voice carried through the wood. “You, uh... you got a minute?”

        Fluttershy seized up, her heart rate rising and her ears flattening against her skull. She knows! She forced herself to take a deep, slow breath. No. Calm down. She just wants to talk. She doesn’t sound angry. There was something in Dash’s voice that gave her pause. She sounds... sad? Oh no. She took a moment to recover and trotted over to the door, pulling it open. “Hi, Rainbow Dash. Please, come in. What did you need?”

        “Nothing.” Dash shrugged and walked through the doorway, though her step lacked its normal cocky swagger. She made her way over to the couch and took a seat, avoiding making eye contact. “I haven’t seen you in a couple days, so I just came by to check up on you.” She finally looked over at the other mare, giving a small smile. “Do I have to have a reason to see my marefriend?” She nestled down into the cushions and patted the spot next to her. “So, whatcha been up to?”

        Fluttershy froze at the question. Relax. She just wants to talk. She doesn’t know... hopefully. Taking a deep breath, she walked across the room and sat down on the couch, leaving a small space between her and Rainbow. Her heartbeat hammered in her ears, and she had to fight the urge to hide behind her mane. She hated it. She didn’t want to feel this way around Rainbow Dash. She loved Dash, but that was the problem, wasn’t it? I love them both, so why can’t I be a good marefriend and just choose one of them? “Oh, um, I haven’t been doing any- Eep!” She let out a squeak as a cyan wing fell across her back and pulled her closer to Rainbow.

        “What’s wrong, ‘Shy?” Dash asked, lifting her wing slightly.

        “Oh, nothing!” Fluttershy responded, a little too quickly. She stared down at her hooves while she tapped them together. “You just, um, s-scared me a tiny bit.” She bit her lip, tasting a hint of blood again. I... I should tell her. I have to tell both of them. She looked up, running a hoof through her mane to move it out of her eyes. “Um, Dashie? I... I have something I need to tell you.” She felt Rainbow tense up next to her, causing her racing heart to spike even higher. She jumped. Why did she jump? Does she know? Oh Luna, she knows and now she’ll hate me!

        After a moment, Dash relaxed again, but her eyes darted around nervously. “You don’t have to worry, ‘Shy. You can tell me anything, I promise I won’t get mad.” She smiled, but her voice betrayed her concern. “What kind of marefriend would I be if I wasn’t there for you?”

        “Um, well, you see...” Fluttershy felt her already weak resolve crumbling in the face of Rainbow’s support, but she tried to press on. “It’s like this... I kind of... last night, Rar-” She stopped, wanting nothing more than to simply fall through the floor. I know she won’t get mad, but she’s going to be so disappointed! That’s worse. She squeezed her eyes and tried to blurt the truth out before she lost her nerve, but all that came out was a high pitched squeak. She let her head fall, silently cursing her own cowardice.

        “It’s okay, ‘Shy. You don’t have to worry.” Dash gave her struggling marefriend a squeeze, trying and failing to keep an amused little smile off of her face. “I know what you’re trying to say.” She leaned over and kissed the other mare on the forehead.

        “You do?” Fluttershy bolted upright, bumping into Dash’s nose as she sat up. Oh Celestia, she knows! The images and words her mind had conjured earlier came back, causing her to cringe in anticipation of the verbal assault her marefriend was surely preparing. “I’m sorry.” She whimpered.

        Rainbow shook her head, chuckling to herself. “Seriously, ‘Shy. It’s fine. I’m not mad.”

        Oh no! She’s not mad; she’s going to say she’s disappointed,that she hates me!

Dash reached out and laid a comforting hoof on the pink-maned mare’s cheek, then pulled her into a hug. “Stop worrying. Rarity told me everything.”

        Fluttershy froze as her brain tried to process what she had just heard. Rarity... knows? Oh no. Oh no oh no oh no. She looked into her marefriend’s eyes, feeling tears well in her own. “Please, Dashie. I can ex-” Her explanation was cut off by a pair of cyan lips.

        “There’s no need.” Dash ran a hoof through her friend’s mane and leaned forward for another quick kiss. “Rarity already told me all about your dinner and your little plan.”

        Plan? Fluttershy opened her mouth to respond, but couldn’t find any words. What plan? “Wh-What did she tell you?”

        Rainbow leaned back into the couch, pulling the other mare down to snuggle. “She told me about dinner, the kiss, and how you two were going to talk to me about the three-way relationship again.”

        “How did you find out about our... dinner?” Fluttershy asked, her mind working frantically to try and figure out whether Dash knew the dinner had been a date or not.

        “Twilight saw you two leave the restaurant and kind of... followed you for a bit. That’s how she saw you kissing.” Dash shifted for a moment, then shook her head. “That doesn’t matter though. Like I said, Rarity told me about your plan, but I told her that it wouldn’t work, so she bowed out.”

        Fluttershy felt like her head was going to explode. She needed time to process what she had just heard. She scooted to edge of the couch and hopped down. “Could you, um, excuse me for a moment?” Without waiting for a response, she galloped up the stairs to her bedroom and shut the door behind her. She started pacing, trying to sort out all of the information she had just gleaned from Dash.

        Okay, Rainbow Dash knows about Rarity and me having dinner, but doesn’t think it was a date. Rarity told her it was part of some “plan,” but why? She stopped as something Rainbow had said hit her. Rarity... bowed out? She gave up? Why? Does... does she not love me anymore? She sat on the edge of the bed. No, that’s not it, but then what is? A thought took root in her mind, but she tried to ignore it. Maybe she... no. What if... no.

        She put her head in her hooves as the realization hit her like a kick to the stomach. Rarity gave up so that Dashie and I could be happy together. She sacrificed her own happiness for ours. She rubbed away the tears forming in her eyes, feeling her chest tighten as another thought struck her. Her legs gave out and she slid off the bed, landing on the floor with a dull *thud*. She took the blame so that Dashie wouldn’t be mad at me. She figured out that I was dating both of them, but she made it look like last night was her idea. She sniffed and closed her eyes, causing a tear to roll down her cheek and fall to wet the fur on her stomach. No. No crying. Not while Dashie is here. She’ll know. She got back to her hooves slowly, taking a moment to dry herself with the blanket from her bed.

        Sweet Celestia, what have I done? I’m sorry Rarity. I won’t waste this chance you’ve given me. She trotted over to the door, pausing to take a few calming breaths, and went back downstairs, where Rainbow was still sitting on the couch.

        “Everything okay, Shy?” Dash asked, leaning forward and hopping down from the couch. “You got out of here in a hurry.”

        “Oh, yes. Everything’s fine.” Fluttershy ducked her head to hide behind her mane. She belatedly realized she needed an excuse for her rapid departure. “I just... really had to go to the bathroom.” An audible growl sounded from her stomach, and she felt an embarrassed blush bloom in her face. “Sorry. I, um, haven’t eaten lunch yet.” She perked up as a new idea came to her. “Would you, um, like to stay for lunch?”

        “Sounds great.” Rainbow trotted toward the kitchen, licking her lips. She reared up on her hind legs, flaring her wings for balance, and started pulling open random cabinets. “I’m actually starving.” She looked over her shoulder and saw her marefriend giving her a questioning look. “I went running with Twi earlier today and missed lunch to go see Rarity. Whatcha feelin’ for lunch?”

        “Well, um...” Fluttershy crept up behind Dash, watching the other mare rummage through every cabinet in the room. “I picked up some fresh daisies this morning, so I could make us some sandwiches.” She winced as her marefriend knocked a glass out of a cabinet, but let out a sigh of relief when the speedster caught it before it hit the floor.

        “That sounds good. Where’s the bread?” Rainbow pulled open another cabinet and poked around, knocking a large porcelain bowl over. She dropped down onto all four hooves and lunged out with a wing to catch it, laying it on the counter gently. She made her way over to the table and sat down. “On second thought, I’ll just stay out of your way.”

        Fluttershy busied herself with making lunch, heaping daisy blossoms onto a couple slices of bread. She tried to focus on the task, but something that her marefriend had said kept running though her head.

        Like I said, Rarity told me about your plan, but I told her that it wouldn’t work, so she bowed out.

        She put the sandwiches onto some plates and added a generous helping of baked oat chips. Then she grabbed a pair of glasses and filled them with water before balancing all of the food and drink on her back. She walked carefully over to the table, where Dash helped her unload the plates, eyeing her sandwich hungrily.

        I told her it wouldn’t work...

        “Dashie?” The word was out of Fluttershy’s mouth before she realized it. The mare in question looked up at her with a mouth full of sandwich, arching an eyebrow questioningly. “I was just, um, wondering...” She poked at her own sandwich with a hoof, doing her best to avoid eye contact. “Earlier, you said that Rarity told you about... our plan, and you told her it wouldn’t work.” She gathered her courage and looked up, meeting her marefriend’s gaze. “Why wouldn’t it work?”

        Rainbow slumped down and pushed her food away. “It’s... a long story, and one I don’t really like to get into.” She picked up her glass, taking a quick drink before poking at her sandwich.

        “Well, um...” Fluttershy put down her food and rubbed her hooves together nervously. “I would really like to know, if that’s okay with you.” She saw that Dash was still unconvinced, but her resolve was wavering. She leaned forward and pouted slightly, batting her eyelashes. “Pretty please?”

        Dash chewed on her lip for a second before letting out a resigned sigh. “Ugh. Fine.” She grabbed an oat chip and popped it in her mouth, then pointed a hoof at her marefriend in mock-accusation. “That’s not fair, by the way. Nopony could resist that.” She lapsed into silence for a moment, taking one final deep breath before launching into her story.

        “You remember my mom from when we were in Flight School, right? Did you ever wonder why you never met my dad?” She asked, earning a timid nod from the other mare. “Well, it’s because he ran off... with my mom.”

        Fluttershy froze, the oat chip she had picked up falling back to her plate. She blinked a few times in confusion, trying to piece together what she had just heard. “So, your father ran off with... your mother?”

        “Yeah... you know Moonshine, my birth mom. You never met Sunny Day, my other mom.” She chuckled as her marefriend stared at her in disbelief. “Oh jeez, that reaction never gets old, but yeah, I had two moms growing up. Moonshine was my biological mom, but I had another mom. They both loved my dad, and they were friends at first, I guess.” She shook her head. “Not that you could tell by the way they acted around one another. My mom, Moonshine, was always putting Sunny down because... she was sterile.” She smiled and moisture pooled in her eyes. “It didn’t matter. Sunny loved me like I was her foal. Hay, she was a better mom to me than Moonshine was. Don’t get me wrong, I was grateful to have a mom leftover after Sunny and my dad ran off, but Moonshine never loved me like Sunny did.”

        “Things got bad the year before I started Flight School.” Dash picked up another oat chip and tossed it in her mouth. “Moonshine saw how close Sunny and I were getting, since she was helping me with my flying. Moonshine put Sunny down every chance she got, calling her worthless because she could never have a foal of her own and accusing her of trying to steal me, like I was a piece of property.” She wiped a hoof across her eyes, removing the tears there before they could fall. “Later on, I realized that she was scared. She was afraid that she was losing me, that I loved Sunny more than her. You know what? She was right. Sunny was a way better parent than she was, and I loved her more.” She grabbed her water glass, just to have something to do with her hooves. “It sounds horrible, but there were times that I wished I was Sunny’s foal. You could see it in her eyes how much she cared, how much she wanted a foal of her own, but she couldn’t have one.”

        Rainbow blinked, not bothering to try and stem the tears flowing from her eyes. “I should have said something... done something. Maybe if I had, she wouldn’t have...” She shook her head, trying to dislodge the treacherous thoughts. “No. What happened, happened, and me beating myself up over it won’t change that. Anyway, Moonshine just kept giving Sunny a hard time, but she didn’t stop there. She started monopolizing my dad. They had been sharing him, but Moonshine started pulling him away from time with Sunny for ‘emergencies’ that didn’t exist. She did anything she could to keep him away from her.”

        Her voice cracked as she kept talking. “Even that didn’t hurt her. All mom cared about was me, and making sure that they didn’t fight in front of me. After a while, Moonshine figured that out and started keeping me away from Sunny. That’s what finally broke her. That’s why she left.” She looked down at the table as a box of tissues slid toward her. Looking up, she saw her marefriend smile timidly. “Thanks.” She said, grabbing one to wipe her eyes.

        “You’re welcome.” Fluttershy mumbled, taking a tissue for herself to dab at her own moist eyes. “So she, um, Sunny Day, just left your real mom and dad?”

        “Yeah.” Dash nodded, pulling another tissue from the box. “She left me a note. It s-said that she w-wanted me to know that she l-loved me, and that she... she left so that I wouldn’t have to be around her and Moonshine arguing all the time. A few days later, my dad left too.” She wiped the tissue across her eyes as a fresh round of tears flowed out. “He said he was going to find Sunny and bring her back, but we never saw him again.”

        “Dashie, I... I’m so sorry. So, that’s why Moonshine was always... seeing new ponies?” Fluttershy asked, dropping her gaze to the table.

        “Seeing them?” Rainbow scoffed. “I don’t know about that, but that’s why she slept around so much.”

        “Rainbow Dash!” Fluttershy reprimanded the cyan mare. “Now, I know that you didn’t like the way your mom chose to live her life, but it was just that, her choice.” She paused, and her voice was softer when she started speaking again. “I know you were disappointed in how she chose to... sleep around, but surely you could see that it was the way she dealt with her pain.”

        “Her... pain?” Dash looked up questioningly. Her gaze hardened as the meaning behind those words hit her, and her upper lip pulled back in a snarl. “Her pain? What about my pain? What about how I lost my mother? The one pony in the world who really cared about me. What about-” She stopped, closing her eyes and taking several deep breaths. “No. That’s not important. This isn’t about the past, it’s about us. It’s why we can’t do this. I like Rares, I really do. I like all you girls, but we’d only be doing it so that we could both be with you, so that we could share you. It might work out at first, but it wouldn’t last.” She shuddered as the conversation brought up more painful memories. “Rares and I would start arguing and fighting because one of us thought we’d been cheated on some stupid little thing. We’d both be jealous of the time you spent with the other... I can’t do that. I won’t do that.” She got up and stalked over to the couch to sit down, letting her head lay on the arm rest.

        Fluttershy joined Dash on the couch and extended a wing over her shoulders. "Nopony wants to make you do anything, Rainbow. I never realized what you went through as a foal, it really helps to have it explained. Thank you for trusting me." Even though I really don't deserve it. No, stop it now. Be worthy of her trust. They snuggled together on the couch for some time after that.

        Rainbow finally lifted her head from the embrace, clearing her throat. "I was supposed to tell you something... um... Rares said she still loves you. She gave us her blessing. I dunno, like I needed it, but it felt kinda nice... Like she was saying 'no hard feelings,' you know?" She smiled at that, but it was a very sad smile.

        Fluttershy didn't know what to say, it was all too much for her to process right then. It's okay? She still loves me, even knowing I was dating them both, and she just wants me to be happy? She was fighting back tears, Rarity loved her. No matter that she had messed everything up, Rarity loved her enough to do this for her.

        Dash seemed nervous at her lack of response. "Shy, do you... want to be with her instead?” She paused, visibly struggling to maintain her composure. “I-I mean... I love you, and I want you to be happy. If you need to be with Rares... It would hurt, I won't pretend it wouldn't, but I would be happy for you as long as you were happy. I love you, and even though I don't love Rares... I know she loves you, she would make you happy.” She looked into her marefriend’s eyes as tears welled in her own. “I-Is that what you want?"

        Fluttershy had to choke back a sob. She was being offered a choice again, after Rarity had effectively taken it from her. Looking down at the morose mare in her embrace, however, it was not a real choice. Rarity was the strongest of them, she had taken the burden. Oh, I wish I could be as strong as she is. She had taken her chance at happiness and selflessly given it to Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, giving up to let them be happy. Rarity knew what she had done, and still loved her. She even gave her blessing for this to happen. Rainbow and Fluttershy needed one another to be strong.

        "Thank you, but I made the right choice. If it can't be all of us... you need me, and I need you." Fluttershy smiled and pulled Dash closer and they nestled down into couch.

        “I love you, ‘Shy.” Rainbow whispered, giving her marefriend a quick squeeze.

        “I love you too, Dashie.”

> Two of a Kind
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Unexpected Confessions

Chapter Seventeen


Two of a Kind

        Twilight finally slowed down as she reached Ponyville. She reached up and rubbed the last of her tears away from her eyes with her hurt foreleg. She looked around, noticing an occasional sideways glance being thrown her way. Her mind tried to run a hundred different directions at once, but any thought that fought its way to the forefront of her mind was erased by the pain of each step on her injured leg. What had started out as a twinge of pain with each step had rapidly escalated to a searing agony whenever she put any weight on it. She briefly considered trying to avoid walking on it, but figured that hobbling through town would draw more attention than trying to bear the pain.

Ow. Ow. Ow. She grimaced rhythmically as spikes of pain shot through her leg with each step. I hope nothing’s broken in there. She glanced over her shoulder, looking back down the road she had just come running down, and shook her head. Stupid, stupid, stupid! Why did I run on it? I should know better. Her mind tortured her with images of Applejack trying to kick down the door and explaining how she wanted to go find Rainbow Dash, as if to say Yes, you should, but you weren’t thinking, were you? Her breathing finally returned to normal as she approached the library, though each breath was accompanied by a sharp stabbing pain in her side. Celestia, I think I broke a rib. She took a deep breath, wincing as several spots along her side flared in pain. Maybe more than one. She took a moment to run a hoof through her windswept mane before opening the door.

        Twilight quickly glanced around the library quickly, letting out a sigh of relief when she realized that Spike wasn’t around. She hobbled into the main room and slowly made her way along one of the bookshelves and scanning the titles. J... K... L... Here we go, M. Magic, general. Magic, talent. Metaphysics. Ah, medicine. She reached up with her injured hoof and gingerly pulled a tome from the wall. She placed it on the floor and read the title. The Marvelous Multitudes of Medical Magic. Just what I was looking for. She flipped open the cover to check the table of contents, but a spot of color in her peripheral vision caught her eye. She craned her head and saw a note on the table in the middle of the room.

        Calling on her magic, she floated the parchment over to her, nearly dropping it twice as the pain in her side and leg surged. She tried to focus through it, but the pain only reminded her of her outburst in Applejack’s kitchen, and the memory in turn brought back a flood of emotions. She squeezed her eyes shut against tears that were forming in them. A soft fwoosh sounded in the empty library, and Twilight opened her eyes to see the charred remains of the paper floating down to the ground.

        Horseapples! Okay... no magic. She closed the book she had taken down and placed it back in the empty spot on the shelf. She stood up, holding her injured leg off the ground, walked across the room, and started climbing the staircase. About halfway up, her good foreleg slipped out from under her, and she reflexively extended her injured leg to catch herself. She landed hard on it; she heard a sickening crack and felt something snap in her ankle as it crumpled under her, sending her sprawling out on the staircase. Her mouth opened in a silent scream and tears streamed down her face.

        She lay on the stairs and sobbed, though whether her tears came more from the pain in her leg and side or the one in her heart, she couldn’t tell. Minutes passed, and she faintly heard the bells of the Ponyville clock tower chime the beginning of a new hour, but still she couldn’t summon the willpower to move. Eventually, the front door opened and admitted a baby dragon into the building.

        “Hey Twilight, I’m ho—” Spike’s words died in his throat when he saw his caretaker lying on the stairs, crying. “Twilight!” He rushed over to the staircase, dropping the brown paper bag he was carrying at the door. “What happened? Are you okay?” He reached out to help her up, but stopped short, not wanting to aggravate any potential injuries.

        “I-I’m fine, Spike.” Twilight rubbed at her eyes with her good foreleg. “I just tripped and fell.” She braced herself to stand, not wanting to worry her assistant, but she remembered the pain of her injured hoof landing on the staircase and thought better of trying to get up by herself. “Actually, I think I might have... sprained my ankle when I fell. Could you help me up to my room?”

        Spike opened his mouth to say something, but closed it and nodded. “Okay.” He squatted down and draped the unicorn’s hurt leg across his shoulders, taking care to be as gentle as possible, but the movement still made Twilight wince in pain. “Ready?” She nodded, biting her lower lip and squeezing her eyes shut. “Alright, on three. One. Two. Three.”

        They stood together slowly, and Twilight drew in a pained hiss of breath. She lifted her good foreleg and planted it on the next step, pushing herself up as Spike climbed up alongside her. The pair ascended at a snail’s pace, and each step was a fresh wave of agony. The pain shooting through her leg made it difficult for Twilight to focus on anything other than the next step. However, one thought was forced through the discomfort, and in her mind she saw Applejack standing before her, tears glistening in her eyes.

         Ya don’t know what it’s like. Seein’ her every day, wantin’ nothin’ more than to just hold her and let her know that you’d do anythin’ to make her happy. Knowin’ that at the end of the day, she’s got somepony to come home to, but all you’ve got is an empty bed.

        Twilight gritted her teeth and pushed up onto the next step, a lance of pain running up her leg as Spike climbed the step a little too quickly next to her. Well, I suppose I should have seen this coming. She winced, letting out a pained grunt as they rose to the next step. I knew Applejack was in love with Rainbow Dash. I couldn’t expect her to just forget about that because I have some... The rest of her thought seemed to catch in her throat, and she swallowed as if to clear it. Some silly little crush on her.

        “Twilight?” Spike tapped a claw against the unicorn’s chest, startling her out of her thoughts. “Could you get the door?” He waved a hand in the direction of the door, not quite able to reach the handle.

        She hesitated, remembering the charred parchment on the floor from the last time she tried to use magic. “Sure, one sec.” She leaned on Spike’s shoulder, drawing a strained grunt from the baby dragon, and lifted her good foreleg to press the handle and open the door. She glanced down to see her assistant looking at her with a confused expression, but she started walking again before he could say anything. They hobbled over to the bed and Twilight climbed up onto it, wincing as the movement stretched her injured ribs. She settled into the mattress while Spike pulled the covers up over her then laid an extra pillow down for her to rest her hurt foreleg on.

        “Do you need anything, Twilight? Something to eat or drink?” He tapped a claw from each hand together. “Do you want me to go get Nurse Redheart?”

        Twilight opened her mouth to respond, but realized she didn’t have an answer. The rational portion of her brain knew that she needed to get her leg looked at, and having her ribs checked out wouldn’t hurt, but the emotional side of her brain just wanted to lie in bed and cry for a few hours.

        “Later.” She eventually said, laying her head back on the pillow behind her. “Right now, I just want to get some rest.” She paused and an errant thought came to mind. “Where were you, anyway?”

        Spike shrugged. “I was at the market, getting some fresh alfalfa and wheat for dinner tonight.” He waddled over to the door, pulling it partway closed and getting ready to head back downstairs. “I left you a note on the table. Didn’t you get it?”

        Twilight bit her lip, unsure whether she wanted to tell him about the parchment’s fate and worry him further. “No. I must have missed it.” She gave an exaggerated stretch, hiding a wince as it tweaked her injured ribs. “Anyway, I’m gonna get a little rest. Let me know when dinner’s ready, please.” She nestled into the bed, turning her face away from the door.

        “Alright.” Spike eased the door closed and started down the staircase, several different thoughts vying for attention. Part of him wanted to march back up to Twilight’s room and demand to know why he had found her crying on the staircase when he got home, but another portion of his mind knew he needed to go find somepony to look at the unicorn’s leg. He paused a few steps down from the door, tapping a claw to his chin, but his thoughts were interrupted by a sound from Twilight’s room.

        That sounded like... no, I’m sure it wasn’t. He went to resume his descent of the stairs, but stopped as he heard the noise a second time. Curiosity won out over his desire to give the injured mare some privacy, and he crept back up the stairs, pressing an ear to the wood. His stomach dropped as he listened to the sounds coming from the other side.

        Twilight was crying, and Spike had a feeling it wasn’t because of her leg.

        He backed away from the door and quietly retreated down the staircase. He hopped off of the bottom step, a plan forming in his mind. I’ve gotta go find Nurse Redheart. Once she’s looked at Twilight’s leg, I can get some answers. He waddled over to the front door and left the building, heading off in search of help.


*


        Meanwhile, Applejack plodded her way down the road between Carousel Boutique and the Golden Oaks Library, though she had yet to decide exactly what she was going to say to Twilight. She quickened her pace, breaking into a light trot. Her mind continued to whirl, replaying the unicorn crying in her kitchen before running away.

        Consarnit. She slowed back to a walk, dragging her hooves in the dirt. What’s gotten into that girl? She kicked a pebble on the road, sending it clattering ahead of her. She glanced back over her shoulder at the empty Boutique, then shook her head and replayed the entire encounter in her mind, her spirits falling with each step. Ah guess Ah was leanin’ on her pretty hard. Blowin’ her off to chase after Dash was just the apple that tipped the cart. Her head fell a little, causing her hat to slide forward. Ah reckon Ah owe her one doozy of an apology.

        Applejack knew Twilight well, and she had known she'd gone too far the moment the words passed her lips. Thinking back now however, it didn't fit. She'd expected the snarkiness, hay, she'd even expected the anger. But there had been something else there.

        "I wouldn't know about crying yourself to sleep at night, wishing they were there to hold you, or that you could wake up and have them be the first thing you see in the morning..." Twilight's voice had pitched there; And she'd had something in her eyes that had confused Applejack until she convinced herself that she must have been imagining it.

        Hurt. A mixture of frustration, hurt and raw sadness had been there and she'd just discarded it because she couldn't understand why Twilight could be feeling that way...

        She kept walking and almost stumbled over a rock in the path. She looked around and realized she was nearing the library, so she trotted over to a bench and lay down. Well, Ah think that it’s obvious she’s pinin’ after somepony somethin’ fierce... but who? And how’d Ah miss it fer so long? She thought back to their dinner from last night, only to realize that she barely remembered anything that Twilight had said, other than asking to train together. She tried to recall anything from their training session earlier, but again she couldn’t clearly place anything the unicorn had said before finally admitting Rainbow had left to go talk to Rarity.

        Some friend Ah’ve been. She slumped down, resting her head on her forelegs and letting out a heavy sigh. Her eyes drifted shut, but snapped back open when a thought struck her like a bolt of lightning.

        What if it’s Dash?

        The earth pony swallowed. It was one thing to be competing with Fluttershy for Rainbow Dash’s affections. She knew that Fluttershy had Rarity nipping at her heels, so even if Dash chose Applejack over her, Fluttershy would still have the fashionista to fall back on. Oh Celestia, that sounds horrible. The orange mare pulled her hat down over her face.

        Her initial reaction was to dismiss the idea; they were simply too different, like an apple and an orange. She chuckled silently to herself. Ah don’t think that metaphor is quite up to the task of tellin’ how far apart Dash and Twi are. They’re more like night and day. Her mirth died as she realized that the degree of difference between the unicorn and pegasus moved them out of the ‘It’ll never work because they’re too different’ category and into the ‘They’re so opposite that it works beautifully’ one. She swallowed and could feel herself starting to break out in a cold sweat.

        If Twilight was interested in Rainbow, though, that... complicated things. There were certain things she could do that the farm pony just couldn’t compete with. First and foremost among them was her magic. She could do unbelievable things just as easily as she could breathe. Hay, she can even magic up some wings and fly if’n she wants to. Girl might as well be one of the princesses.

        Applejack ran through the situation again mentally. Let’s start with the one thing we know fer sure; Twi’s got a mighty serious crush on somepony, but who? Snippets from the earlier training session flashed through her head. Rainbow unexpectedly showing up with Twilight, then leaving just as abruptly. Twilight being evasive, then outright lying about where Dash had run off to. The unicorn stopping her from following Dash over to Carousel Boutique before breaking down, crying, yelling, and running away. Each image drove a spike of pain further into her heart as a seemingly insurmountable pile of evidence stacked up against her.

        It... fits. She bit her lip to keep a disappointed whine from escaping her throat. An urge to simply turn around and make the lonely trek home rose up in her chest, but she pushed it down and hopped down off of the bench, suddenly uncomfortable sitting still. She trotted up to the library and knocked on the door. While she waited for somepony to answer it, another rogue idea pulled at her thoughts.

        It ain’t me, is it?

        She chuckled and turned back to focus on the door before her. Nah, it can’t be me. What could an amazin’ mare like Twi possibly see in some plain ol’ Ponyville apple farmer? She stared at the wood grains, and her mind briefly flitted back to last night’s dinner and the morning’s training session again. So then, it’s probably one of Rarity, Fluttershy, or Rainbow Dash... maybe even Pinkie Pie. She reached up and adjusted her hat, wiggling it around for a few moments before leaving it exactly where it had been.

        Her eyes widened as the last piece clicked into place: her anger with Twilight for running off during their shared meal, the problems that morning in the farmhouse, all the little strains in Twilight's expressions... Oh Celestia, Ah really have been a lousy friend recently. Ah wasn't just leanin' on her, she was leanin' on me too!

        After a while, she blinked and realized she had been standing in front of the closed door for nearly five minutes after knocking. Well... it is a library. She pressed a hoof to the wood and it opened easily.

        “Twi?” She poked her head in and looked around the deserted main floor of the library. “Spike? Anypony in here?” She stepped through the threshold and gently kicked the door shut behind her with a soft click. She walked over to the kitchen and glanced inside, then called down into the basement, her expression becoming more and more confused with each empty area she checked. She moved back out to the middle of the main room, her hooves striking the wooden floor the only sound breaking the silence.

        “Ah don’t think Twi’d leave the place empty, least not without a note on the door.” She thought aloud to herself, pacing around the table in the middle of the room. After three laps of the table and no new ideas about where to look for Twilight, Applejack let out a sigh and started for the door. Oh fer two today. She laid a hoof on the handle, but stopped as a faint noise caught her attention. She swiveled an ear around back toward the center of the room, listening for it again.

        Squeak.

        She stepped away from the door, turning to follow her best guess of where the noise had come from. She found herself facing the staircase, and by extension the door to Twilight’s bedroom. Well, it is the one room Ah haven’t checked yet... She took a step toward the staircase, then stopped. Then again, maybe Ah shouldn’t. She started to turn away, but her curiosity held her back. What if somethin’s wrong? Better safe than sorry, right? It was faulty reasoning, and she knew it, but it was enough for her to press onward. She waited, waiting to hear the sound one more time before going up the stairs. Time stretched on into one minute, then two, and just as she was about to give up and leave, she heard something.

        “Achoo!”

        Gotcha. She trotted over to the staircase, climbing it in a matter of seconds. “Twi? Can Ah come in?” She waited for an answer, but none came. She tapped her hoof, her patience rapidly waning. “Come on, Twilight. Ah know yer in there, and Ah ain’t leavin’ ‘til ya let me so we can talk.” She sat down and leaned against the wall, pulling her hat down over her eyes. “Whenever yer ready, sugarcube.” She waited and heard a few more squeaks and creaks that she assumed were from the bed springs, followed by a soft voice through the door.

        “Come in.”

        Applejack stood up and opened the door, pushing her Stetson further back on her head. Inside, she found Twilight sitting in bed and looking out the window, her injured leg resting on a pillow. The fur on her cheeks was wet and matted. She’s been cryin’ again... or maybe she never stopped. She walked up to the side of the bed, suddenly unsure of what to say. “H-hey, Twi.”

        “What do you want?” Twilight spat, never turning away from the window.

        The earth pony winced at her friend’s sharp tone, but pressed on regardless. “Ah wanted to come by and say Ah’m sorry fer how Ah was actin’ back at the farm.”

        “Apology accepted.” Twilight didn’t even look at her, keeping her gaze firmly out the window and shrinking away as Applejack stepped forward. “Although, I don’t know why you would feel the need to apologize.” She continued quickly. “It’s not like you did anything wrong, did you?”

        Applejack bit her tongue against the pure sarcasm dripping from the unicorn’s words, but she didn’t reply and took a deep breath instead. “Anyway, Ah just wanted to see if’n ya wanted to talk about it.” She smiled. “Seems to me we’re in the same boat, after all. So, who’s the lucky stallion?”

        Twilight turned back to the window, her mouth set in a hard line, but after a moment she let out a sigh. “I... don’t want to talk about it.”

        “Maybe not a stallion... a mare, then?” Applejack sat down and lifted her forelegs to rest them on the bed. “Do Ah know her?” She waited for an answer, but the other mare only shifted on the bed, edging over to the far side. “Is it Miss Cheerilee? Ah could just see you two all cozied down in front of the fire with a good book.”

        “No.” The unicorn replied. She bit her lip and shot a worried glance at the other mare. “Really, AJ, it’s okay. We don’t have to talk about it.”

        “Come on, Twi. Ah bet it’ll help to get it off yer chest.” Applejack reached across the bed and laid a hoof on her friend’s shoulder, but felt the other mare tense under her touch. She thought silently for a few moments before continuing. “What about Carrot Top? You’ve always been friendly with her.” She leaned forward, waiting for an answer, but Twilight merely went back to looking out the window. Her ears folded back as she stared out at the town, as if she were trying to will Applejack into giving up. “Or maybe Roseluck? Ah’ve seen ya talkin’ to her a good deal lately.” A shake of the head was her only answer. The farm pony kept wracking her brain for more possible ponies her friend could be interested in. “What about one of them spa sisters, Aloe or Lotus?”

        “No.” Twilight finally spoke again, but her voice was more akin to a growl.


*


        “What about Carrot Top? You’ve always been friendly with her.” Applejack leaned forward as she spoke.

        Who? Twilight turned to look back out the window in order to cover her momentary confusion. She wracked her brain for a face to match with the name. She must mean Golden Harvest. Well, at least she’s on the right track. Right profession, wrong produce.

        “Or maybe Roseluck? Ah’ve seen ya talkin’ to her a good deal lately.” Applejack kept trying, despite the unicorn’s wishes that she wouldn’t.

        Roseluck? Really? Twilight shook her head, but as she did, her mind flashed back to several conversations she’d had with the rose salespony over the last few weeks. Though, she has a point... too bad I was only talking to Roseluck because I was trying to work up the courage to buy a bouquet of roses for you, you beautifully dense mare.

        “What about one of them spa sisters, Aloe or Lotus?”

        Oh, for the love of Luna! The unicorn gritted her teeth and could hear them grinding in her ears. The spa sisters? Do I look like a pony that goes to the spa a lot? Okay, Rarity used to invite me along every week, then it started getting really obvious that she had a thing for Fluttershy, but didn’t have the courage to tell her. I didn’t want to get involved with that again, not after the mess with 'Shy's modeling. She tried to remain calm, but the farm pony’s repeated and increasingly off-the-mark guesses were wearing on her patience. “No.” She growled.

        Applejack glanced off to the side, seeming to wrestle with herself. After a second, she made a decision and took a deep breath before speaking. “Is it... one of our friends?” She asked, forcing herself to keep looking at her friend.

        Twilight cringed at the question. She finally turned away from the window and looked at the other mare pleadingly. “Please, AJ. Just drop it.” Her gaze fell down to the bed. “It doesn’t matter, anyway. S-She’s head-over-hooves in love with somepony else.” She peeked back up and saw the other mare take a deep breath.

        “Is it... Fluttershy?” The farmer ventured, rubbing a hoof along her foreleg.

        The unicorn rolled her eyes, but didn’t raise her head from looking at the sheets. Sure, because she doesn’t have enough trouble with Rarity and Rainbow Dash. I should throw my hat in the ring, then Fluttershy could have herself her own little harem. She sighed, letting the thoughts run their course and die out before she tried to speak. “No, it’s not her.”

        “Maybe Rarity then?” Applejack’s voice was barely above a whisper.

        Rarity? Oh sure, because she's a unicorn too, right? Maybe you think I'm stuck up because I grew up in Canterlot? Is that why you never... Ugh! No, it's not Rarity you stubborn, blind, adorably stupid pony! Twilight bit her tongue to keep herself from snapping at the floundering earth pony and simply shook her head.

        She saw some of the color drain from Applejack’s face out of the corner of her eye. The other mare seemed to take a moment to gather her courage. When she spoke again, her voice had a slight tremor to it. “Look, Ah hate to pry like this, but it ain’t Dash, is it?”

        “What?” Twilight’s head whipped up, and a spark of anger flashed in her eyes. “No, it’s not Rainbow! It’s not enough that you and Fluttershy are chasing after her, so I have to be in love with her too?” She snarled and went back to staring out the window, fuming silently to herself. In love with Rainbow Dash my flank.

        “P-Pinkie Pie?” The farm pony muttered the last name halfheartedly, and the glare it earned her told her all she needed to know about that possibility. The lavender mare huffed, silently cursing her crush’s mental density.

        Should I... tell her? The question gave her pause as she considered it.

        What if she says yes? What if she agrees? She swallowed, trying to remove her heart from its new residence in her throat. Images flashed through her mind of her and Applejack together: the two of them resting under a tree during Applebuck Season, sitting around the dinner table at the farmhouse, and curled up in front of the fire with a good book in the dead of winter. She spared a quick glance over at Applejack, who was looking around the room, her mouth alternating between a concerned frown and a relieved smile.

        The image in her head shifted, turning back to the afternoon with Applejack in the kitchen. That same wonderfully infuriating earth pony was yelling at her and trying to buck down the door to go after Rainbow Dash. Oh, who am I kidding? Twilight let her head fall, squeezing her eyes shut against tears that she could feel stirring in her chest. She loves Rainbow, plain and simple. Telling her wouldn’t accomplish anything. It would only make things awkward between us. She sat up a little straighter, making sure she had a firm hold on her emotions before speaking. “I’m sorry AJ. I shouldn’t have snapped at you like that. You were just trying to help.” She gave the best fake smile she could, turning to face her friend. “I appreciate what you’re trying to do, but some things we have to face alone.”

        “Twilight...” Applejack tried to form a response, but she couldn’t find anything to say. She stood up and walked over to the door, stopping before heading back downstairs. She turned back, concern clearly etched on her face. “Just remember, Ah’m here fer ya, if’n ya wanna talk about it later.” She waited a few moments for an answer, but received only a small nod in response, so she stepped out and closed the door behind her. As she made her way down the stairs, the door to the library opened to admit Spike, who was talking to someone behind him.

        “—know those three can be a hoofful, but this is a new level of carnage, even for them.” He stepped aside and held the door for a white earth pony mare with a light pink mane and a white hat. She was carrying a lumpy bag on her back with a large red cross on it. “There are only what, two, maybe three hills in the White Tail Woods, aren’t there? How do you cause a rock slide with three hills?”

        “I don’t know and quite frankly, I don’t care.” Nurse Redheart stopped once she was through the doorway, pressing a hoof between her eyes and shaking her head. “All I know is that one minute I’m enjoying a nice quiet afternoon, and the next thing I know, twenty-five little fillies and colts come limping into the Emergency Room, headed by none other than Miss Cheerilee and the Cutie Mark Crusaders, who were somehow completely unharmed.”

        “Howdy there, Spike, Nurse Redheart.” Applejack reached up and tipped her hat to the two new arrivals, earning a surprised gawk from the baby dragon and a raised eyebrow from the nurse. “Ya here to check on, Twi? She’s waitin’ fer ya.” She hurried down the stairs and stepped aside, making room for Redheart to head up to Twilight’s room.

        “AJ, I thought I told—” The unicorn’s words drifted down through the open door, cutting off as she realized her visitor was not Applejack. “Oh, Nurse Redheart. What a pleasant-” The door swung shut yet again, muffling the rest of the conversation.

        Applejack turned away from the bedroom door and back to Spike, who was now eyeing her with his lip drawn back in a sneer. She cleared her throat and tried to smile, but it came off as forced and nervous. “Well, Ah just came by to check on Twilight, so if’n you’ll excuse me, Ah gotta be headin’ back to the farm.” The baby dragon only narrowed his eyes slightly, so she edged her way around the room and left the building.

        Well, Ah guess that settles that. She trudged away from the library, her head hanging low. She thought about how Twilight had tried to dissuade her questions, then vehemntly denied that Dash was the object of her affections. If’n it really weren’t Rainbow, Ah don’t think she’d have been so... forceful about it. After several seconds of walking, she heard the door open and close again behind her. She glanced over her shoulder and saw Spike jogging to catch up with her.

        “Hey, Applejack! Wait up!” He called after her, his clawed feet scrabbling across the cobblestones as quickly as he could move them. He came to a stop a few feet from the earth pony, crossing his arms and letting out an annoyed huff that sent a wisp of smoke curling through the air. They regarded each other coolly for a few seconds before Spike spoke up again. “Just what do you think you’re doing, AJ?”

        “Uh, beg pardon there, sugarcube?” Applejack rubbed the back of her neck with a hoof. “Ah was just visitin’ Twi, is all. Ah wanted to check up on her after she bolted from mah house like a cat with its tail caught in a wheat thresher.”

        “Don’t you think you’ve done enough damage for one day?” Spike shot back, a tiny lick of flame spilling forth before vanishing into the air. He kept going before the earth pony could respond. “It was bad enough when she was crying herself to sleep at night, but then I come home today to find her crying on the staircase, unable to even stand up.” He began pacing, trying to burn off some of his angry energy, and his rant was accompanied by a steady stream of smoke from his nostrils and an occasional flicker of dragonfire. “Then, while I’m out trying to get Nurse Redheart to come take a look at her, you just show up out of the blue.”

        “Whoa there, Nelly.” Applejack took a step back, raising a placating hoof. “What’s this ‘bout Twi cryin’ herself to sleep?” A flash of movement out of the corner of her eye caught her attention, but it was just Nurse Redheart walking past. She looked back to Spike, who was simply staring at her. “It’s like Ah said, Ah was comin’ by to check on her since she left mah house with a bum leg, but ya beat me to it.” She shook her head and sighed, looking up at the window to Twilight’s room. “Ah tried to get her to talk about it, but she was ‘bout as tight lipped as Big Mac playin’ charades. A blind mule could tell that she’s got it bad fer somepony, but Ah can’t get her to tell me who it is.”

        Spike’s anger drained away instantly. “You don’t...” He ran a hand through the spikes on his head. When he spoke again, his tone was one of disbelief. “You don’t know?”

        The earth pony shook her head. “Nnope. Ah was able to get her to admit that it was... one of the five of us.” Spike arched an eyebrow at this, so she clarified. “One of our friends. Though, Ah guess it’d be four rather than five, on account of she started yellin’ at me when Ah brought up Dash’s name.” She pulled her hat off and ran a hoof through her mane. “Mah bits are on ‘Shy. Celestia knows that mare could melt the heart of a Wendigo, but Ah reckon Twi doesn’t wanna say anythin’, what with ‘Shy already bein’ in the middle of a mess and all.”

        Spike’s confusion disappeared in a flash as his anger returned with a vengeance. “No.” He growled through gritted teeth. “It’s not Fluttershy.”

        “You know who it is?” Applejack moved to take a step forward, but froze in the face of the baby dragon’s intense glare. She swallowed nervously. “W-well, don’t leave me sittin’ in the dark, sugarcube. Who is it?” He didn’t respond, so she ventured another guess. “It ain’t... Rarity, is it?” She toyed with the idea. Twilight and Rarity were both very detail-oriented, obsessively so, and they were both unicorns, if that counted for anything.

        Spike just shook his head, a new line of smoke trailing from his nostrils.

        “P-pinkie Pie?” The orange mare suggested, wracking her brain for a way those two could work together. Like with Rainbow Dash, Pinkie and Twilight fell into “They’re so opposite that it works beautifully” category, but most, if not all, of Applejack’s memories with the pair centered around Twilight being upset or frustrated with one of the party pony’s nearly endless quirks and eccentricities.

        “No.” The baby dragon growled, the rumble of a draconic roar echoing in his chest.

        Applejack’s heart sank as she realized she only had one friend left to name. She shrank in on her self, falling to sit on her haunches. “It... it’s actually Rainbow and she was just sayin’ it wasn’t to spare mah feelin’s, isn’t it?” She stared at the dirt, unable to watch for a reaction.

        Spike finally snapped, yelling in frustration. “No!” He roared, a font of green flame spilling from his mouth. It leapt forward, curling through the air toward the pony seated across from him. Applejack scrambled backward, nearly tripping over her own legs, and felt an immense heat as the flames licked at her chest, singing her coat. He stalked forward, pulling a clawed fist back as if to strike her. His hand trembled for a moment before stabbing one finger forward into the earth pony’s chest. “It’s you! You, Applejack!” He turned on his heel and started walking away. “All of this... all of it is thanks to you!”

> Whiny Little Birch
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Unexpected Confessions

Chapter Eighteen


        Whiny Little Birch

        “It’s... what?” Applejack looked up, the gears in her mind grinding to a screeching halt. “I... She...” She ran a hoof through her mane, knocking her Stetson to the ground behind her. “No, it’s—” The words died in her throat as she remembered the pleading look the unicorn had given her, asking her to give up. “Spike, Ah— How? How do you know?”

        That stopped Spike in his tracks. He turned his head, but didn’t face her. “How do I know?” He wheeled around and stalked back toward her. “Do you know what she does at night when she thinks I’m asleep?” He looked away for a moment, but turned back even angrier. “Do you?”

        “Course not.” She answered, wary of Spike’s response. “How would Ah—”

        “She cries, Applejack!” He yelled, his voice breaking partway through. “She cries, and looks out the window, whispering to herself about how she wishes you would notice her. That’s all she wants; for you to notice her. But noooo! You’re too busy chasing after Rainbow Dash. You― I just... Gah!” He kicked a rock and stomped back to the library without another glance at the befuddled earth pony.

        Applejack sat in stunned silence for a time, just staring at the door and occasionally lifting her gaze to Twilight’s bedroom window. Part of her wanted to run and not stop until she reached the farm, but she knew that she needed to go back inside and talk to Twilight again. She needed to try and make things right, if such a thing were even possible.

        Her mind whirled on, moving through the past few months at breakneck speed and flashing images through her head. There were numerous little glances, sheepish smiles, and accidental brushes of contact that she had just written off as unimportant. However, in light of Spike’s revelation, she had to concede that there might have been more to them than she wanted to admit..

        Whispers at the edge of her hearing finally tore her eyes away from the library, and Applejack belatedly realized that several ponies were staring at her following Spike’s tirade. She didn't know how much time had passed before she managed to rehinge her jaw and pick up her hat, but she knew she'd messed up big time. She quickly stood up and trotted down the road, away from the Golden Oaks Library. She pulled her hat low to shield her eyes and focused on the ground in front of her, letting her hooves carry her along the well-trodden path between Ponyville and the farm while her mind wandered.

        Soon, the shops and houses on the outskirts of town gave way to open fields, then rows of apple trees. She decided against walking all the way down to the gate and hopped over the fence separating the farm from the road, meandering down a row of Red Delicious trees and peeking up at the fruits. She tapped one of the trees with a light kick, knocking a single apple loose. Catching it with practiced ease, she quickly inspected it and took a bite.

        Yep. Ready to come down. Applejack finished off her snack in a couple more bites and made her way back to the end of the row by the road. She lined herself up with the first tree and lashed out with her hind legs, listening to the telltale thwack of her hooves connecting with the trunk, followed shortly by the apples falling into baskets underneath the canopy. She walked mechanically to the next tree and set up to repeat the process in an autonomy born from years of applebucking.

        Thwack!

        How’d Ah miss this? Her mind continued to churn as she made her way down the row of trees. Lookin’ back on it, Twi was about as subtle as a brick wall. She stepped over a root sticking out of the ground as she approached the next tree.

        THWACK!

        Ah guess Ah have been a little... preoccupied with Dash recently.

        THWACK!

        “AJ?” Big Macintosh appeared a ways down the row and started heading toward his sister. He stopped a few trees down from her, glancing back and forth between her and the tree she was set up in front of. Her kick had shaken it to its roots and cracked the bark. “Ya doin’ okay there, sis?”

        “Ah’m fine.” She replied shortly, digging her front hooves into the dirt and bracing herself for another kick. “Just gettin’ some work done.” She reared up and lashed out, unaware of the fact that she had forgotten to move on to the next tree. She shot a look over at the stallion. “Speakin’ of which, shouldn’t you be workin’ too?”

        Big Mac mulled the question over, looking up into the nearby trees. “Eeyup.” He eventually concluded. “But, Ah don’t think you should be.”

        “And just why the hay not?” She accentuated the end of her question with another kick.

        “Well, for starters, you’ve bucked Franklin three times now.” He smirked as she turned around and noticed the cracked bark from her first kick. “Now, what’s got ya so flustered?”

        “Ah ain’t flustered.” Applejack shot back, trudging over to the next tree. “Like Ah said, Ah’m fine.”

        Big Mac took a few steps forward and laid a hoof on his sister’s shoulder. “Come on now, AJ. Ah ain’t seen ya this distracted since Braeburn brought Bloomberg back with all them bugs.”

        “Those were wood-borin’ weevils!” She looked up at him, her eyes wide. “They were eatin’ poor Bloomberg from the inside out. It was a miracle we were able to save him!”

        “That it was.” He nodded solemnly, but pressed on his original line of questioning. “Ya know Ah won’t say nothin’ to anypony, so fess up. What’s wrong?”

        “Ah... don’t wanna talk about it right now.” She dropped her eyes to the ground.

        Big Mac was silent for a time, chewing on the ever-present piece of hay in his mouth. “Well, that’s yer choice, but Ah think you’d feel better if’n ya talked ‘bout it.” He turned and kicked at the tree next to him with one leg, knocking all the fruit loose with a solid thunk. “Ah’ll take care of this. Why don’t ya head inside fer a spell.”

        “Ah can—” Applejack started to protest, but looked back at the tree she had just bucked three times, wincing as a chunk of broken bark fell off of the trunk. She sighed. “Alright. Thanks, Mac.” Moving back to the previous tree, she laid a hoof on the trunk and patted it gently. “Sorry ‘bout bein’ a little rough with ya, Franklin.” With one last nod back to her brother, she made her way toward the farmhouse. She heard the raucous laughter or three fillies coming from the next field over and couldn’t help but smile.

        After a few more minutes, the farmhouse came into view as she reached the edge of the field. Granny Smith was sitting out on the front porch in her rocking chair, her head slumped forward as she took her customary pre-dinner nap. Applejack climbed the steps up onto the porch, eliciting a series of creaks from the old wood. Granny stirred for a moment, muttering incoherently, but settled back into her nap with a snore.

        The orange mare pushed through the front door and made her way up to her room, tossing her hat onto the back of a chair and flopping onto her bed. She stared at the ceiling and sighed. Dagnabbit, Twi. Did ya really have to spring this on me now? Right when this whole mess with Dash and ‘Shy might be blowin’ up? She squirmed on the bed, uncomfortable with choosing Twilight as the target for her frustration.

        That ain’t fair... Twi tried her darndest to keep this from me, even when Ah was buttin’ mah nose in it. She ran a hoof through her mane and turned to look out the window across from her bed. The sun was inching toward the western horizon, so she could see the house’s growing shadow as it stretched out.

Hay, she didn’t even try and undercut me like Ah did to Dash. She cringed a bit at the memory, guilt and shame surging within her. Ah can’t believe Ah actually did that. Ah’m lucky she’s still friends with me... not that Ah’ve done to be worthy of the title. She closed her eyes and tried to relax, but her mind refused to shut down. 

If’n she really does... love me— She felt her chest tighten at the thought. —then wouldn’t she have tried to do something to help me... get over Dash, as opposed to just bein’ there fer me? Bein’ the friend Ah needed? She squeezed her eyes shut and just lay there, taking a rare few minutes to rest. However, when those few minutes had passed, a gentle, rhythmic snoring drifted up from her prone form.


*


        Spike slammed the door behind him as he reentered the library, still fuming after his outburst. Rarity, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, even Pinkie Pie— He huffed in annoyance. —but she refused to even consider that Twilight might be interested in her. How could she- His train of thought derailed as the bedroom door opened and Nurse Redheart came trotting down the stairs, carrying her supply bag in her mouth. He waddled over to the bottom of the staircase, wringing his hands together. “So, how is she?”

        Redheart dropped her bag when she reached the bottom of the steps and shook her head slightly. “That girl’s tougher than she looks, I’ll give her that. She’s got a broken left front ankle and three cracked ribs. I was able to get her leg in a cast, thanks to her having the necessary materials in an emergency kit in her closet, but she’s officially on bed rest for the next seventy-two hours.” She gave the baby dragon a serious look, pointing a hoof at him. “She is not to leave that bed for three days. Is that understood?”

        Spike swallowed, but nodded grimly. “Yes ma’am.” He gave a salute, determination burning within him. A moment later, that fire petered out when he thought of something. He looked from side to side as the question worked its way from his mind to his mouth. “Um... What about when she has to... you know.” He waved a hand, but the nurse just raised an eyebrow. He dropped his gaze to the floor and continued. “Go to the little fillies room?”

        Redheart shrugged. “I’m sure she’ll think of something, and if not, just bring her a nice, big pot or bowl.” She smirked at his aghast expression. “Hey, I never said it was gonna be pretty. Tell you what, come by the hospital later this afternoon and I’ll get you a bedpan for her.”

        He shuddered, letting out a disgusted sound. “Isn’t there any other way? What if she uses her magic to float herself to the bathroom, then she won’t have to walk.” He looked up at the earth pony, a combination of hope and worry on his face.

        “No.” She replied firmly, shaking her head. “She’s got a hairline fracture halfway up her horn. It’s nothing serious, but it could mess with her magic if she tries to do too much. However—” Spike had been slumping over, but perked up. “—starting tomorrow, depending on how she feels, she can use her magic to float the bedpan to the bathroom and save you the trouble, but only if she feels up to it.”

        “Right, right.” The baby dragon wiped a clawed hand across his forehead and glanced up at the bedroom door. “Did she say how this happened? She told me she hurt her leg when she tripped going up the stairs, but how did she break her ribs?”

        “I’m not entirely sure.” Redheart shrugged, then reached down and grabbed her bag, throwing it up onto her back. She started walking toward the door. “She told me she messed up a teleportation spell somehow and ended up slamming into a tree. Magic is really more... well, her department, so if that’s what she said happened, that’s good enough for me. Either way, her leg is more important. Remember, bed rest for three days.” She pulled the door open and walked outside.

        “What about after the three days?” Spike asked, standing on the threshold of the library.

        “Then she’ll need to come by the hospital so that we can check and make sure her leg is healing properly. She can’t walk on it until we get it checked, though. After that, she’ll be fine to walk on it as normal, assuming everything checks out.” She sighed and looked at the clock. “Now, I really need to get back to the hospital. Was there anything else you needed?”

        “Nope. Thanks for coming by to check on her.” He waved as Nurse Redheart nodded and kept walking. He closed the door and waddled back over to the stairs, climbing them as quickly as he could on his short, stubby legs. Once he reached the top, he pushed the door open gently and poked his head in.

        “Oh, hi Spike.” Twilight smiled, turning away from the window to see her number one assistant. “Thank you for going and getting Nurse Redheart. I know I told you I wanted to wait before getting my leg looked at—” She looked down at the bed, pausing to let out a small sigh. “—but it was important that it be properly set and bandaged. So, thanks.” She perked up. “Oh, that reminds me. We’re out of calcinated gypsum and cotton bandages for the Emergency Disaster Preparedness Kit, so I need you to pick up some more.”

        “Right. I’ll swing by the pharmacy and get some when I run to the hospital later.” He grabbed a spare piece of parchment and a quill, scribbling the two items onto it along with the words ‘crutch’ and ‘bedpan.’

        “The hospital?” Twilight cocked her head to the side, glancing down at the white cast on her leg. “Why?”

        Spike turned the parchment around, showing of his budding shopping list. “Nurse Redheart offered to give us a crutch and bedpan so you can walk around and...” He trailed off, waving a hand in the direction of the bathroom.

        “Ah, right.” The unicorn chuckled sheepishly and cast about for a different subject. “Say, I heard you shouting outside while Nurse Redheart was up here treating my leg. What happened?”

        “Oh, that.” Spike rolled up the parchment and put it under his arm, scratching the back of his neck with his now free claw. “Well, I ran into the Cutie Mark Crusaders... or they ran into me, actually.” He huffed an exasperated sigh, shaking his head. “It didn’t help that they were covered in tree sap... again.”

        “Really?” Twilight cocked her head to the side. “You seem awfully clean for somepony who just had a sap covered-CMC collision.”

        “Uh, yeah.” He coughed into a clawed hand. “Sweetie Belle had some towels and she let me use one to clean up before they went zooming off again.” He started toward the door, hoping to make an escape before the bedridden mare could poke too many more holes in his excuse. “Well, I should really head out and get that stuff if I’m gonna be back in time to make dinner.” He waved the feather end of the quill at her menacingly. “Don’t make me use this.”

        She lay back down on the bed, chuckling. “I wouldn’t dream of it. Well, in that case I—” Her words were cut off by a yawn. “I’m gonna take a quick nap while you’re out.”

        “Alright, I’ll be back in a while.” Spike headed back downstairs, leaving Twilight to snuggle down into her covers and drift off to sleep. Her dreams were filled with visions of a certain orange earth pony, as they always were.


*


        Applejack was awoken by the dinner bell ringing out over the farm. She stretched out on her bed, slowly waking up from her unexpected nap and catching a whiff of something delicious on the air. Smells like... She took a deeper sniff. Apple strudel, maybe with a few apple dumplings. She hopped down from the bed and made her way to the kitchen, expertly sidestepping the loudest creaking floorboards.

        “Well there ya are, girl.” Granny Smith looked up at the staircase as her granddaughter came down it. “Ah was wonderin’ where ya’d gotten off to. Come on, grab a bite while it’s still hot.”

        The orange mare sat down at the table and looked over the spread. She had been right; apple dumplings littered the table and at the center was a great heaping platter of apple strudel that threatened to collapse on itself. She grabbed a plate and started filling it with food, looking across the table to the empty spots remaining there. “Where are AB and Mac? Never known ‘em to miss dinner. Hay, Mac’s usually waitin’ at the table fer the food to be laid out.”

        Granny Smith took a moment to finish chewing a bite of food before answering. “Well, Apple Bloom is still off with her friends doin’... whatever it is they’re tryin’ to get their cutie marks in this time.” She shook her head and chuckled before continuing. “As fer Mac, he ain’t back from haulin’ in the East Field yet, but he should be—” As if on cue, the front door opened and Big Macintosh walked in.

        “Hey Mac, just in time.” Applejack grabbed a dumpling and popped it in her mouth, savoring the taste.

        “Eeyup.” The hulking stallion sat down at the table, eliciting a groan from the chair and floorboards, and piled some food onto his plate. He picked up a strudel and ate it in one bite, barely bothering to chew. The family ate in silence for a few minutes before Mac opted to speak again. “So, AJ, you wanna talk ‘bout whatever was botherin’ ya today?”

        Applejack coughed violently, trying to dislodge a dumpling that had taken the wrong exit and ended up in her windpipe. When she settled back down, she stared at her brother. “Ah don’t know what yer talkin’ ‘bout, Mac.” She said through gritted teeth. “Like Ah told ya earlier, Ah’m fine.”

        He arched a disbelieving eyebrow and swallowed the dumpling he had been eating before responding. “Really? ‘Cause Ah’m not sure Franklin feels the same way.”

        She deflated slightly at the mention of the tree she had abused earlier. “Ah don’t— You wouldn’t— Just... let it be, okay?” She looked off to the side. “Ah ain’t in the mood to talk ‘bout it.”

        “Now hold on just a minute.” Granny Smith joined in the conversation, leaning over to stare intently at her granddaughter. “What did you do to poor Franklin? He was planted out there in the East Field by my grandpappy, so Ah don’t wanna hear anythin’ ‘bout you treatin’ him badly.” She grabbed the wooden spoon they were using to scoop the dumplings and waved it threateningly.

        “Well...” Big Mac began, smirking at the desperate, pleading look his sister gave him. “She was out in the East Field, buckin’ some of the trees, but she was bein’ a little too forceful with ‘em, so Ah stopped by to see how she was doin’. When Ah got there, she was buckin’ poor lil Franklin so hard she was breakin’ his bark.”

        “You were doin’ what now?” Granny narrowed her eyes, causing Applejack to squirm uncomfortably.

        “Ah... had a lot on mah mind.” She winced, hearing how feeble her excuse sounded. “Ah got distracted, especially when Mac showed up and started tryin’ to talk about it.”

        “And just what in Equestria could’ve distracted ya so badly that ya started buckin’ the stuffin’ outta poor ol’ Franklin?” The old pony sat back in her chair and waited for her granddaughter’s response, but the other mare only looked away and shifted uncomfortably in her chair. Granny Smith smiled to herself, recognizing signs she had seen many years ago. “You got yer eye on somepony, don’t ya girl?”

        “Wh-what?” Applejack sat up straight, dropping a dumpling she had been holding. “N-no, of course not! Why would ya even say that?” She glanced rapidly from side to side, her face scrunched up as if she was trying to physically hold the truth in.

        “It ain’t no use, filly.” Granny leaned forward and patted the orange mare’s foreleg. “Yer Ma was the exact same way when she was interested in yer Pa. So, spill the beans. Who is he?” She asked, smiling reassuringly.

        “Ah don’t—” Applejack looked the table to Mac for help, but he had stopped eating mid-bite and was staring at her with half an apple strudel sticking out of his mouth. She sighed, resigning herself to her fate. “It... ain’t a he. It’s a she, and...” She looked down and stared at the table, pushing her plate away. “Ah just don’t know what to do.”

        “Well, why don’t ya tell yer granny all about it?” Granny Smith scooted her chair around the table and wrapped a foreleg around her granddaughter’s shoulders. “Let’s start with the basics. Who is it that ya got yer eye on?”

        “Rainbow Dash.” Applejack muttered, not looking up from the table.

        “That’s the blue, fast one, right?” Granny ventured, earning a nod from the morose mare next to her. “Well, have ya told her how ya feel?” Another nod. “And? How’d she take it?”

        Applejack sighed, took her hat off, and ran a hoof through her mane. “Well enough, except fer the fact that she’s already got her eye on ‘Shy.” She looked up to see her family staring at her in confusion and apprehension. “Alright, this part is where things get a might... complicated.” She launched into her tale, everything from Rainbow’s situation with Fluttershy and Rarity, to her own confession to Dash, training with Twilight that morning, and finally Spike’s outburst in front of the library. When she finished, she laid her head on the table, accidentally landing on an apple dumpling in the process.

        “Well...” Granny Smith looked to Big Mac, who just shrugged. “That’s quite the yarn to spin.” She patted the younger mare on the back. “So, are ya gonna give Twilight a chance?”

        “Ah don’t know.” Applejack lifted her head off of the table and wiped away the squished bits of apple dumpling. “Ah’ve never really thought of her... like that. Dash is... she’s like me. She’s fast, loyal, fun to hang out with, she’s the only pony who can keep up with me physically—”

        “And she’s in love with somepony else.” Mac replied without missing a beat. “So, yer sayin’ that Miss Twilight ain’t fun to be around, or that she ain’t loyal?”

        “Ah guess...” Applejack trailed off, frowning. “Ah don’t know. This is all so... confusin’.” She shook her head as if to clear it. “What if Dash finds somepony else while Ah’m tryin’ to figure it out? What if—”

        “Now young lady—” Granny poked her granddaughter in the chest. “—yer Ma, Pa, and Ah didn’t raise you to be some homewrecker.”

        “Ah know, Ah know.” She raised her hooves defensively. “Ah’d never dream of breakin’ Dash and ‘Shy apart...” She trailed off, biting her lip. “But, if’n they were to break up all natural-like, then Ah could be there fer Dash.”

        Granny Smith just looked at her sadly. "Ah can't believe it, child. Ain'tcha got no pride? Yer gonna wait ‘round like some stinkin’ vulture fer yer friend to get her heart broken, and in the meantime yer ignorin’ a filly that actually loves ya!" She spit on the floor contemptuously. "Well fine! Ah'm sure you and that Rainboot Splash will get along jus’ dandy, right up to the moment when that other filly— Flittersly was it?— changes her mind and comes back to get what hers. Because mark my words, she'll never really be yours."

        “B-but— A-Ah—” The orange mare sputtered uselessly for a moment as Granny’s words sunk in. She slammed a hoof on the table, determination shining in her eyes. “Ah have to try! If’n Ah don’t, Ah’ll spend the rest of mah life wonderin’ ‘bout what mighta been. Ah’d always be askin’ mahself ‘what if Ah’d of been there fer her?’”

        “And how do you think Miss Twilight’ll feel?” Big Mac finally joined the conversation. “How’ll she feel when she sees the mare she loves trippin’ over her own hooves to run off and chase after somepony else?”

        Applejack winced, remembering Twilight’s tear-filled outburst earlier in the very room they were now sitting in. “So, what? Am Ah supposed to get with Twi jus’ to make her feel better? Am Ah jus’ supposed to pretend that it’s what Ah want and string her along?” She shook her head. “That’s just... cruel.”

        “’Course not, but ya can’t—” He stopped, thinking before starting again. “How do ya grow a tree?”

        “Now what kind of darn fool question is that?” She looked up, confusion etched on her face. “It ain’t got nothin’ to do with anythin’ we’ve been talkin’ ‘bout.” She crossed her forelegs and huffed in annoyance.

        “Hear me out, AJ.” Mac pressed on, leaning on the table despite its rather vocal protests. “How do ya grow a tree? Where do ya start?”

        “Easy. Plant a seed.” She arched an eyebrow at her brother, as if to ask ‘where are you going with this?’

        “Do ya just leave it be after that?” He asked, shrugging. “Just drop it in the ground and walk away?”

        “Course not, ya big dummy!” Applejack pressed a hoof between her eyes. “Ya gotta water it, make sure it gets plenty of sunlight, and watch out fer any bugs that might wanna make a snack outta it.” She sighed, leaning back in her chair. “If’n ya got a point with this, Mac, Ah’d appreciate it if’n ya’d jus’ hurry up and make it.”

        Big Mac shook his head. “Mah point is that ya can’t rightly expect anythin’ to grow ‘less yer willin’ to put some work in. Don’t matter if’n it’s a tree, a crop, yer mane... or love.”

        “Listen to yer brother, Applejack.” Granny laid a shaky hoof on her granddaughter’s shoulder. “Just think, how’re ya gonna feel when yer still sittin’ here waitin’ fer Celestia only knows how long, and that poor thing finally gives up on ya? That Rainboot filly made a choice, and you got somepony lovin’ on you jus’ as hard as yer lovin’ on her. Are you jus’ gonna let that be? Gonna let her wonder all her life, jus’ like yer afraid of doin’?”

        She could only stare at her family, her mouth hanging agape. After several seconds, she got up from the table and walked over to the staircase. “Ah... guess Ah got some things Ah need to think about. A lot of things.” She climbed the staircase, too lost in thought to bother avoiding the creaky steps. Halfway up, she turned back, looking at Big Mac. “When’d you get to be so... profound, anyway?” He just shrugged, and she resumed her march up the stairs.

        Once the sound of Applejack’s bedroom door closing echoed down the staircase, Granny Smith sighed and picked up a dumpling. “Ah love her to bits, but that filly ain’t got the sense Celestia gave an apple seed.” She looked at Big Mac, who was only looking back at her with a confused expression. “She’s chasin’ after some lazy, no good, layabout pegasus, when she’s got a filly chasin’ after her who could harvest an entire field of trees in five minutes without breakin’ a sweat.”

        The stallion rolled his eyes. “Ah don’t think AJ’s worryin’ ‘bout which of ‘em will be the most help ‘round the farm, Granny.”

        Up in her room, Applejack lay on the bed and stared at the ceiling. The gears in her head churned ever onward, but her family’s words echoed in her ears, stalling her mind any time she started to make progress on a train of thought. After completing her fourth loop of circular thinking, she pressed her hooves to her temples. Alright, let’s start from square one... again. She held out her left forehoof and looked at it, though it was becoming harder to focus on it in the rapidly fading sunlight.

        On one hoof, we got Rainbow Dash, who’s likely still neck deep in her little situation with ‘Shy and Rare. On the other— She looked at her right forehoof. —we got Twi, who technically ain’t said nothin’ yet. She shivered, remembering Spike’s angry, fiery tirade outside of the library. Though, Ah reckon we can give her a pass fer that. She glanced back and forth between her outstretched hooves, as if willing them to provide the answer. Giving up, she laid her head down on the pillow and squeezed her eyes shut, desperately hoping that sleep would rise up and drag her down. However, her mind continued to whirl, keeping the peace of sleep at bay. She chuckled to herself as a new thought occurred to her.

        Well, Ah suppose now Ah know how ‘Shy feels, what with havin’ to choose between two of yer best friends. Her spirits dropped as she belatedly recognized the one key difference between her situation and Fluttershy’s. Except fer the part where Dash doesn’t love me. She forcibly cut off that train of thought before it could gather steam. No. Ah can’t think like that. It’s like Mac said, Ah can’t expect anythin’ to grow ‘less Ah’m willin’ to put the work in fer it. She smiled a little despite herself. Never thought Ah’d be jealous of ‘Shy fer anythin’, but it must be nice, havin’ two mares practically throwin’ themselves at ya.

        Applejack tossed and turned as the clock slowly ticked onward, her mind racing one path for a few moments before jumping in a different direction. Celestia’s sun slowly slid below the horizon, giving way to Luna’s moon and stars, yet she found herself no closer to a course of action than when she had first lain down. Frustrated, she grabbed her pillow and pressed it over her head, letting out an irritated groan. Finally, after several hours of fruitless self-debate, she settled on a plan. She still didn’t know what to do, but she knew someone she could ask.

> Dressed for Success
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Unexpected Confessions

Chapter Nineteen


        Dressed for Success

        Rarity awoke slowly, taking time to stretch each of her legs before she even considered getting out of bed. She cracked an eye open and saw the sun peeking around her new blackout curtains. She sighed and rolled onto her back, staring at the ceiling and sighing. I never feel as rested as I should after a good nap. Her thoughts flashed back to her most recent dream, bringing a smile and a blush to her face. Then again, I suppose I haven’t been having the most peaceful of dreams lately.

        She rolled back over onto her stomach again, running a hoof along her silk sheets while her smile quickly vanished. Though, a change of scenery would be nice. While the privacy of her bedroom is appreciated for our... occasional amorous activities, it would be nice to have a walk through a forest or beside a lake for the times we simply talk. Finally resigning herself to getting up, Rarity moved to the edge of the bed and hopped down onto the floor. She trudged into her bathroom and grabbed her favorite brush, floating it up to straighten her bedraggled mane.

        If only there was somepony whom I could ask about this. She smirked as the obvious answer sprung to mind. Well, somepony other than Princess Luna. Another rush of color spread across her face as she thought about the lunar princess’ reaction if she ever saw one of her more risqué dreams. However, talking to her couldn’t hurt. Who better than the mare responsible for overseeing the dreams of everypony in Equestria? Her brush froze in mid-air as a thought occurred to her.

It may prove... challenging... to speak with Princess Luna, though. She tapped the brush against her chin, running through what would need to be done. I’d have to go to Canterlot, obviously. Hope that she’s not too busy and that I don’t have to wait too long to meet with her, although it could be several days. After all, it’s not like I can just show up and expect her to drop everything to see me. I’m no Twilight.

Twilight...

She continued her preparatory rituals, deftly applying a touch of eye shadow as she considered the living repository of knowledge that lived down the street. Hmm... I wonder if Twilight could tell me anything about this. I wouldn’t be surprised, given how much she reads. Although, it is a rather niché subject. Twilight might not have a book in stock even if she’s familiar with the subject. At the very least, I could ask for her help in getting permission to check the Royal Archives. Shaking her head, she hopped off of that particular train of thought. Don’t get ahead of yourself, Rarity. The first item on the list is paying Twilight a visit. Satisfied that she now had a plan of action, she finished getting ready, wishing that there were some sounds to break up the oppressive silence of her home other than the brush running through her mane.

        Once she had finished making herself presentable, she made her way downstairs and trotted over to the door. Before she could open it, however, a knock came from the other side, followed shortly by an overly cheerful voice.

        “Hi Rarity!” Pinkie Pie leaned forward, peering through the window and waving. The unicorn questioned her friend’s impeccable timing, but ultimately resorted to the commonly accepted explanation of ‘It’s Pinkie Pie’ and moved on. She took a deep breath and let it out in a heavy sigh before putting on her best smile.

        “Pinkie, dear. What a pleasant surprise.” Rarity greeted the pink pony as she pulled the door open. “I’m sorry, but the Boutique is closed at the moment. What brings you here?”

        “Oh, well I just realized that I hadn’t seen you the last two days.” Pinkie sat down, freeing her front hooves to perform elaborate motions alongside her words. “I figured that you were just working super duper hard, like the time you made all of us dresses for the Grand Galloping Gala. Then I was afraid that maybe you thought we had all forgotten about you and didn’t want to be friends anymore, and that you were having a party with a bunch of inanimate objects. But then, I remembered that only I do that and mmph mmn mphmmm—” The rest of her words were cut off by a white hoof pressed against her mouth.

        “I know, dear, and I’m terribly sorry. I’ve just been so busy lately.” She turned her smile up a notch and hoped it would be enough to satisfy her friend. “I’ve been working nearly day and night on a rush order from Fancypants up in Canterlot.”

        “Canterlot?” Pinkie broke out into a grin that threatened to split her face in half. “Oh my gosh, that’s so super duper exciting! You know what this calls for?” She ducked down, gathering herself for a jump.

        “Please not a party, darling.” Rarity lifted a hoof to her mouth to cover a yawn. “I’m afraid that I am simply too exhausted for one today.”

        “A par—” Pinkie stopped in mid-jump, as did the explosion of confetti that had spawned behind her. She zipped back to the ground, and the colorful bits of paper inexplicably returned to wherever they had exploded from in the first place. Rarity’s eye twitched before she regained her composure enough to reassert her expression of polite patience that she normally affected around Pinkie.

“Okie doki loki. We can have the party tomorrow.” The party pony smiled broadly.

        Rarity winced, knowing that any Pinkie Pie party would invariably include Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash as guests. “Tomorrow may not be ideal either. I’m sorry.” She watched as the other mare visibly deflated. “How about this, dear? You can have the party, and I simply won’t be able to attend.”

        “Aww... it won’t be a very fun party without the guest of honor.” Pinkie poked at the dirt with a hoof for a moment, then looked up and smiled. “But, if you’re too busy, we’ll just have to have extra fun to make up for it. Maybe I can even bring you a piece of cake. That way you won’t be totally missing out.”

        “That sounds lovely, darling. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to make a run over to the library.” The unicorn moved to walk past her friend, only to have the pink party pony turn and begin bouncing alongside her.

        “Ooh, me too!” Pinkie chirped, rebounding back to her normal exuberace. “I just finished a super interesting book and I know that Twilight wanted it back because it was on loan from the Royal Canterlot Library. It was about—”

        Rarity rolled her eyes and tuned the other mare out as they walked, finding herself in no mood to deal with Pinkie’s proclivity to prattle on. She looked around and let her mind wander, subconsciously searching for inspiration for a new design. She spotted a pastel purple flower growing in a roadside garden. Instantly, her mind was off, crafting a flowing dress that hugged its wearer’s curves without being overly suggestive or revealing. Oh, it would look absolutely perfect on Flutter— The thought died in her head, and the dress she had been planning unraveled. A wave of pain and sorrow washed over her, but she carefully kept her expression neutral and kept walking.

        “—just then I remembered that I had put the cake batter in the confetti cannons and the confetti in the cake oven, again, but it was too late to do anything. It was a mess, a big, tasty mess.” Pinkie’s endless chatter finally died down as the pair reached the library. She reached out to knock, but the door simply fell open as her hoof hit it, sending a bell above it ringing.

        Rarity stepped through the doorway first, her brow furrowed. Odd. The library door never had a bell in the past. Nor did it have a... rather large pile of cushions where the table used to be. 

        “Good afternoon, how can I— Oh, hello, Pinkie, Rarity.” Twilight was seated in the middle of the mountain of pillows and looked up from the book she was reading, closing it with a  thump. “What can I do for you girls, today?”

        “Twilight?” The alabaster mare raised an eyebrow and looked over the heap of cushions, grimacing internally at the clashing colors scattered throughout. “My dear, what is all of... this?” She waved a hoof at the librarian’s throne of pillows.

        The lavender unicorn chuckled and smiled sheepishly. “Well, I kind of fell and injured my leg yesterday—” She lifted her foreleg from a cushion, revealing it to be wrapped in a cast. “—Nurse Redheart put me on bedrest for the next three days—”

“And you came trudging down the steps less than an hour after she left.” Spike grumbled as he walked by.

“I did not!” Twilight replied, rolling her eyes. “It was an hour and a half, and I had you there to help me every step of the way. Plus, I’m plenty comfy down here thanks to the throne of pillows that someone built for me. For the last time, Spike, I’m fine.” Her assistant mumbled something unintelligible and disappeared behind a large stack of books. “Anyway, I was going stir-crazy being cooped up in there and Spike kept coming back upstairs needing help to find books for customers—”

        “I only did that once!” The baby dragon’s irritated voice drifted out from behind the books.

“But... how?” Rarity craned her neck up to try and see her friend’s injured leg among the pile of pillows. “Whatever happened to your leg, dear?”

Twilight winced, looking down at her leg and then off to the side. “I’d... rather not talk about it right now.” She reasserted her professional demeanor. “So, how can I help you two today?”

        “I just came by to return a book I borrowed.” Pinkie pulled a thick, black, leather-bound book from her mane and dropped it onto the base of the mountain. Twilight leaned forward, squinting to try and read the title of the book.

        “You had my copy of Deep Thinker’s Theoretical Metaphysics?” The librarian pressed her good hoof between her eyes. “Why would you even— No. I don’t even want to know.” She let out a sigh and looked to her other visitor. “What about you, Rarity?”

        The fashionista had been too busy staring at the tome Pinkie had pulled from her mane to think about why she had come to the library in the first place. Twilight’s question snapped her back to reality. “Hmm? Oh, yes. I was just wondering if...” She trailed off, belatedly realizing that she hadn’t thought of a good way to phrase her request. “I was curious if you knew anything about... dreams.”

        “Yes?” The lavender mare cocked her head to the side and ran a hoof through her mane. “Was there a... specific aspect of dreams you wanted to know about?”

        “Well, yes... though I’m not quite sure how to put it.” Rarity pursed her lips thoughtfully for a moment before continuing. “What do you know about dream manipulation?”

        Twilight stared at her in confusion for a few moments before realization dawned on her face. “Oh, you mean lucid dreaming. There’s actually been a good amount of research done on it. It’s not quite dreamwalking, but nopony other than Princess Luna has had that ability in millenia, if ever. Most of the historical records from back then aren’t as... detailed or as trustworthy as more recent works, so it’s—” She stopped mid-sentence and shook her head.

“Sorry.” Tapping her uninjured hoof to her chin, she looked around the library while she ran through a mental list of all the books there, chewing on her lip as she did. “Hmm... I don’t think the library has anything on lucid dreaming.” She shot a furtive glance up to her bedroom door, then down at Rarity, who looked crestfallen. “Although... Spike!”

        “Yeah?” The baby dragon poked his head out from behind his stack of books, which was noticeably smaller.

        “Can you get my copy of Nighty Night’s Dream Mechanics and Machinations from my personal collection?” Twilight asked, motioning up to her bedroom with a nod of her head. “Oh, and could you put my copy of Theoretical Metaphysics back while you’re at it?”

        “Sure thing. It’s not like I was in the middle of re-shelving those books you asked me to or anything.” Spike grumbled to himself and waddled over to grab the book Pinkie had returned before trudging up the staircase. The scrabbling of his claws on the wooden floor faded, stopped for a moment, then grew louder again as he reemerged from the doorway with another book, this one bound in brown leather. He hopped down the stairs and handed it to the white unicorn, sneaking an extra glance at her while she was examining the book.

        “I had no idea there was... this much on the subject.” Rarity held the tome in her magical grasp and turned it over.

        “Oh, that’s nothing.” Twilight responded, waving a hoof dismissively. “Nighty Night’s works are the gold standard on the subject of lucid dreaming, but there are all kinds of more advanced and in-depth studies on it. Princess Luna has even authored a good number of books about dreams. They’re mainly about how to prevent nightmares, but from there it’s fairly easy to move to actively changing a dream in progress.”

        “Well, thank you for the book, darling. I’ll be sure to bring it back as soon as I’m done.” Rarity looked up, laying her borrowed text on her back. “Though, if you don’t mind me asking, why did you need to ask Spike to get it? Wouldn’t it have been easier to use your magic?”

        The librarian winced again and brought a hoof up to her head. “Usually yes, but part of why I’m... like this.” She used her hoof to pull back her mane, revealing a hairline fracture a few inches from the base of her horn. “I hurt my horn when I miscalculated a teleportation spell and slammed into a tree. I can’t do any magic until it heals.” She smiled a bit and let her mane fall. “Well, I can do magic, but it hurts and I do my best Sweetie Belle impression, setting anything I grasp on fire.”

“Oh, dear.” Rarity shivered at the thought of being unable to do magic. “So, how long will you have have to do this? When will you be up and about again?”

        “I have to head to the hospital the day after tomorrow to get my leg looked at. As for my horn, it’ll probably be seven to ten days until it heals.” Twilight replied, shrugging. “In the meantime... I’ve been catching up on my reading.”

        “Oh yes, because you did so little of that before.” Rarity countered playfully. The librarian stuck her tongue out for a moment before giggling. “Anyway, as I said, thank you for the book, but I really must be getting back to the boutique. Pinkie, I—” She turned to where the earth pony had been standing, but found only empty air. “Where’d she go?”

        “I... don’t know.” Twilight stared at the spot the party pony had stood moments ago. “She was standing right there just a—” The bell above the door sounded again as it closed, and Pinkie could be seen vibrating down the street. “Huh... maybe she felt a doozy coming?

        “Well, in any case, I believe I have some reading to do. Thank you again, darling.” The fashionista trotted out the door and pulled it shut behind her, sending the new bell tinkling. She lifted the book from her back and flipped it open to the first page, skimming it as she walked home. Well, it looks like I have some homework for tonight. She flipped through the whole book rapidly, grimacing slightly as she saw nothing but page after page of dense text, broken up only by headings and titles for new chapters. Though, it’s nothing a nice glass of wine won’t help solve.

        Rarity arrived back at her home and ducked inside, locking the door again and slipping into the kitchen for a nice glass of marelot before heading upstairs. She pulled back the drapes on her windows and lay down to read her new book with a focus usually reserved for when inspiration struck, stopping only to light a pair of candles on her nightstand when the sun finally set. Several hours later, she laid the book on her nightstand next to a glass of water and her sleeping pills, then nestled down into her bed, letting the implications of what she had just read sink in.

I could do anything with this...

Anything...

A sly smile spread across her face. This night was going to be... how did Rainbow put it? At least twenty percent cooler.


*


        Rarity opened her eyes and saw the now familiar sight of the ceiling of Rainbow Dash’s room. She ran a hoof over the mattress, marveling at its plushness just as she did every time she visited her dreams. Her hoof travelled a short ways before meeting an obstacle that recoiled when she poked it.

        “Hey!” Rainbow’s voice sounded from beside her, barely contained giggles bubbling toward the surface. “Careful, that tickles.” The unicorn turned her head to see her wife lying next to her. She smiled for a moment before rolling over and hopping down onto the floor.

        “Rares?” Dash sat up, watching the other mare with a worried look. “What’re you...” The rest of her question died in her throat when Rarity turned and gave her a predatory grin.

        Rarity turned back to face the bed, taking a deep breath and closing her eyes. She focused, picturing what she wanted in her head as clearly as she could. She felt the floor under her hooves shift and change from cloud to polished marble. One last touch... She shifted her focus, almost afraid to open her eyes and see if it worked.

        “Oh, come on!” Rainbow’s outburst echoed slightly, but her agitation was clear. “You can’t possibly be—” She groaned, and a light clip clop echoing through the room suggested that she had started pacing. “Is this some kind of cruel joke?”

        Rarity opened her eyes and examined their new surroundings. They were in the suite of the Royal Palace that she had stayed in during the fiasco with Twilight’s birthday. She took a moment to admire the exquisite room before bringing her gaze to Rainbow. The pegasus was hiding on the other side of the bed and blushing fiercely. 

        “Of course not, love.” She began walking around the bed and over to the flustered mare, drinking in the luscious sight before her. Dash was dressed in a Prench maid outfit with a skirt that barely covered her flank, complete with a pair of black shoes for her hind legs.

        

        “But this... thing is too short.” Rainbow kept reaching up to pull the skirt down, but it would just snap back up to its original position every time.

        “I think it looks stunning, dear.” Rarity reached out and ran a hoof up the back of her lover’s leg, causing the other mare to squirm. Smiling to herself, she sauntered over to the bed and lay down on it. “Now, I think you’ll be needing this.” With a brief glow from her horn, she floated a feather duster over to her wife, who gave her a deadpan ‘are you serious?’ look. She merely smiled until Dash rolled her eyes and took the duster in her mouth, only to drop it as soon as the magical aura disappeared.





        Rarity smiled down at the exhausted pegasus, dispelling the magical shackles with a quick wave of her horn, snuggling up next to her wife, and laying her head on the cyan chest next to her. She nuzzled her cheek into the other mare’s neck, eliciting a contented sigh. “So—” She purred. “—did you... enjoy yourself?”

        “Wow.” Dash muttered, staring blankly at the ceiling. “That was... wow.” She finally realized her limbs were free and wrapped her forelegs around the unicorn next to her. Deliriously happy giggles bubbled out of her, and she leaned down to nuzzle the top of her lover’s head. The motion caused her skirt to pull at her, reminding her that she was still wearing the maid outfit. “Uh, Rares? You mind?” She pulled at the hem of the skirt.

        “I don’t know... I think it looks rather fetching on you.” Rarity ran a hoof down Rainbow’s side, earning a stifled giggle and an exaggerated eye roll. She heaved an overly dramatic sigh. “Very well, if you insist.”  She closed her eyes and focused, giggling to herself as the outfit’s fabric disappeared and gave way to the fur underneath.

        Dash wiggled on the bed for a few moments, readjusting to get comfortable again. “No offense, Rares, but could we not do that too often? It’s not the most... awesome feeling.”

        “Duly noted, love” Rarity chuckled into a hoof. She closed her eyes and prepared to settle in for some quality cuddling, but the warm knot of tension in her core had returned after her earlier release. Watching Dash squirm on the bed, controlling her pleasure, had rekindled the fiery desire inside her. She idly trailed a hoof down her wife’s side, biting her lip and trying to decide whether she should say anything. She was pulled out of her thoughts by a chuckle at her side.

        Rainbow nuzzled into the unicorn’s mane, then pulled back and looked down at her with a lecherous grin. “Somepony’s still a little worked up, eh?” She leaned down and kissed the white ear poking out, nibbling on it afterward. “Well, if you can keep up, I’m down for another round. Just say the word.”

        Rarity stretched up and kissed Dash on the muzzle, pulling herself tighter against the other mare’s lithe, athletic form. They lay together for a moment, perfectly melded together. Around them, the scene changed again, and their bed with it. Dash wiggled around in alarm, cracking an eye open to find them laying on a cloud high above Canterlot, the vast blue expanse of sky broken only by the occasional small cloud.

        Rarity finally pulled away from the kiss, smiling and opening her eyes to reveal a playful glint. She stood up to stretch her legs, straddling her lover in the process. “Very well, I’m ‘down for another round,’ as you put it, but—” She crouched down, coming just low enough that their chests brushed together. “—you’ll have to catch me first.” She whispered into her wife’s ear before pushing off in a jump, arching her back to dive head-first off the edge of the cloud.

        Dash watched the other mare disappear past the cloud, stupefied, before scrambling toward the edge, ready to leap off and catch her. “Rarity!” She cried as she looked down at the sprawling city below them, her eyes searching for and locking onto a rapidly falling white form.

        The unicorn in question glanced up, laughed fillyishly, and spread a pair of white wings from her side, banking into a wide arc before pulling up into a hover. She looked up at the cloud she had just leapt from. “Well? Are you going to come and catch me or not?” She called, giggling at the dumbstruck expression on her wife’s face. She waited a moment for the pegasus to recover and dive off of the cloud before turning and flying off as fast as she could.

        She let out a giddy squeal of delight as the wind whipped through her mane and tugged at her tail. On an impulse, she pulled up into a loop, catching a glimpse of Dash speeding by below her. She abandoned her loop halfway through, rolling over to right herself and taking off in the opposite direction. She pumped her wings as hard as she could, not caring what the wind was doing to her mane or how so much exertion would work up a sweat. All that mattered was the feeling of pure, unadulterated speed as she tore through the sky.

        Rarity heard a laugh carry over the roar of wind in her ears, and she looked back to see Rainbow catching up to her. The alabaster mare folded her new wings and dove straight down, aiming for a cloud below her. At the last moment, she reopened her wings and landed on the cloud. Using her momentum to gather herself, she leapt back up and flapped her wings as hard as she could to gain speed. She angled just below Dash’s rapidly approaching form, rolling to brush a wingtip along the cyan pegasus’ stomach as she passed.

        They kept flying for some time, with Rarity narrowly escaping her wife’s grasp and even managing to plant a kiss or two on the other mare’s cheek as they blazed past one another. Eventually, her wings began to tire, and she landed on a nearby cloud, flopping onto her back and breathing heavily. A second later, a chromatic blur landed next to her and Dash fell down, heaving ragged breaths.

        “Not bad... for your first... time.” Rainbow managed to get out between gasps for air. She rolled onto her side, resting her head on a hoof. “Pretty darn good, actually.” She added, her breathing already returning to normal.

        “I’m so... glad you approve... love.” Rarity panted. She got up on her side and lunged at the other mare, knocking her over and laying on top of her. She nuzzled into her wife’s neck and planted a line of kisses, starting up toward her jawline and then back down.

        Dash shivered and let out a moan. After a moment of reveling in the attention, she decided to reciprocate. “T-two can play that—Ah!—game.” She muttered before craning her neck forward to lick and nibble the leading edge of her lover’s wing, but to no effect. She blinked in confusion, then tried again, laying a single slow lick along the white wing then biting on the wing joint. When there was still no noticeable response, she gently pushed the other mare away with a hoof.

        “Is something the matter, dear?” Rarity asked, worry clear in her voice as she took a step back and sat down.

        “Not really, no.” Rainbow sat up and rubbed the back of her neck with a hoof, suddenly feeling bad for distressing her partner and silly for worrying about what was on her mind in the first place. “It’s just that... The thing is...” She sighed and shook her head. “It’s your wings. Doesn’t it feel good when I play with them?”

        Rarity extended a wing and looked at it, sighing slightly. “I appreciate the thought darling, I really do, but...” She trailed off and flapped the wing once, still feeling a schoolfillyish rush of excitement that she actually had wings.

        Dash cocked her head to the side in confusion, which after a moment was replaced by understanding. “Right... you’ve never had wings, so you don’t know what they feel like, so this isn’t gonna do it for you.” She finished, running a hoof along the leading edge of Rarity’s wing.

        The unicorn tried and failed to suppress a chuckle. “No, love, I’m afraid not.” Her mirth vanished as she saw her wife’s eyes fall to her hooves. She reached out and brought her head back up with a hoof. “I guess that means you’ll just have to find other ways to give me that kind of pleasure.” Without waiting for a reaction, she leaned forward and kissed Dash, breathing an internal sigh of relief when the pegasus began kissing her back. She pressed into the contact, slowly moving forward until Rainbow was laying on her back and she was once again standing over her.






*


        Rarity awoke slowly and groggily, as she did most mornings. She went to stretch her legs, but found herself to be tangled in her sheets. Belatedly, she also realized that her sheets were damp with what she hoped was sweat. Looks like it’s laundry day... again. After disentangling herself from the bed, she trudged into the bathroom and ran a comb through her mane, trying to restore it to some semblance of order.

A crash from outside made her trot back into her bedroom and look out one of the windows, where she saw a grey-coated, blonde-maned pegasus mailmare standing next to an overturned fruit cart, apologizing profusely. Ditzy’s early today. She mused before glancing at the clock. Eleven in the morning? Maybe she’s not as early as I thought she was. Glancing back out the window, she saw the flag on her mailbox had been raised, so she headed for the staircase and made her way downstairs. The store bell rang as she pulled the door open, and she flipped the ‘Closed’ sign over to read ‘Open’ instead.

Peeking up at the sun to verify the time, she shook her head and walked out to her mailbox, pulling it open with a brief flare of magic and revealing a single lumpy scroll inside. She unfurled it, taking a moment to admire the elegant horn-writing before reading it.


My Dearest Rarity,

Fleur and I are going to be otherwise engaged for an upcoming Wonderbolts show in Canterlot. We have box seat tickets that are going to go to waste, and we thought you might like to go since you enjoyed yourself so much when we last saw each other.

You'll note the spare, feel free to bring a friend... or somepony special, eh? Do drop us a line when you have the chance, we'd love to have you over for dinner sometime.

Respectfully yours, Fancypants.

P.S. Fleur tells me that she’s dropped another size, which I didn’t think was possible, so we’ll have to have her measurements redone... again.


        A pair of tickets emblazoned with the Wonderbolts logo and featuring portraits of Spitfire and Soarin’ were attached to the letter. Rarity pulled them off and lifted them up to get a better look. Platinum level. Right in the middle. Oh Luna, if these seats were any closer you would be a part of the show. A sad smile tugged at her lips as she rolled the tickets and letter back up.

I think I know just who could make use of these.

> Mending Fences
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Unexpected Confessions

Chapter Twenty


Mending Fences

“Come on, slowpokes. Keep up!” Rainbow called over her shoulder before pouring on a burst of speed and streaking up into the sky. Behind her, a falcon, eagle, owl, and bat all struggled to keep up with her blistering pace. They followed her across the sky, banking around clouds and zooming through some simple flying maneuvers like loops and barrel rolls.

        Down on the ground below them, Fluttershy carried a bag of feed on her back, walking out to the chicken coop. Sliding the bag off of her back and onto the dirt, she reached a hoof in and began tossing feed out to the chickens as they came scurrying out of their coop. She spread several hooffuls around and watched them eat with a smile. When she was sure that they had enough to eat, she picked the bag of feed up, placed it on her back again, and headed for her cottage.

        “Not bad guys... not bad.” Dash swooped down and landed next to her marefriend, breaking into a light trot as her hooves hit the ground. The animals following her arrived a moment later and landed on their backs. The falcon, owl, and eagle flopped down on Rainbow’s back while the bat slumped onto the bag of feed on Fluttershy’s back. Their caretaker looked back over her shoulder at them, an amused half-smile on her face .

        “Dashie, I thought I asked you to take them on a relaxing morning flight.” Fluttershy chided her marefriend playfully as they approached the cottage, moving ahead of her to open the door.

        “I did. Tell her, guys. That wasn’t—” Rainbow’s protest died in her throat as she looked over her shoulder and saw her flying buddies panting on her back, nearly passed out from exhaustion. She chuckled sheepishly and rubbed a hoof along the back of her neck. “Well, it might have been a bit much.” Stopping just outside the cottage’s threshold, she craned her neck back around to say goodbye. “Sorry about that, guys. I didn’t mean to push you so hard. Go take a nap or something. You’ve earned it.” The birds looked up at her in exasperation for a moment, but each got up and nuzzled her before flying off.

        “Well, that’s the last of the animals.” Fluttershy dropped the bag of feed against the wall near the door and glanced up at the clock, which read a quarter to noon. “What do you want to do now?”

        Dash grinned playfully and sauntered over to her marefriend with half-lidded eyes. “I think you know.” She purred.

        “Again?” Fluttershy rolled her eyes. “Didn’t you get enough last night?”

        “Oh, come on.” Rainbow whined, pleading with her eyes. “You know I didn’t get to finish last night. Please?”

        Fluttershy sighed and shook her head slightly. “Fine. I guess— Eep!” Her response was cut off with a squeak as her marefriend caught her in a vice-like hug.

        “Thanks, Flutters.” Dash released the other mare and pulled away with a huge grin on her face. “Bed or couch?” She asked.

“Cou—” Fluttershy didn’t even have time to finish her answer before Rainbow hopped around her and disappeared up the stairs in a blur of color. A moment later, she raced back down the staircase, stopping just above the couch and slowly floating down to land on it softly. She patted the spot next to her, waiting for her marefriend to join her.

        Fluttershy let out another exasperated sigh, though she couldn’t help but smile at the cyan mare’s enthusiasm. She crossed the room, hopped up onto the couch next to Rainbow, and snuggled up to her, kissing her on the cheek.

        “You ready?” Rainbow asked, an eager grin on her face. She got another nod from her marefriend, so she leaned in for a quick kiss, then nestled down into the couch and flipped open the latest Daring Do book laying in her forelegs. “Okay, chapter seventeen...” Dash squirmed in her seat, barely able to contain her excitement as she started reading aloud. “Daring Do slogged her way through the damp undergrowth, keeping a lookout for signs of any of the jungle’s lethal predators. A bush up ahead rustled, forcing her to dive for cover behind a fallen tree. Peeking through a rotted out hole in the trunk, she watched the bush shake with bated breath, only to let out a relieved sigh when a squirrel scampered out from the foliage.”

        Fluttershy leaned over, resting her head on Dash’s shoulder and just listening to her voice as she read. The Daring Do novels had always been a little too scary for her tastes, but she liked listening to her marefriend read them, enjoying the passion and energy that Rainbow’s voice carried. She closed her eyes and simply listened, sighing happily when she felt one of Rainbow’s wings drape across her back.

        After several minutes of reading, Dash nudged her marefriend, rousing her from the half-asleep state she had drifted into. “Uh, Flutters? I think something’s wrong with Angel.” She motioned to the front window, prompting the sleepy mare to follow her hoof and find her pet bunny hopping frantically on the window sill.

        “Hmm?” Fluttershy rubbed a foreleg across her eyes to clear the sleep away and stepped down from the couch. “Whasit, Angel?” She moved toward the window, yawning and stretching each of her legs as she walked. When she reached the window that Angel was pointing out of, she perked up, a fleeting wave of worry racing through her. “Oh, it’s... it’s Rarity?!”

        “Really?” Dash closed the book and got down off of the couch, trotting across the room and nuzzling into her marefriend’s neck before looking out the window. Outside, Rarity was walking down the road to the cottage, but every now and then she stopped, seeming to question whether or not she should keep going.

        “I wonder what she wants.” Fluttershy asked softly, acutely aware that Rainbow might not respond well to the unicorn. However, she hadn’t had a chance to talk to Rarity since she figured out that the alabaster mare had given up on their relationship, and questions that she desperately wanted answers to burned in her mind.

        Dash, to Fluttershy’s surprise, was more confused than angry. “No idea, but we’ll get to find out in a minute.” She chuckled to herself as the unicorn reached the bridge, stopped, started to turn around, and finally stomped a hoof in the dirt, talking to herself before crossing the bridge.

        Fluttershy squeaked and backed away from the window when Rarity glanced in their direction, while Rainbow simply waved. She trotted over to the door and pulled it open as soon as Rarity stepped up to it, welcoming her in with a wave of her hoof. “Hey, Rares, good to see you! What brings you by?”

        “I was actually hoping to speak to you, lo— dear.” Rarity stepped through the doorway, taking a moment to search for the other pegasus in the room, who she eventually located peeking out from behind the couch. “Hello, Fluttershy. How are you this fine morning?”

        The timid mare started to respond, but at that moment, the clock struck twelve and the wooden bird inside popped out to announce the hour. The sudden noise startled Fluttershy, who ducked back behind the couch, emerging again a few seconds later. “H-hi, Rarity.”

        Rarity smiled with more cheer than she felt, then noticed the book on the couch. “Oh dear, I’m not interrupting anything, am I? I’d hate to be a bother.” She glanced back at Rainbow to make sure that she wasn’t upset.

        “Nah, it’s fine.” Dash grinned as she walked across the room to stand next to Fluttershy as she came out from behind the couch. “We should have done this sooner. So, what’s—” Her question was interrupted by a growl from her stomach, making her smile sheepishly. “Eheh... Sorry about that. I took the gang on a morning flight, guess I worked up a bit of an appetite.

        “Oh, um, I can make us some lunch.” Fluttershy offered, looking warily between her marefriend and her former love interest. Dash licked her lips at the idea, but Rarity looked torn. “Do you want to stay for lunch, Rarity? I have a nice almond and hazelnut soup.”

        “No thank you, dear. I had a large breakfast, so I’m not terribly hungry yet.” The unicorn fought to keep her smile up, but it was getting harder as time went on. Seeing her two loves together tore at her insides. She had known it would hurt when she decided to visit them, but the knowledge didn’t make it any easier. This may have been a mistake. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Dash giving her an odd look. “S-some tea would lovely, though, if you have any.”

        “O-of course.” Fluttershy nodded and headed for the kitchen, sparing a final glance back at her friends, worried about what might happen in her absence. In the kitchen, she busied herself with preparing the soup and tea, but it couldn’t stop her mind from over-analyzing and questioning everything that Rarity had said.

        Back out in the living room, Rarity took a closer look at the Daring Do novel on the couch and browsed the cover. “Daring Do and the Dragon’s Diadem? Don’t tell me you’re forcing poor Fluttershy to read this. You know how she feels about dragons.” She half-glared at Dash for a moment before her expression softened and she reasserted her faux-cheerful demeanor.

        “Nah.” Rainbow waved a hoof, smiling. “She just likes to listen to me read them.” When Rarity arched an eyebrow, she blushed and stared at the floor. “Well, I kinda got into the habit of reading out loud when I’m at home since I live alone and it never bothered anyone. I started doing it here last night, and I stopped when I realized ‘Shy was watching me, but she asked me to keep going.” She scuffed a hoof on the floor and her cheeks burned even redder. “She kinda... fell asleep cuddled up against me while I was reading.”

        The unicorn smiled at her, but it didn’t look quite right, as though her face was refusing to cooperate. “Oh, so you can be romantic when you want to be, hmm?” She teased.

        Rainbow shrugged, but her face was still as red as a tomato. “I-it wasn’t, really. I was just reading, she was listening, and we happened to be laying next to one another.” She couldn’t contain the smile tugging at her lips. Simple though it may have been, just being close to Fluttershy felt awesome.

        Rarity’s smile faltered for a moment as the image played in her head. She saw Fluttershy and Rainbow cuddling on the bed, the former slowly drifting off to sleep while the latter read aloud. Her heart wrenched in opposite directions, both elated that they were happy yet dejected that she could never partake in the experience.

        “You doin’ okay there, Rares?” Dash stepped forward, concern etched on her face. Moving closer, she reached up and laid a hoof on the unicorn’s shoulder, feeling it tense under her touch. Rarity’s smile was firmly affixed, but her eyes lacked the same warmth or joy. The sound of running water came from the kitchen, so she leaned in closer. “Come on, let’s talk outside for a bit.” She whispered, gently guiding the other mare back toward the door.

        “What did you want to talk about, darling?” Rarity asked once they were out on the grass of Fluttershy’s front garden. She looked at a few hyacinths in full bloom and, for a moment, she could pretend that the world was still just as beautiful and just as colorful as the week before. Her mind refused to let her dwell on it, so she shifted her gaze back to Rainbow and waited patiently for a reply.

        Dash just looked at her for a moment, holding her gaze. “What’s going on, Rarity?” She asked plainly, consciously choosing to use the other mare’s full name. “Something about you seems... off today.”

        “I’m sorry, dear, but I don’t know what you’re talking about.” Rarity shook her head, staring at Rainbow’s nose to avoid looking into her gorgeous magenta eyes. “Everything’s perfectly fine.” Her chest tightened and a lump formed in her throat as she lied through her teeth to one of the mares she loved.

        “Look Rares... I—” Dash caught herself and sighed, fluttering her wings to relieve some pent up tension. “I don’t want things to be weird between us, you know? I still wanna be friends.” She watched the unicorn for a reaction, and saw her smile become a little more strained. “Are you sure you’re okay?”

        “I-I...” Rarity trailed off, unable to force anything else past the tightness in her throat. She swallowed to try and clear it, then decided to jump right to her reason for visiting. This was a bad idea. I’m not ready for this. “Well, I have a... gift for you and Fluttershy.” With a flick of her horn, she pulled the tickets from her mane and floated them over to Dash, waiting for the pegasus to realize what they were.

        Rainbow stared at the tickets for a second before her eyes went wide and her mouth formed a perfect little ‘O’. “Oh my gosh, oh my gosh, oh my gosh. Rarity, where in Equestria did you get these?” Her eyes darted between the tickets and the unicorn, unsure of where to stop. Eventually, she let out a fanfilly squeal and leapt at Rarity, wrapping her up in a bone-crushing hug. “Thank you, thank you, thank you! This— You are so awesome!”

        Rarity felt her heart rending in her chest, and she bit her lip to choke back a whimper. She wanted nothing more than to return the hug, but it felt as if her forelegs were made of lead. Mustering every ounce of strength she had, she brought her forelegs up and embraced Dash, her composure threatening to crack like glass. “Th-thank you, dear.” She murmured, praying to Celestia that her voice sounded stronger than she felt.

        “Seriously though, how did you get these?” Rainbow asked as she held the tickets up to the sun, looking in disbelief at the Wonderbolts watermark that indicated the tickets were genuine. She brought them back down and her mouth fell open as she read the seating information. “Platinum level, Suite 103, Seats 1A and 1B.” Hardly able to believe they were real, she simply stared at the tickets and shook her head. “Why?”

        “Honestly, Rainbow...” Rarity chuckled into a hoof, feeling the tiniest bit better that Dash found her gift so impressive. “I give you two tickets to a Wonderbolts show and you ask why? You are still Rainbow Dash, are you not? The Wonderbolts’ biggest fan? The same pegasus who has been training for years to one day join their illustrious ranks?”

        “Well, yeah.” Dash’s ears folded back and she looked at the tickets again, indecision written plainly on her face. After some internal debate, she held the tickets back out to the other mare. “Here. I can’t take them.”

        Rarity’s mouth fell open in surprise, but she didn’t move to take the tickets back. “Whyever not, dear? They’re excellent seats, are they not?” She asked.

        “Well, yeah.” Rainbow pulled her foreleg back a tiny bit as she replied.

        “And you want to go, do you not?” The unicorn pressed, arching an eyebrow.

        “Duh.” Dash responded, the beginnings of a cocky grin pulling at the corners of her mouth.

        “Well then, I simply can’t see the problem, lo— dear. You want to go, and I’m giving you the tickets...” Rarity shook her head and smiled softly. “Why do you say that you can’t take them?”

        “Because I can’t! These things are worth almost as much as I make in a year!” Rainbow cried in exasperation, her wings snapping out and flapping once before folding back to her sides. She looked back at the tickets, her resolve visibly wavering at the sight of Spitfire and Soarin’ smiling back up at her. Squeezing her eyes shut, she thrust the tickets back toward the unicorn. “Just keep them, alright? If you sold them, you could expand your shop. Hay, you could probably build a whole new shop. I... I can’t take them.”

        Rarity stepped forward and reached up, as if she was going to take the tickets back, but instead pushed Dash’s hoof back toward her. “No, dear. They’re my gift to you. Take them, and enjoy them. Please.”

        Rainbow opened her eyes, looking back and forth between the unicorn and the tickets, her expression fluctuating between frustration and euphoria. She sputtered incoherently for a few moments before she found words. “Rares, I... thank you.” She stored the tickets under a wing and pulled Rarity into another hug, this one more tender and heartfelt than the previous one. “I mean it. Thank you so much.”

        “You—” Rarity felt her composure threatening to crack again. Wrapping her forelegs gently around the other mare, she returned the embrace, savoring the feel of Dash’s heart beating against her own chest. The lump in her throat returned with a vengeance and she felt tears welling in her eyes, but she tried to choke out a response anyway. “You’re welcome.” Her voice cracked partway through, and before she could register it, Rainbow had pulled away and was looking her dead in the eye. Stupid, weak fool. She cursed herself.

        “I knew it. You’re not okay.” Dash held the unicorn’s chin up with a hoof when she tried to look away. “What’s wrong? Tell me, please.” She pleaded, her voice conveying how hurt and concerned she was.

        “I—” Rarity’s voice cracked again, so she stopped and took a deep breath, wiping away her half-formed tears with a hoof. “I’m sorry you had to see that, darling. I had hoped to hold myself together better than that.” She smiled sadly. “Don’t worry, though. I’ll be fine.”

        “No.” Dash countered, stomping a rear hoof. “Tell me what’s wrong. I’m your friend. I want to help.”

        The alabaster mare felt her heart break even further at the earnestness and raw desire to help that Rainbow expressed. "I am... hurting, Rainbow Dash. I appreciate the concern, but..." She sighed. "There is nothing you can do. It will take some time before that pain fades." If it ever does... "The best thing you can do right now is to be there for Fluttershy, make sure that she's happy with her choice." She tried to smile, but once again her face wouldn’t cooperate. With a little more effort, she managed to make her smile seem genuine, or at least real enough for Dash to buy it. “It’s better to have loved and lost, as they say.” Feeling her smile start to falter, she turned to begin her slow trek back to the Boutique.

        “Rares!” Dash called after her as she reached the bridge.

        Rarity winced, but turned back, unable to bring herself to ignore Rainbow, despite desperately wanting to get back home, where the same pony would whisper sweet nothings into her ear, however false they might be. “Yes, dear?”

        Rainbow chewed on her lip for a moment, but finally said what was on her mind. “I want you to come by and visit whenever you want. You, ‘Shy, and me...” She paused, as if searching for the right words. “We all need to stay friends. I know we had a... thing over ‘Shy, but that’s over now. So, don’t think we don’t want to see you, even if you don’t have amazing tickets or something, okay?”

        Rarity found that her smile came a little easier. “Of course, darling. I just need... some time to sort myself out. You understand, don’t you?”

        Dash nodded and trotted up to her, hugging her one last time before she could react. “It’s okay to be sad, Rares, but you’re too awesome to let it keep you down. Tell you what, when you’re ready to look for somepony again, I’ll be your wingmare, okay? I bet we can find at least one other sweet, shy pony in this town.”

        The words stung, and Rarity’s smile faltered, shattering into a thousand tiny pieces. She thanked both Celestia and Luna that the hug kept Dash from seeing it. At the same time, she had to bite back a venomous retort. As if anypony could ever replace Fluttershy... or you. “Thank you, darling. I’ll... think about it.” As she backed away, she planted a feather-light kiss on Rainbow’s cheek. “Now, please apologize to Fluttershy for me. I don’t believe I’ll be able to stay for that tea.” She excused herself, knowing that she couldn’t bring herself to face Fluttershy in her current state.

Looking away, she started walking back toward town, leaving the other mare to watch her go in silence. When she crossed the bridge, she stopped and glanced back, keeping her mane covering her face. “Oh, and do make the most of your visit to Canterlot. Take her to a nice restaurant or the Canterlot Royal Gardens. She’ll like that. Don’t be afraid to stop by the Boutique if you need anything at all.” Without waiting for a reply, she broke into a trot and made her way back to her home.

        Rainbow watched the unicorn leave, a feeling that she couldn’t identify settling uncomfortably in her chest. To try and shake it, she pulled the tickets out and looked them over again, hoping the excitement of seeing the Wonderbolts would help her feel better. However, the sight of them only increased the uneasy feeling that twisted at her stomach. Scanning down the tickets, she noticed the date of the show. Celestia, tomorrow afternoon? Her eyes darted around, making a mental list of things to do.

        “Girls?” Fluttershy stuck her head out of the cottage door, looking around until she found Rainbow standing off to the side, facing away from her and looking at something. “Dashie? Where’s Rarity?” She waited for a moment as her marefriend quickly stashed whatever she was looking at beneath her wing, then turned around, scratching the back of her neck with a hoof.

        “Hey, Flutters. Rarity had some... stuff to do, so she had to run. I gotta go too, sorry.” Rainbow looked off in the direction Rarity had left and bit her lip.

        “She... just left? You too?” Fluttershy shrunk back, hiding behind her mane while tears welled in her eyes. “D-did I do something w-wrong? A-are you two m-mad at me?” A tearful sniff escaped her and she started to inch her way back inside.

        “Wha— No! Of course not.” Dash galloped over and pulled her marefriend into a hug, planting a series of kisses on her cheeks to dry the few tears that had escaped. She pulled the other mare closer and nuzzled into her cheek, doing everything she could to try and calm the distraught pegasus. “Shh... It’s okay, ‘Shy. You didn’t do anything wrong, I promise.”

        “Th-then wh-why...” Fluttershy trailed off, more tears slipping from her eyes.

        “Rarity... had to take care of something, but trust me, she’s not mad at you.” Rainbow brushed her marefriend’s mane behind her ear so that she could look into her eyes. “And me, I’ve got a surprise for you, but I need to make some arrangements first. I’m sorry that I have to bail on you, but I promise it’ll be worth it. You don’t have any plans for tomorrow do you?”

        “J-just feeding my animals.” Fluttershy sniffed one final time, wiping a hoof across her nose. “Why?”

        “I told you, it’s a surprise.” Dash responded, darting in to plant a quick kiss on her marefriend’s nose. “Is there any way you can have someone else watch your animals for tomorrow?”

        “I suppose.” Fluttershy smiled as the kiss tickled her nose. “Do you want to come in for lunch before you go?”

        Before she could answer, Rainbow’s stomach let out a growl that rivaled Harry the bear. She coughed into a hoof to cover up the slight blush in her cheeks. “That sounds great.” The pair headed back inside and sat down at the table, where three bowls of soup were laid out along with a pot of tea. Dash picked up a spoon and dipped it in the soup, absentmindedly taking a bite while she continued to make mental plans. As the liquid splashed across her tongue, she bolted upright. “Ah! Hot hot hot!” Fanning her burning mouth with a hoof, she looked around for something to cool it with, but only found the steaming cup of tea sitting in front of her.

        “Oh my goodness. Oh my goodness.” Fluttershy got up and scrambled over to a cabinet, pulling out a glass and filling it at the sink. “I’msorryI’msorryI’msorry.” She hopped back over to the table with a flap of her wings and handed the glass to her marefriend, who quickly drained it.

        “No, it’s—” Rainbow’s words were cut off by a cough. “—it’s fine. It was my fault. I wasn’t paying attention.” She fanned her mouth one last time, letting out a relieved sigh. Picking up another spoonful, she blew on the spoon several times to cool it down before drinking it, perking up again. “Mmm. Wow, ‘Shy, this smells delicious. I wish I could taste it, but I’m pretty sure I burned off all my taste buds with that first spoonful. Where’d you learn to make it?”

        “Oh, um, my mom taught it to me when I was little.” Fluttershy took her own dainty bite of soup, blowing on it before drinking it. “I’ve made some changes to it over the years, like putting in fewer almonds and more hazelnuts. Oh, I also added a few things like a bit of nutmeg and a pinch of salt, but I’ve kept it mostly the same.” She stirred her soup, waiting for it to cool. “I don’t make it very often, though.”

        “Why not?” Dash asked after downing another spoonful. “I’m sure it tastes great. I’d make it all the time if I knew how.”

        “Yes, well, whenever I do try and make it, all of my little squirrel, chipmunk and mouse friends eat it before I really get the chance to enjoy it.” Fluttershy pointed over to the kitchen window, giggling. Dash followed her hoof and looked out the window, where half a dozen of the aforementioned animals were standing with their paws and faces pressed up to the glass.

        “Hehe, I can see why.” Rainbow picked up her bowl and drained it in several large gulps, setting back down with a contented sigh. “Sorry, Flutters, but I really gotta run. Lots of things to do before tomorrow.” She stepped around the table and gave her marefriend a hug with her wing. “I’ll be by tomorrow morning, okay?”

        “Oh, okay.” Fluttershy leaned into the embrace, nuzzling into the other mare’s neck before darting up and kissing her on the cheek. When she pulled away, a light blush stained her cheeks. “I’ll, um, see you later then, Dashie.”

        “Yeah...” Rainbow responded, staring off into space for a second before shaking her head and trotting over to the front door. “Later, ‘Shy.” She called back as she pulled open the door, running outside and taking to the air while making sure to grab the Wonderbolts tickets as her wings spread. Pumping her wings, she climbed into the sky and let out a whoop of excitement that, for once, had nothing to do with her racing through the heavens. Even with the wind racing across her face, she could still feel the spot on her cheek that Fluttershy had kissed tingling. Dash pulled into a loop with a goofy grin on her face, her body completing the move automatically while her mind wandered for a moment.

        This is so awesome! She banked into a lazy turn to catch a rising thermal, shooting ever higher on the column of warm air. First, a sleepover with Fluttershy, and then Rarity shows up with these? Can you say ‘best day ever?’

        Rainbow could feel the tickets whipping back and forth against her foreleg and chest, constantly reminding her of the unicorn’s exorbitant gift. She couldn’t help the grin plastered to her face, and she pulled up into a loop to try and burn off some of her excited energy. Scanning the town below, she spotted Carousel Boutique and considered going there to thank Rarity again, but ultimately decided against it with a shake of her head. Adjusting her flight path, she angled toward the library and began gliding down to the ground.

        First item on the agenda: The Canterlot Royal Gardens.

        Landing a few feet in front of the door, Dash replaced the tickets under her wing and pushed the door to the library open, sending the bell above it ringing. Wait, what be— Sweet Celestia, what is that? Her eyes were drawn to a mound of cushions piled in the center of the room. Out of instinct, she flapped her wings, remembering to grab the falling tickets at the last second, and rose up to inspect it. Halfway up, she found the librarian napping with her face resting on an open book. She carefully poked the sleeping mare with a hoof. “Uh, Twilight?”

        “No, AJ... I don’ mind... ‘s a drought... gotta conserve water.” Twilight mumbled in her sleep, her legs twitching. “‘S awfully small shower.” She giggled a bit, a tiny trail of drool leaking from her mouth onto the book.

        “Twilight.” Rainbow poked the unicorn a little harder, causing her to shy away and giggle.

        “Careful, AJ... ticklish there.” Twilight leaned forward, nuzzling into the book and smearing her drool over several lines of text.

        “Twilight!” Dash shook the sleeping mare with a hoof, causing her eyes to finally flutter open.

        “Mmm... Apple—” Twilight blinked a couple times and looked up at the blue face floating before her. “R-Rainbow Dash?” Wiping a hoof across her mouth, she sat up, quickly asserting her professional demeanor. “Hello, Rainbow, what can I— Oh no. Ohnoohnoohno!” She finally noticed the blotch of drool on her book and quickly wove a spell with her horn, gently removing the splotch of saliva and fixing a few smudged letters. Once she fixed the damage, she let out a relieved sigh and looked back to her visitor with a sheepish smile. "Sorry about that, what can I do for you, Rainbow?”

        Dash chuckled into a hoof for a moment before remembering why she had come. “Oh, right. Um, I was wondering, are the Canterlot Royal Gardens open to just anypony, or do you need to get permission from, like, Princess Celestia to visit them?”

        “The Gardens?” Twilight cocked her head to the side, her brow furrowed. “I... don’t know, to be honest. I think it would be a good idea to ask the princess, just to make sure. Why do you want to know?”

        “I’m planning a date for Fluttershy and me.” A grin spread across Dash’s face as she said the words. She held the tickets out so that the other mare could see them. “We’re gonna go see the Wonderbolts, and I was hoping that afterward we might be able to take a walk through the Royal Gardens.”

        “Are you sure that’s a good idea?” Twilight tapped her forehoof against the cast on her other foreleg. “The last time she—”

        “Celestia! What happened to your leg?” Rainbow floated closer, poking her head down to get a better look at the cast. “When did this happen? I mean, I saw you yesterday with Applejack.” She raised her head to see the unicorn looking away, her ears folded back. “Twi? What happened?”

        Twilight sighed and slumped into her throne of cushions. “I tripped and fell while running with Applejack. It wasn’t that bad, but I kind of... ran home on it.” She held up her good foreleg to preempt Dash’s incoming question. “I don’t want to talk about it.” Crossing her forelegs to cover the cast, she sat up a little straighter. “Anyway, the last time Fluttershy visited the Royal Gardens was—”

        “The Grand Galloping Gala.” Dash finished, pressing a hoof between her eyes. “Right. Forgot about that. She drug the hoof down her muzzle, resting it on her chin. “Hmm... do you think she’d want to go back because of what happened at the Gala, kind of a—” She stopped as Twilight gave her a deadpan look. “Eheh. So, no Gardens, then. Maybe a nice picnic instead.” Pursing her lips, she looked around the library while she thought. After a moment, she shook her head. “Could you go ahead and send a message to the princess anyway, just in case?”

        “Sure thing.” Twilight smiled, then looked off to the side. “Princess Celestia is on a diplomatic visit to Stalliongrad, but I’ll have Spike send a message to Luna.” Turning back, she pulled the book she had been reading before her unscheduled nap in front of her. “Is there anything else?”

        “Nope. Thanks, Twi.” Dash clutched the Wonderbolt tickets to her chest in preparation for flight and smiled at the unicorn. “See ya later.” Without waiting for a response, she flapped her wings once, banking into a tight turn and zooming out the library door.


*


        Rarity closed the door to her shop behind her, checking to make sure that the sign read ‘Closed’ before plodding across the showroom. Looking at the clock, she let out a sigh. She had expected there to be pain when she finally got home and could let her tears flow freely, but instead she felt numb, almost empty.

        Sitting at her kitchen table, she tried to convince herself that everything she was doing was for the best. They’re happy, and that’s what matters. If I can help that in some small way, I will do so gladly. Laying her head on the table, she tried to focus on her friends’ happiness, picturing the pair strolling through the streets of Canterlot and simply enjoying each other's company. Hmm... something’s missing. In her mind, she gave Fluttershy the dress she had been working on when she went to the library with Pinkie, adding a few finishing touches that she hadn’t gotten to before. She smiled and sat up, floating a pencil and parchment into the kitchen so that she could commit the design to paper. When she was done, she looked down at the design with a pleased smile.

        Now, we can’t very well forget about Rainbow. Rarity brought a second piece of parchment into the kitchen and set it before her, her pencil hovering above it and waiting for inspiration to strike. Maybe... Her pencil raced across the paper, tracing out a rough sketch before it stopped abruptly. No. With a flash of magic, the parchment crumpled into a ball and flew off to the side, landing by the doorway. Another piece floated in to replace it. How about... Once again, the pencil flew across the parchment, the various lines eventually coalescing into a dress design. Hmm, no. The parchment met the same fate as its predecessor, landing in a crumpled ball next to the previous sheet.

Several hours later, the pile of rejected designs had grown large enough to almost reached the top of the counter it rested against, and Rarity’s sketch pencil had shrunk until it was barely more than a nub. Slumping forward, the unicorn rested her head on the table, letting the remains of her pencil clatter down. Why is this so difficult? She closed her eyes and a spectrum of color played across the insides of her eyelids. Sighing, she pinpointed the source of her frustration. It’s that messy, infuriating, gorgeous mane of hers. No matter what I do, something clashes with one of the colors in it.

        With a faint pulse of magic, she grabbed the last three sketches she had discarded and flattened them out as best she could to look at them. The only thing I’ve been able to make work is something using chromatic fabric... but I used that for her Gala dress. I want to do something new, something different, but I can’t get anything to work. Resting her chin on the table, she tossed the parchment back onto the pile and rubbed her temples with her hooves. Come now, Rarity, you can do this. This is important. It’s their first date as a couple, and they’re going to Canterlot to see the Wonder—

In a blur of motion, Rarity bolted upright, her eyes widening as inspiration hit her. “Ideeeeea!” She sang aloud, her pencil leaping up and flying across the parchment. As the design unfolded, she couldn’t help but smile, imagining Dash’s reaction when she put it on. When it was done, she glanced back and forth between the two designs and the clock, biting her lip as she tried to figure out where she was going to find the time to craft both of the dresses before her friends left for Canterlot in the morning.

        Seven o’clock. I’d better put on a pot of tea... it’s going to be another long night. With a flick of her horn, she filled a kettle and set it on the stove. Grabbing both sketches with her magic, she walked back out into the showroom. Shortly, a flurry of fabric, needles, thread, and scissors was whirling around the room, draping themselves across a pair of blank equinnequins and sewing themselves together. The maelstrom of activity was interrupted by the whistling of the tea kettle back in the kitchen.

Rarity carefully set everything down and trotted back into the kitchen to fix herself a cup of tea. A minute later, she returned to the main room, cup floating behind her, and sat down to take a sip. Letting out a contented sigh, she looked out the window to see Celestia’s sun disappearing over the horizon, the last vestiges of sunlight bathing the few scattered clouds in hues of orange and yellow. Sipping on her tea, the fashionista admired the sunset for a few moments before rolling her neck and eliciting a series of cracks. Her red glasses floated up and landed on her nose as she stood up and walked toward the dress forms.

        Well, time to get to work.


*


        “Oh Rainbow Daaa—” Rarity’s singsong call was cut off by by a yawn. After it passed, she cleared her throat and tried again. “Ahem, oh Rainbow Daaash!” She craned her neck up, looking for any sign of movement. A few minutes passed, and she was getting ready to call out again when the pegasus in question poked her head out of a window.

        “What do you—” Rainbow looked down at the unicorn and saw something draped across her back, though she couldn’t figure out what it was from up in her house. “Oh, hi Rares. Be down in a sec.” She disappeared back inside, only to zoom out of the same window a moment later, flaring her wings and banking into a wide turn that slowly brought her to the ground. “Hey, uh...” Glancing off to the side, she fluttered her wings nervously. “I know I said that it’s cool to come by whenever and all, but I didn’t mean you had to do it the next morning. What’s up?”

        "Well, I figured that with—" Another yawn forced its way out of Rarity's mouth, which she covered with a hoof. "Pardon me. As I was saying, I thought that with your upcoming visit to Canterlot today, you might be interested in these." With a flare from her horn, she floated the dresses off of her back and hung them so that Dash could see them. Fluttershy's dress had a pastel purple top with a light green skirt and darker green vine patterns swirling around the edges. Meanwhile, Dash's dress was a form fitting electric blue piece with yellow accents running down the sides.

        “Rarity, these are awesome!” Dash leapt forward and grabbed hold of her dress, twirling around and letting out a squeal of glee. She stopped mid-spin and floated over to hover in front of Rarity. “First the tickets, now these... what’s going on, Rares?” She looked at the other mare curiously, but clutched her dress to her chest.

        “Well, I... that is to say...” Rarity sighed heavily. She was going to have to lie again. Putting on her best smile, she forced herself to continue. “You see, I had planned ahead, thinking that things would... work out better. Between the three of us, you know? The tickets were an unexpected bonus, but I had intended the dresses as gifts for the two of you. Though the original intent has been spoiled, I made them specifically for the two of you and I want you to have them. I will not turn around and sell your dresses simply because of—” She broke off as Rainbow gave her an incredulous look. “Please, don’t look at me like that. Take them, won’t you? Call them gifts from a friend if you must, but they were made from the heart.”

        Rainbow looked back and forth between the dress in her hooves and the unicorn who had made it. "Rares..." She felt a lump rise in her throat, and she swallowed to force it down. "This is... it's too much. All of it. First, the tickets. Now this? I... I can't take them." With a pained grimace, she held the dress out, waiting for the unicorn to take it.

        “I insist, darling.” Rarity laid Fluttershy’s dress across Dash’s hooves, pushed both dressed into the pegasus’ arms, and turned on the spot. “I am the Element of Generosity, after all. I believe I am allowed to give my friends gifts if they deserve them.” She turned back, just for a moment, and smiled. “Besides, you have a formal event to attend. It wouldn’t do to be underdressed now, would it?” She winked and turned back, starting to walk away and calling back over her shoulder. “Show her a good time, won’t you?”

        Without warning, Rainbow landed in front of her, carefully, almost reverently, placing the dresses on the grass by the road. Rarity would have protested against the garish treatment of her designs, but she was interrupted by two forelegs wrapping around her neck. Dash gave her a tight hug, even extending her wings and wrapping them around Rarity’s shoulders. By the time the pegasus finally let her go, Rarity was gasping for breath.

        “Thanks, Rarity. I mean it.” Rainbow smiled warmly and gathered up the dresses, taking to the air but flying slowly so as not to risk damage to the gowns. She threw one last meaningful look over her shoulder before she rounded a bend in the road and disappeared behind a stand of trees.

        As soon as Dash was out of sight, Rarity let out a huge yawn, bringing her hoof up to cover her mouth. When it finally ended, she began the walk back to Carousel Boutique. She was already late for her appointment with the silken softness of her bed.


*


        Rainbow was nothing if not fast, though she did hold back some, only flying at half of her top speed as she zipped toward her marefriend’s cottage. As it came into view, she set down near the small bridge and draped the dresses across her back, using her wings to try and smooth out some of the wrinkles that had formed during the flight. Good thing Rares isn’t here. She’d beat me to a pulp if she saw what I did to her dresses. She trotted across the bridge and up to the front door, knocking on it while she kept working to iron out a particularly stubborn kink in Fluttershy’s dress.

        “Hello?” Fluttershy stuck her head out of the doorway, her eyes darting around before settling on the pegasus in front of her house. “Oh, hi Dashie.” She perked up, her worried expression brightening into a warm smile as she pulled the door open and stepped aside. “Please, come in. I just finished feeding all the animals, so I just need to take a quick shower and I’ll be ready to go.” She craned her neck up to try and look at the thing draped across her marefriend’s back, but Dash flared her wings to block her sight. “What’s that?”

        “It’s part of the surprise, but, uh, it’s not quite ready.” Rainbow looked over her wing at the dresses, seeing that the stubborn wrinkle was still there. A thought flitted through her mind, and she bit her lip as she tried to ignore it, but it was too late. “Say, Flutters... I worked up a bit of a sweat flying over here. Do you think that I could get a shower too?”

        “Oh, um...” Fluttershy shied away a bit, her face lighting up in a fierce blush. “I-I don’t know. M-maybe you could, um, go first, and I’ll just wait.” With a scuff of her hoof on the floor, she ducked down and hid behind her mane, glancing up to see her marefriend’s reaction.

        “Come on, ‘Shy.” Dash rolled her eyes and walked into the cottage, angling her wings to keep the dresses hidden as best she could. “Here, you run upstairs and get it started and I’ll be up in a second.”

        “W-well, um, I-I...” Fluttershy chewed her lip for a moment, but ultimately swallowed and nodded. “O-okay. I’ll just, um, go get the shower started, then.” She turned and trotted over to the staircase, stopping for a second to look back before heading up the stairs.

        When the sound of running water drifted down the staircase, Rainbow laid the dresses out on the couch, taking care to not create any new wrinkles in the fabric. She found the stubborn wrinkle in Fluttershy’s dress and stretched it with both hooves, grinning triumphantly as she finally flattened out the crease. Trotting over to the stairs, her heart rate jumped at the thought of sharing a shower with her marefriend.

        With an excited flutter of her wings, Dash trotted over to the staircase and made her way up to the bedroom. A few wisps of steam floated out of the doorway to the bathroom as she entered, and she pushed the door open and walked in, looking around the room. To one side, a wooden tub sat below a shelf with an array of bottles lined up, and a sink with a mirror was just past it. On the other side of the room, a plastic curtain hung to enclose a shower easily large enough for two, maybe even three, ponies. Steam billowed over the top of the curtain, and Rainbow pulled it back to peek in on her marefriend, who was letting the water run over her with her eyes closed. Sneaking into the shower, Dash crept up on the other mare and darted in for a kiss on the cheek.

“Eep!” The kiss caused Fluttershy to jump, splashing water everywhere. She looked around, a minor panic in her eyes before she saw Rainbow. Her ears flattened back and she tried to hide behind her mane, but it was plastered to her neck. “Oh, h-hi, Dashie. I, um...” Her words trailed off, lost amongst the patter of water pattering on the floor.

        “Hey, could you pass the soap?” Dash asked, stepping forward to get under the water and turning to wet her coat. She took the offered soap from her marefriend, who was blushing slightly, and started rubbing it along her legs before moving on to her trunk. When she was done, she passed the soap back to Fluttershy and hopped under the stream of water again. “You better hurry up, ‘Shy. We gotta get going.”

        Fluttershy took the soap back and slowly started moving it along her own body, becoming a bit more comfortable. “So, um, what are we doing today? If you don’t mind me asking, that is.”

        Rainbow pursed her lips for a moment, then shook her head, spraying water everywhere. “Nah, it’s cool.” She paused, letting the moment drag out before she revealed their plans with a flourish. “We’re going to Canterlot!”

        Fluttershy’s eyes lit up and she dropped the soap. “Canterlot.” She murmured, a smile slowly spreading across her face. “Really?”

        “You bet.” Dash smiled back, then darted in for a quick kiss on her marefriend’s lips, seeing a blush when she pulled away. “There’s a Wonderbolts show there this afternoon, and I’ve got tickets. Now, hurry up, slowpoke.” She playfully bumped the other mare’s flank with her own.

        Fluttershy picked up the soap and resumed cleaning herself. “Oh my, that’s very exciting.” She put down the soap and ducked into the water to wash it off. “What time does the train leave?”

        “The first train to Canterlot leaves at ten.” Rainbow poked her head out of the shower. “Where do you keep your towels?”

        “Ten?” Fluttershy repeated, cocking her head in confusion. “But, Dashie, it’s only a little before nine. Why do we need to hurry?”

        “Well...” Dash began before trailing off. After blinking a few times, she rubbed the back of her neck with a hoof. “I, uh, guess we don’t really need to. That’s just how I do things.” She concluded with a shrug.

        Fluttershy giggled and shook her head, smiling shyly as an idea came to her. “Um, then wh-why don’t you sit down?” Her marefriend raised a questioning eyebrow and she could feel heat flooding her face. “I could, um, wash your mane for you, if you want.”

        “Oh.” Rainbow chuckled, but eventually shrugged and moved to sit in front of her marefriend. “Okay, sure.” She craned her head back and shook it to get as much of her mane slicked back as possible. The sound of a bottle opening was her only warning before a blob of shampoo landed on her head. “Ah! Cold!” She jerked away from the bottle, which only caused the cold liquid to trail down her neck and back. A mumbled apology mixed with some giggles came from behind her, followed shortly by a pair of hooves that worked the shampoo into her mane.

        “Mmm.” Dash let out a contented sigh as Fluttershy’s hooves continued to work, gently massaging her scalp while the shampoo lathered up her mane. Her wings unfolded and drooped down at her sides, causing rivulets of water to run down each feather. Slowly, her marefriend’s hooves worked their way down, rubbing along Rainbow’s neck and eventually down to her shoulders. After dipping her head into the shower stream to wash off the shampoo, Dash leaned back, pulling the other mare’s forelegs around her into a hug. “Thanks, ‘Shy.” She nestled into the embrace. “That felt really nice. Do you, uh, want me to do yours?”

        “Oh, you don’t have to do that if you don’t want to.” Fluttershy rested her head on Rainbow’s shoulder, giving the other mare a quick squeeze.

        “Come on, I want to.” Dash gave her marefriend a peck on the nose and wiggled out of the hug, moving around behind Fluttershy and coming face to face with her waterfall of a mane. She followed the strands of wet hair down, whistling in surprise when she saw that the yellow mare’s mane nearly reached the base of her tail.

        “Okay, let’s do this.” Rainbow clapped her hooves together and looked around. “Uh, where’s the shampoo?” Fluttershy handed her a pink bottle, and she held it over the expansive pink mane, squeezing out a healthy dollop of liquid. After looking down at the sheer amount of hair she had to wash, she squeezed out another small blob of shampoo then set the bottle down. In an effort to imitate what Fluttershy had done for her, Dash put her hooves on the slowly spreading splotch of shampoo and began vigorously rubbing it around. She heard a pained whimper escape the other mare’s mouth and felt her pull away a tiny bit.

        “Sorry.” Rainbow stopped, took a deep breath, and started working the shampoo into Fluttershy’s mane again, making sure to move more slowly and keeping a very gentle pressure with her hooves. She gradually made her way lower, but had to stop and add more shampoo once she reached her marefriend’s shoulders. Taking her time, she ran her hooves through the mass of pink before her. She couldn’t help but smile as Fluttershy let out a blissful sigh. I could get used to this. After another minute, she had reached the end of her marefriend’s mane. Some of the shampoo and lather had fallen down, landing on the pink tail below. Dash decided to keep going, and began to work the shampoo into Fluttershy’s tail.

        “Eep!” Fluttershy let out a squeak and curled her tail around herself, pulling it away from the other mare’s hooves.

        “Sorry! Sorry.” Rainbow laid a hoof on her marefriend’s shoulder. “Probably should have asked first.”

        “Oh, um, i-it’s okay.” Fluttershy slowly uncurled her tail. “It just startled me, but it felt really, um, nice.” Her response was barely above a whisper by the end, and her cheeks were tinged with a blush that had nothing to do with the steamy air of the shower.

        Dash smiled and went back to work, running her hooves through Fluttershy’s tail slowly and gently so as not to pull on the hairs. After a little while, she reached the end. “Okay, done.”

        Fluttershy leaned forward and washed the lather out of her mane and tail, then turned the shower off, letting the water drip from her hair for a bit before turning around. “Thanks, Dashie. That felt really nice.” She smiled and leaned over to nuzzle Dash’s cheek. Afterward, she pulled the curtain back, shivering as cooler air replaced the warm steamy air that had been trapped in the shower. After shaking as much water as she could from her legs, she trotted over to a rack with two towels hanging from it. “Do you want a towel?” She asked before grabbing one and draping it over her head.

        “Hmm.” Dash thought for a moment, then spotted a window. “No thanks. I’ll be right back.” Without waiting for a response, she ran over to the window, throwing it open and diving out. Scanning the ground, she spotted Fluttershy’s herb garden and angled toward it. As she passed over the plants, she started to spin, sending the water still in her coat and mane flying in all directions. Once she was dry, she banked around and flew back through the window, landing next to her marefriend, who was still dying off. “There we go. Oh, I watered your herb garden for you.”

        “Really?” Fluttershy dropped the towel onto her back, carefully drying her wings and flank. “Oh, thank you.” When she was done drying herself, she placed the towel back on the rack. “So, what—” She stopped as her eyes moved up to Rainbow’s mane, and she brought a hoof to her mouth to try and stifle a bout of giggles.

        “What’s so funny?” Dash moved over to the sink and looked in the mirror, then broke out in her own round of laughter. Her mane was a complete mess, or at least, more so than usual. Most of it was blown back from the quick flight, but strands of all colors stuck up at random angles. “Oh, wow. You got a brush I can borrow?”

        Fluttershy pulled the brush back, pouting slightly. “But I want to.”

        “No fair.” Rainbow sat down and crossed her forelegs. “You know that nopony can resist that.” She heaved and exaggerated sigh. “Fine, go ahead.” Her affected annoyance disappeared as Fluttershy brushed her mane. The brush moved through the hairs with a feather-light touch, yet still removed all of the knots and tangles.

        “There. That’s better.” Fluttershy put the brush down on the sink and leaned over to kiss Dash on the cheek. “So, what do you want to do now?”

        “Now, the rest of the surprise.” Rainbow grinned and sidled up to her marefriend, draping a wing across her back. “Close your eyes.” Once the other mare’s eyes were closed, Dash led Fluttershy downstairs and over in front of the couch. “Okay, open them.”

        “Oh my goodness.” Fluttershy clapped a hoof to her mouth when she saw the dresses, immediately gravitating toward her own. She picked it up, holding it to her chest as though afraid it would disappear if she was too rough with it. “It’s... beautiful.” The skirt flared out as she spun in place, revealing the swirling vines embroidered along the hem. Clutching it tighter, she let out a happy little squeal, then turned back to her marefriend. “Oh, Dashie, they’re wonderful! Where did you get them?”

        “Well, Rares kind of... made them for us.” Dash admitted, running a hoof over her own dress. A knot formed in her chest as she looked at it, and the uneasy feeling that she couldn’t identify from earlier returned. Shaking her head, she brushed it off and stepped over to her marefriend’s side. “Here, let me help you with that.”

        “Oh, um, thank you.” Fluttershy mumbled as Rainbow helped her into the dress. Meanwhile, her mind raced, trying to figure out when and why Rarity would have made them such lovely dresses. In turn, she helped her marefriend into her dress, blushing as the form-fitting fabric drew her gaze to Dash’s rump. “Um, did Rarity say why she made us these dresses?”

        “Yeah.” Dash responded, a hint of sadness in her voice. “She said that she made them as... gifts for us, and she was going to give them to us whe— if the three of us had gotten together.” Trying to take her mind off of the unicorn, she looked at the clock on the wall, which read nine-thirty. “Say, who did you get to watch your animals for you?” 

“Oh, it was—” Before Fluttershy could finish, a knock came from the door, so Rainbow trotted over and pulled it open. Applejack stood on the other side, watching Winona run off to play with the other animals.

“Hey, AJ.”

        “Well howdy, Rain—” Applejack’s greeting died in her throat when she turned and saw Dash. Her mouth hung open limply as she looked the pegasus over. After a few seconds, she shook her head and smiled, forcing herself to look Rainbow in the eyes. “Ya look great, Dash. ‘Shy’s a lucky gal.”

        “Uh, th-thanks.” Dash mumbled, looking off to the side in embarrassment. She shuffled aside, making room for the farm pony to enter. “Y-you probably need to talk to ‘Shy about her animals and stuff.”

        “Yep.” Applejack trotted inside, unable to tear her eyes away from Rainbow. Skirting around the couch, she made her way over to Fluttershy, who gave her a quick rundown of what each group of animals ate and when to feed them, even going so far as to include a list. Once Applejack was reasonably sure she knew what to do, she ushered the yellow pegasus over to the door, reassuring her that her furry little friends would be fine. “Come on, sugarcube. Ah’ve been runnin’ Sweet Apple Acres fer years, Ah’m sure Ah can handle a few rowdy critters fer one afternoon.”

        “Oh, of course. I’m sorry. I wasn’t, um, trying to say that you couldn’t or anything, it’s just—” Fluttershy stopped, took a deep breath, and smiled. “Sorry. I tend to worry a bit when it comes to my animals. I’m sure you’ll do great. Thank you again, Applejack.”

        “Really, sugarcube, it’s no trouble at all.” Applejack lowered her head and gave Fluttershy once last nudge out the door, where Rainbow was waiting for her. “Now, you two go have fun on yer date, and don’t you worry none, ‘Shy. Ah’ll take care of yer critters.” She waved goodbye as the couple made their way down the path to Ponyville, waiting for them to cross the bridge before she closed the door.

        “Sweet Celestia.” The farm pony slumped down, leaning against the door. Try as she might, she couldn’t get the picture of Rainbow Dash dressed up out of her mind, and the pegasus’ sheepish expression somehow managed to make her seem even cuter. Applejack pulled her hat off and ran a hoof through her mane.

        “Consarnit, Rainbow, why’d ya have to be so... so... beautiful?”

> Blast From the Past
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Unexpected Confessions

Chapter Twenty One


        Blast from the Past

        Applejack shook her head to try and clear the vision of Rainbow Dash from her mind, but the beautiful pegasus remained fixed firmly in her head, looking off to the side as a light blush colored her cheeks. She closed her eyes and rubbed them vigorously with a foreleg. Dagnabit girl, Ah got work to do and you ain’t exactly makin’ it easy to concentrate. After trying and failing to remove the image from her head a few more times, she leaned back and looked up at the ceiling.

        Maybe Ah could... She shook her head again, harder than before. No. Ah made mah decision, and Ah’m gonna stick by it. Ah promised Pinkie after all.


*


        The bell above Sugarcube Corner’s door rang out as Applejack pushed her way into the shop, before having to jump out of the way of a mass of bags moving in the opposite direction. When it passed, she caught a glimpse of grey flank, a blond tail, and a bubble cutie mark before the door swung shut.

        “Applejack!”

        The farm pony saw two blurs of pink, then felt the crushing force of Pinkie hugging her from behind. Just before she started to fear that her friend might break something, the pressure disappeared, leaving Applejack gasping for breath.

        “Land sake’s, girl, ya almost—” She turned to see Pinkie standing behind the counter on the other side of the bakery. “How...” After a second, she sighed and simply walked over to the counter.

        “Morning, Applejack, what can I get you? Just please don’t say ‘muffins.’” Pinkie gestured the display case, where nearly a third of the trays held only crumbs. “I thought six dozen would be enough, but Derpy bought them all... again. She even managed to eat six while walking from the counter to the door.” Shrugging, she pulled a couple empty trays out of the case and replaced them with full trays of scones and cupcakes. “Oh well, I guess I’ll just have to make even more tomorrow.”

        Applejack could only stare at the empty trays for a moment, unable to comprehend why anypony would want that many muffins. Giving up on the idea, she shook her head and glanced over at the door behind her. “Say, Pinkie, could we talk fer a bit?”

        “We’re talking right now, silly.” Pinkie responded, smiling broadly.

        “Ah meant maybe somewhere a bit more... private?” Applejack jumped as the sound of a pan falling came from the kitchen.

        Pinkie cocked her head to the side, her smile shrinking a bit. “Okay.” She stepped out from behind the counter, heading for a staircase nestled in the back corner of the room. When she reached the base of the stairs, she called back to the kitchen. “Mr. Cake! I need to run upstairs for a few minutes.”

        “Alright, Pinkie.” Carrot stuck his head out of the kitchen, glancing around the lobby for any customers. “Do we need any— Oh, hello, Applejack.”

        “Howdy, Mr. Cake.” The farm pony tipped her hat to him and started for the staircase.

        “We’re out of muffins... again.” Pinkie tapped a hoof to her chin. “But, I think there are some cookies in the oven that should be done right... about... nnnnnnow!” As soon as she finished speaking, the timer on the oven buzzed, and Carrot Cake ducked back into the kitchen to tend to it. Pinkie turned and bounced up the stairs with Applejack hot on her heels. When they reached the former’s bedroom, she closed the door, hopped onto the bed, and patted the spot next to her. “Come on, AJ, let’s turn that frown upside down.”

        Applejack trudged over to the bed, climbing onto it and staring at her hooves while she tried to think of a way to bring up her problem. She opened her mouth, but couldn’t find any words, so she just closed it and looked over at her friend, who was just smiling and waiting patiently. After nearly a minute of silence, she managed to voice the source of her problem. “It’s about Rainbow Dash... and Twilight.”

        "You mean Fluttershy, and Rainbow, and Rarity, right?" Pinkie tapped her chin again. "Twilight's a new one, I thought it was just those three having trouble..."

        "Rarity and ‘Shy? No... well, kinda." Applejack took her hat off and played with it nervously, wringing the edge in her hooves. "Ah know Dash's got her thing fer 'Shy, but... Ah..." The words lodged themselves in her throat. Swallowing to clear them, she took a deep breath and forced them out. "Ah'm in love with Dash."

        "Oh my gosh! We need to throw a party!” Pinkie sat up, bouncing with excitement. “How do Fluttershy and Rarity like you? I know they like you, but I mean do they like you like you? Wait, did Dashie and Rarity stop fighting over Fluttershy?” She slowly inched forward as she spoke, her smile growing larger with each question. “Tell me, oh please tell me!"

        "Ah don't know." Applejack leaned away from the torrent of questions. "Ah ain't seen 'em recently, and Ah don't think 'Shy and Rarity know, anyway—" She looked down at her hooves again, unable to bear the incessant grin her friend wore. "Ah've only told Dash herself and Twi... but it's that second part that's kinda the problem."

        "Twilight too? I am so out of the loop! You guys work fast!” Pinkie leaned back. “Next time the Cakes need a sitter, I'm gonna have to tell them I can't do it for too long because I get busy and suddenly all my friends are kissing without me!" Her smile slipped slightly, then firmly reasserted itself. "Um... I know I was busy, but the next time you all get together I really, really, really wanna come. Unless... you don't want me to..."

        "I— You— What?" Applejack stared at Pinkie in confusion for a moment. "Nopony's kissin' anypony, leastways not that Ah know of." Rubbing a hoof against her temple, she closed her eyes and let out a sigh. "Ah think we're gettin' off topic. The thing is... Ah told Twi that Ah'm in love with Dash, but... it turns out that Twi's in love with...” She drifted off, her mouth working silently for a few seconds before she sighed. “Well... me."

        Pinkie gasped, drawing in so much air that Applejack was surprised she didn’t puff up and float away. "What?! Nonono you're all doing it wrong! When a pony and a pony and a pony and some more ponies all love each other very much they all get a great big bed and have happy times together!” She fell back onto the bed, rolling around and hugging herself. After a few seconds, she stopped and sat back up. “You're not even kissing? Didn't your parents— Oh... sorry. Um... well, I mean, your Granny must have told you, right?"

        Applejack just looked at Pinkie, her mouth hanging open while her brain futilely tried to process what she had just heard. "It... It ain't that simple, Pinkie. Ah only got feelin's fer Dash. Ah can't just turn 'round and be with Twi."

        "That's silly, you can't not have feelings for Twilight, she's one of your bestest friends!" Pinkie pursed her lips, deep in thought for a moment. "Besides, Dashie is kinda busy with Rarity and Fluttershy, they might not like it if you stole Dashie away. Trust me... you don't wanna make ‘Shy mad..." She shivered, then smiled again.

        "Well, Ah suppose." Applejack slumped down, her ears flattening back. "Ah'm talkin' 'bout romantic feelin's, though. Ah like Twi well and all as a friend, but Ah don't... love her."

        "Oh, I know how that is. Well, not exactly that.” Pinkie looked down, a light blush bleeding through her coat. “I think Twilight’s kinda cute! But she's always so busy with her books and her princesses!” Bringing her gaze back up, the edges of her mouth twitched back up into a small smile. “You know, one time I gave her a whole plate of cupcakes with 'I really really like you, Twilight' written on them... and she just smiled, hugged me, and said she liked me too, but no kisses! All of you are doing it wrong!" She huffed and crossed her forelegs.

Applejack pressed her hooves to her temples. This was a mistake. "Pinkie, yer missin' the point here. Ah—" She stopped as what Pinkie had just said finally registered. "Hold on a sec, you like Twi?"

        "Yep!” Pinkie’s annoyance evaporated and she smiled broadly again. “Honestly I'm kinda glad to hear she likes somepony." Her smile cracked again and her mane deflated a bit, but she kept going, even though it was clear that it hurt her to do so. "Don't worry, I won't get in your way. I was starting to worry that I might have to throw an intervention party and explain that there’s more to life than friendship. I mean, you don't have to have a special somepony, but it makes things super nice and she should at least be aware of it!” The pink mare looked out the window, where the tree top of the library poked above the rest of the buildings. “Twilight's kinda weird like that; she gets too wrapped up in stuff and misses the important things. You should make her happy!” She looked back at the farm pony, a stern expression on her face. “But you need to start with the kissing, that's important!"

        “Pinkie, would you forget the kissin’ fer a bit?” Applejack rubbed her forehead, feeling a headache start to throb behind her eyes. “Are ya sayin’ Ah should be with Twi? What ‘bout Dash? What ‘bout you?”

        Pinkie sighed, her mane falling slightly. “Applejack... I like Twilight, a whole bunch. It would make me super happy if she wanted to kiss me—” A dreamy smile crossed her face. “—but she wants to kiss you! I want her to be happy, and you’re the one she wants to be happy with. Same with Dashie, you want her to be happy, right?” 

        “Of course!” Applejack sat up, then slumped forward. “But is it too much to ask that she could be happy with me?” 

        "Of course not, silly! Dashie's just thinking about Fluttershy right now, just like you're thinking about her, and Twilight about you, and me about Twi— " Pinkie shook her head mid sentence, "Phooey, this is making my head hurt. When you get together with more than one pony, you kinda have to like all of them or everypony ends up being a Grumpy McGrumperton. Do you love Fluttershy and Rarity too?”

        “No.” Applejack felt the conversation was starting to circle. “Like Ah said earlier, Ah only got feelin’s fer Dash.”

Pinkie nodded in understanding. “So, what will Dashie think when she finds out you want her to stop being with ‘Shy and maybe Rarity?”

        Applejack winced. “She... kinda already does.”

        Pinkie whipped a couch from out of nowhere and set it down in front of the bed. She picked up Applejack and laid her down on the couch. “I see...” She said, blowing bubbles out of a pipe that had apparently come with the couch. “And how did that happen?”

Applejack blinked for a moment, still adjusting to her new position on the couch. “Well, she kinda came to me fer advice on impressin’ ‘Shy.” Her words trailed off as she went, causing Pinkie to lean in closer to hear her. “And Ah might’ve told her to get ‘Shy some magnolias.”

        Pinkie gasped again. “But Applejack, Fluttershy is allergic to those!”

        “Ah know.” Applejack replied shamefacedly, unable to bring herself to meet the other mare’s gaze. “Ah also told her that ‘Shy was lookin’ fer a certain book, and she ran herself ragged flyin’ to Vanhoover and back just to get it.” She buried her face in her hooves.

        Pinkie held her pipe over Applejack and whacked her on the nose. “No! That’s not how you treat a friend, much less how you treat somepony you are in love with. What if Fluttershy had a bad reaction and had to go to the hospital? What if Rainbow got hurt flying all that way? How can you say you love her if you treat her like that?”

        Applejack just stared at Pinkie for a second, still stunned by the bop on her nose. “Ah know. It was stupid... Ah was stupid.” She went back to toying with her hat, as if hoping that it held answers for her. “Ah just thought that maybe... if Dash had messed up with ‘Shy, that Ah mighta been able to, ya know, comfort her.” She saw Pinkie about to speak and held up a hoof to stave it off, if only for a moment. “Ah know, Ah know. It was downright despicable of me, but Ah already got two earfuls about it from Granny and Big Mac.”

        “You... You... Fine!” Pinkie threw her hooves in the air, then pointed the tip of her pipe at the other mare. “But that was still mean! Love means you want them to be happy, not trying to mess them up just so you can be happy! If that had worked you would have had an unhappy Flutters and and an unhappy Dashie! That’s so... selfish!” Pinkie looked ready to bop her on the nose again, but instead shoved the pipe in her mouth and blew bubbles angrily.

        “Well, ‘Shy’d’ve had Rarity...” Applejack trailed off, her excuse sounding pathetic even to her own ears. “No, you’re right. Ah should want her to be happy, even if it ain’t with me.” The words left a sour taste in her mouth, but she knew they were true. Crossing her forelegs behind her head, she glanced over at Pinkie, who had a veritable eruption of bubbles blasting from her pipe. “Ah guess that just leaves Twilight. Pinkie, how could Ah be happy with Twi, knowin’ that you ain’t happy that she’s with me?”

        Pinkie paused in her bubble blowing, taking the pipe from her mouth. “I just want to see her smile. I thought I could do that for her, but I guess she had her heart set on you already. That’s okay! But... do you think you can love her, AJ? I know Dashie is all whoosh and zoom and wowzie, but Twilight’s wowzie too, it’s just a different kind of wowzie.”

        She laid the pipe down on the bed, where it immediately tipped over while she herself leaned back, resting on her elbows. "I go to the library all the time. Twilight isn't a very good librarian, I don't think she's even noticed I've been checking out the same two books over and over. They’re really interesting books! But they’re not the really important thing that I’m checking out." Pinkie giggled and snorted at her own joke.

"She gets these funny little wrinkles when she's thinking really really hard, like... if she squints at something long enough the answers will pop off the page and kiss her." Her usual manic grin gave way to a more subdued smile, maybe even a serene one. "Sometimes I wonder what it would be like to think like Twilight. You know—" She made a few flailing motions, “This doesn't make sense! I must research this!" Pinkie fell silent after that, the strange un-Pinkie-like smile still plastered on her face as her eyes glazed over.

Applejack simply stared at the other mare, struck speechless by her impassioned soliloquy. As the silence stretched on, she cast about for something to say. Just as she opened her mouth, however, the pink pony continued.

"I wonder if she could make everything in the world make sense. I know it's silly, but she tries so hard...” Pinkie’s lips twitched and her smile grew a little bigger. “You should see her smile when she solves a problem."

"She ain't doin' a lot of smilin' right now, Pinkie." Applejack said morosely.

"Well, she's cute when she's frustrated too!" Pinkie replied. "And besides, that’s where you come in! Now you can look at her and see all the wows! and zaps! and booms!"

        “Ah... don’t know.” Applejack gazed up at the ceiling, trying to imagine having a relationship with Twilight, but every time she tried to picture it, the unicorn sported a rainbow mane and a brash, cocky attitude. Several times, her mental image even sprouted wings. Eventually, she pressed her hooves to her temples and huffed in annoyance. Come on, girl. Twi ain’t Dash. She pictured Twilight and Rainbow standing next to each other, forcing herself to keep them separate.

In her mind’s eye, Dash looked over at Twilight and said something, causing the unicorn to blush and giggle into a hoof. Twilight stuttered some reply, focusing mainly on the ground but occasionally glancing up at Rainbow. The pegasus stepped closer, draping a wing across Twilight’s back and brushing her wing tip along the other mare’s cutie mark, causing her to shiver. Twilight leaned into the embrace, inching her muzzle ever closer to Dash’s as a final few words tried to force their way out. Without warning, Dash lunged forward and closed the last few inches, locking her lips with Twilight’s.

“Gah!” Applejack bolted upright, her hat falling off with the sudden motion. She scanned the room frantically, only finding a rather confused looking Pinkie staring at her. Taking several deep breaths to try and calm her racing heart, she grabbed her hat. A wave of jealousy knotted her stomach, but she couldn’t tell at whom it was directed. She swung her legs over and hopped off of the couch, planting her hat back on her head in the process. “Ah don’t know, Pinkie... but Ah’ll try. Twi deserves that much, at least.”

        “Good!” Pinkie picked up the couch and shoved it into her mane, then wrapped Applejack in a rib-crushing hug. “Thanks, Applejack. Twilight's going to be so super duper happy if you take care of her. That's what she wants, and she... she should get to be happy.”

        Applejack stood in the embrace, watching a pony she cared for give up her love to somepony else like it was no big deal. "Pinkie, this whole thing ain’t fair. It shouldn’t have to be like this.” The farm pony winced as Pinkie pulled away, a hurt expression on her face. “Tell you what, Ah'll do my best to make Twi happy, and maybe now Ah’ll be able to see her like you do. Heck, you could even help me come up with some ideas fer things we can do together."

        Pinkie smiled. Not one of her normal exuberant smiles, but a small soft one that was full of warmth and hope. “That sounds like fun.”


*


        Applejack stood up and adjusted her hat, a confident smile on her lips. She belatedly noticed a thumping sound coming from around her hooves. Looking down, she saw Angel Bunny standing in front of her, tapping his foot impatiently and scowling at her. When he saw that he had her attention, he pointed to the kitchen with one paw and into his mouth with the other.

        “Alright, quit yer bellyachin’.” She walked into the kitchen and pulled open the fridge, grabbing a head of lettuce and a couple carrots. After tearing a couple leaves of lettuce off of the head, she dumped them and the carrots into a bowl and slid it over to the waiting rabbit. “Eat up, sugarcube.”

Angel stared at the bowl for a moment, then looked up at the farm pony with an incredulous expression before pushing the bowl away. Hopping over to an open cookbook, he pointed at an ornate salad and nodded, then pointed at the bowl of vegetables and stuck his tongue out.

        Applejack looked at the salad instructions for a second, then shook her head. “Sorry, sugarcube, but Ah ain’t makin’ that. You got a perfectly good bowl of food, so just go ahead and eat that.” She headed for the door leading to the back yard, but stopped as a carrot hit her in the back of the head. Picking it up, she walked back over to where Angel was glaring at her and pointing at the cookbook.

        “Now listen here, ya little varmint.” She leaned down to eye level with him. “Ah ain’t makin’ you no fancy salad, and if’n ya throw anythin’ else at me, Ah’ll truss you up like Hearth’s Warmin’ dinner.” She stuck the carrot in Angel’s mouth and trotted back to the door, sparing one last glance over her shoulder to see him eating the carrot, still glaring at her.

        Once she got outside, Applejack sighed and looked off to the north, where she could just make out Cloudsdale. After gazing at it for a few moments, she set about checking up on the various animals scampering around the yard, wondering in the back of her mind how much Rainbow was enjoying herself.


*

        Rainbow was not enjoying herself. Having unbelievable tickets to see the Wonderbolts was awesome and all, but having to wait outside the stadium while the maintenance crews finished setting up and cleaning bordered on cruel and unusual punishment. Luckily, she had a distraction in the form of her beautiful marefriend, who was presently very interested in studying the hem of her dress. “You doin’ okay there, Flutters?”

        “Oh.” Fluttershy looked up guiltily. “Um, I-I’m sorry. It’s j-just—” She stopped and ducked down as a group of ponies passed by and a few looked in their general direction. “T-there are t-too many ponies. I’m just worried that somepony will recognize me from when I was a model.” Grabbing the hem of her dress again, she toyed with it while her eyes darted between it and Rainbow. “If I don’t look, I can pretend they’re not here.”

        “Sorry, ‘Shy. I didn’t think about that.” Dash stepped closer and draped a wing over her marefriend’s back. A commotion from near the stadium drew her attention, and she stretched up to see what was going on. “Hey, it looks like they’re letting everypony in. You wanna head in?”

        Fluttershy shivered, but looked up. “Yes.” Together, they made their way toward the stadium. As they got closer, the crowd of ponies pressed in to fit through the entryways, and Fluttershy began breathing more rapidly, her eyes darting around nervously.

        Rainbow noticed the other mare’s discomfort and started weaving off to the side, toward the edge of the mass of ponies. Stretching her neck up again, she saw a sign labelled ‘General Admission’ with an arrow pointing the the left and one reading ‘Private Boxes’ with an arrow to the right. After a couple minutes of maneuvering through the crowd, she and Fluttershy emerged from the throng and into a nearly empty hallway. Dash looked over to see her marefriend squeezing her eyes shut and walking blindly, guided by nothing more than the cyan wing across her back. “Hey, you can open your eyes now.”

        Fluttershy slowly opened one eye, then the other, looking around warily. “Wh-where are we?” She looked behind her, back at the sea of ponies still pouring into the stadium. Leaning against Rainbow for comfort, she took a couple deep breaths and turned back to her marefriend. “Okay, we can go back in.”

        Dash smiled and started walking down the hallway, away from the crowd and down the empty hallway. “We don’t have to. Our seats are over here.” She motioned down the hallway with her head and started walking, pulling the other mare along with a wing.

        “B-but...” Fluttershy looked over her shoulder at the sea of ponies still pouring into the stadium, breathing a sigh of relief as it got farther and farther away. Turning back to the front, she saw that they weren’t alone in the hallway anymore. A pair of unicorns were walking a ways ahead of them, and both of them were dressed in formal attire. “Dashie, where are our seats?”

        Rainbow smiled again. “We’ve got box seats. Sweet ones, too.” She sped up a bit, a spring in her step that forced her marefriend to break into a canter to keep up. After a minute of walking, they reached a dead end with an elevator set into the left wall and a white pegasus stallion wearing a tuxedo shirt and coat.

        The stallion looked them over, his expression completely impassive. “How can I help you, madams?”

        “We’ve got box seats.” Dash came to a stop. “We’re up on the Platinum level.”

        The elevator attendant raised an eyebrow almost imperceptibly. “Might I see your tickets, ma’am?”

        Rainbow’s eyes narrowed for a second, but she unfolded her free wing and reached into her dress, pulling the tickets out and presenting them to the stallion. He leaned in closer and looked them over. After a moment, he took them in a hoof and held them up, letting an overhead light shine through them and reveal the Wonderbolts watermark. Once he saw it, he handed the tickets back to Dash, reaching back with a wingtip to press the ‘Up’ button on the elevator’s control panel.

        Dash put the tickets back in her dress, but still felt a insulted at his initial skepticism. Ready to make her feelings known, she opened her mouth to say something, but was preempted by the ding of the elevator arriving. The doors parted and the attendant stepped aside, bowing slightly and waving a foreleg to gesture the mares in. Rainbow was still ready to tear him a new one, but a gentle nudge and a meaningful look from Fluttershy convinced her to simply enter the waiting lift.

        “Enjoy your show, madams.” The stallion reached in and pressed a button on the console, which stayed lit afterward. “Let your server know if there’s anything you need during the performance.” As he finished speaking, the doors slid closed and the elevator lurched upward. Dash started bouncing on her hooves slightly as the lift rose higher, but stopped and blushed as she heard a stifled giggle next to her.

        “Oh, I’m sorry.” Fluttershy muttered around the hoof in front of her mouth. “It’s just that—” She paused as one last giggle escaped her. “—you were so cute with how excited you were.” Her laughter resurged as the blush on Rainbow’s face deepened. Riding her wave of joy, she leaned in to kiss her marefriend on the cheek, making contact just as the ding of a bell announced their arrival on the Platinum level. The doors slid open, revealing a wood-paneled hallway, complete with red carpet and a tiled ceiling.

        Dash let out a low whistle as she stepped out of the elevator. “Dang. It must have cost them a fortune to build this up here.” Reaching out with a hoof, she knocked on the wood paneling, as if searching for a hidden compartment. “I mean, Thunderforged Steel was designed to be used for things like this, but I don’t think there’s any in here.” With one last look up and down the hallway, she shook her head and pulled out one of the tickets. “Let’s see, our seats are in Suite 103.” She glanced up at the nearest door, which had a “100” written in gold on a black plaque. Heading back over to the elevator, she wrapped a wing around Fluttershy again and they headed down the hallway, passing two more doors before finally reaching “103.”

        As Rainbow reached out to open the door, Fluttershy swallowed nervously. “Oh, I hope there won’t be too many other ponies in here.” She squeezed her eyes shut, as the door swung open, but eventually cracked one open after a few seconds passed and only silence came from the other side. She saw that Dash had already entered the suite and was holding the door open for her, but that it was empty otherwise. Slowly edging her way through the doorway, she glanced around the luxurious room.

The dominating feature was a single row of six seats on the far end, facing out of a wall of glass that overlooked the interior of the stadium. A table was set up against the right wall, where Dash was happily munching away at some hors d'oeuvres. Fluttershy walked over to the table and picked up a piece of sauteed asparagus, nibbling on the end while she glanced back at the door every few seconds. “Um, Dashie? Do you think—”

The rest of Fluttershy’s question was lost in a fit of giggles as her marefriend looked up with her cheeks stuffed full of appetizers. After blinking for a moment, Rainbow began chewing hurriedly and swallowed the fried okra bites she had been eating. Once the last of the food was gone, she cleared her throat, a light blush staining her cheeks. “Sorry, what?”

        "Um... Dashie, this is so nice, but maybe it’s too nice?” Fluttershy looked around the suite, forgetting for a moment that they were in the Cloudsdale Colosseum until she looked out the window and saw the other side of the cloud structure. “I would have been happy just to watch the show with you... You didn't have to go this far for me." She's spending all her bits trying to impress me when I'm the one that needs to make things up to her... She looked down at the carpeted floor, unable to meet Rainbow’s understanding smile. I'm horrible...

        "Hey." Dash nudged her marefriend with a wing, then lifted her head to look into her eyes. "Nothing's too nice for you, Flutters. This is just repayment for you being nice to me since like... forever." She leaned in and nuzzled the other mare’s cheek, then turned and made her way over to the seats.

        Fluttershy chewed on her lip for a moment before following Rainbow. If only I could be nice to you now, and tell you the truth. As she reached the seats, she realized that the middle two were slightly larger and more plush, and the armrest between them folded up to make them into a loveseat. Dash was sitting in one of the seats and patted the other one, having already folded the armrest up. Fluttershy climbed up into the empty seat, leaving a few inches between them that Rainbow quickly eliminated by scooting over.

"Still, this must have cost a fortune! You... don't need to do this. I mean...” Fluttershy stopped, looking back to her marefriend and hoping that her eyes could convey what she was having trouble finding the words for. “I don't want you to feel like you have something to prove. I'm here for you, fancy dates or no." She lowered her gaze, embarassed by her own outburst. "I-I'm sorry, I don't mean to sound ungrateful. I just worry that maybe you think you still have to win me over. I'm won, Dashie. It's okay now."

        "Don't worry about it 'Shy. It's no big deal, really." Dash draped a wing over Fluttershy’s back and pulled her close, giving her a nuzzle before settling back down, frowning. "Unless, you don’t like it? Geez 'Shy, I'm sorry. I thought you'd like being up here, away from most of the noise and all the crowds. " She looked away, her ears folding back.

        "Nonono, I love it!” Fluttershy pulled a foreleg free and wrapped it around her marefriend’s shoulders, pulling her into a hug. “It's so nice and quiet up here.” She let out a sigh and leaned against Rainbow, nuzzling into her neck and smiling. After a few moments, her smile faded. “But Dashie, how did you pay for this? This is a rich pony place! Rarity talked about being in a place like this, and she only got in because that Fancy pony invited her." 

        “I’m really glad you like it, ‘Shy.” Dash squeezed the other mare with her wing. “And seriously, don’t worry about it. I didn’t do this to impress you, though it is pretty impressive—” She rubbed a hoof against her chest and examined it nonchalantly for a second before smiling. “—I did this because I wanted to, and more importantly, I wanted you to enjoy it.”

        “Oh, I am, very much, thank you.” Fluttershy settled back down and looked out the window when her stomach let out a growl. Shifting a bit in embarrassment, she scooted toward the edge of her seat. “Um, I’m still a bit hungry, so I’m gonna get a little snack. Do you want anything?” She snuck a glance over at her marefriend to check her reaction.

        “Sure thing.” Rainbow pulled her wing back and folded it at her side. “Oh, can you get me a couple of those fried okra bites?”

        “Sure.” Fluttershy climbed down from the seat gingerly. Walking around the far end of the seats, she doubled back along and looked over the table for anything that looked appetizing. As she got closer, she spotted a plate of sauteed daisies and licked her lips. Standing on her hind legs to reach it, she noticed a plaque on the wall. Fan... ‘Fancy Pants’... and Flour, no... ‘Fleur de Lis.’ 

Fluttershy furrowed her brow and gathered some of the food, piling a number of fried okra bites no top of a layer of the sauteed daisies. Fancy Pants? That’s the pony Rarity met in Canterlot... but why would Dashie have tickets for his suite? Unless... could Rarity have given them to her? She walked back to the seats carefully, cradling the food in one of her forelegs. When she got back, Dash took the okra bites, popping one in her mouth while Fluttershy climbed back up into her seat.

But why? She pretended to look out the window at the arena while she nibbled on a daisy. Rarity has every reason to hate me, but instead she made up a story to cover for me, and now she’s helping Rainbow...

        “Check if out, Flutters, they’re starting!” Dash pointed out of the window, accidentally spraying a few half-chewed bits of okra in her excitement. Fluttershy jumped slightly as she was pulled from her thoughts, then followed her marefriend’s hoof to where the Wonderbolts were entering the arena... walking?

        “Um, Dashie?” Fluttershy cocked her head to the side in confusion while the Wonderbolts huddled together down at one end of the field. “Shouldn’t they be, um, flying?”

        “Well, they could.” Rainbow shrugged, popping her last okra bite into her mouth. This time, she waited until she had properly chewed and swallowed before speaking again. “But they really wanna save their wing power for the game.”

        “Game?” Fluttershy looked at Dash for a moment, then back out the window, only just now realizing that the normally open arena had a cloud field laid down. After a few seconds of silence, murmurs began to spread through the crowd as the Wonderbolts simply walked around the field, occasionally waving up into the stands.

        “Yeah, you know, Stormball.” Rainbow leaned forward, an excited grin plastered on her face. “I just can’t wait to see who they’re gonna play. No team in the Equestrian Stormball League could really challenge the Wonderbolts.” She sat up, her eyes widening for a moment. “I wonder if they finally managed to set up a game against the Gryphish National Team. Say, where’s Soarin’?” Fluttershy looked among the wandering stunt fliers, but she didn’t know the individual members well enough to recognize Soarin’ from a distance. Before she could think too much on this, a booming voice rang over the arena.

        “Greetings, fair citizens! Verily, We are most pleased to bid thee welcome to—” Every head in the stadium turned to an open box at one end of the stadium, and some of the closer ponies tried in vain to cover their ears against the auditory onslaught. In the box, Princess Luna stood, coughing into a hoof for a moment before speaking again.

        “My apologies.” Luna stepped forward, sweeping a hoof across the crowd. “My sister and I—” Behind her, Princess Celestia smiled and inclined her head. “—wish to welcome all of you to the first Stormball exhibition match between the Wonderbolts and their opponents for this game...” She paused, letting the silence and tension build for a few moments. “The newly-reformed Shadowbolts!” With a crack of thunder, Luna raised her forelegs in a dramatic pose, eliciting a chorus of cheers from the audience.

        A wave of fog spilled out from a tunnel directly below Luna, followed shortly by the Shadowbolts, who flew a quick circuit of the stadium before landing on the opposite side of the field from the Wonderbolts. The cheering of the crowd ebbed as ponies slowly realized that the Shadowbolts were made up of the batponies of the Night Guard, save for one pegasus with the Captain’s “C” embroidered on his chest. As the crowd noise continued to fade, some of the Shadowbolts began to glance at one another uncomfortably, except for their captain, who stood tall and confident. Even Princess Luna looked worried at the sudden shift in the arena’s attitude. In the growing murmurs of concern, a lone anonymous voice called out from the stands.

        “That’s awesome!”

        The declaration was followed by a smattering of cheers and applause scattered throughout the stadium, but it quickly grew into a deafening roar that Luna couldn’t have talked over even if she wanted to. The Princess of the Night merely looked out over the stadium, her smile growing as she watched the crowd cheer for her Shadowbolts. After some time, Luna raised a hoof and the arena slowly fell silent.

“We're looking forward to a spectacular showing of speed and skill today. Remember, gambling is discouraged—” Luna paused, and a few ponies either looked off to the side or rubbed the back of their necks. “—but those of you who choose to ignore that must be prepared to levy the house royalty on any winnings.” A shrill whistle cut through the air, drawing attention to the center of the field where a referee was standing with the captain from each team.

        “Hold on a sec...” Dash hopped down from her seat, walking over to the window and pressed her nose up against it, peering down at the field. “Is that... Whoa, Soarin’s the captain of the Shadowbolts!”

“Behold, the referee has tossed the coin, and...” Luna trailed off as the coin soared through the air and down to the cloud field, only to vanish through it, followed shortly by the referee. “And it seems to have fallen through the cloud layer. Apparently, there are still a few details that need to be addressed for these games.” A wave of laughter washed over the crowd, dying out when the referee reemerged a minute later, coin in hoof.

“Ah, it appears they have found the coin, and the toss is plot side up!” Luna leaned off to the side as a nearby unicorn galloped up and whispered urgently in her ear. “Pardon, my assistant has informed me that despite seeming to display my sister’s backside, the coin merely depicts her cutie mark and is in fact called ‘tails.’” Another wave of laughter coursed through the stadium, and Luna looked back at Celestia, who was giving her a playful glare. “You all have my apologies. In any case, the toss dictates my own Shadowbolts have the advantage and shall receive the kickoff! Huzzah! Let the fun commence!"

The stadium erupted in cheers as the two teams broke their huddles and lined up on each end of the field. The Wonderbolts arrayed themselves near a ball set up on their end of the field. After a whistle from the referee, Spitfire, judging by the fiery mane, galloped toward the ball, flaring her wings at the last moment to flip and kick the ball with a hind leg.

        “Can you believe this?” Dash turned from the window and hopped back to her seat. “Luna reformed the Shadowbolts! Oh this is so awesome!” Once she was settled back in her seat, she looked down at the field just in time to see one of the Shadowbolts catch the ball and streak down the field, dodging a pair of Wonderbolts before finally being brought down near midfield. “I just can’t believe they broke up Spitfire and Soarin’... they were unstoppable as a combo.” Fluttershy smiled and laid her head on Rainbow’s shoulder. She didn’t understand Stormball, but she enjoyed seeing Dash so excited.

        “Throw it, Soarin’... Come on, throw it! Just throw—” Rainbow stopped, pressing a hoof to her forehead as Soarin’ was sacked by one of the Wonderbolts. “Oh come on! That... one guy—” She waved a hoof at one of the batponies who was making his way back to the huddle. “—was totally open!”

        “Um, Dashie, I don’t think that he can hear you.” Fluttershy giggled behind a hoof, but it didn’t seem like her marefriend heard her. Down on the field, the next play had started, and the ball arced through the air, landing in one of the batponies’ outstretched hooves just as he crossed the goal line.

        “Huzzah! The Shadowbolts have scored the first point of the contest!” Princess Luna leaned down as the unicorn spoke to her again. “My assistant has informed me that this so called ‘touchdown’ is indeed worth six points. And now they line up for... some sort of kick.” True to her words, both teams lined up near the goal line and Soarin’ sent the ball sailing through the goalpost with a well-placed kick. “Six more points for the Shadowbolts!” More urgent speaking from the unicorn to the princess. “Hmm... It seems that the kick was worth only one point. As such, the score stands at Shadowbolts seven, Wonderbolts zero.”

        “Did you see that pass?” Dash shifted in her chair, causing Fluttershy’s head to slip from her shoulder. “I mean, everypony knows that Soarin’s the best quarterback in the ESL, but that—” She let out a low whistle. “That pass went sixty yards through the air, and it hit the receiver right in the hooves!”

        “Oh, yes, it was very, um...” Fluttershy cast about for some way to describe it, but she didn’t know why it was so impressive to Rainbow. “It was very, um, nice?” When her marefriend looked at her and raised an eyebrow incredulously, she smiled sheepishly. “I mean, um, it was awesome.”

        After a moment, Dash chuckled and leaned over, giving Fluttershy a peck on the cheek. “You’re right, it was.” She nuzzled against her marefriend’s cheek for a couple seconds, then went back to watching the game. They watched the contest in silence for the most part, simply enjoying each other’s company. Unless, of course, Dash decided that she needed to tell the professional athletes and stunt fliers how they were playing incorrectly.

        Midway through the second quarter, the Wonderbolts had gotten deep into the Shadowbolts’ end of the field, but their drive stalled and they were forced to kick a field goal. As both teams lined up, Princess Luna took a break from chatting with some fans below her private box to comment on the game.

        “Ah, it seems that the Wonderbolts have chosen to kick an extra point!” As it happened almost every time Luna commented on the game, her assistant leaned over and spoke to her for a moment. “I have been informed that this kick is, in fact, called a ‘field goal.’ A strange name. Regardless, Fleetfoot has lined up, and the kick will be from sixty cubits.” More whispering. “It seems that the customary unit of measurement is yards. Very well, the kick is thirty yards. The ball has been snapped, the kick is up, and it is good! One point for the Wonderbolts!” Even more whispering. “Hmm... Apparently this ‘field goal’ is worth three points.” Leaning on the edge of her box, she crossed her forelegs. “This seems an odd number of points for a mere kick, but the score now stands Shadowbolts seven, Wonderbolts three.”

        Rainbow, along with a majority of the crowd, chuckled at Luna’s commentary. “Oh man, I had no idea that Princess Luna could be so funny. Remember the coin toss?” She clutched at her ribs while she laughed. Once her mirth died down, she licked her lips and looked around the room. “Hey, ‘Shy, I’m gettin’ pretty thirsty, is there anything to drink in here?”

        “Oh, um...” Fluttershy looked over at the hors d'oeuvres table, but there were no drinks on it. “No, I don’t think so.” Turning back, she noticed a button on the armrest of her seat. Despite studying it for several seconds—missing a great play in the process, based on a sudden outburst of cheering from Rainbow—she couldn’t figure out its purpose. “Hey, Dashie, what do you think this does?”

        “Hmm?” Dash stood up and leaned over Fluttershy to get a better look. It was just a simple brass button sticking up from the armrest, with no accompanying explanation for its purpose. “Dunno. Let’s find out.” Extending a wing, she reached out and pressed the button, but nothing happened.

        After a few seconds, a crackle of static burst from a speaker that neither one of them had seen up on the back of the chair, followed shortly by a stallion’s voice. “Was there something you required, monsieur Fancy Pants?”

        “Whoa, cool.” Dash scooted closer, leaning further over Fluttershy and giggling as the other mare’s wings tickled her belly. “Yeah, can we get something to drink?”

        “Of course, madam.” The voice responded. “Was there anything in particular you would like?”

        Rainbow put a hoof to her chin, thinking for a moment. “Do you have any Apple Family Cider?”

        “Indeed we do, madam.”

        “Sweet.” Dash licked her lips. “Alright, a mug of that and...” She looked down at Fluttershy for a second. “A cosmarepoltian.”

        “Very good.” A buzz of static emanated from the speaker for a few seconds. “Those will be to your box shortly.”

        “Huzzah! Another touchdown for the Shadowbolts!” Luna’s booming voice drew their attention back to the field, where the Shadowbolts had just scored again. As the extra point sailed through the goalpost, Luna recapped the score. “With the extra point, it now stands Shadowbolts fourteen, Wonderbolts ten, with two minutes left in the first half.”

        “Ten?” Fluttershy looked up at the scoreboard, where the Wonderbolts did indeed have ten points. “Oh, goodness, did the Wonderbolts score?”

        “Yeah, a few minutes ago.” Dash turned to face her while the teams lined up for another kickoff, a huge grin on her face. “Spitfire made this amazing one-hoofed catch with, like, three Shadowbolts hanging off of her. Didn’t even phase her. She just whipped a hoof out and bam! Touchdown.”

        “Oh, my, that certainly sounds exciting.” Fluttershy tried to watch the game, but quickly lost track of the ball on most plays. After a minute or two, she heard the door to their box open, and she looked back to see a pegasus mare with a sky blue coat, a light orange mane, and wearing a tuxedo top come through the door with two drinks balanced on a tray. Normally, Fluttershy would have ducked down and burrowed into the seat cushions, but something about this mare made her feel at ease. Peering between the seats, she watched as the waitress made her way across the room, and she caught a glimpse of her cutie mark: a bright yellow sun with a puff of cloud barely covering a bit of it.

        “Come on... go... go, go, gogogogo! Yes! Tou—” Dash’s cheering was cut off by sputtering and the sound of cider spilling on her dress, followed shortly by the clang of the drink tray hitting the floor. “What the hay? What’s the big idea?” Rainbow and Fluttershy both turned to look at the waitress, who was standing frozen in place, her hoof in front of her mouth and her eyes looking like she had seen a ghost.

        “Da—” The waitress swallowed before trying to speak again, extending a trembling hoof. “Dashie?”

        Rainbow recoiled as if the waitress had struck her, her eyes running over the other mare’s face, mane, and cutie mark in rapid succession. After a moment, realization dawned on her face, and she slowly climbed down from her seat, taking a cautious step forward.

        “M-mom?”

> Making Up for Lost Time
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Unexpected Confessions

Chapter Twenty Two


        Making Up for Lost Time

        Fluttershy looked back and forth between Rainbow and the waitress while they simply stared at each other. After what felt like an eternity, the waitress, whom Fluttershy assumed was Sunny Day, stepped forward. Sunny lifted a foreleg and ran it through Dash’s mane, eventually trailing it down and along her cheek. Dash flinched at the touch, but didn’t pull away, seemingly in a state of shock over the sudden reunion.

        “D-Dashie...” Sunny pulled her daughter into a quick one-legged hug, which Rainbow mechanically returned. “I... I never thought I’d see you again—” She pulled back, a cautiously hopeful smile on her lips. “—but I could never...” She looked Rainbow over, finally noticing the blank stare on her face. “Dashie, honey? Are you... okay? Say something, please.”

        “Say something?” Dash finally snapped out of her shock, and an angry scowl creased her face. “Say something? What do you want me to say? That I’m happy you left all those years ago? That things were just great after you and dad left?”

        “Your father?” Sunny put a hoof to her chest. “Dashie, I had no—”

        “Yeah, he skipped town right after you did, spewing some garbage about bringing you back.” Dash turned and stalked away, snorting in anger. “We never saw him again, and Moonshine...” She stopped and shook her head, just glaring at the wall.

        “Dashie, I... I had no idea. Your father... Blitz would never—” Sunny fell silent as Rainbow threw a baleful glance over her shoulder. “Sorry.” The older mare sighed heavily. “I should go.” She turned and headed for the door, stopping only to pick up the tray she had dropped. “Another server will be with you shortly.” Just as she laid a hoof on the doorknob, an unexpected voice broke the tense silence.

        “Um, please wait.” Fluttershy hopped down from her chair and crossed the room, whispering to Sunny. “Um, i-if you want to wait, let me talk to her and calm her down. I’m sure that she would really like to talk to you.”

        “That would be a first.” Sunny looked back at her daughter, who was still staring angrily at the wall and muttering to herself. “I’ve never seen her back down once she makes up her mind about something.” A smile tugged at the corner of her mouth, but it was quickly replaced by a frown. “I knew that it would be hard for her... for all of them, but I never imagined Blitz would leave as well...”

        “Please, just give me a few minutes to talk to her.” Fluttershy insisted. “You know that she can be a little... hot-headed at times, but I’m sure that deep down she really does want to talk to you.”

        Sunny shook her head, her entire body sagging. “Dashie was never hot-headed. She was always such a sweet little filly.” Tears welled in her eyes, but she rubbed at them angrily and straightened back up. “What happened to them? Things were supposed to get better after I left.”

        Fluttershy stepped forward cautiously and pulled Sunny into a hug. “You did what you thought was right. You couldn’t have known that her dad would leave after you did.”

        Sunny stood frozen for a second, surprised at the sudden compassion. Once she recovered, she carefully wrapped her forelegs around Fluttershy, not wanting to let it go to waste. “Just look at her. She hates me for what I did.”

        “No, she doesn’t.” Fluttershy patted the other mare on the back, trying to reassure her. After a few moments, Sunny took a deep breath and released Fluttershy from the hug.

        “Thank you for that.” She wiped her eyes as she pulled away, sparing one last glance at Dash, who had gone to staring out the window. “If nothing else, I’m happy that she’s found such a wonderful marefriend.” She smiled at Fluttershy for a moment, but it faded when she heard Rainbow let out an irritated huff. “If she doesn’t want to talk to me, tell her that I’m proud of her, would you? I’ll wait outside.” She pulled the door open and stepped outside, closing it with a whisper-quiet click.

        Fluttershy turned and walked back across the room, sidling up next to Rainbow. She looked down at the field, only to find it empty. A quick glance up revealed that the stadium was still full, with many ponies milling about and talking, Princess Luna included. “Um, Dashie? Where did everypony go?”

        “It’s halftime.” Dash’s voice was flat, and her gaze never left the empty field. Fluttershy let the next few moments pass in silence, content to let Rainbow speak in her own time. After nearly a minute of quiet seething, Dash let out a frustrated sigh. “Sorry, ‘Shy. I... I thought I had gotten over this. Accepted it. But seeing her again?” She shook her head, her ears folding back. “It brought back a lot of memories.”

        “I’m sure it did.” Fluttershy draped a wing across her marefriend’s back. “But do you really want to let that ruin a chance to get to know her better? She was like a mother to you, wasn’t she?”

        “No.” Rainbow growled. “She wasn’t like a mother... she was my mother, way more than Moonshine ever was.” Dash's lips curled up in a snarl. "But that doesn’t matter!” She winced a bit, as if the words physically hurt to say. “She left. She just up and left! Didn't even say goodbye. I loved her so much, and I thought she loved me—” Tears pooled in her eyes, but she shook her head and blinked them away. “—but she just... left. And now she's here—"

        “Exactly, she’s here now.” Fluttershy nuzzled her marefriend, feeling her relax ever so slightly. “Don’t you want to ask her why she left?”

        “No! I mean, yes. It’s just...” Dash sighed, shaking her head again. “I do, but—”

        “—but you’re  still so angry with her that you don’t even want to see her?” Fluttershy finished for her.

        “Well... No, but she...” Dash stopped and took a deep breath, closing her eyes for a moment. “She's here, and I’m acting like a foal. You’re right, Fluttershy. Yes, I do want to talk to her.” She turned and smiled at her marefriend, dipping a wingtip down to brush along her cutie mark. “Thanks, Flutters.”

        Fluttershy gave Rainbow a light squeeze with her wing and leaned in for a quick kiss on the cheek. Stepping away, she looked back over her shoulder as she headed for the door. “I’ll just, um... wait outside then?”

        “No!” Dash stopped, pulling the hoof that she had extended back and running through her mane. Clearing her throat, she tried again. “I mean... no. I’d rather have you here with me. Hay, we’ve only talked for fifteen seconds and me and my big mouth have already almost ruined it.”

        Fluttershy chuckled, stopping at the door. “Oh, Rainbow, just remember, she’s your mother and she loves you.” Pulling the door open, she found Sunny staring at the ceiling and toying with the drink tray. “Sun— Um, Miss Day?”

        Sunny looked up, a small smile replacing her worried expression. “Please, dear, just call me Sunny.”

        “Oh, okay... Sunny.” Fluttershy pulled the door open a little wider. “She, um, she wants to see you.”

        Sunny visibly relaxed, her small smile spreading across her face. “Thank you, so much Miss Fluttershy.”

        Fluttershy’s eyes shot open and she took a nervous step back. “H-how d-did you—”

        “I’m sorry. I suppose I shouldn’t have done that.” Sunny grinned sheepishly. “Fancy Pants talks about you and your friends—especially Miss Rarity—from time to time.”

        “O-oh, yes.” Fluttershy felt the urge to duck and hide behind her mane, but she fought it and settled for nervously biting her lip. As the silence between them grew, she scuffed a hoof on the floor. The sound of Dash clearing her throat reminded her of what she had been doing, so she turned and trotted back across the room, stopping next to Rainbow.

        Sunny entered the room cautiously, pausing every few steps to gauge Dash’s reaction. She finally stopped when she was several feet away from her daughter. “Hello, Rainbow Dash.”

        Rainbow looked her mother up and down, then stepped forward until they were almost nose to nose. Without warning, she threw her forelegs around Sunny, pulling her into a tight hug, even extending her wings to wrap around the other mare. Sunny stiffened for a second, caught off-guard by the embrace, but once she realized what it was, she began to cry into her daughter’s mane. Dash simply stood there, letting her mother cry, the occasional tear streaking down her cheek as well. When the tears finally ran dry, they separated, both taking a moment to wipe their eyes.

        Dash was the first to speak. “I’m sorry about earlier. I just—” Her words were cut off by a hoof at her lips.

        “Hush. I knew it was going to be hard on you... all of you. You have every right to be upset with me.” Sunny dropped her hoof, shaking her head. “But I had no idea Blitz would leave as well. I guess it was foolish of me to think that leaving would solve everything.” Looking back up, she smiled. “Now, I imagine that you have lots of questions. Why don’t we get a little more comfortable and I’ll do my best to answer them?” She waved a foreleg toward the row of seats.

        Rainbow looked back over her shoulder at the seats, then back at her mother with a confused expression. “But... don’t you have to work?”

        Sunny gave a tinkling laugh and started walking over to the seats. “Honey, you are my work. I’m this box’s private waitress.” As she moved around the end of the row, Fluttershy and Rainbow finally began to follow her, and all three of them sat down just as the second half of the game got under way. “So, fire away.”

        Dash opened her mouth to say something, but no words came out. She shook her head. “Jeez, I spent so many nights lying awake thinking about all the things I wanted to ask you... and now it’s just... blank.” She let out a frustrated sigh. “Well, let’s start with the obvious one, I guess. Why’d you leave?”

        “I suppose I really should have seen that one coming.” Sunny winced and rubbed the back of her neck. “Well, the short answer is ‘it’s complicated.’ The long answer... it’s really complicated.” She smiled sheepishly. “Do you think we could start with something a little... easier?”

        “Oh come on!” Dash threw her hooves up in frustration. “You mean that after all this time, you can’t—” A hoof on her shoulder stopped her rant before it could gain steam. Looking back, she saw Fluttershy silently imploring her to be nice. She took a deep breath and turned back to her mother. “Sorry. Well, I’ve always been curious... how did you and dad get together?”

        “Now that one I can answer.” Sunny chuckled for a moment and let a distant smile flit across her lips. “Well, your father and I lived next door to one another growing up. We went to Summer Flight Camp together, and ultimately became Flight School sweethearts.” Sunny let out a sigh, and she gazed off into the distance for a moment before continuing. “But then, one day during our junior year, he came by and told me that his family was moving to Manehattan. They practically had to get crowbars to pry us apart.”

        Sunny chuckled and leaned back in her chair. “That’s where things get interesting.” As if in response, the crowd outside erupted in cheers for a play that none of them had seen. Once the noise died down, Sunny launched into her tale. “Well, once your father left, I thought that I would never see him again. I tried to at least write to him, but eventually I just got too busy.”

        A sniffle pulled Sunny and Dash’s attention from one another, and they turned to see Fluttershy quietly trying to keep her composure while tears welled in her eyes. “Oh, I-I’m sorry.” She wiped the tears from her eyes and motioned for Sunny to continue.

        “Once we graduated, I started working at the weather factory part-time to pay my way through a degree in Weather System Studies at Cloudsdale Community College. And I found out that your father attended Las Pegasus University on a Stormball scholarship, so we—”

        “Waitwaitwait!” Dash nearly jumped out of her seat. “Dad went to school on a Stormball scholarship? That’s totally awesome!”

        “You didn’t know?” Sunny chuckled. “I’m surprised, he used to talk about it all... the...” She drifted off as she remembered what Rainbow had said about her father leaving shortly after she had. “I’m sorry.”

        “Like I said, we tried to keep the long-distance thing going with letters, but it just wasn’t working.” Sunny paused and her face fell. She dropped her gaze to her hooves while she spoke. “Then one day, Blitz sent me... the letter. He said that...” She paused again and swallowed. “He said that he still liked me, but... but that it wasn’t fair to either of us to spend our lives clinging to some Flight School romance.” She took a deep breath and looked up, meeting her daughter’s expectant gaze. “He said that he had moved on, and that he wanted me to do the same.” Dash simply stared at her open-mouthed, waiting for her to continue.

        “I tried to do what your father wanted, but I just couldn’t. Sure, I sent a letter back saying that I agreed, and even another one a couple months later saying that I had met a nice stallion... but I knew that he was the one I wanted to be with, and I didn’t want to force somepony else to live in his shadow.” She lapsed into silence for a moment, then chuckled. “Blitz had less trouble, though. About a year after ‘the letter,’ he moved back to Cloudsdale. We actually ran into each other at a bar while I was out celebrating my promotion to the head of R&D at the factory, and, well... let’s just say that I’d had a few drinks.” Her cheeks tinged a light red as she finished.

        “Mom...” Dash pressed a hoof between her eyes. “Please tell me you didn’t—”

        “Oh, goodness, no.” Sunny went back to staring at the floor while her face reddened further. “It turned out that Blitz had found somepony else, though I guess I knew he had after what he said in the letter. She was a lovely little pegasus who had been a cheerleader at LPU while your dad was playing there.” The faraway gaze from before returned and she smiled. “Shiny was a such a doll back then, even if she did try to kick me in the face the first time I met her.”

        “She did what?” Dash flailed for a second after nearly falling out of her seat from leaning so far forward.

        “Well, I was tipsy... you could probably say drunk, and I did try to... pursue things with your father rather forcefully.” Sunny rubbed the back of her neck. “Shiny was not pleased when she found out, but things smoothed over once we explained what had happened.”

        Rainbow chuckled into a hoof. “Yeah, I bet. So, uh...” She fidgeted in her seat for a moment. “H-how did you get dad, um...” She waved a hoof in the air. “You know, agree to...”

        Sunny cocked her head to the side in confusion. “How’d I get him to what?” In response, Rainbow merely chewed on her lip and continued to fidget.

        “I-I think she’s asking how you, um, got her dad to—” Fluttershy started tracing little circles on the armrest of her chair. “—um, agree to the tr-trinogamous relationship.”

“Trinogamous?” Sunny blinked a few times while she examined the word in her head. “Hmm, we never called it that, but it’s a funny story, actually. It wasn’t Blitz that suggested it...” She leaned back in her chair, a light blush staining her cheeks again. “It was Shiny.”

        “Moonshine?” It was Dash’s turn to blink a few times while her mind tried to wrap itself around what she had just heard. “Moonshine suggested it?” She asked, the disbelief palpable in her voice.

        “You call your own mother by her full name?” Sunny’s voice matched her daughter’s in skepticism.

        “Yeah, so?” Rainbow’s face fell, hints of her earlier anger flaring up again. “She was...” She paused, mulling over how she wanted to respond. “She wasn’t my mother.”

        “Dashie... She was—”

        “No she wasn’t!” Dash shot back, snarling again. “You were ten times the mother she ever was! She was just a bitter old bitch after you and dad left.” 

        “Rainbow Elizabeth Dash!” Sunny narrowed her eyes as she spoke, putting the kind of authority that only a mother could muster into her voice. “That is no way to talk about your mother!”

        “Really?” Dash crossed her forelegs and sat back. “You wanna know what she did once you guys were gone? I practically had to raise myself because she was too busy being passed out drunk every day.” She glared off to the side for a few moments, silently fuming. Eventually, she let out a sigh and muttered an apology. Sunny’s gaze softened and she nodded, then cleared her throat to continue with her story.

        “Shiny...” Sunny drifted off for a second, searching for the right phrasing. “She... played for both teams.”

        Dash snorted and rolled her eyes. “Really? I never would have guessed with the way she brought home a new pony every weekend.” She shook her head a few times and stared out at the field, anger twisting her features.

        “She...” Sunny lifted a hoof to her mouth, wrapping her other foreleg around her stomach. She squeezed her eyes shut against tears that threatened to spill over. After taking several deep breaths, she whispered an inaudible apology and opened her eyes again. “Sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry.” Dash scooted over and wrapped a wing around her mother, nuzzling into her neck. “I shouldn’t have told you like that. It’s just... you knew a different pony. To me, she was always sad and bitter. I don’t even really remember ever seeing her smile.” Afterward, she sat back up and focused on her mother. “Okay, so Moonshine suggested the three of you all get together, and you just... went with it? Why?”

        “I loved your father dearly, but I could tell that Shiny did as well. We had a very, very long discussion leading up to her making that particular suggestion. Blitz actually offered to leave Moonshine to reestablish our old relationship...” Sunny shook her head, chuckling to herself. “Needless to say, she didn’t take that idea very well, but I wouldn’t let him do it, anyway. It wouldn’t have been fair to simply throw away what they had just because he and I had been together before. As it turns out, they lived just down the street from me, so we started hanging out together...”


*


        Rarity paced around one of her equinniquins, trying to will herself to work. But no matter how many circuits she walked, her mind was simply elsewhere. She looked at the clock yet again, even though she knew it would have only moved a scant few minutes since the last time she had done so. Six thirteen. Congratulations, Rarity, you managed to go a whole three minutes without looking. Shaking her head, she turned back to the dress form, but still her mind wandered. She couldn’t help but wonder how Rainbow and Fluttershy’s date was going.

        Walking over to a window, she glanced off in the direction of Canterlot, where the bustling city jutted out from the mountainside. Letting out a sigh and leaning against the window sill, she pictured Rainbow and Fluttershy watching the game. Dash would be cheering exuberantly, possibly with several ciders in her, while Fluttershy would simply watch the game in near silence, speaking up only to ask question or let out her own quiet cheer.

        After several minutes of gazing dreamily out the window, Rarity turned back to her equinniquin and gave it one more look over before finally admitting defeat. Taking one final glance at the clock on her way up to her room, she silently berated herself for her lack of progress. Two and a half hours of “work,” and all I did was change the fabric I was going to use for the belt. Her horn flared to life for an instant as she reached the door to her bedroom, pushing it open and revealing the mess contained within.

        Making her way along one of the few paths not littered with discarded bolts of cloth or ribbons, she eventually made it to her bed, where she flopped down unceremoniously and stared at the ceiling. Once again, her mind wandered to Fluttershy and Dash, this time showing them trading nuzzles and light kisses. Rarity let out a groan and threw a foreleg over her eyes, trying in vain to block the images.

        Reaching out with her magic, she grabbed the bottle of sleeping pills on her bedside table, frowning at the lack of weight. She sat up and looked into the bottle, sighing as she found only five pills remaining. A thirty day supply, and it’s nearly gone already. Though I suppose that will happen when you take it multiple times a day, and sometimes more than one at a time. Placing it back on her nightstand, she levitated a nearly empty glass of water next to it and tossed the pills into her mouth, downing the last of the water soon after.


*


        “Wait, you what?” Dash stared at her mother open-mouthed. Sunny gave a sheepish smile, her cheeks stained with a light blush. She had just finished recounting the first time that she told Moonshine that she loved her. Behind Rainbow, Fluttershy dabbed at her eyes with a tissue.

        “You... you loved her?” Dash ran a hoof through her mane, her mouth working open and closed silently. “But... you two, like, never got along. She kept snapping at you or ignoring you.”

        “Things definitely got... rough at the end.” Sunny’s smile faded and she let out a sigh. “But in the beginning—” Her smile grew again. “—things were... wonderful. It had been years since Blitz and I had seen each other, but it was like he had never left. Though... he was just a little upset at first that I had lied about moving on from him.”

        “Huh...” Dash just stared at her mother, cocking her head to the side as she reexamined her entire foalhood. No matter how hard she thought, all she could remember were fights, arguments, and bickering. After a moment, she shook her head, focusing instead on a piece of the story that she still couldn’t wrap her mind around. “But I still don’t get why Moonshine would ask you and dad to do the trip— tri— trinogathingy.”

        “I think you do.” Sunny replied, debating the wisdom of her response. “Honestly, Shiny just thought that I was attractive and wanted to get a chance to get me in bed.” She offered Rainbow a small smile as she saw her daughter’s face darken again, twisting into a mask of disgust. “Remember, she wasn’t always like that, Dashie.”

        “I thought she would have had a better reason that that!” Dash replied before clamping her hooves down over her ears and groaning. After taking several deep breaths, she leaned back in her chair. “So then, what happened? If things were so great, why’d it all go so bad?”

        For the first time since Rainbow had hugged her, Sunny looked apprehensive. “It was...” She paused taking a moment to swallow a lump in her throat. “It all started when Moonshine got pregnant... with you.”

        Dash slumped back into her seat, her face falling. “With... me?” Tears welled in her eyes, and Fluttershy leaned forward to lay a hoof on her shoulder.

        “Now, Dashie. You have to know that we all loved you, and that what happened between us was in no way your fault.” Sunny reached out to hold her daughter’s hoof, but Rainbow pulled it away.

        “Oh sure, it wasn’t my fault.” Dash jumped down from her chair and stomped over to stare out the window. “Everything just happened to go to Tartarus when mom got pregnant with me.”

        Sunny stepped down from her own chair and walked up next to her daughter. “Rainbow Elizabeth Dash—” Rainbow cringed at the use of her middle name. “—What happened between Moonshine, your father, and me was not your fault. It was just... unfortunate that Moonshine happened to be pregnant with you when everything went... downhill.” She draped a wing over Dash’s back, and smiled as her daughter leaned into the gesture. “You were the best thing that ever happened to us. It was our own foolishness that caused us to fall apart.”

        Rainbow rubbed at her eyes, removing some traitorous tears before they could fall. After taking a few moments to compose herself, she spoke again. “Th-then... what happened?”

        “Um...” Sunny bit her lip, glancing off to the side nervously. “Well, it revolves around our... bedroom habits.” She cleared her throat into a hoof. “That’s a discussion for another time... preferably never. Any other questions?”

        Dash groaned and leaned forward until her face was resting on the window. Letting out a sigh, she leaned in and nuzzled her mother’s neck, then turned and made her way back to her seat, staring at her hooves once she sat down. “Just the one.” She said, finally looking back up and meeting her mother’s gaze.

        Sunny nodded. “Right.” She took a moment to compose herself, then launched into her tale. “Well, it all started about a week after Blitz had taken you to see your first Wonderbolts show...”


*


        “How are you feeling, Dashie? Are you getting hungry?” Sunny ran a hoof through her daughter’s mane, ruffling it.

        “Not really, mommy.” Rainbow looked up from the picture she was drawing and smiled.

        Sunny leaned down and wrapped a foreleg around the filly, hugging her lightly. “What are you drawing, honey?”

        “The Wonderbolts!” Dash waved a hoof proudly over her paper, which contained three blue blobs with traces of yellow in them. She dropped her blue crayon, or at least the small nub that remained of it, and grabbed a lighter blue, adding a fourth blob to her picture.

        “Who’s that?” Sunny asked, feigning curiosity.

        “It’s me!” Rainbow stopped coloring for a moment to look up and smile, her wings buzzing in excitement. “When I grow up, I’m gonna be a Wonderbolt!”

        Sunny chuckled, leaning down to nuzzle Rainbow as she got back to work on her picture. “I’m sure you are, honey.” Leaving her daughter to her work, she made her way down the hall to the kitchen, smiling to herself as every few feet she passed a picture stuck to the wall similar to the one Dash was currently drawing. Walking into the kitchen, she saw the refrigerator, which was completely covered in yet more drawings. She heard a noise from the dining room and trotted toward the doorway leading to it.

“Oh, Shiny, have you heard? Our baby is going to be a Wonderbolt! I knew letting Blitz take her to that show was—” She stopped as she rounded the corner and saw Moonshine standing over Rainbow’s place, her head bowed and her white mane falling across her face. “Shiny? Is everything okay?”

        Moonshine stiffened and turned away from the table, wiping her eyes with a foreleg. “I-I’m fine, Sunny.” She took a deep breath, then turned back around, smiling with her rose-colored eyes stand out from her black coat. “Could you go let Dashie and Blitz know that dinner’s ready, please?”

        Sunny carefully made her way around the table and sidled up to Moonshine, nudging her with a wing. “Shiny, what’s wrong?” When her marefriend turned her head away, she reached out and pulled her head back around. She was shocked to see tears welling in Moonshine’s eyes. “Shiny! What’s wrong? Please, tell me!”

        “I...” Moonshine started, but it turned into a choked sob. She shook her head. “I-I’m sorry, Sunny.”

        “Shh...” Sunny draped a wing over her marefriend’s back, her wingtip brushing over the crescent moon obscured by clouds of Moonshine’s cutie mark. However, the action had the opposite of its intended effect, and Moonshine started crying harder, leaning against Sunny. Looking back to the doorway to make sure that Rainbow hadn’t come in yet, Sunny turned and knocked open a hole in the cloud wall. “Come on, Shiny. Let’s go somewhere and talk.”

        Moonshine looked up at the hole in the wall, then at Sunny. She leaned over and nuzzled the other mare’s cheek before moving forward and jumping out of the hole. Her wings snapped open and caught a rising thermal, carrying her up to a nearby puff of cloud. Sunny followed her lead, leaping, rising, and eventually landing on the same puff of cloud. She sat down next to her marefriend and waited for her to speak, but after several minutes of silence, she decided to break the quiet.

        “Shiny?” She leaned forward, trying to look Moonshine in the eye, but the other mare turned away. “Come on, honey. What’s going on? You’ve been sulking around the house for months now, and anytime I’ve tried to ask you about it, you either say it’s nothing or bite my head off.” She put her wing back around Moonshine, but felt her tense up at the touch. “You know you can trust me, honey.”

        Moonshine finally turned back, meeting Sunny’s gaze. She took a deep breath and let it out slowly before speaking. “I’m sorry, Sunny. I... didn’t mean for you to see that.” She smiled and leaned in for a quick nuzzle. “I’m okay. Really.”

        “Honey, I think you’ve been by yourself too much lately.” Sunny smiled and tightened her wing along Moonshine’s back. “Tell you what... How about tonight, I come spend the night with you and we can snuggle. We don’t have to do anything else if you don’t want to.” Sunny laid her head on the other mare’s shoulder. “I’m tired of seeing you off alone, Shiny. I miss you.”

        Without warning, the last of Moonshine’s resistance crumbled, and she started to cry openly, burying her face in her hooves. Sunny did what she could to comfort her, stroking her back and whispering reassurances in her ear. When her tears finally dried up, she sat up and leaned in, kissing Sunny on the lips. “Thank you, Sunny. I... I miss you too, it’s just...” She stopped and sighed. “I know I’ve been... distant, but nothing I’ve tried to do seems to help. Blitz doesn’t want to hear it, and even Dashie likes spending time with ‘fun mommy’ more than me.” A fresh wave of tears threatened to overtake her, but she rubbed them away with a foreleg.

        “You know, I think that Dashie’s old enough now... she’s been old enough for a while that I don’t need to sleep in the guest room to be right down the hall from her.” She looked up at Sunny. “Do you think that I could start sleeping with you and Blitz again?”

        Sunny leaned down and gave Moonshine a chaste kiss, holding it for several seconds before finally pulling away. “We’d love that, Shiny.”


*


        “And that’s pretty much the end of the story. I left three days after that.” Sunny turned away from the window she had been staring out for the last portion of her story, only to find Rainbow staring at her, unblinking and open-mouthed. After waiting a few seconds for a reaction, she reached out and poked her daughter in the chest. “Dashie?” Dash was immobile, staring blankly ahead. “Oh dear, I think I broke her.”

        “Oh my.” Fluttershy leaned forward in her seat and laid her hooves on Dash’s shoulders, shaking her gently. “Um, Dashie?” The stunned pegasus still offered no response, so Fluttershy turned to Sunny. “Um, i-if you don’t mind, could you please...” She trailed off spinning her hoof in a little circle. Sunny shrugged and turned around. Once she was facing away, Fluttershy grabbed one of Rainbow’s hooves and tickled it with a wingtip.

        “Ah!” Dash jumped, nearly leaving her chair and looking for the source of the unexpected attack. She looked accusingly at Fluttershy, who offered a barely audible mumble of apology, then back to Sunny. “But—” She ran a hoof through her mane as her mother turned back around. “—that doesn’t make sense. It sounds like you figured out what was wrong and fixed it. Why leave?”

        “Well, the next day, I had to stay late at work. By the time I finally got home, Shiny and Blitz were already asleep, and you were snuggled up between them.” Sunny smiled at the memory. “You were all so cute cuddled up together, so I decided to sleep in the guest room that night.” Her smile flickered and disappeared. “It was... an interesting night.” She drifted off into silence for a few moments.

        “What happened?” Dash asked.

        “I...” Sunny paused and swallowed. “I had some... unsettling realizations.” She stared down at her hooves, her voice gradually shrinking as she spoke. “I realized that the reason Shiny was alone and hurting... was me. It was obvious that she loved you and Blitz, but you two kept gravitating toward me.” Tears filled her eyes and trailed down her cheeks, but she didn’t seem to care. “I was... stealing her life. She and Blitz had been happy together, and I had just waltzed in between them.”

        “But, um... she asked you to.” Fluttershy protested.

        “Yes, she did.” Sunny nodded, sniffling and wiping a foreleg across her nose. “But that was more out of fear of losing Blitz than a real desire to make the relationship work. I figured that since I was the source of the problem, it would be easiest just to leave.”

        “But that just made things worse!” Dash slammed a hoof on the chair. “You should have stayed and worked on it! You should have fought!”

        “Don’t you think I know that?” Sunny shouted, before slumping down in defeat. When she spoke again, her voice was barely audible. “I questioned myself every day, and if I could do it all again, I would have stayed and fought for them... for you.” She scrubbed tears away angrily. “That’s the worst of all this, I gave all of you up because I thought that leaving would make things better. Now, I find you again after all these years, and things got worse that I ever could have imagined. And poor Moonshine.” She stopped scrubbing at her eyes, giving up and letting her tears flow. “Shiny, I’m so sorry. I never should have left you like that...” She drifted into silence, broken only by an occasional sniffle.

        Rainbow fidgeted in her seat, jumping slightly when she felt a hoof poke her back. Turning around, she saw Fluttershy motioning toward Sunny, encouraging her to do something. “Listen, mom—” Dash’s words were cut off by a shrill whistle from out on the field, followed by a booming announcement from Luna.

        “And the game is over! The final score stands Wonderbolts, twenty, and the Shadowbolts, twenty four! The Shadowbolts win, huzzah!” A roar of cheering swept through the stadium.

        Sunny took a deep breath and wiped at her eyes one last time before standing up. “Well, that’s my cue. Sorry, honey, but I have to get back to work." As if on cue, the door opened and a stallion poked his head in.

        “Please forgive the interruption, madams.” He nodded toward Dash and Fluttershy, then turned to Sunny. “Miss Day, His Royal Highness—” Sarcasm and contempt practically dripped from his words. “—nearly destroyed his private box, would you be able to assist with cleaning up?”

        “Sure thing, Spotless, gimme and minute to finish up here and I’ll be right there.” The door closed and she turned back to her daughter. “You two should probably get going.”

        “What?” Dash sat up in alarm. “But why would— the game!” She ran over to the window, whining as she saw the empty field. She grumbled for a moment about missing what was likely one of the biggest upsets in sports history, but ultimately decided that this had been more important. But if the game was over... “Shoot!” She bolted to the door, pausing with a hoof on the handle. “Come on, ‘Shy. We’ve got reservations for twenty minutes from now... We gotta hurry.”

        “Oh, um...” Fluttershy looked from Rainbow to Sunny and back. “I-I was hoping that I could talk to Sunny... just for a moment. Please?”

        Dash groaned, but finally relented. “Alright, I’ll go get the elevator.” She turned back to Sunny, all of her impatience vanishing for a moment. “Say, mom... I live in Ponyville now. Do you think you could, you know—”

        Sunny grinned broadly. “I’d be thrilled to visit, Dashie. Now, go on.” She waved a hoof at her daughter, who disappeared through the door in a flash. She chuckled for a second, then turned to Fluttershy. “Now, what did you want to talk about, honey?”

        “I...” Fluttershy paused, suddenly unsure about whether she should say anything. “I... just wanted to tell you that, um—” She glanced back at the door. “—Moonshine still lives in the same house. I-if you wanted to go see her, that is.”

        “Shiny?” Sunny’s expression alternated between hope and fear for a moment before settling on a slight smile. “I... Thank you, Fluttershy. But...” She took a step closer to the other mare. “That can’t be the only reason you wanted to talk to me.”

        “Um, w-well, y-you see...” Fluttershy took a deep breath and launched into her own tale. She told Sunny all about what was going on between her, Dash, and Rarity, from her friends’ simultaneous confessions, to her regrettable decision to try and date both of them, all the way up to Rarity covering for her when Dash found out about their date. When she was done, she looked to Sunny, panting slightly from talking for so long. “What should I do?”

        Sunny merely blinked for a moment, trying to process everything she had just heard. Eventually, she shook her head, chuckling quietly to herself. “So, that’s why Dashie was suddenly so interested in our relationship. Still...” Her smile faded. “Poor Rarity.” She looked back to Fluttershy, her smile growing again as she stepped closer. “I’m sure she would be thrilled to know you still want to make it work, I know I am.” She threw a wing across Fluttershy’s back, drawing a startled eep from her.

        “Now, from what you just told me, it sounds like Dashie and Rarity need to... spend some quality time together.” She smiled and chuckled to herself again. “Though, I don’t think that Rarity will need much convincing.” Fluttershy merely cocked her head to the side in confusion. “Honey, I’ve heard a good deal about Rarity from Mister Fancy Pants, and from what I’ve heard, she’s anything but a quitter.”

        “Um, I’m sorry.” Fluttershy shook her head. “But I don’t understand what that has to do with... this.”

        “Honey, if Rarity has ‘given up’ like you say she has, then it’s because she wants you and Dashie to be happy. Now, if you want to make her happy too... you’re the one who’s going to need to do something about it.” 

“B—but what if—” Fluttershy stammered, shrinking away.

Sunny stepped in front of Fluttershy, looking her straight in the eyes. “You need to make Dashie understand that you love Rarity just as much as you do her, and if I know her a little, which I think I do, you can show her that she loves Rarity too. Dashie is like that; she has a big mouth, and an even bigger heart.” She winked, drawing a small tremor of a smile from Fluttershy.

        The nervous pegasus bit her lip, then nodded, encouraged by Sunny’s words. “You’re right. I... I’ll tell her tonight.”

        “Attagirl.” Sunny leaned forward and hugged Fluttershy for a moment before letting her go. “Now, go on, Dashie’s waiting for you." Fluttershy nodded again and started to walk away, jumping when she felt Sunny give her a light swat on the flank. When she turned back, Sunny simply winked at her again. “Good luck!”

        Fluttershy made her way down the hall to the elevator. When she arrived, she found Dash sitting in it with a bored expression, waiting until the doors nearly closed before hitting the ‘Open Doors’ button each time. She hopped into the elevator as the doors started to close again, startling her marefriend in the process.

        “Huh?” Rainbow sat up and looked over at Fluttershy, relaxing when she realized it was only her. “Hey, ‘Shy, what—” She stopped mid-question, noticing a determined and decidedly un-Fluttershy-like expression on the other mare’s face. “Uh, is everything... okay?”

        Without a word, Fluttershy leaned in and planted a firm kiss on her marefriend’s lips. Dash blinked in confusion for a fraction of a second, but soon melted into the kiss, letting out a contented sigh. They held the kiss as the elevator moved down to the ground floor, their lips sliding against each other but never moving any deeper. They separated reluctantly as the doors slid open again.

        “Um, sorry.” Fluttershy moved forward a little more and nuzzled into her marefriend’s cheek, blushing at her own forwardness. “I just wanted to say that I love you.”

        “Uh, thanks, Flutters.” Dash replied, more than a hint of confusion in her voice. She nuzzled Fluttershy back and closed her eyes, reveling in the feel of their coats brushing together. “I love you too.”

        After a moment, the elevator doors started to close again, but Fluttershy hit the button with a wingtip and they slid back open. “Come on, let’s go get dinner.”


*


        Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy sat at a table in some fancy restaurant with a Prench name that Dash couldn’t even pretend to know how to pronounce. She took a bite of her eggplant parmesan and looked across the table.

        “You doin’ okay, ‘Shy?” She asked. “You’ve been quiet—” She chuckled at her statement. “—well, quieter than normal since we left the stadium.” No response was forthcoming, however, as the other mare continued to stare at her sauteed daisies, a serious expression on her face. “Fluttershy!”

        “Hmm?” Fluttershy looked up from her plate. “Oh, I’m sorry, Dashie, did you say something?” She poked a daisy petal and nibbled on it.

        “What’s up with you, ‘Shy?” Dash speared another bite of her food and waved her fork around. “I mean, first you want to come and get dinner, but you’ve hardly touched your food. You’ve been acting weird since you got back from talking... with my...” Realization slowly dawned on her face, and Rainbow leaned forward over the table. “What did you want to talk to my mom about before we left?”

        “Oh, it was... about us.” Fluttershy smiled warmly, reaching across the table to hold Rainbow’s hoof. After letting go, they went back to eating their respective meals, but Fluttershy’s mind was far from their date. She was busy trying to think of a way to get Rainbow and Rarity closer to one another, but she couldn’t think of any interests they shared, so she was going to have to get one of them out of their comfort zone.

        Maybe I could get Dashie to come by the Boutique and model some clothes for Rarity? That might get them talking, at least. She frowned as she remembered how much Rainbow had fidgeted and complained when getting fitted her her Gala dress. Hmm... then again, maybe not.

        Rarity likes to read... What if I could get her interested in the Daring Do novels? That would at least give them something to talk about. She absently played with her food, pushing it around her plate and only occasionally lifting a petal to nibble on. Though, Rarity likes romance novels a lot more than adventure. She noticed Dash looking at her again and speared a whole daisy, quickly shoving it into her mouth. Rainbow snickered quietly and went back to the last few bites that remained of her food.

        What about the tickets? Fluttershy chewed her daisy, belatedly realizing that she had taken far too large of a bite. I know that Rarity gave them to Rainbow... but why? Sunny’s words echoed in her head. She wants me and Dash to be happy, but what about her? She swallowed, nearly coughing as a large wad of chewed daisy slowly made its way to her stomach. If I want Rarity to be happy, then I have to do something about it. Taking a quick glance over at Dash’s now empty plate, she quickly downed the rest of her meal.

        After Rainbow paid the bill, they left the restaurant and took a leisurely stroll to the train station. Though, it may have been a little too leisurely, since they arrived mere moments before the train was set to depart for Ponyville. Once they were on the train and sailing down the tracks back toward home, Fluttershy enacted her plan. “Um, Dashie?”

        “Hmm?” Rainbow looked up from where she was resting her head on Fluttershy’s shoulder.

        “I was... thinking.” Fluttershy began, resisting the urge to stare at the floor, chew on her lip, or scuff a hoof on her seat. “I think we should stop by Rarity’s once we get home, so that we can thank her for the dresses.”

        “Really?” Dash sat up, laughing quietly to herself after a moment. “Funny, I was thinking the same thing.” Her mirth faded, and she rubbed a hoof along the back of her neck. “She kinda... really wanted this to go well for us, and it went so much better than I ever even... I found my mom!” She rubbed her mane sheepishly. "I need to thank her."

        “Oh?” Fluttershy smiled warmly. “Well, that certainly was nice of her! See? We should go talk to her—” She wrapped a wing around Rainbow and darted in for a quick kiss on the lips. “—she’d love to know that we had such a good time. I had a wonderful time, the game was fun, and your mom was so nice...”

        “Yeah.” Dash grinned broadly, a light blush coloring her cheeks. She leaned into the embrace, nuzzling her marefriend’s neck. After a few seconds, her eyes darted to the window, where only a sliver of the sun remained above the horizon. “You don’t think it’ll be too late to visit by the time we get home, do you?”

        “Oh, I don’t think so.” Fluttershy rested her head on top of Rainbow’s, nuzzling into her mane. “Rarity tends to work late and sleep in. I’m sure she’d be glad if we stopped by.” They rode the rest of the way in silence, letting the gentle click-clack of the wheels on the rails keep the the silence from becoming oppressive. Leaning against one another, they both descended into their own thoughts; Fluttershy wondered what she would say to Rarity when they reached Ponyville, while Dash contemplated what her mother had said.

        At least, Fluttershy tried to think about what she wanted to say, but the gentle swaying of the train car made it difficult for her to keep her eyes open, and soon she was leaning more heavily on Rainbow, barely audible snores escaping her.


*


        Some time later, Dash nudged Fluttershy gently to wake her up. She couldn’t help but giggle as her marefriend looked around the train car blearily for a moment, trying to figure out where she was. Once she did, however, she sat up and scrubbed away a line of drool that had been leaking from her mouth.

        “Oh goodness, I’m sorry, Dashie. I didn’t mean to fall asleep on you.” Fluttershy hopped down from her seat, stretching out her stiff legs. After getting a satisfying pop from one of them, she turned back to Rainbow, ducking behind her mane. “I hope I wasn’t too uncomfortable.”

        “Nah.” Dash reached down and lifted the other mare’s head, darting in for a quick kiss. “You were fine. Heck, it was kinda cute.” She turned and headed for the doorway out to the platform, hopping across the small gap. Frowning, she looked to the night sky and then a clock on the station’s wall. “Hey, ‘Shy, I think it might be too late to swing by Rare’s place tonight. Maybe we can swing by in the morning.”

        “Oh, really?” Fluttershy stepped off the train and followed Rainbow’s gaze to the clock, which read a quarter past nine. She briefly considered following Dash’s advice and simply going home to try again tomorrow, but Sunny’s words echoed in her mind again.

        If you want to make her happy too... you’re the one who’s going to have to do something about it.

        Her determination bolstered, she started walking away from the platform and in the direction of Carousel Boutique. “I don’t think so, Dashie. Rarity can, um, get really caught up in her designs. One time, she told me that she was up until almost two in the morning because she had a stroke of inspiration.” Glancing back over her shoulder, she saw her marefriend following her, but with a confused look on her face. “But, um, if she is asleep, then we can try in the morning.”

        Dash shrugged and sped up, pulling even with Fluttershy. “Well, can’t hurt to check, I guess.” They made their way through the deserted streets of Ponyville, only Luna’s full moon and a few scattered street lamps driving back the darkness. Those did nothing to ward off the first chill of winter, however, and Fluttershy shivered as a breeze blew down the street. Rainbow stepped closer and draped a wing over her marefriend’s back, nuzzling into her neck in the process. After a few more minutes of walking, they stopped in front of Carousel Boutique, neither one sure what to make of the shop’s current state.

        “I don’t get it...” Dash cocked her head to the side, taking a step forward. “The sign says ‘Open,’ but all the lights are off and the door’s—” Her thought ended abruptly as she laid a hoof on the door handle and it turned, letting the door open a crack. Rainbow looked to Fluttershy, then to the door, then back to Fluttershy. “Open?”

        Shrugging, she turned back to the door and pushed it open further, setting off the bell above it. Poking her head through the doorway, Dash looked around the dark interior, only able to make out vague pony-like shapes across the room. She took one step inside, calling out into the seemingly empty showroom. “Rarity? You in here?”

        Fluttershy pushed the door open wider, stepping past Rainbow and into the main room. Weaving between dark and scary shapes—she hoped they were Rarity’s equinniquins and not monsters waiting to pounce on her—she eventually picked her way across the cluttered floor to the base of the stairs that lead to Rarity’s bedroom. Looking back toward the door, she motioned for Dash to follow her, hoping that the other mare could even still see her.

"I don't know about this, 'Shy." Rainbow slowly started across the room, pausing for a moment to shake a stray piece of fabric stuck to her hoof. "I mean, checkin' in the open door is one thing, but going upst—" She stopped, her wings flaring open for a moment to keep her from tripping over the bottom step. Clearing her throat and trying to play it off, she gestured up the staircase with a wing. "Going upstairs? To her bedroom? That’s just a little creepy."

Fluttershy sighed heavily, turning back to face Rainbow. “Dashie, I... I’m worried about Rarity. She would never leave her door unlocked, and she... she hit her head when we... had dinner. She was unconscious for a while, and—" A clatter of noise drew their attention back up the stairs, and Fluttershy immediately started climbing up to her friend’s room. “Rarity?” A quick jaunt up the staircase later, and she was standing in front of Rarity’s bedroom door, with a light scratching coming from the other side.

        “Rarity?” Fluttershy called out again, leaning a little closer to the door. The scratching from in the room picked up, so she reached out and pulled the door open, letting a white blur shoot out and firmly attach itself to Fluttershy’s leg.

"Oh, hello, Opal." Fluttershy scratched Opal behind the ear.

The cat responded with an annoyed yowl.

"What do you mean, Opal?” Fluttershy gently pried Opal off of her leg and lowered herself to the floor, leaning down to be eye level with Rarity’s pet.

Dash looked back and forth between Fluttershy and Opal in confusion. "What's goin' on, 'Shy?" She took a step up the staircase, earning her an angry hiss and the swipe of a claw in her general direction.

"Opal, I need you to focus. Now, what's happening with Rarity?" Fluttershy listened intently to the cat's various meows and growls, her expression slowly becoming more and more worried. When the cat finally fell silent, she stood up, her eyes fixed on the open door to Rarity’s bedroom.

“She’s saying that Rarity hasn’t fed her since before lunch.” She shook her head and Opal bolted down the stairs, disappearing into the darkness halfway down. “That’s strange, Rarity usually takes such good care of her.” A distressed yowl drifted up from across the showroom. “Yes, I’m coming, Opal.” Fluttershy started back down the stairs. “I’m going to go get her some food, Dashie. Can you check on Rarity?” Before long, the darkness swallowed her as well, and the sounds of bumps and collisions slowly moved through the main floor. Eventually, a light clicked on in the kitchen, illuminating the disarray of the showroom.

Dash nodded, trotting up the stairs. At first, she tried to be quiet, until it occurred to her that she was in fact trying to wake Rarity up, so she stopped trying. She stood at the top of the stairs, her eyes going back and forth between the light of the kitchen and the open door to the bedroom. Despite Fluttershy’s concerns, it still felt weird going into a sleeping pony’s room. After spending a few moments staring at the doorway indecisively, she went into the room. Rainbow stood in the doorway for a minute, waiting for her eyes to adjust renewed darkness, but her impatience won out and she headed blindly into the bedroom. After several steps, she bumped into a table, cringing as she heard something made of glass wobble and eventually fall. A loud crash sounded a second later, but followed by the tinkling of broken glass skittering across the floor. 

"Shoot, sorry, Rares. " Dash took to the air with a quick flap of her wings, edging forward until she felt a lamp. Giving the cord a quick tug, she blinked a few times in the sudden light before turning to the bed, where she expected to see an irate unicorn staring back at her. Instead, she saw Rarity lying on the bed, still sleeping peacefully. "Rarity?" 

Rainbow flew closer, coming to a hover over the bed. "Rarity?" She reached down, nudging the alabaster mare's foreleg. When Rarity didn't respond, she tried again, pushing a little harder. "Come on, Rares, wake up." She drew back, wondering if Rarity could really be that heavy of a sleeper. Shrugging, she glided to the floor and trotted over to the doorway, intent on asking Fluttershy what she thought, when she kicked an empty bottle on the ground. It spun for a few seconds and came to a stop, drawing Rainbow's attention.

"Miss Prissy pants being messy in her room? Oh this is priceless!" Dash’s eyes darted over to the broken flower vase for an instant. “Well, her own mess.” She bent down and picked up the bottle, reading the label curiously. "Sleeping pills? Why would she need..." A sudden jolt of fear pierced her heart and she leapt back to the bed, shaking the unicorn to get a reaction, any reaction.

“Oh no... Okay, Dash, basic CPR, just like in training.” She pressed an ear to Rarity’s chest relaxing a tiny bit when she heard the soft beat of Rarity’s heart and felt her chest rise and fall. Dash let out a breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding. “Thank Celestia.” They had time, but who knew how long?

“Fluttershy!”

> Fallen
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Unexpected Confessions

Chapter Twenty Three


        Fallen

        “Here you are, Opal.” Fluttershy placed a bowl of food down in front of the cat, who gave her the briefest of appreciative glances before tearing into it. “Oh, my, I guess you were hungry.” Fluttershy picked up the empty can of cat food from the counter, unfazed by the noxious smell after years of dealing with it, and carried it over the the trash can.

        “Fluttershy!”

        Dash’s shout startled her and she dropped the can, letting it clang to the floor as she ran back through the showroom and up the stairs. “Dashie? What’s wro—” Her question died in her throat when she reached Rarity’s bedroom and saw the unicorn laying across Rainbow’s back. Dash herself was throwing a window open, her wings already going through a few light flaps in preparation for take off.

        “Something’s wrong with Rarity. She won’t wake up.” Dash took a few steps back from the window, giving herself room for a running start. “I’m taking her to the hospital, you go get everyone else and meet us there.” Without waiting for a response, she galloped the short distance to the window and leapt out, her wings flaring as soon as they cleared the shutters. A few powerful flaps later, she disappeared into the night, racing for the hospital.

        Fluttershy stood frozen in place for a moment, unwilling to accept what she had just seen. Her eyes drifted down, landing on the empty bottle Rainbow had found. “Oh no...” She ran for the window and followed Dash’s lead, leaping out and taking to the air. Flapping her wings as hard as she could, she angled for Sweet Apple Acres, one thought playing over and over in her head.

        This is all my fault.


*


        Dash gritted her teeth against the burning in her wings and pressed onward, flying as fast as she could without Rarity sliding off of her back.  All she could do as she flew to the hospital was question herself. How did she miss the signs? Rarity had been sad, sure... but this?

"Tell her... I will always love her and that I am sorry we couldn't work it out. I-I had hoped... But no, it was foolish. I think that may be the thing I love most about you, Rainbow. Loyal to a fault. Go, be happy. I won't stand in your way. You have my blessing, and my love, both of you."

Dash banked hard into a turn, grunting as the wind yanked on her wings and pulled on the tendons in them. She sounded so weird! She was giving up… just not the way she said she was.

"I am... hurting, Rainbow Dash. I appreciate the concern, but... There is nothing you can do. It will take some time before that pain fades."

Dash could see the hospital up ahead. She was falling, just like in the dream, and I watched her fall. She pumped her wings one final time before flaring them, trying bleed off speed before she crashed through the doors. All I had to do was reach out. I should have caught her.

Something picked at the back of her mind. Come on, there’s no way I could have known she’d do something like… this. Dash risked a peek over her shoulder as she raced toward the hospital. But I should have. She felt sick at the idea that she’d let something so horrible happen to one of her friends.

        “Gah!” She let out a pained yelp as something in her wing popped, sending a searing lance of pain through the appendage. A second later, her hooves hit the ground and she raced toward the hospital doors at a full gallop. Whatever. I’m going to fix this, no matter what. Leading with her shoulder, she barrelled through the doors, skidding to a halt on the tiled interior. “I need help!”

        The nurse behind the check-in desk stared at her blankly for a moment, shocked by her sudden entrance, but then jumped up and ran around the desk. “What did you—” She froze when she saw Rarity’s head hanging limply off of Dash’s back. “Redheart!” She yelled down a hallway, prompting the nurse in question to step to out from a room. “I need a gurney over here!”

        A few moments later, Nurse Redheart came galloping down the hall, the handle of a gurney clenched firmly in her teeth. The cart slid to a halt next to Dash, and she carefully transferred Rarity over to it. Rainbow looked down on the unconscious unicorn and felt the need to say something, even though she knew Rarity couldn’t hear her. She wanted to apologize, to say that she should have been there for her. The words caught in her throat and she hesitated, and before she could say anything, the cart sped away again, rambling down the hallway from which it came. She watched it go, cursing her own cowardice until a voice broke into her self-recrimination.

        “Ma’am?” Dash turned to see a nurse standing next to her, a pink-coated earth pony with a two-tone purple and white mane and a quill clenched between her teeth. The nurse resumed her line of questioning after gaining the pagasus’ attention. “What can you tell us about the accident?”

        “I... I don’t know.” Dash shook her head, trying in vain to quiet the fear that was building in her. “My friend and I just... stopped by to see her and she was—” She swallowed to clear the lump building in her throat. “—like that. I tried waking her up, but nothing worked.” She took a hesitant step in the direction Rarity had disappeared.

        “And has she been—”

        Dash didn’t hear the rest of the nurse’s question as she broke into a gallop after Rarity. She glanced in each room she passed, growing more and more frantic with each one that didn’t house her friend. Just when she was considering turning around, she saw Rarity’s distinct mane in one of the rooms she passed. Her hooves clattered and skidded on the floor, unable to find purchase to slow her down. When she finally came to a halt, she wheeled around and ran into the room, colliding with Nurse Redheart on her way out.

        “What’s wrong with her? Is she gonna be okay?” Rainbow craned her neck to see over Redheart.

        “We don’t know yet.” The nurse pressed a hoof against Dash’s chest, slowly extricating the cyan mare from her personal space. “Doctor Stable has ordered a full complement of tests, but we won’t know what’s wrong until we get the results back. Hopefully, the information you gave Nurse Sweetheart will help us figure out what caused this.”

        “The what I gave who?” Rainbow finally stopped trying to catch a glimpse of Rarity and focused on Redheart. After a moment, she realized that the nurse was talking about the other nurse from when she had barreled into the lobby. “Yeah... I don’t think I answered all of her questions.”

        Redheart stared at her flatly. “How many did you answer?”

        “One?” Dash chuckled nervously.

        The nurse let out a sigh and shook her head almost imperceptibly. “Alright. Well, do you have any idea how this happened, or how long she’s been out?” She walked back to Rarity’s bedside while she spoke.

        “No.” Dash slumped down, a twinge of pain running through one of her wings. “I was... out of town for most of today. I saw her yesterday, and she seemed—” Rarity’s words from the other day ran through her head again, and Rainbow silently cursed herself. “—fine. I mean, she might have been a little... down, but this? No, I just didn’t—” She froze as the bottle from Rarity’s room flashed through her mind. “Wait, there was a... a bottle in her room, like for medicine.”

        Nurse Redheart perked up. “What kind of medicine? Do you remember the name?”

        “It was... some kind of sleeping pill.” Try as she might, Dash couldn’t remember the name that had been on the bottle. She felt helpless. Even worse, she felt useless. Rarity had needed her help before this, and she’d failed. She’d watched as Rarity slowly fell apart and the cracks in her mask grew, but she’d shrugged it off. Now, Rarity needed her again, and she was going to fail... again. Hot, angry tears stung at her eyes, and she wiped at them equally angrily. Come on, Dash. There has to be something... anything. “There were N’s.” She blurted out, not even thinking. “Two N’s in the name.”

        Redheart thought for a second, her eyes darting around. “Nighty-night Sleeping Pills? How many did she take?”

        Dash shrugged. “I don’t know. The bottle was— Oof!” She took a step to the side as the nurse shouldered past her, sticking her head back out into the hallway.

        “Sweetheart! I need a stomach pump in here, STAT!”

        “A... stomach pump?” Rainbow slowly made her way over to Rarity’s bed, looking down at her friend for a second before turning back to the nurse. “Why?”

        “Nighty-night sleeping pills contain a powerful ingredient that can permanently damage the liver in high doses.” Redheart trotted back over to the bed, pulling the pillows out from under the unicorn’s head. “We need to get as much of it out of her as we can.” She tilted Rarity’s head back, glancing toward the door as Nurse Sweetheart wheeled the machine through the doorway. “You may want to step out for this. It’s a... rather unpleasant procedure.” Her eyes landed on Dash’s side. “Besides, you should probably get that looked at.”

        “Get what—” Dash followed the nurses gaze and saw her right wing sticking out from her side awkwardly. Flexing it a bit, she grimaced as she became aware of the pain each movement sent through the joint. Gritting her teeth against the pain, she sat down. “I’ll get it looked at once she wakes up.” Sweetheart opened her mouth to say something, but Rainbow shot her a glance that silenced her.

        “Um, Rarity?” All three ponies whipped their heads around to the door, where Fluttershy stood with Pinkie Pie and Applejack behind her, while Twilight was seated somewhat precariously on Pinkie’s back. She wilted for a brief moment under the sudden attention, but slowly inched her way further into the room. “I-is she okay? Wh-what’s wrong with her?”

        “Ah came as soon as—”

        “Ohmygosh, I hope Rarity—”

        “This doesn’t make sense, why would—”

        “Alright, that’s it!” Nurse Redheart stepped away from the bed and began shooing all of them from the room. “Everypony out! Medical staff only until the gastric lavage is complete.”

        “Gastric lavage?” Twilight turned her neck up to get a better look while the five mares slowly shuffled out of the room. “Why not use activated charcoal? It’s just as effective, and has fewer contraindications than—” The rest of her suggestion was cut off the the door slamming shut. They all sat in silence for a few seconds, looking helplessly at the door.

        “Oh my gosh, Dashie!” Pinkie broke the silence, squirming her way over to Rainbow’s side and causing Twilight to wobble on her back. “What happened to your wing?” She asked, lifting a hoof to poke at the offending appendage.

        “Ow!” Dash shied away from the party pony’s touch. Her face contorted in pain as she flexed her wing a bit, letting it rest with her primaries sticking out at an awkward angle. “I don’t know... I was flying Rarity here and something ‘popped’ right before I landed.” She let out an annoyed huff and turned back to the door, jiggling the handle only to find it locked.

        “Rainbow.” Twilight leaned down from her perch to get a better look at Dash’s wing causing Pinkie’s ever present smile to widen just a bit. “You need to get this looked at. Something could be seriously wrong. It could impact your ability to fly for months.”

        “I’ll be fine.” Dash started pacing in front of the door. “I’ll get it looked at once Rarity wakes up.”

        “Now listen here, sugarcube.” Applejack stepped in front of Rainbow and put a hoof to her chest to stop her pacing. “Do ya think Rare’s gonna be happy if she wakes up and finds out that you risked yer future to pace outside the door?”

        “Well, no...” Dash looked between the closed door and her wing. “But—”

        “But nothin’, sugarcube.” Applejack cut across her friend’s response. “You go get that thing looked at, and if’n Rares does wake up, we’ll come get ya right away.”

        “I... alright.” Dash finally conceded. After one last glance back at the door, she looked up and down the hallway. “So, where do I go?”

        “The, um, front desk is this way.” Fluttershy was standing apart from the rest of the group, motioning down the hallway with her head. “I can, um, go with you. I-if you want me to, that is.”

        “That’d be great, ‘Shy. Thanks.” Rainbow joined her marefriend and the two made their way back to the front desk, where Doctor Stable was talking to another nurse. “Hey, doc? Can you—” She grimaced as she extended her wing a little bit. “—take a look at this?”

        “What seems to be the problem?” The doctor levitated a pair of glasses down from above his horn and rested them on his nose. 

        “I dunno.” Dash shrugged. “I was flying, tried to slow down too fast, and something ‘popped.’ Now it hurts when I move it.”

        “Well, then, don’t move it.” Doctor Stable chuckled for a second. “Sorry, old doctor joke. Now, let’s take a look see.” He stepped up to Dash’s side and looked closely at her wing, occasionally prodding a certain area or gently moving it a bit. After a few moments, he straightened up. “A simple dislocation. I can pop it back into place easily enough, but no flying on it for the next twelve hours, and only light flying for the next few days, Miss Dash.”

        “What? No flying?” Rainbow panicked for a moment before she remembered Rarity’s condition. “Right, no flying.”

        Stable grasped Dash’s wing in his magic, aligning the wing bone with the joint. “Now, this is going to hurt a bit. Are you ready?” He waited for Rainbow’s nod. “Alright, on three. One, two, three.” In one quick motion, he forced the wing back into the socket with a pop.

        Dash tensed up, letting out a slow breath through her nostrils. “Ow.” She groaned, gently flexing and rotating her wing. After taking a deep breath, she turned back to the doctor. “Thanks, doc.”

        “You’re welcome, Miss—” The rest of Doctor Stable’s words were lost as Dash turned and bolted down the hallway back to Rarity’s room.

Fluttershy, watched Rainbow race down the hallway for a bit, then turned back to the doctor. “Um, s-sorry about that. Th-thank you for fixing her wing.” With that, she turned and followed Dash’s lead. By the time they reached the room, the door was open again, and Rainbow ran inside. Her spirits fell when she careened through the doorway only to find the rest of her friends sitting around the bed, with Rarity still asleep.

        “What gives?” Dash trotted over to the bed, squeezing between Twilight and Applejack. “I thought the gasto-thingy was supposed to wake her up.”

        “They got what was still in her stomach out, but the some of the pills had already dissolved and gotten into her bloodstream.” Twilight scooted over to give Dash a little more room. “We have to wait for what’s in her system to run its course before she’ll wake up.”

        “Well, how long will that be?” Rainbow asked, her eyes never leaving Rarity.

        “There’s no way to know.” Twilight shook her head. “It could be any minute now... or it could be twelve hours from now, possibly even longer. There’s nothing we can do now but wait.” She glanced at a row of chairs along the wall, then up at her injured horn, frowning. Applejack quickly pulled the chairs around the bed, waving away Twilight’s mumbled apology.  The group settled in around the sleeping unicorn’s bed, doing the only thing they could.

        They waited.

        They tried to make small talk, discussing things like the weather, the health of Fluttershy’s animals, or the current harvest at Sweet Apple Acres, but every conversation quickly petered out, allowing silence to reign. As the minutes stretched on into hours, Twilight, Pinkie, and Applejack left to get some sleep before their respective workdays, each asking for notice if Rarity woke up. While getting ready to leave, Twilight seemed less than enthusiastic about riding on Pinkie’s back again, opting instead to rest her casted foreleg across Pinkie’s withers. As the first light of dawn brightened the horizon, only Fluttershy and Dash were left to watch over the sleeping unicorn. Just after the clock tower rang out six chimes, Dash stood up from her chair, stretching her stiff limbs.

        “I’m gonna hit the little fillies’ room. Be right back.” Sparing a glance back to the bed, she made her way to the door, her steps heavy from a lack of sleep. Once she was gone, Fluttershy got up and stepped closer to the bed, tears welling in her eyes.

        “I-I’m sorry, Rarity. Th-this is all m-my fault.” She reached up and laid a hoof on Rarity’s foreleg. “I-if I could have j-just been honest with you and Dashie... you wouldn’t...” She choked back a sob. Before she could speak again, she heard hoofsteps coming down the hallway so she scrambled back into her seat, rubbing the tears from her eyes.

        “Cleaning crew was in there, I’ll try a—” Dash froze in the doorway for a split second before running over to Fluttershy’s side. “‘Shy? What’s wrong?” Her gaze flickered over to Rarity, who was still sound asleep, then back to her marefriend. “What happened? ‘Shy, talk to me.”

        “I-it’s nothing...” Fluttershy wiped a hoof across her nose. “I-I’m just w-worried about Rarity.” She cursed herself for lying again, for being too weak to be honest.

        “I’m sure she’ll be fine.” Dash hopped back up into her seat, wrapping a wing around the other mare’s back. “Twi said it could take awhile for her to wake up, but we’ll be right here for her when she does.” Rainbow’s words pushed Fluttershy over the edge, and the last of her composure crumbled as she devolved into a mass of quivering tears and sobs. Dash could only look on in shock for an instant before she tightened her hug and tried to soothe her marefriend. After a minute of crying, the distraught mare was able to speak.

        “I-it’s a-all... my f-fault.” Fluttershy managed to stutter between sobs. She tried in vain to wipe away the tears flowing from her eyes, but a constant stream of them replenished any she could get rid of. Eventually she just gave up and let them flow.

        “What? No, it’s not.” Dash used a hoof to raise Fluttershy’s head, forcing the other mare to look her in the eye. “Fluttershy, this was not your fault, you hear me? If anything, it was mine. You didn’t do anything wrong, understand?”

        “Yes I did!” Fluttershy shouted, wrenching her head away from Dash’s grasp. “You and Rarity… you were both so intent on fighting over me… and I still couldn’t choose between you. I couldn’t hurt either of you like that, so I… I…” Her shoulders slumped in defeat, and the truth came pouring out with her tears. “I lied to you, to both of you.”

        Dash blinked in confusion as the pieces aligned in her head. “You mean… so you never dumped… Oh…” She was silent for a time, processing what she just heard. “But then… why did she let me think…”

        “Sh-she figured out what I did… and lied about it.” Fluttershy sniffed loudly, tears still streaming down her face. “She did it so that you wouldn’t have to know what a horrible pony I am. I let her lie for me… a-and n-now she…”

        Rainbow hopped down from her chair, her eyes darting around while she thought. After a few moments, her eyes locked on Rarity’s prone form. She slammed a hoof on the bed, causing Fluttershy to jump.

        “I-I’m sorry.” Fluttershy squeaked out before jumping down from her own chair and running from the room.

        “Wait, ‘Shy, I wasn’t—” Dash let out a frustrated sigh and turned back to Rarity. “I’m sorry about this, Rares. I saw how much it hurt you when I turned you down… but I didn’t know what you were trying to do.” She slumped and shook her head. “No… I did know, but I was… scared. After seeing what happened with my parents… what happened to Moonshine… I was too scared to try, to risk that happening to us.” A small smile flashed across her face for a second and she laid a hoof over Rarity’s. “But I’m not scared anymore, and I… I wanna give it a shot.” Tears welled in her eyes and she squeezed the sleeping mare’s hoof. “You gotta wake up though, Rares. We can’t do this without you.” With a parting smile, Rainbow trotted out of the room to find her marefriend. A quick conversation with Nurse Redheart had her climbing the staircase and heading for the roof.

        Fluttershy briefly glanced over her shoulder when she heard the door to the roof close, but quickly went back to staring at her hooves afterward. A few final sniffles escaped her as Dash sat down next to her. She waited for Rainbow to start yelling at and berating her, but the other mare simply watched as Celestia’s sun crested the horizon. As the silence stretched on between them, Fluttershy mustered the courage to speak. “I’m so sorry, Dashie.”

        Dash smiled at her, leaning in for a quick nuzzle. “You don’t have anything to be sorry for, Flutters.” When Fluttershy opened her mouth to protest, Dash held up a hoof. “Okay, yeah, you lied to us, and that…” She looked off to the side for a moment. “That hurts, ‘Shy.” She turned back to her marefriend with a sheepish smile. “But we didn’t exactly make it easy on you, did we? We were both so focused on winning you over and getting an answer that we didn’t think about how much it sucked for you. You were in a no-win situation, and we kept pestering you to choose one of us. I’m sorry about that.”

        “Oh, um, i-it’s okay, really.” Fluttershy scuffed her hoof on the ground, kicking a stray pebble.

        “No, it’s not, but it’s nice of you to say that.” Dash leaned in for another quick nuzzle, punctuating it with a kiss on the cheek. “Don’t worry, as soon as Rares wakes up, we’ll make this work. All three of us.”

        Fluttershy finally looked up, shock clear on her face. “R-really? After all of this, you still want to try?”

        “Of course.” Dash scooted closer to Fluttershy and wrapped a wing around her back, leaning against her and watching the sun rise.


*


        After watching the sunrise, Dash and Fluttershy returned to Rarity’s room, and spent hours just talking. They traversed topics from the weather scheduled for the next few days, to how Fluttershy’s animals were doing—Rainbow was disappointed to hear that the squirrels and mice had indeed eaten all of the soup—to the game the previous night, or what they had actually seen of it. When mundane topics ran dry, they turned to juicier ones.

        Out of morbid curiosity, Dash asked something that had been itching at the back of her mind since the rooftop. “Say, ‘Shy… how was your date with Rarity?”

        Fluttershy shrank into her chair a little bit, her eyes darting over to the unicorn’s sleeping form. “It, um, it was very… nice.”

        “Come on, ‘Shy.” Dash nudged her marefriend with an elbow. “You can do better than that. Where’d you guys go? What’d you do?”

        “Um, I don’t know, Dashie…” Fluttershy tapped her forehooves together nervously. “I-I don’t really think that’s, um, a good idea…” She glanced up at Rainbow from behind her mane. “I don’t want you two competing again.”

        “Hey.” Dash leaned over and wrapped a wing around the other mare, nuzzling against her cheek. “I said I wanted to give this a shot, right? I just wanna know how things went with Rares.”
        
        "Well, all right, if you really want to know..." Fluttershy inhaled deeply, and words began spilling out from her like a waterfall. "She took me to an upscale restaurant, very cozy. The waiters were all really nice, but the food got messed up because the cook had a new assistant. It tasted awful, so Rarity asked them to take it back. They had a wine steward behind me that kept refilling my glass every time I took a sip, and I lost track of how much I drank. From there it gets really fuzzy, but I remember falling in the tub, then coming downstairs when I heard a loud noise. I found Rarity on the floor, she'd hurt herself by slipping and crashing into a wall. From there… I think we had some tea and she had us sleep together.” Blood rushed to her cheeks as Rainbow’s eyes shot open. “No not that way, Dashie. We just slept." She stopped, gasping for air. "I-it was all very… nice."

        Dash nodded for a moment before something her marefriend had said clicked. "Wait... She hit her head? Did you take her to the hospital for that?"

Fluttershy chewed on her lip for a moment before shrugging. "She said she was okay?” She wilted under Rainbow’s stare. “She was passed out for a while when I found her, but she woke up when I shook her..." 

Dash threw her hooves up in the air. "You don't just let a bird fly away if it tells you it's wing is fine do you?" Before Fluttershy could even open her mouth to respond, she kept going. "No, you don't. You check to make sure for yourself before you let it go!" Dash hopped down from her chair and walked over to the bed, laying a hoof on Rarity’s. "What if that’s what caused her to go all weird on us?!"

"Well, um, I-I don’t think so…” Fluttershy gingerly climbed down from her own seat and crept over to the bed. “She just had a bad bump on the head and a headache. She seemed fine, at least I think so…” Rainbow looked at her askance and raised an eyebrow. “Dashie I… was really very… I think I set my tail on fire.” She glanced back at her tail, which was a little shorter than normal. “I don't remember much. I-I'm sorry."

Dash let out a sigh that trailed off into a light chuckle. "It’s alright, ‘Shy... but we gotta tell the doctors about that. They need to take a look at her head and make sure it’s okay... and I wanna know what you meant when you said you and Rarity 'slept together.'" She turned back to her marefriend, a playful grin on her face.

"Eep." Fluttershy hid behind her cascade of curls guiltily. "We just... slept, Dashie, I promise.” Her voice dropped to a barely audible level while she tried to drill a hole in the floor with her eyes. “I-I, um, w-wanted to, um… do things, j-just like when I was, um, all… oh, excited at your house… but, um, sh-she said her head hurt, so we just slept. Th-that’s all, just sleeping." She finally pulled her eyes from the floor and looked up a tiny bit, her cheeks a deep crimson.

“I’m just messin’ with ya, ‘Shy.” Dash nudged her marefriend with a shoulder before darting in and planting a kiss on her forehead. They climbed back up into their chairs just as Nurse Redheart came into the room. Throughout the day, Redheart and Sweetheart stopped in to check on Rarity. They drew blood samples twice, but didn’t say much about her condition, leaving Dash and Fluttershy to wonder when, or even if, Rarity would wake up. As afternoon wore on into evening, Twilight returned to the hospital, this time with a roller skate attached to the end of her casted foreleg.

“Wh-what’s with the skate, Twi?” Dash asked, after her giggles had died down.

“Well, it’s fo— whoa!” Twilight nearly lost her balance as the skate slipped out from under her, but after a few seconds of flailing, she regained it and tried to nonchalantly continue on to the bed. “It’s to help me get around.” She turned back to Fluttershy and Rainbow, the latter of whom was clutching at her sides and nearly falling out of her chair laughing. Twilight cleared her throat, a blush staining her cheeks. “I’m… still getting used to it. Anyway, has the doctor been by to see Rarity today?”

“Um, no, not yet.” Fluttershy stepped down from her chair and over to the bed side, brushing an errant strand of mane out Rarity’s face. “The nurses have been by a few times, but we haven’t seen Doc—” The rest of her sentence was lost as the door to the room opened abruptly, sending the skittish pegasus scurrying for cover. Doctor Stable stood on the other side of the threshold, his eyes running over a chart floating in front of him as he stepped through the doorway.

“Hmm…” Stable hummed to himself as he approached Rarity’s bed, he flipped through the chart for a few moments before dropping it on the foot of the bed, finally turning his attention to the conscious occupants of the room. “Well, I’m sorry, girls, but I don’t know what to tell you. The drugs have all cleared her system. There’s no medical reason for her to still be asleep. It’s almost like she doesn’t want to wake up.”

Fluttershy stood back up from her position near the floor and glanced back and forth between Rarity and the doctor. “Um, well, she hit her head the other day… and she, um, passed out for a little while. C-could that be the reason?”

Stable raised an eyebrow and walked around to the side of the bed. “When was this? How long was she unconscious?” He leaned in and examined Rarity’s forehead.

“Um, about… four days ago?” Fluttershy tried to think back to when she found Rarity lying on the floor, but the events were fuzzy. “She wasn’t out for very long… maybe a couple of minutes?”

“Hmm…” The doctor gently lifted Rarity’s head and felt along the back of it to the base of her neck. After he was done, he took a step back, shaking his head. “No, I don’t think it’s related. Like I said, medically speaking she’s fine. Though, I wonder…” Stable closed his eyes and his horn lit up, with the accompanying glow surrounding Rarity’s head. After a few moments, the spell ended, and the doctor rubbed a hoof against his chin. “Curious. Her brainwaves are normal REM sleep waves… but she’s been in REM sleep for far too long.”

“Too long?” Dash hopped down from her chair and stood next to Fluttershy. “Whaddya mean ‘too long,’ Doc?”

“Well, in a normal sleep pattern, you move in and out of REM sleep throughout the night, but Miss...” He glanced down at the chart for a moment. “—Rarity has been in REM sleep almost the entire time she’s been here.”

“And that’s… bad?” Dash heard Fluttershy whimper next to her and threw a wing over her back.

“It’s not bad necessarily, just—”

“Ponies aren’t supposed to get more than an hour or so of REM sleep every night.” Twilight finished for him, earning her a stern scowl. Upon realizing what she had done, she chuckled nervously. “Sorry.”

Dash shook her head and let out a frustrated huff. “Well, does this RAM sleep—”

“REM sleep.” Twilight corrected her.

        “Whatever.” Dash rolled her eyes. “Does it mean we can do something to wake her up?” 

        The doctor shook his head. “I’m afraid all we can do is what we’ve been doing… wait and see. I’m sorry.” He turned and left the room, leaving the three mares to sit and stew in an uncomfortable silence.

        After a few minutes, Applejack walked through the open doorway, letting out an exasperated sigh. She gave her friends an apologetic glance. “Ah’m mighty sorry y’all’re ‘bout to haveta see… well, this.” She waved a hoof vaguely at the the door. Right on cue, Pinkie jumped through the doorway, dressed up in a colorful and poofy suit and gesturing dramatically.

        “But soft, what light through yonder… um, window...” Pinkie faltered, tapping a hoof to her temple before striking a new dramatic pose. “Whether ‘tis nobler in the mind to… uh… double, double, toil and troub—”

        “Pinkie Pie!” Twilight could only stare at Pinkie in utter confusion, just like the rest of her friends. “What in the wide, wide world of Equestria are you doing?”

        “Neigh, my fair maiden.” Pinkie pulled a hoof to her chest. “I knoweth not of this… Pie of Pink of which thou speakest. Verily, I am Prince Charming, and I hath come now to wake fair Rarity with true love’s kiss.” While her friends looked on, stupefied, Pinkie hopped up onto Rarity’s bed and kissed the sleeping mare on the lips, holding it for several seconds before pulling away with a big smile. As the seconds ticked by and Rarity didn’t stir, her smile fell. “Aww… I really thought that would work.”

        “What the hay, Pinks?” Dash reared up and grabbed Pinkie’s tail, pulling her off of the bed. “What’s the big idea?”

        “This is how it works in all of the books Rarity reads.” Pinkie stared at the floor, occasionally glancing at Rarity. “The princess gets put to sleep by some spell, then Prince Charming comes along and wakes her up with a kiss. I just thought…”

        “Pinkie…” Fluttershy adopted a tone of voice that she usually reserved for her more troublesome animal friends. “I know that you’re just trying to help, but this is a very serious matter. We need to let the doctors and nurses handle it.” 

        “But… I just thought…” Pinkie’s shoulders slumped, and her mane deflated a tiny bit. “I just don’t want to lose another one of my friends.” She mumbled. 

        “What’re ya talkin’ ‘bout, sugarcube?” Applejack laid a comforting hoof on Pinkie’s shoulder, leaning down to hear better as Pinkie continued to mutter unintelligible words. Meanwhile, Rainbow stepped back toward the bed.

        “I don’t get it. The doctor said the medicine’s gone…” Dash laid a hoof on the bed, her ears folding back against her head. “So why won’t she wake up?”

        “Because she does not wish to.”

The group turned toward the doorway, where Princess Luna was standing. Twilight turned and smiled.

“Oh, hello, Princess.” She started to turn back, only to whirl back an instant later, her eyes wide. “Princess Luna!” The rest of the group turned to face the alicorn, their reactions ranging from Twilight’s surprise to a slight bow from Applejack, Fluttershy cowering behind Rainbow, and Pinkie waving enthusiastically with a huge grin plastered on her face. The grin was short lived, however, fading away just as quickly as it appeared.

“She doesn’t want to wake up?” Pinkie looked at Rarity, fear and confusion mixed in her expression. “Why not?”

“Because somepony very precious to her awaits her there.” Luna strode across the room and around the far side of the bed. “What started as a simple comfort in her time of need has grown and twisted, digging treacherous barbs into her mind until she now feels that she cannot live without it.” A glimmer of an old and hidden pain flashed across her eyes for an instant.

“Well, can’t you get her out?” Dash stepped forward, rearing up and planting her forehooves on the bed. “Dreams are your thing, aren’t they? Just pop in and tell her to wake up.”

“I am afraid that it is not that simple.” Luna shook her head, her eyes resting on the sleeping unicorn. “While it is true that dreams are… ‘my thing,’ as you put it—” Her corners of her mouth twitched up into a slight smile. “—I have not been able to visit, or even view, Rarity’s dreams for several days now.”

“But, um, wh-why not?” Fluttershy asked, slowly rising from her position near the floor. “Oh, um, if you don’t mind me asking, that is.”

“Of course not, dear Fluttershy.” Luna smiled warmly at the timid mare. “The reason is simple. I cannot view her dreams because she does not want me to.” Her gaze shifted from Fluttershy back to Rarity. “Her dreams have been closed to me ever since a particularly… powerful lucid dream that she had recently.” Unnoticed by anyone, Twilight glanced about and swallowed nervously, her ears plastered to her skull. “As she gained skill in manipulating her dreams, so did her subconscious. Eventually, her subconscious noticed my presence and… kicked me out, as it were.”

“Can’t you force your way in?” Dash’s wings fluttered in agitation. “I mean, you move the moon, after all.”

“I could.” Luna nodded solemnly, leveling a stern gaze at Rainbow. “But to do so would risk great damage to her mind. If she truly does not wish for me to enter her dream, then to force myself in could shatter her psyche. If she ever did wake up again, she would be but a mindless husk.”

Dash stepped down off of the bed, momentarily cowering before the princess. Clearing her throat, she straightened back up, focusing on Rarity. “S-so, is there anything we can do?”

“There is.” Luna paused, taking a breath. “If you wish to rouse her, then you must give her a reason to wake—” She leveled her gaze at the five mares on the other side of the bed. “—and only one of you can do that.”

“But… why can’t—” Twilight clamped her good hoof over her mouth when Luna turned to her with a raised eyebrow. After taking a moment to steel herself, she tried again. “Wh-why only one of us? Wouldn’t it be better for all of us to go? To talk to her together?”

“Perhaps.” Luna nodded, but her eyes fixed on Twilight’s casted leg. “However, you are injured, Twilight Sparkle. It would be unwise to subject yourself to the rigors of Dreamwalking. As for the rest of your friends—” The princess forged ahead as Twilight opened her mouth for a rebuttal. “—While it would be ideal, the combined strain of so many invading her mind would be no better than me forcing myself in.” She sighed heavily. “I know that you all wish to help her, but only one of you would truly be welcome in her dreams.”

Fluttershy gulped nervously, but stepped forward. “O-okay, I-I’ll…” She stopped, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. “I’ll do it.”

“An admirable notion, dear Fluttershy.” Luna smiled warmly again. “But I am afraid that you are not the one. You would appear only as a ghost to her, a figment of her imagination. In the dream, she will only listen to one pony.” Her gaze drifted over to Rainbow. “Her wife.”

“Her wife?” Dash shifted uncomfortably under Luna’s gaze. “She’s, uh, married in the dream?” She swallowed, steeling herself for the next question, one which she feared she already knew the answer to. “Um… to who?”

“Yes, Rainbow.” Luna’s smile transformed into a playful smirk. “She’s married… to you.”

Dash’s jaw fell open, and her friends all turned to face her. “Me?” She swallowed again. “Sh-she… married… me?” At Luna’s nod, she fell to her haunches, blinking in confusion for several seconds. When she could finally speak again, she could only utter one word.

“Why?”

        “Well…” Luna’s horn flashed, and a cushion appeared behind her, which she promptly sat upon. After a moment to get comfortable, she turned back to Rainbow and her friends. “That, I’m afraid, is a rather long story.” She waved a hoof at the row of chairs behind the standing mares and waited for them to take their seats. Once they were all settled in, Luna launched into recounting Rarity’s recent dreams, starting with the initial one after the unicorn had hit her head.

When she mentioned that Fluttershy had died in the dream, the mare in question clamped her hooves over her mouth, letting out a shocked squeak. After some gentle prodding from Dash, she told everyone how she vaguely remembered Rarity acting strangely when she had woken up, like she had seen a ghost.

Rainbow had been largely silent as the events were relayed to her, but suddenly exclaimed in surprise. "That's what she meant!” Everyone in the room turned to stare at her. “She asked me the weirdest question ever just before I left to go talk to ‘Shy! Something about…” She pressed a hoof to her head, squeezing her eyes shut in concentration. “If it weren't for ‘Shy... did me and her ever have a chance? It was just this out of the blue, super weird thing—"

"It's called a non-sequitur, Dash." Twilight rolled her eyes. “It means—”

"Yeah! A nonsequential thingy!” Rainbow nodded excitedly, cutting Twilight off before she could slip into full-on Lecture Mode.  “It was like 'Why would she even ask that?'"

“Ahem.” Luna used the lull in conversation to clear her throat and regain everyone’s attention. “I am sorry to interrupt, but there is more to tell and time is of the essence. I must warn you, however—” She fixed Rainbow with a serious gaze. “—what happens next is not pleasant.” Dash swallowed nervously, but nodded. With that, Luna resumed her tale, recounting the portion of the dream where Rainbow had beaten Rarity, causing the five mares to cringe, though Dash in particular looked like she was going to be sick. By the time Luna reached the proposal, Fluttershy, Pinkie and Twilight were wiping half-formed tears from their eyes.

Dash, however, had a big, dopey grin plastered on her face. "Wow, swept her right up and flew her around the Corner.” She nodded at nothing in particular. “I gotta give it to dream me, that was pretty radical."

"Um… Dashie?” Fluttershy tapped her marfriend on the shoulder nervously, wiping her other hoof across her nose and sniffing a final time. “You, um, do know none of that really happened, right?" She quickly backtracked, fearing an angry reaction from Rainbow. “I-I mean, it sounds really, um, sweet and, um… nice, but… it was all in Rarity’s dream.”

“Well, yeah…” Dash's grin dropped slightly, but quickly reasserted itself. "But it's about how I woulda done it, ‘Shy.” Her gaze drifted to Rarity. “I guess it's kinda nice to know that Rares just... gets me like that." Her grin faded away and she furrowed her brow. “Though, how could she have known about the pinion thing?” A light blush crept into her cheeks, and she ruffled her wings a bit.

“Prolly read it in one of them frou-frou, lovey-dovey romance novels she says she don’t read.” Applejack shook her head, smirking, then turned to Princess Luna. “This seems like one heck of a dream to be havin’ in a few minutes. There any more?”

Luna nodded and finished her story, telling the assembled friends about the wedding and Blueblood’s interruption. When she was done, Dash had a very self-satisfied grin on her face.

“Ah yeah!” Rainbow puffed her chest out a little. “Put that scumbag right in his place.”

“Careful, RD.” Applejack punched Dash in the shoulder playfully. “Yer head gets any bigger and it might not fit through the door.”

“Hey, I can’t help it if I’m awesome in somepony else’s dreams.” Dash rubbed a hoof against her pelt and examined it, drawing a series of eye rolls from her friends. She turned to Luna expectantly. "Okay, I'm down. How do we save her?" Her grin faltered a little bit as a thought came to her, one that she wasn’t entirely sure she wanted the answer to. “Say, princess, if we got married, does that mean that we had a honeymoon? Where we—”

“If you wish to rescue her—” Luna interrupted, a little more loudly than necessary. “—then you must travel into the Dream Realm. Once there, you will need to convince her to wake up.” She walked slowly around the bed.

“Alright then, let’s do this!” Dash stepped forward, flapping her wings once and stopping in front of the princess at the foot of the bed.

“Be warned, Rainbow Dash.” Luna spread her wings, her horn glowing. “While you will be in Rarity’s dream, you will not be dreaming with her. Dreamwalking is fraught with peril, and I do not send you there alone lightly.”

“What’s the difference?” Dash shrugged, unfazed by the princess’ warning.

“By physically entering the Dream Realm, you are subject to its reality. For instance, if you were to crash there, or otherwise injure yourself…”

Dash looked back at her wing in agitation, realizing what Luna meant. “Great, so if I fly too hard in there, my wing could pop out of the joint again.” She stomped a hoof, letting out a frustrated cry. “Augh! I was looking to doing some fast flying in there, at least.” She sat down, crossing her forehooves and sulking for a moment. “Stupid Dreamwalking…”

Luna looked down at Rainbow, fighting to suppress an amused smile. “Do you still wish to do this, Rainbow Dash?”

Dash stood back up, her face set in determination. “Definitely. I can’t just leave her hangin’. ‘Sides…” She looked back to the bed. “Rares and I’ve got some stuff to talk about.”

“Very well.” Luna nodded, the light from her horn increasing. “Prepare thyself, the journey can—”

“Um, wait please.” Fluttershy stepped forward, momentarily freezing under Luna’s gaze. Making her way over to Rainbow’s side, she leaned in and snuggled up to her. “Be careful, Dashie, and bring Rarity back to us.”

Dash wrapped a wing around Fluttershy, hugging her close. “Don’t worry, Flutters. I’ll be fine, and we’ll be back before you know it.” She darted in for a quick kiss on the cheek before letting the other mare go. “Alright, let’s—”

“Hey, RD?” Applejack moved forward. She took a deep breath and smiled. “You go in there and do yer thing, Dash.” She winked. “She’s waitin’ for ya.”

“Thanks, AJ.” Dash trotted over and pulled Applejack into a quick hug, then moved back in front of Luna. “Like I said, we’ll be back before you even know I’m gone.” She turned back to the princess. “Alright, let’s do this.”

Luna glanced expectantly toward Twilight and Pinkie, who shook their heads. Satisfied, she looked down at Rainbow again, her horn once again brightening. “Prepare thyself, the journey to the Dream Realm can be quite… jarring.” Before Dash could respond, Luna cast the spell, sending her into the Dream Realm with a blinding flash of light. When it faded, the spot Rainbow had been standing was empty, leaving everyone present to sit and wait.


	*


        Dash squeezed her eyes shut against the blinding flash, throwing up a foreleg to shield them. She blinked rapidly to clear her vision, but took a few extra seconds to realize that the room she was standing in actually was white. Looking around briefly, she noticed that the room and all the furnishings were made of cloud, save for a few Wonderbolt posters along the walls.

        “Wait… is this supposed to be my house? It doesn’t look anything like—”

        The rest of her complaint was lost when she turned and saw someone strikingly familiar standing on the other side of a doorway. She dipped into a combat stance, only to be mirrored by the other Dash. She waited several long seconds before cocking her head to the side, the action again matched by her counterpart. Moving slowly, she crept toward the doorway, each minute action matched by the other Dash. Once she was only a step away from her mirror image, she stood up, a bemused smile on her face. “Leave it to Rarity to dream up mirrors in my house.”

In a flash of motion, the other Dash lashed out and hit her upside the head with enough force to send her sprawling across the floor. Darkness crept into the edges of Rainbow’s vision, but she saw a pair of cyan legs step in front of her. Mustering the last of her fading strength, she looked up to see her own eyes staring back at her in anger just before everything went black.

> The Mare of Her Dreams
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Unexpected Confessions

Chapter Twenty Four


        The Mare of Her Dreams

        As Dash slogged her way back to consciousness, the first thing she became aware of was a throbbing pain in the back of her skull. She groaned and buried her face in the cloud below her, only to feel a sharp prod at her ribs.

        “Get up.”

        It was odd for Dash to hear her own voice say things she hadn’t thought. Lifting her head and gritting her teeth, she looked up, only to see her reflection glaring back down at her. Glancing around, she saw that they were no longer in her house, instead sitting on a cloud above the edge of Ponyville. The hoof jabbed at her side again, and she swatted it away with a foreleg. “Knock it off, Rainbow Dream.”

        “What the buck are you doing here?” Dream leaned down, her face inches from Dash’s. “How did you even get here?” She backed up a bit, a snarl creasing her face. “Did you even think about what it would do to Rarity to see you here?”

        “Why should I tell you?” Dash pushed up to her hooves, rolling her neck and eliciting a series of pops and cracks. “I’ve heard about what you do to ponies who upset you. Are you gonna beat me up like you did Rares?”

        Dream looked off to the side for a moment, before snarling. “Yeah, I hit her. Do you know why?” She stalked a little closer and glared at Dash again. “Because I'm you! This," she gestured at herself, "is how she sees you. From the moment I opened my eyes, I knew I loved ‘Shy, and the first time I saw her was in a coffin." The snarl fell off her face like she'd been dropped in a pool of ice water. “I hated her, just like she imagined you would, but I forgave her. But you… you hurt her more than I ever could, so what’s your excuse?" She glared at Dash expectantly, snorting when the other mare had no answer. "I thought so. I'm not going to let that happen again. So tell me—” She jabbed a hoof into Dash’s chest. “—why are you here?”

        “I’m here to wake Rares up.” Dash knocked away the hoof at her chest and walked to the edge of the cloud. “Where is she, anyway? Rar—”

        Dream tackled her into the cloud, turning the rest of her shout into a pained grunt. “Shut up!” She hissed, placing a foreleg over Dash’s mouth when she opened it again. “She doesn’t want to go back anymore! She can’t keep being brave for you!” Dream stood up, giving Dash a little shove as she did so. “Now, get out of here. Go home and be with ‘Shy. That’s your job now. ‘Love her enough for the both of us,’ remember?”

        Dash glared at her dream counterpart, then stood up as well. “I’m not going anywhere until I talk to Rarity.” She made a break for the edge of the cloud, flaring her wings, but tripped over Dream’s leg at the last instant. Skidding to the edge, she spit out the mouthful of cloud she had gathered. “I told you, I’m not leaving without talking to Rares. Now stay outta my way.” Slowly clambering to her hooves, Dash got ready to take off and ran for the edge, only to have a solid wall of black thunderhead cloud materialize in front of her She slammed into it and bounced off, tripping over her own hooves and falling back down.

        “And I told you—” Dream planted a hoof on Dash’s back as the wall of cloud dissipated. “—that this is what Rarity wants. She knows—”

        “Who in the hay do you think you are?” Dash tried to push herself up, but Dream held her down with seemingly impossible strength. “You keep talking about what Rarity wants. Well, if this is really what she wants, then she can tell me.”

        “Who am I?” Dream chuckled, her hold on Dash easing up for a moment before bearing down again. “I’m a figment of her imagination, a dream. I’m as much of you as she could dream up when she felt herself falling.” She leaned down, whispering into Dash’s ear. “She felt like she was going to die, wanted to even, and needed somepony to catch her. Now, here you stand—” Dream straightened back up. “—err… lie.” A wry smirk spread across her features. “Why am I not surprised she managed to improve upon the original?”

        Dash pressed against the cloud harder, straining to rise. “Sh-shut… up.” No matter how hard she tried, she remained firmly pinned in place.

        “You just don’t get it, do you?” Dream sighed, shaking her head. “Well, we never were the sharpest tool in the shed.” She leaned back down, anger creeping into her voice. “I kept trying to remind her why she couldn’t do this—” She waved a hoof. “—It was watching you and ‘Shy be so happy together, and knowing that she could never have that, not with either of you… That pushed her over the edge. She stopped caring about waking up anymore! And why couldn’t she have it?” Dream’s voice dropped to a venomous whisper, the anger transforming into disgust. “Because your parents were bucking idiots. That’s why she didn’t even get a chance!” She pressed her hoof harder into Dash’s back.” Now, how do you get out of here?”

“I don’t—” Dash paused to spit out a mouthful of cloud. “I don’t know.”

“Horsefeathers!” Dream smacked Dash upside the head. “Luna had to have told you how to get out.”

“How did you— oof!” Dash felt the pressure on her back increase again, and she sank into the could a bit more. “No, she didn’t tell me.”

Dream eased up a bit, letting out an amused chuckle. “So, you just barged in here with no clue how to get out?” She shook her head. “Typical.”

        “She’s important to us! To me! That’s why I’m here!” Dash shot back. “I… I wanna give it a shot. The three of us. Together.” She let out a sigh, her entire body slumping. “I know I bucked up royally… shooting her down off-hoof like that, and I know that I don’t deserve her forgiveness…” She looked back up, a determined fire burning in her eyes. “But I’m not leaving here without her, no matter what.”

        “Give it a shot?” Dream could only stare at her counterpart in disbelief for several seconds, her eyebrows raised in surprise. “Give it a shot?” Dream’s face quickly contorted in rage. “She loves you, you idiot! Not that you deserve it.” She stalked over to Dash, stopping just shy of running into her. “Give me one good reason why I should even let you try. I’m tired of seeing the way she gets after talking to you.” She jabbed Dash in the chest. “Why should I trust you to take care of her?”

        “Because I… I…” The word ‘love’ stuck in Dash’s throat, and after a few more moments of trying to force it out, she gave up. “Alright, I don’t love her, not yet. But I want to.” She leveled a hard stare at Dream. “I’ll make this work.”

        “Yeah, sure you will.” Dream smirked, but her eyes glared daggers at Dash. “You’ll make it work… for a little while. Then we’ll be right back here, with Rarity even more heartbroken than she already is.”

        “No!” Dash stomped a hoof, sending up a small cloud of mist. “I’d never do that to her!”

        “You already have!” Dream shouted. “She asked you to do one thing! You stupid—” Her hoof flashed out, hitting square in Dash’s chest. “—selfish—” Her other hoof flew out, hitting Dash in the gut and making her wince. “—waste of space! You couldn’t even do that right!” She lunged forward, slamming her forehead into Dash’s nose with a wet crunch.

        “Ah!” Dash ducked under a swing aimed at her head and pressed a hoof to her nose, feeling blood start to trickle out. “What’s the buck was that for?” She deflected a kick aimed for her chest and swung a hoof in retaliation, hitting Dream’s temple. “Knock it—” She rolled forward and to the side, winding up facing away from Dream. Gathering herself, she lashed out with both hind legs, hearing the satisfying sound of hoof impacting flesh, along with the crack of a rib or two breaking. As soon as her hooves hit the cloud again, she leapt for the edge, spreading her wings and searching for some sign of Rarity.

        “Come on, Rares… where—” Dash banked into a turn and saw her cloud house a ways off. She pumped her wings harder, grimacing as a lance of pain shot through her right wing joint. Gritting her teeth against the pain, she flew toward the house as hard as she could.

        “Get back here!” 

        Dash looked back over her shoulder to see Dream racing after her, gaining on her quickly. Dash tried to put on some more speed, but before she could, Dream slammed into her from behind, wrapping her foreleg’s around Dash’s barrel.

        “Ah!” Dash yelped as Dream’s extra weight pulled on her wing, wrenching it out of its socket again. They tumbled through the air, a tangled mass of hooves and wings, until they crashed into a low-hanging cloud. Another lance of pain raced through Dash’s wing as the landing twisted it at an awkward angle. “Ow! Ow ow ow! Careful! Watch the— oof!” The wind was knocked from her for an instant when Dream rolled on top of her, pinning her to the cloud. Using her clone’s momentum against her, Dash pushed up hard, launching Dream through the air. Dash saw her copy flailing and darted forward, crashing into her with a shoulder and sending her over the edge of the cloud.

        Dash watched Dream fall past the cloud then turned back to her re-injured wing. She gave it an experimental flap, hissing at the pain that shot through it. “Looks like I’m not doing any more flying.” Her ear flicked back, and she heard the telltale flap of wings getting closer. “And if I can’t go around her…” She turned just in time to see Dream land on the other side of the cloud. They watched each other for a moment before Dash dug her hooves in, preparing to charge.

“I’ll just have to go through her.” She rushed forward, waiting for her copy to move out of the way. When Dream started to move, Dash planted her forehooves and spun, swinging her hind legs around. Unfortunately, they met only air.

        “Why can’t you just let her be happy?” Dream punctuated the question with a strike to Dash’s ribs. “She’s happy here. With me.” Two more hits, the second hitting Dash in the kidney and drawing a pained cry from her. Dash recovered from her missed kick and flared her good wing, obscuring her clone’s vision. Keeping her wing in place, she shot her legs out again, this time entwining them with Dream’s. Throwing her weight to the side, she brought both of them down in a tumble, which Dash unfortunately landed on the bottom of.

Dream grabbed a hoofful of Dash’s mane and yanked back, forcing her head up. “Can’t you see that? Just give up.” Dash tried to break free from Dream’s grasp, flailing her legs to find some scant amount of purchase, but to no avail. She turned just enough to glare at Dream.

        “Never.”

        Dream shook her head, then chuckled. “Guess I shouldn’t be surprised… we always were stubborn. But tell me, why—”

        “She can’t stay like this forever!” Dash cut across Dream’s words, pulling her mane free from the other mare’s grasp. Looking back, she saw confusion written on Dream’s face, so she pressed on. “Rarity’s been asleep for, what? Two days? Soon they’re gonna have to put her on life support for food, going to the bathroom, and giving her sponge baths.” She smirked as that last one caused Dream to swallow nervously. “Yeah, not exactly up to her normal standards of a beauty regimen.”

        “She’ll… I can… Augh!” Dream pounded a hoof onto the cloud, her face twisted in frustration.

        “You said it yourself, Dream, she can’t stay here. Not forever.” Dash tried to push up again, rising a few inches but still stuck under her clone. “I’m asking you, as somepony at least as awesome as you… Let me try. Give me a chance to learn to love her.” She saw conflicting emotions running across Dream’s face. “I’ll… I’ll Pinkie Promise if it will help.”

        Dream chewed on her lip for a moment, obviously deep in thought. “Alright, fine, you can—” She trailed off and looked up as a shadow passed over the cloud. “Horsefeathers.”


*


        “Rainbow, love? Are you ever coming out of there?” Rarity tapped a hoof on the bathroom door, where her wife had disappeared to nearly fifteen minutes ago. She pressed an ear to the door, listening for any sign of activity from within, but only silence answered her question. “Come now, love, dinner is getting cold.” She tapped a hoof impatiently and let out an irritated sigh. “I’m coming in, love.” With that, Rarity leaned forward, poking her head through the door and looking around, only to find the bathroom empty.

        “Darling?” Rarity moved forward through the door, shaking the mist from her mane and wings. “Rainbow, where did—” She finally noticed that the window had been opened, leaving the drapes to flutter in the breeze. Rearing up to place her legs on the sill, she stuck her head out of the window, looking around for any sign of her wife.

        “Oh, where has she gotten to this time?” Rarity turned and trotted out of the bathroom, heading for the front door. She couldn’t hide the smile that tugged at her lips. Rainbow’s surprises were unpredictable and often times troublesome… but they were always worth it. Flinging the door open with a touch of magic, she stepped out onto the porch and stretched her wings. She dove off of the edge and flared her wings, banking to the left and catching a thermal that lifted her high above the clouds. Angling her wings, she left the thermal and eased into a wide circle, searching for any sign of her wife.

        After about half a minute of searching, she saw a telltale splash of chromatic color on one of the clouds below. Rarity pursed her lips in disappointment. A bit… tame for her. Her smile flickered back to life, and she bit her lip. Unless she’s got something hidden. Folding her wings in, she closed her eyes and fell, delighting in the dangerous thrill that it sent rushing through her veins. Cracking an eye open against the wind rushing by, she flared her wings again to slow her approach.

        “Dear, I certainly ho—” Rarity landed on the cloud a little harder than she had intended, sending up a large spray of mist that obscured her wife. A quick flap of her wings dispersed it and she tried again. “I certainly hope that whatever you lured me out—” The rest of her words died in her throat when she finally noticed that Rainbow Dash was sitting on top of… Rainbow Dash. Her mouth hung open in shock while her brain futilely tried to process what she was seeing. The Dash on top looked at Rarity, down at the other Dash, then back up to Rarity.

        “It’s, um… It’s not what it looks like.” The Rainbow on top said quickly.

        The Dash on bottom grinned cockily. “Oh, the hay it isn’t!”

        Rarity looked at the scene in more detail and noticed that her two wives had gotten a bit rough with one another. Closing her eyes briefly, she willed away the damage with a thought, leaving them good as new. It was something she had gotten used to doing; at times, Rainbow got a little rough and drew blood. Rarity didn’t like the way the red set against her wife’s cyan coat.

        “Now, I thought we had talked about this, love.” Rarity took a step closer to the pair of Dashes, her eyes half-lidded. “If this is what you wanted, all you had to do was ask.” Her mouth turned up into a wry grin. “Though, I thought we had agreed that if we were to do this, Applejack would be our third. Regardless, don’t let me stop you.”

        The lower Dash’s eyes bulged out, and suppressed laughter quickly bubbled to the surface, resulting in a gigglesnort. “Pffthahaha! I gotta give you that one, Rares.” She looked up at the one on top. “You gonna let me up now? Or did you wanna make out in front of her first?” The Rainbow on top climbed off, a blush staining her cheeks, and the other one got back to her feet.

        Dash nodded in thanks to her twin, then turned back to Rarity. “Alright, Rares, I came to talk to you. It’s me, Dash.”

        Rarity nodded, smiling. “I can see that, love.”

        Dash’s mouth scrunched up in annoyance. “No, not that Dash—” She jerked her head in the other Dash’s direction. “—It’s me. The real, genuine, accept-no-substitutes Rainbow Dash.” She gave a flap of her wings, wincing. “Ow!” She glanced back at her right wing, flexing it and grimacing.

        “Sorry, love. One moment.” Rarity closed her eyes for a second, then reopened them. “There we are. All better.” She watched as Dash flapped her wings again, still grimacing. “I’m sorry, darling… that usually works.”

        “Eh, don’t sweat it.” Dash shrugged. “It happened before I got here.”

        Rarity looked back and forth between the two Rainbows, one of whom was still staring at the ground. “What do you mean before you ‘got here?’

        “You know, before I got… here.” Dash waved a hoof around. When Rarity still didn’t seem to understand, she tried again. “Before Princess Luna sent me here… into your dream.”

        The pieces finally clicked in Rarity’s head and she blanched, as much as an already white unicorn can blanch. “You… Sh-she… You’re…” She brought a hoof to her mouth. “Oh goddesses, Rainbow, y-you weren’t… I… I’m sorry, but—” Anything else she was going to say was cut off when Dash rushed forward and pulled her into a hug.

        “No. I’m sorry.” Dash squeezed Rarity a little tighter. “I should have seen how—” Her words froze for a moment. “Rares? Are those… wings?” She reached back with a hoof and poked one of the feathery appendages.

        “I… You…” Rarity sputtered for a moment, then broke out into laughter. By the time she finally calmed down, she had to wipe tears from her eyes before she could speak. “Oh Rainbow, darling, only you could come to a place like this and see her—” She motioned toward Dream. “—only to get stuck on the fact that I have wings.” She sighed, and it trailed off into a final bout of chuckles. “I suppose it’s one of the reasons I lo—” She froze mid-word.

        “It’s okay, Rares.” Dash tightened the embrace she held Rarity in. “I… know. You don’t have to hide it anymore.” She wrapped her wings around the other mare, despite the pain that lanced through the dislocated one. “Fluttershy told me everything. About how she never chose either of us, and how you pretended that she did to protect her.”

        “Sh-she…” Rarity leaned harder against Dash, her legs threatening to give out. “I’m… I’m so…” Her emotions finally overwhelmed her, and she broke down into tears. Rainbow patted her back and murmured reassurances to her until the worst of her hysterics had passed and her stream of tears was reduced to a trickle. Eventually, after several minutes of crying, and more than a few dirty glares from Dream, Rarity was able to utter a single word between her choked sobs. “Why?”

        “Because we love you.” Dash replied, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. “All of us.” Next to them, Dream harrumphed loudly, earning her an annoyed look from Dash. “Okay, fine. I may not love you like… that yet.” She finally pulled back from the embrace, lifting Rarity’s chin to look into her bloodshot eyes. “But… I want to. I can’t just flip it on like a switch, but… I want to be there for you. I don’t want you to have to do something like this ever again. Besides…” The edge of her mouth twitched up, spreading into one of her familiar cocky grins. “Being the mare of somepony’s dreams is… crazy, but it makes me want to live up to that. To her.” She motioned toward Dream.

        Rarity glanced over toward her wife and rubbed a hoof across her nose, sniffling one last time. After a second, she chuckled weakly. “You’re going to be insufferable about this, aren’t you?”

        “Only for a month or two… or three…” Dash looked over at Dream again. “Four at the max.”

        Rarity laughed, not a weak chuckle or a strained giggle, but a real laugh. “Oh, I wouldn’t expect any less from you, darling.” She stepped forward and pulled Dash into another hug. “Thank you for coming here, Rainbow. For coming after me.”

        “Hey, I never leave my friends hangin’.” Dash returned the hug, nuzzling lightly into the other mare’s neck.

Giving a final squeeze, Rarity retreated from the embrace. “Although… you never did answer my question, but I suppose that’s equally my fault for not being… terribly specific. What made you change your mind?”

“That’s… a long story.” Dash chuckled as Rarity rolled her eyes. “Don’t worry, I’ll tell you, but I think we should head out first. I don’t know how time works in here, and I don’t think we should worry everyone by staying too long.” She looked around for a bit and eventually saw the cloud house Rarity had dreamed up as her home. “Oh, by the way, that place doesn’t look anything like my house on the inside. Don’t worry though, I’ll give you a nice tour when we get back, especially the ceiling of my bedroom.” She gave an exaggerated wink.

Rarity stood frozen in shock for a moment before bursting out in indignation, blushing furiously. “Rainbow Dash! I will not be propositioned like some common—” She turned to Dream, who was snickering into a hoof. “You! Stop that!”

“Come on, Rares, it was pretty funny.” Dream giggled at Rarity’s further exasperation. “Um, just wondering… Dash, do you know how you’re supposed to get out of here? Because Rarity doesn’t.”

The mare in question shrugged. “No idea. Luna just said that going in was tough… she didn’t say anything about getting out.” Dash rubbed the back of her neck with a hoof. “I guess… maybe I’ll get out when Rares wakes up?”

“I suppose that’s worth a try, and… I suppose it’s time.” Rarity let out a sigh, walking over to Dream. “Thank you, love… for everything.” She reached up and hugged her wife. “I don’t suppose I’ll be seeing you anymore.”

“Yeah…” Dream looked over at Dash. “You’ve got the real deal now.”

Rarity pulled back, a smile on her face. “So I do.” She turned and walked over to Dash, standing next to her. “Are you ready, dear?” At Dash’s nod, Rarity turned back to Dream, waving goodbye. “Farewell, love.”

Dream held up a hoof in farewell, but then rushed forward and clasped Dash in her forehooves. Dash barely had time to squeak out. “Wha—” The rest was lost as Dream locked lips with her, wiggling her tongue against Dash’s lips and trying to get inside. Dash’s eyes went wide in shock for a brief instant, but then closed as she melted into the kiss, parting her lips so that her tongue could dance and battle with Dream’s. After it finally broke, she stared at Dream, panting slightly. “Wha… What was that for?”

“It was partly for you.” Dream explained, a subdued grin on her face that she was trying to make look cocky. “We both know you’ve always wondered what it would be like to make out with yourself.” She leaned in closer, so that she was whispering into Dash’s ear. “Take good care of her, okay?” Her eyes flicked over to Rarity, whose wings quivered at attention. Dream moved in even closer, so that her lips nearly brushed Dash’s ear as she spoke. “That’s how she likes to be kissed. Think you can remember that?”

Dash shivered as the breathy voice played across her ear. “Y-yeah… I think I can do that.” She unconsciously leaned forward a bit, trying to close the final scant distance between her ear and Dream’s lips.

“Good!” Dream nodded and started to turn, but settled for just taking a couple steps back instead. “Well, you two better get going then.” She looked back, a sad smile on her face. “Goodbye… and don’t forget about me, okay?” Rarity simply nodded, unable to say anything. Taking one last deep breath, she draped a wing over Dash and closed her eyes.


*


Back in the hospital room, Pinkie, Twilight, and Fluttershy sat near the wall, while Applejack paced back and forth in front of the bed. Pinkie and Twilight made idle conversation and tried to include Fluttershy, but the nervous pegasus would only say a word or two before lapsing back into silence, watching for any sign of movement from the bed. Their latest attempt at conversation was interrupted by a choked sob. Everyone turned to Fluttershy, who wiped a hoof across her eyes.

“Oh, I-I’m sorry…” Fluttershy lowered her head to hide behind her mane, sniffling. “I-It’s just… it’s been almost a day.” She glanced to the window, where the setting sun cast the scattered clouds in hues of red and orange. “Rarity hasn’t even moved. What… what if Dash couldn’t do it? What if she couldn’t convince Rarity to wake up? Wh-what if—” Her voice faltered, and she broke down into fresh tears.

“Hey now, sugarcube.” Applejack trotted over and sat down next to Fluttershy, letting the distraught mare lean on her shoulder. “This is Dash we’re talkin’ ‘bout, remember? She doesn’t lose, and she sure as shootin’ doesn’t give up.” She wrapped a foreleg around Fluttershy’s withers. “Ah’m sure that she’ll drag Rare outta there by her frou-frou little tail if’n she has to. We just gotta be patient.”

“I…” Fluttershy sniffed again and leaned harder into Applejack’s side. “I know. It’s just hard. I’m so worried about them.”

“We all are, Fluttershy.” Twilight moved up to Fluttershy’s other side, draping her good foreleg across her back. “But Applejack is right. If anypony can get Rarity out, it’s Rainbow.”

“Yeppers!” Pinkie popped up behind them, wrapping her forelegs around all three of them in a group hug. “And when she does we can have a super duper fun party to celebrate the three of you being happy and snuggly and kissy!” At that, Fluttershy squeaked and shrunk in on herself, nearly disappearing among the three ponies hugging her.

“What’s wrong now, sugarcube?” Applejack pulled her up a bit. “Ah thought that’s what ya wanted, ain’t it? You, Rarity and Dash all bein’ together?”

“Yes, um, i-if that’s wh-what they want…” Fluttershy looked back to the bed, where Rarity still lay motionless. “B-but what if they decide that it’s not what they want? I… I lied to them. I was horrible and selfish and…” A new wave of tears threatened to spill from her eyes, but she squeezed them shut. “What if they decide they don’t want to be with a horrible, lying, selfish pony? Wh-what if…” She drifted into silence, her lip quivering. After several moments, she finally spoke again. “What if they’re happier by themselves?” Her resolve finally crumbled and she broke down into frantic sobs.

When they finally abated, Applejack was the first to speak, trying to console her. “Now listen here, sug’. What ya did… Ah ain’t gonna lie, it was pretty bad, but you love ‘em don’tcha?” She waited for a feeble nod. “And ya trust ‘em too, right?” Another nod, slightly stronger than the last one. “Then, have some faith in ‘em. They both said they love ya, and Ah doubt they’d be willin’ to throw that away over one little thing.”

“B-but wh-what if—” Fluttershy chewed on her lower lip for a few seconds, then nodded. “You’re right, thank you, Applejack.”

“No need, sugarcube.” Applejack gave Fluttershy one more squeeze. “It’s what friends’re—” The rest went unsaid as a brilliant flash lit the room and everyone turned to the bed, letting out a collective sigh of disappointment when they saw Rarity still sound asleep.

“I am sorry to disappoint you, my little ponies.” Everyone turned back to the doorway, where Princess Luna stood. A flurry of hasty apologies filled the air, ending only when Luna held up a hoof. “One at a time, please.”

“We’re very sorry, Princess.” Fluttershy stared at her hooves, occasionally glancing up at Luna. “We just, um, thought that maybe Rainbow was coming back and Rarity was waking up.” She scuffed a hoof on the floor. “But it’s, um, very nice to see you too.”

“Thank you, dear Fluttershy.” Luna smiled warmly and moved around to the side of the bed. “And I do believe I have asked that you refer to me simply as ‘Luna.’”

“Oh, um, right. I’m sorry, Pri— Luna.” Fluttershy extricated herself from the embrace of her friends and walked over to stand across from the princess. “Um, L-Luna?” She flinched under the alicorn’s inquisitive gaze, briefly considering crawling back into the space left between Twilight and Applejack to bolster her courage. “If all Rainbow had to do was talk to Rarity and convince her to wake up, wh-why has it taken so long? If you don’t mind me asking, that is.” She swallowed nervously while Luna seemed to ponder her question.

“It is… difficult to say.” Luna watched Rarity for a moment, then turned back to Fluttershy. “Time dilation in dreams has long been a… vexing subject.” She smiled as Fluttershy, Pinkie, and Applejack cocked their heads in confusion, but Twilight nodded. “The hours of dreaming can seem like mere minutes one night, but a lifetime the next. However, that is why I have come. Rarity’s dream is crumbling, and she should wake soon.”

“But what about Dash?” Applejack moved toward the bed, followed shortly by Pinkie and Twilight, the latter of whom slid a bit every other step on her roller skate-tipped leg. “Ah mean, what happens to her when Rare’s dream goes away?”

“As Rarity’s dream crumbles, Rainbow Dash will be ejected from the Dream Realm.” Luna began looking around the room. “Though, exactly where she will appear can be… difficult to determine.” Everyone else began looking around as well.

“She ain’t gonna end up stuck in the walls or nothin’, is she?” Applejack leaned down and peeked under the bed.

“It is… unlikely, however—”

Another brilliant flash lit the room, and they all turned to see Dash floating several feet above Rarity’s bed. Her eyes opened and her hooves worked against the empty air for a second before she looked down.

“Crap.”

Just as Rainbow started to fall, Rarity’s eyes snapped open and she caught Dash in an aura of magic, slowly lowering her until she could reach up and pull Dash down into a tender embrace. Moving slowly, Rarity inched forward until she captured Dash’s lips in a kiss, feeling her heart flutter as Rainbow returned it. After a few moments, they broke apart, trading a few light nuzzles before Rarity finally spoke up.

“Darling.” She whispered, darting in for a quick peck on the cheek. “I don’t mean to be crude, but I believe that one of us could do with a shower.” She pulled back a bit and planted a light kiss on Dash’s nose. “And I do believe it’s me…” They shared a chuckle before a quiet but high-pitched squeal caught their attention. They turned to see their friends standing beside the bed. Fluttershy was trembling nervously, glancing back and forth between them, while Pinkie grinned so wide it threatened to split her face in half, and Applejack and Twilight looked on jealously, the latter occasionally glancing at the former. Pinkie gave a subtle nudge to Applejack, who seemed not to notice.

“Uh… hi.” Dash cleared her throat and belatedly noticed that her wings were fully extended. A blush of color flooded her cheeks as she wrestled them back to her sides, wincing as the dislocated one folded awkwardly. Once she had them under control again, she slid off the side of the bed. “H-hey guys, what’s up?”

“I see you were successful in your mission, Rainbow Dash.” Luna stood from her cushion and banished it with a thought, keeping a stern expression as Dash and Rarity turned to face her. “And as for you, Rarity…” She flared her wings and looked down her muzzle at the prostrate unicorn, who wilted under her gaze. “What you did was not only foolish and dangerous, but it could easily have been lethal. Had Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy not arrived when they did, you could very well have died.” Rarity opened her mouth to respond, but Luna silenced her with a look.

“Your attempt to live your life in the Dream World, however appealing it may have seemed, was misguided. I know more than most how tempting the solace of a dream can be, especially to ease loneliness… but I know equally as well just how easily that sweetness can sour and twist into something far darker. Something that can very easily consume you.” Luna paused, letting the implications of her words sink in. “You were very lucky, Rarity.”

“I… I know.” Rarity’s voice was barely audible, and her eyes stayed glued to the bed. “And, for what it’s worth… I’m sorry.” She finally managed to look up and turned to Dash and Fluttershy. “Truly, I am.”

“It’s okay, Rares.” Rainbow stepped up to the bed, reaching up and holding Rarity’s hoof. She looked over her shoulder at Fluttershy, who was still glancing back and forth between them. Dash motioned for her to join them, and she tentatively made her way over, a cautious smile flickering across her lips as she laid her hoof against Rarity’s and Dash’s.

“That brings us to our… final issue.” Luna moved her gaze from Rarity to Rainbow and Fluttershy. “I trust that you two will look after her from this point onward?”

“Definitely.” Dash replied, while Fluttershy merely nodded, her cautious smile growing stronger.

“Very well. I shall leave her in your capable hooves. Now, if you’ll excuse me—” Luna walked over to the doorway, her horn crackling with energy. “—I am needed back in Night Court. Lord Uptight was in the middle of explaining to me how the Council needs yet another raise before I came here. Although…” She looked at the clock. “It should take at least another fifteen minutes before Uptight realizes that the illusion I left behind isn’t real. He tends to get caught up in his speeches. Regardless, I should return. Farewell.” In another flash of light, the princess was gone, leaving behind only the smell of ozone and the metallic tang of residual magic.

“Well, Ah reckon we oughta get a move on, too.” Applejack began ushering Twilight and Pinkie toward the door, though the latter was still grinning ecstatically. “We’ll let the nurse know that you’re up and ready to go home.”

“Thank you, dear.” Rarity smiled and waved to her friends as they left. Once they were gone, she turned back to Dash and Fluttershy, her expression growing fearful. “Again, I am truly sorry, darlings. I…” She let out a defeated sigh, her entire body slumping. “I don’t know what came over me… I was just—” She stopped when Rainbow reared up and wrapped her up in a hug, extending her good wing around the unicorn.

“Hey, I told you it was okay.” Dash gave Rarity a squeeze before pulling back a bit. “Just don’t do it again, alright?” She winked.

Rarity chuckled, shaking her head. “Of course, dear. It seems you’re always there to save me right when I need it.”

“Yeah, I’m pretty awesome like that.” Dash puffed out her chest a bit and grinned cockily, earning herself a playful smack from Rarity. After a moment, she turned to Fluttershy. “You okay, ‘Shy? You’ve been quiet… er than usual.”

“Eep!” Fluttershy shrank back from the sudden attention, but recovered and stared at the floor. “Oh, um, yes. I’m fine. It’s just…” She chewed her lip for a few seconds debating with herself internally. Eventually, she looked up, fear in her eyes. “A-are you girls mad at me?”

Rarity and Dash shared a confused glance before both turning to face her. “Whyever would we be, love?”

Fluttershy dropped her gaze back to the floor, tears forming in her eyes. “B-because I-I’m a horrible, s-selfish pony, and I… I lied to b-both of you and hurt you.” She blinked, sending the first wave of tears down her muzzle in wet tracks.

“Hey, now.” Rainbow lifted Fluttershy’s chin and kissed away the tears running down her cheeks. Once they were gone, she touched their foreheads together, brushing her nose past her marefriends’. “Like I said, you didn’t do anything wrong. It was our fault just as much as yours.”

“Indeed, love, we— Oh, ow!” Rarity sat up and scooted to the edge of the bed, her joints giving off a series of cracks and pops while she rubbed sore muscles. “We were hardly consid—” She winced as her hip made an especially loud pop. “—considerate of your feelings in the matter, being far too focused on our own and, to a degree, each other’s.” She hopped down from the bed, her legs shaking for a moment, and rolled her neck to get the last few kinks out. “Oh, Celestia, what I wouldn’t give for a hot bath and a massage right now.”

“I think we can arrange that.” Dash smiled and draped her good wing across Rarity’s back.

“It’s good to see you awake Miss Rarity.” They all turned to the doorway to see Doctor Stable stepping through it. He floated Rarity’s chart up from the end of the bed and looked it over. “So, how are you feeling?”

“A little sore, and I’m in need of a proper bath…” Rarity reached up and ran a hoof through her mane, cringing inwardly at the tangled mess she felt. “But I’m no worse for wear, I suppose.”

“Excellent.” The doctor scribbled a few notes into Rarity’s chart, then flipped back a few pages. “Well, your last three bloodwork panels all came back clean, so you’re ready to go. I can discharge you now or you can spend the night here and go home in the morning.” He looked up from the chart, his quill hovering just above the paper.

“I believe I’ve spent enough time here, doctor.” Rarity leaned against Dash. “I’d like to go home.”

“Alright, then. Normally, I’d insist on a twenty-four hour observational period, but if somepony is willing to stay with you at all time, I think we can make an exception.” Doctor Stable made one last note in the chart and glanced up at Dash. “I think your marefriend here will be able to take care of that easily enough.” Both Rarity and Rainbow blushed, but the doctor didn’t notice, instead turning and heading out the doorway. “I’ll go fill out the discharge paperwork, and Nurse Redheart will be here in a bit with some instructions for once you get home.” With a quick nod, he trotted down the hallway and out of sight.

“Hey, doc!” Dash carefully stepped away from Rarity, pausing to make sure the unicorn wouldn’t fall over, then trotted over to the door, where Stable had reappeared. She held out her dislocated wing. “You mind?”

“Again?” The doctor arched an eyebrow, but shook his head when Rainbow smiled sheepishly. He grasped the wing in his magic. “Alright, but next time I’m gonna have to start charging you. On three. One. Two. Three.” The wing popped back into the socket, and Dash uttered a mumbled thanks through her pained expression.

After Doctor Stable was gone again, Rarity let out a sigh and slumped against Fluttershy. “I do hope that you weren’t just teasing me with that promise of a bath, darling.” She started walking toward the door with Fluttershy, and Dash moved to her other side, both pegasi draping a wing across her back. Out in the hallway, they ran into Nurse Redheart.

“Alright, Miss Rarity. Doctor Stable has a few post-visit instructions for you.” Redheart pulled the chart out from under her leg and flipped through a couple pages. “Let’s get the obvious stuff out of the way. No more sleeping pills.” She leveled a stern gaze at Rarity. “If you’re really having trouble sleeping, we’ll see what we can do, but for now, your current prescription has been voided.”

“Of course.” Rarity nodded in agreement. “Believe me, I wouldn’t think of taking anymore… and I doubt that they would let me, regardless.” She motioned toward Fluttershy and Dash, who eeped and chuckled weakly, respectively.

“Right.” Redheart looked back down at the chart and flipped another page. “Other than that, the doctor has suggested that you start trying to get some exercise in during the mornings. Being asleep for so long will have affected your muscle tone. Doctor Stable suggests that you take a nice walk or jog each morning to get your strength back up. At least half a mile each day.”

“Ha. Don’t worry, nurse.” Dash smiled and squeezed the wing draped across Rarity’s back. “I’ll make sure she gets her exercise in.”

“Oh joy.” Rarity mumbled, shaking her head for a moment. “Is there anything else?”

“Hmm…” Redheart flipped back and forth between a few pages. “Nope. No sleeping pills and daily exercise. That’s it.” She tucked the chart back under a foreleg. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got more patients to tend to. Have a nice day.” With that, she turned and headed back down the hall, dropping Rarity’s chart at the nurses’ station and grabbing a stack of several others.

“In that case, girls…” Rarity started to trudge forward, prompting Fluttershy and Dash to follow her. “I believe I hear my bath calling for me, and I would hate to disappoint it by not showing up.”

“Sure thing, Rares.” Dash gave Rarity another squeeze. The front doors opened as they approached, and a blast of frigid air rushed in. They turned their heads away from the freezing wind and powered forward, thankful that it relented somewhat once they were outside.

“G-goodness Rainbow, dear.” Rarity tried to keep her teeth from chattering while she spoke. “Isn’t it a d-day or two early for this cold front?” She shivered as another gust of wind blew.

“Um…” Dash looked up at the sky as she walked. “I… don’t really know. How long was I gone, ‘Shy?”

“Oh!” Fluttershy perked up, having drifted off slightly. “A-about a day. Um, maybe a tiny bit less?”

“Hmm…” Dash pursed her lips as she did some quick mental calculations. “Nah. It’s right on time.” She looked back up, running a critical eye across the sky. “Gotta hand it to Flitter and Cloudchaser, they did a good job, especially since I wasn’t there.”

“Feel free to c-compliment them later, darling.” Rarity tried to walk a little faster, dragging Fluttershy and Dash with her. “Once I’m home and in my bath, you can sing their praises to Celestia herself. But first—” She shivered again, and both of her marefriends pressed closer against her, huddling together. “—we need to get out of this dreadful cold.”

        “Well, then hurry up, slow poke.” Dash broke into a trot, pulling the other two mares with her. They rounded a corner that brought Carousel Boutique into view, prompting all of them to speed up a little bit more. Rarity flung the door open as they approached and pulled ahead of Fluttershy and Rainbow, ducking through the doorway ahead of the pair of pegasi. She let out a sigh as the warmth of her home seeped into her. With a flick of her horn, she lit the room, then turned when she heard the soft click of Fluttershy closing the door. “Honestly, Rainbow, must you make it so cold out?”

        “Hey, I’m not the one that brought the cold front in. Besides, cold is kinda what winter’s about, Rares.” Dash chuckled to herself as one last shiver passed through Rarity. She walked over and draped her good wing across the unicorn’s back again, smiling as her new marefriend let out a contented sigh and leaned into the embrace. “Don’t worry, though. Flutters and I will be here to help keep you warm.”

        “Thank you, dear. I fully intend to take you up on that offer.” Rarity leaned in for a quick kiss, only to get a faceful of mane instead. She pulled back in surprise to see Dash facing away with her ears folded back. “Darling? What’s wrong?”

        Dash turned back just far enough to look at Rarity out of the corner of her eye. “Sorry, Rares, I just…” She paused, searching for the right words. “I’m not ready for that. I know, I know—” She pressed on when the unicorn opened her mouth. “—but the one at the hospital was… different. It was in the moment, I was still riding a serious adrenaline high from saving you, and… well…” A light blush colored her cheeks while she stammered for a bit. “It just felt right. But I need some time to sort all of this stuff out. I mean… my moms, you got married to me in your dream… All of this stuff at once, I just… I need some time. Sorry, again.”

        “No apology necessary, darling.” Rarity smiled and leaned in for a quick nuzzle along Rainbow’s neck. “As I was going to say, I understand, and I’m willing to wait as long as you need to feel comfortable.”

        “Thanks, Rares.” Dash returned the nuzzle and hugged the unicorn closer with her wing. “Now, how about that bath? You comin’, ‘Shy?” She looked over her shoulder to where Fluttershy had been standing, only to find her no longer there. “Fluttershy?”

        “Oh, um, up here.” They looked up to see Fluttershy peeking down into the main room from the top of the staircase. She ducked away a bit from their sudden attention. “You girls were busy talking, and, um, I didn’t want to intrude, so I just came up here and got the bath ready. I hope that’s okay.”

        “More than okay, dear.” Rarity trudged over to the steps and began the slow process of climbing them, leaning more heavily on Rainbow the higher they got. By the time they reached the top, Rarity was barely supporting herself and was merely being drug along by a foreleg she had thrown over Dash’s withers at some point. “I… I’m sorry, darling.” She tried to make the last step herself, but her free foreleg gave out when she tried to shift her weight onto it. Only Rainbow’s lightning-quick reaction saved her from spilling onto the floor in a heap. “I don’t—”

        “Hey, don’t sweat it, Rares.” Dash waved off the unicorn’s explanation, pulling her tighter with the wing still draped across her back. She looked ahead and saw Fluttershy waiting by the door to the bathroom. “We’re almost there.” They made it through the doorway with minimal trouble, and Rainbow pulled Rarity the last few feet to the tub.

        “Oh, um, here. Let me help.” Fluttershy ducked under Rarity’s other foreleg and helped Dash lift the unicorn into the tub.

        “Oh, sweet Celestia.” Rarity moaned as she slid into the water. When her marefriends let go of her forelegs, she sank as far down into the water as she could until only her head was dry. She closed her eyes and let her head fall back and rest on the edge of the tub. “Thank you, girls. Feel free to go to bed. I’m going to be here for the next week or so.”

        “That seems a little long… even for you.” Dash chuckled and leaned against the doorway.

        Rarity cracked an eye open to look at Rainbow. “Perhaps.” She let out a contented sigh and closed her eye again. “However, I would like to soak for a bit.” She lifted her forelegs and stretched them above her head, brushing them against her mane. Frowning, she ran a hoof through her mane. “And perhaps a mane washing would be in order.”

        “Oh, um, I… I’ll help.” Fluttershy stepped forward, but almost immediately moved back. “Um, i-if you want me to, that is.”

        “I would like that very much, darling.” Rarity smiled at the nervous pegasus, then levitated a ball of bath water above her head in a sphere of magic. She opened a number of small holes in the bottom, letting a gentle shower of water fall on her. When it was done, she had managed to soak both herself and Fluttershy to the bone. She glanced back at Fluttershy, who was trying to get her mane unplastered from her face, and tittered behind a hoof. “Oh, I’m sorry, dear. I didn’t realize you were right there.” She apologized, though the gleam in her eye said otherwise.

        “Whoa.” They both turned to Dash, who was staring at them wide-eyed, her wings at full extension. After a moment, she shook her head and blinked, then quickly forced her wings back to her sides. “Uh, sorry.” She grinned sheepishly, a hint of a blush in her cheeks. “It’s just that you two with wet manes is…” She swallowed, and her wings twitched. “Seriously hot.”

        Fluttershy blushed profusely and began to stammer, but Rarity only smiled. “Thank you, darling, but I—” She was interrupted by a ferocious growl from Rainbow’s stomach. “Oh goodness, I’ve been a positively horrid hostess. I’m afraid I don’t have much, but feel free to help yourself to some sandwiches. They’re in the icebox down in the kitchen.”

        Dash bit her lip and glanced down the stairs, but ultimately shook her head. “No, it’s fine. I’ll just—”

        “Please, darling, I insist. Fluttershy will take good care of me, and there’s no reason for you to stand around starving.” When Rainbow opened her mouth to protest again, Rarity splashed her playfully. “Go on, dear. We’ll be fine, I promise.”

        Dash seemed to think about it for a bit before another growl sounded from her stomach. “Okay. Thanks, Rares.” She turned and practically galloped down the stairs, her hooves sending ringing echoes through the showroom. A few seconds later, a resounding crash echoed up from the lower floor, followed by a hasty, “Sorry!”

        Rarity chuckled to herself and shook her head, sending a few stray droplets of water cascading back down into the tub. “I swear, Celestia herself wouldn’t want to be between Rainbow and a meal. Heavens forbid you get between her and cider.”

        “Oh, yes.” Fluttershy giggled to herself while she poured some shampoo onto a hoof and started to work it into Rarity’s mane. “There was one time Dashie stopped by my house after an especially long training session and she hadn’t had lunch. I was in the middle of changing bandages on some of my animal friends, so I told her to help herself to whatever she wanted from my kitchen.”

        Rarity smiled and closed her eyes, simply enjoying listening to her marefriend talk. “I take it that didn’t go over well?”

        “Oh, um, it went over… fine.” Fluttershy giggled to herself again before continuing. “When I finally came inside, she had made a sandwich using everything from my icebox except for the milk and eggs.” She worked her way down Rarity’s mane, running her hooves through the tangled hairs until they were smooth as silk. “It was so big that she couldn’t figure out how to eat it. She wanted to try and get a little bit of all the ingredients in one bite, but couldn’t get her mouth around the whole thing.” Rarity giggled, bringing a hoof out of the water to cover her mouth and inadvertently splashing Fluttershy again. Looking over the unicorn’s lathered mane, Fluttershy dipped her hooves in the water before placing them back on the floor. “Okay, I think I’m done.”

        “Thank you ever so much, darling.” Once again, Rarity lifted a ball of water and gently poured it over her head, washing away the shampoo. After she removed the wet mane covering her eyes, she climbed out of the tub, leaning on Fluttershy for support. “Would you like— oh!” She winced as one of her forelegs threatened to give out for a moment. “Would you like to hop in, dear? I could do your mane for you now.”

        “Oh, um, th-that’s okay.” Fluttershy stared at the floor. “Y-you don’t need to do that.” She stepped away from Rarity a bit, pausing to make sure that she wouldn’t fall over, then trotted across the bathroom and grabbed a towel.

        “Are you sure, darling?” Rarity grasped the towel in her magic and deftly wrapped her mane up in it. “I’d be more than happy to return the favor.”

        “N-no thank you.” Fluttershy sidled up next to Rarity so that the unicorn could lean on her. She looked off to the side, and when she spoke again, it was barely audible. “You’ve already done so much.”

        “I’m sorry, what was that, darling?” Rarity leaned closer, taking the opportunity to give her marefriend a light nuzzle. When Fluttershy shook her head and tried to mumble some excuse, Rarity pressed on. “Come now, dear. You can tell me.” She lifted a hoof, but nearly fell, so she reached out with her magic and lifted the other mare’s chin with a gentle cushion of telekinesis.

        Fluttershy resisted at first, trying to pull away from the soft tug of the magic. “N-no, really, it’s noth—” Her words died in her throat when she finally met Rarity’s gaze. In her marefriend’s eyes, she saw nothing but love and understanding, and she knew that nothing she said would change that. “W-well, it’s just that… you’ve already done so much, and I don’t know how I’m ever going to make it up to you.”

        “You have nothing to ‘make up’ for, love.” Rarity darted in for a kiss on the cheek, but caused her towel to fall over in the process. “True, things didn’t go quite as—” She stopped as a dull fwoosh came from downstairs, followed shortly by the shrill beeping of her kitchen’s smoke detector. “Oh dear.” She and Fluttershy bolted for the doorway, galloping down the stairs and skidding to a halt just outside the now smoke filled kitchen. Rarity extended  her magic through the smoke, feeling for the window above her sink. When she felt it, she threw it open to give the billowing fumes a path to escape.

        After several minutes of Fluttershy using her wings to blow the smoke away, she and Rarity found Dash next to the stove, coughing and sitting next to a still smoldering pan of what they assumed used to be food, but was now a charred and blackened mess. The brash pegasus looked up at them and let out one last cough. “Uh, hi.”

        “Rainbow, dear.” Rarity lifted the burnt lump of food—it looked a bit like it started out as hay, but it could just as easily have been charcoal—and floated it over to the trash can, dropping it in with a solid thunk. “What happened to the sandwiches I told you about in the icebox?”

        “I think—” Dash was interrupted by one last coughing fit. “They went bad, so I was trying to cook up some soy bacon for a BLT.” She looked guiltily at the frying pan and the few scraps of charred food still stuck to it. “I swear, I looked away for a second to grab the lettuce and the next thing I knew, the kitchen was filled with smoke.” Her ears folded back and she grinned sheepishly. “Sorry.”

        “It’s quite alright, darling.” Rarity smiled as she trotted over to the icebox. “But, what do you mean they ‘went bad?’ I made them just the other day. They should be fine for at least a week.” She pulled the door open and poked her head inside, shivering as the cold air washed over her damp coat. Looking over the sandwiches within, the lifted the bread and lettuce, but was unable to find anything wrong with them. “Rainbow, what exactly is wrong with them?”

        “Just look at the cheese.” Dash popped in and grabbed the package of soy bacon, brushing the cold package past Rarity’s leg and stomach on her way out. “It’s got a bunch of blue moldy looking spots on it.”

        Rarity laid the lettuce and bread back down, closing the icebox with a sigh. “It’s bleu cheese, dear. That’s how it’s supposed to look.”

        “I know it’s blue.” Dash rolled her eyes, then leaned down to pick up a couple pieces of soy bacon, dropping them into the pan to sizzle away. “That’s why I didn’t eat it.”

        “No, not blue cheese, bl—” Rarity stopped and pressed a hoof to her forehead. “Just… trust me, darling, the cheese is fine. It is supposed to have those blue spots. They’re what gives the cheese its unique taste. Here...” She pulled open the icebox door for a moment and floated a bit of the bleu cheese out, carrying it over to Rainbow. “Try a bite. If you like it, I’ve got enough that you can put some on your sandwich.”

Dash eyed the offending cheese warily, glancing between it and Rarity. Eventually she shrugged and chomped it out of the air, suppressing a shudder as the tingling feeling of the unicorn’s dissipating magic played across her mouth briefly. She felt the hunk of cheese land on her tongue and she winced slightly, only to realize a second later that it didn’t actually taste bad. “Hmm… you’re right. That is pretty good.” She felt a soft tap on her shoulder, and turned to see her other marefriend holding her completed sandwich on a plate. “Oh, wow. Thanks ‘Shy.”

“Oh, it’s no problem.” Fluttershy handed Rainbow the BLT and watched as she tore into it hungrily. “Your bacon was done and was going to burn again, so I took it off. Then you were busy talking to Rarity, so I just, um, made the rest of it.”

        “Thanksh.” Dash replied through a mouthful of sandwich. She quickly finished off the rest, stopping just shy of licking her hooves clean. “That was awesome. Thanks again.”

        “Um, really, it was nothing.” Fluttershy smiled at the comment, blushing lightly. “So, um, what should we do now?” When Rainbow merely shrugged, she turned back to her other marefriend, only to find her missing. “Rarity?” A clatter of activity from the main room told her and Rainbow where the missing unicorn had gotten off to, and they walked out of the kitchen to see a veritable maelstrom of materials flying around.

        “Terribly sorry to have run off on you, darlings.” Rarity didn’t even look up from the dress form she was working on while she spoke. “But I had a burst of inspiration and simply had to get to work.” A spool of thread swung down and threaded itself through a needle before running through a seam. “I just have all of this… energy all of the sudden.” She finally looked up and smiled at her marefriends. “You girls feel free to go to bed, I’ll likely be working for quite some time.”

        “That’s cool. We can watch.” Dash trotted over to Rarity’s chaise lounge and flopped down, patting the spot next to her for Fluttershy to climb up. When the pegasi were nestled together comfortably, Rainbow turned back to Rarity, her eyes scanning the various tools and materials whirling around the room. She gave a low whistle. “Do you always have this much stuff flying around when you work?”

        “Oh, of course.” Rarity glanced over to the chaise lounge, allowing herself a quick smug grin. “It’s necessary to have everything ready at a moment’s notice. Inspiration can be a very fickle little thing.” She looked over the dress again, pursing her lips for a moment before a pair of scissors swooped down and snipped the thread. All of the materials froze in the air and she looked back to her marefriends. “Are you sure you want to just watch me? It must be terribly boring."

        “Oh, no. Not at all.” Fluttershy shook her head, accidentally giving Rainbow a faceful of mane.

        “Yeah.” Dash swatted Fluttershy’s mane out of her face. “It’s actually pretty cool, seeing all of this stuff flying around but not getting too close or running into each other.” She cocked her head to the side. “It’s kinda like that time we had Tornado Duty.”

        Rarity looked back and forth between them for a few seconds, then turned back to the dress, shrugging slightly. “Very well. Again, if you get tired of watching me work, feel free to head upstairs to bed.” After getting a nod from the pair on the lounge, she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, starting up the whirlwind of materials above her head and getting herself back into ‘the zone.’ When she opened her eyes, she looked over the dress in front of her critically, but could find nothing else that needed improvement. Satisfied, she lifted the equinniquin and moved it over by the wall, bringing in a blank one to replace it. Before long, several bolts of fabric flew over it, draping the bare form in a swarm of color.

        While she worked, Rarity sporadically glanced over at her marefriends, seeing them chatting casually with one another, trading light nuzzles, and even leaning in for the occasional kiss. The sight warmed her heart and made it increasingly difficult to focus, but she forced herself to keep working. You’ll get your turn, Rarity. You just have to be patient. However, after working out one particularly tough problem with her current design’s skirt, she couldn’t help herself and glanced over her shoulder once more. This time, she found Fluttershy and Rainbow sleeping curled up to one another, Dash having draped one of her wings over her marefriend’s back. Poor dears. Rarity paused the maelstrom of activity again and grabbed a blanket from a nearby rack. The exhaustion of all of this must have finally gotten to them. She draped the blanket over the sleeping pegasi gently, leaning down to give each one a kiss on the forehead.

        “Sleep well, my loves.”



> The Forest for the Trees
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Unexpected Confessions

Chapter Twenty Five


        The Forest for the Trees

        The following morning, Applejack sat in front of a grindstone in the barn, her rear leg pumping to keep the giant stone wheel turning. A worn-down plow hung above it, carefully balanced by a series pulleys and counterweights. She reached up and pulled the plow’s blade down onto the grindstone, sending up a shower of sparks. She squinted her eyes against the sudden brightness and continued to run the iron blade along the stone, sharpening the dulled metal.

        “Hiya, Applejack!”

        “Gah!” The farm pony jumped pressing the plow blade hard into the grindstone and causing a massive eruption of sparks to fly up. Cursing silently, she yanked the plow up and winced when she saw a gouge had been worn out of the blade. After a quick look over, she found that the gouge was high enough on the blade that it wouldn’t affect the plow’s use and breathed a quick sigh of relief. “Consarnit, Pinkie! What in the hay was that all about?”

        “Oh my gosh, Applejack, that was super cool!” Pinkie bounced in place, completely ignoring the other mare’s question. “It was all like Bsssh! Pew Pew! Whoosh!” She flailed her arms through the air while she made sound effects.

        “Pinkie!” Applejack finally got the party pony’s attention, but paused to take a breath before continuing. As overwhelming as Pinkie could be at times, Applejack knew she meant well. After letting out her breath, she smiled at her friend. “Anythin’ Ah can do for ya, sugarcube?”

        “Mmmm… nope!” Pinkie Pie answered after a brief moment of consideration, quickly reverting back to simply standing and watching the farm pony.

        Applejack waited for Pinkie to continue, but slowly felt her frustration start to build again as the silence stretched on. She got up and started lowering the sharpened plow back to the ground. “Not that Ah don’t enjoy seein’ ya, sugarcube, but is there somethin’ that brought ya out here?”

“Yeppers!” Pinkie smiled a little bigger and bounced over to stand next to the other mare. “I wanted to see if you’d thought any more about Twilight.”

Applejack looked off to the side, bringing a hoof to her mouth and clearing her throat. “Sorry, Pinkie, but Ah ain’t given much thought to… that. Ah’ve been…” In her mind, she saw Rainbow and Rarity kissing on the hospital bed. The image had tormented her most of the night. “Busy.”

        “Well, you’re not busy now. You could think about her right now!” Pinkie bounced in place, then froze mid-jump and looked around. “Wait, you’re not busy, are you?”

        Applejack glanced back to the plow, still hanging above the grindstone and swaying slightly. “Ah was, but…" Rarity and Dash flashed in her head again. “Ah mean, Ah still am. Ah gotta go… buck the… field. If’n yer interested, there’s some toast and eggs in the house.”

        “Oh, no thanks! I had breakfast before I came over.” Pinkie brought a hoof to her chin, apparently deep in thought. “Though, it is getting close to time for second breakfast.” The creak of the barn door pulled her out of her reverie and she quickly followed the other mare out into the morning sunlight. She bounced along beside the farm pony, happily humming along to a tune that only she could hear. After nearly a minutes of hopping and humming, she finally broke the relative silence. “So, have you thought about her yet?”

        Applejack knocked on a tree, catching the single apple that fell. She sniffed it and took a bite, then shook her head and tossed it to the ground. “Not ripe yet. Sorry, Pinkie… have Ah thought ‘bout who yet?”

        “Twilight, silly!” Pinkie stopped bouncing and leaned forward, an ecstatic grin on her face. “Have you thought about going on a date with her? You two would totally have fun, and then… maybe—”

        “No.” Applejack cut across her friend’s excited rambling, resuming her trek down the row of trees and glancing up into the canopies on occasion. “Ah ain’t had time to think about it. Like Ah said, Ah’ve been busy.”

        “Well, you should think about it.” Pinkie resumed her bouncing and followed Applejack. “Twilight is superfantasterrific! I’m sure she’d be a great marefriend, and she already loves you, so the two of you are already halfway there!”

        “Not now, Pinkie.” Applejack hit another tree, sending a few apples tumbling to the ground. She grabbed one and sniffed it before tossing it back to the base of the tree. “Ah just ain’t in the mood fer thinkin’ ‘bout anypony at the moment.” She stopped and let out a sigh. “Ah’m sorry, Pinkie, Ah just can’t right now.”

        “Please, Applejack?” Pinkie settled down next to the farm pony. “I’m sure that it’d be lots of fun, and Twilight would love to go on a date with you.”

        “Ah said not now!” Applejack lashed out at the nearest tree, causing all of the apples to come raining down. “Consarnit! Ah can’t… argh!” She watched the apples slowly roll to a stop, then kicked the one audacious enough to land close to her hooves. “Sorry, Pinkie, but Ah said ‘no,’ and that’s that.”

        “But… but…” Pinkie pouted and let out a small whine. “I know that you’re still sad about Dashie, but she has two special someponies now. I don’t think she would want you to sit around being a Grumpy McGrumperson about it. She’d want you to try and be happy by finding your own special somepony.” After a moment of contemplation, she stamped a hoof. “I’m going to set you and Twilight up on a date.”

        “Pinkie…” Applejack pressed a hoof between her eyes. “Ah said—”

        “You said you’d give her a chance.” Pinkie shot back. “You promised.”

        “Ah…” Applejack blinked, her mouth working wordlessly. Eventually, she huffed and stared at the ground. “Ah did. Alright, Pinkie, you win. Ah’ll… go on a date with Twi.” She held up a hoof to forestall her friend’s explosive celebration. “Just one thing. Don’t plan anythin’ fancy-like. Just somethin’ simple, please.”

        Pinkie made no indication that she heard a word of Applejack’s request, instead letting out a high-pitched squeal. She bounced in place excitedly, her grin threatening to split her face in two. “Oh, this is going to be so much fun! You two can—” She suddenly froze, drawing in an enormous gasp. “Oh my goodness! I just had the most super amazing idea!” Without another word, she bolted off into the distance, leaving only a billowing trail of leaves and twigs in her wake.

        Applejack could only watch the leaves flutter slowly back to the ground, shaking her head in disbelief. “Ah swear, Ah’ll never understand that—”

        “Applejack!” Pinkie reappeared in a flash, her mane whipping around with the suddenness of her stop. “Come by the library this afternoon… around five, okay?” She waited for a tentative nod from the farm pony before zooming off again.

        Once the resurgent cloud of leaves settled back down and she was sure Pinkie wouldn’t pop back up again, Applejack let out a sigh. “Ah got a bad feelin’ about this.”


*


        Twilight straightened up from her latest reading project and flipped the book closed. Standing up, her knees cracked and popped from laying on the floor for so long. She arched her back until it gave one last satisfying pop, then she let out a satisfied sigh. A quick glance at the clock revealed that it was nearly lunch time, yet she couldn’t smell any delicious aromas wafting from the kitchen. “Oh, Spike! Where are—” Her stomach let out a vicious growl and she trotted into the kitchen in search of her missing assistant. When she passed through the doorway, she found a note on the table.


Hey Twi, in case you didn’t hear me,
I’m out crusading with the CMC.
There’s a daisy sandwich and some hay fries in the fridge.
I tried to tell you, but you were too absorbed in your book.

Spike


        “Oh, Spike, what would I ever do without you?” Twilight chuckled to herself and pulled open the refrigerator door, revealing the promised sandwich and fries.  A second note lay on top of the sandwich with only a single line of writing.


You’d starve, that’s what.


        Twilight rolled her eyes and pulled her meal from the fridge. A quick trip through the oven later, her hay fries were warm and crispy again, and she sat down to enjoy her lunch. However, just as she was about to take her first bite, a knock sounded from the door. She lowered the sandwich back to her plate, drawing a growl of protest from her stomach, and made her way out into the main room. Pulling the door open, she found Pinkie Pie on the other side. “Oh, hello, Pinkie.”

        “Hi, Twilight!” Pinkie punctuated her greeting with an extra high bounce. Her grin was massive, even for Pinkie’s standards. “Oh, I have the most superriffic news! I know that when I tell you, you’ll be super excited! It may even make you a little nervous, but then you can be nervouscited! Oh, but hopefully you won’t get too nervous, because that—”

        “Pinkie!” Twilight finally cut across her friend’s rambling, a familiar pulsing tightness forming behind her eyes. “Why don’t you just tell me your news instead of telling me how excited I’ll be when I hear it.”

        “Oh, okay!” Pinkie nodded vigorously, her mane whipping back and forth over her eyes. “I was over at Sweet Apple Acres this morning and I was talking to Applejack while she was sharpening a plow—” She paused and gasped. “Oh my gosh, Twilight, the plow! Applejack was sharpening it on a grindstone and sending sparks flying around like bsssh! Fwoosh!”

        Twilight pressed a hoof to her forehead, feeling the tightness behind her eyes creeping toward a migraine. While the earth pony continued dancing around and making sound effects, she took a couple deep breaths, then placed her hoof over Pinkie’s mouth as it passed by. “Please, Pinkie, what’s the news?”

        “Mmmph. Mmm phmmph mmph—” Twilight finally pulled her hoof away. “—this afternoon!” Pinkie smiled, waiting for a reaction. When the unicorn only stared at her in confusion, she cocked her head to the side, her brow furrowed in confusion. “Funny, I figured you’d be more excited to go on a date.”

        “What?” Twilight was sure that her ears were plays tricks on her. There was no way that Pinkie had said what she thought she said. “A… A date? B-but why? With who? It’s not like I… I mean, I don’t…” Her ears folded back and she stared at the floor. “Th-there’s nopony that I…” She trailed off, unable to continue.

        “Nopony that you like?” Pinkie finished helpfully, her grin twitching a bit wider. “Are you suuuuuuure? There’s nopony at all?” She leaned forward, waiting expectantly, but the unicorn kept her eyes glued to the ground, chewing on her lower lip. “There’s not an orange earth pony who runs a farm that you might like? Maybe a certain pony who won all those blue ribbons in rodeo competitions? The super strong pony in our group of friends… or at least the one that can’t fly?” She giggled when Twilight finally looked up, her pupils shrinking down to pinpricks.

        “You— I— How did you know?” Twilight took a step back, her eyes darting around the empty room. She relaxed a hair after remembering Spike was out crusading. She turned back to the earth pony, who had her lips firmly pressed together. “Pinkie, how did you know? Who told you?”

        Pinkie opened her mouth, then froze. After a few seconds, she shrugged. “I don’t remember.”

        “What? Pinkie, please!” Twilight looked to her friend imploringly.

        “Sorry, Twilight.” Pinkie shrugged again. “When I heard about it I was just so super duper excited! I had to start preparations for my ‘Applejack and Twilight are dating’ party right away.”

        “Ugh!” Twilight stamped a hoof in frustration. For a moment, she thought about pressing the issue, but ultimately she sighed and gave up, her head hanging. “So… a date?”

        “Yep, with Applejack!” Pinkie started bouncing in place again. “Oh, it’s going to be so much fun! I have something super exciting planned for you two.”

        “Thanks, Pinkie, I—” Twilight’s eyes shot open. “Oh no. Oh no, no, no! This is all wrong. If we’re going to go on a date, she has to ask me out, or I her.” She sped across the room and pulled a book from a shelf. She hurried back and flipped the tome open to a seemingly random page. “It says it right here! ‘In order to establish a date, one of the two interested parties must approach the other and request the desired time together, or ‘ask them out.’’ See? It’s right here!” She flipped the book around to show the earth pony.

        Pinkie only giggled and pushed the book down so that it wasn’t blocking her sight. “Silly Twilight, you don’t have to listen to books all the time, especially since they don’t talk.” She flipped the cover over, letting the book fall closed before it was pulled back against the unicorn’s chest. “Friends can set friends up on dates. It’s like a blind date, only you already know each other!”

        “But I… we…” Twilight opened the book again, flipping back and forth between a couple of pages while her eyes darted around them. After a few seconds of silently mouthing words to herself, she closed the tome again, a tentative smile pulling at the corner of her mouth. “I… have a date with Applejack. I have a date with Applejack.” Her smile grew and she clutched the book to her chest.

        “Yep!” Pinkie nodded enthusiastically. “This afternoon.”

        Twilight’s smile crumbled, and her book clattered to the floor. “This afternoon? As in, this afternoon this afternoon?” When Pinkie nodded in response, she felt her stomach drop. “Oh no. Oh no oh no oh no. I can’t go out with her today! I’m… I’m not ready. I don’t have any plans for what we’re going to do. I haven’t bought her a gift! My dress still has a ripped seam that I need Rarity to fix! And it’ll take me hours to fix my mane!”

        Pinkie giggled, walking over and bopping the unicorn on the nose with a hoof. “Don’t you worry about any of that stuff, Twilight. I’ve got it all covered.”

        “You… you do?” Twilight took a breath, slowly backing away from exploding into a full-blown panic attack.

        “Yep! Pinkamena Diane Responsibility Pie, master party planner, is on the job.” Pinkie gave a salute, then broke out in a fit of giggles. “After all, a date’s like a party for only two guests. I’ve already planned what you’re going to do, you don’t need a gift for a first date, and you probably don’t want to wear a dress where the two of you will be going.”

        “But, where are we going?”

        “Nope.” Pinkie drug a hoof across her lips and locked them shut. “It’s a surprise. You’ll find out when Applejack gets here."

        “And, um…” Twilight swallowed and glanced at the clock. “Wh-when is that going to be?”

        “I told her to be here around five.” Pinkie glanced at the clock as well, her ever-present grin returning. “Okay, Twilight, I have to go finish setting something up for your date, but I’ll be back right before Applejack gets here to let you two know what you’re doing.” She trotted over to the door and pulled it open. “See you in a few hours!”

        “But, Pinkie! I…” Twilight watched the door swing closed. Dozens of thoughts raced through her head but she was unable to focus on any of them. She walked back into the kitchen, barely cognizant of where she was going. Plopping back down in front of her lunch, she stared at the sandwich for a few seconds before pushing it away. Suddenly, she wasn’t hungry anymore. Letting her head fall down onto the table. One word kept bouncing around in her head.

        How?

        How did Applejack found out? How did Pinkie found out? How did anyone find out? She thought that she had been careful about hiding her feelings. She ran through the events of the last couple days, trying to figure out where she had slipped. After reviewing the last few days three times, she still couldn’t find anything. She jerked up from the table when a squeak came from the window. Looking up, she saw Pinkie sticking her head into the kitchen.

        “Oh, Twilight, I just remembered! I came by the library the day after you hurt your leg to check out a book, but you were asleep on your giant mountain of super comfy pillows!” She tried to spread her forelegs, but they hit the edge of the window. “I was just browsing some books on brittle and tomes on toffee when you kind of… sorta…” She paused, glancing away for just an instant. “You started talking in your sleep.” She giggled when the unicorn shied away, obviously embarrassed. “It’s okay, Twilight, it was cute! Though, you should probably wait until the second or third date before you ask Applejack to go into the shower with you.”

        “Wh-what?” Twilight’s mouth hung open, and she was so still that she didn’t even seem to breathe. “I… I don’t know… I don’t do… I…”

        “Hehehe. It’s okay, Twilight.” Pinkie waved a hoof, knocking a glass perilously close to the edge of the counter. “You drool in your sleep. It’s cute!” She smiled for a few moments, then jumped a bit. “Oh! I need to get streamers! See you later, Twilight!”

        Twilight herself could only sit in stunned silence, watching the now empty window. Her cheeks burned, and she briefly considered re-opening her studies on memory modification. After dismissing that errant thought, she stood up from the table and walked back out into the main room, grabbing the book she had shown Pinkie earlier and flipping it open.

        “Dating 101: From the First Look, to the First Kiss.” She read aloud. When she reached the base of the stairs, her stomach growled again. Trotting back into the kitchen, she carefully slid the lunch she had pushed away onto her back and brought it with her as she climbed the stairs.


*


        Applejack made her way down the main road through town, on her way to the library. She tried to glance at the clock tower, but saw only a wall of blond mane. “Consarnit.” She used a hoof to brush her loose mane back behind her ear. “How do Rare and ‘Shy deal with this every day?” Finally finding the clock tower, she saw that she was already half an hour late. She sighed and shook her head. The library loomed before her and she picked up her pace a bit. She was about to knock, but froze for a second. “Come on, girl.” She grumbled to herself. “It’s just a… date.” She knocked quickly, smiling a bit as she heard a clamor of hooves come from the other side.

        “Coming!” Twilight’s voice carried through the wooden door. “Just a— oof! Coming!” The door flew open, revealing the unicorn on the other side, a large grin plastered on her face and framed by her disheveled mane. “Hi, Applejack! It’s great to—.” She froze, her eyes glued to the earth pony’s mane.

        “H-howdy, Twi.” Applejack rubbed the back of her neck with a hoof, trying to ignore her friend’s stare. “Sorry Ah’m a bit late.”

        “Oh!” Twilight finally snapped out of her staring. “It’s no problem at all.” She stepped aside. “Please, come in. I, um… I like what you’ve done with your mane.”

        “Thank ya kindly.” Applejack made her way inside, nodding to her hostess. “Ah was ‘bout to head over here but Granny asked where Ah was goin’, and when Ah told her…” She shook her head. “She had a fit ‘bout me headin’ over here lookin’ like Ah’d just came in from the field, so she made me wash up and take the hair ties outta mah mane.” She blew a stray lock of hair out of her face. “Ah’m half tempted to just chop it off after walkin’ over here like this.”

        “Don’t!” Twilight blurted out, before quickly looking to the ground, a blush darkening her cheeks. “I mean… I think it looks really nice.” She tore her gaze from the dirt and smiled warmly.

        “Uh, thanks.” Applejack looked away as well, a matching warmth stinging her face. She cleared her throat and changed the subject. “So, you got any idea what we’re supposed to be doin’?”

        “No.” Twilight shook her head and went to close the door. “But could you wait a few minutes? I want to look good for our date, and I need to comb my mane… again.” She closed the door and trotted over to the table in the middle of the main room, sliding a brush onto her hoof and running it through her unruly mane.

        “Alright, Ah suppose Ah’ll just—” Applejack paused as a soft thunk sounded against the door. She trotted over and pulled it open again, letting a scroll that was dangling from a yellow balloon float in. Freeing the scroll, she unrolled it and laid it out for both she and Twilight to read while the balloon drifted up to the ceiling.


Applejack and Twilight,

For your date, you two are going to take a walk through Whitetail Woods.
I left some markers to show you which way to go, so keep an eye out for them.
Though, don’t forget to keep eyes on each other too. This is a date, after all.

Pinkie


        After they finished reading, Twilight laid the note on the table and looked to her date. “A walk through Whitetail Woods, huh? That sounds nice.” She trotted to the door and motioned for the earth pony to go before her. “Are you ready to go?”

        “Yeah, Ah suppose so.” Applejack headed for the doorway, letting out a frustrated snort as her mane once again fell forward. Brushing it back behind her ear, she walked out into the street, turning to head back out of town.

        “You know…” Twilight pulled up alongside the other mare, still smiling. “I like your mane like this, but if it’s really bothering you, I’m sure I could find you something to put it up.” She stopped and smiled sheepishly. “Or we could go by Rarity’s, I’m sure she’d have something that would make you look great, I mean, if you’d rather have Rarity find you something.”

        “Nah, Ah’ll be fine.” Applejack shook her head, inadvertently causing her mane to hit her in the side of the face. “‘Sides, if’n we did go by there, she’d wanna do it up all fancy-like.” She shuddered at the thought, glancing at the distant towering spires of Carousel Boutique warily.

        “Right.” Twilight giggled at the notion, then lapsed into silence while they walked. As they made their way out to the edge of town, she drifted a little closer to Applejack. A gust of wind blew by, pulling a few leaves from the trees and sending them dancing across the road. The breeze sent a shiver through her body, and she stepped a bit to the side, accidentally bumping into her date. “Oh, sorry, Applejack.”

        “Huh?” Applejack looked up and over at the unicorn, finally noticing how close she had gotten. “Oh, it’s fine.” Another gust rushed by, blowing a few errant strands of mane into her mouth and causing her spend a few seconds trying to spit them out. Once her mouth was hair-free, she continued. “It’s startin’ to get a might chilly out. Didn’t figure it would until after the Runnin’.”

        “Yeah, but it’s kind of nice.” Twilight looked up at the passing trees as they walked. “This way you can enjoy winter things like hot cocoa, but still get to see all the colors of the leaves.” She brushed against Applejack’s coat while they walked, and bit her lip to repress a small squeal of glee.

        “Ah suppose.” Applejack shrugged and lapsed back into silence. She glanced over at the unicorn, only to find her still admiring the leaves. Dropping her gaze back to the road, she gave a small huff. She knew that what she was doing wasn’t fair. She was only here because Pinkie had brought up her promise. Several times throughout the day, she’d considered tracking Pinkie down and begging off of the date, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She was leading Twilight on, and it wasn’t fair. All she could do at this point was try to let her down easy when—

        “Applejack?”

Twilight’s voice cut through her thoughts and pulled her back to reality. She looked up to see the Whitetail Woods looming before her, while her date had stopped a few feet back. “Sorry, sugarcube, didja say somethin’?”

        “I was just saying that I think Pinkie wanted us to go in over there.” Twilight pointed to an opening into the woods a little ways off to the side, lined by a bunch of pink, blue, and yellow balloons. She turned and started toward the path into the forest, giggling at the archway of balloons over the trail. “She really wanted to make sure we wouldn’t miss—” She looked back and saw the earth pony trudging along and staring at the ground. “Applejack? Are you okay?”

        “Hmm?” Applejack tore her gaze from the dirt and looked up, wincing internally at Twilight’s concerned expression. “Sorry, Twi, Ah just been a bit—” The kiss from the other day flashed through her mind again, but this time her mind inserted herself in Rarity’s place. “—distracted recently.” She shook her head and let out a huff. Putting on her best smile, she trotted up to the unicorn’s side. “Come on, let’s go see what Pinkie’s got in store for us.” She started toward the woods, brushing against Twilight’s shoulder as she passed. Together, they headed into the forest, watching the occasional leaves pull free from their trees and roll across the path.

        “Is that…” Twilight drifted off to the side of the path, staring up into the canopy of a tree. The tree in question was full of brilliant scarlet leaves and she pulled one down in her magic, studying it carefully. “Wow, Acer rubrum. I didn’t know it grew this far west.”

        “Beg pardon, Twi?” Applejack walked over and peeked at the leaf. “Just looks like a leaf to me.”

        “Well, yes, but this tree is an Acer rubrum, a red maple. I’d never heard of them growing anywhere west of the Neighagra Falls. I mean, there are a few in Canterlot, but those were brought in from the outskirts of Baltimare. Ooh!” She dropped the leaf and ran to another tree a ways down the path. “Ulmus glabra! I didn’t think it grew any further south than the Foal Mountains!” They continued like this for some time, making their way through the forest while Twilight talked about the various trees that comprised the forest. Every now and then, they found a branch with a balloon tied to it, showing them the way to go.

        Applejack tried her best to humor Twilight, but she could only feign so much interest in all the different kinds of trees that made up the forest. She got more than her fill of trees on the farm, and these ones didn’t even bear any fruit she could sell.

        “And that one there is Quercus alba, the white oak. It—” Twilight paused, looking back at her date, who had slowly fallen behind her. “Applejack? Are you okay? You’ve been quiet.”

        “Sorry, Twi. Ah just…” Applejack trailed off, unsure of what she could say that wouldn’t hurt her friend’s feelings. Ah just what? Ah just don’t really wanna be here? Ah’m just here on a count of Pinkie? She could easily picture the devastation in Twilight’s face if she told the truth. “Ah just worked a bit too hard today. Wore mahself out a bit.”

        “Oh.” Twilight’s ears folded back. “ I’m sorry. I should have figured that you spent the day working. I bet a hike through the woods was probably the last thing you wanted to do. If you want, we can always go back and… try again some other time.” Her voice was barely more than a whisper by the time she finished.

        Applejack kicked herself mentally and trotted over to her friend’s side. “Ah’m sorry Ah ain’t… been mahself today, Twi.” She pulled the unicorn into a quick one-legged hug. “Now, come on. We’ve gotta be almost there, it can’t be far now, can it?” She motioned a little further down the trail, where a small, barely visible side path branched off, another archway of balloons surrounding it.

        Twilight gave a fragile smile, leaning into the embrace. “Okay.” She took a deep breath and pulled away, heading for the path. “Well, let’s see what she’s got in store for us.” Turning to head deeper into the undergrowth, she promptly tripped and fell face-first into the dirt.

        “Ya alright, Twi?” Applejack hurried over and helped the fallen unicorn back to her hooves. 

        “Yes, I’m—” Twilight paused to spit out a few lingering bits of dirt and grass. “I’m fine. I just didn’t see that root because it’s getting darker.” She looked back down the dim pathway, squinting in the faint light. Each side was hemmed in by thickly grown trees, and barely any sunlight punctured the canopy overhead. “Here, let me…” She concentrated for a moment, wincing in anticipation of pain. A light sputtered to life at the end of her horn, wavering for a few seconds before surging brighter and remaining steady. After a moment, Twilight cracked an eye open, glancing up at her horn. “Huh.”

        “Somethin’ the matter, sugarcube?” Applejack looked back and forth between the unicorn’s face and the light at the end of her horn.

        “No. I’ve just been avoiding doing magic because it’s hurt for the last few days.” Twilight concentrated again, and the light flared brighter for a seconds before dimming back to its original level. “Ah.” She shook her head and rubbed a hoof along her temple. “I was just surprised that the spell didn’t hurt… until just now.”

        “Well, if’n it hurts, don’t bother.” Applejack took a tentative step down the path. “We’ll find our way without it.”

        “It’s not bad at this level, really.” Twilight stepped around the earth pony to lead the way with her light. “Nothing worse than accidentally hitting a bruise or banging your leg on a table. I don't think I'm quite ready for levitation, but I can handle this.”

“Well… if’n yer sure. Just watch your step.” Applejack followed the unicorn down the path, keeping a careful eye out for any treacherous root or stones that sought to trip her up. They forged their way through the dense undergrowth, what little natural light accompanied them fading rapidly and leaving only Twilight’s light to guide them. Applejack waited as long as she could, but eventually she had to say something. “Twi, Ah think we should go back. Ah can barely see mah own hooves.”

        “Hold on. I think we’re almost there.” Twilight ducked under a low-hanging branch, some overgrown weeds stretching up to tickle at her nose. Craning her neck forward, she saw light pouring in a little ways down the trail. “It opens up just around this bend up ahead. If we just— Ow!” She let out a pained yelp as a branch caught in her mane. “Ugh! Next time I see Pinkie I’m going to…” The rest of her complaint died in her throat when she finally rounded the bend. The cramped pathway opened up into a secluded hillside meadow, and an opening in the canopy gave a perfect view of the setting sun. The few clouds left in the sky blazed in fiery oranges and reds, and the sun’s fading rays kept the clearing warm despite winter’s imminent arrival.

        Applejack stepped up next to the unicorn and let out a long, low whistle, taking in the scene before them. A blanket was spread in the middle of the clearing, with a basket sitting on top of it. She moved forward, edging around her stunned date and making her way over to the blanket. “Pinkie’s really outdone herself this time.” She sat down, looking back at Twilight and patting the spot next to her.

        Twilight shook herself out of her stupor and crossed the meadow, taking her seat next to Applejack. She tried to open the basket, but was unable to hold the lid up and get the contents out at the same time.

“Here, lemme give ya a hand with that, sugarcube.” Applejack held the lid up, and Twilight pulled out a series of covered dishes and a pair of plates. The procession of items paused, and the unicorn cleared her throat.

“Oops. Don’t need those. I think Pinkie got a little… over-enthusiastic in packing.” She pulled the lid down, her cheeks tinged red.

        “Ah’d be surprised if’n she wasn’t. Now, what’d she put in…” Applejack flipped the lid back open, revealing a bottle of wine and two glasses. “Oh.” She let the lid fall down again. “Well, sure was… nice of her to pack that, but Ah think yer right. Little early fer that.” Casting about for a change of subject, she pulled the lid off of the nearest dish to uncover a still-steaming apple pie. “Whoops, found dessert.” She took a deep whiff of the pastry, nodding appreciatively. “Smells good, though.”

        “Here.” Twilight passed a bowl full of salad over to the earth pony, along with one for herself. She speared a few leaves of spinach and brought the fork to her mouth, savoring the taste of the dressing. “Mmm. This is delicious. What do you think, App—” She looked over at her date to find Applejack buried in her salad face-first. She brought a hoof to her mouth to stifle a giggle, causing the other mare to glance up at her. “Sorry, it’s just… did you want some help?”

        Applejack swallowed the food in her mouth and sat up. “No, Ah—” She was cut off by a fit of giggles from the unicorn. “What’s so funny, sugar?”

        “I’m sorry.” Twilight managed to say in between a few final giggles. “It’s just that you have a spinach leaf stuck to your nose.”

        “Ah do?” Applejack tried to focus on the end of her muzzle, nearly crossing her eyes in the process. She wiggled her nose and snorted, finally dislodging the stubborn leaf. “Sorry ‘bout just… divin’ in like that.” Her eyes were drawn to Twilight’s fork as some of the dying sunlight glinted off of it. “Ah ain’t never had much luck with forks and such. Hay, when Ah was livin’ in Manehatten, it took me twice as long to eat as everypony else ‘cause Ah couldn’t wrangle the darn thing into mah mouth. Celestia forbid they had all them little tiny forks that were all fer different things.” She shook her head and grabbed the fallen bit of spinach with a hoof, popping it in her mouth.

        “It’s fine, Applejack.” Twilight dropped her fork, opting to follow her date’s lead and eat by hoof. “I remember one time when I was growing up in Canterlot. I had just learned levitation and was having trouble controlling the fork, so I figured I would just pick up the pasta noodles instead of using the fork. I picked the first one up easily enough, but…” She chuckled sheepishly, her ears flicking back. “I messed something up in the directions and it started flying across the table. I tried to stop it, but that just made it kind of… explode. There was pasta sauce everywhere.”

        Applejack laughed, and they took the opportunity to each eat a few bits of salad. She watched the unicorn grab them by hoof, eschewing her preference for silverware just to make her more comfortable. “Then what happened?”

        “Oh, well…” Twilight paused to finish chewing her last leaf. “After I wiped the pasta sauce out of my eyes, I saw that I’d gotten Princess Celestia all messy. I was sure she was going to banish me. I tried to apologize, but when I opened my mouth, I got hit in the nose by a flying bit of garlic toast. I looked back across the table, and the princess stuck her tongue out at me. She sent one of her own noodles my way, but I dodged it and… Well, it kind of turned into a food fight.”

        “Hold on a sec, sugarcube.” Applejack held up a hoof. “Are you tellin’ me that you got into a food fight with Princess Celestia?” She could only stare at the unicorn, waiting for a response.

        “Well, yeah.” Twilight admitted, embarrassment coloring her cheeks. “We even ‘accidentally’ hit the nobles around the table a few times, but they were all too stunned to join in.” She sighed, looking up at the sky. “After we got cleaned up, she told me it was the most fun she’d had in years. Though… later, I heard that she was cleaning pasta sauce out of her coat for a week.” She blushed as she finished speaking, and picked up a bit of salad to hide her embarrassment behind..

        Applejack burst out laughing again, pounding the blanket with a hoof. When her laughter finally died down, she wiped a hoof across her eye and went back to her own salad. She tried to watch the sun sink below the horizon, but her eyes kept flicking over to the unicorn next to her. Ah gotta admit, this has been a heck of a lot more fun than Ah thought it’d be. She reached down for another leaf of spinach, only for her hoof to clang against the bottom of the empty bowl. “Whoops.”

        Twilight looked up from her own bowl and dropped it next to the basket. She grabbed the plates and passed one over to her date. “Ready for dessert?” She asked, lifting the cover of the apple pie. She grabbed the knife in a hoof, her tongue poking out the side of her mouth as she tried to steady it.

        “Eeyup.” Applejack replied. She looked over and noticed the unicorn struggling to use the knife manually. “Ya want some help with that, sugarcube?” She watched Twilight’s face while she concentrated, and had to bite her tongue to prevent a giggle from escaping.

        “No, I… can…” Twilight plunged the knife into the pie and pulled it to the edge, making a mostly straight line. She pursed her lips and tried again slowly, slicing a much straighter line just to the side of her first attempt. “There.” She turned the pie and repositioned the knife to cut a piece out, but after a moment of deliberation, moved to make her piece a little smaller.

        “Take as much as ya want, Twi.” Applejack nudged her date with an elbow. “Shoot, Ah could finish off this thing all by mahself, so don’t you feel bad ‘bout wantin’ a nice, big piece.” She smiled as the knife edged back out, cutting a generous piece of pie. After the unicorn managed to lift the piece from the tin, dropping it onto her plate on its side, she passed the pie over to Applejack, who cut a full quarter of the pie and flopped it onto her plate. She took a heaping bite, then quickly started trying to blow on it. “Hot.” She managed to say around the steaming lump of food on her tongue.

        Twilight giggled and blew on her piece of pie, watching the trails of steam tumble off into oblivion. “You shouldn’t eat so quickly, Applejack.” She blew on her piece one last time and took a bite, letting out a contented sigh.

        They drifted into companionable silence while they finished eating, content to simply watch the sun as it disappeared below the horizon. They dropped their empty plates into the basket, along with the rest of the dishes, and sat for a few more minutes. A chill breeze whipped through the cooling meadow, making Twilight shiver and scoot a little closer to her date.

Applejack smiled and leaned into her marefriend’s side. The combination of the day’s work and the emotions that had come with the unexpected date had made her drowsy, and she was glad for the support as her eyes drifted shut. 

“Thanks for being here, Applejack. I had fun.”

She would’ve thought her marefriend to be a little more boisterous. Not that she minded of course, it was just a little... unusual. “Me too, Dash.” She mumbled, fighting the urge to yawn. She fell to the side a bit as her date pulled away and drew in a sharp breath. Prying her eye back open, she saw a purple leg where her marefriend’s cyan one should have been. The reality of the situation rushed back to her and she panicked. “Twilight! Ah didn’t mean… Ah don’t… Ah’m sorry. Please don’t—”

        “It’s okay, Applejack.” Twilight waved away the earth pony’s attempted apologies. She smiled, but it flickered for the briefest moment. She looked back to the west, where the sun had finally dipped below the horizon, leaving only a few last streaks of orange in the sky. 

“We should, uh… prolly head back now. Otherwise it’ll be too dark to see where we’re goin’.” With that, Applejack got up and began pulling the edges of the blanket together.

        After a few seconds of silence, Twilight got up as well. “Yeah…” She pulled the basket off to the side and helped the other mare fold the blanket up, though Applejack had to pause a couple times to spit strands of mane out of her mouth. Once the blanket and basket were settled on her back, Applejack led the way back through the narrow passageway to the main trail. By now, even Twilight's light barely reached the ground, and they advanced at an agonizingly slow pace.

        “Watch out, sugarcube, there’s some—Ow!—low-hangin’ branches right ‘bout here.” Applejack called back to her date, yanking her mane free of one of said branches in the process. She heard a mumbled affirmative and went back to focusing on keeping her footing amidst the treacherous roots and stones that littered the invisible path. After what felt like an eternity, they stumbled back onto the main trail, picking up their pace a bit now that shafts of moonlight pierced through the canopy. By the time they reached the edge of the forest, no traces of sunlight remained and Luna’s moon dominated the sky. The wind picked up again once they left the sheltering trees, and soon they were both shivering in the crisp night air.

        “Here. One sec, sugar.” Applejack stopped and waited for her date to catch up, then grabbed the blanket and threw it over both of them. It did little against the wind blowing in their faces, but it quickly warmed their bodies, and gave them an excuse to walk closer together. “Ya know, Twi, Ah had a good time today, thanks fer this. Ah know Ah was a bit… outta sorts early on, but Ah had a lotta fun there toward the end. Ah’m sorry again fer… what Ah said.” She felt the unicorn tense up for a second when a strong gust of wind blew by.

        “I told you, it’s okay.” Twilight shook her head and let out a sigh. “I know you have a… thing for Rainbow, but I really appreciate you giving me… a chance.” She looked up to see the library looming before them. “Well, here we are.” She broke into a trot and pulled out from under the blanket, turning back when she was in front of the door. “Thanks again, Applejack. It was… fun.”

        “Yeah, it was.” Applejack smiled, unsure of what else to say. “Maybe… maybe we can do this again sometime.” Her date only nodded. “So Ah’ll, um… see ya tomorrow at Pinkie’s party, right?” 

        Twilight nodded again. “Yeah… the party.” She gave one last smile and pushed the door open. “Good night, Applejack.”

        “G’night, Twi.” Applejack turned and headed back toward the farm, humming to herself along the way. A small corner of her mind told her that she would regret staying out so late when she had to get up in a few hours, but she didn’t care. She’d been on a fun date was starting to think that maybe, just maybe, she could really give Twilight her all.


*


Twilight closed the door and leaned against it, letting one choked sob escape before she pressed a hoof to her mouth to muffle the rest. She let everything she had been holding in since Applejack had said Rainbow’s name finally come out, and she slid down the door until she was sitting at the base of it, her eyes filling with tears.

“Twilight?”

The unseen voice sounded like thunder in the silence of the library, even though it had barely been more than a whisper. The fireplace flickered to life, revealing Pinkie Pie on the other side of the room and casting her face in dancing shadows. Despite the erratic light, Twilight could clearly see the concern and sadness on her friend’s face. She quickly rubbed the tears from her eyes and sniffed back her sobs, and after a few moments composing herself, finally addressed her sudden companion. “Pinkie, I… What are you doing here?”

        “Well, I was super excited that Applejack agreed to go on the date with you, and I was trying really hard to wait until tomorrow to ask you how it went, but I just couldn’t. So, I waited here for you to get home.” Pinkie smiled, but it faded after a moment. She took a couple steps forward, but stopped before she passed the edge of the rug. “What happened?”

        “Pinkie, I…” Twilight wanted nothing more than to race up the stairs and bury her face in a pillow. Already, she could feel her emotions rising again, and she wasn’t sure how long she could hold herself together in front of Pinkie. “I don’t want to talk about it right now.”

        “But… but…” Pinkie shook her head, her mane falling a bit as it bounced around. “You girls were supposed to have fun. I had everything planned out just right. I just…” She fell to her haunches, pawing at the edge of the rug with a hoof. “Why are you sad?”

        The fateful moment where everything had gone wrong played through her mind again, and Twilight squeezed her eyes shut against the tears welling in them once again. A rogue drop escaped and trailed down her cheek, followed soon by several others. It took nearly a minute before she trusted herself to speak, but her friend waited patiently. “I’m sorry, Pinkie, but I just don’t think I can talk about it right now.”

        “Well, if you’re sure, I’ll just go.” Pinkie stood up and headed for the door. She paused when she passed the unicorn. “Just remember that I’m here if you decide you wanna talk about it.” She laid a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder and smiled. “We all are.” She pushed the door open, and a cold breeze blew in.

        Twilight shivered as the wind danced up her spine. Suddenly, the prospect of crying alone into her pillow didn’t sound so appealing. “Wait.” She grabbed Pinkie’s hoof just before it left her shoulder. The door clicked shut behind her, and the hoof on her shoulder slid across her back, gently guiding her over to the rug in front of the fire. She flopped down, basking in the radiant warmth, and the earth pony settled in next to her, once again waiting patiently for her to speak. She had no idea where to start, so she opted to just go with the beginning.

        “Everything started off fine.” Twilight rubbed the last few tears from her eyes and focused on the rug at her hooves. “Applejack was a little bit late, but it was okay. She had her mane down for once and… Celestia, she was gorgeous. She seemed a little… distracted during our walk out to the Whitetail Woods, but I didn’t know why. I just kept talking, trying to fill the silence so that she wouldn’t think going out with me was a mistake. She was a little more… with it by the time we got to the meadow.” A smile tugged at the edges of her lips as memories of their dinner played back through her mind, but a tightness squeezed her chest because she knew what happened next.

        “Dinner was amazing, Pinkie. Thank you.” Twilight leaned over and gave the date planner a quick one-legged hug. “We talked and traded stories. I even made her laugh, and I thought things were going so well. But then, she…” She tried to swallow, but it felt like a stone was lodged in her throat. “She called me ‘Dash’.”

        “That’s silly, you’re not Dashie, you’re Twilight,” Pinkie said with a voice full of false cheer, trying to keep the mood light. When Twilight didn’t smile, however, she did the only thing she could think to do and wrapped her friend in a hug. “I’m sorry, Twilight.”

        For the first time in… ever, Twilight felt like there was somepony that understood what she was going through, and it was okay for her to let it all out. She grabbed onto Pinkie’s foreleg and held on to her friend while her tears flowed freely once more. She leaned against her friend and poured out all the hurt in her heart. The tears carried away everything she had been keeping inside for so long, as well as the most painful part of Applejack’s rejection. By the time she was done, her head hurt, her eyes stung, her throat was on fire… and she felt more relieved than she had in weeks.

When her sobbing finally stopped, she realized that her shoulder was wet. “Pinkie?” The other mare jumped, and pulled away as quickly as she could. But Twilight was faster and grabbed her friend by the shoulders, turning her around to look at her. Pinkie seemed more upset than she should be about this, as if she felt Twilight’s disappointment and sadness personally. But why would that be? Why was this date so important to Pinkie? “What’s wrong? Why… Why are you crying?”

Pinkie wiped away her tears with a foreleg and sniffed. “It’s… it’s nothing, Twilight.” She put a smile on her face but with the state she was in, Twilight could easily see how hollow it was. When Pinkie saw that her faux smile wasn’t fooling anypony, it faded quickly. “It just… It made me sad to see you so sad.” She took a deep breath, and when she spoke again, her voice was on the verge of breaking. “I just want to see you smile.”

        Twilight could only stare at her friend in confusion. She knew that Pinkie liked to make her friends smile, but she’d never seen her friend reduced to tears over it. Something nagged at the back of her mind. She was missing something, but she couldn't put her hoof on it. “Pinkie, you said that you’re there for me if I need to talk. The reverse is true, too. I’m here for you.”

        “I know.” Pinkie smiled and pressed her cheek against Twilight’s hoof on her shoulder. “Thanks, Twilight.”

        A number of thoughts crossed her mind at once, things she had written off as Pinkie being Pinkie at the time. Pinkie had heard she liked Applejack because she had been watching her sleep. Pinkie thought her snoring was cute. Her friend had been spending a lot of time around the library lately, unusual even for Pinkie. Something in Twilight’s mind clicked into place, and suddenly she realized what had been staring her in the face. Looking back, she cursed herself for not seeing it sooner. “Pinkie, do you… like me?” She felt the earth pony stiffen and heard her draw in a sharp gasp.

        “O-of, course I like you, Twilight.” Pinkie replied after a time. “I… I like all of you girls.”

        Twilight used a hoof to lift her friend’s head so that she could look into her eyes. She saw fear and worry in them, and it pained her now that she knew their source. “You know that’s not what I mean, Pinkie.”

        “I… I…” Pinkie lapsed into silence, her mouth still working on unspoken words. She tore her gaze from Twilight’s and stared at the floor. After several failed attempts to speak, she finally managed to answer the unicorn’s question. “Yes.”

        “But… why hide it? Why not say something?” Twilight tried to pull the other mare into a hug, but was stopped by a foreleg on her chest.

        “Because… You love Applejack.” Pinkie murmured, cringing as if the words physically hurt her. “What chance could a silly little Pinkie Pie have against somepony like her?” She tried to smile, but the edges of her mouth simply twitched up a bit. “I just wanted you to be happy, so I tried to get Applejack to give you a chance… but it looks like I messed that up, too.”

        “Oh, Pinkie, I’m so sorry.” Twilight finally pulled her friend into a hug, feeling Pinkie’s forelegs slowly wrap around her and return the embrace. I can’t believe I didn’t see this. It’s just like Applejack and I. The thought made her feel sick. She didn’t want to think that she had inflicted the same pain and sorrow she’d felt on someone else, someone she called a friend. No. I won’t be like her. I can’t do that. She loosened her hug and leaned back. “Pinkie?”

        “Hmm?” Pinkie wiped a hoof across her nose, looking at the unicorn curiously.

        “Would…” The words stuck in Twilight’s throat, but she tried again and forced them out. “Would you like to go out with me?”

        “Really?” Pinkie’s face lit up, and her trademark smile spreading across it. “Oh my gosh, ye—” She froze, her elation fading and being replaced by confusion. “But wait, what about Applejack?” She slumped down, any trace of the bliss she felt a moment ago utterly extinguished. “I know that tonight didn’t go super well… but you could always try again. I’ll even set up another super fun date for you.”

        “No.” Twilight shook her head, her voice firm. She grabbed one of Pinkie’s hooves and held it between her own, smiling as she saw a spark of hope and elation in the earth pony’s eyes. “I’m not going to let somepony who cares about me sit around and be miserable while I chase somepony else who isn’t interested in me. So go ahead and plan that super fun date, but you and I can go on it.”

        “Oh, Twilight!” Pinkie wrapped the unicorn up in another hug, nearly lifting her off of the floor with the force of it. “We’re gonna have soooooo much fun! I need to start planning right now!” She released Twilight and ran for the door, but skidded to a stop right in front of it. “Oh! But it will have to be after Fluttershy, Dashie, and Rarity’s party tomorrow. Don’t worry, though, that will just make tomorrow double fun!” Pinkie laid a hoof on the doorknob, but looked back at her soon-to-be-marefriend. She let out a high-pitched squeal of glee and dashed back across the room, tackling Twilight into another hug.

“Thank you, thank you, thank you, Twilight.” She hopped back up and helped the other mare to her hooves. Trotting back to the entryway at a more reasonable pace, Pinkie threw the door open, shivering as a blast of frigid air rushed in. “Brrr! Okay, see you tomorrow, Twilight!” With that, she raced out into the night, the door blowing shut behind her.

Twilight giggled and shook her head slightly, still watching the spot her friend had occupied a moment ago. She let out a sigh and slumped her shoulders, the emotionally draining events of the evening finally catching up to her. After putting out the fire, she trudged up the stairs and flopped into bed, not even bothering with covers. Even with winter drawing nigh, her bedroom was warm thanks to the walking space heater sleeping at the foot of her bed. She snuggled down into the mattress while sleep rose up to claim her. She smiled as she drifted off, her head full of visions of what tomorrow might bring.

> Problem Solvent
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Unexpected Confessions

Chapter Twenty Six


        Problem Solvent

        Applejack simply dropped the basket and blanket from her date next to the door once she was safely inside the warmth of the farmhouse. She crept across the living room, navigating the furniture by heart, and ascended the staircase up to her room. She stepped cautiously, making sure to avoid any steps that would—

        Creeeeak!

        “Consarnit, not another one.” She muttered under her breath. She gradually shifted her weight, slowly pulling her leg off of the squeaky step and moving up to the next one. “That makes five now… when Ah get mah hooves on Mac…” She made it to the top of the stairs without making any more noise, but drew a squeal from the rusty hinge on her bedroom door as it closed. She stepped over to her dresser to take the hair ties out of her mane before belatedly remembering that she wasn’t wearing them. She smiled turned to climb into her bed, but a splash of color caught her eye. Turning back, she saw a piece of parchment laying on top of her dresser, so she grabbed it and took it to the window.


Applejack,

I’m soooo super excited that your date went well!
Or, I think it did. It was fun, wasn’t it?
Oh! You should totally come by before the party
tomorrow so we can talk about it.

Pinkie Pie


        Applejack chuckled and tossed the note onto her nightstand. She was sure that Pinkie would be happy to hear how well the evening had gone, even if she had accidentally slipped a bit. Luckily, Twilight hadn’t seemed too offended by her mistake. Even though she knew she only had a mere few hours before the rooster would crow, she couldn’t help but smile as she drifted off to sleep.


*


        Sure enough, a few hours later the rooster’s piercing cry yanked Applejack back to the land of the living. She briefly considered ignoring it and going back to sleep for a few more hours, but knew she’d never hear the end of it from Granny Smith if she did. Big Mac wouldn’t say anything, but he’d give her that look, the one that silently told her he expected better. She had half a mind to give it right back to him for not fixing the stairs like he had promised. Ultimately, she resisted the call of sleep and drug herself out of bed, shuffling over to the dresser to affix her hair ties. Once they were in place, she made her way downstairs, this time making sure to step on every creaky stair. The aroma of sizzling soy bacon and apple fritters wafted up to her as she walked down, erasing some of her less-than-pleasant mood.

        “Mornin’, Applejack.” Granny Smith called from her place at the stove top. She paused to flip a few pieces of bacon. “Ah missed ya comin’ home last night.”

        “Yeah.” Applejack sat down at the table and pulled a few apple fritters onto her plate. “We were out a little later than Ah thought we’d be.” She took a bite before continuing. “Pinkie—” A stern look from Granny silenced her long enough to finish chewing her food. “Pinkie set up a walk through Whitetail Woods for us. Even found a pretty little grove fer us to have dinner and watch the sun set.”

        “Pinkie?” Apple Bloom raced into the kitchen and jumped into her seat. “But Ah thought ya were goin’ out with Twilight.”

        “Ah did.” Applejack reached over and mussed her little sister’s mane. “But Pinkie helped me out by plannin’ out what we were gonna do for us.” She grabbed a couple pieces of soy bacon off the plate just as Granny Smith set it down on the table.

        “That’s awfully nice of her.” Apple Bloom reached up and fixed her bow, which her sister had knocked off to the side. “Wait, yer not datin’ her too, are ya?”

        Applejack nearly choked on the piece of bacon she had just taken a bite of, spending several moments coughing before she finally managing to clear the traitorous bits from her windpipe. “N-no! Just Twilight. Pinkie was just… excited ‘bout it and offered to plan it for us.” She looked out at the brightening sky and shoveled another fritter into her mouth, getting up and heading for the door. “Ah gotta get an early start. Pinkie’s got a party this afternoon, and Ah gotta swing by beforehand.” With that, she headed out to greet the laundry list of chores than greeted her every morning.


*


        Several hours later, Applejack passed the edge of the farm on a familiar trek into town. She had finished her work earlier than even she expected thanks to a little help from Big Mac, who was suitably apologetic about not fixing the stairs yet. Her legs still burned a little from the morning’s work, but she had a spring in her step and for now she couldn’t wait to get to Sugarcube Corner and talk to Pinkie.

        By the time she arrived, balloons were already tied to every available corner. Pushing her way into the bakery, she found the main room even more thoroughly decorated than the exterior. The party planner herself was nowhere in sight, but a distinct humming drifted out from the kitchen. “Pinkie?”

        “Applejack?” Pinkie peeked over the swinging doors into the kitchen, a confused expression on her face. “What are you doing here?”

        “You, uh… asked me to come by early, remember?” Applejack walked further into the bakery, examining the festive decorations. “Really outdid yerself this time, sugarcube.” She heard the squeak of the kitchen doors and the clip-clop of her friend’s hooves moving across the floor, but couldn’t bring herself to look at the other mare yet. She had to talk about her little mistake, but she had a feeling Pinkie would take it worse than Twilight had last night. Well, no sense puttin’ it off. “Pinkie, Ah made a… mistake last night. We were havin’ fun swappin’ stories and eatin’ dinner.” She paused and grabbed the basket and blanket from her back, placing them on the floor.

“Thank ya kindly fer the food, by the way, it was some serious good eatin’. Anyhow, Ah’d gotten kinda tired after workin’ all day and walkin’ through the woods, and Ah mighta… accidentally… called Twilight ‘Dash’ while we were watchin’ the sunset.” She slumped down, she hadn’t thought much of it at the time, but saying it out loud put into stark contrast just how much it might have hurt Twilight, making her feel like a worse pony by the second. “Ah… don’t know why Ah did. Heck, Ah had more fun than Ah thought Ah would with her, Ah just…” She let out a snort, frustrated with her inability to properly express her feelings. “Anyway, that don’t matter none because, well… Ah was wondering, could ya help me make it up to her by settin’ up another date?”

        Pinkie had been silently fuming, imagining Twilight crying into her shoulder because of Applejack the previous night. “Help you? Why would I want to help such a Meanie McMeaniepants go on another date with—” She froze as the meaning of Applejack’s request fully sank in. Her anger evaporated, leaving her standing there with her mouth hanging open in confusion. “Wait, you… you had fun? You want to go on another date with Twilight?” She sank to the floor, her eyes darting about endlessly.

        “Yeah. Ah mean, Ah feel horrible ‘bout… what Ah said, but…” Applejack watched her friend warily, her concern growing the longer Pinkie just sat there. She’d figured Pinkie would’ve been ecstatic to hear that she wanted to go out again. “Uh, sugarcube? You alright? Ah thought ya wanted me to go out with Twi, but ya look like ya seen a—”

        “Twilight asked me out.” The words were out of her mouth before Pinkie even realized they’d escaped her brain. She belatedly clamped a hoof over her mouth and looked up at Applejack, who was staring back at her slackjawed. “Oh, I’m sorry, Applejack, but I was so super excited yesterday that I waited for you two to get back to the library so that I could talk to you, but then only Twilight came in and she…” Her ears folded back against her head. “She was crying because she thought you didn’t have fun on the date, and because you called her ‘Dash.’ Then her crying made me cry, and…” She looked up at the other mare and gave a tiny, apologetic smile.

        Applejack could only look at the other mare in confusion until the pieces clicked into place. “She figured ya out, huh?”

        Pinkie nodded cautiously. “Mmhmm. I don’t know how, though. I was just trying to make her feel better, and she asked me out of the blue if I liked her.”

Applejack chuckled briefly, shaking her head. “Well, what can ya say? The girl’s a smart cookie.” She looked back to Pinkie, and they simply watched each other for a few moments, each waiting for the other to take the lead. Eventually, she cleared her throat. “So, uh, what do we do now?”

        “W-well…” Pinkie hung her head. “If you want to go out with Twilight again, then I think you should.” She looked back up, meeting the other mare’s gaze again. “It’ll make her happiest and… she deserves to be happy.”

“Ya already told her you’d go out with her, sugarcube. Ain’t no goin’ back on it now, ‘less ya wanna hurt Twi even more.” Applejack shook her head, laying a hoof on Pinkie’s shoulder. “‘Sides, she may deserve to be happy, but so do you, Pinkie. And Ah ain’t about to get in the way of that.”

        “But… what about you?” Pinkie held onto the hoof on her shoulder. “You deserve to be happy, too.”

        “Maybe, but Ah had mah chance… Heck, Ah’ve had more’n mah share of chances, and Ah blew ‘em all.” Applejack pulled the other mare to her hooves and led her over to at table. “Now, let’s figure out what yer gonna do to make it the best date Twilight’s ever had.” She flopped down into the seat across from Pinkie. “Maybe you can even make her forget about what Ah did.”

        “Well…” Pinkie tapped a hoof on the table, knocking around some bits of confetti. “Vinyl’s playing at The Drunken Princess tonight, we could go there.” She glanced across the table. “You could come too, if you want.” An idea struck her, and she perked up. “Ooh! You could ‘accidentally’ run into us there, then you could apologize to Twilight.” Applejack opened her mouth to protest, but never got the chance.

        “And then maybe you can stay and hang out with us!” Pinkie continued, her enthusiasm slowly building back to its normal overwhelming level. “Then we could all talk and have some cider and be happy and—”

        “No.” Applejack cut off her friend’s rampaging train of speech, pounding a hoof on the table for emphasis. The sudden noise shocked Pinkie into silence, along with rattling the salt and pepper shakers. “Ah’ll apologize, but Ah ain’t intrudin’ on y’all’s date. Wouldn’t it be better if Ah just apologize to her here?”

        “I guess, but... don’t you like Twilight?” Pinkie sank back into her seat, her hooves meekly folded in her lap.

        "Ah reckon Ah do." Applejack took a deep breath. Her mind screamed at her not to go through with what she was about to say, but some new more-than-friendly feelings toward the unicorn urged her to surrender, rather than fight. If she wasn’t who Twilight needed, she’d bow out gracefully. "But if she's moved on, Ah ain’t gonna go and drag her back. Ah'd have no right to call mahself her friend if'n Ah did."

        The bell above the front door rang out, drawing their attention. They turned to see Rainbow Dash trotting through the doorway, with Rarity and Fluttershy right behind her. “Hey girls, sorry we’re a little late. It took forever to get a turn in the shower.” She glanced back at her marefriends as they came through the door. They smiled at her, and her wings rustled on her back. She looked back at the pair of earth ponies before her, only to find both of them sporting blushes. “What are—” She belatedly realized the alternate meaning her statement about the shower could have meant, and she waved her hooves as if trying to physically dispel the idea.

        “No no no! Not like that! It was—” Dash paused and pressed a hoof to her forehead, letting out a sigh. “Harry showed up saying that the water in the lake was too cold, and he wanted to use ‘Shy’s shower.” She glanced over at the mare in question as she joined the group.

        “Oh, I’m sorry.” Fluttershy scuffed a hoof on the floor, crouching down and letting her mane fall over her face. “But it is getting awfully cold out, and—”

        “There’s no need to apologize, darling. It’s quite alright.” Rarity cut into the conversation, leaning over to nuzzle her marefriend. The nervous mare leaned into the contact for a moment before her eyes darted over to Dash, who merely smiled. “Besides, it appears we’re still short a guest. Where’s Twilight?”

        “Dunno.” Applejack shrugged. “Ah figured she’d be here by now.” She looked to the clock, relieved to see that it was only about five minutes past the party’s appointed starting time. “She ain’t too late, yet. Still, no reason the rest of us can’t get started. Can Ah get anypony some punch?”

        “Um, yes, please.” Fluttershy nodded, standing up from her half-crouch. “I-If it’s not too much trouble, that is.”

        “Allow me, dear.” Rarity darted in for a light peck on Fluttershy’s cheek, drawing a surprised squeak from her, and walked over to the punch bowl. With a thought, five cups floated into the air, followed swiftly by the punch ladle. Once all five cups were full, the unicorn made her way back over to the group, bringing the cups down slowly so that her friends could take them in hoof. “Here we are.”

        “Thank ya kindly, sugarcube.” Applejack grabbed her offered cup and took a sip. “So, RD, what’s it like havin’ two marefriends?” Dash devolved into a fit of coughing as some punch tried to visit her lungs. Fluttershy patted her marefriend on the back while Rarity glared playfully at the farmer. “Sorry.”

        “No, it’s—” Dash gave a final cough. “No, it’s cool. I just…” She glanced back and forth between her marefriends. “It’s kinda… weird, but totally awesome. Honestly, it all still seems a little… unreal, but…” She flared her wings and draped one over each mare’s back, pulling them in closer. “I think it’s something I can definitely get used to.”

        “I’m glad to hear that, darling.” Rarity leaned into the embrace for a moment before continuing. “I have to agree. It’s simply wonderful, but it feels… almost like a dream.” Next to her, Rainbow smirked and chuckled to herself, prompting Rarity to swat at her playfully with a hoof. “Oh hush, you.” She leaned over and planted a kiss on her marefriend’s cheek. Dash started to move in to give the unicorn a kiss in return, but paused partway, her brow creasing for an instant. “Now, darling, as I’ve told you before, you don’t have to do anything you’re not comfortable with. I understand.”

        “No, it’s not— I just—” Dash huffed and shook her head, then leaned over and planted an awkward-looking kiss on Rarity’s cheek. She pulled back and gave a smile. “See?”

“Thank you, darling.” Rarity leaned in for one last nuzzle, then ducked out from under Rainbow’s wing. “Now, if you’ll excuse me, I do believe I shall sample some of the simply delightful looking pastries over there. Fluttershy, dear, would you like some?”

        “Oh, no, thank you.” Fluttershy shook her head. “I’m fi—” Before she could finish, her stomach growled, causing her to squeak and duck behind her mane. “Oh, um, I’m sorry.”

        “Geez, ‘Shy, if you were hungry, you should have said something.” Dash chuckled and kissed her marefriend on the cheek, then pulled her wing back while giving the other pegasus a nudge. “Now go on, go get a snack.”

        “Yeah! I made everypony’s favorites!” Pinkie bounced excitedly. “I made vanilla cupcakes for Fluttershy, scones with cranberries and raspberries for Rarity, and sugar cookies with zap apple icing for Dash.” She pulled a hoof off of the floor to count each snack on, leaving her balancing precariously on one hoof for a few moments before she dropped back onto all fours.

        “Thank you, darling, they sound delightful.” Rarity stepped up next to Fluttershy, pausing to give her a quick nuzzle. “Shall we, love?” The pair headed over to the snack table, chatting about an upcoming fashion show in Canterlot.

“Oh, I also made apple fritters for you, Applejack, and some strawberry jelly-filled doughnuts for Twi… light.” Pinkie slouched down, pouting, and looked at the clock. Almost half an hour had passed since the party started, and Twilight was still nowhere to be seen. Pinkie sat down and pawed at the floor. “You… you don’t think she forgot, do you?” She perked up a little bit, a hopeful smile tugging at the corner of her mouth. “Maybe that’s it. Maybe she’s just sitting at the library with her nose buried in a book, and if we go over there and remind her she’ll come have fun with us.” She hopped back to her hooves, taking a step toward the door.

        “Ah don’t think so, sugarcube.” Applejack laid a hoof on Pinkie’s shoulder to hold her in place. “Ah think we should just leave her be fer now. She’ll come ‘round when she feels like it.” She looked at the clock, then out the window, where the canopy of the library peeked over the nearest line of buildings. Sighing, she shook her head, her hat sliding forward a bit and covering her eyes. “At least, Ah hope she will.”

        “Uh, did I miss something?” Rainbow looked back and forth between the two earth ponies, an eyebrow cocked up in confusion. “I mean, yeah, Twi’s late, and honestly I figured she’d be the first one here, but you guys are acting a little… weird.” Before either of them could respond, a round of laughter broke out across the room. They all turned to see Rarity and Fluttershy giggling together before the latter leaned over for a quick kiss. After a moment, she perked up and dashed across the room, skidding to a stop and planting a light kiss on Dash’s lips.

        “Um, s-sorry.” Fluttershy mumbled, slightly out of breath from her brief sprint across the bakery. “I didn’t mean to, um, intrude.”

        Dash chuckled and draped a wing over her marefriend’s back, the tip dipping down to brush over her cutie mark for a brief moment. “Flutters, we keep telling you that you don’t have to do that. You don’t have to worry about treating us evenly.”

        “Oh, right.” Fluttershy smiled sheepishly, then ducked down a bit. “Sorry… um, again. Say, um, where’s Twilight? Isn’t she coming?”

        Applejack rubbed a hoof along the back of her neck. “Ah don’t think so, sugarcube. She’s… a might cross with me right now.” She held up a hoof to keep either of the pegasi could ask the obvious question. “It’s… complicated. Pinkie kinda… set us up on a… date.”

        “A date?” Rarity cooed as she rejoined the group. “With whom, might I ask?” She floated a plate of zap apple icing cookies over to Dash, who happily accepted it and began munching away.

        “With Twi.” Rainbow volunteered between bites of cookie, though a few stray crumbs flew from her mouth. “Good choice too, Pinks. Twi’s got a serious crush on AJ.”

        “Really? Oh, that’s wonderful.” Fluttershy exclaimed before wilting under the sudden attention of her friends. “Oh, um, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to shout. It’s just, um…” She retreated a bit under Dash’s wing, her voice growing a little quieter. “Well, it’s nice that Twilight likes her, since Applejack likes Twilight, too.”

        “Is that so?” Rarity smiled at the farmer. “Well, I’m sure that the two of you will be very happy together.” She took a sip of punch before continuing. “Though, I confess that I am confused. If you and Twilight have feelings for one another and you went on a date, planned by Pinkie Pie no less, why in Equestria would she be mad at you?”

        “Ah kinda…” Applejack drifted into silence for a few moments. “Ah messed up. Ah ain’t lookin’ to go into it right now, though, Rares. Ah messed up, but Ah’m gonna make it up to her.”

        “Say, ‘Shy, do you think you could go get me some more punch?” Dash held up her empty cup. “Those cookies made me thirsty.”

        “Oh, um, o-okay.” Fluttershy grasped the cup with a wingtip and stepped out from under her marefriend’s wing. “Does… um, does anyone else want some more?”

“That sounds lovely, dear. Thank you.” Rarity passed her cup over to the pegasus as well, shooting a quick glance at Rainbow. Once Fluttershy was out of earshot, she leaned in and whispered to her marefriend. “Is something the matter, darling?”

        “Not really, it’s just…” Rainbow turned to Applejack. “Twilight? Really? I thought you said you… liked me.” Next to her, Rarity made a small gasp and from one mare to the other. Dash nudged the unicorn and motioned for her to be quiet, pointing at Fluttershy.

        “Ah do. Did.” Applejack hastily corrected herself. “And Ah told ‘Shy the truth at first, but the poor girl looked like she was gonna have a heart attack, so Ah… pretended Ah was jokin’ and told her Ah liked Twi’ instead.” She could see confusion written clearly on Rarity’s face, so she quickly kept talking before Fluttershy could get back. “Y’all were still at each other’s throats, and Ah didn’t wanna throw mah hat into the ring and mess things up any more.”

        “But, whatever was so horrible that she wouldn’t show up at Pinkie’s lovely party?” Rarity tapped a hoof to her chin. “You and Twilight get along well, even if you still had feeling for Rainbow…” She gasped. “You didn’t let her pay the bill did you?”

“No.” Applejack shook her head. “Pinkie set us up with a nice picnic, there wasn’t a bill to pay.”

“Forgot the flowers?” Rarity proposed.

“No. Err… well, not really.” Applejack rubbed the back of her neck. “There were plenty of flowers, but Ah didn’t think to stop and pick a few.”

“Told her that her dress didn’t suit her?” Rarity leveled a slight glare at the farmer. “I know that she doesn’t have the best fashion sense, but you should have appreciated that she—”

“Dagnabbit, Rarity!” Applejack stamped a hoof. “Maybe if’n ya’d give me more’n a few seconds, Ah could tell ya what happened.” 

        Rarity had the decency to look guilty. “Apologies, dear. Please, do tell.”

        “Tell us what?” Fluttershy asked, rejoining the group. She held a full cup of punch with each wingtip, which she quickly passed to her marefriends. She looked around to see all of her friends acting strangely. “What’s wrong?” She ducked down a little, pouting. “Should… should I go away again?”

        “No, sugarcube. It’s fine.” Applejack swallowed nervously. “Ah guess you were gonna find out sooner or later. On the date…” She stopped, the words stuck in her throat. After a few seconds of silence, she tried again. “Ah had fun… more’n Ah thought Ah would, bein’ honest. We were watchin’ the sunset after havin’ dinner and Ah… guess Ah was a little tired from workin’ and got kinda sleepy. Ah…” The words caught in her throat again, but Pinkie laid a hoof on her back and she forced them out. “Ah called Twilight by Dash’s name.” As soon as the words were out, she dropped her gaze to the floor, unable to watch her friends’ reactions.

        Shocked silence reigned in the bakery for a few moments, but it was broken as Dash burst out laughing. “Are you serious? Oh man, I knew you were into me but isn’t that a bit much, AJ?” Rarity and Fluttershy glared at her, and her laughter slowly petered out until she wilted under their combined stares. She cleared her throat and turned back to the farmer, grinning sheepishly. “Sorry, AJ.”

        “Poor Twilight.” Fluttershy let her head fall until the end of her mane brushed the floor. “She must have felt so unwanted, not even being able to keep her date’s attention.”

        “Indeed. How could you be so insensitive, Applejack?” Rarity stuck her nose in the air, letting out a huff.

        Applejack slumped down as their words washed over her, reinforcing all of the terrible things she felt about herself; hearing them from her friends made it even worse. She wanted to say that she knew they were right, that she already felt horrible enough, but she couldn’t find her voice.

        “Hey!” Pinkie wrapped her forelegs around Applejack and pulled the other mare into a hug. “It was an itty bitty mistake. She didn’t mean to do it, and she didn’t do it to be mean.”

        “Thanks, Pinkie.” Applejack reached up and held onto Pinkie’s foreleg. She sighed and leaned against the mare next to her. “Not that it makes much of a difference. Ah was hopin’ Twi would be here so Ah could apologize all proper like… but Ah guess that ain’t happenin’.”

Pinkie gave her another squeeze, then nearly bounced into the air. “Oh! I know!” She grabbed Applejack by the shoulders and turned her so that they were facing each other, her face split into a wide grin. “You can come by and apologize to her at our date tonight!”

        “A date? Between you and Twilight?” Rarity brought a hoof to her chest, sharing a brief confused glance with Fluttershy. “But, what about Applejack?”

        “Yeah.” Dash nodded in agreement, a few drops of punch spilling from her cup from the movement. “I mean, no offense Pinks, but if Twi’s got a crush on AJ, why would she go out with you?” The question earned her another set of stern looks from her marefriends. “What?”

        Pinkie blinked for a moment, her grin fading. She dropped her forelegs from around Applejack, tapping the floor with a hoof. “Oh, I… I don’t know. Maybe she thinks that, um, i-if she…” She trailed off into silence, keeping her eyes glued to the floor.

        It was Applejack’s turn to place a foreleg around her friend. “Ya want me to do it?” Pinkie merely nodded, and Applejack gave her a light squeeze before turning back to the rest of her friends. “Pinkie’s got… a bit of a crush on Twi.” A round of gasps passed among the three mares. “And apparently after Ah dropped her off when our date was done, Pinkie was waitin’ fer her inside to see how it went. One thing led to another, and Twilight figured Pinkie out. Asked her out right then and there.”

        “But, um, what about you, Applejack?” Fluttershy glanced back and forth between the farmer and the baker. “You said that you had fun, so why wouldn’t you—” She paused, thinking for a moment. “Wait… I thought you said that you liked Twilight, not Rainbow.”

        Applejack chuckled nervously. “Yeah, that wasn’t exactly… ya know, the truth.” She winced at the shocked expression that crossed the pegasus’ face. “Ah’m sorry, ‘Shy, but you were havin’ enough trouble with Rare and RD as it was. Ah didn’t wanna make things any harder on ya than they already were.”

        “Oh, um, well… thank you, then.” Fluttershy smiled, and her marefriends leaned in simultaneously and gave her a kiss on each cheek. “Eep!” Her face lit up in a blush, drawing chuckles from Rarity and Rainbow as they leaned in and hugged her from either side. Once their group hug broke up, Fluttershy pawed at the ground nervously for a moment before voicing a concern. “But… how are you going to apologize to Twilight?”

        “Ah don’t rightly know.” Applejack looked out the window again, then . “Ah suppose Ah could swing by the library, but if’n Twi don’t wanna see me, Ah don’t think it’d help much.” The group fell silent while they all pondered how Applejack could make her apology.

        “Ah! I believe I have it, dears.” Rarity clapped her hooves together, then turned to the baker. “Pinkie, darling, I assume that you know what you and Twilight will be doing on your date?”

        “Yeppers!” Pinkie nodded enthusiastically. “Vinyl’s playing at The Drunken Princess tonight, and we’re gonna go.”

        Rarity cocked an eyebrow. “An… interesting choice, dear, but it works perfectly.” She grinned and leaned in closer to the group. “Now, Applejack, here’s what you can do…”


*


        Twilight reached the autobiography shelves and turned around, heading back toward the fiction section again. She knew that when she got there, she would just turn right around and head back over here. She’d been walking the same path for the better part of two hours, after all. Not for the first time, she thought she saw a rut wearing into the floor from her pacing, but she couldn’t be bothered with that now. “Oh, Spike, what do I do? I can’t just do nothing. It’s our first date. I have to make it special.”

        “Just calm down, Twilight.” Spike didn’t even look up from his comic book, lazily flipping the page with a claw. “You said yourself that Pinkie’s planning everything. I’m sure all you’ll have to do it show up.”

        “I can’t just show up, Spike.” Twilight rounded on her assistant, who still hadn’t deigned to put down his comic book. She yanked it down with a tug of magic, forcing him to look at her. “I have to show her that I’m interested, that I want this to work.” Spike only stared back at her flatly. After a few moments, she huffed and trudged toward the staircase. “That’s it, I’m wearing my dress.”

        Spike merely flipped his comic back open, shaking his head. “I told you, it’s gonna be too much.” The unicorn only grumbled in response as she climbed the stairs. After a couple minutes and several loud thuds, Twilight came back down the staircase wearing her Grand Galloping Gala dress. Spike looked up and snorted when she saw her. “Really, Twilight? Don’t you think that’s a bit much?”

        “It’s all—.” Twilight nearly slipped after stepping on the starry hem of her dress. “It’s all I had. After Rarity offered to make it for me, I never got her to fix my old one.” When she reached the base of the stairs, she started running her hooves along the skirt, trying to smooth out some wrinkles that had set in while the dress was stored in her closet. “Ugh. I can’t get… these wrinkles to…” She huffed and closed her eyes in concentration. Her horn lit up, and the glow of magic surrounded her skirt. After several seconds, wisps of steam rose from the material, and the wrinkles slowly disappeared. Twilight let out a breath and the magic faded away. “There we g—Ow! Hot, hot, hot!” She freaked out, her hooves tapping against the floorboards at a rapid pace.

        Spike burst out laughing, his comic book falling to rest on his stomach. “Geez, Twilight. I thought you’d learned to take your clothes off before you try casting magic on them. Especially after what happened with those Gryphon envoys and Celestia that one time.”

        “Don’t remind me.” Twilight pressed a hoof between her eyes. “I didn’t even know that tomato soup could turn into mist… much less how hard it is to wash out of your coat.”

        “Just imagine how hard it would be to get it out of feathers.” Spike chuckled to himself for a few moments before a series of knocks sounded from the front door. He closed his comic and dropped it on the floor next to his bean bag, then hopped up. “I’ll get it.”

        “No no. Let me.” Twilight raced toward the door, pausing when she reached it to check her dress one last time for wrinkles. After failing to find any, she pulled the door open to reveal her date on the other side. “Hello, Pinkie.”

        “Hiya, Twilight.” Pinkie was hopping from one leg to the other and back, grinning widely. “Are you ready to— to…” She gaped at Twilight for a second before blushing and averting her gaze.

        “Pinkie?” Twilight lowered her head to try and look her date in the eye, then went to looking over her dress again. “Is something wrong with my dress? It’s a little tight around the middle, but I figured—” 

“No, no, no. It looks great! You look great. It’s just that…” Pinkie drew circles on the floor with a hoof. “We’re going to a club, and it’s like… really, really hard to dance in a dress.”

“Dance?” Twilight swallowed, visions of the Canterlot garden party on her birthday flashing through her head. “I… I don’t know, Pinkie.” She used her magic to undo the zipper on the back of her dress, letting it slide down her shoulders. “Dancing might not be… the best idea.”

        “Oh. Um, well, we don’t have to dance if you don’t want to.” Pinkie smiled reassuringly, then looked away when the unicorn’s dress slid further down. She knew they didn’t normally wear clothes, but something just felt… different about watching Twilight undress, like it was something private that she shouldn’t be seeing. “We can just go and talk and hang out. It’s just that Vinyl’s playing at The Drunken Princess tonight, and I thought we could go.”

        “Oh, that does sound fun.” Twilight stepped out of her dress and floated it to hang over the back of a chair. “I’ve never been to a club before.”

        Pinkie gasped, her mouth hanging open afterward. “You haven’t?”

        “No.” Twilight shook her head, then hedged. “Well, there were things like chess club and book club at Celestia’s School for Gifted Unicorns, but I’ve never been to a nightclub.”

        “Well then…” Pinkie trotted over next to her date and linked a foreleg through hers. “It’s about time we change that.” She ran off, pulling Twilight along like a ragdoll. 

        “Bye, Spike!” Twilight called back as she was yanked through the doorway, her hooves scrambling to keep up with her date’s bouncing. Back in the library, Spike waved a disinterested claw at the slowly closing door, not even bothering to look up from his reading material.


*


        Twilight couldn’t believe she was doing this. She’d read about clubs, of course, but she’d never pictured herself actually going to one, especially not with a date. Yet here she was, standing in front of The Drunken Princess with Pinkie bouncing excitedly next to her. Even through the walls, she could feel the pulsing bass resonating in her chest. She couldn’t imagine that it would be any quieter inside, and in the back of her mind, she was running through a number of noise cancellation spells that she knew.

        “Oh, isn’t this exciting?” Pinkie gave an extra high bounce, her hooves kicking and waving in the air.
        
        “Yeah.” Twilight took a deep breath and smiled at her date. “Shall we?” The other mare squealed gleefully and made for the entrance, waving enthusiastically to a burly stallion next to the door. As soon as they passed through the doorway, the pounding music washed over her. She could see Pinkie talking ahead of her, but there was no chance she would be able to make out the words. Once they passed the bar, the earth pony pointed to an empty booth against the wall and she followed her date over to it, simultaneously trying to decide which spell would best reduce the auditory assault.

        Twilight looked across the table to see that her date was once again talking to her, but she couldn’t hear a word of what the other mare was saying. Cycling through her array of noise dampening spells one more time, she picked one and began weaving it. Pinkie stopped talking, looking at her in confusion while her horn glowed. After a few more seconds of concentration, Twilight cast the spell, sighing in relief as the music died away. It took her a moment to realize that everyone in the club was looking around and murmuring in confusion. Even the DJ lifted a headphone from her ear and started tapping the speakers.

        Oops. Twilight realized that rather than create a bubble of quiet around their booth, she’d negated any kind of sound for the entire building, including conversations. She quickly undid her spell, startling everypony when the music suddenly sprung back to life in all of its ear-splitting power. “Sorry.” She mumbled to her date, though she couldn’t even hear herself. The earth pony only giggled and slid out of the booth, grabbing the unicorn’s leg and pointing to the dance floor. Twilight’s eyes widened and she shook her head vehemently.

        Pinkie hung her head, pouting. Then, she reared up and placed her forelegs on her date’s shoulders, pulling her in close enough to speak into her ear. “Come on, Twilight. It’ll be fun, I promise.”

        A shiver raced up Twilight’s spine as Pinkie’s breath played across her ear, but she nodded. “O-okay.” She nearly shouted to make sure her date could hear her above the roaring music. She slid out of the booth and followed the other mare out to the dance floor. They found an empty spot and Pinkie immediately hopped in and began dancing wildly. Twilight merely stood there, unsure of what to do and not wanting to make a fool of herself like the last time she had ‘danced.’

After a few moments, Pinkie noticed her date’s trepidation and walked over to stand next to her. She smiled at the worried unicorn and began swaying lightly in time with the music. She made sure to keep it simple, moving only her hips and shoulders while keeping her hooves in one place. Her swaying slowly grew until she was bumping into her date’s hips each time she swung to the left.

        Twilight watched the earth pony sway back and forth for a while, then started doing it herself. She tried to focus on Pinkie, but her eyes kept darting around to see if any of the other patrons were watching her sad excuse for dancing. However, everyone else on the floor was too engrossed in their own goings on to pay any attention to her. Slowly, she began to loosen up and move around more, occasionally bumping into her date while they both swayed back and forth. As she let the beat flow through her, she couldn’t help but smile, and soon both she and Pinkie were giggling uncontrollably.


*


        Applejack couldn’t believe she was doing this. She’d never had any desire to go to a club, and tonight was no exception. It was way too loud, the cider was low-quality but ludicrously expensive, and the masses of ponies made the crowded building too warm for her tastes. But, Pinkie had chosen this place for her date with Twilight, so it was the least she could do to suffer through an hour or two until she could properly apologize. She groaned when the music somehow reached a new and even more deafening level. Grabbing some napkins from the table, she crushed them into little balls and shoved one in each ear to try and block out some of the sound. Her makeshift earplugs failed miserably, falling out of her ears and onto the table before rolling off the edge.

        She lifted her mug and took a swig of her cider. It was sour and tasted watered down, but it was the only thing on the menu that wasn’t hard liquor or some frou-frou mixed drink. She scanned the walls for a clock again, but she still couldn’t find one. Waiting for Twilight and Pinkie to arrive was proving more difficult than she’d imagined thanks to the raucous music, and she regretted that she’d passed on Dash’s offer of company. But, the damage was done, and she supposed a headache was a small price to pay for setting things right with Twilight.

        Applejack breathed a sigh of relief when she saw Pinkie hop in through the door with Twilight close behind her. The pair headed for a booth out of her sight on the far side of the room, and she thought about following them so that she could get out of the club as quickly as possible. Ultimately, she decided to stick to the plan and wait for the signal from Pinkie. Taking another drink, she watched as the wall near where Twilight and Pinkie had disappeared glowed a familiar lavender for a few seconds. When the color vanished, the music cut out, along with all other sound. After a few seconds of blissful silence, the thunderous beat returned, and the farmer chuckled to herself.

        About a minute later, Pinkie and Twilight reappeared, angling for the dance floor. Applejack raised an eyebrow while she watched them walk, wondering how Pinkie had convinced the unicorn to dance. The answer quickly became apparent as the party pony began flailing about wildly while her date simply stood in place. Applejack shook her head and lifted her mug to drain the last dregs of cider, but paused when she noticed Pinkie’s erratic bouncing stop. She watched as the baker walked over and stood next to Twilight, swaying in much more subdued manner.

        Applejack smiled and leaned back in her chair, watching as Twilight slowly started to sway alongside Pinkie, the two eventually losing themselves in the music and giggling. When the song finally ended, or at least the volume dropped to a somewhat more reasonable level for a bit, they left the dance floor and headed back for their booth. However, Twilight turned and looked in Applejack’s direction, forcing her to duck down so she wasn’t seen. After waiting a couple moments, she sat back up a little, seeing the unicorn nowhere in sight, and let out a sigh. She drank the last of her cider and settled back into her chair as the music built back up to a deafening level.

        Any day now, sugarcube.


*


        When the music finally died down a little, Twilight and Pinkie headed back to their booth, leaning on one another while the last of their giggles dissipated. While they walked, Twilight turned to the bar, trying to see if anything sounded appetizing, but a splash of orange caught her eye, drawing her gaze to the far wall. She could have sworn she’d seen Applejack over there, but the only pony in sight was a drunken pegasus who was laying face down on his table. She felt her date pulling on her leg, so she gave up and kept moving toward their booth.

        Once they were seated again, Pinkie began talking animatedly, but her words were drowned out by the music. Picking a different spell this time, Twilight summoned her magic and quickly cast a sound dampening spell.

        “—fun! Oh, I’m so glad that you—” Pinkie stopped, surprised that she could suddenly hear herself. After looking around for a bit, she focused back on her date. “Um, Twilight, did you turn down the music again?”

        “No.” Twilight chuckled. “I just put a sound dampening field around our booth. It’s quieter in here for us so that we can talk without shouting, but the music is still going outside.”

        “Really?” Pinkie immediately stood up and leaned out of the booth, jumping when the full force of the music hit her. She pulled back into the bubble, rubbing a hoof in her ear. “Silly Twilight, that’s not how you enjoy yourself in a nightclub.” Twilight gave her an embarrassed smile, but before she could light up her horn again, Pinkie waved at her with both hooves. “No, no. It’s super duper fun… and it does make it easier to talk.” She smiled bigger, drumming her hooves on the table. “Okidoki! You need a drink, and I want a drink. What do you want?”

        “I uhh...” Twilight tapped her hooves together below the table. She swallowed nervously and put on her bravest face. “I’ll have some red wine. Marelot if they have it.”

        Pinkie giggled, with an occasional snort mixing its way in. “Silly Twilight, they don’t have wine here.”

        “O-oh. Well then, um…” Twilight floundered, only able to stammer out half-formed words for a few moments.

        “Teehee. Don’t worry, sillyhead.” Pinkie leaned across the table and booped her date on the nose. “I’ll take care of it.” She dug into her mane and pulled out a small jingling sack of bits. She scooted to the edge of the booth, hanging her rear hooves off the edge but leaning back to keep her head in the noise-dampened bubble. “Back in two shakes! Maybe three.” With that, she hopped down from her seat and headed for the bar, her hips swaying in time to the pounding beat.

        Twilight caught herself staring as her date walked away and quickly redirected her gaze down to the table. Now that it was at a more tolerable volume, she realized that the music permeating the club was actually quite catchy. After a few more seconds of listening, she identified an underlying pattern in the song and began tapping her rear hooves in time with it. Her mind drifted back to the walk back from the dance floor and when she had thought she had seen Applejack.

        I can’t believe it. She shook her head, her hooves slowing and falling off of the beat. The entire point of asking Pinkie out was so that I wouldn’t fixate on Applejack while she sat on the sidelines. She slumped down, her nose nearly touching the table. I shouldn’t have done this, Pinkie deserves better. No, I can’t think like that, I’ll just have to be better for her. She looked around with newfound determination, letting her eyes wander over the crowd while she waited for her date to return. It faltered when she looked past the bar and caught a flash of a blond ponytail.

“Ugh!” If not for the soundproofing bubble the entire club would have heard her frustration. She slumped down, banging her nose into the table. It hurt, but the physical pain didn’t come close to the mental anguish she was experiencing. Why can’t I forget about Applejack? Am I going to see her out of the corner of my eyes for the rest of my life? Maybe I should break things off with Pinkie now, it’s not fair of me to lead her on like this. A small corner of her mind whispered to her, fueling her doubts. What if Applejack really is in the club? “No.” She shook her head vehemently. Applejack doesn’t even like nightclubs! The chances that she would choose to go to one, much less the same one and at the same time, are tiny. Infinitesimal even! I just need to—

        “Here we go.” Pinkie stepped back into the bubble and gently placed two drinks on the table, sliding one toward her date, causing her to jump a little. She slid back into her seat and pulled her own drink closer, taking a quick sip. She looked back to the unicorn, but her date wasn’t meeting her gaze. “Twilight? Is everything okay?”

        “Hmm? Oh, everything’s fine. It’s just…” Twilight stared at her drink for a few seconds, a red slush in what looked like a martini glass. She tried to figure out what it was, but she couldn’t make out anything beyond a pleasantly sweet aroma. “What is it?”

        “It’s a strawberry daiquiri.” Pinkie smiled and leaned over the table. “It’s blended up ice cubes and strawberries with some lime juice, but it’s got a little bit of rum in there too. Oh, and this—” She reached out and ran her hoof through some sugar along the edge of the glass. “—is just sugar, to make it extra tasty.” To prove her point, she licked the sugar off of her hoof. “Mmm! Tasty.”

        “Hmm…” Twilight examined her drink for a little while more, then lifted it in her magic and took a sip. The taste strawberry, mixed with a dose of sugar, washed over her tongue, ending with a bite that she assumed was from the alcohol. “Mmm. That’s good. Thank you, Pinkie.” She took a longer drink, motioning toward her date’s glass when she was done. “What did you get?”

        “This is a mudslide!” Pinkie crouched down, staring intently at her drink, a tall rounded glass filled with light brown liquid interspersed with darker brown layers. “It’s got all kinds of yummy stuff in it like chocolate and cream and more chocolate!” She took a long drink, letting out a happy sigh afterward. “Mmm. That’s tasty!” She smiled at the unicorn, who smiled back, but something was off about it. She couldn’t quite put her hoof on it, mainly because it would be rude to just stick her hoof on Twilight’s mouth, but she had a feeling she knew what was wrong. “Twilight… how do you feel about Applejack?”

        “What?” Twilight faltered, nearly dropping her glass. “Pinkie! I don’t— Why would—” She paused, taking a breath to compose herself. “Why would you ask that?”

        “Well, you still seem a little… sad.” Pinkie’s smile faded, and she tapped a hoof idly on the side of her drink. “I just want you to be the happiest you can, and if Applejack can do that for you, then…” She trailed off, keeping her eyes on drink for a few seconds.

When the earth pony finally looked up and met Twilight’s gaze, her heart bled. Pinkie’s eyes were just so… sad. “Pinkie, I…” She began, taking her time to ensure she chose her words carefully. “I don’t know if I’ll ever really, truly, be able to get over Applejack, but I think that I can be happy with you. I think that maybe…” She finally tore her gaze away from her date’s, feeling her cheeks burning while she kept talking. “I… I think I might be able to fall in love with you.”

        Pinkie immediately perked up, her smile returning in force. “Really? Oh, Twilight, that’s so—” She froze, her eyes darting around randomly. After a few seconds of silence, she swung her legs over the edge of the booth. “I have to use the little fillies’ room! Be right back!” She blurted out before dashing off in the direction of the bathroom.

        Twilight could only stare at the seat her date had occupied mere seconds ago, then slowly followed her path toward the rear of the club. “What… What just happened?” She tried to find the earth pony among the shifting sea of ponies, but couldn’t find any sign of her. She was about to give up and go back to her drink to ponder what could have possibly gone wrong, but she caught a flash of a familiar Stetson in the corner of her eye. Letting out a grunt of frustration, she turned back and clearly saw Applejack heading toward the bathroom. She watched as the farmer disappeared through the same door that her date had passed through moments ago.

        “Applejack?”

> Gone Clubbin'
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Unexpected Confessions

Chapter Twenty Seven


        Gone Clubbin’

        Applejack stared at the bar, trying to decide if another mug of lousy, watered-down cider was worth the exorbitant twenty bits the club was charging for it. In any other situation, she wouldn’t have given their sorry excuse for a drink a second thought, but the club was hot, and she’d been sitting against the back wall for a while now. She had decided to give in and buy another mug when Pinkie suddenly shot by, barely sparing her a glance and a frantic wave before disappearing into the bathroom. After staring in confusion for a moment, she hopped down from her seat and followed the pink pony.

        When she got into the bathroom, Applejack found Pinkie sitting in the middle of the cramped room, her head hanging low. “What in tarnation is goin’ on, sugarcube?” She sat down next to the other mare, waiting for a response, but Pinkie only slumped lower. “Y’all looked like you were havin’ a great time out there. Heck, ya had Twi dancin’, laughin’, and everythin’. What happened?”

        “I…” Pinkie began, her voice wavering. “I’m not good enough for her. She’ll be happier with you, so… you should go out there and apologize. Then, maybe you can finish the date with her.” She sniffed, wiping a hoof across her nose. “I think she’d like that.”

        “No can do, sugarcube.” Applejack wrapped a foreleg around her friend’s back. “You started this thing, and yer gonna finish it. ‘Sides, why in Equestria would you think that yer not good enough fer Twi’?”

        “She…” Pinkie leaned against the other mare, but kept her eyes glued to the floor. “She said that she didn’t think she would ever really get over you. So, if she loves you that much, then the two of you should be together.” Before Applejack could respond, the door to the bathroom opened. They both looked up to see Twilight standing in the doorway. 

“Applejack, why are you—” Twilight trailed off as she got a better look at the mares sitting on the floor of the bathroom. “Pinkie? What— I don’t—” She let out a frustrated grunt, stamping a hoof. “What’s going on here?”

        “I was… just leaving.” Pinkie murmured, her voice barely audible above the music seeping through the walls. She finally looked up from the floor, tears glistening in her eyes. “You should… be with Applejack. It’ll make you happier than being with me, and I just want you to be the happiest you can be… even if it’s not with me.”

        “But Pinkie… I am happy.” Twilight smiled and walked across the room, sitting on Pinkie’s free side. “I’m having a great time, really.”

        “No.” Pinkie shook her head, her mane starting to fall. “I can tell when ponies are really happy, and you’re only kind of happy.” She went back to gazing at the floor, pawing at the corner of a loose tile. “You’ll be really happy with Applejack, and that’s all I want, so…” She started to stand, pushing herself up from under the farmer’s leg. “I’ll just—”

        “Oh no ya don’t.” Applejack pulled the morose mare back down, holding her firmly in place. “This here’s your rodeo, sugarcube. Ah had mah shot, and Ah blew it, so it’s up to you to make Twi happy now.”

        “Shouldn’t I get a say in this, since I’m the one you’re both worried about?” Twilight asked, smirking to belie the harsh tone of her voice. She laid a foreleg across Pinkie’s back and leaned in, nuzzling into her friend’s cheek. “Pinkie, I am hav—” She stopped, pulling away and spitting strands of pink mane out of her mouth. Well, so much for the mood. Good going, Twilight. Nevertheless, she pressed onward, lifting Pinkie’s chin to look into her eyes. “I am having fun, and—while it’s too early to make any sort of long-term projection with confidence—I am happy with you.” Pinkie smiled and leaned over, wrapping a foreleg around the unicorn and squeezing her in a brief hug.

“Though—” Twilight shifted her attention to Applejack once the embrace was over. “—what did you mean you ‘blew it’? I mean, no offense, but you seemed really… disinterested during our date. You barely paid attention, then you called me…” She looked away, her ears folding back. “I just got the impression you wanted to be there with… someone else.”

        “Yeah… about that…” Applejack stood up and walked around to stand in front of Twilight, but the unicorn didn’t face her. “Ah was outta sorts yesterday, and by rights Ah prolly shouldn’ta gone out with ya. Ah needed time to get mah head right before Ah could give ya fair chance, but Ah didn’t, and fer what it’s worth… Ah’m sorry.” The other mare finally glanced up at her, but only for a second before looking away again. “Ah thought Ah was finally gettin’ over Dash, but after what happened with her and Rarity at the hospital… Ah guess Ah was havin’ trouble lettin’ go.”

        Applejack sat down and grabbed one of Twilight’s hooves, holding it between her own. The unicorn tensed for a moment, but didn’t pull away. “Ah really did have fun yesterday. A whole heck of a lot more’n Ah thought Ah would, bein’ honest. And now…” She shot a sidelong glance at Pinkie, who gave her a slight nod. She half-expected her next words to get stuck in her her throat, to ruin her chances of salvaging anything with Twilight. But instead, they flowed easily, and words she couldn’t even have imagined saying a week ago rolled off her tongue as naturally as breathing. “Ah feel like we really coulda had somethin’, if’n Ah hadn’t been such a danged fool.”

        She let the hoof drop, regretfully, standing before Twilight could form a response. She walked over to Pinkie and threw a foreleg around her, pulling the other mare into a hug. Her emotions roiled in her gut, and she knew that she needed to leave quickly or risk losing her composure. Lifting her mouth to the other mares ear, she whispered. “Make her happy, sugar. She deserves more smiles. Just… make her happy.” With that she turned and headed for the door, trying to reach it quickly while her vision started to blur.

        “No!” Twilight shouted, the single word echoing through the confined bathroom. “No, no, no!” She repeated, stamping her hooves with each iteration. “This isn’t— why does— you girls— Ugh!” She finally let out a frustrated groan, her mind racing through thoughts too quickly for her mouth to keep up. After pausing for a deep breath, she looked back and forth between her friends, who were staring back at her in shock with their eyes glued to her horn. It took her a moment to realize that she’d subconsciously been amplifying her voice, and that the mirrors were still rattling from her outburst. Dismissing the spell, she tried again at a more reasonable volume. “This isn’t fair, to you girls or to me. No matter what, somepony gets hurt… but I’m not going to sit here and watch you two try and make yourselves miserable to make me happy.”

        Standing up, She walked over to Applejack and threw a foreleg over her withers. “You’re not going anywhere, Applejack.” She looked back to Pinkie, who was trying give them a tearful smile. Twilight grabbed her date with her magic and brought her closer, draping her other foreleg across Pinkie’s withers. “And neither are you. Now, we’re going to go back out there and all have fun together. We’re not going to worry about who’s with who, or who would make whom happiest. It’s just going to be all three of us, hanging out together as friends.” She gave both mares a squeeze and dropped back onto all fours. Moving forward, she pulled open the door back out to the club. “So, shall we?”

        Pinkie immediately trotted through the door, her normal exuberance back in full force, but Applejack looked unsure. After a few seconds of deliberation, she smirked and reached behind herself. She pulled the hair ties out of her mane, and shook her head until it was hanging around her face, before doing the same with her tail. “Screw it all, We’ll figure it out later.” She walked up next to the unicorn and gave her a friendly swat on the flank. “Let’s go, sugarcube.” 

Twilight stammered a little while she watched Applejack disappear through the door, completely stunned by what just happened. Just when she thought she’d bought herself some time to think it through by suggesting they simply spend some time together as friends, Applejack ruined it by being so… sexy. First, by taking her hair down, then she had… She blushed a furious red and mumbled something to the tune of ‘stupid earth ponies’ before following her friends out of the bathroom and back into the roiling wave of sound that was the main floor.

        After a cursory glance across the dance floor, she made her way back to the booth she and Pinkie had been sharing. When it came into view, she saw that Applejack and Pinkie were sitting across from each other, already chatting amicably like nothing had happened. She glanced back and forth between them. She didn’t want to play favorites, but it would be difficult to be completely fair if she sat next to one of them. Once she entered the bubble around their table, she cleared her throat to get their attention. “Ahem! Um, girls, do you think that maybe you could…” She waved a hoof off to the side. “Sit on the same side?”

        Applejack looked at the unicorn curiously, but Pinkie simply shrugged. “Okay. Whee!” She lifted her forelegs and slid off of her seat, disappearing below the table. An instant later, she reappeared on the other side next to Applejack, and she reached back across the table for her drink. “Yoink! Ooh, do you want anything to drink, Applejack?”

        “Ah’m not really sure.” Applejack spared one last glance at Twilight as she got into the booth before turning to Pinkie. She leaned back a bit when she saw the baker’s face closer to her own than she would have liked. “Ah tried their cider, but it ain’t very good, and Ah ain’t too keen on them frou-frou mixed drinks.”

        “But there are all kinds of super yummy things you can get, Applejack!” As if to prove her point, Pinkie took a long pull from her mudslide, letting out a contented sigh. Afterward, she put a hoof to her chin. “Hmm… ooh! I think I know just what you need.” She bounded off to the bar, and Applejack chuckled to herself in amusement while Twilight could only look between them in ever growing confusion.

"I don't understand..." Twilight leaned forward and rested her chin on a hoof. "You two were practically in tears in the bathroom trying to give up for each other... How are you both suddenly okay?"

"Ain't much sense frettin' 'bout it now. We tried, it didn't work, and you stepped in to keep us from bein' even bigger fools. So, Ah figure fer now we might as well just take a load off.” Applejack leaned against the back of the booth, laying her foreleg along the top. She watched Pinkie talking animatedly with the bartender for a moment and smiled. “Ah gotta say, Pinkie’s always pretty happy, but it’s a different kind of happiness ‘round you, Twi’.” She reached up and brushed a stray lock of mane behind her ear, smiling warmly at the unicorn.

        Twilight could only stare, dumbfounded, for a moment before blushing and looking down at her drink. “R-really? I, um, h-hadn’t noticed.” She quickly floated her daiquiri up and took a long, slow drink, trying to will the heat in her cheeks away.

        Applejack chuckled and gave the other mare a knowing look. “Whatever you say, sugarcube.” She looked over her shoulder, watching the writhing sea of ponies out on the dance floor. While she pony-watched for a bit, she considered asking Twilight to go out onto the floor for a bit, until her gaze fell upon a couple doing some things that weren’t typically done in public, much less the middle of a crowded dance floor. She whipped her head back around to stare at the table, her mane following a second later and slapping her in the face. After a few seconds spitting it out and brushing it back behind her ears, she looked across the table to see Twilight giggling into a hoof. “Ah told ya Ah wanted to chop it all off, and if’n yer not careful, Ah just might.”

        Twilight immediately stopped giggling, biting her lip to try and keep quiet. It worked, but not for long, and soon she devolved into another fit of giggles, accompanied by Applejack this time. Shortly thereafter, Pinkie reentered the sound dampened bubble, laughing to herself as well. “Pinkie, what’s so—” Twilight trailed off as one last round of giggles rolled through her. “What’s so funny?”

        “I don’t know.” Pinkie shrugged, sliding into the booth and setting another mudslide next to her nearly empty one. “But both of you were laughing, so I figured I would just join in.” She broke into giggles again, snorting a few times before they finally subsided. She leaned over, placing a tumbler of liquid in front of Applejack. “Here you go!”

        “Say, uh, Pinkie…” Applejack picked up the tumbler that had been placed in front of her. Brown liquid—whiskey, by the smell of it—sloshed around some ice cubes. “When ya said you were gettin’ me a drink, Ah thought ya meant a mixed drink like y’all’s.”

        “I did!” Pinkie replied, pausing to slurp down the last of her first mudslide in a big gulp. After finishing it and licking her lips, she turned back to the mare next to her. “That one is called ‘The Three Wiseponies.’” Picking up her empty glass, she tossed it out of the booth, where it landed safely on the tray of a passing waitress.

        Applejack eyed the glass warily, eventually taking an experimental sip. Sure enough, the harsh bite of alcohol burned down her throat, causing her to start coughing and her eyes to water. “Sugarcube, this is straight up whiskey.”

        “Well, yeah!” Pinkie giggled, as if the other mare had stated that water was wet. “But it’s three different kinds of whiskey all mixed together!” She took a long drink from her new mudslide, nearly a third of the drink vanishing up the straw. When she finally sat back up, she gave another sigh of enjoyment, though she wavered a little trying to sit up straight.

        Applejack stared down at her drink for a moment, then shrugged and took another sip. She sucked in a breath as the almost burning warmth traveled down her throat again. “Well, Ah always did love a good whiskey. It’ll do. But fer now…” She put her glass down and gestured toward the dance floor. “Y’all got any more dancin’ left in ya?”

        “Oh, no.” Twilight shook her head, keeping her gaze pinned to the table. “I don’t think I could do any more dancing.” She quickly looked up, panicking. “N-not that I didn’t have fun, Pinkie, it’s just… I’d rather not risk making a fool of myself if I can help it.” She lifted her drink and went to take a sip, only to realize that it was empty.

        “Don’t worry, Twilight, I’ll have another one sent over.” Pinkie took one more pull from her mudslide, then linked a foreleg through Applejack’s. “Come on, Applejack, let’s go show these ponies how to dance!” She whisked the farmer off to the dance floor, causing her hat to fly off in the process. Twilight caught it with her magic before it could fall, then floated it over and placed it on her head, giggling to herself.

Along the way, Pinkie stopped and talked to a waitress, pantomiming something and pointing back toward the booth before continuing out to the edge of the dance floor. She immediately broke out into her own brand of erratic dancing again, leaving her partner to flounder for a couple seconds until she found the beat.

        Twilight could only watch, mesmerized at the scene playing out before her. As Applejack began to sway and move with the music, Pinkie slowed down and made her own movements compliment her partner’s. The unicorn stared while they moved together, her mind racing in a dozen different directions. She jumped when the waitress came by and dropped off another daiquiri, but quickly went back to watching her friends after taking a sip. Pinkie and Applejack watched each other, their mouths sporting matching grins. They slowly moved closer together, their shoulders and flanks brushing against each other. They broke out into laughter, leaning against one another to keep from falling over.

        After a time, the song ended, and they made their way back toward the booth. It was only then that Twilight realized she’d been staring at them the entire time. She quickly fixed her gaze on the table, praying that her friends wouldn’t notice the blush threatening to set her face on fire. Glancing around, she saw Applejack’s drink across the table and grinned. She pulled it over to herself and waited. She kept her eyes down until she heard her friends reenter the sound dampened bubble, the last bouts of their laughter still fading away, then she looked up, pushing her hat up a little. “Howdy, partner.” She picked up the glass of whiskey and took a sip, only to immediately cough it back up.

        The earth ponies burst into laughter again, much to Twilight’s embarrassment. “Well howdy do, cowgirl,” Applejack joked, “Ya look like ya need a little more practice before handlin’ one of those.”

        Twilight hid behind her own drink, taking sips to both cool her throat and calm her nerves. She shot Applejack what she hoped was a withering look, but the farmpony simply chuckled. She lifted the hat with her magic so that she could return its proper owner. “Here.” She mumbled, floating it across the table and gently lowering it onto Applejack’s head.

        “Thank ya kindly, sugar.” Applejack ran a hoof along the rim of her hat, before pulling it off and twirling it on her hoof. She plopped it back down on Twilight’s head with a smirk, pulling her drink back across the table. “But why don’t ya hold onto it for me fer now. It looks cute on ya.” Twilight didn’t respond, but instead focused all her energy on the drink in front of her, treating it like a shield that could protect her from further embarrassment.

Applejack grabbed her drink and downed most of the liquid in one fell swoop. She leant back and lifted her glass, shaking it in the direction of the bar, where the bartender gave her a quick nod. “Ah gotta say, Twi, Ah’m mighty glad ya talked me into stayin’.” She swirled the remaining bit of  her drink around for a moment, then tossed it back as well. “Not that ya gave me much of a choice.” Chuckling to herself, she looked up to see the unicorn staring at the table. “Twi? Ya doin’ okay over there, sugar?”

        “Hmm?” Twilight looked up, blinking for a few seconds when Applejack’s hat fell forward and covered her eyes. She pushed it back up, letting her hoof rest on the hat for a second. “Oh, y-yes. I’m, um, fine. Just... trying to figure out how you and Pinkie can just... change like that.” 

“It’s easy!” Pinkie giggled and bounced in her seat. “We just have fun!”

“Eeyup.” Applejack nodded in agreement. “Ya gotta be able to go with the flow. Sure, it ain’t over, but that don’t mean that it should ruin everythin’ tonight.”

Twilight nodded as well, though she still wasn’t one hundred percent sure how the earth ponies had done it. Her thoughts still raced in a hundred different directions, each one trying to escape her head. She couldn’t focus on any one line long enough to glean anything useful from it, save for the subjects: the two gorgeous mares across from her. That particular thought made her breath catch in her throat, sending the drink currently in her mouth down the wrong pipe. She immediately coughed it back up, earning her a concerned look from Applejack and a barely contained giggle from Pinkie. Chuckling nervously, she tried to play it off. “Sorry, I guess I shouldn’t be trying to breath and drink at the same time…” She tried to take another drink, only to find her glass was empty, and a sizeable spill on the table. “Oops…” She quickly rounded up the spilled liquid in a cup of magic and dumped it back into her empty glass. “Well, I think I’ve had enough for tonight, anyway.”

        “But, we still have drinks!” Pinkie waved a hoof to indicate their empty glasses, knocking over her own in the process.

        Twilight looked down at her glass again, wondering what the baker was talking about. “No… only Applejack ordered a new one, ours are empty, Pinkie.”

        “Not for long!” Pinkie singsonged, clapping her hooves together. Before the unicorn could respond, the waitress lowered a tray onto the edge of the table that had a new drink for all three of them. Pinkie giggled and took a drink, followed soon by Applejack.

        Twilight could only stare at her new daiquiri for a second, trying to figure out why the waitress had brought her a new one. “Excuse me, miss, but I didn’t…” It was too late, and the mare was already gone, lost to the deafening roar of music. “order… this.”

        “I know. I did.” Pinkie paused to lick a stray bit of whipped cream from the tip of her nose. “When I went to get Applejack’s drink, I told them to just bring us all new drinks if one of us ordered one.”

        “Don’t worry ‘bout it, sugarcube.” Applejack took a swig of her own drink. “It’s here, so ya might as well enjoy it. ‘Sides, one more little drink won’t hurt none. Ain’t like any of us gotta fly home or nothin’.” She held her glass up over the middle of the table, and Pinkie did the same, leaning forward to keep her lips wrapped around the straw.

        Smiling, Twilight lifted her own glass, clinking it against her friends’ drinks before taking a long sip. Their conversation shifted to the upcoming Running of the Leaves. Applejack offered to keep training Twilight, and she accepted, opting not to disclose that her initial interest hadn’t been her primary goal. Their drinks slowly emptied while they talked, and before long all three were empty again.

        “Alright, I think it’s time we headed home.” Twilight slid to the edge of the booth, having some difficulty sitting upright without swaying a little. Her mind was still running in countless different directions, but she found it easier to ignore her rampant thoughts as the mind-numbing haze of alcohol settled over her.

        “Awww…” Pinkie slumped down. “But… what about more dancing?” She stuck her head out of the bubble, nearly falling out of the booth in the process. When she pulled herself back in, she was already wiggling to the beat. “Ooh, I love this song! Come on, girls.” She tried to hop down from the booth, but her hoof slipped and she started to fall. “Whee!” Before she could fall too far, Applejack grabbed onto her foreleg and pulled her back.

        “Ah think Twi’s right, sugarcube. It’s time we hit the road. Now, come on.” Applejack helped the other mare down out of the booth gently, following her down afterward. Once they were on the floor, Pinkie went to take a step and pitched forward, but the farmer caught her again and easily lifted the drunken mare up onto her back. “Ya comin’, Twi?”

        “Yes, just… one second.” Twilight closed her eyes in concentration, scrunching her nose up. She gathered energy to herself and tried to summon her magic. It didn’t obey her immediately as it usually did, but instead arrived sluggishly. Her horn flared to life for a few seconds while she anchored the sound bubble to herself, allowing it to follow them out of the club. “There we go.” She hopped down from the booth, but kept going once she landed, taking several small steps to steady herself.

        Applejack smirked and looked the unicorn up and down, noting a slight blush on her face. “Ah ain’t gonna haveta carry you too, am Ah?” She rolled her shoulders to shift Pinkie a little lower on her back. Though, for her part, Pinkie was wiggling around and waving her hooves in the air in time to the music.

        “No no. I’m fine.” To prove her point, Twilight took a few steps in a mostly-straight line. “See? Now, um… where’s the exit?” She looked along the walls for some sign of the exit, but all she saw was flashing lights.

        “Come on, sugar.” Applejack turned and headed for the door weaving among ponies while Pinkie kept dancing on her back. She silently thanked Twilight for bringing their bubble with them since she wasn’t keen on subjecting herself to the deafening music again. After a few minutes, they reached the door leading outside, though it took her another couple minutes to maneuver through it with Pinkie’s flailing. Once she finally made it outside, she waited for the unicorn to join them. “Well, Ah suppose it’d be easiest to drop Pinkie off on the way to the library.”

        Twilight dismissed the sound bubble, then opened her mouth to agree. However, she realized that she didn’t want the night to end yet. They were having fun, so why did it have to stop? “Well, what if we just go back to the library and hang out a little more?” She looked off toward the west, but the movement caused her hat to fall forward, obscuring her vision. When she pushed it back up, she saw that the horizon was still painted in reds and oranges by the setting sun. “It’s still pretty early. There’s no reason we can’t spend a little more time together.”

        “Ah don’t know…” Applejack looked at the sunset, then off in the direction of the farm. “Ah got a lotta chores lined up fer tomorrow. Ah should prolly—”

        “Come on, AJ! It’ll be fun!” Pinkie replied from the farmer’s back. “Lesssss go!” She tried to run, forgetting that she wasn’t on the ground, so her hooves simply waved through the air for a few moments before she realized she wasn’t getting anywhere. Rolling to the side, she landed on her hooves and leaned against Applejack, trying in vain to push the other mare. “Wow, AJ, you’re like a rock!” She squinted and looked at the farmpony suspiciously. “You’re not secretly Tom in one of my Applejack costumes, are you?”

        “No, Ah just—” Applejack froze when Pinkie’s last sentence hit her. “You got a costume of me?”

        “Hehe. No, silly.” Pinkie went back to trying to push Applejack down the street. “Only Fluttershy and Rarity.”

        “You… why…” Applejack shook her head and resolved to forget the last thirty seconds had ever happened. She looked off toward the farm again, then down at the baker, who was looking back up at her and pouting while still trying to push her to the library. She heaved a sigh and pushed Pinkie away, lifting her up onto her hooves again. “Alright, fine. Ah suppose a little more fun couldn’t hurt. But, sugarcube…” She looked down at the mare still trying futilely to move her. “The library’s thataway.” She pointed behind Pinkie, in the direction opposite the one that the pink pony was trying to push her.

        “Well… less go!” Pinkie bounded off in the direction Applejack had pointed, tripping and falling every third or fourth bounce. “Less all go to—Oof!—the lib… libar… leb—Oof!—to the house-tree!”

        Applejack walked up to where the baker was struggling back to her hooves, shaking her head and chuckling to herself. “Come here, sugarcube.” Once again, she lifted Pinkie, tossing the drunken mare onto her back. Pinkie immediately used her new perch to burst into song, belting out a heavily slurred and off key rendition of “You Gotta Share, You Gotta Care.”

        “Well, Ah’m glad to hear yer havin’ fun tonight, Twi.” Applejack began the trek back to the library, pausing for a second to let the unicorn catch up. A few windows in nearby houses lit up as they passed by, but they barely noticed. “Ah gotta admit, after last night, Ah was worried that Ah mighta messed things up too bad to fix.” Twilight didn’t answer for a moment, and Applejack was ready to kick herself for messing up again by bringing it up.

        “Yeah.” Twilight smiled and looked over her shoulder at the receding club. It might have been her imagination, but for a moment she thought she could still feel the bass reverberating through her chest. “I didn’t think I’d be able to relax and have fun somewhere so crowded and… I suppose ‘noisy’ doesn’t do it justice… but I did.” She shuddered. “I still can’t believe Pinkie got me to dance.”

        Applejack chuckled, then grunted as one of Pinkie’s flailing limbs glanced off of her head. She shot a glare over her shoulder, but the mare on her back was too engrossed in her singing to notice. “Yeah, but at least it was a fair sight better than when we went up to Canterlot and that garden party fer yer birthday.”

        “Ugh. Don’t remind me.” Twilight shook her head, but perked up after a second. “Wait, you saw us dancing?” The farmer nodded and a rush of color flooded her cheeks. “Oh Celestia, I didn’t think that anypony would be paying attention to us.”

        “It’s alright, Twi. You were havin’ fun out there. It was nice to see.” Applejack took a quick side step to keep Pinkie from falling off of her back after a particularly forceful bout of thrashing.

        “I guess,” Twilight admitted after a moment. “It couldn’t have been as good as you two though, you girls at least knew what you were doing. I was just... flailing a little, but you two were… beautiful out there.”

        “Aw heck…” Applejack waved off Twilight’s words, blushing. “That was mostly Pinkie. She’ll get up in yer face if’n ya don’t stop her. Girl ain’t got much concern for personal space.”

        Twilight giggled and glanced back at the hammered pony on Applejack’s back. “She never does, does she? At first it was annoying, but now... I kind of like it about her.” She stumbled when she hit a bump in the road, and couldn’t stop herself from falling against Applejack’s side. “Sorry.” She quickly pulled herself back upright, leaving some space between them and reached up to adjust the hat still perched on her head.

        Applejack smirked and stepped closer so that their coats brushed as they walked. “Don’t be.” They smiled at each other for a moment before Pinkie readjusted herself to be laying across both of their backs. Somewhere along the way she had switched to another song and had just arrived at a point which something in her mind insisted had to be sung at full volume.

        “AND I~ love to see you SMILE SMILE SMILE!~”

        Applejack merely chuckled, but Twilight reflexively put a sound dampening spell around Pinkie’s mouth, temporarily confusing the earth pony. It prompted her to try and sing even louder, going blue in the face. They rounded a corner that brought the library into view, and they picked up their pace a little while Pinkie finally exhausted her lungs and hung between them, breathing heavily. Twilight quickly unlocked and opened the front door with her magic, then slipped out from under Pinkie, deciding that the door wasn’t wide enough to fit all of them at once.

        “Well…” Applejack slid the drunken mare off of her back and onto a bean bag. “Here we are… what’d ya wanna do now, sugarcube?”

        “Umm…” Twilight closed the door and rubbed the back of her neck with a hoof. In simply enjoying Applejack’s company, she had completely forgotten to plan out what they would do once they got back to the library. “I… don’t really know.”

        Before either of them could offer up an idea, Pinkie was flying through the air at them, the bean bag clenched in her hooves. “PILLOW FIGHT!!!” She landed and swung the bag, wobbling on her rear hooves.

        Applejack, being the most athletic out of the three of them, dodged easily. Twilight’s reaction speed, however, was slowed by the alcohol running through her system, and the unicorn ended up with a face full of bean bag. “Pinkie!” She shook her head to clear it. “That’s not a pillow!” She looked cross, but only for a moment, after which she smiled and lit up her horn, floating a procession of pillows down from both her bedroom and the hallway closet. They came to rest, hovering around her like a flock of fluffy bloodhounds, who were only waiting for her order to attack. “But these are.” She grinned and sent several pillows after each mare.

        Applejack dodged the first and second pillows, but the third caught her in the side of the head. “Oh, it’s on now, sugar.” She flicked all three pillows into the air with her tail and sent them back to their owner. She watched the pillows sail through the air, straight at Twilight who made no attempt to get out of the way. After about a second, Applejack found out why; her projectiles slowed and hung around Twilight, to be used as weapons once more. “No offense, sugarcube, but that’s just cheatin’.” She glanced over at Pinkie, who was just rolling on the floor, hugging the pillows the unicorn had hit her with while giggling uncontrollably.

        Twilight looked up at her army of pillows and sighed, realizing the farmer was right. She dropped her magic and slid one of the pillows over to Applejack, grabbing one in her mouth. “Youw on.” She waited for the other mare to pick up her weapon, then charged.

Applejack waited, intending to sidestep and swat Twilight’s rear when she charged past. Twilight smiled devilishly just before she disappeared in a flash of light, and an instant later Applejack felt a swat on her own rump. She turned to see the unicorn standing behind her, grinning triumphantly before disappearing again.

        “Pinkie? Ah could use some backup, sugarcube.” Applejack slowly made her way over to where she had last seen Pinkie, keeping watch for any sign of Twilight. As she turned to keep scanning the room, she got a faceful of pillow, only catching a glimpse of her assailant before she was gone again. She tried to follow Twilight as she teleported all over the library. Normally, Twilight’s spellcasting would have been too fast for her, but with the lightly buzzed state the unicorn was operating in, Applejack could make out a pattern.

        The next time Twilight jumped forward, aiming for Applejack’s back, she found that the farmpony wasn’t there when she came out of her teleportation spell. She blinked in confusion for a second, then felt a strike on her rump. She turned to see Applejack behind her, grinning cheekily. She tried another quick jump, but Applejack was too quick for her, sidestepping at the last possible second and swatting her on the rump each time.

        Eventually, she gave up and dropped the pillow. “You win,” she panted. Teleporting like that had taken more out of her than she thought it would have.

        “Thank ya kindly, sugar.” Applejack reached over and reclaimed her hat, planting it back on its familiar spot. “Ya got predictable. Put up a good fight, though. Keep it in mind fer the future.” She winked and chuckled as the unicorn’s cheeks darkened.

With the pillow fight over, Twilight’s legs trembled and she felt like she could fall over just like that. Still, since they were in the library she had to play hostess, which made the next step looking for ‘Sleepovers 101’.

        She quickly located the tome, but Applejack stopped her, pointing at the loudly snoring third pony in the room. Pinkie was stretched out on the pillows she had been attacked with, a gigantic smile plastered all over her face, punctuated by her snores which managed to play a little melody of their own.

 “Ah reckon it’s about time we got to bed.” Applejack stretched and yawned. Now that they were done playing, she realized just how tired she was. She quickly gathered up most of the loose pillows and piled them on her back. “Where do ya want these, sugar?”

        “Oh, here, let me get those.” Twilight once again picked up all of the pillows in her magic, carrying them with her over to the hallway closet she’d pulled them from. “You weren’t planning on going back to the farm, were you? It seems kind of silly, given how late it is. You’re more than welcome to sleep here.”

        “Actually, Ah kinda was…” Applejack looked at the clock and then out the window, where night had full settled. “Like Ah said, Ah got a good deal of chores lined up tomorrow, and even with an early start, it’s still gonna take me most of the day to get ‘em done.”

“Sorry, Applejack, but I can’t allow you to do that. You’re gonna sleep here tonight.” While she was in the closet, Twilight searched for sheets to put on the guest bed, but couldn’t find any. She belatedly remembered that they were in the laundry room after Spike had used them to help make a ‘pillow fort’ and had gotten ice cream all over them.

Rejoining her friends in the main room, she gently lifted Pinkie and her pillows with a cushion of magic, carefully levitating them ahead of her up the stairs. Halfway up, the sleeping earth pony let out an extra loud snore and rolled over, forcing Twilight to adjust and reorient her magic to keep her from falling. Once they made it into the room, she tucked Pinkie in, letting out a relieved sigh. It took more concentration than normal to cast magic, and sustaining any spells was tiring her out quickly. After sizing up the bed, removing the amount of room Pinkie was taking up by sprawling out, she realized that all three of them wouldn’t fit.

        Applejack stepped up next to the unicorn and glanced at the bed, frowning at how little room was left. “Well, Ah’ll take the couch, then. Night, sugarcube.” She turned and headed back for the door.

        “No, wait.” Twilight trotted over and held the farmer back with a hoof. She’d been about to suggest that she sleep on the couch herself, but hearing Applejack say it first made her want to find a way for all of them to fit in the bed. “I’m sure we’ll be all be fine.” She made her way over to the bed and gently climbed in, trying not to wake Pinkie. Though, based on the amount of snoring she’d been doing on the way up, it was doubtful anything short of a buffalo stampede would wake her up. She carefully prodded and rolled Pinkie onto her side, then nestled in behind her, leaving plenty of room. She looked back to Applejack and patted the spot behind her.

        Applejack slowly walked over to the bed while some small part of her mind kept insisting that she should go sleep on the couch. She climbed into the bed, causing the springs to groan under the strain, and snuggled up behind Twilight, wrapping a foreleg around the unicorn’s barrel. “Goodnight, Twi.”

        “Goodnight, Applejack.”

        Pinkie wiggled around, pressing herself back against Twilight. “Nighty... night...” She mumbled.

        Twilight laid her head on the pillow and tried to go to sleep, but her mind refused to let her rest. Almost all of her disparate thoughts had calmed down, but one kept tugging at her attention, a vague feeling that she couldn’t immediately place. She tried not to think about how she could feel the rise and fall of Pinkie’s chest, or Applejack’s breath just grazing the back of her neck. But the harder she tried not to think about being sandwiched between the two of them, the more it consumed her. After a few minutes, Applejack’s breathing grew slow and even, leaving Twilight alone and wide awake. She briefly considered trying to extricate herself from between them and going downstairs to sleep on the couch, but as soon as she tried to move, Pinkie wiggled backwards and Applejack gave her a light squeeze with her foreleg. The feeling came back, stronger this time. It was... warm.

She yawned, growing more relaxed as she watched them sleep. This seemed so different than the heat she felt when she thought about Applejack. That had seemed like an all encompassing passion, a raging inferno of hormones. But here and now, she just felt comfortable, safe… loved.

Well, maybe it's too early for that word. But it felt like a good word. They just seemed to mesh well together. Maybe this wouldn't have worked for Twilight and Applejack, or even Pinkie and Twilight. But three seemed very stable. This appealed to her from a design standpoint. A stool with three legs didn't wobble.

Pinkie yawned, leaving Twilight to follow suit. This needed more study, and field testing.

And notes. Lots of notes.

> Making a Change
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Unexpected Confessions

Chapter Twenty Eight


        Making a Change

        Rarity woke slowly, groggily. She pressed a hoof to her head, which throbbed in a dull ache. That last glass of wine may have been a mistake. She tried to roll over to go back to sleep, but found herself blocked in on either side. Smiling, she settled back down and simply enjoyed the closeness of the two mares, even if the two pairs of wings pressed against her sides did tickle a bit. However, her stomach had other ideas, and chose to announce its presence rather loudly. Rarity winced as Fluttershy shifted in her sleep, mewling and wiggling toward the edge of the bed.

        Rarity used her newfound space to carefully extricate herself from the bed, making sure to cover her marefriends up once she was out. She silently made her way to the door, pausing to take one last look at the sleeping pegasi. Rainbow shivered a bit and rolled over, snuggling up behind Fluttershy and wrapping a foreleg around her. Rarity smiled and closed the door quietly.

        Down in her kitchen, Rarity did a quick inventory of what she had in the cupboard, but came up surprisingly light in food. I suppose I have been… a bit of an introvert recently. She glanced at the clock. Sugarcube corner isn’t open yet… This should be enough, regardless. She floated the meager ingredients she could gather out of her refrigerator and pantry, then set to work.


*


        Dash woke slowly, keeping her eyes shut in the hope that she would just drift back to sleep. She hugged her pillow a little tighter, shifting as something tickled her stomach. She rubbed her face against the bed and groaned. It was getting hard and lumpy again, even though she’d just re-fluffed it a few days ago. She squeezed her pillow again, but this time it let out a small eep.

        Rainbow cracked an eye open, getting an eyeful of pink hair. She lifted her head a bit and looked down to find that her pillow was, in fact, Fluttershy. “Morn—” She yawned and rolled onto her back. “Morning, ‘Shy.”

        “Oh, um, good morning, Dashie.” Fluttershy turned onto her stomach, gathering her legs under her. She flicked the corner of a pillowcase with a hoof. “Did you, um, sleep well?”

        “Well enough.” Dash shrugged, her eyes finally roaming around the room. Oh, right. Spent the night at Rare’s place. She patted the mattress with a hoof. Not bad. Not as good as a cloud, but not bad. She rolled back onto her side and leaned up to give her marefriend a kiss on the cheek. Afterward, she noticed that Fluttershy seemed much more awake than she was. “What about you? You been up long?”

        “Oh, no. Not too long.” Fluttershy glanced over at the other mare, then went back to studying the pillowcase. “Only half an hour or so.”

        “Half an hour?” Dash propped herself up on an elbow. “Why are you still in bed? Why didn’t you get up?” 

        “Oh, well, you were still sleeping, and I didn’t want to wake you up by getting out of bed.” Fluttershy finally tore her eyes away from the pillowcase and met Rainbow’s gaze. “Besides, I didn’t mind. We were cuddling, and it was… nice.” Her cheeks tinged pink at the admission.

        “You shoulda woken me up, ‘Shy.” Dash scooted over and laid a foreleg across her marefriend’s back, tickling the leading edge of a wing with her hoof. “We could still cuddle, and it’d be more fun if we’re both awake.” She leaned in for another kiss, this time planting a trail of them from Fluttershy’s cheek up along her jawline to her ear, ending the trail with a slow lick along the outer edge.

        Fluttershy shivered under Rainbow’s attention, biting her lip to keep from making too much noise. “W-we…” She muttered breathily. “We should probably go see what Rarity is doing.” She bit her lip extra hard to cut off a moan that threatened to tear out of her throat. “Sh-she was already g-gone when I woke up.”

        Dash paused, annoyed that her marefriend was thinking about Rarity when things were about to get good. Then again, I guess Rare is my marefriend too now. She debated telling Fluttershy that they were fine as they were, and that Rarity could come and find them if she wanted, but she ultimately decided that the other mare was right. “Alright, let’s go.”

She rolled onto her back again and stretched her legs, sucking in a deep breath. For the first time, she caught a whiff of a delicious aroma wafting up from the lower floor. Rolling to the edge of the bed, she hopped down to the floor, trotted over to the door, and took a big sniff of the smell coming from downstairs. “Mmm. Smells like Rare’s workin’ on breakfast.” The pegasi made their way down the stairs and into the kitchen to find Rarity laying out a set of plates on the table.

        “Ah, good morning, dears. I hope I didn’t wake you.” The unicorn smiled and trotted back over to the stove, grabbing a spatula and swirling it around a pan.

        “Nah.” Dash plopped down in a chair, draping a foreleg over the back so that she could turn and watch breakfast being made. “Well, not me, anyway. I don’t know about Flutters. She was already up when I woke up.” She shot a glance at Fluttershy, who shook her head a tiny bit. “Anyway, what’s for breakfast?”

        “Unfortunately, my stores have gotten a bit… low recently.” Rarity lifted the pan over a bowl and dumped the contents in, then picked up the bowl and brought it over to the table. At the same time, she opened up the oven and floated out a plate stacked with pancakes. “I wanted to make a more… elaborate breakfast for you girls, but I simply lacked the ingredients. However, I was able to scrounge up enough to make some pancakes and hash browns.” She gently placed the food on the table, her magic barely releasing the plate before a fork flew in and speared two pancakes.

        “It looks great, Rares.” Dash said before immediately shoving an entire pancake in her mouth. She got in two quick chews before he eyes bulged open. She leaned forward and spit the partially eaten pancake back onto her plate. “Haaht.” Her tongue hung out of her mouth while she looked around for something to drink. She spotted a glass of water and grabbed it, quickly draining the blissfully cool liquid in a few swift gulps.

        Fluttershy brought a hoof to her mouth to stifle a giggle. “It really does look delicious.” She took  her own pancake from the stack and cut off a small piece, nibbling at it daintily. “Thank you for making breakfast.”

        “Yeh. Fanks.” Dash echoed, her burned tongue still lolling out of her mouth.

        “You’re quite welcome, dears.” Rarity sat down and spooned some hash browns onto her plate. “And Rainbow, darling, please don’t talk with your mouth full.” She chuckled when the pegasus stuck out her tongue. “It was the least I could do. Though, it also used up the last of my food, so I suppose I’ll have to head to the market today. Would you girls like to come along?”

        “Shory.” After an admonishing glance from Rarity, Dash paused long enough to finish chewing and swallow her food, then tried again. “Sorry, no can do. There’s a big presentation from corporate up in Cloudsdale, and they’re gonna have the weather team stuck in it all day.” She leaned over the table and grabbed the bowl of hash browns, scooping a generous pile onto her plate. “It’s about… I can’t remember, but something lame. But, they said we gotta go, so there’s no getting out of it.”

        “That’s… unfortunate.” Rarity watched Dash shovel a giant bite of food into her mouth, then turned to her other marefriend. “What about you, love?”

        “Oh, um, I’d love to, but I can’t.” Fluttershy ducked down a bit, as if expecting the unicorn to be angry with her. “Winter’s just around the corner, and I need to help all the little critters make sure their homes are ready.” She took another tiny bite of pancake. “Though, um, I’m sure that they could handle it by themselves for a day if you wanted me to go with you.”

“No no. If they need you, I completely understand, love.” Rarity smiled warmly and waved off her marefriend’s offer of company. “I think I can handle a simple trip to the market by myself. Now, Rainbow, darling, what time will you be done with work?”

        “Hmm…” Dash tapped her chin while she finished chewing a bite of food. “Probably around four or five. Why?”

        “Well…” Rarity took a sip from a teacup she’d laid out earlier. “I was just thinking that it’s past time you and I went on a proper date.” She smiled into her cup as the chromatic pegasus nearly choked on her next bite of food. “After all, we have both been on dates with Fluttershy. It only seems fitting that we go out with each other now, doesn’t it?”

“Ye—” Dash coughed again, dislodging a final bit of hash brown from her throat. “Yeah, it’s just that… you surprised me.” She grabbed a glass of water that the unicorn floated over from the sink and took a few grateful gulps. “A date sounds… great.” She smiled, surprised at how good the idea actually sounded to her. “So, whadda ya wanna do?”

        “Ah ah ah.” Rarity waggled a hoof in mock admonition, a playful smile on her lips. “I’ve got everything planned and I want it to be a surprise.” Her smile twitched up into a smirk at Rainbow’s look of concern. “Don’t worry, though. I promise you’ll enjoy it.”

        “Well… okay.” Dash tossed the last bit of hash browns she had left into her mouth and stood up. “Well, I gotta run, but I’ll see you girls when I get off work, okay?” She trotted over to Fluttershy and leaned down for a quick kiss on the cheek, then moved around to Rarity and did the same. “See ya!”

        “Goodbye, darling.”

        “Um, have a good day at work!”

        A few seconds of silence passed after Dash left and the front door slammed shut, then Rarity let out a fillyish squeal. “Did you see that, Fluttershy?” She clapped her hooves together giddily. “She kissed me, and she didn’t hesitate! I know it’s not much, but still…” She leaned back in her chair and sighed dreamily.

        “I know, it was… nice.” Fluttershy smiled for a moment, then idly poked her breakfast with her fork. She bit her lip for a moment before continuing. “But, um, what are your plans for your date? I-if you don’t mind me asking, that is.”

        “Oh, I would like to tell you, love, but I’m afraid I can’t.” Rarity stood up from her own chair and walked around the table, draping a foreleg across her marefriend’s withers. “I’m sorry, but knowing Rainbow, she’ll rush home from work and try to wheedle the information out of you. I don’t want to put you in that position, love.” She leaned down for a quick kiss on the cheek and trotted toward the main room. “Now, I should probably be going. I have to swing by the market before… anything else. Would you like to walk together for a bit before you have to go and take care of your animals?”

        “Um, well…” Fluttershy tapped her hooves together and kept her eyes down, causing the unicorn to stop in the doorway of the kitchen. “I… I don’t have to be out there to help them for a while. Most of them are still asleep, so, we could, um, spend some time together… if you wanted to, that is.”

        Rarity glanced at the clock on the wall and crunched some numbers in her head. After assuring herself that she had some time to spare, she walked back over to the table and lifted her marefriend’s chin with a hoof and gave her a chaste kiss on the lips. “That sounds lovely, dear.” She smiled as the pegasus visibly relaxed. “Shall we adjourn to the living room?” She offered Fluttershy a hoof and helped the other mare to her hooves. They made their way out to the main room and over to the couch, Fluttershy laying on her side and Rarity settling down behind her. The unicorn wrapped a foreleg around her marefriend’s barrel and laid her chin on the pegasus’ shoulder. “So, was there something you wanted to talk about?”

        “Oh, um, not really.” Fluttershy nuzzled her marefriend and let out a soft sigh. “We just haven’t had a lot of time to ourselves since… all of this happened.” Her smile faded and she slumped down. “And I never got to thank you for… everything that you did. I’m sorry that you had to go through all of that for us.”

        “Yes, well…” Rarity paused, unsure of what to say. After a moment’s consideration, she smiled. “I didn’t do it for your thanks. I did it because I love you, and want you to be happy. Now, let’s see a smile, everything is fine.”

        “But… what if it hadn’t been?” asked Fluttershy.

        “Enough of that.” Rarity chided her gently, “What ifs will only drive you mad with worry. We have now, and that’s all we’ll ever have.” She lifted Fluttershy’s chin, giving her a sad look. “I thought I lost you, once. In another lifetime, I found Rainbow. Then I lost you both—” Fluttershy winced at that, turning away, only to have Rarity gently turn her head back towards her. “But when I needed you, when I couldn’t go on anymore, you saved me. Both of you. That’s all that matters.”

        Fluttershy’s lips finally twitched up into a tiny smile. “Thank you, Rarity.” She leaned back and rested against her marefriend. Her eyes drifted closed and she felt the gentle, steady beat of Rarity’s heart against her back. 

        “Think nothing of it, darling,” Rarity said, giving her a featherlight kiss on the neck. “Though, you’ve been… so tense and worried… perhaps I could… help you relax a bit.” Her lips brushed along the fur of her marefriend’s neck as she whispered. Each pause was punctuated with another kiss, leaving a meandering trail along Fluttershy’s neck.

        “B-but…” Murmured Fluttershy. She had to bite her lip to keep back a moan. “D-don’t you have to—ah!—g-go get ready for your date with Dashie?” A small whine escaped her when Rarity finally relented in the assault on her neck.

        “Hmm… I suppose.” Rarity responded. She laid her chin on her marefriend’s shoulder and started running through the things she still needed to get ready. However, her train of thought derailed when the pegasus shifted. The movement caused Fluttershy’s coat to brush against hers, and the silken texture pulled her mind back to the present. “I do, but I have a few more minutes before I need to get going.” She leaned up and nibbled at her marefriend’s ear. “And I’d much rather spend them here with you.”

        “W-well, um, i-if you’re sure…” Fluttershy replied. Her wings fidgeted and strained on her back. A giggle broke free from Rarity’s throat between kisses as the feathers tickled her stomach. “Oh, um, sorry.” Fluttershy rolled onto her back, and her free wing dangled down off the edge of the couch.

        “Don’t be, love.” Rarity said, a few last giggles sneaking out of her. She leaned forward and captured her marefriend’s lips in a gentle kiss. She kept to a simple, chaste kiss for a while, not wanting to move things forward too quickly with her shy friend.

        Fluttershy, however, had other plans. She leaned up into the kiss and wove a hoof into Rarity’s mane. Fluttershy dared to probe her tongue out and brushed it along her marefriend’s lips. Rarity smiled into the kiss for a moment, then parted her lips. Her tongue darted out to dance with her marefriend’s. Neither of them fought for dominance in the kiss. They simply enjoyed each other. Hooves traced down sides, then danced up to drag along jawlines. Eventually, Rarity dared to send a hoof further down. It moved past her marefriend’s ribs and worked its way ever further down along her stomach. Unfortunately, it was stopped just before it could reach her marefriend’s thighs.

        Fluttershy pressed up into one more closed mouth kiss, then pulled back. Her breath came in quick pants, and she waited a moment before speaking. “Y-you should probably get going… um, shouldn’t you?” Rarity’s hoof traced a small circle on her stomach, and Fluttershy had to bite her lip to keep a small moan from escaping.

        “I suppose…” Rarity said again. She laid her head on her marefriend’s chest. Her eyes drifted closed, and she listened to the gentle sounds of the pegasus breathing for a few moments. She drew in a deep breath and sat up. “Well. Let’s go then.” She hopped down from the couch. After taking a moment to make sure her mane was in a presentable condition, she offered Fluttershy a hoof.

        “Um, actually, I’m going to stay here for a few more minutes. Um, if that’s okay with you.” Fluttershy used a hoof to brush a stray lock of her mane back behind her ear. “Most of my animal friends won’t be up for a while still, and I don’t want to wake them up too early.”

        “That’s fine, darling.” Rarity said. She leaned down and gave her marefriend one last quick kiss on the cheek. She trotted over to the door. “Just be sure to lock up when you do head out. There’s a key here on the table. Just stick it in the mailbox.” She pulled open the door with a bit of magic. She paused before heading outside, turning back to her marefriend. “Actually, why don’t you keep it? I’d wager that both you and Rainbow will be spending a good deal of time here, so it seems fitting that you have your own key.”

        “Really?” Fluttershy stepped down from the couch and made her way over to the door. She looked at the key sitting on the entryway table. Her key. The thought sent the butterflies on her flank up to her stomach. “Oh, Rarity. I… I don’t know what to say. I just… Thank you!” She threw her forelegs around Rarity’s withers and pulled the unicorn into a tight hug.

        “That will do nicely, love.” Rarity replied. She returned the hug, giving her marefriend one last squeeze before they separated again. “Now, I really must be going, darling, I have to make a run to the market before anything else. But you’re free to stay as long as you desire.” She leaned back in and snuck one last kiss before trotting over to the door. She grabbed a pair of saddlebags and draped them across her back, taking a moment to make sure that she had enough bits for her trip.

Fluttershy watched Rarity leave. She stood in the doorway until the unicorn turned onto a side street, then stepped back inside and closed the door. Her gaze drifted down and fell on her key to the store. The same item that had filled her with elation moments ago now twisted her stomach into a knot. What about Dashie? She doesn’t have a key. Does… does Rarity still like me more? Her eyes shifted over to the couch. She thought she could still feel Rarity’s hoof moving slowly down her stomach toward…

        She shook her head to remove the thought, but another quickly took its place. Was it… okay for us to be doing that by ourselves? What if things had gone farther? Would Dashie have been angry with us? The questions swirled around in her mind, but no answers presented themselves. Thankfully, the clock struck a new hour, pulling the pegasus from her thoughts. Fluttershy grabbed the key and headed back outside. She made sure the sign in the window was flipped to ‘Closed,’ then locked the door behind her. She flapped her wings and took to the air, angling toward the fields just outside the Everfree Forest.


*


        After making her run to the market and dropping her purchases back at the Boutique, Rarity made her way over to the library. “Hello? Anypony home?” She pushed open the door and stuck her head in, but didn’t see anyone in the main room. “Twilight, dear, are you in?”

        “Hi, Rarity!” Pinkie Pie poked her head out from the doorway into the kitchen, waving enthusiastically. “Wow. Your nose must be super duper good if you could smell the pancakes all the way from your house.” She smiled extra big, then zipped back into the kitchen.

        Rarity could only stare at the place the earth pony had suddenly appeared, and just as suddenly disappeared. “Pinkie? What are you… Oh.” She trotted over to the kitchen, a sly smile on her face. “So, I take it the date went well last—” She stopped when she crossed the threshold and saw Applejack sitting at the table. “—night?”

        “Eeyup. Mornin’ Rares.” Applejack said. The earth pony lifted a mug of coffee she was nursing. “We were just ‘bout to sit down to breakfast. Ya want some?” She waved a hoof toward the stove. Pinkie was perched over the appliance, a spatula clutched in her mouth and her hips waggling to a beat that only she could hear.

        “No, thank you.” Rarity replied. She looked back and forth between the two earth ponies for a few moments. “Though, I must say that it seems a little early for both of you to be here, especially you, Applejack.”

        “Well, we kind didn’t… go home last night.” Applejack mumbled, staring down into her cup.

        “Oh, really?” Rarity couldn’t help but grin. “Well, I expected my idea to work, though I had no idea it would work quite this well.”

        “It ain’t like that!” Applejack shot back. A hint of color rose in her cheeks. She went back to contemplating her coffee. She took a moment to compose herself before she spoke again. “Nothin’ happened.”

        “Nuffn hppn?” Pinkie whirled around, the spatula still clamped in her teeth. She started to ramble, but the words were blocked by the utensil. It wasn’t until after a few moments of muffled talking that she noticed Rarity and Applejack staring at her in confusion. She cocked her head to the side, mirroring their confusion. Her eyes crossed as she looked down at the spatula still sticking out of her mouth. “Uppf.” She tossed it into the air and somehow managed to catch it with her tail.

        “What do you mean nothing happened? We did lots of fun things last night!” She leaned forward, and her eyes narrowed as she stared at Applejack. “Are you trying to say that you didn’t have fun last night?”

        “Ah did.” Applejack responded. She held up a hoof to try and placate the pink pony. “Ah had plenty of fun, sugarcube, just… not the kind Rarity was talkin’ ‘bout.”

        “Well, duh!” Pinkie was immediately all smiles again. She somehow maneuvered the spatula with her tail and managed to flip a pancake. “I mean, we didn’t even go on a real date. It would have been silly for us have that kind of fun. But we had lots of other kinds of fun!” She lifted a pancake off of the stove and dropped it onto a plate. “We had fun drinking and dancing at the bar, then we had fun singing on the way home. Ooh! Then had a super funnerific pillow fight!”

        “My my. It certainly sounds like you three did have fun last night.” Rarity smiled. She turned to Applejack and raised an eyebrow. “You managed to get Twilight to dance?”

        “That was her doin’.” Applejack said. She jerked her head in Pinkie’s direction and the pink mare grinned broadly. “Ah was still hangin’ out in the back when Pinkie dragged Twi out to the dance floor.”

        “I see.” Rarity looked back and forth between the two earth ponies for a bit. “But you did apologize to her, I presume?” The farmer simply nodded. “Well, how did it go?”

        “Oh, it went fine.” All three mares turned to see Twilight standing in the doorway to the kitchen. The unicorn had a wry smile on her face. “Except that she and Pinkie were too busy competing to see who could give me up more to let me tell them that I didn’t want either of them to give up.”

        “Oh really?” Rarity purred. She turned her gaze on Applejack, who was studying the bottom of her coffee cup. Pinkie had turned back to making pancakes and was once again in her own little world. She turned her attention back to Twilight. “But I assume you were able to convince them otherwise?”

        “Eventually.” Twilight replied. She trotted over to the table and sat down. Her horn lit up and a mug floated out of the cabinet. It slowly made its way over to the coffee pot, which lifted up and poured a generous helping of the life-giving brown liquid. “After that, it’s like Pinkie said; we came back here and I offered to let them sleep here.” Twilight reached up and grabbed her coffee up as it floated close by. She took a deep whiff of the delightful aroma and sighed. “So, what brings you by this morning, Rarity?”

        “Hmm?” Rarity blinked for a moment. The opportunity to pick up some gossip about her friends had distracted her from her initial goal in coming to the library. After a moment’s thought, it returned to her. “Oh, yes. I was just—” Her eyes flicked over to Applejack and Pinkie Pie. Neither mare seemed interested in their conversation, but she desperately wanted to keep everything a surprise. “Actually, dear, would you mind if we spoke… in private?”

        Twilight paused mid-sip and looked at Rarity over the rim of her mug. She lowered it back to the table and stood up. “Okay. Why don’t we head up to my room?” She suggested. She trotted back out of the kitchen, Rarity hot on her heels, and climbed the steps back up to her room. She held the door open for Rarity, closing it once they were both through the doorway.

        “I apologize for the secrecy, dear. It’s just that this is for my first date with Rainbow this evening, and I want it to be a surprise.” Rarity tapped a hoof on the floor. She knew that Twilight wouldn’t judge her for making her request, but she still felt hesitant about asking now that she was actually here. She took a breath and just blurted it out. “I need you to give me wings.” She held up a hoof to forestall her friend’s response. “But not the butterfly wings you gave me last time. I need real, feather and bone, pegasus wings.”

        Twilight’s mouth had been open to assure the fashionista that she could easily grant her request, but now she closed it for a moment. “I… actually don’t know if I can do that.” She furrowed her brow and her horn lit up. Several books floated off of a nearby shelf, bathed in the glow of her magic. Pages flipped rapidly as they approached Twilight, settling on the appropriate chapters. “Give me a minute. Uh, please.”

        “Of course, dear. Take your time.” Rarity replied. She scanned one of the shelves for a title she might enjoy perusing for a few minutes, just in case it took Twilight a while to finish her research. However, looking through several shelves yielded only academic texts and dry treatises on historical events. She briefly considered asking the other mare where the books she read for fun were, but she realized that these likely were the books that Twilight read for fun. Rarity settled for looking out the window while she waited. She watched the streets of Ponyville slowly come to life as its denizens awoke. Only the occasional flipping of a page broke the silence.

        Minutes passed unheeded while Twilight poured over the tomes before her. She devoured their contents as if she were a pony who had been starving, but had stumbled onto a buffet of the finest delicacies. Page after page fell before her, revealing their secrets and filling small holes in her vast reservoir of knowledge. Eventually, she reached the end of the respective chapters in each book, and all of them closed at once. Her eyes darted around while she put the finishing touches on her plan.

        “Okay. I have good news and… news.” Twilight finally looked up to see Rarity staring back at her expectantly. “I can give you regular pegasus wings. It’s… actually much easier than I thought it would be.”

        “Oh, Twilight, that’s simply wonderful!” Rarity reared up a bit and clapped her forehooves together giddily. “I cannot even begin to thank you for—”

        “But…” Twilight cut across her friend’s excited chatter. “There’s a catch.” She grabbed one of the books again. It flipped back open as it floated up to her, turning back to the appropriate chapter in a flurry of pages. “The combined magical stress of both pegasus wings and your natural horn would be too much for your body to bear.” She scanned a couple paragraphs, then closed the book again. “I’ll have to remove your horn while the spell is in effect. You’ll be a true pegasus.”

        “Remove my…” Rarity repeated. She faltered on the last word, unable to force it out of her throat. She took a step back. Her eyes flicked up toward her horn, but she only saw her mane cascading down. “A true pegasus, hmm?” Rarity swallowed nervously. On the one hoof, the prospect of truly being a pegasus and being able to share that part of Rainbow and Fluttershy’s world was exhilarating. On the other hoof, the thought of losing her magic, even temporarily, was absolutely terrifying. “It is temporary though, yes? You’ll be able to change me back, won’t you?” She watched the other mare’s face closely, searching for any signs of nervousness or doubt.

        “Of course, Rarity.” Twilight smiled reassuringly. “I wouldn’t even have brought it up if I couldn’t. Now, I’ve never done any sort of spell like this before, so I can’t say with one hundred percent certainty that it will work, but I’m extremely confident that it will.” Her eyes darted around for a bit while she did some mental calculations. “Now, how long it lasts depends on how much power I put into the spell. In theory, it could last for weeks, even months, but I wouldn’t feel comfortable with anything longer than a couple of days.”

        “A couple of days…” Rarity mumbled. She began pacing around the room, a number of thoughts flying through her head. “If I were… done with it before the allotted amount of time, would you be able to undo it early?”

        “Yes.” Twilight nodded. “Honestly, changing back is foal’s play compared to making the change in the first place. You just have to—” She stopped, realizing that she was about to slip into what Spike had dubbed ‘Lecture Mode.’ “Never mind. Yes, I’ll be able to change you back early.”

        Rarity chewed on her lip for a few moments, still fraught with indecision. She took a deep breath and exhaled slowly. “Alright. Yes, let’s do it. Is there, uh, anything you need me to do?”

        “No. Just… hold still.” Twilight replied. She took her own deep breath and closed her eyes. Her horn lit up and filled the room with a brilliant glow. She wove the spell in her mind, and the magic tugged and pressed along her forehead as it flowed through her horn. She carefully released the pent up energy in Rarity’s direction. The magic enveloped the alabaster mare, and suddenly Twilight could feel the magic pulsing through Rarity’s body. It was a surreal experience. The novel sensation was almost enough to shake Twilight’s concentration, but she refocused herself and pushed ahead.

        For her part, Rarity did her best to remain still. She’d felt magic against her skin before, but this was different. This magic penetrated her down to her very core. She tried to keep still as she felt her horn start to recede back into her skull. The alien sensation caused her to cringe and close her eyes, but it faded after a few moments. Unfortunately, it was replaced an instant later by a pair of new sensations on her back. They started out as a pair of itchy points on either side of her spine, but soon they started to push out from her body.

        She had no words to describe the feeling of the wings—her wings—growing out of her back. It wasn’t painful, per se, but it wasn’t exactly comfortable either. It was almost like she was growing an extra pair of legs out of her back, only they were much more flexible than her existing legs. A shiver ran down her spine as a thousand tiny pinpricks all stuck her wings at the same time. She grimaced as her feathers pushed their way out of the margins. A single word came to her to describe the feathers growing out of her wings. Itchy. All other thought were pushed from her mind by the sheer itchiness of her new wings. She wanted nothing more than to reach back and and itch them, but she dared not move while the spell was still working.

        After what felt like hours, the magic started to fade. It receded from her legs first, leaving behind a slight tingling in its wake. It shrank into a smaller and smaller area, concentrating into her new wing joints until it faded completely. Rarity was acutely aware of her new wings. They rested against her sides, and the feathers tickled a bit against her coat.

“Well, what do you think?”

Twilight’s question startled Rarity a bit. She’d been lost in the whirlwind of sensations that had accompanied the spell, and she’d forgotten that the other mare was only a few feet away from her. She slowly opened her eyes and craned her neck around to try and look at her new wings. It was odd to see the feathery lumps sticking out from her sides. Her initial thought when she saw them was fear that she’d put on a little extra weight. Despite the sudden—and rather jarring—appearance of two new appendages, they looked as natural as any other set of pegasus wings.

        “They’re simply divine, darling.” Rarity finally answered. She tried to extend her wings, but ended up with one pointing straight up while the other headed back toward her tail. She quickly and carefully pulled them back in, though it took her a few tries to get the unruly things settled comfortably at her sides. “But it may take some time to get them under control. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some other matters to take care of before meeting up with Rainbow. Again, thank you ever so much for—Oof!” Her apology was cut short as she ran face first into the bedroom door.

        “Oh my gosh. Are you okay, Rarity?” Twilight rushed over to the stunned mare.

        “Yes, darling. A slight bump, nothing more.” Rarity responded. She brought a hoof to her nose and rubbed it gingerly. Her eyes moved back to the door, which remained obstinately closed. “I just… forgot that I don’t have magic anymo… for a while.” She studied the door for a moment, refusing to do the sensible thing and ask Twilight to open it. She could hardly have her friend follow her everywhere, after all.

Eventually, she reached up and laid a hoof on the knob, trying her best to grab it. She tried to twist it, but the slippery brass merely slid along the frog of her hoof. There was a slight squeak as her hoof moved along the knob, as if it were laughing at her failure. Not one to give up easily, Rarity reared up and placed both hooves on either side of the knob. She squeezed it between them and twisted her upper body. The doorknob started to slip again, but caught and turned. Smiling triumphantly, she gave a good push and the obstinate door finally moved for her. “As I was saying, thank you again for your help. I really must be going.” Rarity stood aside to let Twilight through first.

        “Oh, thank you, Rarity.” Twilight smiled appreciatively. She trotted through the door and headed back downstairs. When she reached the main floor, she saw Applejack and Pinkie standing near the door. “Girls? Where are you going?”

        “We gotta get goin’ fer work.” Applejack responded. “Ah’m already a bit late to be gettin’ started on mah chores, and Pinkie’s gotta go help out at Sugarcube Corner.” She noticed Twilight’s expression fall a little and she chuckled. “Don’t worry, sugarcube, Pinkie and Ah talked about it, and we were plannin’ on headin’ back over here after work. If’n that’s okay with you, of course.”

        “Sure.” Twilight smiled nervously, and a hint of pink flushed her cheeks. “Well, have good days at work, girls. I’ll see you when you get back, I guess.” The color in her cheeks spread down toward the tip of her nose. Her gaze shifted back and forth between Pinkie and Applejack.

        “Oki doki loki! See ya later, Twilight!” Pinkie hopped out the front door, followed shortly by Applejack. Twilight leaned against the door and watched them go. The pair of earth ponies headed down the road together a ways before they both stopped and glanced back at the library. Twilight waved goodbye to them, the blush in her cheeks being replaced by a smile of genuine enthusiasm. Pinkie and Applejack waved back, then the latter turned down a side street and headed off to the farm.

        “I really must be going as well, darling. I have to make sure I have something suitable to wear so I can… ahem…  'surprise' Rainbow Dash." Rarity trotted out the door and paused, looking out into the street to see many ponies look in her direction. "Could I perhaps borrow a cloak, darling?" Her eyes flicked up toward her missing horn. “One with a hood would be lovely.”

        “Sure. I think I’ve got one in the closet somewhere.” Twilight replied. She headed off toward the hallway closet and rummaged around in it for a bit. A few odds and ends that had been haphazardly tossed inside by a certain assistant during the last bout of spring cleaning fell out. She let out an irritated huff as she watched a ball of yarn bounce down and roll away. She found the dark blue cloak and pulled it out, then headed back over to the door. “Here you go.”

        “Thank you darling. I’ll bring it back as soon as I can.” Rarity smiled and held out a hoof. The cloak dropped over her foreleg, and she was presented with yet another problem. She had no idea how to put in on without magic. After studying it for a moment, she grabbed the neckline in her teeth and let the rest fall. She threw her head to the side, trying to drape the cloak over her back, but the garment merely flapped against her side and slid off again. She tried again, whipping her head around as quickly as she could. The cloak landed on her back at an angle, but slid off again as soon as she let go of the bit between her teeth.

        Twilight watched her friend struggle for a few moments, then grabbed the cloak in her magic. She went to drape it over her friend, but Rarity sidestepped out from under it.

        “I appreciate the thought, darling, but I must figure out how to do these things on my own.” Rarity tried to work a hoof under the crumpled garment to pick it up. She wiggled her hoof under the cloak a bit and lifted it up, only to watch the cloak fall back to the floor in a heap. “Just give me a—” This time, she managed to lift the cloak halfway up before losing her grasp. “Perhaps if I—” She let out a frustrated grunt as the cloak fell to the ground yet again. She glared at the pile of fabric on the ground, silently seething that she could be bested by such a plain garment. “Actually, darling, if it’s not too much trouble…”

        Before the other mare could finish speaking, Twilight lifted the cloak in her magic and draped it across Rarity’s back. “None at all, Rarity.” She fastened the clasp around her friend’s neck. “I’m sure that Rainbow and Fluttershy would be more than happy to help you learn how to get around without magic.”

        “I sincerely hope so.” Rarity replied. She lifted the hood over her head to conceal her lack of a horn. “Unfortunately, I fear that I will have to fumble through the rest of my preparations without them. Rainbow is at work, and I don’t have time to head out to Fluttershy’s house and recruit her aid. Thank you, darling. Now, I really must be off.” With a parting wave, Rarity headed out of the library and made her way back to her home.

> Test Drive
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Unexpected Confessions

Chapter Twenty Nine


        Test Drive

        “Ow!” Rarity cried out as her mane was sharply tugged downward. “Please, Applejack, be careful.”

        “Sorry, Rare.” Applejack grabbed a hair tie and wrapped it around the end of Rarity’s freshly braided mane. “Ya said ya wanted it tight. Ya gotta do a little pullin’ to get it tight.” She leaned back and looked at her handiwork. “Alright. Ah think we’re done. Why’d ya need me to braid yer mane, anywhow?”

        “It’s for my date with Rainbow.” Rarity responded. “We’re going to go flying, and I didn’t want it getting all… messy while we’re in the air.” Her wings rustled against her sides.  She reached up and brushed a small strand of hair that had escaped the braid behind her ear. “The windswept look may work for Rainbow, but it would look positively horrid on me.” She hesitated, unsure if she wanted to broach this subject while her new marefriend’s spurned love interest had hold of her mane. But the issue would have to be addressed sooner or later, and this was a better time than most. "Speaking of Rainbow, I also wanted to talk to you about her, if you don't mind."

Applejack harrumphed irritably. "No need for that. I mean, I'm kinda surprised she settled on both of ya, but I ain't gonna intrude on y'all's thing."

Rarity shook her head, looking down at the floor. "That's not what I meant, though for the record I would fight you tooth and nail for them. I’ve already lost them once, and I won’t let it happen again." She looked up into Applejack's eyes, leaving no question she meant that. "But you won’t, you’re a good and honorable pony.” Her gaze softened from the intensity she displayed a moment ago. “I mean, I want to know if you'll be okay. I'm well acquainted with unrequited love, Rainbow and Fluttershy made the second and third times for me, respectively. It hurts terribly. And... if you need a shoulder to cry on, I'll be here. That's all."

        “Ah ain’t…” Applejack paused, weighing her next words. She knew Rarity wasn’t insinuating that she was poor lovesick filly. She was just offering her support on the off chance that Applejack needed it. “Thanks, sugarcube. Ah’ll keep that in mind.” The earth pony made one last scan along the braid before her, looking for any loose strands of hair. “Well, like Ah said, we’re done. ‘Less ya want me to do yer tail, too.”

        “Thank you, but no.” Rarity stood up and walked over to a mirror. She turned her head to a few different angles to look at her mane. “My tail should be fine. It’s just my mane I was worried about.” After a few more moments of examination, she determined her braid was secure. The last thing she needed was for it to slip loose while she was flying. “Thank you again, Applejack. Now, I must be going. I wouldn’t want to keep my marefriend waiting.” She let out a giddy squeal. The idea of Rainbow being her marefriend still filled her with schoolfillyish excitement.

After she’d gotten back from the library, she’d realized that asking Twilight to perform the transformation spell before she had finished the rest of her preparations for the date might have been the first in a series of mistakes. Her nerves had started to fray part way through preparing their meal without magic, so she tried to do some work on a dress to help calm herself. However, she had dropped many of her sewing implements at least twice in her attempts to add some sequins to it, then struggled to make herself some tea, which upset her more rather than calm her down. She had even managed to get a comb and several braiding needles stuck in her mane in an attempt to get it styled in just the right way; all of which had been due to the fact that she missed her magic. Finally, she had swallowed her pride and gone to Applejack for help, which, as it turned out, was possibly the first thing that had gone right all day. The farmer had even offered to put her chores aside and come back to the Boutique to help finish up any last minute preparations. An offer Rarity had gratefully accepted.

        “Go?” Applejack looked at the other mare curiously. “Ain’t Dash comin’ back here?”

        “Well, she would… but I was rather hoping to surprise her.” Rarity smiled deviously. “I’m going to take everything up to Cloudsdale and be waiting for her when she gets out of her meeting.”

        “Sounds like a mighty fine plan, sugarcube.” Applejack leaned against the back of a couch, crossing her legs. “But Ah can think of one little thing that might just get in the way.”

        “Really?” Rarity arched an eyebrow. “And just what, pray tell, might that be, darling?”

        “Have ya even figured out how to use those things yet?” Applejack asked, nodding toward Rarity’s wings.

        “Somewhat.” Rarity replied. She turned and looked back at the often traitorous appendages. “Thankfully, I’ve been able to use some of what I learned with the butterfly wings I had when we went to Cloudsdale, but these ones are just… different.” She wracked her brain for a way to explain it, but nothing came to her. She blew out an irritated huff. “Ugh. I’m sure Twilight could go on for hours about how and why they’re different, but all I can say is that they are. Still, I’ve mastered hovering.” She spread her wings and leapt into the air. It took her a few wing beats to synchronize her flaps, but true to her word, she hovered a few inches above the floor. After floating for a moment, she landed and carefully folded her wings back at her sides. “I’m somewhat ashamed to admit how long it took me to remember that pegasus wings bend in the middle. I was jumping in place and falling back to the floor for almost an hour before I realized I needed to fold them on the way up.”

        “Well, if’n that’s the case, don’t ya think it’ll be mighty hard to fly all the way up to Cloudsdale?” Applejack glanced over into the kitchen, where a large picnic basket rested on the table. “Ah imagine it might put a damper on y’all’s date if’n ya run yerself ragged just tryin’ to get up there.”

        Rarity crossed her forelegs and pouted for a bit. She looked into the kitchen and saw the basket she had packed dinner for Rainbow and her in. It had taken her several tries to pack it, even with Applejack’s help, because the first two baskets she had tried had proven too small. “I… suppose you’re right.” A sigh escaped her, and her shoulders slumped a little. “I’ll just have to wait for her to get home, then.” She glanced at the clock. It was only two, still a few hours before the earliest Rainbow had said she might be home.

        “Alright. Glad we got that settled.” Applejack said, chuckling. She stood and stretched her legs. “Well, Ah gotta get goin’. Ah still got a couple chores left back at the farm, and Ah need to get a move on if’n Ah wanna finish ‘em before dinner.” The farmer headed over toward the door. “Ya need anythin’ else before Ah go?”

        Rarity took one last look at her mane in the mirror. After reassuring herself that it was still held firmly in place, she turned and gave her friend a grateful smile. “No, but thank you, darling. You’ve been truly invaluable in helping me get everything ready.”

        “Shoot, don’t think nothin’ of it. Ah was glad to help.” Applejack replied. She pulled the door open and gave a quick wave back to her friend. “Well, see ya round, Rare. Good luck with yer date.”

        Rarity trotted over to the doorway. She watched the earth pony start to head down the road. “Goodbye, dear. Thank you, again.” She waited until Applejack turned a corner, then closed the door. Her eyes were drawn inexorably back to the clock. A frustrated groan forced its way out of her throat when she saw that only three minutes had passed since the last time she had looked. She trudged over to her chaise lounge and flopped down in a decidedly unladylike manner.

        She let out another sigh and sank down into the cushions. Up until now, she had never really noticed just how comfortable her chaise lounge was. Her eyes drifted closed. In her constant hustle and bustle of getting things ready for her date with Rainbow, she hadn’t noticed just how tired she was. Twilight’s spell took more out of me than I thought. She forced an eye open and searched for the clock again. This time, only two minutes had passed. I have some time. I can just… rest for a bit while I… wait for Rainbow to get home. She brought a hoof up to her mouth to cover a yawn, and her breathing grew even as she drifted off to sleep.


*


        Rarity awoke to the sound of the bell above her door ringing. Even though she was still half-asleep, the sound stirred her inner shopkeeper. She rolled over to face the door. “Wel… Welcome to Carousel Boutique, where everything is chic, unique, and—” A yawn cut her off for a moment. “—magnifique.”

        “Jeez, I wish I could nap on the job.” Dash chuckled and trotted over to where her marefriend was laying down. “Though, with the way the Cloudsdale guys were talking about moisture coefficients and dewpoint derivatives, you’d think they wanted me to.”

        “Oh, darling, it’s you.” Rarity smiled, a few traces of sleep still clouding her mind. She rolled onto her side and stretched her legs out. One last yawn escaped her, and she shook her head to clear the last vestiges of drowsiness. She suddenly remembered her surprise and held up a hoof to keep Rainbow from coming any closer. “Wait! Stop right there!”

        “Uhh…” Dash froze in place, one hoof held a few inches above the ground. She looked down at the floor to make sure that she hadn’t been about to step on anything. However, the tile beneath her raised hoof was bare. “Oh… kay.” Rainbow gently lowered her hoof. She looked back to Rarity. Something was off about her marefriend, but she just couldn’t put her hoof on it. “Is everything okay, Rares?” Her eyes flicked up, and she finally realized what was missing. “And what did you do to your mane?”

        “Everything’s fine, of course.” Rarity replied. She tried to subtly adjust herself to hide her wings. She turned her head to show off her braided mane, trying to keep Rainbow’s attention away from the slight bulges at her sides. “I had my mane braided as part of… a surprise I have for you.”

        “Really? Sweet.” Dash looked around the showroom for anything that hadn’t been there that morning when she’d left for work. “Where is it?” Her eyes wandered over to Rarity’s equinnequins, several of which had partially completed dresses draped across them. “It’s not some dress you want me to wear on the date is it? N-not that that’d be a bad thing! It’s just…”

        “Hard to fly while wearing a dress.” Rarity finished for her. She slid toward the edge of the couch and carefully stepped down. “I understand completely, darling. More than you might think, actually.” She couldn’t help but smirk a bit at her marefriend’s confused expression. She took a deep breath and flared her wings wide. Her eyes were fixed on Rainbow’s face, watching for her reaction.

        However, it took a couple seconds for Dash’s brain to realize just what she was looking at. When the pieces finally did click into place, her jaw dropped. Immediately afterward, her own wings shot up involuntarily. “No.” She took a few steps forward. Her eyes were glued to her marefriend’s new wings. “No. Way.”

        “I take it you like them, then.” Rarity cooed. Her eyes flicked up to Rainbow’s own extended wings. The cyan mare blushed, taking a couples seconds to force her stiff wings back down to her sides. Rarity smiled and tried to fold her wings back to her sides, but received her own dose of embarrassment when her left wing ended up still half-extended and pointing back toward her rump. It took her three more tries to get it resting comfortably against her side. When she finally turned back, her marefriend was snickering into a hoof. “Oh hush, you.”

        “Sorry.” Dash fought off one last bout of giggles. Once they subsided, she trotted a couple circles around the other mare. “But seriously, how in Equestria did you get wings?” She reached out and poked one of them, as if she was half expecting them to be some kind of magical fake.

        “Careful, darling.” Rarity leaned away from the touch, stifling the giggle trying to work its way out of her throat. “That tickles.” She saw her marefried reach out to try and poke her wing again, so she extended her wing to knock Rainbow’s hoof away. At least, she tried to. Her wing missed Dash’s hoof and kept going, ultimately bopping her on the nose.

        “Hey!” Dash rubbed her nose in mock pain. She stuck her tongue out when the alabaster mare rolled her eyes. “But seriously, this is awesome! So, what’s the plan?” Her enthusiastic demeanor cooled a bit. “We’re not going to some fancy restaurant or anything are we? I mean, I’m sure it’d be fun and all but…” She trailed off, her eyes darting off to the side.

        “It isn’t quite your ideal date.” Rarity finished her marefriend’s thought again. She sidestepped closer to Rainbow and lifted a foreleg to pull her in for a hug. After a moment of thought, she put her leg back down. Instead, she unfurled a wing and tried to drape it across Dash’s back. She still wasn’t used the motor skills required for fine manipulation of her wings, however, and she ended up smacking Rainbow on the back before wrapping it around her marefriend’s barrel. “My apologies, dear.” She cleared her throat before continuing. “I know that you aren’t as fond as some of the more… extravagant aspects of dating as I am. So… I didn’t make any reservations anywhere.”

        “Really?” Dash asked. She raised an eyebrow and watched for any sign of deceit from her marefriend. Rarity had never been one for practical jokes, but she also wasn’t one to pass up an opportunity to dress up, even at the occasional expense of her friends. “So, if we’re not going anywhere for dinner… what are we doing?”

        “Well, I was hoping we could go flying, just the two of us.” Rarity replied. She leaned in and nuzzled against Rainbow’s neck, and she had to bite her lip to hold in a squeal of glee when her marefriend nuzzled her back. Pulling back, she gently lifted her wing and carefully folded it back at her side. “As you can see, I haven’t quite gotten the hang of them yet. I was hoping that you could help me break them in, as it were.” She gestured through the open doorway into the kitchen. “I even packed us some dinner for afterward.”

        “Sweet.” Dash practically galloped to the kitchen. She grabbed the basket’s handle in her mouth and brought it back to the main room. After dropping it on the floor, she rubbed her jaw. “Jeez, Rares, what did you pack in here? Your entire dining room?” She reached down and grabbed the lid to peek inside.

        Rarity instinctively reached for her magic to keep the lid shut, only to remember that she no longer had it when the familiar rush of magic flowing through her never arrived. Instead, she hastily lunged forward and brought a hoof down on top of the lid, holding it shut. “I’m sorry, darling, but that’s also a surprise. Though, I promise you’ll enjoy it.” Her mouth twitched up into a slight smirk. “Besides, I’d wager that if you saw some of the things in there, I would have a dreadful time keeping them away from you until it’s time to eat.”

        Dash perked up at that. “Really?” She leaned down and sniffed around the edge of the basket, trying to discern its contents. All she could smell was a trace of fragrance coming off of the basket itself. Letting out an irritated huff, she stood back up. “Fine.” Her earlier excitement returned when her eyes passed over Rarity’s wings again. She leapt into the air and hovered a foot off of the ground. “So, you ready to go? I want to see what you can do with those things.”

        “Of course, darling.” Rarity chuckled at her marefriend’s enthusiasm. She started walking toward the door while Rainbow flew around her in lazy circles. “I have to warn you, though, I’m not terribly… comfortable with these wings yet. They’re very different from the butterfly ones I got from Twilight that one time, and I haven’t quite worked out all of the kinks yet.”

“You had wings in your dreams, right?” Dash asked. She came back to a hover in front of Rarity and dropped down onto the floor. “Aren’t these ones kinda like those?”

“Well, yes… and no. They’re… close, I suppose.” Rarity flapped her wings once, feeling a small sense of pride in her chest when they folded back against her sides correctly on the first try. “I’ve never had the real thing, you see. So, I had no real idea what they should feel like, and you—” She paused, shaking her head. “Sorry, not you, I mean her... She could never explain what it felt like to really have them.” Rarity unfolded a wing and slowly moved it through a flapping motion. She tried to identify and pinpoint every muscle that moved and controlled it. “Come to think of it, that’s likely the reason why. She... was me. Or a part of me, as it were. If I didn’t know something, neither did she… a fact that she had to point out to me on several occasions now that I think about it.”

        “Huh?” Dash scratched her head. She’d lost track of what Rarity was talking about when she’d extended her wing again. Seeing her marefriend with wings had been exciting and beyond awesome initially, but now that the initial shock of seeing them had worn off a bit, she couldn’t help but notice how… hot Rarity looked with them. She’d always known that Rarity looked good, but somehow, as a pegasus, she was even better. She looked up at Rarity’s face, about to comment on how good she looked. She stopped with her mouth half open, shocked at what she saw. “Rares! Your horn’s gone!”

        “...Yes. It’s part of the spell.” Rarity raised a hoof and touched the spot her horn used to be before running it down her mane. “Apparently, a pony’s body can’t really support more than one type of magic, so it was pegasus or unicorn, not both.” She smiled, sadly. “I have been missing my magic. But it will be worth it to join you in the air, love.” She belatedly caught herself. “Oh, I’m sorry, Rainbow. I know that you’re not quite comfortable with me calling you that yet.”

        “No, it’s okay. I actually kinda like it.” Dash replied. She waved away her marefriend’s apology, then plowed ahead before Rarity could realize she was dangerously close to being sappy. “But... I mean, you traded your horn away just so you could go flying with me?”

        “Oh! Um... well, yes, but not permanently, mind you. It will wear off after a few days, or I can ask Twilight to reverse it early. But... yes. I did.” Rarity smiled playfully. She carefully extended a wing and bumped Rainbow on the shoulder. “Besides, it’s not just flying. It’s something you love and something that is a part of who you are. I’m honored to be able to share in that.” Her smile ticked up into a smirk when her marefriend blushed. She looked down at her wings, admiring them. “They are lovely, but I... I couldn’t work without my magic. So, I’m afraid I can’t just be this all the time.”

        “No no, I get it. I really like them, but I wouldn’t ask you to do that, I mean, I don’t think I could ever give up my wings…” Rainbow’s heart beat faster just thinking about not being able to fly. The walls and ceiling of the Boutique suddenly felt a little too close for comfort. Memories of the hedge maze in Canterlot came back with uncomfortable clarity. It was all she could do not to take flight that very moment, just to make sure that she could. She glanced to the side, reassuring herself that they were still there, and smiled. 

        “Nor would I ask that of you, love.” Rarity tittered into a hoof. Her eyes drifted down to the other mare’s wings, and she saw them rustle a bit. “I find them a very attractive feature.”

        “Yours are nice too...” Rainbow trailed off, blushing. Her eyes fell on Rarity’s wings again, as if there was some magnetic force constantly drawing them there. She tore her eyes away from them, choosing instead to stare out the window. “Sorry, I keep staring. Uh... we should go do that thing.”

        “That thing?” Rarity repeated suggestively. “I do hope you’re talking about the picnic I’ve packed for us, darling. It would be such a pity to let it go to waste.” She watched Rainbow for a few seconds. She kept waiting for the other mare to turn back, but she never did.

        “Yeah, that thing. Let’s do that.” Dash kept her gaze fixed out the window. She knew it was weird for her to just stare out the window while talking to Rarity, but she didn’t want to risk staring at her marefriend’s wings again. She turned away from the window and forced herself to meet Rarity’s eyes. “So, you ready to go?”

        “Well, I suppose we could, but I assumed you would want to fly first and work up an appetite.” Rarity answered. She raised a quizzical eyebrow at her marefriend. “Is everything alright, love?”

        “Yeah, yeah. It’s just…” Dash let out a sigh. “I can’t stop staring at your wings.” Her eyes flicked down for an instant before she forced them back up.

        “Is that all?” Rarity smiled reassuringly. “I really don’t mind, darling. It’s okay.” She was about to spread her wings again when a thought occurred to her. “Unless… it’s not inappropriate, is it?”

“No, well…” Dash thought for a moment, weighing her words. “It’s just not cool, you know? It’s like one of those fox paws you talk about sometimes. You just don’t do it.”

        “Ah, a faux pas.” Rarity chewed on her lip for a moment. “Hmm… Well, is it considered acceptable between lovers?” She stepped closer to Rainbow and nuzzled along her neck, bringing her lips close enough to the blue ear to make Rainbow shiver. "Because, if so, I fully intend to get my fill of those beauties. And I don't intend to stop at merely looking." 

        Dash’s wings shot up, and she was frozen in place with her mouth hanging open. “I, uh…” She closed her mouth, swallowed, and tried again even though her mind was still processing the latter half of what Rarity had just said. “I… I think so.”

        “Oh, I’m sorry, love.” Rarity pulled back. “I was only teasing. I didn’t mean to make you uncomfortable.” She laid a hoof on her marefriend’s withers. “It’s just…” She let her hoof slide a little lower, until it traced idle circles on Dash’s torso. “I think it’s no secret that I find you rather attractive. And I have been fantasizing about a mare so very like you for some time.” Her hoof meandered down Rainbow’s side, skirting around her cutie mark. “You’ll forgive me if I’m a little… eager, won’t you?” She batted her eyelashes playfully.

        “I… uh…” Dash sputtered uselessly, her wings still standing up at full attention. She was thrown completely off guard by this new side of Rarity, and somehow, she didn’t mind. “N-no… I get it. It’s, uh…” A shiver raced up her spine as Rarity’s hoof brushed the edge of her cutie mark. She cleared her throat to try and cover it. “It’s cool.”

        Rarity finally seemed to notice where her hoof had wandered off to and pulled it back. “Oh dear, there I go, doing it again. I’m sorry, love, but do you think you could stop being so irresistibly attractive for a little bit?” She gazed at Rainbow with half-lidded eyes. “It’s very distracting.” She giggled coquettishly as Dash’s cheeks turned bright red. “Now, we’d better get going before I drag you up to my bedroom and do something unspeakable to you.”

She turned toward the front door and flicked her tail to the side in agitation. She regarded it with contempt after the ordeal that it had taken to open Twilight’s bedroom door. “You know, I never anticipated that the most difficult thing about not having magic would be opening a simple door.”

        “Oh!” Dash finally broke out of her stupor. She scrambled over to the door, nearly tripping over her own hooves as she started moving. Once she finally reached the door, she pressed down on the latch and pulled it open. “Um… after you?”

        Rarity stared in surprise, a languid grin once again spreading across her face after a moment. “Ah, such a gentlemare! Thank you, love.” She trotted out the door, then waited for her marefriend to follow suit and close the door behind them. She spotted a couple of ponies walking down the street away from them. Glancing around for any more of Ponyville’s citizens milling about, she stepped a little closer to Rainbow. “Darling, would you mind terribly if we went somewhere… out of town to fly?” Her wings rustled nervously at her sides, but she quickly clamped them back down. “As much as I adore my new wings, I’d rather not spend the next month explaining them to everypony.”

        “Uh, yeah, sure.” Dash replied. She looked around for a bit, trying to decide where they should go. She smirked when she figured out not only where they should go, but a way to turn the tables on Rarity. She took a few steps backward, careful to be as quiet as possible. Once she was far enough away, she gathered herself to break into a gallop quickly. Her smirk widened while she watched her marefriend continue to look up and down the street, oblivious to her plan. “I know just the place. Hold on tight.”

        Rainbow’s words caused Rarity to pause and examine them. “Hold on tight? Hold onto wha-aaaaaah!” The end of her question trailed off into a terrified scream as she was suddenly vaulted into the air. Rarity spent several panicked seconds watching the ground race by and recede away below her while her wings opened and closed in pitiful half-flaps. It wasn’t until a familiar chuckle reached her ears over the rush of the wind that she realized she was being carried through the air. Her head whipped around, and she leveled a glare at her marefriend. “That was not funny, Rainbow Dash.”

        “Sure it was.” Dash flashed one of her trademark cocky grins. “Besides, haven’t you always said that you wanted to be swept off your hooves by your Prince Charming? I’m way better than some lame prince, anyway.”

        “Well, yes.” Rarity adjusted herself a bit in Rainbow’s forelegs, trying to get a little more comfortable while they flew. “But I always assumed that it would be a little gentler, and perhaps not quite so literal.” She wrapped a foreleg around Rainbow’s withers. She took advantage of her prime positioning to lean up and kiss Rainbow on the cheek. “Still, I do appreciate your commitment to the gesture. Where are we headed?”

        “Just one of my practice fields.” Dash gave another grin, but kept her eyes darting around for potential obstacles. She banked to the side to avoid a low-hanging cloud. “Nowhere special, but it’s out of the way so no one should see us.” She spared a glance down to find Rarity staring intently at her wings. She locked them out and angled them so that they started to glide down to the ground. Knowing that Rarity was staring at her wings was flattering, but also a little weird.

        Rarity finally noticed her marefriend’s discomfort after a couple seconds. “Is everything alright, love?” She blinked and belatedly realized what she’d been doing a few moments ago. “I was doing it again, wasn’t I? I’m sorry, darling, I’m just trying to figure out how you do it.” She sighed and laid her head against Rainbow’s shoulder. “The butterfly wings were so much easier, but I really wanted to experience the real thing at least once. She...that is, the dream I had of you, was so very proud of hers. An extension of my envy of you, I suppose.” She sighed and nuzzled into Rainbow’s neck for a moment. “And now, here I have them and I might as well be an earth pony for all the good they do me.”

        Dash chuckled to herself and started backpedaling her wings to soften their landing. ”Don’t be so hard on yourself, Rares.” She landed on her hind legs and balanced on them long enough to let Rarity down. Once her marefriend was safely on the ground, she leapt back into the air. “It’ll probably just take you a little time to get used to them.” She started flying lazy circles around Rarity. She tried to slow down her flaps without making them so slow that she just fell to the ground. “Heck, if Twilight gave me a horn, I doubt that I’d be able to do anything with it.”

“You’d make a fabulous looking unicorn, darling!” Rarity exclaimed, imagining it. “Though I must admit, I am rather selfish in wanting you to remain a pegasus. I find wings to be so very attractive,” She ran her eyes over Dash’s wingspan. “Fluttershy’s are just as graceful as she is, but yours... Speed, maneuverability, strength. You have the complete package.”

        “Uh… thanks.” Dash tried to keep her flying slow and steady so that Rarity could watch her fly, but it was getting increasingly difficult. She wanted to feel the wind whipping through her mane and pulling at her wings, to feel that rush of adrenaline as the world raced by in a blur. But she knew that watching her zip around at full speed wouldn’t help Rarity learn anything.

        Rainbow spared a glance down at her marefriend, only to find Rarity watching her own wings as they slowly moved through a few flapping motions. Dash pulled into a hover to watch. After a couple more practice flaps, Rarity gathered herself and jumped into the air. She beat her wings as hard as she could and managed to climb a few inches, but then one of her wings twisted and she fell to the ground, landing hard on her rump. Dash bit her tongue to stifle a giggle while Rarity got up and dusted herself off. She leapt into the air again, only to meet with the same result. This time, Dash couldn’t keep quiet and let out a snicker.

        Rarity looked up at her marefriend, then let her head fall. “I’m sorry, love.”

        “I’m sor— wait... you’re sorry? What for?” Dash landed and sat next to Rarity, wrapping a wing around her.

        “I just wanted all of this to be perfect. I wanted it to be something special.” Rarity kept her eyes downcast as she spoke, but leaned against her marefriend. “Ever since I had the idea, I’ve wanted it to be something wonderful that we could share… but now it’s here and I can’t even manage to get off of the ground.” She took a deep breath to stave off a sob, but it came out as a whimper none the less. “I’m sorry again, love. I just… I don’t understand why I can’t do it. I could at least hover back at home.”

        “Hey, don’t feel bad. It is your first time, after all.” 

        Had Pinkie been present, she would have said that Dash’s comment had literally turned Rarity’s frown upside down. Rarity batted her eyelashes seductively. “Ohh my, Rainbow Dash, did you find your bravado again?” She purred softly, indulging in a brief nuzzle that made it very hard for Dash to keep her wing wrapped around Rarity’s back.

        “I, uh... ahem... yeah. I guess.” Dash coughed into a hoof to try and cover the blush rising in her cheeks. She grasped for a change in topic, hoping to avoid losing any more ground in their war of words. “A-Anyway, you’re probably having trouble hovering because of the air currents. I bet there wasn’t any wind when you did it inside.”

        Rarity’s sly grin slowly disappeared, and she cast a disparaging look back at her wings. “I don’t see why it would make a difference. There’s barely any wind out here, either.”

        “Yeah, but there is wind.” Dash gestured to the grass in front of them, which was swaying a bit in the light breeze. “It doesn’t feel like much, but feathers are really sensitive to even tiny air currents. Here, do this.” She pulled her wing off of Rarity’s back and held it out straight in front of herself. Her marefriend raised a skeptical eyebrow, but followed suit. “Now, close your eyes.”

        “I’m sorry, love, but I simply don’t see wha—” Rarity’s word froze in her throat. With her eyes closed, she could feel the wind running over each individual feather, pulling some of them up and others down. What had felt like an insignificant breeze a moment ago was now a sustained wind, and she had to work to keep her wing level. She opened her eyes and looked at Rainbow. “But, I don’t understand…” She stared at her wing intently, watching the minute movements of her feathers as the wind ran over her wing. “Why does it feel so much lighter now?”

        “I don’t know.” Dash shrugged. “Our teachers always said it was something that your brain does. Something about feeling it across your whole body versus focusing on your wing.” She folded her wing back at her side and shrugged again. “I never really understood it either. You just need to focus on keeping your wings steady, even if it doesn’t feel like there’s a lotta wind.”

        “Hmm…” Rarity closed her eyes again and focused on the way the wind played across her wing, trying to find some pattern to it. Keeping her eyes closed, she stood up and extended her other wing. She moved them through a few flaps. The wind tried to twist her wings as she moved them, but she forced them to stay level. She slowly increased the speed and power of her flaps, and she miraculously felt herself slowly rising into the air. However, now that her hooves were no longer on the ground, the wind slowly seemed to pick up, making it harder and harder for her to keep level.

        “Uh… Rarity?” Dash’s voice tried to break through her concentration, but she kept her focus. She poured more power into her flaps, whipping her wings up and down as quickly as she could. “Rares, you might not wanna go that high.”

        Rainbow’s words finally registered with Rarity. “High?” She cracked an eye open to see her marefriend looking up at her from the ground, which was a shocking distance away. Her eyes shot open, and she looked around frantically for something to grab onto or land on to soften her inevitable fall. “I-I don’t… H-how did… Ah!” With her focus elsewhere, the wind finally twisted one of her wings, throwing her off balance. She tumbled through the air, watching the earth and sky swap places over and over. She closed her eyes and braced for her upcoming reunion with the ground.

        That unfortunate meeting never happened, however. She instead landed in a pair of familiar hooves that slowed her fall and brought her gently back to the ground. She opened one eye and looked up to see Rainbow grinning down at her. “That’s two. If I have to keep saving you, I might have to start charging for it.”

“Three, actually. Or... two and a half, I suppose, since Fluttershy was on the other end.” Rarity quipped, albeit a bit breathlessly for her near miss. She laid her head against Rainbow’s shoulder and tried to will her racing heart to slow down. “I’ll give you full credit on general principles at the moment, however.” She leaned up and kissed her marefriend on the cheek. “Thank you immensely, love.”

        “Uhh…” Dash’s mind was elsewhere at the moment. Rarity’s mention of Fluttershy ‘on the other end’ had sent some racy images through her mind after all of the flirting that had been going on between them, and she was having some trouble dislodging them. She gave her head a quick shake, then glanced down to check how far away the ground was. “Don’t mention it. It was a piece of cake.”

        “Regardless, I greatly appreciate it.” Rarity dared to peek down at the ground, and she was relieved to see that it was only a few feet away this time. She climbed down from her marefriend’s forelegs and took a moment to simply appreciate the grass under her hooves. Once her heart rate had dropped back to a normal level, she smiled at Rainbow. “So, other than nearly falling to my death, how did I do?”

        Dash chuckled and waved a hoof dismissively. “Ah, you’d have been fine. But still, you did awesome… until the falling part, anyway.” She scooted over next to Rarity and wrapped  a wing around her back. “But hey, everypony falls at some point. Even I did.” She gave her marefriend a squeeze and pulled her wing back. “Now, if you’re gonna wanna fly instead of just hover, you’ve gotta learn some things. Here, look at my wing.” She stuck her wing out between them.

        “Are you sure?” Rarity asked. She avoided looking at the proffered wing for a moment, locking eyes with her marefriend instead. “I know that you said it was a faux pax, and I wouldn’t want to make you uncomfortable.”

        “Yeah, but this is different. This is me teaching you something. And besides…” Dash looked away for a moment, her wing folding up a little bit. “The other kind is… okay, too. It’s just… a way of showing interest. Like that you like me like me.” She looked back, smiling. “But, since we’re together now, it’s cool.” She cleared her throat and plowed ahead before her marefriend could take advantage of her momentary sappiness. “Now, you see how the top of my wing has a little curve to it?”

        Rarity leaned in closer and studied Rainbow’s wing with a critical eye. It took her a moment to see what Rainbow was talking about. “Ah, yes. There is it, but why is that important?”

        “I’m getting to that.” Dash replied. She flicked her wing forward a bit and bopped Rarity on the nose, earning her a bemused glare. She stuck her tongue out for a second before continuing. “Okay, now look at the bottom.”

        “Very well…” Rarity lowered herself onto her stomach to afford herself an easier look. However, after several long moments of searching, she couldn’t see anything that she could deem important. “I’m sorry, darling, but I simply don’t see whatever it is you want me to see.”

        “What about the curve from the top?” Dash asked.

        “No.” Rarity scanned along the bottom of her marefriend’s wing. “It looks level.”

        “Exactly.” Dash pulled her wing back to her side. “That little bit of curve causes the air that goes above the wing to go a little bit faster than the air underneath, and that generates lift to help keep you in the air while you’re flying. Now, flying flaps are a little different than hovering flaps. You’ll need to…”


*


        “...and you’ll be flying in no time.”

        Rarity could only stare at her marefriend, her mouth agape. Despite her consistent dismissive attitude of all things academic, Rainbow had just spent the last twenty minutes giving a full Twilight-style lecture on the methods and mechanics of pegasus flight. While some of the more technical points had escaped her, Rarity felt that she had a much firmer grasp on how to use her wings.

        “Darling, I…” She desperately wanted to ask her marefriend a series of questions, but she was having trouble constructing a coherent thought. While she’d known that Rainbow was far from unintelligent, Rarity had never expected her to have encyclopedic knowledge of a subject. After a few more sputtering attempts at speech, she finally managed to produce a word. “How?”

        “Uh… I thought I just went over that.” Dash cocked her head to the side in confusion. “Do you need me to go over part of it again?”

        “No, no. You were incredibly… thorough.” Rarity closed her eyes and rubbed the bridge of her nose with a hoof. She was having a difficult time reconciling the mare that had been instructing her a few minutes earlier with everything she knew about Rainbow. And truthfully, it only made her love Rainbow more. “I just… had no idea that you knew so much about flying. It all seems to come so naturally to you. I never imagined you would be such a good teacher.”

        “Yeah, well, I’m not… not really, anyway. I tried teaching this stuff to ‘Shy every day after school in all kinds of different ways.” Dash’s mouth twitched up into a hint of a smile. “We used to joke that she was really an earth pony trapped in the wrong body.” Her face fell, and her shoulders slumped. “But no matter how hard I tried or how much we practiced, she never got any better.”

        “You think that…” Rarity tittered into a hoof, drawing an annoyed glance from her marefriend. “My goodness, you’ve never noticed, have you?”

        “Noticed what?” Dash asked. She took a breath to try and clear the frustrated edge from her voice.

        “Fluttershy…” Rarity paused, searching for the right words. “She tries harder for you, love. She has no care for flying quickly. Our darling Fluttershy is never in a hurry to get anywhere, but for you…” She wrapped a wing around Rainbow and pulled her close. “She’s the only reason we were able to catch you when you were under Discord’s influence. She ran herself ragged pulling that cart when we had to catch up to Applejack. And she flew the fastest I’ve ever seen her fly when she was helping you save little Spikey and myself after his little… episode. Why, I daresay that if you ever needed saving, the sky would be filled with an explosion of pink!” She brought up Rainbow’s chin with a hoof to look into her eyes. “She loves you, darling. I suspect that if she never seemed to improve, it’s only because she wanted to continue to spend that time with you, but she didn’t know how to say it.”

        “You think so?”

        “I know so, love.” Rarity used her hoof to pull Rainbow into a gentle kiss. When they broke apart, she pulled her wing back to her side and stood up. “Now, let’s do some flying, shall we?” She flapped her wings a few times to work out a bit of stiffness. “I would like to use these things properly before they disappear.”

        “Alright, then.” Dash stood up as well. Her mouth turned up into a playful grin. “Try and catch me!” She bolted up into the sky with a few powerful flaps of her wings, slowing to a hover quite a ways up. “Come on!”

        Rarity rolled her eyes and chuckled to herself. “If it’s all the same to you, I’d like to avoid nearly falling to my death again, love.” She watched her marefriend stick out her tongue and begin to fly on her own, then brought her attention back to the ground. She ran through everything that Rainbow had just taught her again. Once she was reasonably sure that she hadn’t forgotten anything, she started running. Physical exertion was never her cup of tea, but she was more than willing to make an exception in this case. She reached a full gallop and started flapping her wings. When she felt each hoof hit the ground a little lighter than the last, she pushed off as hard as she could and leapt into the air. She kept her hooves moving, fully expecting to land again a few moments later.

        “Whoa!” She glanced to the side and saw Dash flying next to her, albeit on her back and with her forelegs behind her head. Rainbow smiled broadly and cheered her on. “You’re doin’ awesome, Rares! Come on, flap just a little harder and let’s see if you can climb.”

        Rarity risked a peek down while she carefully lifted her forelegs out in front of her. Sure enough, the ground stayed a respectful distance away. She sped up her wing beats and pulled ahead of her marefriend, feeling the rush of the wind in her face and the elation of no longer being tethered to the earth. Climbing higher, she pushed herself as hard as she could go. Rainbow caught up with her again grinning from ear to ear.

        “Be careful!” Dash had to yell to be heard over the roar of the wind. “You don’t wanna overdo it on your first flight!” Rarity wanted to laugh at her marefriend’s words. She’d never felt so alive. She felt like she could take on anything, like she could fly to the moon and back, like… like her lungs were on fire.

        All at once the physical tolls of her maiden flight hit her like a kick to the chest. Her lungs burned, her flight muscles screamed in protest, and the wind tore at her eyes, making it difficult to keep them open. She squeezed them shut and wracked her brain for any of the lessons that Dash had just conveyed to her, and clung desperately to one thing: keep the wings level. She locked her wings out and settled into a nice glide, giving her muscles a chance to rest. For a time, she simply glanced down in amazement. She was flying, really flying! No fragile wings that would burn away in the sun, not a dream.

Feeling daring, she tilted the left wing very slightly, banking around. In a rush she found herself climbing higher, and recognized that this was a thermal. As she calmed down, more and more of Dash's lecture came back. She circled the thermal, using it to gain altitude without hurting her poor fledgling muscles.

        “Look at you!” Dash pulled into the other side of the thermal and circled opposite of Rarity. She beamed at her marefriend, who flashed her a hesitant smile back. “Alright, let’s see what you can do with those things.” She banked out of the thermal and came to a hover. “Catch me if you can!” She took off without another word, sparing a quick glance back.

        Rarity carefully banked out of the thermal and started flapping her wings again. She turned and followed after her marefriend. She pumped her wings harder to try and catch up to Rainbow, but slowed down a few moments later. Pace yourself, Rarity. Two rescues in one day would hardly do. Ahead of her, Rainbow looked back to make sure she was keeping up. After a few checks, Rarity noticed a pattern. One… Two… Three… Four… Five… Six… Look. Rarity grinned to herself. She waited for the next time that Rainbow looked back at her, then sped up as soon as she turned forward again. The distance between her and Rainbow closed, but it felt too slow. She slowed back to her previous speed before her marefriend turned around again, hoping that Rainbow wouldn’t notice she had gotten closer. The next check on her position came and went, and she pushed as hard as she could when Dash looked forward again. She pulled up a little bit and flew above Rainbow, waiting for her chance.

        The next time Dash looked back, Rarity was gone. She backpedaled her wings, whipping her head around in confusion. “Rares?” Looking down, she couldn’t see Rarity falling. Having checked every other direction, she looked up just in time to see Rarity diving at her. “What the—” The rest of her sentence was lost in a rush of air forced from her lungs as Rarity tackled her. She instinctively wrapped her forelegs around her marefriend, pulling her wings in and letting Rarity control the fall. A few tense moments passed before they crashed into a cloud.

        Rarity let out a breath she hadn’t realized she was holding. Looking back on it, tackling Rainbow out of the air may well have been the most foolish idea she’s had all day. Still, it had worked. She indulged herself in a proud grin, looking down at her disheveled marefriend.

        Rainbow shook her head, dislodging bits of cloud from her mane and spitting a few lingering wisps out of her mouth. When she opened her eyes and looked up, she saw Rarity smiling down at her and looking rather pleased with herself. “Yeah, alright. You caught me.” Rainbow crossed her forelegs behind her head. “Best two out of three?”

        “Oh, no no no, darling. I went to all that trouble to catch you, and now…” Rarity leaned down and nuzzled along Dash’s neck. She trailed kisses up along Rainbow’s neck, mixing in a nip that drew a satisfying gasp from her marefriend, until she reached Dash’s ear. “Now, I’ve got you right where I want you.”

        “Y-you do, huh?” Dash asked. It was getting harder to focus the longer Rarity worked on her neck, but she had one last trick under her wing. She slowly hooked her hind leg around Rarity’s. One quick tug to throw her off-ahh! Her train of thought was interrupted by a wing tip dancing along her ribs, and she had to bite her lip to keep from gasping out in a very uncool fashion. Tug and roll, Dash. One… Two… Just before she could pull her marefriend off balance and roll to the side to flip their positions, Rarity shifted her weight back, pinning the leg that Rainbow had hooked around her own.

        “Ah ah ah.” Rarity cooed. “Don’t be a spoilsport now. I caught you fair and square.” She trailed a languid lick along Rainbow’s collarbone, delighting in the sharp intake of breath it caused. “And now, I’m going to claim my prize.” She dragged a feather down her marefriend’s side and circled it around her cutie mark. Dash tried to arch her back beneath her, but pressed down with her own weight and kept the other mare pinned to the cloud. “Now, where do you think—”

        Rarity’s question was cut off by a loud growl that vibrated against her chest. Rainbow’s stomach was growing in protest. Rarity pouted, looking into the eyes of her intended prey. “Oh, fine! We’ll have dinner first. But you—” she bopped Rainbow on the nose. “—owe me dessert, Rainbow.” She regretfully rolled off of her marefriend, laying down on the cloud beside her. 

        Dash just looked up at the sky, more than a little rattled. Her stomach growled again, but she ignored it. She’d never been in this position before. She was always the dominant one, the one in control. Being on the receiving end was weird.

        Weird, but insanely hot.

        Her stomach growled yet again, louder than before. She sat up quickly, trying to cover her lapse in attention. “Uh, yeah. Food. Where’d you put the basket?”

        “Me?” Rarity raised herself up on her elbows and looked at her marefriend. “I thought you had it.”

        “How could I have had it?” Rainbow asked. She poked Rarity in the stomach playfully. “I was too busy carrying you.” She stood up and stretched her legs out. “Eh, no worries, though. I’ll just run back and grab it.” She leaned down and gave her marefriend a quick kiss. “Be back in, like, a minute, tops.”

        “Very well, love.” Rarity rolled over onto her stomach. She laid her head on the cloud and let her wings unfurl lazily at her sides. “I suppose I shall simply have to wait here, then.” She glanced over her shoulder and flashed a predatory grin. “Do hurry back, though. I’m ever so hungry.” She flicked her tail so that the tip brushed across Rainbow’s nose.

        Dash couldn’t help but stare at Rarity’s splayed wings, and it took her a few moments to remember why she had been about to leave. Food. Right. She trotted to the edge of the cloud. “Be right back.” She leapt from the cloud and pumped her wings as hard as she could, tearing through the sky at breakneck speed.

        Rarity settled down, trying not to think about the delectable position that she’d had her marefriend in before being so rudely interrupted. She buried her face in the cloud. For the first time, she noticed just how soft it was. Oh my. This would be positively divine to sleep on. She flexed her wings, and a shiver raced down her spine as she felt cold wisps run over each of her feathers. I wonder if it would be possible to make a bed out of clouds for a non-pegasus. I’ll have to ask Twilight when I get the chance. She rolled over onto her back again and nestled further down into the cloud. She closed her eyes and pictured Fluttershy, Rainbow, and herself cuddled together on her bed. Though, I may need to see about getting it slightly larger. Do they make anything bigger than Alicorn?

        Never one to leave well enough alone, her imagination began to stray. Behind her eyelids, she saw her marefriends begin to do more than cuddle. She watched Fluttershy and Rainbow kiss passionately, their tongues dancing and battling for dominance. It was a battle the former seemed destined to lose, however, until Rarity herself joined in. The alabaster mare got to enjoy the strange experience of watching an imaginary version of herself slowly teasing open one of Rainbow’s wings and running her tongue along the leading edge. Together, she and Fluttershy worked feverishly to subdue Rainbow until she—

        “I’m back!”

        Dash’s voice shattered Rarity’s fantasy. The scene unfolding before her immediately faded into black. She bolted upright, praying to Celestia that her marefriend hadn’t seen or heard anything untoward. Her wings were still flared wide, and it took her a moment of struggling to fold them back at her sides. “D-darling. I didn’t see you th—” She faltered when she saw Rainbow rise over the edge of the cloud carrying something other than the picnic basket. “What do you have there, love?”

        “Oh, this? It’s nothing much.” Dash let the bundle in her foreleg unfurl, revealing a dark blue blanket with a large Wonderbolts logo emblazoned on it. She tossed the blanket onto the cloud. “I had to swing by my place to get it, but I figured it would help since… you know.” She lowered the basket onto the edge of the cloud, where it simply passed through the fluffy surface.

        “Ah. Excellent idea, love.” Rarity grabbed an edge of the blanket and began spreading it out. “I would have hated for such a meal to have gone to waste.”

        “Say, what’d you pack in here, anyway?” Dash used a hind leg to help spread the blanket out, then set down the basket once a large enough space had been cleared. It sank a couple of inches into the cloud, but held firm afterward. “This thing weighs a ton.”

        “I know, darling, but I assure you that every single item was absolutely necessary.” Rarity grabbed the basket and dragged it closer to herself. She lifted the lid and peeked inside. “Especially this.” She threw the lid open and reached in with both hooves. After a few moments of struggling, she pulled out a small barrel.

        “Is… is that…” Dash’s eyes grew wide and her tongue lolled out the side of her mouth.

        “Indeed it is, love.” Rarity giggled into a hoof. She held the barrel up, presenting it to her marefriend. “A barrel of Apple Family Special Reserve. It took no small amount of convincing to get Applejack to let me have it.” She handed the barrel over to Rainbow and dug through the basket for a few seconds before pulling out a pair of mugs. “Shall we?”

        Dash practically tore a mug from Rarity’s hoof. She eagerly opened the tap and poured herself a glass. Once it was full, she took a deep drink. “Mmm… Okay, seriously Rares, you are the best marefriend ever.” She took another drink, then refilled her mug.

        “I’m glad you feel that way, darling.” Rarity rummaged around in the basket and pulled out a pair of plates. One last trip into the basket resulted in a covered tray. She pulled the lid off to reveal two oatburgers and a stack of hay fries. “I hope you’re as enthusiastic about the main course.”

        “Sweet!” Dash lunged forward and grabbed a few hay fries. She popped them in her mouth and happily munched away. After a few seconds, her chewing slowed. “Kinda cold.” She mumbled around a mouthful of half chewed food.

        “Yes, well, I did what I could.” Rarity picked up a fry and bit off a small piece, quickly chewing and swallowing the cold hay. 

        Rainbow flashed her a guilty smile. “Um, sorry, didn’t mean to complain. Just hold on a second.” She grabbed a tuft of cloud from the outer edge of their little platform, scowling at it as she shaped it. The cloud turned a dark and ominous shade of black, and little lightning bolts arced around the outside. She put the tiny storm cloud on the blanket, then set the tray of burgers and hay fries on top of it. “Give that about a minute or two while the lightning does it’s thing.”

        Rarity looked down at the plate of food, then back up at her marefriend. “Why, Rainbow, that’s simply ingenious. Wherever did you learn to do that?” Another rumble broke into their conversation, but it came from Rarity’s stomach this time. She chuckled sheepishly. “Pardon me. It seems I worked up a bit of an appetite during our little flying session.” She grabbed a couple fries—which were already a good deal warmer—and ate them.

        “Yeah. Flying’ll do that.” Dash laid on her back, crossing her forelegs behind her head. “When I started doing a lot of serious flying, I ate pretty much all the time. One time I even made a joke that I felt like I was eating for two. My mom flipped out, thinking that I’d gone and gotten pregnant.” She heard a muffled mixture of laughing and coughing, and she sat up to see Rarity trying not to choke on a mouthful of hay fries, a few stragglers still sticking out from between her lips. “Hey! Save me some!”

        Rarity hastily chewed and swallowed. “I’m sorry, love. It’s just that I missed lunch thanks to my little nap this afternoon, and between that and flying…” She paused to take a quick drink from her own mug of cider. “I’m simply ravenous.” The last word had barely left her mouth before she grabbed another bunch of hay fries and popped them in.

        Dash lifted the edge of the tray and peeked under. “Looks like they’re done anyway.” She dropped the tray again and dove into the food. There was barely enough room between bites for breathing, much less talking, so they ate in silence. The pile of hay fries quickly dwindled before disappearing entirely, followed in short order by the oatburgers. After a few frantic minutes of eating, there wasn’t a speck of food left on the tray. They put it away and settled down to enjoy the last few mugs of cider from the barrel. 

        Rarity leaned against Dash’s side, and the latter draped a wing over the former’s back. “That was great, Rares. Thanks.” Dash gave her marefriend a quick squeeze with her wing.

        “You’re quite welcome, darling.” Rarity replied. She darted in for a quick kiss on Rainbow’s cheek, then settled back down and laid her head along her marefriend’s neck.

         “So, uhh... what do we do now?” Dash asked. She lifted her mug and drained the last bit of cider she had left, then tossed it into the open top of the picnic basket.

        “I was thinking of cuddling a little with my marefriend.” Rarity replied, sighing in contentment.

        Rainbow looked down at her, uncomprehendingly. “Your maref—” Realization dawned. “Oh... right.”

        Rarity looked up at Dash fondly. “You’re adorable.”

        They lay together for some time, watching the clouds go by. The sun inched ever closer to the horizon, setting the sky ablaze with streaks of red and orange. When it started to cross the tree line along the horizon, Rarity stirred, making Rainbow look askance at her. “What’s up?”

        “Oh, nothing.” Rarity wiggled enough that Rainbow pulled her wing back. She gathered her legs under her and grinned at her marefriend. “It’s just time for dessert.” She purred just before pouncing.

> I've Been Through the Dessert
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Unexpected Confessions



Chapter Thirty


        I’ve Been Through the Dessert

        The next morning found Fluttershy making her way through the relatively empty streets of Ponyville. The sun had only recently risen above the horizon, and many of the town’s denizens were still working on the rising part of rising and shining. As she passed Sugarcube Corner, she took a deep whiff of the delicious aromas drifting out of the windows. While the delectable smell of freshly baked scones beckoned for her to make a pit stop, she pressed onward. She was on a mission, and no amount of mouth-wateringly delicious pastries was going to stop her.

She soon reached her destination, the library. She stood outside, staring at the door. Even though the library was a public building and there was no need for her to knock, it still felt intrusive to her if she went in without knocking. At the same time, it was early, and she didn’t want to wake Twilight or Spike if they were still sleeping. Nodding determinedly to herself, she lifted a hoof and knocked, but her nerves got the best of her at the last second and her hoof barely tapped the wooden door. She waited several moments for a reply, but none came. Simply leaving crossed her mind, but she would have hated to have come all the way into town only to give up so easily. She placed a tentative hoof on the doorknob and gave it a pull. It came open easily.

        “Hello?” Fluttershy whispered, poking her head in. She pushed the door open a little more and crept inside. “Is anypony home?” Each step strengthened the feeling that she was intruding and that she should just leave. She was just about to give up and go home when she heard a noise come from the other side of the couch near the hearth. Her ears perked up and she took a hesitant step toward the couch. She strained to hear anything, but whatever sound she thought she’d heard had passed. 

        That sounded like Spike after he eats too much ice cream. Oh, I hope he’s okay. Fluttershy crept around the edge of the couch, ready to comfort a baby dragon with a tummy ache. However, she wasn’t ready for what she saw happening on the couch. Twilight and Applejack were sitting together on the couch, their forelegs wrapped around one another and, more importantly, their muzzles pressed together in one long, continuous kiss.

        Fluttershy immediately scrambled back behind the couch, curling up into a tiny ball while she prayed that neither of her friends could hear her heart hammering away in her chest. After a few seconds, Applejack’s voice drifted over. “What’s the matter, sug’?”

        “Nothing.” Twilight replied. “I just had to come up for air.”

        Applejack chuckled. “Breathe through yer nose, ya silly filly. Now, come back here.” After a few giggles from both mares, the room was once again silent except for the sound of hooves moving over coats and the occasional small moan. Fluttershy carefully uncurled herself and crept back toward the door. She kept waiting for Applejack or Twilight to hear her, but after several tense minutes, she made it to the front door undetected.

        Once she was back outside, Fluttershy slumped against the side of the library. She pressed a hoof to her chest. Her heart was still racing, but it had slowed a little now that she was safe. After taking several deep breaths to help calm herself, she got up and started the walk back to her cottage.

        “Hiya, Fluttershy!”

        Fluttershy instinctively leaped into a nearby bush, huddling down and hoping that whatever it was would just go away. 

        “Ooh. I didn’t know we were playing hide and seek!” The voice got louder as it got closer. “Let me go put these inside, then I’ll start counting… but you may wanna pick a new hiding spot since I saw you go in there.”

        Fluttershy finally connected the voice that had scared her to its owner. “P-Pinkie Pie?” She poked her head out of the bush to see Pinkie standing by the door of the library. “Oh, I’m sorry. I wasn’t playing hide and seek. You just startled me.” She climbed out of the bush, taking a few extra seconds to pick a couple of twigs out of her mane and tail. “Um, what are you doing here, if you don’t mind me asking?”

        “I got breakfast!” Pinkie turned to show a box resting on her back. “Twilight, Applejack, and I had a super duper fun impromptu slumber party a couple nights ago. It was so much fun that Twilight invited us for a planned one last night! I woke up first, so I decided to go get us all breakfast.” She bounced in place, making the box wobble on her back perilously. “Ooh, are you hungry? You could come in and have breakfast with us. I think I have an extra cranberry muffin.”

        “N-no, that’s okay. Thank you, though.” Fluttershy tried to decline, shaking her head. However, her stomach rumbled in agreement with Pinkie. Fluttershy smiled sheepishly and took a step back, her ears folding flat against her head. “Um, I wouldn’t want to intrude.” 

        Pinkie grinned mischievously, hopping over to her hungry friend and linking one of her forelegs with Fluttershy’s. “Silly filly. Your tummy knows better than you do. C’mon!”

        “I really do—” Fluttershy attempted to protest further, but lost the chance when she was forcibly pulled toward the library. She tried to dig her rear hooves into the dirt, but it made no difference. Pinkie pulled her along as effortlessly as if she were a balloon.

        They both burst through the door, interrupting another long kiss between Applejack and Twilight. Pinkie paused for a brief instant. “Aww. You girls started without me.” She smiled at the pair, continuing to drag Fluttershy into the kitchen. “Well, when you’re done come eat, okay?”

        Fluttershy fell into a chair when Pinkie finally let go of her. She stared intently at the table, hoping that if she looked interested enough in it, Twilight and Applejack might realize that she saw them kissing. She was so focused on studying the grain patterns of the table that she jumped when a cranberry muffin slid in front of her. She took it with a mumbled thanks and nibbled at the edge. 

        “I told you I had extra.” Pinkie chirped happily. “Party rule number two hundred and seventy four, ‘always have extras for unexpected guests.’” She placed a glass of milk in front of Fluttershy, then tapped her chin thoughtfully. “Though, if you plan for them, are they really unexpected guests? Does that mean that everypony is a guest?” She sat down and stared at the pile of icing in front of her as if it could give her answers. After a few moments of contemplation, she nodded. “I’m gonna need bigger emergency party supply stashes.” Satisfied with her decision, she scooped up the pile of icing and took a big bite, revealing a cinnamon roll hidden beneath it.

        “We were wondering where you got off to, Pinkie.” Twilight said as she entered the kitchen, Applejack hot on her heels. The pair headed around the table and sat on either side of Pinkie. Twilight looked down at her strawberry jelly-filled donut and took a quick whiff of it. She let out a contented sigh before turning back to her marefriend. “It’s not like you to leave without saying goodbye, much less to do so quietly.”

        Pinkie giggled, then leaned over and threw her forelegs around Twilight. She gave the unicorn a tight squeeze, punctuated with a kiss on the cheek before she sat back up. “Well, you two were just so cute all snuggled up together that I didn’t want to wake you.” Applejack and Twilight shot quick smiles at one another while Pinkie kept going. “And you girls were such sleepyheads after all the super duper fun we had last night. I just wanted to get breakfast to try and make you two as happy as you make me.”

        “Well, ya did a fine job, sugarcube.” Applejack wrapped a foreleg around Pinkie and pulled her in for a hug, nuzzling against her cheek. Once they pulled apart, she grabbed her apple fritter and took a big bite.

        “Tee hee. Thanks.” Pinkie replied before picking up her cinnamon roll and biting off another big chunk.

        Fluttershy, meanwhile, was busy trying to bore a hole into the table with her eyes. She wasn't sure what she would do after she succeeded, but she reasoned if she managed to get through the table, she could follow through with the floor and slink down into the basement of the tree. From there, tunneling out should be easy. She briefly wondered if her eyes were overheating. It felt like her entire face was on fire. If she made it out of the library, she would probably need to get it checked out.

        “Is something wrong, Fluttershy?”

        Fluttershy finally tore her eyes away from the table and looked up. All three of her friends were looking at her. She immediately shrank down a bit and tried to hide behind her mane. She cast about for something to say that would get them to stop staring at her, but every time she tried, the image of Applejack and Twilight kissing filled her mind and she could only squeak in response.

        After a few awkward moments of silence, Twilight tried again. “Did you need something from the library?” She motioned for her marefriends to keep eating, even pausing to take a bite from her own food and give the pegasus some time to collect herself.

        Fluttershy quickly grabbed her muffin with both hooves, burying her snout in it and taking a series of dainty nibbles. She closed her eyes for a bit and focused on taking deep breaths. By the time she swallowed her bites of muffin, she felt a good deal calmer. “W-well, um, I was actually hoping to get a little help.” Twilight and Applejack looked up at her curiously, but Pinkie was too busy devouring the rest of her breakfast to bother. “You see, Rarity arranged a wonderful date for Rainbow and me a few days ago, then she and Rainbow went on a date that she planned last night. She’s done so much for us, and I want to do something special for her. I want to plan a date for Rarity, Dashie, and me… but I really want Rarity to enjoy it and I’m not really sure what to do.”

        “That’s easy, sugarcube.” Applejack leaned back in her chair and popped the last bit of her apple fritter into her mouth, chewing a couple quick times before swallowing. “This is Rarity we’re talkin’ ‘bout. Just make it as frou-frou and gussied up as ya can and she’ll love it.”

        Twilight shook her head while she finished chewing the last bite of her pastry. “That’s—” She put a hoof in front of her mouth as a few tiny bits of donut flew out. After swallowing, she tried again. “That’s a bit of an oversimplification, Applejack. While I’m sure that Rarity will be touched that you’re trying to make it special for her, I think that she’ll want you and Rainbow to enjoy yourselves as well. Even the perfect date would be ruined by one—or in your case, two—of the ponies involved is having a bad time.”

        “Ooh, ooh! I know!” Pinkie chimed in, bouncing in her seat. “You girls could go to the bar that we went to! We had lots of fun there.” She stopped bouncing, becoming a little glum. “Well, maybe not at first…” She brightened back up. “But after Twilight got all ‘rawr!’ and told Applejack and me to stop being sillypantses, we had lots of fun!”

        Applejack chuckled and nudged Pinkie with an elbow. “Ah don’t think a bar is quite up Rarity’s alley.” She adjusted her hat and pursed her lips thoughtfully. “Rares like all that high falutin’ Canterlot stuff. Maybe y’all could head up there fer dinner or somethin’.”

        “That seems a bit… ordinary.” Twilight leaned back in her chair and ran a hoof through her mane. “I mean, we have an upscale restaurant here in Ponyville. Maybe it’s not the same level as some of the ones in Canterlot, but it’s still… oh!” She sat up and clopped her hooves together. “I’ve got it! The Canterlot Royal Orchestra is on tour, and they have a stop in Manehattan tomorrow.”

        “Oh, that does sound lovely.” Fluttershy smiled, but it morphed into a concerned frown after a few seconds. “But I don’t know if Dashie would like that very much. It seems a little… slow for her tastes.”

        “Yeah.” Applejack smirked. “Ah don’t think she’d be much fer some fancy-smancy concert. But if’n ya wanna do somethin’ fer Dash too…” Her smirk fell away and she furrowed her brow. “Well… Ah guess you could… maybe…” She turned to Pinkie and Twilight. “Y’all got any ideas?”

        Pinkie tapped her chin thoughtfully, idly scooping up a bit of icing that had stuck to her cheek and popping it in her mouth. “Hmm… Nopey-nope.”

        Twilight stared off into space, lost in through. She opened her mouth to speak a couple times, but closed it again each time. Eventually, she shook her head. “Their interests are just too… disparate.” She held out a hoof. “Rarity loves elegance, grace, and sophistication; all things that Rainbow decidedly doesn’t.” She held out her other hoof. “And Rainbow loves… well, all sorts of things that Rarity would call ‘uncouth.’” She looked at her hooves for a second, then let them fall. “There’s just no overlap.”

        Fluttershy looked back and forth between her friends, eventually letting her head fall so that she was staring at the table again. Their words whirled around her head, and with each pass they added a little more to the growing mountain of worry and dread settling on her chest. Her breathing quickened into rapid pants, and she shook her head as her thoughts spiraled out of control. “Oh no. They don’t like any of the same things, which means they won’t want to spend time together, which means they won’t like each other, which means they won’t want to be together, which means they’ll want me to pick one of them again, which means—”

        “Calm down, girl.” Applejack leaned across the table and laid a comforting hoof on Fluttershy’s foreleg. “Y’all been to Tartarus and back just to get where ya are. Ah doubt they’d throw that away over somethin’ as simple as Dash not likin’ a fancy concert. ‘Sides, look at us.” She hopped out of her chair and trotted over between Pinkie and Twilight, wrapping a foreleg around each of her marefriends. “The three of us ain’t exactly got a lotta overlappin’ interests either, but that’s part of the fun. We get to try new things and find stuff that we like to do together.” She paused for a moment when she was assaulted by simultaneous nuzzles from Twilight and Pinkie.

        “Besides—” Pinkie wiggled her way out of the group hug and slid under the table, popping up an instant later on the other side next to Fluttershy. “—half of the fun isn’t what you’re doing, but who you’re doing it with!”

        “With whom you’re doing it.” Twilight corrected her.

        Pinkie paid no attention to Twilight’s attempted grammatical lesson, continuing along her own rambling train of thought. “Well, maybe not half of the fun, more like sixty percent. Sixty-seven percent of the fun.” She smiled at Fluttershy as her thought train slowly worked its way back around to the problem at hoof. “I know one thing that Rarity and Dashie have in common, anyway.”

        “Oh?” Fluttershy looked at Pinkie expectantly, racking her brain for anything she could have missed. “Um, what is it?”

        “They both love you, silly!” Pinkie said with a giggle, wrapping herself around Fluttershy in a hug. 

        “Oh… right.” Fluttershy smiled and settled back into Pinkie’s hug. However, her nagging doubt quickly eroded her newfound optimism until her smile crumbled. “But.. what if it’s not enough? What if they decide they like each other better than me and that they don’t need me anymore?” She clutched at Pinkie’s foreleg. “What if—”

        “Fluttershy.” Twilight used her magic to gently lift Fluttershy’s chin and look her in the eyes. “Have you spoken to Rainbow or Rarity since their date last night?”

        “Oh, um, no.” Fluttershy tried to drop her head back down, but Twilight’s magic held firm. Instead, she opted for looking off to the side. “Rarity never said where they were going to end up after their date was over, and I came straight here this morning.” Twilight’s magic faded, and Fluttershy ducked down sheepishly. “Um, I guess that would help, wouldn’t it?”

        “Just a little bit.” Applejack replied, smiling to herself. She hopped down from her chair and started walking over toward the main room of the library. “Alright, Twi, Pinkie, Ah gotta get goin’. The chores ain’t gonna do themselves, much as Mac and Ah’d like that.”

        “Okie Doki Loki.” Pinkie finally released Fluttershy and followed the farm pony. “I have to go, too! Mrs. Cake is sick, so Mr. Cake needs my help an extra lot.” She quickly bounced past Applejack, humming to herself while she bounded across the room.

        “Oh, okay.” Twilight got up and followed her marefriends at a more sedate pace. She paused at the threshold between the kitchen and the main room. “Will I see you girls tonight?”

        Applejack and Pinkie both stopped. They locked eyes for a second and both headed back over to Twilight. They approached from either side and leaned in simultaneously, planting a kiss on each cheek. “We wouldn’t miss it fer the world, sug’.” Applejack murmured, nuzzling the unicorn.

        “Alright.” Twilight giggled to herself. She followed her marefriends over to the front door, opening it for them. “Well, have good days at work, then.” She waved to Pinkie and Applejack as they walked off, then leaned against the doorway, unable to wipe the smile off of her face. 

        “Um, excuse me, Twilight?”

        Twilight jumped at the barely audible sentence, having momentarily forgotten that Fluttershy was still there. “Yes, Fluttershy? Did you want any more help?”

        “Um, no, thank you.” Fluttershy smiled appreciatively. She scooted around Twilight and out the door. “I’m going to go see if I can find Dashie and Rarity. But, um, thank you for your help. It was very… um, helpful.”

        “Oh, okay.” Twilight waved goodbye to Fluttershy as she started down the road. “I’m glad we could be of assistance. I hope everything goes well.”

        Me too. Fluttershy slowly made her way over toward Carousel Boutique, taking a slightly-less-than-direct route. While part of her wanted to rush over there to see if Rainbow and Rarity were there, and equally large part of her was terrified of what she might find. Even though her friends had told her that her worries about Rarity and Rainbow were likely unfounded, she couldn’t keep her imagination from running just a little wild while she wandered.

        “Hey, Fluttershy!”

        Fluttershy gave her spiraling thoughts a rest when she heard her name. Looking around, she saw Rainbow flying toward her. Her worries immediately leapt back to the front of her mind, but she forced them down for the moment. “Oh, good morning, Dashie.” Rainbow landed a few feet away from her, but she hesitated from moving forward to give her marefriend a hug. “Um, h-how was your date with Rarity?”

        “It was great, but, uh…” Dash rubbed the back of her neck with a hoof, unsure of how to continue. “I think I might have… broken her.”

        Fluttershy blinked in confusion, sure that she must have heard the other mare wrong. “You… broke her?” she asked.

        “Well, maybe.” Dash looked over her shoulder, off in the direction that she had come from. “It’s just that she hasn’t woken up yet. I mean, we were up pretty late last night, but I had to carry her home.”

        “Carry her?” Fluttershy repeated. The longer she listened to Rainbow talk, the more confused she got. “But then... where did you sleep?”

        Dash debated how much she should share with Fluttershy for a bit. True, Fluttershy was her marefriend just as much as Rarity was, but she wasn’t sure how much of what went on between the two of them the other mare would want to hear, or how much she could hear before she blushed so hard that her face spontaneously caught fire. “It’s… a long story.” Rainbow said after a time. She belatedly realized that Fluttershy likely didn’t know about Rarity’s wings yet, either. “It would probably be easier to show you, anyway.” She turned and started trotting down the road. “Come on, I dropped her off at your place because, well, I figured you’d be there this early in the morning.”

        “O-oh, I’m sorry.” Fluttershy ducked her head a bit, causing her mane to fall in front of her face. “If I’d known that you were coming I would have waited for you.”

        “It’s cool.” Dash waved away her marefriend’s apology. “It’s not like you knew we were coming, and Angel let us in, anyway.” She couldn’t help but glance back in the direction of Fluttershy’s cottage again. Despite all of the mental assurances she’d tried to give herself while searching for her marefriend—my other marefriend, I guess—some small part of her mind was worried that something was desperately wrong with Rarity and every minute she wasted put her into further peril.

        “Um, should we go back so that I can check on her?” Fluttershy took a few steps forward, walking past Rainbow. She could tell that the the other mare was anxious to get back to Rarity’ side, even if she didn’t want to show it for some reason. “I’m sure that it’s nothing, but I’d still like to take a look at her, if you don’t mind.”

        “Huh? Oh, yeah.” Dash turned and broke into a trot before calling back over her shoulder. “Let’s go!” She sped up until she had gathered enough momentum to stay airborne, then leapt into the air. She pumped her wings while angling off toward Fluttershy’s cottage. Every so often, she would look back to make sure that her marefriend wasn’t too far behind, but she couldn’t quite bring herself to slow down very much. But for once, it wasn’t the call of the wide open sky or the desire to feel the wind tugging at her tail and mane that kept her speed up. The ground blurred underneath her as she pressed onward, her anxiety lessening just a bit when the canopy of Fluttershy’s cottage appeared over the crest of a hill.

        Rainbow landed firmly, sending up a cloud of dust when her hooves hit the ground. She didn’t bother to wait for Fluttershy, pulling open the door and making her way inside. She passed Angel Bunny—who angrily tapped his foot in the entryway—on her way up to the bedroom. The door slammed into the wall from the force she used to open it, but even the sudden noise did nothing to stir the mare laying in the bed.

        Fluttershy followed her marefriend as quickly as she dared, making sure to keep an eye out for any of her small furry friends who might try to scurry underhoof. When she reached the top of the stairs, she had the novel—though not unpleasant—experience of seeing Rarity and Rainbow already there, even if they were sleeping like a log and pacing back and forth with worry respectively.

        She quickly made her way over to the bed and checked the sleeping mare’s vital signs. She lowered her head and pressed an ear to Rarity’s chest, listening to the steady beat of her heart and the slow rushing of her breaths. She carefully pinched Rarity’s foreleg, watching the skin flatten back out slowly. Nodding to herself, she stood back up.

        “She’s fine.” Fluttershy made her way around the bed to stand next to Dash. “She’s a little dehydrated, but other than that, I can’t find anything wrong with her.” Just as she finished speaking, Rarity rolled over, giving the first sign of life either of her marefriends had seen. Feathers brushed along Fluttershy’s chest, and she giggled. “Careful with your wings, Dashie, that tickled.”

        “Uhh…” Rainbow glanced back at her wings, which were still firmly at her sides. “That… wasn’t me.” She had to bite her lip to keep from smiling when her marefriend looked at her in confusion. Dash simply shrugged and rustled her wings a bit to show that they hadn’t moved.

        Fluttershy looked down at the bed and saw a mess of white feathers spilling out over the edge. Her initial thought was that something had torn a hole in her comforter and the feathers inside were spilling out. She reached out with a hoof to stuff them back into the comforter, but they moved away when she touched them. She looked at them for a bit before realizing that they were all aligned in the same direction rather than splayed out randomly. She followed the direction of the feathers with her eyes, moving further up until they reached a long white thing coming out from under the blanket.

        Wait… I haven’t gotten my comforter out yet. The blanket doesn’t have feathers… so where are these coming from? Fluttershy gingerly reached out with a hoof and grabbed the top edge of the blanket, pulling it down until only Rarity’s hindquarters were covered. The long white thing that the feathers connected to made its way along the bed until it connected to the sleeping mare’s back. It’s like a wing… but that can’t be right.

        On the bed, Rarity shivered a bit after the removal of her blanket. The mass of feathers rose up and settled along Rarity’s exposed side. Fluttershy could only stare in confusion for a moment. Her eyes were telling her that it was a wing settled against her marefriend’s side, but her brain insisted that it couldn’t possibly be a wing because Rarity was most definitely a unicorn. She reached out and ran a hoof along the leading edge of the protrusion. It certainly felt like a wing. She turned to Rainbow, looking for confirmation that the other mare was seeing what she was seeing.

        “Does… does Rarity…” Fluttershy drifted off for a few seconds, unable to properly articulate her question even in her mind. “Are those wings?”

        “I know! It’s awesome, right?” Dash couldn’t contain her excitement any longer. She jumped into the air, hovering a few inches off the ground. “She got Twilight to do some spell that turned her into a pegasus for a few days. She planned this awesome date for us where we went flying and had a sweet dinner and…” She paused, not sure about sharing what she and Rarity had done after dinner.

        “A… pegasus?” Fluttershy was too entranced by Rarity’s apparently real wings to realize that Rainbow had trailed off mid-sentence. “But what about her magic? Will she ever get it back?”

        “Huh? Oh, yeah.” Dash came back down to the floor, her eyes glued to Rarity’s wings. “She said that it would wear off in a day or two by itself, but that Twi could also change her back early, if she wanted it.” On the bed, Rarity rolled over again, groaning slightly. Rainbow grabbed the blanket and draped it back over the sleeping mare, then motioned toward the door. She and Fluttershy crept out of the room, pulling the door closed behind them. Once they were downstairs, Rainbow flopped down on the couch. “So, what do we do now?”

        “There isn’t much we can do.” Fluttershy stood off to the side, her eyes moving back and forth between an empty chair and the couch that her marefriend was sprawled across. After a few seconds, Dash pulled her legs in, patting the newly vacated spot next to her. Fluttershy smiled and trotted over, climbing up onto the seat and nestling up to her marefriend. “It seems like she’s just really tired. She must have really worn herself out flying with you yesterday.”

        Flying… sure. Dash was immensely grateful that her marefriend was looking somewhere other than at her, lest Fluttershy see the blush covering her face and rapidly spreading down her neck. She tried to stop the stream of images from the previous night that flowed through her mind, but every memory she banished was only replaced by one that was even more salacious. She desperately searched for something to take her mind off of her out of control thoughts. “So, um, what do we do now?” Fluttershy looked back at her with a raised eyebrow. “Not about Rarity, but about… us, the three of us.”

        “Oh.” Fluttershy turned back around and leaned against her marefriend. “Well, I was thinking that, um, maybe we should all go on a date together.” She couldn’t help a small sigh that escaped her. “But I just don’t know what we could all do together. There, um, isn’t really much that both you and Rarity like to do.”

“Hmm…” Dash tried to compile a list of things that she and Rarity both enjoyed, but came up empty. “Yeah… I can’t really think of anything either.” She started to lean down so that she could lay her head on Fluttershy’s shoulder, but she quickly reconsidered the proposition when she got a faceful of pink mane. Settling back on the couch, she wracked her brain for things that both she and Rarity would enjoy, but nothing came to mind.

        After a few minutes of contemplation, she gave up. “I don’t know.” She reached up and ran a hoof through her mane. She had come up with plenty of ideas for dates, but none of them seemed like anything that both she and Rarity would enjoy. Ugh. Why does it have to be some big production? Why can’t we just hang out? Rainbow sat up a bit at the thought. “Wait, that’s it.”

        “Hmm?” Fluttershy rubbed a foreleg across her eyes. She had gotten so comfortable lounging against her marefriend that she had started to drift off. She stretched her hind legs out, trying to work some of the stiffness out of them. “What’s it?”

        “Our date.” Part of Dash wanted to get up and move around so that her body could match the restless state of her mind, but she was comfortable on the couch and she didn’t want to force her marefriend to move. After a brief internal debate, she decided to just stay on the couch. “We keep trying to make it a big deal, like it’s some big event that we have to get just right.” Fluttershy nodded, bringing a foreleg up to stifle a yawn. “Well, why? Why does it need to be some big spectacle? Why can’t it just be the three of us hanging out?”

        Fluttershy looked back over her shoulder at the other mare as best she could, an eyebrow quirked up. “Well, um, that sounds… nice, but I don’t think that the three of us spending the evening at one of our houses really qualifies as a ‘date’.”

        “I’m not saying that we would stay here.” Dash rolled her eyes, then leaned forward and planted a quick kiss on her marefriend’s cheek. “We could still go somewhere. We just wouldn’t plan out a bunch of things to do. We could just hang out where ever we went and do… you know, whatever looked cool.” Rainbow pursed her lips. The idea had sounded good in her head, but it lost some of its luster when she tried to explain it out loud. She didn’t have long to ruminate on the issue before inspiration struck again. “We could go to Cloudsdale!”

        “Cloudsdale?” Fluttershy thought about it for a moment. After seeing how exhausted Rarity was from an afternoon of flying with Rainbow, she wasn’t sure she wanted to ask her marefriend to make a flight of that length. It would be fun, though, she thought. The idea of being able to walk around as a trio where only a few ponies would recognize them was certainly appealing. She couldn’t see them being able to do the same in Ponyville without starting a few rumors, especially if they made any public displays of affection, but that wouldn’t be as big of a problem in Cloudsdale. “That sounds like it could be fun.” She glanced at the stairwell leading back up to her room, worry creeping back into her mind. “I just hope that Rarity wakes up soon.”

        “Yeah.” Dash followed her marefriend’s gaze. She was still a little little worried about Rarity, but she also felt better now that Fluttershy had looked her over and declared that nothing was overly wrong. She reached up and trailed a hoof along Fluttershy’s side, causing her marefriend to jump a bit. “But if we’ve got some time to kill, I can think of a way to spend it.” She leaned down and placed a kiss on her marefriend’s jaw line, smirking when the other mare sucked in a breath and leaned into the contact. Rainbow kept going, winding a trail of kisses and nips down Fluttershy’s neck.


*


        Rarity stretched out as she slowly struggled back to consciousness. She groaned and hit the surface beneath her with a hoof. This cloud was much more comfortable when Rainbow and I— She paused when she finally realized that her marefriend was no longer next to her. Forcing open an eye, she prepared herself for the full assault of the sun’s light, but was met instead with the gentle lighting of a foreign bedroom. Rarity bolted upright, sweeping her gaze across the room. An instant later, she recognized the room as Fluttershy’s bedroom, and her momentary bout of terror was replaced with a mild curiosity as to just how she had come to be there.

        Her stomach, on the other hand, had no qualms about their mysterious arrival at Fluttershy’s cottage. It made sure that Rarity was fully aware of the fact that she hadn’t eaten in quite some time, and that she had burned quite a lot of energy the previous night. A roar emanated from her abdomen that sounded like a Manticore was trying to claw its way out, complete with accompanying cramps to simulate the claws.

        “Yes, yes, I’m going.” Rarity scooted closer to the edge of the bed, letting her hooves hang over the edge while she stretched her back a little more. She hopped down from the bed and spread her wings, taking care not to knock anything over with them. Giving them a quick once over, she was surprised at how well-kept they still looked despite a night of being slept on and used for… amorous activities. She folded them back against her sides and headed for the door that led downstairs. She carefully made her way down the staircase, watching for any of the number of small critters that she knew her marefriend shared her home with.

        Rarity was about to call out for her marefriends when she reached the bottom of the stairs, but the sight before her left her speechless. Fluttershy lay splayed across the couch with a wing extended, and Rainbow was laying kisses all along her neck and the leading edge of her wing. Rarity could scarcely believe what she was seeing, but it was most definitely a welcome sight. She leaned against the wall, content to simply watch her marefriends enjoy some time together.

        Unfortunately, Fluttershy sensed Rarity’s presence after a few moments, and her eyes slowly opened to see the alabaster mare watching her and Dash. “R-Rarity!” Fluttershy tried to sit up, but only succeeded in bumping her shoulder into Rainbow’s snout. She pulled her wing back to her side, but once again ended up smacking Dash in the face. “Oh gosh, I’m  so sorry, Rainbow!”

        “Please, don’t stop on my account.” Rarity motioned for them to continue. “I was rather enjoying the view.” She couldn’t help but smile when Fluttershy’s face burned bright red. “Come now, love. You didn’t do anything wrong. It’s perfectly fine for you and Rainbow to enjoy yourselves without me, just as you and I will undoubtedly have time alone without her, and she and I will spend time with just the two of us.” She caught a knowing look and a hint of a blush from the cyan mare. “I admit that it does feel a bit strange, even to me, but it’s how our kind of relationship will have to work.”

        “Oh, um, right.” Fluttershy ducked a bit, her ears flattening back in embarrassment. She quickly tried to change the subject. “How do you feel?”

        “Well enough.” Rarity made her way over to an empty chair and sat down. “I suppose that I overworked myself yesterday and just needed a little nap to regain my energy.”

        Dash laughed before sitting up a little more and giving Fluttershy more room to move. “No offense, Rares, but I know naps and that wasn’t a nap. Heck, I thought you were dead for a bit until you started snoring.”

        Rarity brought a hoof to her chest in mock offense. “I assure you that I do not snore, dear!”

        “You kinda do.” Dash shot back, grinning. “But that’s good because it let me know that you weren’t dead.” She couldn’t wipe the smile off of her face even while her marefriend glared at her. After a few moments, Rarity’s mouth twitched up into a smile.

        “So, what have the two of you been up to while I was… indisposed?” Rarity’s smile took on a knowing edge. “Other than… keeping each other company, of course.”

        The blush that had finally vacated Fluttershy’s face returned in full force, and she did her best to squeeze down between the cushions on her couch. Behind her, Rainbow merely chuckled, then perked up. “We came up with an awesome date idea for all three of us!”

        “Really?” Rarity leaned forward a bit, eager to hear more. “I confess that I’ve been having a bit of trouble with that myself. Please, do tell.”

        “Well, we kept trying to make a date for the three of us into some big event, but couldn’t come up with anything all three of us enjoyed.” Dash paused for a bit, waiting for Rarity to nod. “Why? There’s nothing that says we have to go do something cool or fancy for it to be a ‘date’. ‘Shy and I figured that we could just go hang out in Cloudsdale and just… do whatever.” She shrugged.

        “Just… hang out?” Rarity tried to wrap her mind around a date with no plan or agenda. It was elegant in its simplicity, even if the potential randomness left quite a bit to be desired. “Hmm… It certainly is an appealing idea, and it neatly solves the issue of finding something that we all enjoy beforehand.” She mulled it over for a few more moments before nodding. “Well, if the two of you believe it to be a good idea, then I am more than willing give it a try. It should be fun to visit Cloudsdale as a proper pegasus.” She glanced at the clock, noting that it was only a few hours past when she would have normally woken up. “So, when are we going?”

        Dash looked down at Fluttershy for a bit, only to receive a non-committal shrug in return. “Why not now? It’s pretty early, so we’d have plenty of time to kick around before anything gets really crowded.” When she finished talking, a loud growl emanated from her stomach. “Well… after breakfast, maybe.”

> Winding Down
> --------------------------------------------------------------------------


Unexpected Confessions


        Winding Down

        After a quick stop at Sugarcube Corner for breakfast—where Pinkie Pie was mysteriously absent—Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Fluttershy set off for Cloudsdale, even though the latter two were still a bit concerned about their mutual marefriend. Rainbow was content to simply watch Rarity for any signs of tiredness or discomfort, but Fluttershy was more vocal with her worries.

        “Are you sure you’re okay, Rarity?” Fluttershy slowed her flight a bit to fall even with her marefriend. She looked for any hints of exhaustion or labored breathing, but the other mare simply smiled.

        “For the fifth time, I’m quite alright, love.” Rarity felt comfortable enough in her leisurely flight to look over at her concerned marefriend and smile. “I’ll be sure to let the two of you know if I start to get tired, but I doubt that will be a problem, especially with the lovely pace that Rainbow has set.” She glanced at the cyan mare ahead of them, who suddenly seemed resolute about scanning the empty sky ahead of them.

        “Well, um, if you say so.” Fluttershy went back to paying attention to where she was flying, not that there was much to pay attention to. She could already see Cloudsdale in the distance, but she kept an eye on Rarity anyway.

        A few more minutes of peaceful flying brought the three of them to the edge of Cloudsdale. Fluttershy and Rainbow landed on the end of a street, but Rarity hovered above it, looking down suspiciously. “Come on, Rares, you’ll be fine.” Dash turned to face her still-airborne marefriend. “Twi said that spell made you one hundred percent pegasus, right? Well, that means you can walk on the clouds now.” She reared up and stamped her front hooves, sending up puffs of cloud but leaving her still standing firmly. “Even if you fall, ‘Shy and I will totally catch you.”

        “I know, I know.” Rarity slowed her flapping so that she slowly drifted down toward the surface. “You’ll have to forgive my trepidation, seeing as how the last time I was here I nearly died and all.”

        “Yeah, nearly.” Dash rolled her eyes. “But you didn’t, did you? And you totally won’t now, so come on.” She extended a wing up and swatted at Rarity’s flank. The action distracted the alabaster mare enough to lose the delicate grasp she had on her flight, and Rarity unceremoniously dropped the remaining few inches where she settled into the cloud. “See?”

        Rarity glared at her marefriend for a moment before dropping her gaze down to the surface underneath her. She wiggled her hooves, not quite believing that she was actually standing on the cloud. She picked up a hoof and dropped it back down. Unfortunately, she let her hoof down a little too firmly, and she punched a small hole in the cloud below her. “Oh, dear.”

        Rainbow burst out laughing, and even Fluttershy hid a round of giggles behind a hoof. “Sorry, Rares.” Dash managed to say once her laughter subsided. She kicked a hoof along the ground, causing a bit of cloud to roil along the surface and fill in the hole her marefriend had created.

        Rarity stared at the spot that she had just kicked in the cloud surface and that Rainbow had subsequently filled in. She picked up her hoof and examined it as if it were a dangerous weapon. “Honestly, how do you pegasi live up here? I don’t think I could sleep at night knowing that I might knock holes in my floor by getting out of bed too quickly.”

        “You get used to it.” Dash shrugged, then nudged her marefriend with a shoulder. “Besides, most of us have been pegasi for more than twenty-four hours.” she stuck her tongue out playfully while Rarity glared at her. “Now come on, let’s see what we can find to do around here.” She turned and headed down the street. Rarity and Fluttershy easily fell into step behind her, content to let the cyan mare lead the way.


*


        “Grrr…” Dash let out a frustrated groan as she pulled on yet another locked door. While she had been correct in suggesting that the three of them fly to Cloudsdale early before things got crowded, she had neglected to consider what time the various shops opened up. After half an hour of walking around the empty streets of Cloudsdale, the only place that had been open when they checked was the Cloudsdale Public Library. “Sorry, girls. This isn’t going as well as I hoped it would.”

        “That’s quite alright, dear.” Rarity leaned in for a quick nuzzle against her marefriend’s cheek, then kept walking past her. “There are still plenty of shops that we haven’t checked." She moved down to the next shop in line and gently pushed on the door with a hoof. It opened easily, thankfully because it was unlocked and not because she had punched a hole in it. “See? It was all just a matter of—” The words died in her throat when she finally looked into the shop and saw its contents. A number of elaborate saddles were mounted on equinnequins, but the walls were decorated with a large number of risque lingerie pieces. She quickly yanked the door closed, accidentally pulling off part of the handle as she did so. “Perhaps another store might be better.”

        “Oh! I know!” Dash perked up, her wings rustling on her back a bit. “We could swing by and see my mom.”

        Fluttershy hesitated for a moment before speaking up. “Um, Dashie… that would be nice, but she lives in Canterlot, doesn’t she? I don’t know if it’s a good idea to have Rarity fly that far.”

        “What?” Dash stared at her marefriend for a moment, then shook her head. “No. I was talking about my other mom. She still lives here in Cloudsdale.”

        “I’m sorry, but your what?” Rarity wheeled around and stood in front of the cyan mare, blocking her path. “Did you just say… your other mother?”

        “Oh yeah. I never told you about that.” Dash rubbed the back of her neck with a hoof. “I meant to yesterday during our date, but I got… distracted.” She smirked when Rarity faltered in her surprised indignation and color rushed to her cheeks. Rainbow walked around her marefriend, pausing for a quick peck on Rarity’s cheek as she passed. “No worries, Rares. I’ll fill you in on the way. She lives on the other side of the city, so it’ll take us a bit to get there anyway.” She waited for her marefriends to fall in step beside her before she started her tale.

        “So, yeah… I’ve kind of got two moms.” Dash paused for a bit, not sure where to begin her explanation. “Moonshine’s my birth mother, and the one who raised me after Sunny and my dad left.” She chewed on her lower lip for a moment. “And Sunny… she was with my dad while they were in Flight School, but they got separated when he went to Las Pegasus for college…”


*


        “And then, Fluttershy and I actually ran into her at the Wonderbolts show the other day. She works at the Coliseum in Fancy Pants’ box as a waitress.” Dash stopped on the corner of a residential street and looked both ways for a moment. She tapped her chin with a hoof, muttering to herself. “It was a left at Nimbus… or was it a right?”

        Rarity nudged her marefriend playfully. “Surely you haven’t gotten lost on the way to your own home, have you darling?”

        “Gimme a break.” Rainbow huffed angrily. “The last time I was there was when I told Moonshine that I was leaving to move to Ponyville with Fluttershy.” She shouldered out from under the wing that Rarity tried to lay across her back. “Excuse me for not remembering how to get to a place I’ve spent years trying to forget.”

        “Now, Rainbow, I’m sure Rarity didn’t mean it like that.” Fluttershy sidled up next to Dash and nuzzled at her marefriend’s neck for a moment.

        “I know, I just…” Dash blew out a frustrated breath. “Sorry, Rares. I’m just… a little worried about seeing Moonshine again. I didn’t exactly leave on the best of circumstances, and I’m not exactly sure that she’s gonna be happy to see me.” She took a deep breath, then started down the street. “Come on, it’s this way.”

        A few more minutes of walking brought them to a small cloud house near the end of a street. Nothing about its design set it apart from any of the others on the street, but the mailbox confirmed that Moonshine still lived there. Regardless, Rainbow stood on the sidewalk and stared at the house like she had never seen it before.

        “Is everything alright, darling?” Rarity looked between the cyan mare and the cloud house.

        “Yeah, I just…” Dash paused for a bit, then took a few steps forward. “I don’t remember the last time it looked so… clean.” She tried to reconcile the run-down house that she had grown up in with the clean, well-kept one before her. Her memories of ‘home’ were filled with dripping ceilings, cracks in walls, and sagging floors. However, Moonshine’s house was in pristine condition. If she hadn’t spent years growing up there, she could have easily been convinced that the house in front of her had been built mere days or weeks ago. After staring at it for a few more seconds, she started forward toward the front door. She knocked on it, but there was no answer. One minute passed, then two, without any sign of life from inside. “Huh. Maybe she’s not—”

        Before Rainbow could finish, the door finally opened, and Moonshine stuck her head out. “Dashie?” She stared at her daughter for a moment, seemingly unable to believe the sight before her. After a few tense seconds of silence, Rainbow opened her mouth to speak. However, she never got the chance as her mother chose that exact moment to lunge forward and wrap her in a bone-crushing hug.

        “Dashie! Goddesses, I thought I’d never see you again!” Moonshine gave her daughter one last squeeze, then turned to Rarity. “And I assume that I’ve got you to thank for this, Miss Fluttershy. I thought it was too good to be true when I heard—”

        “What’s going on?” Dash looked at her mother like she had never seen the mare before. “I… you…” She shook her head in disbelief. “Why are you happy?” Rarity looked ready to faint at her comment, and even Fluttershy seemed surprised. “I didn’t mean it like that.” Rainbow clarified. “I just… I don’t remember the last time I saw you happy.”

        Moonshine smiled sheepishly. “Yes, I suppose things were a bit… rough when you left.” She let out a small huff when her daughter gave her a deadpan stare. “Okay, fine. They were horrible. I was horrible. I blamed everyone else for what happened with Sunny and Blitz, and I took it out on you, at least in part.” While she had been talking, her spirits had fallen, but she lightened back up a bit before continuing. “Eventually, I realized that things wouldn’t change unless I changed, so I cleaned myself up. It was slow going for a while, but things really picked up a few days ago thanks to Miss Fluttershy over there.”

        Rarity cleared her throat to get Moonshine’s attention, smiling apologetically. “I’m afraid you’re only half right, miss. I am Rainbow’s marefriend, but my name is Rarity.” She stepped to the side, revealing where Fluttershy had hidden behind her when Moonshine burst out from behind the door. “This is Fluttershy.” She looked down and saw that the mare in question was still cowering on the ground, so she lowered a wing to gently pull her up. “Come now, love. Say hello.”

        “Um… h-hi.” Fluttershy slowly got back to her hooves once she was sure that Moonshine wasn’t going to envelope her in one of the painfully-tight hugs she’d subjected her daughter to. “I-It’s very nice to meet you, but, um… What did I do?”

        The door opened, and Sunny Days stepped out. “I believe that I can answer that.” She chuckled at the shocked looks on Rainbow and Fluttershy’s faces. “Well, you did tell me that Shiny still lived here, Miss Fluttershy. Did you think that I wouldn’t at least come by to check on her?”

        “Oh, no. I didn’t… I mean I…” Fluttershy shrank down and let out a frightened squeak.

        “I believe what she’s trying to say is that she didn’t expect you to act upon the information so soon.” Rarity supplied. “One can hardly be faulted for being a touch surprised at the fact that the two of you reconnected so quickly, based on what Rainbow told us.” She cleared her throat, a hint of worry creeping underneath her calm exterior. “I do hope that we didn’t interrupt anything.”

        “Oh, of course not.” Sunny walked forward to stand next to Moonshine, casting the other mare a sidelong glance. “That was this morning.”

        “Mom!” Dash slammed a hoof into her forehead. Hopefully, if she hit herself hard enough, she might be able to be able to squash that particular thought before it had a chance to ingrain itself in her memory. She dared to sneak a peek over at her marefriends, who both sported matching blushes.

        “I’m just kidding.” Sunny laughed, lightly hitting her daughter on the shoulder with a hoof. Her laughter escalated when Dash brought her wings up to cover her face. “Oh, Dashie. You know that, as your mothers, it’s our solemn duty to embarrass you as much as we can in front of your marefriends.” She turned to Rarity and Fluttershy, her smile taking on a wicked edge. “Now, why don’t you girls come inside and we can tell you about all the exciting adventures we had trying to potty train Dashie.”

        “That’s it. I’m outta here!” Rainbow turned and stomped back down the path in front of the house, but stopped where it joined the main street. She stood there grumbling to herself while the other four mares shared a chuckle at her expense.

        Sunny glanced up at the sky for a bit, then sighed. “Well, as much fun as this is, I have to get going so that I can get back to Canterlot and get ready for work tonight.” She leaned over and gave Moonshine a quick kiss on the cheek.

        “Okay.” Moonshine chewed on her lip for a second while she watched Sunny walk away. “When are… never mind.”

        Sunny turned around and trotted back over to her marefriend, darting in for a quick nuzzle. “I’ll swing by after I get off of work tomorrow night, okay?”

        “That sounds good.” Moonshine smiled sheepishly, equal parts relieved and embarrassed that the other mare could still read her so easily after all the years that had passed. “I—” She stopped, biting back what she wanted to say at the last second.

        “I love you, too, honey.” Sunny leaned in for one chaste kiss on the lips, then started back down the path away from the house. “I’ll see you tomorrow.” She stopped to give her grumbling daughter a quick hug. “Just so you know, I’ll probably be around here pretty often now. So, don’t be a stranger… but be sure to knock first.” She chuckled again at Rainbow’s continued embarrassment, then headed out onto the street, and took to the skies.

        “Well, you two seem to have hit it off quite well… again, as it were.” Rarity broke the silence once Sunny banked and disappeared behind a cloud.

        “I know.” Moonshine sighed, still gazing at where Sunny had disappeared from view. “Though, to be fair, I’ve never seen somepony not hit it off well with her, even ones that I would have preferred to see it.” She chuckled as a look of intense interest flashed across Rarity’s face, only to be smothered beneath her calm facade a moment later. She decided a little elaboration wouldn’t hurt, given that the alabaster mare was obviously curious but too polite to ask.

“Sunny and I occasionally went out for a few drinks by ourselves. No matter where we went, there were always a couple of stallions that didn’t quite understand that we were together, and therefore not interested. Sunny was always too nice to turn them away or refuse them out of hoof, especially if they’d bought us a round of drinks. So, she’d indulge them for a bit and talk. She always dropped a few jaws when she could start talking in-depth about hoofball with them.”

“That certainly sounds—ooh.” Rarity froze mid-sentence, and a shiver ran down her back. “That was… interesting.” She flapped her wings a bit, trying to work out a faint residual tingling in them. When it refused to dissipate, she began to worry, only for Fluttershy to gently place a hoof on her withers. 

“Is everything alright?” Fluttershy’s eye moved between Rarity’s face and her wings. After a moment, she smiled to try and aleve her marefriend’s worries. “It’s probably just because of all the flying, Rarity.”

Rarity let out an impatient snort. “I told you before, love, it isn’t—”

“Come on, Rares,” Rainbow cut across the alabaster mare’s words, nudging her with a wing. “Just ‘cause Twilight magicked you up some wings doesn’t mean you suddenly have flight muscles that have spent years supporting them, right?” Dash cocked an eyebrow, essentially challenging her marefriend to contradict her.

Rarity’s mouth hung open for a moment while she tried to find a flaw in Rainbow’s argument. When she couldn’t find one, she humphed irritably, begrudgingly admitting that her marefriends had a point. “Regardless, I would appreciate it if we could head back to Ponyville… just in case.”

A faint whistling drifted out from the open front door of Moonshine’s house, and she smiled sheepishly as all three younger mares turned to her in unison. “Sorry. I put some tea on for Sunny and myself right before you dropped by. You girls are more than welcome to come in and have some.”

Rarity smiled politely. “Thank you for the offer, but I think we’ll have to—”

        “Come on, Rares, it’ll be fine.” Dash rolled her eyes as she followed her mother into the house. “Besides, you should know by now that if anything does happen, ‘Shy and I will totally catch you.” Fluttershy followed Rainbow inside, pausing to smile reassuringly at her marefriend before heading inside as well. Rarity followed the other mares inside, grumbling to herself.

She followed the sound of Rainbow’s voice down a hallway, then sat down on a couch next to Fluttershy as soon as she entered the living room. “Well, just know that if something does happen to, I’m holding the two of you responsible.” She glanced back at her wings, which rustled nervously, but did her best to ignore the tingling still permeating through them. Moonshine arrived a moment later with a tray holding the promised tea balanced on her back. She quickly slid it off of her back and onto the table.

        “I hope that you girls like it.” Moonshine threaded a wingtip through the handle of the teapot and lifted it to pour into the waiting cups. “It’s a… unique blend, and it’s Sunny’s favorite, but it’s not for everypony.” Once the cups were full, she gave one to each of the mares sitting around her living room.

        Rarity took the proffered cup with a smile. She eyed the tea warily for a moment, but it looked like any other tea that she had brewed herself. Maybe her brews tended towards shades of green rather than red, but that shouldn’t matter now, should it? Without further ado, she lifted the cup to her lips and drained about a third of the liquid in one gulp. A cascade of spices assaulted her tongue, and she had to clamp her jaw shut to keep from coughing or spitting it back out. Next to her, Fluttershy coughed into a hoof.

        “Wow…” Dash stared down at the cup in her hooves. “That’s… delicious!” She threw the cup back and downed the rest of her tea in one swift gulp, then held it out for a refill.

        Moonshine chuckled while she refilled her daughter’s cup. “I had a feeling you might like it. Though, I’m not sure that your marefriends feel the same way.” She glanced over to the couch where Fluttershy and Rarity were seated, though only the former was still there. “Wait, where did Rarity go?”

        Dash turned to the spot Rarity had been a moment ago and where a hole now resided in Moonshine’s couch and floor. She leapt off of the couch and over the living room table, diving after her missing marefriend. It took her only a fraction of a second to locate Rarity’s plummeting form, and only another fraction to accelerate into a full speed dive after her.

The scenery around her blurred and faded as Rainbow’s vision tunneled down to only her marefriend. She spared a quick glance at the ground as it slowly grew larger, then back to Rarity, whom she was catching up to much more rapidly. She couldn’t help the smirk that tugged at her lips when an idea struck her. She angled just the tiniest bit to the side. They were still several thousand feet above the ground when she drew even with Rarity, rolling onto her back and crossing her forelegs behind her head. She was surprised at how calm her marefriend was, given that she was plummeting towards a swift, if messy, death.

        “Hey, Rares, what brings you here?” Dash shouted to be heard over the rushing wind. If looks could kill, then she would have exploded into a fine red mist from the glare that Rarity gave her. She bit back a chuckle. Sparing one more glance at the approaching ground, Rainbow rolled back over and grabbed her marefriend. She flared her wings to gently slow their descent until they alighted on the ground. 

        “See? What’d I tell ya?” Dash let Rarity down onto her own hooves, unable to contain the smirk on her face. “Now, is there anything you wanna say?”

        Rarity glared at her marefriend for a moment, then huffed. “I told you so.”

        “Not what I was going for, but it’ll do.” Rainbow sidled up next to her marefriend and draped a wing over her back. “Besides, I told you that I would catch you if you fell, and I totally did. No harm, no foul.”

        Rarity pressed her mouth into a thin line to bite a most unladylike scoff. While her marefriend continued to bask in her own rescue maneuvers, she got a delightfully wicked idea. She summoned her magic, and relief filled her alongside the return of her familiar power. She formed a couple of small tendrils with her magic and slowly extended them towards her unsuspecting marefriend. The first tendril brushed the feathers of Rainbow’s wing, which only ruffled in response. Rarity adjusted her aim and moved the magical fingers in further.

        Dash hardly even felt the sensation of something brushing against her side, and ignored it in favor of getting back up to her mother’s house. It’s just the wind. She was about to leap back into the air when it finally dawned on her that her marefriend no longer had wings, and wouldn’t be able to follow her. She turned to ask Rarity if it was okay that she head back to her mom’s house to say goodbye, but felt something brush against her side again, more firmly this time. She turned and looked, but there was nothing there.

        “What the… ah!” Dash yelped as something dug into her other side. She whipped around to search for the culprit, but there was still nothing there. Rainbow was about to turn back to Rarity when she saw a slight shimmer in the air next to her. Squinting to try and catch it again, she finally saw the tendril of magic floating next to her. She looked warily back to Rarity, whose recently returned horn was glowing. “Come on, Rares, don’t—”

        Rarity didn’t give the other mare a chance to finish whatever thought she had. The unicorn willed her magical tendrils inward, digging them into her marefriend’s sides and searching for any areas that might be ticklish. Rainbow was predictably shying away from her probing, but it seemed more in annoyance than anything else.

        “Knock it off, Rares.” Dash tried to knock one of the tendrils away with her wing, but the appendage simply passed through it as if it were moving through air. However, the magic sent a tingling sensation along her feather when it passed over them. She suppressed a shiver and tried to simply walk away, but her marefriend increased the pressure of her assault. The tendrils poked and prodded at her sides. They were more annoying than anything.

        That is, until one poked her flank where her hind leg joined her hip.

        “Ah!” Dash jumped. She took a few steps back, swallowing when she saw a sly grin spread across her marefriend’s face. “Rares, don’t—” She dodged one of the tendrils when it zipped in her direction. Rainbow leapt into the air in an attempt to fly away, but one Rarity’s magical tendrils wrapped around her ankles. A second one grabbed her other ankle and kept her from gaining any more elevation. Before she could come up with a way out of her marefriend’s grasp, another pair of magical tendrils floated up and began poking at her flank again.

        “Quit it, Rares.” Rainbow tried to contain the laughter bubbling up through her chest, but she couldn’t stop it from spilling out. “I’m—haha—serious, Rarity. Kn… knock it off!” She tried to knock the tendrils away with her forelegs, but once again her limbs passed right through them. Soon, the relentless assault became too much, and Dash fell the short distance to the ground. She landed unceremoniously in the grass, trying desperately to escape the other mare’s magical clutches, but to no avail.

        Rarity decided to show mercy and released Rainbow, leaving the pegasus heaving for breath on the grass. She walked over and sat down next to her exhausted marefriend. “Now, I believe that you wanted to head back up to your mother’s house to say goodbye?”

        “Yeah.” Dash took one last deep breath and rolled over to sit up. She took a moment to get her feathers back in rough alignment and snuck a look at her pleased marefriend. “Is that going to be a common thing, now?”

        “No.” Rarity couldn’t hide her grin. “I just wanted to ensure that my magic was fully back under my control. I needed something that required some… fine magical manipulation to make sure.”

        “Sure.” Dash droned, obviously not believing her marefriend’s explanation. “Just wait here, I’ll be back with ‘Shy in a bit.” With only a brief glance back for a quick smile, she leapt into the air. The ground raced away beneath her, and she quickly climbed back toward Cloudsdale.


*


        Rarity looked up from from the small mat she had started weaving out of grass while waiting for Rainbow to return when she saw a pair of shadows sailing across the ground nearby. She saw her marefriends slowly circling down to meet her. “Welcome back, darlings.”

        Dash alighted on the ground and trotted over to the unicorn’s side. “Hey, Rares.” Her eyes moved down to the discarded mat her marefriend had been weaving. “Decided to start a little craft project?”

        “Well, I needed something to occupy my time since you left me stranded in the middle of a field, miles away from Ponyville.” Rarity kept her face neutral, waiting for Rainbow’s reaction. It was hard to do when she saw the other mare’s eyes widen.

        “Oh.” Dash couldn’t believe herself. With perfect hindsight, it was easy to see what Rarity was talking about, but it hadn’t occurred to her when she’d left to head back to Cloudsdale. “Wow, Rares. I’m sorry. I didn’t even think about what you would do while I—”

        Rarity finally allowed herself to smirk. She rose up onto her hooves, leaning forward to give Rainbow a quick kiss and silence her apology. “It’s fine, love. Honestly, I would have been more surprised if you had thought about it.” She stretched and earned a few cracks and pops from her legs after sitting for so long. She glanced over at Fluttershy, who was clearly trying not to giggle. “Shall we head back?”

        “Sure thing.” Dash leapt into the air, and immediately remembered that Rarity no longer had wings. Walking all the way back to Ponyville sounded bad, but having to fly slowly to keep pace with Rarity sounded even worse. “Umm… So, how are we gonna get back to town?”

        In response, Rarity turned and started walking in the direction of Ponyville. “We’ll just have to walk since one of us doesn’t have wings anymore.” She kept going for a few seconds, waiting until she heard Rainbow fall back to the ground with a disappointed whine before stopping. “Then again—” She turned back to face her marefriends. “—If I wanted to walk back, I would have started when you left.” She walked back over to Rainbow’s side, then fell against it and feigned distress. “Oh, if only there was somepony who could save me from this most wretched fate. Oh woe is me!”

        Dash chuckled for a bit and rolled her eyes. “So, what, you want to ride me?”

        Rarity met Rainbow’s gaze, her eyes half-lidded. “Well, I was hoping to save that for back at home, but if you simply can’t wait…”

        Dash could only open and close her mouth like a fish out of water for a few moments. She hadn’t remotely considered the meaning that Rarity had flipped her words to mean, but now she couldn’t stop thinking about it. A blush started in her cheeks, but quickly spread up along her snout and down to her neck. “No, I— Y-you jus—” She could only stammer incoherently for a bit until her marefriend broke out in giggles.

        “I’m sorry, love.” Rarity belatedly tried to hide her giggles behind a hoof. “That wasn’t very nice of me, was it? No, I wasn’t planning anything so crude as to ride you, but rather having you carry me.”

        “Oh, right. Yeah.” Dash cleared her throat, trying to will the blush out of her face. “So, you ready?” She waited for a quick nod, then scooped Rarity up and leapt into the air in one swift movement. “Ready, ‘Shy?”

        “Oh, um, yes.” Fluttershy followed her marefriends into the air, coming to a hover next to Rainbow. The trio set off in the direction of Ponyville. They flew in companionable silence, but Rarity started squirming in Rainbow’s forelegs when the outskirts of town came into view.

        “You okay, Rares?” Dash angled a bit to the right, lining up her flight path with Carousel Boutique. She glanced down at her marefriend and saw that she was chewing on her lip. When the unicorn didn’t answer for a few seconds, she nudged her with a shoulder.

        Rarity turned to look back at Rainbow, only to immediately have her mane fly into her face. After getting her unruly hair back under control, she glanced back at the approaching sight of her home. “Well, it’s just…” She felt the wind tugging at her mane slightly, and she recalled the exhilaration of flying with Rainbow the other day. “If you didn’t want to go back to the Boutique right away… that would be fine.” She waited for some sort of teasing remark, something to get back at her for the ‘riding’ comment, but she merely felt vibrations move through Dash’s chest as the other mare chuckled. “You could also go a little faster, if you think you’re up to it.”

        Dash banked to the left, turning away from Ponyville. She knew that Rarity was just trying to push her buttons, something the unicorn was proving alarmingly adept at, but she couldn’t help the spark that her marefriend’s comment lit in her chest. It only took a few seconds for the familiar competitive fire to start burning full and bright. She pulled Rarity a little tighter against her chest.

        “Hold on tight.”


*



        Nearly half an hour later, the trio touched down in front of Carousel Boutique. Rarity couldn’t contain the grin splitting her face, and her throat stung from the cries of exhilaration that she had loosed during their flight. Above all, her mane was a windswept disaster. She couldn’t bring herself to care, though. The exhilaration of flight was just too much to let something like a messy mane bring her down. She made a mental note to have a nice, long talk with Twilight about the spell she had used the next time they saw each other.

        “Well, let’s head inside, shall we?” Rarity unlocked and pulled the door open with her magic, then stood aside for her marefriends. Once all three of them were inside, she shut the door with a soft click. “I have to say, Rainbow, I understand your mane style so much better now.” Rarity reached up and tried to flatten her mane back down, but it just sprung back up the instant she pulled her hoof away.

        “Yeah. I learned early that speed and a long mane don’t mix.” Dash watched as the unicorn tried in vain to fix the mess atop her head. She couldn’t help but but chuckle to herself a bit. Her gaze shifted over to Fluttershy, whose mane was a little messy, but still looked good. Granted, Fluttershy hadn’t flown as fast as her and Rarity, and at some point she had stopped and landed on a small cloud to just watch, but mane was barely any worse for wear than when they had left Cloudsdale. “Don’t ask me how ‘Shy does it, though.”

        “Oh, um, I don’t know, either.” Fluttershy stared at the floor. “It just kind of… um…” She let out a squeak and hid behind her mane.

        “It’s fine, love.” Rarity leaned down and gave her marefriend a light kiss on the cheek. “I wouldn’t honestly expect you to know how your manestyle works. Though, I would be lying if I said that I wasn’t just a tiny bit jealous of your gorgeous hair.” She darted in for another kiss when she saw Fluttershy’s face darken with a tinge of pink. “Now, do you girls want anything to drink? Perhaps some tea, since our session earlier got interrupted?”

        “Sure.” Rainbow followed the unicorn into the kitchen, immediately plopping down in a chair while Rarity set about gathering what she needed for making tea. “You know, today started off kind of rough, but I think it went pretty well in the end.”

        “Yes, well, I suppose that’s because what you’re doing doesn’t matter quite as much as with whom you’re doing it.” Rarity glanced over at Rainbow, who was staring at her in confusion. “What is it, dear?”

        “Nothing.” Dash finally looked away. "It’s just… my mom—Moonshine—said that before ‘Shy and I came back down.”

        Rarity smiled and hovered the teapot over to the sink to fill it with water. “So, what kind of tea do you girls want?” She waited for her marefriend’s to respond, then pulled the required bags from a drawer full of various teas. She carefully laid the kettle on the stovetop and brought the three sets of cups and plates to the table. “I have to say, as… indescribably exhilarating as flying is, I did sorely miss my magic.” She pointedly ignored Rainbow’s deadpan stare. “So, darling, what did you and your mother talk about after I… left?”

        “Not a lot.” Dash shrugged. “Just letting her know that you were okay and explaining that ‘Shy and I had to go. Oh, I also had to explain the whole ‘magic wings’ thing and that you were really a unicorn.” She grabbed her tea and took a quick sip. “That was really it. We both said that the other was welcome to drop by, and mom said that she and… mom would try and swing by next week.” Rainbow stared into her cup of tea for a few seconds, her brow furrowed in concentration. “This is gonna be hard to keep straight if I’m calling Moonshine ‘mom’ now, too.”

        Rarity giggled into a hoof and rolled her eyes. She glanced over at Fluttershy, who hadn’t touched her tea yet. “Fluttershy, love, is everything alright? You’ve been quiet even by your standards since we got back.”

        “Oh, I’m fine it’s just…” Fluttershy chewed on her lip for a moment while she deliberated with herself. She grabbed her cup and downed the contents in a few quick gulps, then hopped down from her chair. She sauntered over to the doorway, turning back and flashing a seductive grin at her marefriends. “I was just wondering if the two of you would like to come with me and… um—” Her attempt at seduction faltered for a moment while she tried to force the words out of her mouth. “—we could go for that ride that you were talking about earlier.” She fluttered half-lidded eyes.

        Rarity and Dash could only stare in silence for a few moments. In unison, they turned to face one another…


        …And promptly fainted.