Love is Power I: Singing from the Heartby ThaStrangrChaptersA Perfect PlanPreparationsShowtime!Lakeside LamentMending a Broken HeartHonesty is the Best PolicyA Perfect Plan"Is everypony as excited about the talent show as I am?!" Asked an overly enthusiastic Pinkie Pie. Nopony could even imagine the idea of her being more excited than she was... well, generally. But today she seemed to just be floating. Twilight made sure to check every now and again to ensure she wasn't literally floating. "Pinkie, no one is as excited as you. Ever. About anything." Stated Rainbow Dash. "Well, I can't say I'm as excited as Pinkie, but I do look forward to it. I can't wait to see what kinds of acts we'll have. Ooh, maybe I should sign up for it." Twilight pondered. Rainbow chuckled. "What's your talent, egghead? Lecturing ponies to sleep?" Twilight glared. "I was thinking I could show how fast I can make a rainbow disappear." Rainbow backed away. "I'll be good." "Hey, girls!" The five ponies looked in the direction from which they had been called. A yellow mare trotted toward them. "Well, howdy, 'Shy," Applejack greeted, "Ah thought you were busy with yer animals er somethin'." "I was, but Angel offered to take care of them so I could go out." Rainbow's face grew into a quizzical expression. "Uhh, are you sure about that, Fluttershy? Cause knowing Angel, it sounds more like he wants you out so he can be in charge." "I'm with Dashie on this one. That bunny is a big meanie-pants." Pinkie said as she jumped onto "Dashie's" back. "Pinkie. Get... off." "Trust me, Angel's a sweetheart. He can just be a little..." "Egotistical?" Rarity suggested. "Maniacal?" Dash questioned. "Eccentric?" Twilight deadpanned at her. "Eccentric. Let's go with that." "Well, now that yer free, we were 'bout ta git some lunch. You hungry, 'Shy?" Fluttershy nodded, holding her stomach a bit. "I kind of missed dinner last night. And breakfast this morning." Rarity gasped. "You mean to tell me that you have gone nearly 24 hours without food?! Oh, nononono. This will not do! We must get a salad into you immediately!" Rarity was Fluttershy's closest friend, and always felt the need to look out for her. Fluttershy attempted to protest as Rarity began scooting her towards the nearest restaurant, but Rarity simply used her magic to seal her mouth shut. "You know it's useless to argue with me by now, Fluttershy. Going so long without food is not healthy. You need a minimum three square meals per day to maintain a healthy digestive system. "She's right, Fluttershy," Twilight chimed in, "It has been proven that your body can adjust to such eating habits and-" "Yeah, yeah. Lecture, science, magic. Can we eat now?" Twilight glared at Rainbow Dash for interrupting her. Rainbow held her hooves up innocently, as if to say "Who, me?" Twilight rolled her eyes. "Ah'm with Dash. Ah'm hungrier than a tree without sunlight." _________________________________________________________________________________ The sun was beginning to set. It had been a wonderful day. After lunch, the friends had gone bowling. Fluttershy had never been one for bowling, having needed so much force to ensure the ball made it to the pins. But since the incident with Obscurity, she had been much less timid. She bowled her very first strike that day. All of her friends had congratulated her, and she was pretty excited herself. When they finished playing, they decided to hang out at the library for a while. They talked and joked the whole day through. But now, the day was over, and they all had to hit the hay so they could prepare for the next day. Before going her own way, Rainbow pulled Fluttershy off to the side, a sly grin on her face. "What?" Fluttershy asked innocently. "Yeah, just keep on staring at her. I'm sure she doesn't find that creepy at all." Fluttershy grew a pinkish hue on her cheeks. "I.. I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about." "Oh come on, 'Shy. You had your eyes on her ALL DAY. They almost never left her. Even at the library, you risked throwing looks at her without anyone noticing. If you want to keep it secret, you may wanna be a little more subtle." Fluttershy sighed. When did Rainbow become so observant? "How did you find out?" Rainbow smirked. "You told me. Just now. Besides, it doesn't take a genius to figure it out, they way you gawked at her through the day. Why don't you just tell her?" "I can't. It's not like I haven't tried. I spend hours working up the courage to confess. But the instant I see her, and look into her eyes, it all just melts away." Fluttershy seemed at this moment that she was going to cry. She was like a sister to Dash, and Dash hated to see her cry. She brought her fillyhood friend into a warm embrace. "Hey, don't cry. You know I'm here if you ever need to talk. And if you want, I could help you with her. I'm no love expert, but I'll do what I can." She could feel Fluttershy shaking her head. Shy then leaned out of the hug. "No, Rainbow, this is something I have to do myself. I just need to figure out how to do it without getting cold hooves." Rainbow looked around, thinking. An idea sprung into her head as she noticed the talent show flyers, and her face instantly lit up. "Hey, why don't you show how you feel? Perform something at the talent show, something only she would notice." Fluttershy touched a hoof to her chin. "Well, I have been told that I'm a good singer." "The best! Ponies line-up down the streets to hear you singing at one of Pinkie's personal parties. Seriously, when I look out the window, the houses and lights and even the stars are blocked out by other ponies." "R-really?" "Absolutely! And all of our friends love your singing, especially her. You should totally sing something to her." "But, there are no songs that really appeal to her." "Write one. That's even more romantic, because it's personal." "I... I don't know." "Fluttershy, you want to win her over, don't you?" Fluttershy nodded enthusiastically. "Then trust me. Do this, and she's yours." "But we don't even know if she likes mares. And if she does, we can't be sure she likes me. I mean, if she does like me, why hasn't she made a move?" "Shy, NONE of our friends have ever been in a relationship before. Twilight was too much of a shut-in, AJ and Rarity are always too caught-up in their work, and Pinkie never liked the idea of treating one pony better than everypony else. We're the only two in our group with experience. It has to be you." Fluttershy had to admit, that made sense. "Alright, I'll do it." "Alright! And all of the girls will be there to cheer you on, except me." Fluttershy gave her a confused expression. "I'm gonna be in it, too!" Rainbow winked, "Thought I'd try my hoof at the whole singing thing." Fluttershy's ears flattened. Not only would she be singing before an entire crowd AND the mare of her dreams, she had to do it while competing with her oldest friend. Rainbow seemed to know what was on her mind, however. "Hey, it's not a competition. We're just demonstrating to other ponies things that we like to do. Besides, I'd NEVER compete in a singing contest against YOU. I don't want to make myself look bad." Fluttershy's mouth curved into a small but genuine smile. "Now there's the Fluttershy I know. Anyway, it's getting late. You better go sign-up now, before all of the spots are taken. And we should both head home. Gotta get ready!" They said their goodbyes and Rainbow Dash flew off. Fluttershy signed up on the application nearby, and began her walk home. As she walked, the thought of her union with a certain mare crossed her mind, and her walk became a giddy skip. She walked up the stairs to her second floor, shut the door behind her, and grabbed a quill and paper. She had a lot of work to do. Author's Note Okay, so this is a series I put together when I saw the first episode. I wanted to animate it, but I got tired of my piece of (buy some apples) computer crashing after simply changing tools in Flash. So I decided to just write it out. If you see anything I need to improve on, please let me know. I could use all the feedback I can get. Thanks, and hope you enjoy! :D P.S. If you're wondering what Obscurity is, it's part of this prologue story I had for this series. May write it, not sure yet. P.P.S Second chapter out as soon as I can, but third might take a while. I want to write my own song for it. P.P.P.S. Before anyone goes THERE, I just want to clarify that "Pinkie's personal party" is one held just for the mane 6, AND NOTHING ELSE! Preparations"No, no, no. There's still something missing," Fluttershy groaned, "Could you start again, Angel?" The rabbit rolled his eyes, and began beating a rhythm on an over-turned pot. "Okay, now all of you." A line of varying types of birds began to sing in harmony with the beat. "And you, little one." A nearby raccoon shook a tin can full of what one would assume to be tiny pebbles. The melody flowed around Fluttershy as she started to sing to herself. It all came so fluently, so beautifully. But, still, there was something off. Fluttershy sighed and waved her animals down. "Oh, what could it be? What am I still missing?" Rainbow's voice echoed in her head *something only she would notice*. Fluttershy gasped. "That's it!" she screamed as she ran upstairs. She came back shortly thereafter holding two items, and looked at the first. "Something only she would notice," she recited before sticking it in her mane. She then turned to the second item wrapped in her hooves. Her most prized possession. These items united them all. Before, she had never even spoken to Applejack or Pinkie Pie unless she were buying something from them. These small trinkets allowed her to connect to other ponies for once. In fact, all of her friends had learned something from these magical accessories. They were not just magic Evil-B-Gone devices. They were Fluttershy's connection to the five ponies that meant more than anything to her. She locked her Element of Harmony around her neck. Just wearing it made it seem as though all of her friends were there with her. It gave her more than enough confidence. She looked up with strong determination in her eye. "Let's do this." *********************************************************************************************************************************************** After working for about three hours straight, Fluttershy felt like taking a walk, just to clear her head. She put her quill and element down and explained to everyone that she was going into town for a while. "You behave for Angel now, okay?" Fluttershy called to all of her animals. They nodded nervously, as Angel grew a malicious grin on his face. Fluttershy noticed this. "Ummm... on second thought, Berenger is in charge today." The grizzly grinned, and Angel shot him an irritated glare. Fluttershy stepped out of the door and headed toward the center of town. But she couldn't help but feel as though she had forgotten something. ************************************************************************************************************************************************* As usual at this time of day, the streets were primarily empty. As Fluttershy walked, waving to ponies she knew, she started appreciating all of the little details of the day. Birds singing in the distance, leaves dancing in the wind, the beautiful colors in the sky as the sun began to set. This is why she didn't live in one of those big. fancy cities like Canterlot. Too much distraction, noise. Here, it was all just so beautiful. Eventually, she noticed an orange pony waving to her. She walked over and greeted her friend. "Hello, Applejack. How are you today?" "Ah'm doin' alright, thank ya kahndly. Yerself?" "Oh, I'm well, thank you. What are you up to right now?" "Ah'm just takin' a walk. Enjoyin' the day." "Yeah, me too. I figure it could help me with my writer's block. The show's getting close. I really need to finish." "Yeah, I saw that ya'd signed up fer the talent show. What ya writin'?" "Oh, umm, it's kind of a surprise." Fluttershy began to blush. "Ohhhh, it's for a pony, ain't it? Well, whoever this crush is, he or she, is one lucky pony. Yer a great mare, Shy." Fluttershy's blush grew to encompass her entire face. "Th-thanks, AJ. But I'm really not all that." AJ gave a surpirsed look. "Are you foalin' me? Shah, you are the sweetest pony Ah've ever met. Yer good to everypony, even if you haven't met 'em. And yer not bad on the eyes either." AJ gave her a playful wink. Fluttershy was frozen. No one had ever said anything like that to her. Applejack laughed. "You gotta stop hangin' 'round mah brother. Yer startin' ta look lahke him." Fluttershy heard whispering nearby, and saw a couple of ponies staring at her. When she looked at them, they nonchalantly walked away. "What were they looking at?" "Ah don't know. Heh, prolly jest jeal-" AJ stopped when her eyes fell on Fluttershy's head. "Shah, what is that in yer mane?" Fluttershy raised an eyebrow. "My mane?" She lifted a hoof up, and her eyes grew to the size of plates when she realized what was there. She instantly bolted around. "I'm sorry, AJ. I have to go!" And she darted home as fast as possible, naive to her friend's shouts as the wind dashed by her ears. ********************************************************************************************************************************************** "I can't believe I wore that outside! Stupid!" Fluttershy kicked herself as she took the item out of her mane and threw it on the table next to her song. "I need to be more careful. I don't want this getting out until the show." She gazed upon that paper on which she had poured her heart, and smiled. She looked at the clock. It was getting pretty late, and the talent show was tomorrow. She decided to go to bed early. She was going to need her strength. Tomorrow was the big day. She clutched her pillow, hoping soon to replace it with a certain mare. Author's Note Guessing game for you all: Who knows what Fluttershy put in her hair? It's very subtle. Here are a couple of hints: 1. It IS in the show. 2. It is NOT an individual item in the show. 3. Nopony wheres it in the show. 4. It is part of something bigger. Someone MIGHT get it now. That is all. Showtime!Fluttershy awoke peacefully, her songbirds chirping her a lovely wake-up call. She smiled at them. "Oh, that's beautiful! Thank you." She sat up in her bed and stretched satisfactorily. A loud yawn escaped her. "That was one of the best rests I've ever had. I feel so full of energy. This is going to be a fantastic day. I hope." Despite her enthusiasm, Fluttershy was still anxious. The idea of her crush, and one of her best friends, rejecting her weighed on her heavily. She shook her head free of her negative thoughts. "No, you've come too far. You will not back out this time." Fluttershy steeled her resolve, and nodded to herself. "This time, I will see this through to the end. And may whatever be, be." She climbed out of her bed and walked downstairs. "First things first." She trotted into the kitchen to prepare breakfast for all of her beloved animals. __________________________________________________________________________ There was a loud knock on the door. "Fluttershy," Rainbow called, "C'mon, they need to see all of the contestants behind the stage for set-up and rehearsal." She heard a fumbling sound inside. "One moment." After a few seconds, the noises emanating from the small cottage subsided, and the door slowly creaked. Rainbow Dash raised a brow. "What's that in your mane?" Fluttershy smiled. "Something only she would notice. It's a phoenix feather. I got it from Philomena, Princess Celestia's pet phoenix. Remember? When she came to town and I thought Philomena was sick, I kind-of swiped her. When Twilight found out, she did everything she could to help me treat Philomena and return her so I wouldn't get punished. She put her own flank at risk to help save mine." "Oh, yeah. I remember it now." She chuckled at the memory of the bird helping her mess with the guard ponies. "So, you get that song finished?" Fluttershy reached into her saddlebag and pulled out a small sheet of paper, waving it at the cyan pegasus. Rainbow instinctively reached for it, but Fluttershy quickly retracted her hoof. "Not until the show." Dash looked irritated, which made her friend giggle. "All right, we should get going." Fluttershy stepped over the threshold of her doorway and walked alongside. "Oh, I never asked. What are you singing for the show, Dash?" "Eh, just a little something a couple of fans wrote for me. Just about loyalty, me being awesome. Y'know, the usual." "Yes, Rainbow, I know." She playfully rolled her eyes. As the two walked on, they discussed just about anything that popped into their heads. Work, their activities of late, any good books they'd read (which, in Rainbow's case, consisted mainly of the latest Daring Do adventures). They even chatted about their fillyhood a couple of times. About 15 minutes of mindless chatter later, they found themselves at the stage. They trotted around back, catching sight of several other competitors. Lyra was fiddling nervously with her lyre, Octavia struggled to tune a particular string, Derpy did... whatever it is Derpy does. But the act that attracted the most of Fluttershy's attention was one she could not see. Somepony was practicing her singing, and it was magnificent. "Buck! And I was actually hoping to win this thing," Rainbow groaned. Fluttershy looked to her annoyed friend, and followed her gaze to the source of the singing: Princess Luna. *Wow* Fluttershy though *I wouldn't have expected a princess to be in this contest.* She smiled warmly, and trotted toward the princess. "That's lovely, your majesty." Luna was slightly stricken by the sudden noise, as she turned to face the source of the compliment. "Ah, Fluttershy. It is good to see you again. Did you truly enjoy my singing?" "Oh, absolutely! Some of the best I've heard. Best of luck, I'm really rooting for you." Luna looked puzzled. "Isn't the point of this contest to attempt to out-perform each-other?" Fluttershy shook her head. "For many, yes. Not for me. I have... ulterior motives." Luna winked in understanding. "Your luck is appreciated, Fluttershy. I hope you receive much attention from your 'ulterior motive'." Luna pulled the shy mare into a tight embrace. "Um... Princess... Don't want to bother you, but... I can't exactly breathe." "Oh." The night princess sat the wheezing pony down and rubbed the back of her neck. "Sorry, Fluttershy." Fluttershy took a long, deep breath, attempting to recompose herself. "It's okay, princess. You were just caught-up in the moment." "Luna." "Hmm?" "Just call me Luna, Fluttershy. I am more your friend than I am your princess." She smiled at the small pegasus, who returned it happily. The two heard hoofsteps slowly approaching them. They turned toward the direction of the sound, and saw a cyan pegasus walking their way. Fluttershy was so entranced by Luna's singing, she'd completely forgotten she had left a friend waiting for her. Rainbow Dash bowed as she approached the night princess. "Good evening, your majesty," she stated curtly. She had expected response, but she hadn't expected it to be a pair of hooves latching onto her sides. She looked up, just before being pulled into a bone-shattering hug. "And likewise to you, Rainbow Dash," Luna said as she unknowingly forced all of the air from Rainbow's lungs, "and, please, just call me Luna." Fluttershy uneasily watched this exchange, before turning to the princess. "Ummm, Luna," she said. Luna smiled over to her, and she pointed back to Rainbow Dash, who had a grimace of pain etched onto her face. Luna gasped and released her prisoner. "Apologies, Rainbow Dash," she said, connecting a hoof audibly to her own face. Rainbow inhaled deeply, reveling in the fresh air. "It's alright, Luna. It's good to see you again. And just Rainbow is fine. Or 'The Dash". 'Awesome Incarnate' works, too." Fluttershy raised a brow at her friend's unexpectedly developed vocabulary. 'Awesome' shrugged. "Daring Do said it." This time it was Fluttershy's turn to play hoof-to-face. The three were interrupted as a stage-hoof trotted up. He passed small slips of paper to each mare in the group, and slipped away into the crowd. Fluttershy lifted the paper until until a sliver of light shone on it. On the paper was etched a large number six. She assumed these numbers were to be the order of performance. She looked to the others to compare. "It seems I am number six. What about you two?" "I am fifth to stage," responded Luna. "Got three here," Rainbow exclaimed as she waved it around. Fluttershy looked to the other contestants, all focused wholly on the digits locked in their grips. Lyra was particularly interested in her number- 42, which she regarded as though it held the answer to everything. "Looks like we're pretty high up on the list. You girls ready?" Rainbow eyed the other two, clearly nervous, though not allowing herself to show it. The other two also presented symptoms of apprehension, but each swallowed her distress and gave an uncertain nod. Rainbow nodded back and the trio looked back to the stage to await the call for the first contestant. ___________________________________________________________________________ Fluttershy had respectively spectated the first five contestants. She closed her eyes and fell into Octavia's beautiful concerto. She watched in awe as Derpy harvested vapor from a stray cumulus and converted it into an array of bubbles. She listened to Rainbow brag about herself. She admired Scootaloo's complex scooter tricks. But without a doubt, the best and most inspiring performance came from Princess Luna. She had sung a song, written by her own hoof, describing the isolation and sorrow she felt on her return from the moon. Fluttershy was swarmed with emotion as she listened, her eyes actually beginning to feel moist. She had never fully understood the hardships Luna had undergone upon her return until that night. She thought, for a brief moment, she even saw Rainbow's eyes glistening. Though, the proud pony would never let anypony see. Whatever voices seethed with anger or fear towards the regal mare were silenced that night. The thought of the princess' haunted past drew her mind to another thought about her crush she had not considered. She chanced a peek from behind the stage and began to explore the audience with her eyes. The first sight to draw her attention was a large, white mare lying down (surely so ponies behind her could see) in the front. Fluttershy didn't realize Princess Celestia would be here. Of course, Luna was performing. She probably didn't give any notice so Twilight didn't start lining the streets with red carpet or something. Just the idea made Fluttershy giggle. After a bit more searching, she found in the crowd the lavender unicorn she had been searching for. She looked around the pony in question and noticed two small forms at her hooves; one purple with a few hints of green here and there, the other a dark black with a violet mane. Fluttershy couldn't believe she hadn't taken Twilight's oldest friend and adopted daughter into account. How would they react to Fluttershy's proclamation of love? Would they disapprove? Would they resent her from trying to take Twilight from them? Fluttershy began hyperventilating. Maybe this wasn't a good idea after all. Maybe she should just- "Number Six!" Fluttershy felt her breath catch in her throat. She could just slip through the rest of the performers, then- no. No, she promised herself she would do this. And in spite of all her misgivings, she will! Fluttershy took a long, deep breath and stepped onto the stage. __________________________________________________________________________ Fluttershy raised a hoof to her face to combat the intense light blaring down on her. When her eyes adjusted to spotlight, she lowered her hoof and looked toward the crowd. She'd remembered where she had directed her attention a few moments prior, and immediately her eyes fell on that same beautiful unicorn mare, now with the little alicorn filly wrapped between her forelegs. The sight put a smile on Fluttershy's face. Twilight, on seeing Fluttershy looking at her, raised a hoof from around her daughter's form and used it to offer an encouraging wave. Nyx saw her mother waving and decided to show her support as well. Though hers was more of a miniature seizure than a simple wave. Fluttershy giggled and returned their gesture, though admittedly not as enthusiastically as the excited filly. Seeing her crush gazing up at her with some admiration and wonder quickly steeled Fluttershy's resolve, and she stepped up to the mic, preparing for what may be the most important and difficult moment of her life. She cleared her throat and leaned toward the microphone. "Um, hello everypony. I'm Fluttershy, and I would like to sing for you a song I wrote recently. I call it "Social Issues". I hope you all enjoy it." Fluttershy carefully placed the feather into her mane and took another long, shaky breath as nearby birds of varying species began to chirp their sweet melody, Angel began a steady rhythm on his pot, Curry the raccoon shook his can with enthusiasm, and Berenger the bear carefully strummed the strings of his guitar. These harmonized into a lovely tune. After a moment, Fluttershy accompanied them. I'll Always Remember That Fateful Day When You First Stepped in My Sight. Your Boundless Beauty Made Me, For My Breath, Fight. When You Smiled That Dazzling Smile, My Head Was Sent Spinning Wild. You Shined Brighter Than the Brightest Star in the Night 'Cause When I Was Younger, I Feared to Speak. My Social Issues Kept Me Feeling Weak. But, Then, There Came the Day I Saw Your Smiling Face. My Whole World Changed the Day You First Looked at Me The crowd listened as Fluttershy spilled her heart out on that stage, completely unaware of the song's true intent. Upon reaching the end of the musical confession, Fluttershy looked up to the crowd, an instant before her ears were blown out by an eruption of cheers and stomps. The audience whistled, clapped their hooves together, slapped satisfied smiles on their faces. All reactions that made Fluttershy feel so much better about herself. However appreciative the ponies were of her song, she remembered it wasn't for them. She turned to the mare of her dreams. Twilight was clapping harder than anypony else, and... Wait, was she... crying? This reaction both puzzled and worried Fluttershy. Did she not like the song? Did she discern its meaning and was crying at the thought of having to break her friend's heart?! Fluttershy struggled to stop herself from trembling as these fears surfaced in her mind. Twilight soon noticed the pegasus staring and cast a gentle smile her way before mouthing a simple, "That was beautiful". This put Fluttershy's concerns to bed. Twilight wasn't crying because she would have to hurt one of her closest friends, or because she didn't like the song. She was crying because it had affected her so much, filled her with such emotion. Many ponies in Ponyville would forget what Twilight was like before moving there. She, too, knew what it was like to be a social outcast. Twilight cried because she had uncovered one of the messages of the song. And if she discovered one, there was a chance she found the other. Not a bad plan after all. _________________________________________________________________________ "Now to announce the winners of Ponyville's first ever Night of the Showpony (not you, Trixie)," a light groaning was heard as Mayor Ivory Scroll pointed out that last little detail. She adjusted her glasses as she read the results, "Third place, Rainbow Dash!" A group of young fillies and colts began chanting "Dash!" at the sound of her name. Rainbow, in true Rainbow Dash nature, began making ridiculous poses imitating a buff, tough pony. Noticing the annoyed look on the mayor's face, Rainbow rubbed the back of her neck and walked toward the third place platform to receive her medal. "Right. Okay, second place is... Fluttershy!" Fluttershy eeped. She hadn't expected to place. She walked up to the second place stand and scanned the crowd. Each pony had a hoof half over his or her eyes and used the other hoof for a quick wave before shielding the eyes entirely. Fluttershy leaned toward Dash. "Umm, what are they doing?" Barely above a whisper she spoke, so as not to interrupt the mayor. Rainbow glanced over at the ponies and smirked. "By now, everypony in Ponyville knows how shy you are, especially when facing the public. So they're covering their eyes so you don't feel uncomfortable." Fluttershy smiled at the ponies. Was there any question why she loved this town? "And now, everypony. The moment you've all been waiting for. First place in the Night of the Showpony (still not you) ("Augh!" Trixie grunted): Princess Luna!" For a moment, the night princess was not certain she had heard correctly. When her brain had finally caught up, screams of praise flooded her ears. The largest voice, shockingly, being that of her older sister. She cast her gaze toward Celestia, who was whistling and stomping and cheering as though Equestria was coming to an end. Luna blushed at all the attention she was receiving as she stepped onto her own pedestal. Luna was given a large trophy and a standing ovation for her victory. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash each offered her congratulations. Fluttershy dared a glance back to Twilight, who was not looking at Luna or Rainbow Dash, but instead staring insistently at her. Twilight had an expression of contemplation and uncertainty on her face. Realizing Fluttershy was facing her direction again, Twilight's expression melted into a glimmering smile. But all too late. Fluttershy had noticed the first look Twilight had been giving her, and the thought of it made her feel uneasy. She was even more unsettled when the unicorn gestured for them to take a walk together. Alone. With hesitation and anxiety weighing heavily on her mind, Fluttershy followed lavender mare from the cheery ponies celebrating the night princess' victory with such frivolity. She had wondered if she should have just stayed with them. Author's Note Sorry this was so long. No one needs to tell me I'm a disgrace. I am fully aware of that fact. BTW, sorry if the song seems rushed. When I first imagined this scene, Fluttershy was singing "Everything She Does is Magic". Lakeside LamentFluttershy couldn't escape a certain dread as she followed Twilight through the small town. The unicorn had led her to a small lake just outside of town and had tenderly dipped a hoof into it as she lie down. In that moment, she looked more beautiful than Fluttershy had ever seen her. Fluttershy wanted to lie next to her, lean in to her, be warmed by her embrace. But her fear had frozen her at that spot. That is, until the object of her affection smiled at her and motioned for her to sit. It was an offer Fluttershy couldn't refuse. She cautiously stepped toward the other pony and positioned herself beside her. Twilight continued running her hoof through the cool lake water, gazing at the doppelganger that stared back at her. Though nearly all of her focus was on her crush, a bit of her mind did wander to something else. “So where's Nyx? Why isn't she with you?” Her eyes grew to the size of dinner plates after that question. “I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to take your parenting into question.” Twilight raised her hoof to her mouth to stifle a small giggle. “It's okay, Fluttershy. I understand your concern. I had Spike walk her home. I felt like staying out a bit longer to talk with you.” As she spoke, the lavender mare wrapped her free hoof under her and directed her attention entirely to the pony seated next to her. Though there had been no indication Fluttershy had anything to fear, Twilight's last sentence scared her. “So,” Twilight began, “I really liked your song today.” “Ummm, th-thank you. I'd hoped everypony would enjoy it.” “Is there anything, or anyone, in particular that inspired it?” Fluttershy gulped. “Well, yes. I did write that song for somepony.” “I knew it. Would you be interested in telling who this mystery pony is?” Fluttershy felt a lump in her throat. Perhaps Twilight hadn't figured it out after all. Of course, she could just be playing the pony who had poured her heart out on that stage, in front of the entire town. No, Twilight wasn't that cynical. If anything, she had understood the message and was simply ensuring that it was intended for her before doing anything. Fluttershy tried calming herself. Assuring herself. But she couldn't overcome her fear. Her breath caught as she attempted to speak, converting her words into incoherent gibberish. “I... mneh.. eis...” she stuttered. She had waited so long for this moment. It was just within her grasp. She merely had to reach for it. Why couldn't she just do it? Twilight was dumbstruck by her friend's “words”. “Um, are you okay?” she asked the visibly trembling pegasus. Fluttershy realized she wouldn't be able to say what she needed to say, so she decided to try something else. She steeled her mind, closed her eyes, and began to move. Instantly, she felt her lips press against something. She felt a surge of pure ecstasy. This was a sensation she had dreamed of for a very long time. Oh, how she wished she could stay in that moment forever. But she knew she had to break it. She had to give the other pony time to respond. After all this time, she wasn't walking away without an answer. Fluttershy, despite her own screaming desires, pulled slowly from the other pony. She hesitated only an instant before easing her eyelids open. She'd hoped to see Twilight glowing like a firefly. What she instead saw both surprised and worried her. Twilight looked absolutely stunned, almost as though Fluttershy had just slapped her. All of her hope. Her resolve. Her determination. Any ounce of strength she had mustered had been wiped away in but a single instant. All the tears she had been at war with to hold for so long had regrouped and were now on full assault. She charged from the water and spread her wings. At the time Twilight had finally realized just what was happening, it was too late. Fluttershy was in the air, gone. Twilight felt the same moisture accumulating in her eyes as she watched her aching friend speeding away. Her heart felt heavy, and cold as the northern reaches of the Crystal Empire. She tried to chase the fleeing pony, to no avail. With her lead and her wings, Twilight simply would not be able to catch up to her, and she wouldn't respond to her calls. Twilight was certain she wouldn't land until she arrived at her home, at which point she would lock the door and close all shades, effectively shutting off the entire outside world. Twilight cried harder than she ever had. One of her closest friends just confessed love for her, and she just sat there as though they were discussing the weather. She would never deny that she had made plenty of mistakes in her life. Turning her parents into plants, wandering alone into the Everfree just to end up encased in stone, and of course the Smarty Pants incident. She never thought she'd be capable of messing up worse than she had in the last of that list, turning all of Ponyville into zombies annihilating each other over her doll. But this was by far the worst thing she had ever done. She was hurting more than she ever had in the past. She broke her friend's heart, and most likely lost that friend for good. ...No. No, this wasn't over. She was not giving up. She would not lose Fluttershy. She at least needed time to discuss things. She knew Fluttershy wouldn't answer the door should she knock, so she would need to come up with a plan. Her mind steeled and her eyes dried as she charged at the speed of a timber wolf toward the library. On entering, she quickly grabbed a quill and some parchment. She walked upstairs quietly grab her candle. She didn't want to wake Spike or Nyx. After all, it was going to be a long night. Mending a Broken HeartIt had been nearly two weeks. Twilight never placed a hoof on that door. She knew it would only prolong the process. Fluttershy, still wholly devoted to the various animals, had finally begun coming out of her house to feed her rather large zoo. Twilight didn't approach her as the small pegasus, though usually very slow and casual, can be quite the challenging flyer. Twilight could easily grab her with magic, but she feared such restraint would only lengthen the rift between the two of them. She decided to take a much safer route, devising an intricate plan to lure the pony into conversation. She trotted over to a cyan-blue pegasus who was busy conducting several other pegasi. The blue mare doubled back to see a lavender unicorn growing ever closer to her. She looked beyond the unicorn at a yellow pegasus mare a considerable distance away who had yet to acknowledge the two of them. As the unicorn walked up, the blue pegasus redirected her attention toward her. "Now?" She asked. The unicorn gave a simple and decisive nod. "Okay. I promised to help you with this, and I stand by that. But I swear to you Twilight, if you hurt her-" "You won't need to worry about that, Dash. I promise. Now, everything ready?" "I'm directing the weather team right now. I can throw together the biggest hurricane in history in ten seconds flat." The unicorn nodded as a small white rabbit hopped toward the pair. "Hello, Angel. Ready for your part?" The rabbit nodded slightly impatiently. He wasn't really the social type. He tried to avoid contact with any of Fluttershy's friends. But he cared for Fluttershy, and he didn't like to see her so upset. So he chose to set aside his misgivings. For now. He hopped away back to the yellow mare. Rainbow Dash flew back to her team, sending them this way and that, whilst Twilight charged back to the tree she called home. ______________________________________________________________________ "Angel. Where are you going?" The yellow pony chased the little white rabbit frantically. He dashed around a corner, and when she finally caught up, he was gone. Her eyes darted back and forth before finding the building she was stand just a few feet from. It was a large tree made to serve as a house. She suddenly forgot about the bunny that had run from her as she slunk down and slowly began backing away. "He's run off before. I'm sure he'll be fine." She darted around and had barely enough time to stop as another pegasus zoomed into view. "Fluttershy?! What the hay are you doing out here?!" It was obvious that Rainbow was screaming, but Fluttershy could still barely hear her. It wasn't until that instant that she noticed the dark clouds, the rain, and the thunder. "A freak rouge storm blew in from the Everfree. It's not safe to be outside. C'mon." Rainbow began pushing Fluttershy back to the treehouse, despite her expressed disapproval. "Rainbow! I can just fly home." "No way! You need to be in some kind of shelter right now, and Twilight's library is the closest building." "Well, you're out here." "The weather pegasi are working to clear this storm out before it causes too much damage. Everypony else needs to be inside." With that, Rainbow opened the door and threw Fluttershy in. Twilight looked up from the book she was currently engulfed in and nodded to the cyan pegasus, who in turn gave a sly wink. "You okay, 'Shy?" She asked as she stood and walked toward her. Fluttershy, on hearing that beautiful, overwhelming voice, merely shuddered. Twilight stopped when she noticed how terrified the pegasus was. She fell onto her haunches where she stopped, just watching the other pony. After what felt like hours, she finally rose to meet her host's eyes. "So where are Spike and Nyx?" "Nyx had a sleepover with her friends, and Spike is helping to supervise. Those girls are a hoof-full." Fluttershy would admit, it was nice to speak to Twilight again. But it was still so hard to be around her. Fluttershy tried to find a way out. She took a swift, subtle look at the clock. Half-past eight. Just late enough that she could excuse herself to bed believably. When she did, Twilight did look slightly disheartened, but she wasn't giving up. She led her guest upstairs to her room and pulled out the guest bed. Fluttershy thanked her and climbed into the bed. When she had just become comfortable, she felt the bed shift behind her. She turned to meet a pair of violet eyes. "Twilight," she asked nervously, "What are you doing?" Twilight giggled. "Not known for taking a hint, are you?" She stared lovingly into the aqua eyes as she quickly closed the space between them, her lips pressing ever so tenderly against the other mare's. When she pulled away, she left in her wake a confused, stuttering pegasus. "But... I-I thought..." "Fluttershy. I didn't respond when you kissed me because I was taken by surprise, not because I didn't feel the same way. Knowing how nervous and timid you are, I just didn't expect you to make a move. It surprised and impressed me, and it showed me how much you really cared for me. These past two weeks without you have been torture. But I never gave up. This whole time, I was organizing a plan." Fluttershy looked through the window to see the clouds cleared away and the moon glowing brightly. A blue pegasus flew past the window, casting the occupants a wink. "The hardest part was figuring out a way to lure you over here. I have a brand new respect for Angel. He really does care about you." Fluttershy smiled at the thought of the sweet white rabbit. "Thank you for being the stronger pony. I thought I'd never be here, staring into your eyes, embracing you so closely." She brought their lips together once more. This time, however, they were both prepared for it. Fluttershy felt she might die from sheer joy. Their minds erupted in a bliss neither had ever known. This moment they had awaited for so very long. They wanted to hold onto it for as long as breath remained in their lungs. For the first time in either of their lives, their hearts were complete. For the first time, they knew happiness. Author's Note It's too bad there's more to this installment of the series. That last sentence felt like a decent ending to it. Anyway, sorry if this seems rushed. The chapter started oozing out of me and I just couldn't stop (insert dirty joke here). Honesty is the Best PolicyShe heard the chirping of the Starlings. She felt the sun warming her face. She saw the light shining through her eyes. And for the first time, Fluttershy didn't care. She didn't want to rise. She desired simply to lie there, wrapped in the loving fore-legs of that beautiful mare. She'd awoken some time ago, and spent the entirety of the time wondering whether the previous night was a dream. There had been one occasion when she had convinced herself it had all been in her head. That fear was dispelled when the bed's other occupant had let out an endearingly cute snort. Fluttershy had to cover her mouth to prevent waking her with her laughter. It was truly a magnificent day. Fluttershy soon heard a new sound, a knocking on the front door. Probably just a customer wishing to check out a book. She, as with all other distractions of the morning, simply ignored it. That is, until she heard said door open and a familiar farmpony's voice echo through. "Twi?" Fluttershy wasn't certain Twilight would be so quick to tell their friends about their new relationship. As she heard hooves moving toward the stairs she knew she couldn't stay in bed any longer. She lifted herself just enough to be visible over the banister. The earth mare on the floor below looked up to her. "Well, howdy 'Shy," she greeted, "whatcha up to?" "Oh, um, Twilight and I were just having a little sleepover, is all. What are you doing?" "Oh, Twilight promised ta help me with th' apples. Is she set?" Fluttershy looked towards Twilight's usual bed to avoid any suspicion. "I'm sorry, Applejack. She's still asleep." AJ waved a hoof at her. "Don't ya fret none. Jest send 'er bah when she's ready. See ya, later." "Goodbye, Applejack." Fluttershy sighed in relief as the orange pony stepped through the door. She felt the bed shifting and turned around. The unicorn beside her had begun stirring, slowly pulling from the enticing grasp of sleep. Fluttershy giggled and slowly caressed the other pony's waist, eliciting an onslaught of giggles which grew to roaring laughter. "'Shy, stop!" She managed to choke out through shaky breaths, though the look on her face told she was enjoying this torment. "I'm sorry, Twilight. I couldn't quite hear you. Did you say more? Well, if you absolutely insist." Now she placed her second hoof next to the first and began to torture her prisoner without mercy. Twilight was practically screaming now and tears stained her face. At last, she gained enough strength to fight back. Her horn ignited and an aura of lavender enveloped her attacker, pulling her off and locking her to the bed. Fluttershy frowned at this turn of tides. "That's cheating," she said, to which Twilight only chuckled. "All's fair in love and war. Now, payback time!" She lunged for the yellow mare, her hooves launching this way and that. Fluttershy ached as she choked on her laughter. The pony atop her grinned maliciously as she continued her assault. After she felt the little yellow mare had had enough, she stopped and smiled down at her, who returned the expression with as much love and joy, as she leaned in to lock their lips together once more. For one sweet, tender moment. When at last they had pulled away, Fluttershy remembered the message she was meant to relay. "Oh. Applejack came by a few minutes before you woke up. She said you promised to help her with her apples?" Twilight gasped and jumped out of bed. "Collecting apples! I completely forgot. I'm sorry, I need to go." She was stopped dead in her tracks as she was caught in a gentle embrace. "There's only one mare that can make you so frantic now, and that's me. Now relax. First you'll eat breakfast, and then you can go help AJ." "But-" Fluttershy pressed her hoof against Twilight's mouth. "No buts. I'm going downstairs to make you some blueberry and cinnamon pancakes so you'll plenty of energy to work." Twilight smiled as the pegasus took wing and flew downstairs. Just the idea of those pancakes made Twilight's mouth water with anticipation. She supposed AJ could wait an hour. __________________________________________________________________________ Twilight finished her incredible breakfast and kissed her chef goodbye as she walked through the door, heading toward the large Sweet Apple Acres at the edge of town. She hopped through the town with a spring in her step. She waved and greeted everypony she passed. The birds sang tunes of harmony softly in her ear. What a gorgeous day it was. After strolling through town for roughly twenty minutes, she finally reached her destination. The large orchards of Sweet Apple Acres dominated her view. She wandered through the orchards until she heard a familiar sound: hooves connecting with bark. She followed the noise and stumbled onto an orange earth mare. She was hard at work slamming her back hooves into the trees to shake free their supply of delicious apples. "So Sorry I'm late." The sudden noise started the earth pony halfway through a buck, causing her to miss and swipe along the sides of the tree. "Jeez, Twilight. Don't sneak up on a pony like that. If I'd spun 'round, I woulda taken yer head off. I told 'Shy to send ya to me when you were ready ta work. Ya got nothin' t' 'pologize for. Anywho, now that yer here, ready ta git ta work?" "As always." "Good ta hear." Applejack led Twilight to a separate orchard abound with apples. Quickly, they set to work, Twilight using her powerful magic to pull apples from the trees whilst AJ ran to another side, bucking like she never had before. It took them a mere two hours to finish their. Perhaps a new record. They both lie, panting, on the hill at the center of the farm. "Now that there was a harvest! Thanks for the help, Twi." "Don't thank me, AJ. I was glad to do it." "Anyway, we're gonna be startin' lunch soon. Yer welcome ta stay." "Sorry, AJ. I need to get home. I kinda left Fluttershy alone there." She's still there? I thought y'all were just havin' one of them sleepovers ya like so much." "Oh well yeah but I invited her to stay through lunch." Twilight started getting a bit nervous, which Applejack was not blind to. "Y'know, yer acting a bit weird right now. Fluttershy was too, earlier. Acting all suspicious, as though..." She stopped as the pieces fell into place in her mind. She looked to Twilight with wide eyes. "Fluttershy?" she asked. Twilight jumped and looked around frantically "What? Where?" She suddenly realized she was acting like a filly with a schoolyard crush. She turned to her friend, still just watching, though she had seen more than she needed. "Annnnd when did this happen?" Twilight groaned uncomfortably. "Last night." A hint of an expression managed to find a way to her face. Though it was more shocked than Twilight had hoped for. "Last night? You mean to tell me you two-" "No! Nononono. Nothing like that. It was completely innocent. We talked and we fell asleep. That's it." "Sorry ta seem like I was jugdin'. Guess it was jest outta spite. I am kinda hurt that you didn't tell me this, that I had ta figure it out fer maself. Don't ya trust me?" "AJ. Don't think like that. Of course I trust you. It's just that Fluttershy and I haven't discussed it. I'm not sure whether we're ready to tell everypony." "No." Twilight looked back to her, confused. "I'm sorry?" "I won't go shoutin' this from the rooftops, but I refuse to keep it from our friends. I'm sorry." "But, AJ-" "No buts, missy. Either you two tell 'em, er I will. Tonight. They're our best friends, Twi. We can't just push them out like that. 'Sides, what happens when any o' us try ta do something without tellin' the others 'bout it? When the curtains close, things are ten times worse than they needed ta be. I ain't goin' through it agin. Tell 'em, er I will." "Okay," Twilight sighed, defeated. But Applejack wasn't finished here. "And Twi. You should tell her, too." "I'm sorry, who?" Twilight tried acting stupid. Applejack easily saw through it. "You know who. The princess would wanna know 'bout this." Twilight groaned and nodded subtly. Though she wasn't anxious to admit it, she knew Applejack had a point. Nothing good ever came from keeping their friends out. She decided to send a letter to the princess when Spike got home, and go to fetch Rarity herself. Rainbow Dash already know, and Twilight was certain Pinkie found out in some way. "Well you know, Rarity's probably the only one in the group who doesn't know. Maybe we could wait just-" "No, Twilight! I'm not keepin' this from Rarity. She has been a good friend ta us." Twilight's hooves shot up beside her head, waving in her defense. She couldn't help but feel that reaction was unnecessarily harsh. "Okay! Sorry I asked." Twilight had given up on try to sway Applejack. She stood and bid the other mare farewell before beginning the trek back home. ______________________________________________________________________________ It didn't take her as long to arrive back at the library. She had cut a few corners to ensure she made it back before Spike and Nyx. However, when she opened the door, she realized she should have cut a few more. Fluttershy was at the center desk, reading the ever-active Nyx a story, while Spike worked away in the kitchen to make the best lunch in the history of lunch. The two heads in the entrance area shot to the door as it opened. "Twilight!" the little black filly screamed as she pounced on the entrant. "Where've you been?" Twilight chuckled at her. "Relax Nyx. I was helping AJ on the farm. So what's going on here?" "When we came home, Fluttershy was just heading out. I think we scared her, 'cus she was sweaty and hyperventilating. Anyway, Spike went in the kitchen to make her a special lunch and she started reading to me." "Twilight," a voice called from the kitchen, "can I talk to you for a second?" "Coming, Spike." She trotted into the kitchen where Spike busy tossing a large, complex salad. He turned and winked at her, a slick smile etched on his features. "So, Fluttershy, huh? Well, nopony can question your tastes." Twilight froze on the spot. "Huh?" "I'm a lot more observant than I let on, Twilight. I've seen the way you look at her. You're not that subtle. But I don't think Nyx has realized it. Should probably take care of that. She'd be pretty cross if she found out without you telling her." This sounded oddly familiar. Twilight nodded and gestured for Spike to follow her back to the entrance. When she opened the door, those familiar aqua eyes set on her. Twilight shot her eyes form the other set, to the black filly a few feet off, and back. Fluttershy inhaled deeply and nodded in response as the other two walked up. "Nyx, there's something we need to tell you. You remember that talent show a couple weeks back, don't you?" "You bet, I do! Best night ever! Scootaloo is still getting praise for her performance." She looked to Fluttershy. "And we all really loved your song, Fluttershy." "Thank you, Nyx. I'd hoped you would." "That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about. Well, that song, she wrote it for somepony." Nyx plastered on a smile that covered the entirety of her face. "She wrote it for you, didn't she?" Her excitement caused her breath to catch, eliciting a small gasp. "You two are dating, aren't you?!" She was practically hopping now. "Huh. That wasn't nearly as difficult as I expected it to be." Though Twilight wasn't much surprised. Nyx wa a very intelligent filly. Nyx squealed and wrapped her hooves tightly around her foster mother, who feigned being choked. She then turned and latched onto the other mare with equal force. Fluttershy was more than willing to accept the gesture, and hugged back. "It's so good to know that you're both okay with this." "Well, now that that's out, I have a salad to toss," Spike interjected, beginning the walk back to the kitchen, before Twilight spoke. "Umm, actually Spike, I'm gonna need you for a second. I have to send a letter." Spike spun around as quickly as his claws would allow, as he assumed the purpose of the message. "You want to tell her now? You don't think it's a bit soon?" "Believe me, I would have loved to have at least a good week before sharing this with anypony. But, while I was at the farm, AJ kind-of figured it out. She said she always hated keeping things from the other girls, and that if we didn't tell them tonight, that she would." Fluttershy gasped at this information. Such harshness was highly unlike their farmer friend. "I don't believe Applejack would do something so insensitive." "Actually, I think I see where she's coming from. The time the town hall was wrecked and Applejack went to a rodeo to win the money to fix it, she didn't tell us she hadn't won, instead trying to earn the money before anypony here realized. And, of course, my... incident with Smarty Pants. I had told you girls that I was going to be late for a report. I had never been tardy for anything, and I was so worried Celestia would be disappointed in me. But I never shared this fear with you, I simply told you my report was almost late, and stormed off when none of you took it seriously I stormed off. Had I discussed it with you, I may have avoided that problem entirely. No matter how big or small a problem, we try to handle it ourselves and we push the others away, which always makes things worse." Fluttershy was reminded of the time she had spent working with Photo Finish. She'd hated modeling, always being so exposed to the public. But she continued to do so because Rarity had urged her to take the opportunity, being a very unique one. Rarity had refused, in turn, to share was her jealousy of Flutteshy's popularity. Had they discussed these problems outright, they would have spared each other a lot of trouble. Fluttershy lowered her eyes and groaned, which Twilight easily translated to mean "okay". "So, tonight? Say, eight? We'll round the girls and Princess Celestia up here, and tell them both at once." "Ummm, both?" "Well, we already know Rainbow and Applejack know about us, and Pinkie doesn't need to be told. I'm certain she knows. So, it's just Rarity and Princess Celestia." "How could Pinkie know?" Twilight deadpanned. "'Shy, what is the rule?" "Never question anything Pinkie says or does." A pink head appeared from a space between two books on a nearby shelf. If it had been anypony else, materializing seemingly out of thin air would have been strange. "Yep! I've known since last night. Congratulations! You know what this means?" "No parties, Pinkie. At least not yet. It's already feeling rushed. We just want to take it slow and calm." "Awwww, come on. Just a little one? Just Ponyville?" "Just Ponyville? How many ponies were you actually planning to invite." Pinkie rubbed her forehead as she thought. "Weeeeeeelll... There's Ponyville, Cloudsdale, Canterlot, The Crystal Empire-" Fluttershy began panting and fanning herself with a hoof. "That's... quite a few more ponies than your usual party." Twilight hugged the shaking mess that she cared so deeply for. "Pinkie. None of that. Ever. You can throw one small party for just our closest friends and our families." "Oh, alright. But mark my words, Twilight Sparkle," Pinkie moved closer to Twilight and locked eyes with her, "I will have my 'Two Close Friends Become Closer Than Friends with Each Other and Find the True Meaning of Love' party. Maybe not today, maybe not next week. Probably not even before Hearts and Hooves day. But it will happen. Of that, you can be certain." The pink pony didn't break her gaze as she slowly eased back into the potential dimensional rift from whence she came. The remaining simply returned to their business, as though the pony were just a light breeze that had blown through. Twilight used her magical grasp to pull a quill and some parchment from a nearby desk. After quickly scribbling a few sentences on the parchment, she rolled it, tied and sealed it, and levitated to her dragon companion, whom then engulfed it in an emerald flame. All that remained was to gather together their friends and throw everything in the air. Fluttershy was breathing heavily and Twilight held her close for comfort. She, however, wasn't certain whether she was attempting to calm Fluttershy or herself as her own heart began to quicken it's already heightened pace. _____________________________________________________________________ A group of ponies of varying sizes were assembled inside the small library. Their hosts glanced through the crowd which proved to be a tad larger than expected. They swallowed their fears and walked slowly up to the front of the group. "Twilight," said a large, regal mare in the center of the room, "Not that it's not always a pleasure to see you, why exactly have you called for me? Your letter was rather shy on details. The urgency made it seem as though you were in some type of trouble." Twilight's legs shook as she stared back at the worried expression of the pony she considered to be a second mother. Though she was still in a much more stable state than her partner. Fluttershy was frozen, her eyes darting around the room at the many guests. "Fluttershy?" Twilight attempted to re-attract the mare's attention, but to no avail. She was simply too nervous. "Fluttershy,darling," Rarity spoke calmly as she stepped forward, "Whatever is the matter?" Twilight's eyes regarded the audience, whose attention was focused on the shivering yellow pegasus. Twilight knew of a way to waken Fluttershy from her comatose state. Fluttershy made the first move, she brought them together. Now it was time for Twilight to return the favor. She turned Fluttershy's face gently toward hers and pressed their lips together. Several gasps sounded from the crowd, but Twilight didn't notice. The world around them melted away. In that moment, they were the only things that existed. When they broke off, they did nothing more than stare into each other's eyes for what they believed to be hours. Twilight's eyes widened as she remembered one crucial detail: they weren't alone. She turned to meet a number of smiling faces. Twilight looked toward her mentor, relieved to see a genuinely pleased expression on her face. Twilight looked back to the mare next to her, who was now pulsing with joy. "See? It wasn't so bad," Twilight assured as she placed a tender kiss of the other pony's cheek. "Well," rang the elegant voice of the princess, "what did you expect, Twilight? Did you fear we would not accept your relationship?" "It was an irrational fear, I see now. It was just... a difficult situation. I'm sorry for calling you all the way out to Ponyville for something I could have told you in a letter. I'm sure it's not that important to you." "Nonsense, Twilight. Anything that's important to you is important to me. And I am always happy to come and see you. But, if you have no other business, I really should return to Canterlot." Twilight's eyes scoured the room, darting from books to tables to ponies, trying to find some conversation topic, some reason for the princess to stay a bit longer. Celestia realized immediately what she was doing. She walked toward her student and nuzzled her lovingly, before turning and regarding the yellow pegasus with the same action. "I am happy for you two and wish you the best. Goodnight, everyone. I hope to speak with you all very soon." The large mare stepped through the main door of the library and spread her wings, pulling herself off the ground and into the night air, beginning her long flight back to the bustling city. "I should be on my way as well, dear. Sweetie Belle doesn't want to miss her curfew," A small 'awww' could be heard in the crowd, "But, Fluttershy, you and I will have to discuss this at the spa this week. Well, until then, I bid you all adieu." Rarity hugged the new couple and began a trot to the door. "Wait up, Rares. I'll walk with ya. C'mon, Bloom. Scoots, we'll walk ya home." Tipping her hat to the evening's hosts, she walked with the white unicorn and three hyperactive fillies out into the cool night. "Bu-but... where is everypony going? What about the party?" Pinkie's hair flattened slowly, which Rainbow wasn't anxious to see again. "Uh, Pinkie. You can have the party tomorrow. Now you have a little more time to plan it, so it'll be even better." Rainbow was almost sweating remembering what Pinkie was like the last time she got upset. The pink party pony merely eyed the blue pegasus for a moment, before reclaiming her usual poof hair and bubbly attitude. "Great idea, Dashie! I'm gonna go home and start planning right now." She hopped through the door and Rainbow, verbally kicking herself for enabling the party nut, followed shortly in tow. All was quiet. The four that remained stood in complete silence, looking amongst each other. Twilight glanced back to the door. "So, I guess that's that then. It's over." The other three responded with simple nods. A smile grew on each of the four faces. "Okay, now that that's settled, you two," Twilight pointed between the two smaller figures, "it's past your bedtime." Nyx groaned. "Awwww, but I wanted to hang out with you and Fluttershy." "C'mon Twilight. Just a little bit longer?" Twilight giggled. "Sorry, Spike. You two need your rest. You have your chores and Nyx has school." "Besides, I'll probably be heading home anyway." The others turned to Fluttershy. Twilight had a bit of concern in her eyes. "You're leaving? It's so late." "Well, what can I do?" Twilight blushed and looked away, rubbing one of her legs. "You could... stay here again. You know, if you want." "That sounds nice." The group all walked upstairs. slowly so they had just a bit longer to converse. When they entered the main bedroom, Spike, despite his earlier argument, dropped into his basket and instantly dozed off. This drew a series of giggles from the others. Nyx gave the mares a quick goodnight hug and stumbled into her own bed. The pair looked over the younger roommates with contemplative smiles before turning to each other. They brought their muzzles closer together, sharing one final moment before climbing into bed. They wrapped their hooves around each other, getting as close as physically possible. They thought forward, to the days that lie ahead, as their eyes closed. The voices in their heads that had kept them weak and quiet for so very long were, at last, completely silent. All was well.
A Perfect Plan"Is everypony as excited about the talent show as I am?!" Asked an overly enthusiastic Pinkie Pie. Nopony could even imagine the idea of her being more excited than she was... well, generally. But today she seemed to just be floating. Twilight made sure to check every now and again to ensure she wasn't literally floating. "Pinkie, no one is as excited as you. Ever. About anything." Stated Rainbow Dash. "Well, I can't say I'm as excited as Pinkie, but I do look forward to it. I can't wait to see what kinds of acts we'll have. Ooh, maybe I should sign up for it." Twilight pondered. Rainbow chuckled. "What's your talent, egghead? Lecturing ponies to sleep?" Twilight glared. "I was thinking I could show how fast I can make a rainbow disappear." Rainbow backed away. "I'll be good." "Hey, girls!" The five ponies looked in the direction from which they had been called. A yellow mare trotted toward them. "Well, howdy, 'Shy," Applejack greeted, "Ah thought you were busy with yer animals er somethin'." "I was, but Angel offered to take care of them so I could go out." Rainbow's face grew into a quizzical expression. "Uhh, are you sure about that, Fluttershy? Cause knowing Angel, it sounds more like he wants you out so he can be in charge." "I'm with Dashie on this one. That bunny is a big meanie-pants." Pinkie said as she jumped onto "Dashie's" back. "Pinkie. Get... off." "Trust me, Angel's a sweetheart. He can just be a little..." "Egotistical?" Rarity suggested. "Maniacal?" Dash questioned. "Eccentric?" Twilight deadpanned at her. "Eccentric. Let's go with that." "Well, now that yer free, we were 'bout ta git some lunch. You hungry, 'Shy?" Fluttershy nodded, holding her stomach a bit. "I kind of missed dinner last night. And breakfast this morning." Rarity gasped. "You mean to tell me that you have gone nearly 24 hours without food?! Oh, nononono. This will not do! We must get a salad into you immediately!" Rarity was Fluttershy's closest friend, and always felt the need to look out for her. Fluttershy attempted to protest as Rarity began scooting her towards the nearest restaurant, but Rarity simply used her magic to seal her mouth shut. "You know it's useless to argue with me by now, Fluttershy. Going so long without food is not healthy. You need a minimum three square meals per day to maintain a healthy digestive system. "She's right, Fluttershy," Twilight chimed in, "It has been proven that your body can adjust to such eating habits and-" "Yeah, yeah. Lecture, science, magic. Can we eat now?" Twilight glared at Rainbow Dash for interrupting her. Rainbow held her hooves up innocently, as if to say "Who, me?" Twilight rolled her eyes. "Ah'm with Dash. Ah'm hungrier than a tree without sunlight." _________________________________________________________________________________ The sun was beginning to set. It had been a wonderful day. After lunch, the friends had gone bowling. Fluttershy had never been one for bowling, having needed so much force to ensure the ball made it to the pins. But since the incident with Obscurity, she had been much less timid. She bowled her very first strike that day. All of her friends had congratulated her, and she was pretty excited herself. When they finished playing, they decided to hang out at the library for a while. They talked and joked the whole day through. But now, the day was over, and they all had to hit the hay so they could prepare for the next day. Before going her own way, Rainbow pulled Fluttershy off to the side, a sly grin on her face. "What?" Fluttershy asked innocently. "Yeah, just keep on staring at her. I'm sure she doesn't find that creepy at all." Fluttershy grew a pinkish hue on her cheeks. "I.. I'm afraid I have no idea what you're talking about." "Oh come on, 'Shy. You had your eyes on her ALL DAY. They almost never left her. Even at the library, you risked throwing looks at her without anyone noticing. If you want to keep it secret, you may wanna be a little more subtle." Fluttershy sighed. When did Rainbow become so observant? "How did you find out?" Rainbow smirked. "You told me. Just now. Besides, it doesn't take a genius to figure it out, they way you gawked at her through the day. Why don't you just tell her?" "I can't. It's not like I haven't tried. I spend hours working up the courage to confess. But the instant I see her, and look into her eyes, it all just melts away." Fluttershy seemed at this moment that she was going to cry. She was like a sister to Dash, and Dash hated to see her cry. She brought her fillyhood friend into a warm embrace. "Hey, don't cry. You know I'm here if you ever need to talk. And if you want, I could help you with her. I'm no love expert, but I'll do what I can." She could feel Fluttershy shaking her head. Shy then leaned out of the hug. "No, Rainbow, this is something I have to do myself. I just need to figure out how to do it without getting cold hooves." Rainbow looked around, thinking. An idea sprung into her head as she noticed the talent show flyers, and her face instantly lit up. "Hey, why don't you show how you feel? Perform something at the talent show, something only she would notice." Fluttershy touched a hoof to her chin. "Well, I have been told that I'm a good singer." "The best! Ponies line-up down the streets to hear you singing at one of Pinkie's personal parties. Seriously, when I look out the window, the houses and lights and even the stars are blocked out by other ponies." "R-really?" "Absolutely! And all of our friends love your singing, especially her. You should totally sing something to her." "But, there are no songs that really appeal to her." "Write one. That's even more romantic, because it's personal." "I... I don't know." "Fluttershy, you want to win her over, don't you?" Fluttershy nodded enthusiastically. "Then trust me. Do this, and she's yours." "But we don't even know if she likes mares. And if she does, we can't be sure she likes me. I mean, if she does like me, why hasn't she made a move?" "Shy, NONE of our friends have ever been in a relationship before. Twilight was too much of a shut-in, AJ and Rarity are always too caught-up in their work, and Pinkie never liked the idea of treating one pony better than everypony else. We're the only two in our group with experience. It has to be you." Fluttershy had to admit, that made sense. "Alright, I'll do it." "Alright! And all of the girls will be there to cheer you on, except me." Fluttershy gave her a confused expression. "I'm gonna be in it, too!" Rainbow winked, "Thought I'd try my hoof at the whole singing thing." Fluttershy's ears flattened. Not only would she be singing before an entire crowd AND the mare of her dreams, she had to do it while competing with her oldest friend. Rainbow seemed to know what was on her mind, however. "Hey, it's not a competition. We're just demonstrating to other ponies things that we like to do. Besides, I'd NEVER compete in a singing contest against YOU. I don't want to make myself look bad." Fluttershy's mouth curved into a small but genuine smile. "Now there's the Fluttershy I know. Anyway, it's getting late. You better go sign-up now, before all of the spots are taken. And we should both head home. Gotta get ready!" They said their goodbyes and Rainbow Dash flew off. Fluttershy signed up on the application nearby, and began her walk home. As she walked, the thought of her union with a certain mare crossed her mind, and her walk became a giddy skip. She walked up the stairs to her second floor, shut the door behind her, and grabbed a quill and paper. She had a lot of work to do. Author's Note Okay, so this is a series I put together when I saw the first episode. I wanted to animate it, but I got tired of my piece of (buy some apples) computer crashing after simply changing tools in Flash. So I decided to just write it out. If you see anything I need to improve on, please let me know. I could use all the feedback I can get. Thanks, and hope you enjoy! :D P.S. If you're wondering what Obscurity is, it's part of this prologue story I had for this series. May write it, not sure yet. P.P.S Second chapter out as soon as I can, but third might take a while. I want to write my own song for it. P.P.P.S. Before anyone goes THERE, I just want to clarify that "Pinkie's personal party" is one held just for the mane 6, AND NOTHING ELSE!
Preparations"No, no, no. There's still something missing," Fluttershy groaned, "Could you start again, Angel?" The rabbit rolled his eyes, and began beating a rhythm on an over-turned pot. "Okay, now all of you." A line of varying types of birds began to sing in harmony with the beat. "And you, little one." A nearby raccoon shook a tin can full of what one would assume to be tiny pebbles. The melody flowed around Fluttershy as she started to sing to herself. It all came so fluently, so beautifully. But, still, there was something off. Fluttershy sighed and waved her animals down. "Oh, what could it be? What am I still missing?" Rainbow's voice echoed in her head *something only she would notice*. Fluttershy gasped. "That's it!" she screamed as she ran upstairs. She came back shortly thereafter holding two items, and looked at the first. "Something only she would notice," she recited before sticking it in her mane. She then turned to the second item wrapped in her hooves. Her most prized possession. These items united them all. Before, she had never even spoken to Applejack or Pinkie Pie unless she were buying something from them. These small trinkets allowed her to connect to other ponies for once. In fact, all of her friends had learned something from these magical accessories. They were not just magic Evil-B-Gone devices. They were Fluttershy's connection to the five ponies that meant more than anything to her. She locked her Element of Harmony around her neck. Just wearing it made it seem as though all of her friends were there with her. It gave her more than enough confidence. She looked up with strong determination in her eye. "Let's do this." *********************************************************************************************************************************************** After working for about three hours straight, Fluttershy felt like taking a walk, just to clear her head. She put her quill and element down and explained to everyone that she was going into town for a while. "You behave for Angel now, okay?" Fluttershy called to all of her animals. They nodded nervously, as Angel grew a malicious grin on his face. Fluttershy noticed this. "Ummm... on second thought, Berenger is in charge today." The grizzly grinned, and Angel shot him an irritated glare. Fluttershy stepped out of the door and headed toward the center of town. But she couldn't help but feel as though she had forgotten something. ************************************************************************************************************************************************* As usual at this time of day, the streets were primarily empty. As Fluttershy walked, waving to ponies she knew, she started appreciating all of the little details of the day. Birds singing in the distance, leaves dancing in the wind, the beautiful colors in the sky as the sun began to set. This is why she didn't live in one of those big. fancy cities like Canterlot. Too much distraction, noise. Here, it was all just so beautiful. Eventually, she noticed an orange pony waving to her. She walked over and greeted her friend. "Hello, Applejack. How are you today?" "Ah'm doin' alright, thank ya kahndly. Yerself?" "Oh, I'm well, thank you. What are you up to right now?" "Ah'm just takin' a walk. Enjoyin' the day." "Yeah, me too. I figure it could help me with my writer's block. The show's getting close. I really need to finish." "Yeah, I saw that ya'd signed up fer the talent show. What ya writin'?" "Oh, umm, it's kind of a surprise." Fluttershy began to blush. "Ohhhh, it's for a pony, ain't it? Well, whoever this crush is, he or she, is one lucky pony. Yer a great mare, Shy." Fluttershy's blush grew to encompass her entire face. "Th-thanks, AJ. But I'm really not all that." AJ gave a surpirsed look. "Are you foalin' me? Shah, you are the sweetest pony Ah've ever met. Yer good to everypony, even if you haven't met 'em. And yer not bad on the eyes either." AJ gave her a playful wink. Fluttershy was frozen. No one had ever said anything like that to her. Applejack laughed. "You gotta stop hangin' 'round mah brother. Yer startin' ta look lahke him." Fluttershy heard whispering nearby, and saw a couple of ponies staring at her. When she looked at them, they nonchalantly walked away. "What were they looking at?" "Ah don't know. Heh, prolly jest jeal-" AJ stopped when her eyes fell on Fluttershy's head. "Shah, what is that in yer mane?" Fluttershy raised an eyebrow. "My mane?" She lifted a hoof up, and her eyes grew to the size of plates when she realized what was there. She instantly bolted around. "I'm sorry, AJ. I have to go!" And she darted home as fast as possible, naive to her friend's shouts as the wind dashed by her ears. ********************************************************************************************************************************************** "I can't believe I wore that outside! Stupid!" Fluttershy kicked herself as she took the item out of her mane and threw it on the table next to her song. "I need to be more careful. I don't want this getting out until the show." She gazed upon that paper on which she had poured her heart, and smiled. She looked at the clock. It was getting pretty late, and the talent show was tomorrow. She decided to go to bed early. She was going to need her strength. Tomorrow was the big day. She clutched her pillow, hoping soon to replace it with a certain mare. Author's Note Guessing game for you all: Who knows what Fluttershy put in her hair? It's very subtle. Here are a couple of hints: 1. It IS in the show. 2. It is NOT an individual item in the show. 3. Nopony wheres it in the show. 4. It is part of something bigger. Someone MIGHT get it now. That is all.
Showtime!Fluttershy awoke peacefully, her songbirds chirping her a lovely wake-up call. She smiled at them. "Oh, that's beautiful! Thank you." She sat up in her bed and stretched satisfactorily. A loud yawn escaped her. "That was one of the best rests I've ever had. I feel so full of energy. This is going to be a fantastic day. I hope." Despite her enthusiasm, Fluttershy was still anxious. The idea of her crush, and one of her best friends, rejecting her weighed on her heavily. She shook her head free of her negative thoughts. "No, you've come too far. You will not back out this time." Fluttershy steeled her resolve, and nodded to herself. "This time, I will see this through to the end. And may whatever be, be." She climbed out of her bed and walked downstairs. "First things first." She trotted into the kitchen to prepare breakfast for all of her beloved animals. __________________________________________________________________________ There was a loud knock on the door. "Fluttershy," Rainbow called, "C'mon, they need to see all of the contestants behind the stage for set-up and rehearsal." She heard a fumbling sound inside. "One moment." After a few seconds, the noises emanating from the small cottage subsided, and the door slowly creaked. Rainbow Dash raised a brow. "What's that in your mane?" Fluttershy smiled. "Something only she would notice. It's a phoenix feather. I got it from Philomena, Princess Celestia's pet phoenix. Remember? When she came to town and I thought Philomena was sick, I kind-of swiped her. When Twilight found out, she did everything she could to help me treat Philomena and return her so I wouldn't get punished. She put her own flank at risk to help save mine." "Oh, yeah. I remember it now." She chuckled at the memory of the bird helping her mess with the guard ponies. "So, you get that song finished?" Fluttershy reached into her saddlebag and pulled out a small sheet of paper, waving it at the cyan pegasus. Rainbow instinctively reached for it, but Fluttershy quickly retracted her hoof. "Not until the show." Dash looked irritated, which made her friend giggle. "All right, we should get going." Fluttershy stepped over the threshold of her doorway and walked alongside. "Oh, I never asked. What are you singing for the show, Dash?" "Eh, just a little something a couple of fans wrote for me. Just about loyalty, me being awesome. Y'know, the usual." "Yes, Rainbow, I know." She playfully rolled her eyes. As the two walked on, they discussed just about anything that popped into their heads. Work, their activities of late, any good books they'd read (which, in Rainbow's case, consisted mainly of the latest Daring Do adventures). They even chatted about their fillyhood a couple of times. About 15 minutes of mindless chatter later, they found themselves at the stage. They trotted around back, catching sight of several other competitors. Lyra was fiddling nervously with her lyre, Octavia struggled to tune a particular string, Derpy did... whatever it is Derpy does. But the act that attracted the most of Fluttershy's attention was one she could not see. Somepony was practicing her singing, and it was magnificent. "Buck! And I was actually hoping to win this thing," Rainbow groaned. Fluttershy looked to her annoyed friend, and followed her gaze to the source of the singing: Princess Luna. *Wow* Fluttershy though *I wouldn't have expected a princess to be in this contest.* She smiled warmly, and trotted toward the princess. "That's lovely, your majesty." Luna was slightly stricken by the sudden noise, as she turned to face the source of the compliment. "Ah, Fluttershy. It is good to see you again. Did you truly enjoy my singing?" "Oh, absolutely! Some of the best I've heard. Best of luck, I'm really rooting for you." Luna looked puzzled. "Isn't the point of this contest to attempt to out-perform each-other?" Fluttershy shook her head. "For many, yes. Not for me. I have... ulterior motives." Luna winked in understanding. "Your luck is appreciated, Fluttershy. I hope you receive much attention from your 'ulterior motive'." Luna pulled the shy mare into a tight embrace. "Um... Princess... Don't want to bother you, but... I can't exactly breathe." "Oh." The night princess sat the wheezing pony down and rubbed the back of her neck. "Sorry, Fluttershy." Fluttershy took a long, deep breath, attempting to recompose herself. "It's okay, princess. You were just caught-up in the moment." "Luna." "Hmm?" "Just call me Luna, Fluttershy. I am more your friend than I am your princess." She smiled at the small pegasus, who returned it happily. The two heard hoofsteps slowly approaching them. They turned toward the direction of the sound, and saw a cyan pegasus walking their way. Fluttershy was so entranced by Luna's singing, she'd completely forgotten she had left a friend waiting for her. Rainbow Dash bowed as she approached the night princess. "Good evening, your majesty," she stated curtly. She had expected response, but she hadn't expected it to be a pair of hooves latching onto her sides. She looked up, just before being pulled into a bone-shattering hug. "And likewise to you, Rainbow Dash," Luna said as she unknowingly forced all of the air from Rainbow's lungs, "and, please, just call me Luna." Fluttershy uneasily watched this exchange, before turning to the princess. "Ummm, Luna," she said. Luna smiled over to her, and she pointed back to Rainbow Dash, who had a grimace of pain etched onto her face. Luna gasped and released her prisoner. "Apologies, Rainbow Dash," she said, connecting a hoof audibly to her own face. Rainbow inhaled deeply, reveling in the fresh air. "It's alright, Luna. It's good to see you again. And just Rainbow is fine. Or 'The Dash". 'Awesome Incarnate' works, too." Fluttershy raised a brow at her friend's unexpectedly developed vocabulary. 'Awesome' shrugged. "Daring Do said it." This time it was Fluttershy's turn to play hoof-to-face. The three were interrupted as a stage-hoof trotted up. He passed small slips of paper to each mare in the group, and slipped away into the crowd. Fluttershy lifted the paper until until a sliver of light shone on it. On the paper was etched a large number six. She assumed these numbers were to be the order of performance. She looked to the others to compare. "It seems I am number six. What about you two?" "I am fifth to stage," responded Luna. "Got three here," Rainbow exclaimed as she waved it around. Fluttershy looked to the other contestants, all focused wholly on the digits locked in their grips. Lyra was particularly interested in her number- 42, which she regarded as though it held the answer to everything. "Looks like we're pretty high up on the list. You girls ready?" Rainbow eyed the other two, clearly nervous, though not allowing herself to show it. The other two also presented symptoms of apprehension, but each swallowed her distress and gave an uncertain nod. Rainbow nodded back and the trio looked back to the stage to await the call for the first contestant. ___________________________________________________________________________ Fluttershy had respectively spectated the first five contestants. She closed her eyes and fell into Octavia's beautiful concerto. She watched in awe as Derpy harvested vapor from a stray cumulus and converted it into an array of bubbles. She listened to Rainbow brag about herself. She admired Scootaloo's complex scooter tricks. But without a doubt, the best and most inspiring performance came from Princess Luna. She had sung a song, written by her own hoof, describing the isolation and sorrow she felt on her return from the moon. Fluttershy was swarmed with emotion as she listened, her eyes actually beginning to feel moist. She had never fully understood the hardships Luna had undergone upon her return until that night. She thought, for a brief moment, she even saw Rainbow's eyes glistening. Though, the proud pony would never let anypony see. Whatever voices seethed with anger or fear towards the regal mare were silenced that night. The thought of the princess' haunted past drew her mind to another thought about her crush she had not considered. She chanced a peek from behind the stage and began to explore the audience with her eyes. The first sight to draw her attention was a large, white mare lying down (surely so ponies behind her could see) in the front. Fluttershy didn't realize Princess Celestia would be here. Of course, Luna was performing. She probably didn't give any notice so Twilight didn't start lining the streets with red carpet or something. Just the idea made Fluttershy giggle. After a bit more searching, she found in the crowd the lavender unicorn she had been searching for. She looked around the pony in question and noticed two small forms at her hooves; one purple with a few hints of green here and there, the other a dark black with a violet mane. Fluttershy couldn't believe she hadn't taken Twilight's oldest friend and adopted daughter into account. How would they react to Fluttershy's proclamation of love? Would they disapprove? Would they resent her from trying to take Twilight from them? Fluttershy began hyperventilating. Maybe this wasn't a good idea after all. Maybe she should just- "Number Six!" Fluttershy felt her breath catch in her throat. She could just slip through the rest of the performers, then- no. No, she promised herself she would do this. And in spite of all her misgivings, she will! Fluttershy took a long, deep breath and stepped onto the stage. __________________________________________________________________________ Fluttershy raised a hoof to her face to combat the intense light blaring down on her. When her eyes adjusted to spotlight, she lowered her hoof and looked toward the crowd. She'd remembered where she had directed her attention a few moments prior, and immediately her eyes fell on that same beautiful unicorn mare, now with the little alicorn filly wrapped between her forelegs. The sight put a smile on Fluttershy's face. Twilight, on seeing Fluttershy looking at her, raised a hoof from around her daughter's form and used it to offer an encouraging wave. Nyx saw her mother waving and decided to show her support as well. Though hers was more of a miniature seizure than a simple wave. Fluttershy giggled and returned their gesture, though admittedly not as enthusiastically as the excited filly. Seeing her crush gazing up at her with some admiration and wonder quickly steeled Fluttershy's resolve, and she stepped up to the mic, preparing for what may be the most important and difficult moment of her life. She cleared her throat and leaned toward the microphone. "Um, hello everypony. I'm Fluttershy, and I would like to sing for you a song I wrote recently. I call it "Social Issues". I hope you all enjoy it." Fluttershy carefully placed the feather into her mane and took another long, shaky breath as nearby birds of varying species began to chirp their sweet melody, Angel began a steady rhythm on his pot, Curry the raccoon shook his can with enthusiasm, and Berenger the bear carefully strummed the strings of his guitar. These harmonized into a lovely tune. After a moment, Fluttershy accompanied them. I'll Always Remember That Fateful Day When You First Stepped in My Sight. Your Boundless Beauty Made Me, For My Breath, Fight. When You Smiled That Dazzling Smile, My Head Was Sent Spinning Wild. You Shined Brighter Than the Brightest Star in the Night 'Cause When I Was Younger, I Feared to Speak. My Social Issues Kept Me Feeling Weak. But, Then, There Came the Day I Saw Your Smiling Face. My Whole World Changed the Day You First Looked at Me The crowd listened as Fluttershy spilled her heart out on that stage, completely unaware of the song's true intent. Upon reaching the end of the musical confession, Fluttershy looked up to the crowd, an instant before her ears were blown out by an eruption of cheers and stomps. The audience whistled, clapped their hooves together, slapped satisfied smiles on their faces. All reactions that made Fluttershy feel so much better about herself. However appreciative the ponies were of her song, she remembered it wasn't for them. She turned to the mare of her dreams. Twilight was clapping harder than anypony else, and... Wait, was she... crying? This reaction both puzzled and worried Fluttershy. Did she not like the song? Did she discern its meaning and was crying at the thought of having to break her friend's heart?! Fluttershy struggled to stop herself from trembling as these fears surfaced in her mind. Twilight soon noticed the pegasus staring and cast a gentle smile her way before mouthing a simple, "That was beautiful". This put Fluttershy's concerns to bed. Twilight wasn't crying because she would have to hurt one of her closest friends, or because she didn't like the song. She was crying because it had affected her so much, filled her with such emotion. Many ponies in Ponyville would forget what Twilight was like before moving there. She, too, knew what it was like to be a social outcast. Twilight cried because she had uncovered one of the messages of the song. And if she discovered one, there was a chance she found the other. Not a bad plan after all. _________________________________________________________________________ "Now to announce the winners of Ponyville's first ever Night of the Showpony (not you, Trixie)," a light groaning was heard as Mayor Ivory Scroll pointed out that last little detail. She adjusted her glasses as she read the results, "Third place, Rainbow Dash!" A group of young fillies and colts began chanting "Dash!" at the sound of her name. Rainbow, in true Rainbow Dash nature, began making ridiculous poses imitating a buff, tough pony. Noticing the annoyed look on the mayor's face, Rainbow rubbed the back of her neck and walked toward the third place platform to receive her medal. "Right. Okay, second place is... Fluttershy!" Fluttershy eeped. She hadn't expected to place. She walked up to the second place stand and scanned the crowd. Each pony had a hoof half over his or her eyes and used the other hoof for a quick wave before shielding the eyes entirely. Fluttershy leaned toward Dash. "Umm, what are they doing?" Barely above a whisper she spoke, so as not to interrupt the mayor. Rainbow glanced over at the ponies and smirked. "By now, everypony in Ponyville knows how shy you are, especially when facing the public. So they're covering their eyes so you don't feel uncomfortable." Fluttershy smiled at the ponies. Was there any question why she loved this town? "And now, everypony. The moment you've all been waiting for. First place in the Night of the Showpony (still not you) ("Augh!" Trixie grunted): Princess Luna!" For a moment, the night princess was not certain she had heard correctly. When her brain had finally caught up, screams of praise flooded her ears. The largest voice, shockingly, being that of her older sister. She cast her gaze toward Celestia, who was whistling and stomping and cheering as though Equestria was coming to an end. Luna blushed at all the attention she was receiving as she stepped onto her own pedestal. Luna was given a large trophy and a standing ovation for her victory. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash each offered her congratulations. Fluttershy dared a glance back to Twilight, who was not looking at Luna or Rainbow Dash, but instead staring insistently at her. Twilight had an expression of contemplation and uncertainty on her face. Realizing Fluttershy was facing her direction again, Twilight's expression melted into a glimmering smile. But all too late. Fluttershy had noticed the first look Twilight had been giving her, and the thought of it made her feel uneasy. She was even more unsettled when the unicorn gestured for them to take a walk together. Alone. With hesitation and anxiety weighing heavily on her mind, Fluttershy followed lavender mare from the cheery ponies celebrating the night princess' victory with such frivolity. She had wondered if she should have just stayed with them. Author's Note Sorry this was so long. No one needs to tell me I'm a disgrace. I am fully aware of that fact. BTW, sorry if the song seems rushed. When I first imagined this scene, Fluttershy was singing "Everything She Does is Magic".
Lakeside LamentFluttershy couldn't escape a certain dread as she followed Twilight through the small town. The unicorn had led her to a small lake just outside of town and had tenderly dipped a hoof into it as she lie down. In that moment, she looked more beautiful than Fluttershy had ever seen her. Fluttershy wanted to lie next to her, lean in to her, be warmed by her embrace. But her fear had frozen her at that spot. That is, until the object of her affection smiled at her and motioned for her to sit. It was an offer Fluttershy couldn't refuse. She cautiously stepped toward the other pony and positioned herself beside her. Twilight continued running her hoof through the cool lake water, gazing at the doppelganger that stared back at her. Though nearly all of her focus was on her crush, a bit of her mind did wander to something else. “So where's Nyx? Why isn't she with you?” Her eyes grew to the size of dinner plates after that question. “I-I'm sorry. I didn't mean to take your parenting into question.” Twilight raised her hoof to her mouth to stifle a small giggle. “It's okay, Fluttershy. I understand your concern. I had Spike walk her home. I felt like staying out a bit longer to talk with you.” As she spoke, the lavender mare wrapped her free hoof under her and directed her attention entirely to the pony seated next to her. Though there had been no indication Fluttershy had anything to fear, Twilight's last sentence scared her. “So,” Twilight began, “I really liked your song today.” “Ummm, th-thank you. I'd hoped everypony would enjoy it.” “Is there anything, or anyone, in particular that inspired it?” Fluttershy gulped. “Well, yes. I did write that song for somepony.” “I knew it. Would you be interested in telling who this mystery pony is?” Fluttershy felt a lump in her throat. Perhaps Twilight hadn't figured it out after all. Of course, she could just be playing the pony who had poured her heart out on that stage, in front of the entire town. No, Twilight wasn't that cynical. If anything, she had understood the message and was simply ensuring that it was intended for her before doing anything. Fluttershy tried calming herself. Assuring herself. But she couldn't overcome her fear. Her breath caught as she attempted to speak, converting her words into incoherent gibberish. “I... mneh.. eis...” she stuttered. She had waited so long for this moment. It was just within her grasp. She merely had to reach for it. Why couldn't she just do it? Twilight was dumbstruck by her friend's “words”. “Um, are you okay?” she asked the visibly trembling pegasus. Fluttershy realized she wouldn't be able to say what she needed to say, so she decided to try something else. She steeled her mind, closed her eyes, and began to move. Instantly, she felt her lips press against something. She felt a surge of pure ecstasy. This was a sensation she had dreamed of for a very long time. Oh, how she wished she could stay in that moment forever. But she knew she had to break it. She had to give the other pony time to respond. After all this time, she wasn't walking away without an answer. Fluttershy, despite her own screaming desires, pulled slowly from the other pony. She hesitated only an instant before easing her eyelids open. She'd hoped to see Twilight glowing like a firefly. What she instead saw both surprised and worried her. Twilight looked absolutely stunned, almost as though Fluttershy had just slapped her. All of her hope. Her resolve. Her determination. Any ounce of strength she had mustered had been wiped away in but a single instant. All the tears she had been at war with to hold for so long had regrouped and were now on full assault. She charged from the water and spread her wings. At the time Twilight had finally realized just what was happening, it was too late. Fluttershy was in the air, gone. Twilight felt the same moisture accumulating in her eyes as she watched her aching friend speeding away. Her heart felt heavy, and cold as the northern reaches of the Crystal Empire. She tried to chase the fleeing pony, to no avail. With her lead and her wings, Twilight simply would not be able to catch up to her, and she wouldn't respond to her calls. Twilight was certain she wouldn't land until she arrived at her home, at which point she would lock the door and close all shades, effectively shutting off the entire outside world. Twilight cried harder than she ever had. One of her closest friends just confessed love for her, and she just sat there as though they were discussing the weather. She would never deny that she had made plenty of mistakes in her life. Turning her parents into plants, wandering alone into the Everfree just to end up encased in stone, and of course the Smarty Pants incident. She never thought she'd be capable of messing up worse than she had in the last of that list, turning all of Ponyville into zombies annihilating each other over her doll. But this was by far the worst thing she had ever done. She was hurting more than she ever had in the past. She broke her friend's heart, and most likely lost that friend for good. ...No. No, this wasn't over. She was not giving up. She would not lose Fluttershy. She at least needed time to discuss things. She knew Fluttershy wouldn't answer the door should she knock, so she would need to come up with a plan. Her mind steeled and her eyes dried as she charged at the speed of a timber wolf toward the library. On entering, she quickly grabbed a quill and some parchment. She walked upstairs quietly grab her candle. She didn't want to wake Spike or Nyx. After all, it was going to be a long night.
Mending a Broken HeartIt had been nearly two weeks. Twilight never placed a hoof on that door. She knew it would only prolong the process. Fluttershy, still wholly devoted to the various animals, had finally begun coming out of her house to feed her rather large zoo. Twilight didn't approach her as the small pegasus, though usually very slow and casual, can be quite the challenging flyer. Twilight could easily grab her with magic, but she feared such restraint would only lengthen the rift between the two of them. She decided to take a much safer route, devising an intricate plan to lure the pony into conversation. She trotted over to a cyan-blue pegasus who was busy conducting several other pegasi. The blue mare doubled back to see a lavender unicorn growing ever closer to her. She looked beyond the unicorn at a yellow pegasus mare a considerable distance away who had yet to acknowledge the two of them. As the unicorn walked up, the blue pegasus redirected her attention toward her. "Now?" She asked. The unicorn gave a simple and decisive nod. "Okay. I promised to help you with this, and I stand by that. But I swear to you Twilight, if you hurt her-" "You won't need to worry about that, Dash. I promise. Now, everything ready?" "I'm directing the weather team right now. I can throw together the biggest hurricane in history in ten seconds flat." The unicorn nodded as a small white rabbit hopped toward the pair. "Hello, Angel. Ready for your part?" The rabbit nodded slightly impatiently. He wasn't really the social type. He tried to avoid contact with any of Fluttershy's friends. But he cared for Fluttershy, and he didn't like to see her so upset. So he chose to set aside his misgivings. For now. He hopped away back to the yellow mare. Rainbow Dash flew back to her team, sending them this way and that, whilst Twilight charged back to the tree she called home. ______________________________________________________________________ "Angel. Where are you going?" The yellow pony chased the little white rabbit frantically. He dashed around a corner, and when she finally caught up, he was gone. Her eyes darted back and forth before finding the building she was stand just a few feet from. It was a large tree made to serve as a house. She suddenly forgot about the bunny that had run from her as she slunk down and slowly began backing away. "He's run off before. I'm sure he'll be fine." She darted around and had barely enough time to stop as another pegasus zoomed into view. "Fluttershy?! What the hay are you doing out here?!" It was obvious that Rainbow was screaming, but Fluttershy could still barely hear her. It wasn't until that instant that she noticed the dark clouds, the rain, and the thunder. "A freak rouge storm blew in from the Everfree. It's not safe to be outside. C'mon." Rainbow began pushing Fluttershy back to the treehouse, despite her expressed disapproval. "Rainbow! I can just fly home." "No way! You need to be in some kind of shelter right now, and Twilight's library is the closest building." "Well, you're out here." "The weather pegasi are working to clear this storm out before it causes too much damage. Everypony else needs to be inside." With that, Rainbow opened the door and threw Fluttershy in. Twilight looked up from the book she was currently engulfed in and nodded to the cyan pegasus, who in turn gave a sly wink. "You okay, 'Shy?" She asked as she stood and walked toward her. Fluttershy, on hearing that beautiful, overwhelming voice, merely shuddered. Twilight stopped when she noticed how terrified the pegasus was. She fell onto her haunches where she stopped, just watching the other pony. After what felt like hours, she finally rose to meet her host's eyes. "So where are Spike and Nyx?" "Nyx had a sleepover with her friends, and Spike is helping to supervise. Those girls are a hoof-full." Fluttershy would admit, it was nice to speak to Twilight again. But it was still so hard to be around her. Fluttershy tried to find a way out. She took a swift, subtle look at the clock. Half-past eight. Just late enough that she could excuse herself to bed believably. When she did, Twilight did look slightly disheartened, but she wasn't giving up. She led her guest upstairs to her room and pulled out the guest bed. Fluttershy thanked her and climbed into the bed. When she had just become comfortable, she felt the bed shift behind her. She turned to meet a pair of violet eyes. "Twilight," she asked nervously, "What are you doing?" Twilight giggled. "Not known for taking a hint, are you?" She stared lovingly into the aqua eyes as she quickly closed the space between them, her lips pressing ever so tenderly against the other mare's. When she pulled away, she left in her wake a confused, stuttering pegasus. "But... I-I thought..." "Fluttershy. I didn't respond when you kissed me because I was taken by surprise, not because I didn't feel the same way. Knowing how nervous and timid you are, I just didn't expect you to make a move. It surprised and impressed me, and it showed me how much you really cared for me. These past two weeks without you have been torture. But I never gave up. This whole time, I was organizing a plan." Fluttershy looked through the window to see the clouds cleared away and the moon glowing brightly. A blue pegasus flew past the window, casting the occupants a wink. "The hardest part was figuring out a way to lure you over here. I have a brand new respect for Angel. He really does care about you." Fluttershy smiled at the thought of the sweet white rabbit. "Thank you for being the stronger pony. I thought I'd never be here, staring into your eyes, embracing you so closely." She brought their lips together once more. This time, however, they were both prepared for it. Fluttershy felt she might die from sheer joy. Their minds erupted in a bliss neither had ever known. This moment they had awaited for so very long. They wanted to hold onto it for as long as breath remained in their lungs. For the first time in either of their lives, their hearts were complete. For the first time, they knew happiness. Author's Note It's too bad there's more to this installment of the series. That last sentence felt like a decent ending to it. Anyway, sorry if this seems rushed. The chapter started oozing out of me and I just couldn't stop (insert dirty joke here).
Honesty is the Best PolicyShe heard the chirping of the Starlings. She felt the sun warming her face. She saw the light shining through her eyes. And for the first time, Fluttershy didn't care. She didn't want to rise. She desired simply to lie there, wrapped in the loving fore-legs of that beautiful mare. She'd awoken some time ago, and spent the entirety of the time wondering whether the previous night was a dream. There had been one occasion when she had convinced herself it had all been in her head. That fear was dispelled when the bed's other occupant had let out an endearingly cute snort. Fluttershy had to cover her mouth to prevent waking her with her laughter. It was truly a magnificent day. Fluttershy soon heard a new sound, a knocking on the front door. Probably just a customer wishing to check out a book. She, as with all other distractions of the morning, simply ignored it. That is, until she heard said door open and a familiar farmpony's voice echo through. "Twi?" Fluttershy wasn't certain Twilight would be so quick to tell their friends about their new relationship. As she heard hooves moving toward the stairs she knew she couldn't stay in bed any longer. She lifted herself just enough to be visible over the banister. The earth mare on the floor below looked up to her. "Well, howdy 'Shy," she greeted, "whatcha up to?" "Oh, um, Twilight and I were just having a little sleepover, is all. What are you doing?" "Oh, Twilight promised ta help me with th' apples. Is she set?" Fluttershy looked towards Twilight's usual bed to avoid any suspicion. "I'm sorry, Applejack. She's still asleep." AJ waved a hoof at her. "Don't ya fret none. Jest send 'er bah when she's ready. See ya, later." "Goodbye, Applejack." Fluttershy sighed in relief as the orange pony stepped through the door. She felt the bed shifting and turned around. The unicorn beside her had begun stirring, slowly pulling from the enticing grasp of sleep. Fluttershy giggled and slowly caressed the other pony's waist, eliciting an onslaught of giggles which grew to roaring laughter. "'Shy, stop!" She managed to choke out through shaky breaths, though the look on her face told she was enjoying this torment. "I'm sorry, Twilight. I couldn't quite hear you. Did you say more? Well, if you absolutely insist." Now she placed her second hoof next to the first and began to torture her prisoner without mercy. Twilight was practically screaming now and tears stained her face. At last, she gained enough strength to fight back. Her horn ignited and an aura of lavender enveloped her attacker, pulling her off and locking her to the bed. Fluttershy frowned at this turn of tides. "That's cheating," she said, to which Twilight only chuckled. "All's fair in love and war. Now, payback time!" She lunged for the yellow mare, her hooves launching this way and that. Fluttershy ached as she choked on her laughter. The pony atop her grinned maliciously as she continued her assault. After she felt the little yellow mare had had enough, she stopped and smiled down at her, who returned the expression with as much love and joy, as she leaned in to lock their lips together once more. For one sweet, tender moment. When at last they had pulled away, Fluttershy remembered the message she was meant to relay. "Oh. Applejack came by a few minutes before you woke up. She said you promised to help her with her apples?" Twilight gasped and jumped out of bed. "Collecting apples! I completely forgot. I'm sorry, I need to go." She was stopped dead in her tracks as she was caught in a gentle embrace. "There's only one mare that can make you so frantic now, and that's me. Now relax. First you'll eat breakfast, and then you can go help AJ." "But-" Fluttershy pressed her hoof against Twilight's mouth. "No buts. I'm going downstairs to make you some blueberry and cinnamon pancakes so you'll plenty of energy to work." Twilight smiled as the pegasus took wing and flew downstairs. Just the idea of those pancakes made Twilight's mouth water with anticipation. She supposed AJ could wait an hour. __________________________________________________________________________ Twilight finished her incredible breakfast and kissed her chef goodbye as she walked through the door, heading toward the large Sweet Apple Acres at the edge of town. She hopped through the town with a spring in her step. She waved and greeted everypony she passed. The birds sang tunes of harmony softly in her ear. What a gorgeous day it was. After strolling through town for roughly twenty minutes, she finally reached her destination. The large orchards of Sweet Apple Acres dominated her view. She wandered through the orchards until she heard a familiar sound: hooves connecting with bark. She followed the noise and stumbled onto an orange earth mare. She was hard at work slamming her back hooves into the trees to shake free their supply of delicious apples. "So Sorry I'm late." The sudden noise started the earth pony halfway through a buck, causing her to miss and swipe along the sides of the tree. "Jeez, Twilight. Don't sneak up on a pony like that. If I'd spun 'round, I woulda taken yer head off. I told 'Shy to send ya to me when you were ready ta work. Ya got nothin' t' 'pologize for. Anywho, now that yer here, ready ta git ta work?" "As always." "Good ta hear." Applejack led Twilight to a separate orchard abound with apples. Quickly, they set to work, Twilight using her powerful magic to pull apples from the trees whilst AJ ran to another side, bucking like she never had before. It took them a mere two hours to finish their. Perhaps a new record. They both lie, panting, on the hill at the center of the farm. "Now that there was a harvest! Thanks for the help, Twi." "Don't thank me, AJ. I was glad to do it." "Anyway, we're gonna be startin' lunch soon. Yer welcome ta stay." "Sorry, AJ. I need to get home. I kinda left Fluttershy alone there." She's still there? I thought y'all were just havin' one of them sleepovers ya like so much." "Oh well yeah but I invited her to stay through lunch." Twilight started getting a bit nervous, which Applejack was not blind to. "Y'know, yer acting a bit weird right now. Fluttershy was too, earlier. Acting all suspicious, as though..." She stopped as the pieces fell into place in her mind. She looked to Twilight with wide eyes. "Fluttershy?" she asked. Twilight jumped and looked around frantically "What? Where?" She suddenly realized she was acting like a filly with a schoolyard crush. She turned to her friend, still just watching, though she had seen more than she needed. "Annnnd when did this happen?" Twilight groaned uncomfortably. "Last night." A hint of an expression managed to find a way to her face. Though it was more shocked than Twilight had hoped for. "Last night? You mean to tell me you two-" "No! Nononono. Nothing like that. It was completely innocent. We talked and we fell asleep. That's it." "Sorry ta seem like I was jugdin'. Guess it was jest outta spite. I am kinda hurt that you didn't tell me this, that I had ta figure it out fer maself. Don't ya trust me?" "AJ. Don't think like that. Of course I trust you. It's just that Fluttershy and I haven't discussed it. I'm not sure whether we're ready to tell everypony." "No." Twilight looked back to her, confused. "I'm sorry?" "I won't go shoutin' this from the rooftops, but I refuse to keep it from our friends. I'm sorry." "But, AJ-" "No buts, missy. Either you two tell 'em, er I will. Tonight. They're our best friends, Twi. We can't just push them out like that. 'Sides, what happens when any o' us try ta do something without tellin' the others 'bout it? When the curtains close, things are ten times worse than they needed ta be. I ain't goin' through it agin. Tell 'em, er I will." "Okay," Twilight sighed, defeated. But Applejack wasn't finished here. "And Twi. You should tell her, too." "I'm sorry, who?" Twilight tried acting stupid. Applejack easily saw through it. "You know who. The princess would wanna know 'bout this." Twilight groaned and nodded subtly. Though she wasn't anxious to admit it, she knew Applejack had a point. Nothing good ever came from keeping their friends out. She decided to send a letter to the princess when Spike got home, and go to fetch Rarity herself. Rainbow Dash already know, and Twilight was certain Pinkie found out in some way. "Well you know, Rarity's probably the only one in the group who doesn't know. Maybe we could wait just-" "No, Twilight! I'm not keepin' this from Rarity. She has been a good friend ta us." Twilight's hooves shot up beside her head, waving in her defense. She couldn't help but feel that reaction was unnecessarily harsh. "Okay! Sorry I asked." Twilight had given up on try to sway Applejack. She stood and bid the other mare farewell before beginning the trek back home. ______________________________________________________________________________ It didn't take her as long to arrive back at the library. She had cut a few corners to ensure she made it back before Spike and Nyx. However, when she opened the door, she realized she should have cut a few more. Fluttershy was at the center desk, reading the ever-active Nyx a story, while Spike worked away in the kitchen to make the best lunch in the history of lunch. The two heads in the entrance area shot to the door as it opened. "Twilight!" the little black filly screamed as she pounced on the entrant. "Where've you been?" Twilight chuckled at her. "Relax Nyx. I was helping AJ on the farm. So what's going on here?" "When we came home, Fluttershy was just heading out. I think we scared her, 'cus she was sweaty and hyperventilating. Anyway, Spike went in the kitchen to make her a special lunch and she started reading to me." "Twilight," a voice called from the kitchen, "can I talk to you for a second?" "Coming, Spike." She trotted into the kitchen where Spike busy tossing a large, complex salad. He turned and winked at her, a slick smile etched on his features. "So, Fluttershy, huh? Well, nopony can question your tastes." Twilight froze on the spot. "Huh?" "I'm a lot more observant than I let on, Twilight. I've seen the way you look at her. You're not that subtle. But I don't think Nyx has realized it. Should probably take care of that. She'd be pretty cross if she found out without you telling her." This sounded oddly familiar. Twilight nodded and gestured for Spike to follow her back to the entrance. When she opened the door, those familiar aqua eyes set on her. Twilight shot her eyes form the other set, to the black filly a few feet off, and back. Fluttershy inhaled deeply and nodded in response as the other two walked up. "Nyx, there's something we need to tell you. You remember that talent show a couple weeks back, don't you?" "You bet, I do! Best night ever! Scootaloo is still getting praise for her performance." She looked to Fluttershy. "And we all really loved your song, Fluttershy." "Thank you, Nyx. I'd hoped you would." "That's actually what I wanted to talk to you about. Well, that song, she wrote it for somepony." Nyx plastered on a smile that covered the entirety of her face. "She wrote it for you, didn't she?" Her excitement caused her breath to catch, eliciting a small gasp. "You two are dating, aren't you?!" She was practically hopping now. "Huh. That wasn't nearly as difficult as I expected it to be." Though Twilight wasn't much surprised. Nyx wa a very intelligent filly. Nyx squealed and wrapped her hooves tightly around her foster mother, who feigned being choked. She then turned and latched onto the other mare with equal force. Fluttershy was more than willing to accept the gesture, and hugged back. "It's so good to know that you're both okay with this." "Well, now that that's out, I have a salad to toss," Spike interjected, beginning the walk back to the kitchen, before Twilight spoke. "Umm, actually Spike, I'm gonna need you for a second. I have to send a letter." Spike spun around as quickly as his claws would allow, as he assumed the purpose of the message. "You want to tell her now? You don't think it's a bit soon?" "Believe me, I would have loved to have at least a good week before sharing this with anypony. But, while I was at the farm, AJ kind-of figured it out. She said she always hated keeping things from the other girls, and that if we didn't tell them tonight, that she would." Fluttershy gasped at this information. Such harshness was highly unlike their farmer friend. "I don't believe Applejack would do something so insensitive." "Actually, I think I see where she's coming from. The time the town hall was wrecked and Applejack went to a rodeo to win the money to fix it, she didn't tell us she hadn't won, instead trying to earn the money before anypony here realized. And, of course, my... incident with Smarty Pants. I had told you girls that I was going to be late for a report. I had never been tardy for anything, and I was so worried Celestia would be disappointed in me. But I never shared this fear with you, I simply told you my report was almost late, and stormed off when none of you took it seriously I stormed off. Had I discussed it with you, I may have avoided that problem entirely. No matter how big or small a problem, we try to handle it ourselves and we push the others away, which always makes things worse." Fluttershy was reminded of the time she had spent working with Photo Finish. She'd hated modeling, always being so exposed to the public. But she continued to do so because Rarity had urged her to take the opportunity, being a very unique one. Rarity had refused, in turn, to share was her jealousy of Flutteshy's popularity. Had they discussed these problems outright, they would have spared each other a lot of trouble. Fluttershy lowered her eyes and groaned, which Twilight easily translated to mean "okay". "So, tonight? Say, eight? We'll round the girls and Princess Celestia up here, and tell them both at once." "Ummm, both?" "Well, we already know Rainbow and Applejack know about us, and Pinkie doesn't need to be told. I'm certain she knows. So, it's just Rarity and Princess Celestia." "How could Pinkie know?" Twilight deadpanned. "'Shy, what is the rule?" "Never question anything Pinkie says or does." A pink head appeared from a space between two books on a nearby shelf. If it had been anypony else, materializing seemingly out of thin air would have been strange. "Yep! I've known since last night. Congratulations! You know what this means?" "No parties, Pinkie. At least not yet. It's already feeling rushed. We just want to take it slow and calm." "Awwww, come on. Just a little one? Just Ponyville?" "Just Ponyville? How many ponies were you actually planning to invite." Pinkie rubbed her forehead as she thought. "Weeeeeeelll... There's Ponyville, Cloudsdale, Canterlot, The Crystal Empire-" Fluttershy began panting and fanning herself with a hoof. "That's... quite a few more ponies than your usual party." Twilight hugged the shaking mess that she cared so deeply for. "Pinkie. None of that. Ever. You can throw one small party for just our closest friends and our families." "Oh, alright. But mark my words, Twilight Sparkle," Pinkie moved closer to Twilight and locked eyes with her, "I will have my 'Two Close Friends Become Closer Than Friends with Each Other and Find the True Meaning of Love' party. Maybe not today, maybe not next week. Probably not even before Hearts and Hooves day. But it will happen. Of that, you can be certain." The pink pony didn't break her gaze as she slowly eased back into the potential dimensional rift from whence she came. The remaining simply returned to their business, as though the pony were just a light breeze that had blown through. Twilight used her magical grasp to pull a quill and some parchment from a nearby desk. After quickly scribbling a few sentences on the parchment, she rolled it, tied and sealed it, and levitated to her dragon companion, whom then engulfed it in an emerald flame. All that remained was to gather together their friends and throw everything in the air. Fluttershy was breathing heavily and Twilight held her close for comfort. She, however, wasn't certain whether she was attempting to calm Fluttershy or herself as her own heart began to quicken it's already heightened pace. _____________________________________________________________________ A group of ponies of varying sizes were assembled inside the small library. Their hosts glanced through the crowd which proved to be a tad larger than expected. They swallowed their fears and walked slowly up to the front of the group. "Twilight," said a large, regal mare in the center of the room, "Not that it's not always a pleasure to see you, why exactly have you called for me? Your letter was rather shy on details. The urgency made it seem as though you were in some type of trouble." Twilight's legs shook as she stared back at the worried expression of the pony she considered to be a second mother. Though she was still in a much more stable state than her partner. Fluttershy was frozen, her eyes darting around the room at the many guests. "Fluttershy?" Twilight attempted to re-attract the mare's attention, but to no avail. She was simply too nervous. "Fluttershy,darling," Rarity spoke calmly as she stepped forward, "Whatever is the matter?" Twilight's eyes regarded the audience, whose attention was focused on the shivering yellow pegasus. Twilight knew of a way to waken Fluttershy from her comatose state. Fluttershy made the first move, she brought them together. Now it was time for Twilight to return the favor. She turned Fluttershy's face gently toward hers and pressed their lips together. Several gasps sounded from the crowd, but Twilight didn't notice. The world around them melted away. In that moment, they were the only things that existed. When they broke off, they did nothing more than stare into each other's eyes for what they believed to be hours. Twilight's eyes widened as she remembered one crucial detail: they weren't alone. She turned to meet a number of smiling faces. Twilight looked toward her mentor, relieved to see a genuinely pleased expression on her face. Twilight looked back to the mare next to her, who was now pulsing with joy. "See? It wasn't so bad," Twilight assured as she placed a tender kiss of the other pony's cheek. "Well," rang the elegant voice of the princess, "what did you expect, Twilight? Did you fear we would not accept your relationship?" "It was an irrational fear, I see now. It was just... a difficult situation. I'm sorry for calling you all the way out to Ponyville for something I could have told you in a letter. I'm sure it's not that important to you." "Nonsense, Twilight. Anything that's important to you is important to me. And I am always happy to come and see you. But, if you have no other business, I really should return to Canterlot." Twilight's eyes scoured the room, darting from books to tables to ponies, trying to find some conversation topic, some reason for the princess to stay a bit longer. Celestia realized immediately what she was doing. She walked toward her student and nuzzled her lovingly, before turning and regarding the yellow pegasus with the same action. "I am happy for you two and wish you the best. Goodnight, everyone. I hope to speak with you all very soon." The large mare stepped through the main door of the library and spread her wings, pulling herself off the ground and into the night air, beginning her long flight back to the bustling city. "I should be on my way as well, dear. Sweetie Belle doesn't want to miss her curfew," A small 'awww' could be heard in the crowd, "But, Fluttershy, you and I will have to discuss this at the spa this week. Well, until then, I bid you all adieu." Rarity hugged the new couple and began a trot to the door. "Wait up, Rares. I'll walk with ya. C'mon, Bloom. Scoots, we'll walk ya home." Tipping her hat to the evening's hosts, she walked with the white unicorn and three hyperactive fillies out into the cool night. "Bu-but... where is everypony going? What about the party?" Pinkie's hair flattened slowly, which Rainbow wasn't anxious to see again. "Uh, Pinkie. You can have the party tomorrow. Now you have a little more time to plan it, so it'll be even better." Rainbow was almost sweating remembering what Pinkie was like the last time she got upset. The pink party pony merely eyed the blue pegasus for a moment, before reclaiming her usual poof hair and bubbly attitude. "Great idea, Dashie! I'm gonna go home and start planning right now." She hopped through the door and Rainbow, verbally kicking herself for enabling the party nut, followed shortly in tow. All was quiet. The four that remained stood in complete silence, looking amongst each other. Twilight glanced back to the door. "So, I guess that's that then. It's over." The other three responded with simple nods. A smile grew on each of the four faces. "Okay, now that that's settled, you two," Twilight pointed between the two smaller figures, "it's past your bedtime." Nyx groaned. "Awwww, but I wanted to hang out with you and Fluttershy." "C'mon Twilight. Just a little bit longer?" Twilight giggled. "Sorry, Spike. You two need your rest. You have your chores and Nyx has school." "Besides, I'll probably be heading home anyway." The others turned to Fluttershy. Twilight had a bit of concern in her eyes. "You're leaving? It's so late." "Well, what can I do?" Twilight blushed and looked away, rubbing one of her legs. "You could... stay here again. You know, if you want." "That sounds nice." The group all walked upstairs. slowly so they had just a bit longer to converse. When they entered the main bedroom, Spike, despite his earlier argument, dropped into his basket and instantly dozed off. This drew a series of giggles from the others. Nyx gave the mares a quick goodnight hug and stumbled into her own bed. The pair looked over the younger roommates with contemplative smiles before turning to each other. They brought their muzzles closer together, sharing one final moment before climbing into bed. They wrapped their hooves around each other, getting as close as physically possible. They thought forward, to the days that lie ahead, as their eyes closed. The voices in their heads that had kept them weak and quiet for so very long were, at last, completely silent. All was well.
