Why is Romance So Hard?

The silence that drifted between the friends that remained silent and still in the middle of the path was almost unbearable, the shouts of confusion and awe could be heard escalating from the city while several ponies clustered around the town square, appearing to be decoding the bluntly obvious message of the most, known fashion designer in the city and the humble retired fashion model, Fluttershy. The truth was that several ponies already knew that Fluttershy harbored feelings for her closest and dearest friend, the glances she tossed subliminally to her when she thought nopony else was watching, and the way that she moved ever so slightly closer to her when the two walked side by side down the market street, picking up various vegetables for the animals that Fluttershy attended to.

The city of earthern ponies and a few distinct unicorns and pegasi were mixting together across every square inch of the town square, arching their necks and our turning their heads to point out various colors that they saw in the formation of the rainbow circle that shimmered brightly in the sky, sparkling from water drops collected from the nearby overcast clouds of the day. All the silence was finally coming to a settle while Fluttershy scooted closer to her sister figure Rainbow Dash, retaining any sudden urge to cling to her and beg Rarity for her most internal and sincere forgiveness, that it was a foalish act of unrequited love that she saw in a romance novel once when she was accompanying Twilight on her ordinary clean up routine of the library's books. All of this could be removed as a misunderstanding later, that Fluttershy had accidentially looked in the direction of Rarity when she spoke, making Rainbow Dash assume the fabulous message was for her and her alone...

The truth was that nopony was going to squirm their way out of this situation, and the silence that mustered was finally broken when Twilight Sparkle's wings flapped and relaxed once more, her purple eyes transfixed on the others around her, attempting to release the tension that remained still. Rarity's eyes beamed with excitement and confusion while her mouth was open, and her blue eyes glanced from the sky above and once more at her best mare friend. Her mind felt as if she was being battered and bruised by a hydra, the roar of the beast that plundered her mind and create a constant distraction from words that were attempting to form in her mouth. Her lower jaw moved up and down but all that came out was carbon dixoide and a mixture of released whimpers while she realized all eyes were fixated on her.

"Rarity," Twilight Sparkle began speaking while she was becoming bored with the silence, but knew that her fellow unicon friend was in an internal battle of conflicting emotions. She remembered constantly what it felt like to be in that situation where the world felt as if it was closing in and you were the one that was standing on a large wire, and were balancing the entire weight of it on top of you, or else everypony around you would suffer if you failed. The way that Rarity appeared to taken back was alarming to all of them, her normal dazzling exterior had faltered and she was quivering with nervousness now, her mane was beginning to frizz as always when she was tensed."I understand that you do not want to harm Fluttershy's feelings if you do not retort the same emotional connection that she shares and harbors for you, but I know that your friendship can prevail through any trifle that you face.. it always has."

Rarity appeared to be only half-listening back the last few words caught her attention and she drew in a deep breath, holding it for a few seconds and slowly exhaling. Her magic worked for the spare manebrush that was hidden away in her saddle bags, and began to brush over the lush curls of her purple mane. The truth was that Ratiy had no common idea on what she should feel or say, she never knew that a mare could express an interest in a shrewed and cunning fashionista such as herself, much less her very best mare friend on the planet. She could pretend that this never happened and remain best friends with her beloved friend, but what if that only affected the timid yellow pegasus more? There was a stinging in Rarity's heart while she finally began to speak, but her words were soft and steady.

"Fluttershy, darling, while I do appreciate this grand display that you had Rainbow Dash preform, I apologize in advance that I cannot retort the same feelings for you. You see, I am a lady Fluttershy, there is no such thing as same-pony relationships when it comes to this fact. I am completely, as you common ponies here would say, straight." Her voice was almost completely nervous now, but she flipped her mane to prove her point, a common habit Rarity always had done when she was attempting to make herself more colorful and expressive in her words. Fluttershy's head twisted with these words and she attempted to mumble something, but before she could, she felt the coldness of the wind blow past her and the warmth beside her of Rainbow Dash vanish.

The multi-colored mane pegasus approached Rarity, magenta eyes flared with a passion of anger and a mixture of hatred. The competitive streak that was always playful had turned into a pit of rage while she fluttershy in the air, her muzzle just centimeters away from Rarity's while her raspy voice raised in defense of her now trembling friend that stood by. Twilight approached her and draped an elegant wing over her, attempting to rest the nervous mare.

"What exactly do you think you're talking about Rarity?! Fluttershy just announced her whole love for the entire town to see, and now you treat this as if it was some stunt pulled off by a newbie? I knew that you high society gossipers could stoop to such lengths, but you, and this all time low? That is a new record even for you Ms.Perfect." Rainbow Dash's voice continued to arch higher and higher while she was attempting to summon every fiber of her being not to launch an assault on the unsuspecting unicorn now. She  could see her muscles tense though and her eyes were beginning to narrow down to slits.

"Oh and I suspect that you and your brutish ways could withstand this situation as well? I am a lady, Rainbow Dash, and I will act as such! I do not need to be scolded as if I were a young filly, but clearly you weren't punished enough as a child, but now if you excuse me, I am going to go back to my shop. I have a very important order that needs to be done." Rarity's voice forewarned that if Rainbow Dash continued the argument that there would never be an end to it, but the stubborn pegasus never seemed to realize her mistake while she rushed forward and grasped Rarity's mane, tugging hard on it and forcing her rear end to slide down into the ground while the white unicorn squealed in pain.

"You good for  nothing, lazy and arrogant unicorn! I never had a problem with you until now, and now you crossed the final line. You are just going to allow Fluttershy to sit here while you walk away to finish some stupid order in your little dress making shop? Perhaps we could interest you in a cup of tea as well, because apparently Fluttershy is the least important pony to you right now!" Rainbow Dash was holding tightly onto Rarity's mane as she spoke through her teeth, she was now hovering in the air and holding Rarity a few inches off the ground while she squirmed and flailed.

Twilight Sparkle watched the brawl between the two and her eye was beginning to twitch, a common sign that the anger was growing within her and she was becoming fed up with this childish display."Girls, enough! Would you want to have the princessess see you two acting as if you were still in grammar school? I do not believe that for once, you two would stoop as low as brawling in the middle of a public road! Can't we speak about this as three civilized ponies? Let her down Rainbow Dash!" The magic in Twilight's horn was beginning to charge and her wings expanded in warning as she was preparing to cast a paralyzing spell to free Rarity from the pegasus if she did not correspond.

However, Rainbow Dash allowed her mane to go free from her mouth and Rarity dropped down onto the ground with an "umph!". Fluttershy quickly ran next to her friend and helped her up gently, inspecting her to make sure that she was fine. When Rarity assured Fluttershy that she was quite alright, the yellow pegasus brushed off the excess dirt on her white coat with the tips of her wings. Rarity turned around and shot a thankful smile to Twilight, but she appeared to be far too busy speaking with Rainbow Dash to notice. The two were whispering hastily, and at last glanced at the opposite two, and flew off together, leaving Rarity and Fluttershy alone.

"I am so sorry Rarity, I should have never forced that upon you. I must be the most terrible friend in the existence of friendship!" Fluttershy threw her hooved up into the air out of defeat, lost for more words while she sat down on her haunches and stared directly at the face of her rejected lover, and attempted to spill out the words of her desire for her. Rarity's blue eyes met her own and she could swear she saw what seemed to be electricity floating around them.

"Nonesense, darling. You were simply making it clear about  how you felt and I condem you for that much. However, the matter is that Rainbow Dash, while ever brutal and careless as she is, did display a point. You were being tossed aside and I am sorry, Fluttershy. I just cannot return the same feelings as what you harbor for me alone, I do hope you will find somepony that makes you happy. Perhaps we can arrange for dinner and then find a few hot spots in Ponyville to find you a nice mare?" Rarity stood up and dushed off the remainder of her cut, brushed her hair a few moments, and was healing over her scapes with a bit of her magic.

"M-my, yes. That would sound lovely."

"Very well then, if you excuse me my dear, I must return to my shop. Farewell, I hope you feel better. We shall find you your special spomepony, if not, I am not the Element of Generosity!" With that, Rarity raised her hoof in the air, crossed over her chest, and trotted away into the distance, leaving Fluttershy to wallow in the dirt, the images of her head swirling about what had just occured. Now she was alone, and began crying with defeat.

I wanted you to be my special somepony...