A mercifully refreshing evening passed for Twilight, Rarity, Sweetie, and Fluttershy. With their visit to the spa, a proper meal, and a much needed good night's rest, most of the ache of the past week for all four ponies was eased significantly. None had needed it more than the little yellow pegasus who, by the next day, had been energetic enough, finally, to see a full return to her duties about the cottage.

Still, Fluttershy held a kernel of anxiety for what she'd gotten herself into at the very end of Twilight's last lesson. In a flurry, the feathered mare set out after breakfast to complete her essential daily tasks. She needed to be done with the last important part of her discussion with Rarity. She longed to feel the ultimate relief of her burden, to put the last of her worries to rest, at least as far as her fiancee's older sibling was concerned. Knowing that Rarity might, at any moment, be called to busy herself with work, Fluttershy begged for another meeting as soon as possible.

Today was the day she would tell the white unicorn sisters that she'd had more of an issue with self-control than they knew. Today, she would tell them of the countless times she'd tried to reign in her sexual appetite, only to let it out with the animals she cared for.

Finally, in Twilight's loft once more, she wasted no time. Aided at moments by Twilight's matter-of-fact commentary, Fluttershy picked up where she'd left off over a week ago. “I understand completely if you don't trust me,” she had said back then, and it had taken more than a little courage for Fluttershy to admit. Sweetie had been aghast that her special somepony would risk wrecking their chances, but Fluttershy knew she hadn't known any better. “I don't trust me.” she had finished. By Celestia, she would make herself trustworthy, if for nopony else, then, at least, for Sweetie Belle.

“N-no, um ... usually I took care of them with feathers or ... or my mouth.” Fluttershy squirmed a little, unable to help the feeling between her back legs and more self conscious in the presence of the little filly than she'd ever been one-on-one with her before. “And I liked to use—to rub with ... a silk sock on at least one hoof, for myself, but there were other things I sometimes used, like carrots in—inside, and, sometimes, some of them would lick me with a bit of encouragement.” That part wasn't so embarrassing, at least while either of her adult friends had stepped out to give them some private time to discuss the last of Fluttershy's confessions as a couple.

Embarrassed or not, Fluttershy worried and watched the filly's reactions closely. Although the filly had grimaced a little at the thought of tasting animal privates, more than anything, the foal seemed interested in understanding how it worked. Though there'd been no indication, the pegasus couldn't help but feel her young special somepony thought less of her for her sexual compulsions. Part of her waited for it to become too much for Sweetie as it had been for either of her adult friends from the moment they first understood—to overwhelm her and cause her to change her mind about wanting to be together now that she'd finally let out the whole, sordid truth; never mind that they'd come so far.

Another part of Fluttershy knew her fears were unfounded; the pegasus seemed to have the incredible fortune of attracting a filly whose love was more stubborn than her sins were repellent. If she had to confess the specifics to anypony, she was glad it was her—maybe a little too glad. She just wished it were possible not to feel so aroused as soon as her older friends had left them alone. “... that is, most of the time, but, other times, animals closer in size to ... a pony, well ... with them, yes ... sex, just like normal, except, well ... animals are usually a lot less patient or concerned than ponies, so it feels ... really different, from what I can tell.” She let the filly mull over her description.

“Normal. So,” Sweetie drew out the word contemplatively, “they were male?”

“It depended. For intercourse, yes, always.”

“D-do you ... miss being with them?”

“No, Love. I mean ... I care about them all still, but I ... usually felt guilty afterward, so I don't miss it.” She struggled for a second to explain. “I was being selfish. I might have taken care of them, but it wasn't—I didn't treat them like partners. I don't think any of them could have been full partners, even if I trained them to act like it. Like I told you and Rarity, Angel has only ever been that—like a partner—and, because he acts so much like a pony, I avoided doing those things with him, at least, because I didn't want to feel even worse. Treating him almost equal, well ... it meant I couldn't be so selfish, because he acted like—or I made myself think that he knew better, like he could be hurt if I just ignored any promise of being faithful. R-really, he probably would have accepted it in the end if I'd wanted to treat him like the other animals, but I couldn't do that and keep believing that he was more special than the others. Because I knew the others would treat sex and cuddling like I did, like it didn't mean more than only pleasure and comfort, I was able to carry on like that. Of course, I know better, or, at least, I want to believe ... that you and I share something so much more special. I was selfish, not because I treated them like animals, but because I devalued myself—acted as if I didn't know better ... as if anypony who might love me some day, like you do, didn't matter—but I did know better, and ... I'm very sorry now because of it.” Fluttershy looked with pained eyes at the filly for the second time since they'd begun talking that day.

Sweetie held up a hoof. “You already apologized. A lady means it the first time, and that's enough,” she recited, imitating the gracious air she'd admired as Rarity had once told Sweetie the exact same thing.

As she dropped the impression, Sweetie looked tenderly at her fiancee, and Fluttershy beamed back at her. “You're right. I just want to make sure you know I mean it, even without Rarity listening.”

Sweetie smiled brightly back. “Thank you, Sunshine.”

“No thanks needed. You deserve to know, Sweetheart.” Fluttershy's smile didn't waver, but something inside her did.

The filly pondered for a moment back on everything Fluttershy had revealed thus far. “What about their, um ... penises? I mean, they're made to go inside, and my horn—it's, well ... smaller and not the same, I guess.” Sweetie looked down uncertainly. She didn't ask it directly, but Fluttershy quickly understood her underlying worry. Am I good enough?

Fluttershy let out a sad sigh. “Sweetie Belle,” Fluttershy's tone and expression were both soft and serious. The little filly looked back the same. “My first time with you was more special than any other time in my life, and that was even before we came all this way together—before we've even been married. ... I know it might not seem like it, because of the way I acted and what happened after, but it made me happier that you were the one doing that to me than I'd ever felt alone or with any of my animals. I mean, it was better; you're better—so much better that I can't compare you to them ... or, well, I could compare you, but I don't want to. D-does that make sense?” Fluttershy smiled.

Sweetie blushed and felt herself tingle. Both happy and embarrassed, she conceded with a small giggle. “Well, alright then. Y-yes, I understand.” The filly's answer came as a relief to Fluttershy, and her mood lightened once more.

A moment passed and the couple fidgeted, each pony anxiously wishing she could make contact with the other, but planted firmly, facing one another for the sake of addressing the business at hoof. “Is there ... anything else?” Sweetie asked, unsure of where the discussion should lead from there.

“There's a lot we can talk about, now that we don't have to worry so much about time, and I'm happy to share everything with you. I wanted to let you and Rarity know about what I felt ashamed to keep hidden from you before. I think you know everything that you need to about my old habits, and I'm especially glad Rarity gave us some space to talk about it privately too. She really must think you're responsible to let me answer your questions without her, and I don't think we have to stop with just this. If there's anything else you're curious about, we can't be heard, and Rarity didn't say we couldn't talk about other things too, like, um ... if you don't mind my asking,” Fluttershy smiled more widely, “did you ever have any crushes before me?” Quietly the mare both hoped and dreaded she might actually be the first.

Sweetie was caught a little off guard by the reversal, but, quickly recovering, brought a hoof to her chin as she contemplated. “I—well, before you told me you love me ... I never really thought that other ponies might think of me that way, at least not until I'm older, so I never really thought about crushes. Except ... I guess I thought Miss Cheerilee was one of the best ponies I knew, and I really thought she deserved a very special somepony. Even though I never thought of being her special somepony, maybe it's kind of close to a crush. She is, um ... really super nice, b-but,” Sweetie added quickly, blushing a little, “you're nicer!”

Fluttershy found herself a little relieved that Sweetie had admired somepony previously. It meant, to her, that Sweetie had been ready, at least to some extent, to be admired. In spite of Sweetie's enthusiasm from day one, the fear that she might have rushed the filly was strong, especially after the discussion they'd had today. More than just relieved, the filly's bashful admission and apparent worry that she might make Fluttershy jealous tickled the pegasus. “Thank you, Sweetheart! It's alright,” she assured, “I love hearing about the ponies that interest you. I know you love me best, and I'm so very happy because of that. Knowing who you like just helps me know you better and feel closer to you.”

Sweetie smiled timidly at the mare's warm reassurance, and she nodded. “O-okay.”

“If you want, I'll tell you about my own first crush.”

The filly's face lit with interest. “Of course!”

Fluttershy felt herself become a little giddy at her special somepony's attention, but trained herself as, for several seconds, she collected the memory from its safe place in her mental journal. She'd shared it with Twilight not too long ago, but it still took her some time to recall.1 “The first pony I ever realized I liked that way was the foal of one of my mom's friends, a little colt my age named Starbeam, about four years old when we first met. ... He had a midnight coat and silver blue mane, cute, but not as cute as you,” Fluttershy smiled adoringly.

“At that age, I first started to understand that there were different kinds of love and that kissing was something that special someponies do. Starbeam saw me one day when Mom took me to visit his family's home. We were five then. He walked up to me, smiling, without saying anything, and, before I knew it, he kissed me on the lips in front of our mothers then ran away. It was only, maybe, the third time we'd met, and, before that, I'd been a little shy around him. He told his mother he kissed me because he wanted to, and my mom had said it was because he liked me. After that, we played more together, but only until we were about seven, I think, and his parents and mine lost touch.” Fluttershy sighed nostalgically. “That was the first time I had been kissed that had meant something special to me.”

Sweetie looked up wonderingly at her fillyfriend, her eyes large and sparkling as she listened. She blinked at the end. “You were kissed before then? You mean, by family?”

“W-well,” Fluttershy blushed, “um, you see, it's been so long that I'm not sure,” she strained to remember. “I might have already begun to play kiss tag at recess in pegasus first grade.”

Sweetie Belle looked slightly shocked and then worried. “K-kiss tag?”

Realizing she'd been insensitive, Fluttershy fretted. “S-sweetheart, I'm sorry. I ... I was really little, and it didn't mean what it means to me now, I promise.”

The foal seemed mollified, “So ... you used to, what?—play tag, but with kisses?”

Fluttershy nodded carefully.

Sweetie considered the information. “I know the animals meant nothing, and that kissing was different when you were little, but ... were there others? I mean, other ponies that you ... kissed or—or had sex with?”

“I—” Fluttershy's ears flattened “—I've never had sex with anypony but you, but there were the colts at kissing tag that kissed me and some other ponies that I liked. I don't remember kissing any other ponies outside of the game, except one other colt. We kissed innocently—just pecks on the lips—until I decided to move to Ponyville. He was ... more than a crush, I think. Even though we were only about your age, I thought of him as my first special somepony. Oh!” Fluttershy blurted just as Sweetie was about to speak. “I, um ... also had a best friend, another person just a few months younger than me, and we ... explored a little, just until I left Cloudsdale ...” Fluttershy watched closely as the filly digested her history, “but I didn't think of her as a special somepony,” she added, clarifying, “and, I guess, because of that, we never kissed.”

“'Person,'” Sweetie repeated, distracted from her original thought, “but, not an animal or a pony?”

“A young griffoness,” Fluttershy answered, nodding.

Sweetie's eyes widened. “Ooo!” she admired in spite of mixed feelings.

Fluttershy smiled at the filly's reaction. “Yes. As Cloudsdale nobility, Mom and dad had some foreign friends, and she—Joli and I both sort of had a hard time making friends with ponies our age, yet we hit it off.”

For each answer multiple new questions formed. “Wait. How exactly would you kiss a griffon?” Sweetie seemed perplexed.

“Well, I never asked her, so I'm not sure, but,” Fluttershy speculated, wanting to satisfy Sweetie's curiosity, “since they're like eagles, they might like to sing or fly together instead. Pigeons and doves just sort of tangle their beaks, but I don't know how it could be done safely between a pony and a griffon. ... The back parts ... are all mammal, of course.”

“Hmm,” Sweetie pondered before moving on to the next most pressing question. “And? I mean ... what happened with the exploring?”

Fluttershy let out a nervous laugh, but concern for how Sweetie might feel silenced it quickly. “We mostly just ... raised our tails and let the other use her hooves or talons to ... spread and look closely ... and smell.”

“Oh.” Sweetie seemed unsure about how to feel and fidgeted a little. “That's all?”

Fluttershy looked up thoughtfully. “We also told each other our fantasies ... about colts we knew, and, once, she led me to a place where we spied on two mares, um ... having sex. ... There were some dares and other things too, but it's ... a little embarrassing.” Fluttershy felt her face grow a tad warmer than it already was and conflict grow inside her. “I think that's everything I ever did with somebody else.”

Sweetie's curiosity persisted. “You ... don't want to tell me what the dares were?” She frowned and her eyes begged.

Fluttershy swallowed. “I do ... a-and I don't.” She sighed. “Sweetie, I ...” she attempted to speak candidly with the filly, but hesitated often, “I feel bad ... telling you about the ... wayward parts of my foalhood and about the animals later because ... a lot of reasons, I guess. I don't want you to think I'm bad, and I don't want you to think you should do the same things I've done, and ... I love your purity, and I know that my impurity is ... ugly ... just terrible next to how beautiful you are.” The mare choked back some emotion, but for the most part remained calm. “I worry that you'll blame me some day as much as I blame myself for taking your i-inno—erm, making you deal with all of my problems when, instead, you should be playing and wondering what your cutie mark will be like your friends.”

Fluttershy tensed against her shame—tried in vain to tell herself it would be alright.

The mare frowned. She knew it was useless to try and fool herself. “I chose all of these things myself, and it's not fair that you should have to ... to hear about all of it, I guess. You didn't choose any of it, and yet ... I ...” Fluttershy turned her gaze away, unable to bear looking into Sweetie's pure foal eyes. Her lips tightened, her teeth set on edge for a second against her own maddeningly weak will, and, as her eyes stung, she swallowed once more. One calming breath later, she looked down at the floor, and fell silent.

“But I ...” Sweetie tried, in spite of how small she felt, to say something that might help. “I chose you.”

Fluttershy made herself look up at Sweetie and smile, but her eyes betrayed the conflict she felt. She sighed, uncertain whether she ought to say what was bothering her. “It just isn't fair to you. ... Please, don't worry—” she stopped herself. “I'm sorry. Maybe ... maybe you should worry ... at least a little, I mean.” Dangerous or not, she'd put off saying it long enough, Fluttershy decided.

Sweetie needed no prompt to worry.

“The things I've been telling you—about animals, about my foalhood, and everything else I'd like to tell you, about the dares and about my fantasies—part of me likes all of it still, whether or not they're dirty or ... or even wrong. Part of me wants you to want them, to share them with me, even though ... what I said earlier is still true: I love your innocence. ... Part of me wants to keep being the immature filly and selfish mare that I was, to just forget about the rules and pretend you're mine already, to trade your virtue for ... for careless pleasure so that we can be selfish together, but that—even though it seems like it could make us happy for a while, I just ... don't know.”

Fluttershy fought for several moments with herself to recover from the temptation. Shutting her eyes tightly, she let love and sorrow push it all back until, again, she remembered the value of self-control. When she opened her eyes, Sweetie Belle looked uncertainly back at her, as though waiting for some instruction.

“The better part of me knows that ... that's a terrible idea. The responsible and mature part of me only wants to tell you about my past so that you'll know me better and have the chance to see the real me with all of my flaws, my strange and ugly habits. The good part of me doesn't want you to be anything you don't want to be, just ... beautiful you—” Fluttershy smiled, and her eyes sparkled at the filly “—better than I was when I was your age, more mature and so much more selfless.”

Sweetie's face turned a shade of pink behind a still-uncertain frown.

“I used to use sex just to make me forget that I was unhappy, but it only made things harder for me in a lot of ways. I want you now—to have sex with you when we're married, I mean—and I want you to want me the same way, but I want your love for me to come in whatever way feels best to you, not selfishly or strangely, unless you're really sure that's what you want. ... I know you chose me, and I couldn't be happier for that, but there are different parts of me that fight each other, and I think ... I have to let you know about it, so that you'll be ready if—” the corners of Fluttershy's mouth pulled downward “—if you ever have to face my selfish side again, like you did the day I first told you I love you.” A moment passed, and Fluttershy let out a soft sigh, relieved that, whether or not she'd made sense to the filly, she'd said what needed to be said.

“You ...” Sweetie processed. “Part of you wants me to ...” her stomach turned, “h-have sex with animals ... with you?”

Hearing it restated so plainly and seeing the filly cringe, Fluttershy frowned more deeply, her brow furrowed, and guilt twisted her insides, but she nodded. “Part. Yes.”

Sweetie swallowed before moving on. “And you ... want to ... ignore the rules?” This time, there was no cringing, only the need to make sure she understood.

“P-part of me.” She nodded. The fact that the filly seemed amenable to it didn't escape Fluttershy, and the prospect of rebellion frightened and titillated her as it had since their first private talk in Twilight's loft.

“Whatever way feels best to me?” Sweetie checked.

Fluttershy nodded. “Mmhm.”

“But you might, uhm ...” Sweetie's voice shook a little, “you might lose control again, like at your house?”

Fluttershy wilted. “It's ... possible, but ... not likely. Very very unlikely,” she corrected, “unless I ever let myself become that desperate again—which I won't—but I also meant what happened before that. I mean, it was selfish of me to fake, to pretend to be asleep so that you wouldn't stop, and then to ask you to keep going even though we weren't ready. ... I mean, I might do something mule headed like ask you for something you don't want or aren't ready for, even after we're married, but I hope that you'll say no if I ever do and not blame yourself ... whatever that something might be.”

Sweetie relaxed, but remained thoughtful. “What kind of—” she stopped, recalling a different question instead. “What were the dares you did with your griffon friend?—I mean, if you don't mind telling?”

Fluttershy half-smiled suddenly and looked sheepish. “I guess it's not really a big deal, but ... you might think it's gross,” she warned.

Sweetie raised an eyebrow. “I'm waiting.”

“Sometimes, we'd flash our nethers in public while trying not to be caught.”

“That's not gross,” Sweetie observed.

“That's not the gross part. You see, there were other times that we, um ... had pee fights.”

There was the reaction Fluttershy expected. “You mean, like peeing on each other?” Sweetie asked.

Fluttershy nodded, blushing. “We'd move our bottoms, using the streams like swords.”

“Okay. That does sound a little gross.” The filly laughed at the image in spite of herself, and Fluttershy chuckled with her.

“Uhm ... I forgot to mention, I sort of taught Joli—showed her—how to masturbate once, but that wasn't a dare.”

Sweetie suddenly blushed once more and shifted anxiously for a moment. “Y-you ... think it's best for me to wait, and not try it, right?”

Fluttershy hadn't expected the question, but she wasn't surprised by it. A half-smile formed again across the mare's muzzle. “Part of me thinks so.” Her guilt at being so ambivalent prevented the mischievous giggle that would have followed, and, instead, she sighed inwardly at herself. “I mean, yes.”

Sweetie contemplated quietly for a moment. “Because ... the feelings are strong ... and can change a pony before she's ready, right?”

“Right.” Fluttershy nodded, smiling, glad that what she'd said weeks ago had stuck with the filly.

“If I ... changed, would that mean that I might be ... more like you?—like, maybe I'd start to like some of the things you do: a-animals and stuff?

Comprehension dawned on Fluttershy. “Maybe, but ... I don't think it's likely, unless you forced yourself to try them until it felt normal and then, eventually, good. It was years before I felt brave enough to try sex with, well ... animals,” she left the species unnamed.

Sweetie Belle nodded. “I'm just sort of ... curious.” Sweetie felt a familiar tension building. “Kissing felt ... really good, and, also, I, um ... touched myself before I tried licking your ... vulva?—” Sweetie checked to make sure she'd used the right word. Fluttershy nodded, blushing “—and that kind of felt the same almost.” Sweetie looked expectantly up at Fluttershy.

“It's really even more powerful than the feeling you had from kissing on our date, and it's more powerful than just rubbing or touching yourself a little under your tail. Nothing compares to real sex. Um ... if you did try masturbating—I mean, I hope your first time can be when we're together, of course, and you know I'm practicing self-control right now too—but if you did, you'd probably be satisfied with just the most simple orgasm. You might want another soon after, and cuddling feels wonderful, but you wouldn't need or want anything unusual to excite you unless you'd been masturbating for a very long time, I think. You still might like some of the things I mentioned, or you might find your own special tricks, different from mine, but you probably won't crave them like ... like I often feel I do.”

The filly nodded and processed once more.

“Please don't worry about trying my ... stranger interests for now. I mostly just wanted to prepare you, in case I might ask you to try them with me some day, but only if you're interested.”

Sweetie's mouth twisted in contemplation. “Expo-sitionism,” Sweetie tried out the new vocabulary word, “and ... pee-fighting too?”

Fluttershy praised her with an approving nod and large smile. “Well, maybe I've grown out of certain parts,” the pegasus explained, “but, if turning it into a sword fight makes it fun for you, then, I suppose so, yes. I do still like the pee part a little. As for flashing each other in public, I think it's just too risky now. Two little fillies could get away with it if one were caught, but ... not us. Of course, it's normal to show yourself when we're married and alone and you're in the mood.” Fluttershy shook the image that came with that statement as best she could. Sweetie had less success than the mare.

The tension that had gradually built thus far between them rose significantly for the filly. “I—” Sweetie's breath came unevenly “—w-would you ...” she trailed off and gulped. “If I asked, would you still agree to break the rules about visiting each other?”

Suddenly, the tension spiked for Fluttershy. Each pony looked seriously into each other's eyes. “Y-yes. In a heartbeat.”

Calling upon every decent part of her, it was all Fluttershy could do to keep herself from begging the filly to ask her. Sweetie did no more than blink silently and become a little lost in the mare's expectant eyes.

At length, Sweetie answered. “O-okay.” The little filly's gaze shifted worriedly. “I-I mean—um ... just ... checking. ... Th-thanks.”

A moment later, both let out tense sighs.

“It's hard, waiting,” Fluttershy spoke what they both were feeling. “And, if you ask me to right now, if you want me to change that answer, to say no even if you beg me to visit you alone, I'll do it. No should be my answer already, for everypony's sake, but ... part of me still wants you enough to break the rules. ... Do you want me to stop that part, Sweetie?—to say no, even if you ask for it?

The little unicorn shrank, her ears folded back, and her eyes shifted uncertainly. “I ... don't know. ... Maybe?”

Fluttershy couldn't help breaking into a smile and a light chuckle at the response. “Maybe is the hardest answer you could have given me.” She couldn't help but laugh again at the expectation she'd had of an easy answer. Sweetie brightened a little at the pegasus's odd upswing, but remained uncertain. “Don't worry, Sweetheart—or, at least, don't worry too much.” Fluttershy looked lovingly at the filly. “I'll take care good of you, no matter what.”

Twilight and Rarity sat watching the pair through a one-way sound-proof para-window of Twilight's magifacture, cleverly and covertly placed within a tome that faced away from all but the two spectators.

“They certainly have plenty to talk about, I suppose.” Rarity remarked.

“No doubt they need to talk about a lot,” Twilight agreed. “It's been hard on them, only having a little time each day, at most, to talk openly and privately during visits, and then spending the last week apart. I don't know why I never thought of this!”

“Well, you were giving them time to ... be intimate,” she whispered, despite nopony being within earshot, “more than just with words, that is. It makes sense that you'd play it safe by leaving no window open for them to be seen.” Rarity had already expressed her displeasure with that idea. She wouldn't press the issue further. “It's not quite as obvious as maybe it seems in hindsight, I admit, to give them separate time to talk. Of course, you had a lot on your mind too, Dear,” Rarity excused.

“Reckless,” Rarity had called their previous private moments, and, though Twilight thought it had been a necessary risk at the time, she didn't contest the statement, but she had asked what other solutions Rarity might have.

Direct contact only under Twilight's supervision had satisfied the couple's desire to share acceptable levels of physical intimacy. It helped that the couple had set stricter boundaries before the Summer Sun Celebration and that Twilight's tolerance for seeing the two kiss had risen after their first date. Rarity's additional proposal of a muted supervisory window solely for the couple's private conversation time eliminated most of the couple's temptation to become distracted as they communicated at length about private matters.

Twilight sighed. “You don't know how much of a relief it is to have your help, Rarity.”

The elegant mare smiled and nodded with a thoughtful hum. “I can only imagine what you went through—” her smile fell into a small frown, “—what Sweetie and Fluttershy must have endured, waiting for my decision.”

The expressions on the couple's faces played dramatically at times over the course of the next hour without any noticeable need to intervene. As Rarity read through Twilight's extended notes, she couldn't help but watch the curious couple more closely than strictly necessary at times and feel as though she were peeping.

“I wonder,” Rarity paused at the end of one scroll, interrupting the persistent scratch of Twilight's quill on parchment, “do you think there's any risk, just in letting them talk?”

Twilight recalled her assessments. “There is, I think; yes. In the end, whether by allowing them to talk this way, by giving them time unsupervised like I did before, or by forbidding all private communication, I can only estimate the risks and weigh them against the benefits.”

“You must have thought about what might happen in the worst case,” Rarity prompted.

Twilight's lips pressed into a thin line. “In the worst case scenario, there would be nothing we could do but damage control ... if even that,” the purple pony answered frankly. “I've considered as much, of course, but it's important we prepare for every likelihood, both bad and good, not just the unlikely extreme. ... They know the consequences and know that we're here to help. Whether or not they continue to accept our guidance and hold to the boundaries we've all discussed, the destiny of their relationship rests mostly on their shoulders now—or always has, I should say. Meanwhile, I'm trying to stay optimistic, to prepare as thoroughly for their happy ending as I do for their ... less happy ending.”

A quiet moment passed, and Rarity made her own assessment. “I'd like to be optimistic as well, but ... she has anything but a sparkling record, Twilight.”

Twilight simply nodded, concerned. “Do you think you'll change your mind after all, now that you know?”

“Not yet, no.” Rarity thought hard. “But, if ever I do ... I realize now that it's not my mind only that would need changing.”

Author's Note

Many thanks to Setokaiva for pre- and post-editing.
And thanks to dekutree64 for additional proofreading!

Sources:
http://www.hancockwildlife.org/article.php/AMatingBehavior
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AOGJBz5najQ