Fifteen by Five

Chapters

A Date (AppleShy)
A Game (PinkieDash)
A Hug (RariLight)
A Night (AppleDash)
A Wedding (TwiPie)
A Kiss (RariShy)

A Date (AppleShy)

The restaurant was packed, everywhere Applejack looked, all the tables were filled, two ponies to each of them and the soft sound of a small jazz quartet playing throughout the room generated a pleasant buzz. Applejack glanced at herself in the window and patted her long braid down, biting her lip nervously.

She’d gone to Rarity with the matter, requiring the utmost secrecy that the unicorn had to offer. It wasn’t that Applejack disliked prissying herself up; she just disliked prissying herself up in anything that wasn’t practical. But then again… she’d look past that for now. If only for her sake.

She bit her lip again before speaking up, “Just go in there and do small talk, that’s all right? Just talk with her like you normally do, nothing’s changed, she’s still my friend, she just wants to be a better friend, right?”

Her pep talk did not encourage her. She groaned. This was hardly what she’d expected. Her? Nervous? Never. Especially compared to the pony waiting for her inside. Then again, that wasn’t saying much when she considered how this had all started and who’d asked who for a night at the shop in front of her.

She took a deep breath. She’d promised herself that she’d give this a try, and she’d be damned if she went back on her word. She started forwards, pushing the door open and immediately coming face to face with a dark brown stallion, meeting her with a friendly smile.

“Good evening Madame. How can I help you?” he said, smiling encouragingly.
Applejack stuttered for a moment before she found her tongue, “Eve- Evening. We’ve- I mean, I’ve got a table booked with someone.”
“And would that pony be Fluttershy?”

Applejack’s eyes widened at the waiter who continued to offer her an encouraging smile.
“I’ll take that as a yes, right this way please. Your table is upstairs, we thought that Fluttershy would appreciate the quiet more, and by the way,” the waiter paused as they reached the foot of the stairs, “I’m glad you decided to come in. We’ll be up with menus momentarily.”

Applejack’s face flushed bright red and her muzzle clicked shut audibly as the waiter turned and trotted away, humming a quiet song to himself. Applejack shook her head, desperately trying to rid herself of the blush. She looked up the stairs again before taking a deep breath and starting up the staircase, her heart somewhere in her mouth.

She reached the top of the staircase and looked around, spotting her almost immediately. Fluttershy was sat in the corner of the deserted room, occupying one of the two seats around the table there and waving to Applejack with a demure smile on her face.

Applejack’s heart fluttered and her mouth twitched upwards into a soft smile of her own. She joined Fluttershy and sat down opposite her. Fluttershy was practically glowing, her pink mane framing her face and only serving to immediately tie Applejack’s tongue in several knots.

Amazingly, Fluttershy was the first of the two to speak, “So- Umm- How’re you doing Applejack?” she asked, smiling pleasantly at Applejack.
Applejack desperately tried to untie her tongue so as to answer, “Jus’ fine ‘Shy,” she replied after a moment, trying to remember her game plan, “An’ you?”

Applejack almost felt her heart skip a beat as Fluttershy beamed at her, “I’m better than fine, you remember Jane the badger?”
Applejack nodded, only half-listening to what Fluttershy said as the other half basked in her smile.
“Well she’s going to be a mother, she’s carrying two cubs and it just makes me so… so happy for her.”
“Well good for her,” Applejack replied, “Ah’m sure she’s just as happy that you’re gonna be the one caring for her.”

Fluttershy’s face coloured and she tilted her head down slightly at the comment, just as the dark brown stallion from before came up the stairs, holding a pair of menus. Applejack thanked him as he laid the two down in front of them before straightening back up.
“I’ll be back in a few minutes to take your orders, would you like any drinks in the meantime?” he asked, smiling benignly all the while.

“Umm… I’ll have an orange juice please.” Fluttershy replied, lifting her head back up slightly.
“Apple juice for me please.” Applejack continued as their waiter noted their orders.
“As you wish, if you two need anything, just ask for Gerald.” He said, pocketing his notebook before retreating down the stairs.

Applejack waited a moment more before drawing one of the menus towards her and opening it.
“So… um- Applejack, I’ve been meaning to ask…” Fluttershy started, keeping her eyes trained on Applejack and leaving her menu untouched, “Why are you so kind to your trees?”
Applejack lowered the menu, “Ya mean why do ah give ‘em all names and the sort?”
Fluttershy nodded.

“Well, ah don’t suppose you’ve ever kept bees? It’s a bit like that. If ya show them a bit of care and give ‘em plenty of TLC, their apples are just that bit nicer.” She looked across at Fluttershy who kept looking back at her with that small smile, enraptured by her tale.

“It’s all to do with the magic in the soil or something like that, everything around here is just that little bit magical. There’s something in the soil that lets crops grow brilliantly year on year, there’s something in the air that lets the clouds be controlled an’ there’s something in the trees that ya can talk to an’ care for.”

Fluttershy gasped, “You mean that they can understand us?”
Applejack chuckled, “Probably not quite that far ‘Shy, more like they know what’s going on around them.” She was growing more confident, she could do this, she did this normally anyway, it was just talking to Fluttershy, that was all.

“Maybe I could come and speak to them sometime?” Fluttershy offered as their waiter reappeared at the top of the stairs, a platter held in front of him.
“Ah’m sure they’d like that ‘Shy.”

The waiter drew up to their table and placed the platter down. “One orange juice for the lovely pegasus,” he said, moving the drinks around, “and an apple juice for the stunning mare, are you two ready to order yet?” he asked, drawing out his notepad.
Fluttershy nodded before Applejack had a chance to speak, “I’ll have my usual please.”
“Right you are, one balsamic salad with extra peppers, and for you Madame?”
Applejack paused, “Ah’ll have what she’s having.” She replied eventually.
“Two balsamic salads coming up then, if you’ll excuse me.” He replied, retreating down the stairs again with the empty platter and the two menus’.

“You’re a regular here?” Applejack asked, astonished once the waiter had gone back down the stairs.
“Well… I usually come here every Sunday for a meal, and they’re all so nice and accommodating here.” Fluttershy replied, smiling.
Applejack whistled, “I think I got the nice and accommodating part already, but wow… you must have been coming here for a while if they know your usual meal off by heart.”
“Um… well actually… only Gerald does.” Fluttershy replied, her face retreating behind her mane somewhat.

“So he’s the one that always serves you? I guess that’d explain one or two things.”
Fluttershy stayed silent, her mane somehow covering more and more of her face.
“You OK there ‘Shy? You’re looking a mite uncomfortable.” Applejack enquired, tilting her head.
Fluttershy’s voice floated through her mane, “Well… um… I actually ask for him to serve me… he’s always so nice and polite.”

Fluttershy’s ears perked up when she heard chuckling from across the table. She peeked out from her mane to see Applejack watching her with a grin, “Ya sure ah’m the one you want to ask on a date here?”
Fluttershy let out a squeak and took cover behind her mane again, “No, no, oh no, I’m messing this up aren’t I? I’m so sorry, please don’t hate me, please don-”
“Fluttershy.”

Applejacks voice cut across her and she tried to calm down, taking deep breaths as her partner continued.
“Now why d’ya think I’d hate you for wanting a bit of normality? Anyway, you asked me out, not him. I’d say that’s evidence enough as to who you were actually interested in, wouldn’t you?”
Fluttershy exhaled, only just noticing that she’d been holding her breath, “Um… you don’t… mind?”

Applejack just smiled back at her, “’course not. Now come on girl, how about you tell me all about how the weasels are doing?”

After a hesitant start, Fluttershy started talking, her mane moving back to the side of her face as she talked and talked, even as their meals arrived and their waiter quickly disappeared afterwards. Applejack smiled encouragingly all the while, asking an occasional question and keeping her eyes fixed on Fluttershy.

All in all, she was glad that she’d gone through the door.

Author's Note

It begins...

A Game (PinkieDash)

“A contest… what’s the prize?”
“Simple, the winner gives the loser a challenge that they have to do.”

Rainbow Dash, currently laid back against numerous cushions, shrugged before nodding, “Alright, sure. I’m game. So what’s the challenge?”
Pinkie Pie just giggled, wallowing in her own pile of cushions. “The first one to break loses.” She replied cryptically.

Rainbow tried to extract herself from her pit, “What?”
Before she’d had a chance to sit up, Pinkie appeared over her, grinning widely and with her hooves in the air. She paused a moment before bringing her hooves down and bellowing, “Tickle fight!”
“Wha-hahahaha-hey!” Rainbow almost immediately cracked up, guffawing madly as Pinkie trained her hooves on Rainbow’s belly. But as quickly as it had begun, it stopped and Pinkie sat back, still grinning madly.

“You snooze, you lose,” she commented as Rainbow fought to catch her breath, “Anyway… first challenge, first challenge, oh I know! I challenge you… I challenge you to give me a great big kiss!”
Rainbow cracked a grin, “That I can do…” she said before pushing herself up out of the cushions and planting a big, wet and sloppy kiss on Pinkie’s forehead. “Challenge complete,” she commented before continuing, “Anyway, round two. Bring it on!”

Pinkie almost immediately dived at Rainbow, only for her to dodge to the side, letting Pinkie land in the pile of cushions before diving in for the kill. Seeing her target, she fixed her mouth around the tip of Pinkie’s hoof and started blowing a raspberry. Pinkie’s giggles started a moment later, echoing around the room and causing Rainbow to stop, drawing back to give Pinkie time to recover.

“My move I think… alright, I challenge you to stay still for thirty seconds…” She paused dramatically, “While there are cupcakes in front of you.”
Pinkie’s eyes widened and she gasped audibly as Rainbow took a cupcake from one of the many plates on the side and laid it before her.
“On your marks… go.”

Almost immediately, Rainbow could see Pinkie struggling. True to the challenge, it was like she’d been frozen in place, her eyes fixated on the cupcake before her. Barely five seconds in, she’d already started to sweat and Rainbow could almost see the effort Pinkie was putting in to stay still. Fifteen seconds in, the tip of Pinkie’s mane started pointing and nudging itself downwards, directly towards the cupcake, and Rainbow’s mouth dropped open.

She was broken out of her reverie when the thirty second mark was reached and there was a blur in front of her as Pinkie all-but slammed her face into the cupcake, scarfing it down like it was the last piece of food in Equestria. Moments later, she sat up, her grin gone whilst her eyes kept laughing, “Alright… no more Mrs nice Pie…” she said before pouncing again.

Yet again, she caught Rainbow by surprise, but Rainbow fought against the laughter, even as Pinkie’s hooves tried to split her sides once again. She put her own hooves on the offence, trying to slip through and reach Pinkie’s own stomach. She’d almost found it when Pinkie decided to lick Rainbow’s forehoof, causing her to open her mouth while she pressed her advantage, resulting in yet another array of giggles and snorts from Rainbow.

Pinkie drew back again, her smile back again as she surveyed the gasping Rainbow in front of her. “Alright, time for a little revenge, I challenge you to give Gummy a hug for a whole minute before giving him a kiss.”

Rainbow’s jaw dropped open as Pinkie laid her challenge out. “But- But I can’t-”
“What’s that Dashie? You want to forfeit the challenge?”
Rainbow clenched her jaw, “Just give me the damn gator.” She muttered between gritted teeth.

Pinkie just smiled before diving into her own cushion pile and withdrawing a rather confused looking Gummy along with her, now admittedly attached to her tail. “Here ya go. I gotta warn you though… he doesn’t like letting go.”
Rainbow nodded, eyeing Pinkie’s pet warily, “Alright… pass him over then, let’s get this over with.”

Pinkie spun around, presenting her tail with Gummy still firmly attached to it. Rainbow sighed before moving forwards to take Pinkie’s pet. He was a lot slipperier than he looked, his scales making a good purchase on him somewhat impossible. Still, after a moments tugging, he was free and within Rainbow’s hooves.

Somewhere beside her, Pinkie started counting down, not that Rainbow could focus on it as she tried desperately to keep the slippery alligator within her hug. He just kept on trying to turn around within her hooves, slipping down further and further as she tried to adjust her grip on him.

“Alright, now kiss!” Pinkie exclaimed, grinning from ear to ear at Rainbow’s discomfort.
Rainbow sighed, looking down into the wide and unblinking eyes of Gummy. “Alright… let’s do this.” She said to herself, lifting the alligator up in front of her before drawing him closer and closer to her own muzzle. She shut her eyes, expecting to feel scales against her muzzle any second.

She moved her hooves closer and closer, her frown getting deeper and deeper. That was when she felt a pair of jaws clamp around her muzzle and her eyes sprung open. Somewhere off to the side of her, she heard Pinkie’s laughter start again as she looked into the unblinking eyes of the alligator currently attached to her face.

Both of his eyes slid shut and open as she watched. She stayed like that for another moment before bringing her hooves up and trying to pry him off her. True to Pinkie’s warning though, he didn’t want to budge, no matter how hard she pulled, how much she twisted or how many times she tried to prise his jaws open, he just stayed there while Pinkie kept laughing and laughing and laughing.

Eventually, she managed to force the tip of her hoof between his jaws and prise him off. He fell to the pile of cushions, landing with a soft ‘thwump’ as Rainbow opened and closed her mouth a few times, trying to work the feeling of ‘Gummy clamp’ out.

Once she was sure that her jaw was working properly once again, she let out a low growl, spinning around and pouncing on Pinkie before she had time to react, but instead of going for her weak spots, she contented herself with simply bowling Pinkie over into a deep kiss, pressing her back against the ground and keeping her mouth occupied as best as she could.

Pinkie responded in kind, wrapping all four hooves around Rainbow and fixing her to Pinkie, moving from one game to another.

A Hug (RariLight)

Twilight Sparkle woke up. She looked across at the pony sprawled next to her and carefully slid herself out from under the covers, making sure she didn’t disturb her marefriend. Once she was out of bed, she lit her horn and drew a scroll towards her, unrolling it in mid-air and scanning it over quickly.

It was the same checklist she’d used every morning for the past few months, ever since Rarity had moved in with her. It started pretty simply:

Get up and make breakfast.

That one was pretty easy and she absent-mindedly ticked it off as she made her way down the stairs, jumping the creaky step lithely and silently. She started humming a happy tune to herself, lifting various pots and pans within her magic along with a multitude of ingredients. Alright, Spike was an excellent chef, but there were only so many times that Twilight could convince Rarity to eat triple-chocolate-chip cookies for deserts.

Amazingly, the library had provided for such an occasion, offering her such books as ‘Cooking for Beginners’ and ‘So You Want to Cook?’ After trying some of the recipes, she searched again and found some books more suited to her calibre. Namely ‘Cooking Without Fires,’ she was still having trouble convincing Spike to let her near a stove.

But he wasn’t the only one living there anymore and Twilight had vowed to herself that she would provide a breakfast worthy of the Canterlot elite… or something edible at the very least.

It had eventually paid off as her cooking skills improved tenfold and she could finally cook a pancake without turning it into an omelette somehow.

She set today’s breakfast, a selection of pancakes, cereal, tea and coffee, going, her magic pulling the strings inside the kitchen as she withdrew her list once again.

Clean up after Opal and Owlicious

This was less easy…

She sighed; it was to be expected, what happens when you bring a cat and an owl into the same house? Inevitable mayhem of course.

She set her face grimly as she rounded the doorway and peered into the darkness. She sent a spark from her horn to light up the library and groaned as the damage revealed itself. It seemed like they’d had another gauntlet run at one point or other. Curtains were shredded, newspapers spread everywhere and a lamp or two knocked down onto the floor. Added to that, there was no sign of the little devils which could only mean that they’d taken their fight down into the basement.

Again, she lit her horn and began the process of putting everything to rights. The curtains wove themselves back together and the lamps all righted themselves before hopping back up onto the desks around the library. Admittedly, it wasn’t really that much of a chore after she’d done it this many times. But it didn’t stop it from being annoying. Rarity had tried speaking to Opal a little while ago to no obvious effect.

Before she could finish cleaning, an icy blue glow surrounded the papers and started sorting them into piles. Twilight turned around to greet Rarity with a smile, “Morning Rarity, sleep well?”
Rarity strolled down the last few stairs and greeted Twilight with a quick kiss before replying, “As much as could be expected with the racket these two were making last night.” She drawled, “You really should soundproof the bedroom dear.”

Twilight chuckled in reply, “I’ll see what I can find, can you go and wake Spike please? Breakfast won’t be long now.”
“Of course, I’ll be back down in a tick.” Rarity replied with a smile, starting up the stairs again as Twilight brought out the list.

She ticked step two and glanced at the next step,

Wake up the household

She drew another precise tick inside the box before moving onto step four.

Eat breakfast

She almost thought she could hear the sound of Rarity gently shaking Spike awake and withdrew back into the kitchen again, lifting the coffee and tea from the stove and setting them aside before focussing on the actual breakfast.

Thankfully the pancakes had survived Twilight’s trial-by-stove once more and were quickly spread across three plates, one of which she coated in syrup, another which she sprinkled a small amount of malachite dust over, and the final set which she sprinkled a small amount of cocoa powder across.

She lifted the collection of food within her magic and started into the next room just as she heard the thundering of hooves and claws on stairs. She smiled to herself as she laid out their breakfast at the table, just as Spike shot up to his seat, sitting down and staring longingly at the stack of pancakes in front of him. Twilight chuckled, already distributing the rest of the plates and mugs between herself and Rarity, passing Rarity the plate of cocoa pancakes with a mug of tea whilst she kept her coffee and syrup pancakes for herself.

“Good morning to you too Spike,” she said between chuckles as Spike looked over and blushed.
“Morning Twilight,” he started, opening his mouth to continue when is stomach let out an audible grumble.

Twilight smiled and heard Rarity desperately trying to control her giggles behind her, “Go ahead and eat up, I think you need it.”
Spike was more than happy to comply, lifting his fork and immediately digging into his pancakes with gusto.

“So what’s the plan for today dear?” Rarity asked, drawing Twilight’s attention away from her young charge.
“Well I need to drop into Quills and Sofa’s for another refill at some point during the day and there’s also tomorrow’s picnic that we need to cater for...” Twilight listed off, starting on her pancakes, “And you wanted some more aquamarine thread, right?” she asked.
Rarity nodded, “If you wouldn’t mind, I’ve been swamped enough as it is and a supply run would be most helpful.”

Somewhere under the table, Twilight’s list unrolled itself once more and item four scribbled itself out. It was yet another thing she’d started working on, trying to become less and less reliant on checklists and routines. And for the most part, it seemed to be going well. Admittedly, there were still some routines that she was resolutely stuck to, like this one for instance. But this was one routine she wasn’t going to change for hopefully a very long time.

Rarity finished her breakfast first yet again and got to her hooves, already working her magic around her mane and styling it into the same precarious coiffure as normal. “Well as much as I hate to cut our mornings short, the boutique awaits. Will you be stopping by for lunch?”
Twilight smiled, also getting to her hooves, “I’ll do my best.” She stepped forwards and drew Rarity into a hug, pressing a kiss into her cheek before backing away, “And tell Sweetie Belle that I said hi.”

Rarity smiled again, “Of course my dear, I’ll see you later.”
And with that, she was gone, closing the library door quietly behind her and leaving Twilight and Spike alone in the library.
There was a quiet burp from behind her, announcing Spike’s own finished meal, “I hate it when you get all soppy and stuff right in front of me. You know that right?”

Twilight chuckled and shook her head slightly, turning back to the table, “I’m sure you’ll be doing the same too one day Spike.”
He let out a non-committal grunt and got up, taking some of the plates into the kitchen with him.

Twilight got out her list for the final time and checked down the last two items.

Give Rarity her morning hug before she leaves
Clean up after breakfast

And that was that. It wasn’t a very long list, but each step on it was crucially important for her. She drew a line through step five before focussing on step six. If she wanted to have enough time to go and visit Rarity for lunch, she’d better get started.

Humming a quiet tune to herself, she picked up the rest of the dished within her magic and joined Spike in the kitchen, already planning the day ahead of her.

Author's Note

First chunk of updates done.
This'll be updated in sets of three with a complete set of mane six pairings each time.

A Night (AppleDash)

The stars lined the heavens, filling the sky with their twinkling light. The moon shone brightest of all, casting a pearly white glow around the treetops and houses of Ponyville. On the highest hill, two ponies laid next to each other and talked quietly.

“Always makes me feel a little small… all those lights and stars in the sky.”

“Never took you for a star gazer, Dash. That sounds more like Twilight than anyone else.”

Rainbow Dash shot a glare towards Applejack before looking upwards again. “Yeah, yeah… all I do is look at ‘em though, I think Twilight actually names ‘em and keeps track of them all, I’m nowhere near that bad.” She stretched her legs behind her head, laying her head back onto them.

“Wait… you don’t know their names?” Applejack asked, turning her head towards her partner and raising an eyebrow.

“Nope,” Rainbow said proudly before glancing towards Applejack and noticing the questioning gaze. “What?”

“Just a little odd is all,” Applejack replied, shaking her head and looking skywards again. “Ah could teach you if ya wanted,” She asked as a cloud lazily drifted in front of the moon.

“You know the stars?” Rainbow asked, flabbergasted.

Applejack rolled her eyes. “Yes Rainbow, Ah know their names. I’m more surprised that you don’t really.”

“Well why would I?” Rainbow protested.

Applejack lifted a hoof to rub her temple. “Well it just seems like something they’d teach you, for if y’all got lost at night or something and ya had to follow the North Star.”

“Huh?”

Applejack pointed skywards, “Over there, y’all see the bright star there? The brightest? Didn’t you ever get told to follow it if y’all were lost?”

“Oh…” Rainbow murmured from next to her. “Well… yeah, why didn’t you just say the brightest star?”

Applejack rolled her eyes again. “Fine then, the brightest star… that’s the North Star, Polaris.”

“Polaris? Are you sure you’re not just making these names up AJ?” Rainbow chuckled from next to her, shaking her head slightly. “The next thing you’ll be saying is that there’s a star called Ursa.”

“Well… you’re looking right at it Rainbow.”

Rainbow scoffed, “Come off it.”

“I’m serious,” Applejack protested, pointing her hoof skywards again. “Look below the North Star; you see the thing that looks like a square?”

“Yeah…” Rainbow stretched, unconvinced.

“Well that an’ the North Star above it makes the Ursa Minor. Really… you don’t know any of this?”

Rainbow mumbled something incoherently before coughing and speaking up, “I might have slept through that lesson…” Applejack saw Rainbow turn towards her. “How come you know them anyway?”

“Y’all remember my cutie mark story?” Applejack prompted. She waited until she saw Rainbow’s silhouette nod before continuing, “Well how else did ya think I got back from Manehatten? Your rainboom only lasted for so long. Granny told me that if I ever got lost, I’d just have to follow the stars back home.”

“But there are so many,” Rainbow protested, gesturing to the nightscape above them. “You can’t remember every single one of them!”

Applejack laughed, “Alright then… try me.”

Rainbow leant back again, scanning the sky for a moment before her hoof shot skywards. “That one there.”

“That one?” Applejack confirmed before continuing, “That’s Scorpius, the scorpion. The story goes that when Orion, the hunter, stepped on him, he died.”

“Alright, and where’s he?” Rainbow asked derisively. Applejack could almost hear her disbelief.

“You won’t see him tonight. When Scorpius was sent into the heavens, Orion was separated from him, putting him on the other side of the nightscape so he could hunt freely without having to worry about the scorpion.”

“You’re just making these up,” Rainbow accused before pointing skywards again, “So what’s that guy’s story?”

“Sagittarius? He’s the archer of the stars.” She could almost picture Rainbow’s eyes rolling next to her. “He’s a centaur actually, half-horse and half-ape. Granny Smith said that he could shoot the apple off a head from miles away.

“And that one?” Rainbow asked, barely giving Applejack time to recover before she pointed out another patch of stars.

“That’s the Pegasus,” Applejack replied simply.

“And…”

Applejack chuckled softly into the darkness, “He’s a lot like you actually. They say he flew up to the highest mountain of Olympus, the kingdom of the gods, and Zeus made him his own personal messenger.” She thought she could see Rainbow’s chest rise slightly in the darkness as she puffed it out.

“How many of them do you know?” Applejack could almost hear the awe in Rainbow’s voice.

“Just what my Granny told me and what I learnt for myself,” Applejack replied humbly, smiling up at the stars she knew so well.

“But there must be hundreds… thousands…” Rainbow whispered into the sky, waving her hoof around to emphasise her point.

“Millions…” Applejack replied, “Billions. An’ I know a lot of them. From Perseus over there...” She gestured to one of constellations on the right. “To Lupus far, far over there.” This time she pointed far to the left of the two at a set of stars just visible above the horizon.

She thought she could hear Rainbow let out a low whistle as she looked at the sky, looking for another star to test Applejacks knowledge. Soon enough, her hoof shot skywards once again, pointing far away. “Final one, what’s that.”

“That’s Cygnus, sugarcube, the swan,” Applejack started softly, “Granny said that he loved so many, yet could never see them. She always told me that the swan would watch his love from afar.” She let out a happy sigh as the memories of her family sat around a small fire, naming the stars came back to her. “She always gave them stories; all of ‘em wonderful an’ adventurous.”

“And you remember them all?” Rainbow enquired from next to her. Applejack nodded, still lost in her nostalgia as she kept looking at the sky. Applejack thought she could hear her partner clear her throat awkwardly, although she could probably guess what Rainbow wanted to ask.

Somewhere in the darkness, Applejack smiled. “Would ya like me to teach you, sugarcube?”

A Wedding (TwiPie)

Twilight looked at herself in the full-length mirror. Rarity had outdone herself yet again, dressing her in swirling silks of pure white and navy blue, creating a dress fit for a princess. She wouldn’t have dreamt of letting anypony else design it either. A perfect dress for a perfect wedding with the perfect partner.

It had been amusing if she was honest, when she’d finally gathered up the courage to finally ask her special somepony the special question. And then there was her smile as she’d answered a resounding yes. If Twilight hadn’t known better, she’d have said a second sun had shone for a few hours afterwards.

She spun around in front of the mirror, admiring Rarity’s work. She’d thrown her all into this, that was for certain. Her mane had simply been washed and straightened into its normal style. She remembered Rarity saying, ‘There’s no point changing it if it already looks wonderful, dear.’

A quiet knock at the door broke her out of her reverie. Turning around, she called across the room, “Come in.” The door swung inwards slightly to reveal Rainbow Dash poking her head around the door, looking worried.

“Rainbow?” Twilight asked, surprised.

Rainbow smiled briefly before her face dropped. “Hey Twi, listen… Rarity would kill me if she knew I’m doing this, but… we need your help.”

Worry immediately flooded through Twilight as she thought of all the possible scenarios. “Oh no, no no no. What’s wrong? Is she having cold hooves? Please tell me she’s not getting cold hooves; please tell me she’s not having second thoughts.”

Rainbow frowned, stepping through the door and closing it behind her. “No, it’s nothing like that. She’s just becoming a little… antsy.”

“Antsy?”

Rainbow nodded. “For the same reason as before… you remember?”

Twilight nodded grimly. “Alright… do you know where Rarity is? I really don’t want her overcomplicating this.”

Again, Rainbow frowned. “Sorry, I have no idea.” she paused before her eyes lit up and her mouth stretched into a smile. “Hey… why don’t you just teleport over there, it’s you she wants to see, not any of us. I’ll keep Rarity from knowing you’ve ever gone.”

Twilight beamed at Rainbow. “That’s brilliant, I’ll be back as quick as I can, thanks Rainbow!” she rushed out, her horn already lighting up as she prepared her teleport, disappearing and leaving the last syllable hanging in the air.

There was a flash of light and Twilight appeared, blinking rapidly in order to get rid of the spots dancing before her eyes. She took a moment to look around her surroundings. She’d teleported into the corridor across Canterlot Castle, the one where she knew Pinkie Pie was having her own dress seen to.

Thankfully there was no sign of Rarity, their wedding planner, anywhere and Twilight wasted no time knocking on the door in front of her. Within moments, the door had been twitched open to reveal a single blue eye, framed by bubble-gum pink hair.

“Oh, thank Celestia you’re here, Twilight,” Fluttershy mumbled out, glancing back into the room quickly before turning to face Twilight again and opening the door to let her in.

Twilight nodded her thanks and hurried inside, letting Fluttershy close the door behind her as Twilight got a look inside the room. Pinkie Pie, in a silken dress as elegant as Twilight’s own, was stood in the middle of the room, facing away from the door. Applejack was stood next to her with a hoof on her shoulder, murmuring something quietly to Twilight’s fiancé.

Applejack glanced up, meeting Twilight’s eyes once and offering a weak smile before she spoke up, “Hey Pinks, someone’s here to see you, we’ll be outside if you need us, ‘kay?”

Twilight thought she saw Pinkie’s head bob slightly. Applejack nodded and turned away from Pinkie, her expression grim, “We’ll be outside, sugarcube. If Rarity turns up we’ll try to buy you some time.” Applejack muttered under her breath as she passed Twilight.

“Thanks Applejack,” Twilight said absent-mindedly, already stepping towards her fiancé and not noticing the door open and close somewhere behind her.

She drew up next to Pinkie, rubbing her head along Pinkie’s neck before turning and kissing Pinkie’s cheek. “Hey there Pinkie, how’re you feeling?”

Pinkie shuddered slightly before whispering, “S’not right…” She turned her sorrowful eyes towards Twilight. “It’s not fair… Rarity isn’t the party planner, that’s me, that’s my talent.”

“But this is your party, Pinkie, a party for you and me to celebrate and be happy,” Twilight soothed, smiling slightly, “Let Rarity bear the brunt of the work for once.”

Pinkie just pouted, mumbling, “But what if she forgets something, what if she forgets that Mr Standard is allergic to nuts, or if she forgets that Mrs Cake is on a diet, or maybe- Mmmph mph, mph-”

Twilight cut Pinkie off, pressing her mouth to hers and waiting until she stopped trying to speak.

Once she was sure that Pinkie had calmed down, she withdrew her head and chuckled softly. “I’m sure she’ll have done everything she could possibly do. She’s been more worried about this than her shop of late.”

“But what if-”

“Pinkie,” Twilight interrupted calmly, “Rarity volunteered to organise the wedding for us and you agreed. I’m sure that she will come through admirably and that this will be brilliant.”

Pinkie stayed silent, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath instead. “You’re right…” she murmured after a moment, “You’re always right. I’m sure she’ll do her best.” Pinkie opened her eyes, smiling weakly at Twilight, “Thanks Twily.”

“You know you’re one of the few ponies I’ll ever let me call that, right?”

The corners of Pinkie’s mouth curled upwards momentarily. “Yeah…”

Just as Twilight was congratulating herself on another averted disaster, Pinkie’s eyes widened in shock and she let out an almighty gasp.

“Twilight,” Pinkie started, her voice much quieter than before, “What are you doing here, Rarity is going to kill you if she finds out!”

Twilight breathed out a sigh of relief before she spoke, “Relax… if Rarity comes looking for either one of us, our friends will stall her for a little while.”

As soothing as her words were, it did little to console the worry in Pinkie’s eyes. “But if it makes you feel better, I’ll get back to my room.”
Pinkie nodded anxiously.

“Alright,” Twilight started, her horn starting to glow. “I’ll see you at the altar, and by the way Pinkie… You look beautiful.”

There was a flash, and Pinkie was alone in her dressing room.

A Kiss (RariShy)

Fluttershy sat in the quiet waiting room, flicking through a small magazine that had been left behind by one of the previous occupants. Every week, she came here at exactly one o’clock to wait for Rarity. She knew that their appointment wasn’t until quarter-past the hour, but that didn’t stop her from hoping that she’d have some more time to talk to Rarity again.

One day, she hoped that she’d gather enough courage to ask her the question… to show her just how much she meant to her. But… that sort of courage was beyond her, at least for the moment. Two sides of her were at war with one another… She wanted Rarity to notice her, to see just how much she pined for her soft touch and tender embrace…

But… then… she didn’t. She didn’t want to change what they already had. She couldn’t bear the thought of rejection, no matter how gently Rarity said no. She turned the page. She smiled briefly as some memories reappeared. She’d been in a magazine one before. She’d been in every magazine. The star of the show, the prodigy of the fashion catwalk. And then… she wasn’t.

Friendship was a funny thing… if it hadn’t been Rarity, stood there from the beginning and telling her to aim high, to keep going… then she would have left after the first day. Rarity was the one Fluttershy could trust. She could, and would, trust Rarity with her life if it came down to it. Her opinion was the most valued and her advice, the most treasured.

It was a silent love she had of the perfect partner. Rarity was everything Fluttershy wished she was… she was one of the most forward ponies she knew and she would never back down in a crisis. If that meant that Fluttershy had to continue her modelling career for one pony, then so be it. She would do it… for Rarity.

The bell chimed as the door to the spa opened, admitting the mare herself. Fluttershy stood up to greet her, putting the magazine down and smiling at Rarity who was already talking. “Good afternoon, Fluttershy. How are you, my dear? You look tired, have you been sleeping well?”

Fluttershy kept smiling as the words surrounded her and engulfed her in their speed and their care. “I’m fine, thank you for asking Rarity,” she replied, moving forwards to meet Rarity in a hug. “What about you?”

Rarity patted her on the back before breaking away from the hug and sitting down on the chairs. “Oh, I’m… so-so. Could be better, could be worse. But neither you, nor I, came here to hear me complain about my life.”

Fluttershy shook her head at Rarity, sitting down next to her. “No,” she started, smiling amicably, “It is never bad if you want to get something out of your system. I’ll listen if you like. Talking to someone else always helps me when I get annoyed.”

“Fluttershy, dear, I really don’t want to mar our weekly trip with my own misfortunes. Why don’t you tell me about your week? If I’m still troubled, I’ll talk after. How does that sound?”

Fluttershy nodded before launching into her life. “Well… I don’t know if you’ve heard, but Angel found a mate. They’ve been getting to know each other and I really, really think that he’s finally going to settle down.”

“That’s wonderful,” Rarity exclaimed, smiling widely. “So has he stopped being so overprotective yet?”

“Not quite yet,” Fluttershy admitted, smiling into space. “But I think it’s only a matter of time. He seems much calmer than before. It’s almost like I’m living with a new rabbit.”

“So you think I’ll be able to bring Opal around without incident yet?” Rarity quizzed with a knowing smirk.

“Well, I wouldn’t quite go that far,” Fluttershy chuckled softly. “I’m sure the two of them would still have some disagreements, whatever the weather.” Fluttershy paused for a moment before she continued, “But that’s not all… Someone else has come to my cottage for looking after.” She leant in conspiratorially towards Rarity, glancing around quickly.

Rarity obliged, leaning in to meet Fluttershy halfway when she spoke in a voice barely above that of a whisper, “A timberwolf has moved in.” Rarity’s eyes widened in surprise and she gasped audibly. “Shh…” Fluttershy insisted, glancing around her again. “I really don’t want anypony else knowing about him, they might get the wrong impression.”

Rarity replied with her own confiding whisper, “Are you sure you know what you’re doing, Fluttershy? Don’t you remember what they were planning to do to poor Applejack and Spike a few weeks ago?”

Fluttershy nodded slightly before replying, “Yes… but this one came to me; he wanted to be healed. You know I can’t turn away anyone in need.”

Rarity nodded, sighing as she drew back, sitting back into the chair again. “I hope you know what you’re doing, Fluttershy. All it takes is one moment of… You get my point.”

Fluttershy sighed, leaning back again, “And you have my promise that I’ll be careful. Now… what about your problems?” Fluttershy prompted, feeling unusually brave as she changed the topic.

“That little thing?” Rarity started, “It’s nothing you’d be interested in, I’m sure. It’s simply a personal problem that I’ve been having, nothing to worry your head about.”

“Rarity…” Fluttershy prompted, still smiling.

“Yes?” Rarity asked, her smile slightly too wide for comfort.

“You’re babbling again,” Fluttershy stated, “If you really don’t want to share, you don’t have to. It’s just that it feels better to talk to someone else sometimes. Heaven knows, I’ve spilt my secrets to Angel more than once.”

Rarity took a deep breath before exhaling. “Sorry dear… It’s just been a hectic week, that’s all. Then again… maybe you’re right… maybe talking to someone else about it would help… Are you sure you don’t mind?” she asked, turning to Fluttershy again.

“I’m absolutely positive,” Fluttershy reassured, “It’s what friends do, right?”

“Right… friends…” Rarity murmured quietly to herself before speaking up again, “It’s just been a very long week for me. Firstly I’ve been given a large amount of new orders for Canterlot. It’s all very well and good that I get the business, however I’d like to have the time to do it in my own stead, rather than theirs.”

Fluttershy nodded understandingly as Rarity continued on, “And then there’s Sweetie Belle, bless her heart. I love her to bits… but when I’m trying to work on a large order, there really is no place for a little filly in my house. I’ve tried sending her out to visit Applebloom and Scootaloo, but that only works for when they’re out and about.” Rarity sighed, closing her eyes as she leant back into the chair.

“And then there’s the other problem that I have… Every day of every week for the past few months… Fluttershy? What do you know about romance?”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened at the question and she stumbled over her words before she answered, “Well… not much- well… enough- well… why do you ask?” Her mind was running wild… She’s in love with someone else, of course she is… why else would she ask?

“No reason…” Rarity answered quickly. “Well… Actually… there is a reason. Fluttershy… there’s this mar- this pony that I like. I think She- I mean- they’re the one…”

Fluttershy fought to keep her smile in place as her heart sank further down into her stomach. Even though her heart ached, she opened her mouth and continued the conversation, “Oh… how lovely… What’s she like?”

Completely missing Fluttershy’s distress, Rarity sighed happily, “Oh… she’s wonderful. She’s beautiful, graceful and caring beyond measure.” Fluttershy’s heart clenched again as each word passed her by. Beautiful, graceful and caring? Who could that be if not Twilight? “And she doesn’t know.” Rarity finished her sentence and turned to Fluttershy imploringly, even as she watched her hopes and dreams rain down around her. “How do you do it, Fluttershy? How do you tell someone that you love them?”

Fluttershy tried to keep the sadness from her smile as she replied, “I always imagined that I’d greet them with a kiss… to tell them that I loved them as I kissed her deeply…” She turned away, trying to blink away the tears in her eyes without Rarity noticing.

“You mean like this?”

Fluttershy turned and met Rarity head-on. She felt Rarity’s mouth meet her own. She felt Rarity’s mouth part around her own as her own mirrored the action. She felt Rarity as their mouths danced the song of their first kiss together.

She felt wonderful.

Author's Note

Sorry for taking an age and a half to update this...
The AppleDash prompt was giving me some grief.

/me runs away