Body Language

Chapters

Ch. 1 - A Moody Kitty
Ch. 2 - Fluttercat
Ch. 3 - Pet Talk
Ch. 4 - Acceptance
Ch. 5 - Snuggle Buddy
Ch. 6 - Spa Daze
Ch. 7 - Collared Girl
Ch. 8 - Firsts and Lasts

Ch. 1 - A Moody Kitty

Rarity stood in front of Canterlot High with her arms crossed, tapping her foot with a crooked frown. A chilly breeze brushed across her back, causing her to shudder as dried leaves scooted across the concrete sidewalk. Where are you? she wondered.

Her bright blue eyes gazed down the street while she blocked the sun with her hand. Just as she was ready to stomp her boot and storm off, a voice called out.

"Oh my, Rarity. I'm so sorry that I'm running late." Fluttershy hastily jogged to Rarity's side with a large pet carrier in her hand.

"Don't worry about a thing, dear. Patience is a virtue after all." Rarity leaned down and peeked into the pet carrier at the large, fluffy white persian cat inside. "There you are, Opal. Mama missed you!"

HISSSSSS, the ferocious feline balled itself up and swiped at the cage, growling.

"I don't know how you do it," Rarity mumbled as she snatched the carrier away.

Fluttershy flinched and looked down, her long pink hair falling over one eye. "I... I'm just good with, you know... Rarity, is something bothering you?"

Fluttershy tilted her head and offered a smile, and Rarity placed her hand over her forehead. "I'm sorry. It's just been a rough couple of days. Thank you very much for grooming Opalescence for me. I couldn't have done it myself."

"It's my pleasure, Rarity. If you'd like, I can walk you home and you can tell me all about what's bothering you. Sometimes it's just nice to have a friend to talk to," Fluttershy offered, already walking by her friend's side as they made their way down the street.

Rarity immediately puffed out her chest and tilted her nose up, blowing long silky strands of deep purple hair from her face. "Well first of all Mrs. Bumble Fly just had to pick this weekend to assign a dumb old research paper when I'm going to be busier than ever! This weekend my parents are also going on on a miniature vacation and asked me to watch Sweetie Belle while they're away. I don't mind watching my sister, but she can be a real handful! Especially when her little friends decide to show up and trash the place."

Fluttershy slowly nodded, holding her backpack in her arms while several small animals peeked out. "My, that does sound stressful."

"Stressful to say the least." Rarity sighed and hung her head for a moment. "No matter. I always come out of these situations ahead, and this time will be no different."

As they neared the front door to Rarity's home, Fluttershy bit her tongue and kicked at the ground with the tip of her boot. "Rarity..."

"Yes, Fluttershy?"

"If you'd like, I could help you out with the girls this weekend. At least you won't be dealing with the stress alone this way. I don't have any assignments to worry about over the weekend, so I have plenty of time to spare." Fluttershy looked up with a smile, the breeze blowing the hair from her face.

Rarity took a deep breath and placed her hand on the doorknob. "I'm afraid it won't be much fun, and I hate to think you'd be wasting your weekend for my sake when we haven't really talked much lately, though I do very much appreciate the offer."

"It wouldn't be a waste at all, Rarity. I can't think of anything I'd rather do than help you out, and maybe we'll get to be better friends this way too," Fluttershy explained with a quick nod. "You know, like we used to be."

Facing away, Rarity glanced down and shrugged. "Well if you put it that way, then I can't refuse. Thank you again, Fluttershy. I do have one concern, however."

"What is it?" Fluttershy asked, tilting her head.

"You live pretty far away from here, you know. I don't want you walking around at night... alone. Should you choose to help me watch the girls, I'll have to ask that you sleep over." Rarity adamantly nodded and crossed her arms.

Fluttershy smiled and bowed her head. "Of course. Just let me go get a few things, and I'll be right back over."

A loud crash sounded nearby, and Rarity gulped, turning to face her front door. She opened it up and stepped inside, the sound of a young girl screaming echoing through the quiet city streets. "No! I don't want you guys to go! It's not fair!"

Rarity turned back to Fluttershy with a blush. "I guess my sister isn't... coping well. I'll see you soon, and thanks again. You really are the best friend a girl could ask for."

Fluttershy nervously nodded with a crooked frown as Rarity carried her cat into the family dispute and shut the door behind herself. "Good... luck."

She then looked into her backpack at the many wide, teary little critter eyes. "You guys will be fine for one weekend. I'll make sure you have plenty of food and water, just in case Mom forgets about you again."

Rarity stomped across the livingroom into her bedroom and slammed her door closed. "This family is driving Opal crazy! It's no wonder she's always so angry!"

She set her pet carrier in the corner and opened the cage. Opalescence scurried to the opening and poked her nose out, glancing around before darting across the bedroom floor and hopping onto the bed. Rarity took a seat next to her pet, stroking her back and resting her cheek on her hand. After a few seconds of deep growling, Opal began to loosen up and purr.

"Oh, Opal. Please don't blame me for their constant shouting. You know I'm not like them." Rarity tilted her ear towards the bedroom door as she heard her name being mentioned.

"But... Rarity's mean to me when you're not around," Sweetie Belle complained from behind the shut door.

The teenager stomped off of her bed and yanked the door open. "Oh, I'm the one who's mean?! You don't see me trashing the place with my irritating little friends and expecting you to clean it all up! Do you?!"

"See? This is what I'm talking about!" Sweetie Belle stomped the floor and stuck her tongue out at Rarity. "She's always calling me and my friends names when we're trying to play."

"Oh you two. You need to spend some quality time together and learn to get along while your father and I take this short vacation. You two can manage for a single weekend together. Now go on and play nice or we're going to miss our flight."

"Take me with you!" Rarity fell to her knees and forced the tears to fall.

"Don't be silly, sweetheart. We'll be back in a couple of days."

Rarity watched her mother shut the door as her father carried an overabundance of luggage behind her. She then turned her gaze to Sweetie Belle, who sat on the floor with puffed cheeks and her arms crossed. "Let's just agree to stay out of each other's way this weekend. I have a lot of work to do, and I don't want you and your irritating little friends distracting me. Got it?!"

"Fine! I don't wanna see you all weekend!" Sweetie turned her cold shoulder and stood up, stomping towards her bedroom.

"Good!" Rarity shook her fist and returned to her own room, bunching up her shoulders and huffing.

Opalescence was finally calm, seeming to roll her eyes as she meowed. Rarity pulled out her chair and turned on her computer, then rifled through her backpack for a notebook. "Sorry Opal. I'll have to brush you later. First comes this assignment and I don't want to be distract-"

Ding Dong, the doorbell sounded.

"Ugh! They're here already, huh?!" Rarity smacked her own forehead and headed to the front door, jerking it open with a scowl. "Oh... You got here quickly, Fluttershy."

She smiled and waved at a car that was rolling down the street. "I actually got my mom to give me a ride here. Isn't that nice?"

"Lovely. Come on, I have something for you to do." Rarity pulled Fluttershy into her home and locked the door behind her. "Change of plans. You're going to help me with my schoolwork and take care of Opal. My sister can take care of herself for a change."

"Uhm... okay..." Fluttershy tensed up and followed her friend towards her bedroom.

"Fluttershy!" Sweetie Belle shouted and spread her arms as she ran towards her.

Fluttershy turned around and smiled, kneeling down and opening her own arms as the little girl crashed up against her. "Ooph... Nice to see you, too, Sweetie..."

"Will you walk me to Scootaloo's house? I'm so happy to see you, because I didn't want to have to ask... Rarity..." Sweetie Belle explained, glaring over Fluttershy's shoulder at her sister.

"I didn't want to walk you anyway!" Rarity shouted as she slammed her bedroom door shut, and Fluttershy flinched. She then opened it back up and stomped. "Fluttershy, please walk my sister to her friend's house if it isn't too much to ask. I really don't want to go. Plus, this will give me a chance to get a headstart on this assignment."

"Yes!" Sweetie Belle closed her eyes and hugged tighter, before jumping at the sound of the bedroom door slamming once again.

"I don't mind walking you over there at all. Let's hurry before it ends up getting dark though, okay?" Fluttershy stood up and took Sweetie Belle's hand, who had a small duffel bag slung over her shoulder as they stepped out the front door.

Rarity sat back down at her computer desk and rubbed her temples. "What a day... At least now I can finally get some work done."

"Mew..." Opal began to purr as she licked up the length of her hind leg.

"Thanks, but I should really get started on this. I'll nap with you later, okay?" Rarity licked her lips and began to type.

Opalescence flopped over onto her back and stretched her limbs, her purring growing louder. Rarity lowered her eyebrows and typed faster, writing up the beginning of her research paper. She stopped and tilted her head, listening to her content pet.

"Fine, if you insist." She smiled and span around in her chair, then climbed onto the bed.

She rubbed the cat's stomach and curled up next to her. "I love you so much, Opal. It makes me happy when you're in a good mood like this. Why aren't you always like this?"

Opalescence twitched her ear and yawned, showing off her many long, sharp teeth. Rarity chirped in delight and scratched beneath her pet's chin with her fingertips. She then reached up and stroked behind her ears, leaning up on her elbow with a soft smile. With a deep breath, she rested her head on her pillow and closed her eyes. Opal let out a sudden groan and flopped onto her stomach before hopping over Rarity and onto the floor.

"Oh okay. I see how you are. Invite me to bed and then just scamper off." Rarity rested her hand over her forehead and sighed. "It's always nice while it lasts. I wonder if Fluttershy can help me learn how to make you be friendly all of the time. You're so moody, Opal..."

Rarity leaned up and rested her chin on her knees. "Hmph... I'll have to ask her."

Ch. 2 - Fluttercat

Ding, the doorbell chimed.

"What, no dong?" Rarity fixed her hair before rolling off of her bed and heading towards the front door.

Fluttershy flinched as the door opened, her finger slipping off of the button as she did.

Dong...

"Fluttershy, why were you holding the button down?" Rarity asked, stepping aside for her friend to pass.

"I... Well." She scratched her head and stepped inside. "I know you're busy, and I didn't want to bother you too much if I could help it..."

Rarity shook her head with a straight face and raised her eyebrow. "Don't be ridiculous. So Sweetie Belle is going to stay there all weekend then?"

"Yes she is. I confirmed with Scootaloo's parents that it was okay, and they knew all about it. So... I guess we have the place all to ourselves then." Fluttershy hugged her backpack and walked into the bedroom, where she took out her blanket and small toy mouse.

Rarity rubbed her forehead and followed in time to see Fluttershy dangling the toy in front of Opalescence by its tail. The frisky feline gently pawed at the toy with a rumbling purr. Rarity kneeled down by her side and tilted her head at Opal with a puzzled frown.

"You know, not just ten minutes ago she was being very moody. As soon as you show up, she's behaving wonderfully again. I don't get it..." Rarity pouted and crossed her arms. "Why can't she love me as much as she loves you."

Fluttershy winced and dropped the toy. "Uhm... I'm sure Opal loves you more than she loves anyone else. Cats are great pets that just require a few things that people don't really think about to stay happy."

"Help me. Tell me what I need to do to keep her happy all the time. I hate when she's upset, and I love when she's happy."

Fluttershy nodded and gently stroked Opalescence behind the ears as she chewed on her new toy. "I'm glad to hear that you're so devoted to making Opal happy. There isn't too much to keeping a cat like her satisfied. It's more about doing things that don't annoy her. Cats can be very irritable, and they remember the sources of their irritation. That might be why she gets moody around you sometimes."

Rarity stood up and huffed. "I do not annoy her. I'm nothing but a great pet owner. It must be something else."

Fluttershy put on a crooked grin as Opalescence balled her self up and sprang across the room before scurrying under the bed. "Lesson number one: Don't loom over her when you feel like you're going to be negative. Cats are intuitive and can detect threatening body language. Right now, Opal sees you as a bigger, aggressive cat that's trying to prove dominance. That's why she ran away just now, because she isn't looking for a fight."

Rarity bit down on the tip of her finger and frowned. "Oh dear... I'm so sorry, Opal. I don't want to hurt you sweetheart. Come to mama."

"No no... just let her relax down there where she feels safe for a little while." Fluttershy stepped in front of Rarity and placed a hand on her shoulder. "I'll give you some more pointers on how to keep her happy."

Fluttershy stepped to the bedroom door and opened it up. "Let's go into the other room for a little while if you have free time."

"Okay, and thank you for this. I should have asked you so much sooner." Rarity put on an apologetic smile and shook her head.

Fluttershy nodded and sat down on the living room sofa. "Don't mention it. I'm just so happy to hear that you want to take better care of Opal. She's such a pretty kitty, and I love her to pieces. It makes me feel better knowing she has an owner that wants to make sure she's happy too."

Rarity took a seat next to her friend and nodded. "You're a nice girl, Fluttershy. I know we haven't been the closest of friends, and I regret that now. I know you like animals and work at the shelter, but I never knew you were so pet-savvy."

"I coach people who are adopting rescues so they don't mistake a nervous pet for a bad pet. It breaks my heart to see a pet get returned, because they all need homes, you know? It isn't their fault they've had hard lives, and a little love will go a long way for them." Fluttershy looked down and played with her fingers. "If I had my own place, I'd make sure it had lots of yard-space and be somewhere nice and open, so I could adopt all of them and let them run around and play until someone else could take them. It's awful seeing them in cages..."

Rarity nodded and placed her hand over Fluttershy's. "Well they're lucky to have you in their lives. I bet you've helped unite them with lots of loving families."

Fluttershy looked up into Rarity's eyes with a wobbly smile. "I hope you're right, but enough of that. I don't mean to go on about myself. Let's talk about Opal."

"Okay." Rarity nodded and grinned. "I'm ready to do what it takes to make her a happier cat."

Fluttershy placed her finger on her chin and looked up. "Okay, just stop me if I get carried away, but I'm going to start listing a few things that you should keep in mind."

"Got it." Rarity leaned back on the couch and hugged her legs while she watched Fluttershy making mental notes.

"First thing I noticed right off the bat is that Opal is locked in your bedroom most of the time. Cats are all about scent, so she's going to get antsy when she realizes that other people are marking these rooms up with their scent and she can't get to them," Fluttershy explained.

Rarity nodded. "Oh, that's why she's always sticking her nose under the door. I thought she was just curious as to what was going on out there."

"Maybe you could try leaving your door open more often... Oh, look who decided to join us." Fluttershy smiled and waved at the fluffy white cat, who prowled into the living room with her body low. "Would you please show me how you interact with her?"

"Of course," Rarity said as she stood up and walked over to Opalescence, who flattened her ears and recoiled. Rarity lifted the heavy cat into her arms and carried her over to the couch, stroking down her back. "Shh, that's a good kitty. Be still."

Opalescence growled as she flicked her tail back and forth, and Fluttershy giggled as she wiggled out of Rarity's arms and hopped away. "Okay, first of all, you can't just just stroke down her back if she's in a bad mood. You'll overstimulate her and she might even end up scratching you. If you see her tail twitching or flicking back and forth, that means she's had enough and you need to put her down."

"I'm even petting her wrong?" Rarity asked with a groan.

"It's not that you're petting her wrong, silly. You just need to make sure she wants you to be petting her. I think she's intimidated by you, and thinks that you're trying to put her in her place. Next time she's out and about, just scratch her cheeks and her chin. Once her scent is on you, she'll loosen up for some more affection." Fluttershy ginned and closed her eyes. "But you have to be gentle. Too rough and you'll scare her. At least at first. The more comfortable you make her around you, the more you can get away with without her overreacting. Soon you'll be able to do what you want to her and she'll just be a big happy ball of fluff."

Rarity sighed and rested her chin on her knees. "This is a lot... and Shy? What's she doing now?" She pointed to the cat, who was rubbing up against the television stand.

"She's putting her scent on things. It's probably something she's been dying to do for a long time. Just let her walk around the house for a while," Fluttershy explained, then stood off the couch and took a deep breath. "I have an idea that I think will make things easier, so don't think that I've gone crazy," she said as she stood off the couch and fell onto her hands and knees.

"Watch me be a kitty too."

Rarity blushed and covered her mouth, stifling a laugh. "Darling, don't crawl on the floor. You don't know what kinds of things Sweetie Belle and her horrible little friends have spilled there."

"Can't understand you, I'm a cat. Meow." Fluttershy pawed at Rarity's bootlace before crawling next to Opal and rubbing her cheeks up against hers.

"You can't be serious..." Rarity giggled and stood up, stepping up next to Fluttershy, who looked up with wide eyes.

"Meow... you're scaring me. Please don't stand so tall, I'm no threat to you..." Fluttershy squeaked and whined, curling up into a little ball while Opalescence scurried into the kitchen.

"Oh I get it. You're teaching me... Interesting method, I'll admit." Rarity kneeled down and scratched Fluttershy's cheeks with her fingertips. "There there. I didn't mean to scare you."

Fluttershy curled her tongue and imitated a purr as she closed her eyes and smiled, leaning into Rarity's hands. "Oh, you're not so scary after all. You're pretty nice."

"Shy, I can't help but notice that this is incredibly silly." Rarity blushed and glanced away.

Fluttershy nodded and shrugged. "I know I'm a little strange. I guess it what happens when all your best friends are animals."

Rarity lowered her eyes and stood up, reaching down for her friend's hand. "Hey, you have plenty of friends. What about Pinkie Pie? I can hardly stand her, but you two seem close."

Still sitting on the floor, Fluttershy shook her head. "I'd rather not talk about her anymore... We're no longer friends after... after what she did." Fluttershy reached up and took Rarity's hand, standing up and brushing herself off.

"Oh dear, I'm sorry to hear that. And Rainbow Dash? You two talk, right?" Rarity asked.

She shrugged and smirked. "Not really. I always feel like Rainbow Dash is just forcing herself to be nice to me when she's around, and she's always on her way to go do something else when we bump into each other. I understand, I know I'm a pretty boring person and she's got a lot going on."

"Oh you know how she is. Can't be bothered to slow down for a second. I can tell she likes you though." Rarity took a deep breath and casually swung her arms from side to side.

"That's good to hear. I like her too. So... I'm sure you've heard the rumors about me floating around the school, that I'm crazy and think I can talk to animals." Fluttershy lowered her eyes to the floor and crossed her arms. "It's not true, but I understand if you don't want to be seen associating with me. They might make fun of you too."

Rarity glanced over her shoulder and shrugged. "Shame on them. Yes I've heard the silly little rumors, but I don't care about any of that. You've always been a wonderful person to me, and I only regret not spending time with you like this sooner."

Fluttershy smiled widely and blushed as she slowly swayed her body. "It means a lot to hear you say that. Thanks, Rarity."

"No, thank you, darling. You're the one who was kind enough to offer your time to help me when you didn't owe me anything, in fact, I'm the one who owes you since you take such good care of Opal when you groom her. Let me know if there's anything I can ever do." Rarity held her thumb up to Fluttershy and nodded with a smile.

"This is good. It might not seem like much to you, but teaching you to take care of Opal is terrific for me. I can't think of anything I'd rather do right now. And, pretending to be a cat is fun, even if some people might think it's a little weird." Fluttershy giggled and dropped back down to her knees. "Do you mind?"

"Are you saying you want to pretend to be a cat the entire time you're here?" Rarity raised an eyebrow and put her hands on her hips.

Fluttershy nodded and purred.

"Fine, but please only do this when no one else can see us. I don't think the the school is quite ready to meet Fluttercat." Rarity laughed and knelt down to scratch her friend behind the ears. "You're a good kitty."

"Mew!"

Ch. 3 - Pet Talk

Rarity sat at her computer desk and adamantly typed away, while Fluttershy sat up against the headboard on Rarity's bed and gently brushed Opalescence's gleaming white fur coat with a soft brush. The cat purred loudly as it stepped in circles between Fluttershy's legs, arching her back and wiggling her haunches.

"This is going a lot more smoothly than I thought it would." Rarity smiled and saved her document. "I think I'll be finished tonight."

Fluttershy smiled and bowed her head. "I'm glad to hear that. It sounds like a tough class, though."

"Yeah well I can handle it." Rarity proudly puffed her chest out and span around in her computer chair. "So... do you think I can pet Opal for a while?"

"Of course you can." Fluttershy pulled the brush away and scooted back while Rarity leaned over the bed and rested her face by Opalescence's.

She smiled at her pet and gently scratched behind her ear. "That's a good girl, Opal. I love you." Rarity smiled up at Fluttershy, who nodded with her eyes closed. She then climbed onto the bed and ran her hand down the cat's back, repeating the strokes as Opalescence arched up and purred, stepping in circles.

Fluttershy lifted a finger and bit her lip as the cat began to flick her tail from side to side, still purring and stepping around, apparently content. In an instant, the cat jumped away and hid herself behind a pair of tall green boots in the corner of the room, and Fluttershy quietly giggled. "I knew that was going to happen."

"What did I do this time?" Rarity groaned and rolled her eyes.

Fluttershy fell over onto her hands and crawled in front of Rarity. "Remember that Opal isn't just your pet, she's a predator too. If you get her too worked up, then she's going to spring away so she can cool down for a while and collect her senses and stay aware of her surroundings. She's more comfortable with me because I've never scared her before, but you scare her everyday, so you have to take it easy with her for a while."

Rarity scoffed and shook her head. "I've never scared her before... not on purpose anyway."

"I know. Here, pet this pillow like you'd pet Opal, and I'll tell you what you're doing wrong." Fluttershy lifted a cushion and held it out to Rarity, who smiled and sat it back down.

"What, you're not going to pretend to be a cat anymore?" Rarity chuckled and raised her eyebrows.

Fluttershy blushed and looked down. "I'm sorry about doing that earlier... I know it's weird, and... I don't want you to think I'm weird."

"Oh don't you worry about that. It's done, and it's very weird, but there's nothing wrong with a little weirdness now and then in my book. Keeps things fun. So don't be embarrassed or ashamed of who you are." Rarity confidently nodded and crossed her arms. "You may be a bit strange at times, but you're my friend. I accept you for who you are, and I don't want to see you change for anyone."

Fluttershy smiled and peeked up through her hair. "You really mean that?"

"Every word of it." Rarity winked and looked into her friend's eyes, who quickly lunged across the bed and wrapped her arms around her. Fluttershy squeezed tightly for a moment, and before Rarity lifted her own arms to return the hug, Fluttershy pulled away and blushed yet again.

"I'm sorry... thanks!" she squeaked and shook her head. "It's just that..."

"Don't worry about it, dear. I understand. Now where were we? I have some cat-petting techniques to learn about, right?" Rarity cleared her throat and sat back with her hands on her knees.

Fluttershy grinned and nodded. "Yes. I think we can teach each other a lot given the chance. I can teach you about cats, and you can teach me about... acceptance."

Rarity tilted her head and tapped her legs, shrugging as Fluttershy crawled back up in front of her, gently pawing at her with curled fingers.

"Mmmhh, I want to be pet," Fluttershy mumbled, still pawing at Rarity's knee.

Rarity took a deep breath and stroked her hand across her friend's pastel pink hair, her fingertips grazing the tops of her ear. She began to scratch in small circles as she ran her fingers through the soft, silky hair, slowly rubbing them down the back of her head and repeating the process.

Fluttershy tilted her head against Rarity's hand, her eyes closed with a wide, wobbly smile. She arched her back and bit her lip, wiggling her shoulder blades as she slowly opened one eye and looked up at Rarity.

"But I thought..." Rarity scratched under Fluttershy's chin and shrugged again. She ran her free hand in between her shoulder blades and rubbed up and down the shirt, curling her fingers as she began to scratch.

Fluttershy lifted her head, causing Rarity's hand slide along her neck while her other hand slid down her back. She then wiggled her rear and curled herself up into a ball. "I don't like how much you're touching me right now. Mew."

Rarity immediately backed away and her white cheeks turned red. "I'm so sorry! Oh dear, I swear I didn't mean to cross the line. It's just that you were pretending to be a cat and I-"

"Uhm..." Fluttershy raised a finger and interrupted. "I'm still pretending to be a cat. I don't mind you touching me at all, but if I was a cat I would. You were stroking all the down my back and you touched my neck and chest. If I were a small predator that was also prey to larger animals, I'd begin to feel a little wary if I didn't completely trust you."

Rarity stared wide-eyed at Fluttershy, covering her mouth with her hands. "Oh... of course."

Fluttershy scratched her head and sat up. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to get carried away as a cat. I thought you wanted me to."

"Oh no not at all. I mean yes, I wanted you to, and no you didn't get carried away. I just got a little confused because I thought I was... crossing a line, so to speak," Rarity explained with a huff.

Fluttershy smiled and fell back down on her hands. "I'm not really a cat, silly. You can pet me all you want and I won't actually get scared."

Rarity raised an eyebrow and placed her fingers in her chin with a smirk. "I'm not so sure that's entirely true, which is why I was a bit worried a minute ago. I thought maybe you were getting a little uncomfortable. Or what was it? Overstimulated."

"Purrrrr... I trust you, Rarity. You can pet me and show affection all you want." Fluttershy cat-crawled across the bed and rested her head on Rarity's lap.

Rarity chuckled and glanced around her bedroom, hesitantly lifting her hand. "If you say so."

Fluttershy took a deep breath, breathing across Rarity's thigh. She closed her eyes and smiled softly while her friend ran her fingers through her hair. With a slow exhale, she rolled the tip of her tongue against the roof of her mouth, mimicking a purr as she nuzzled Rarity's leg. "That feels... nice."

"Do you wish you were a real cat?" Rarity asked, lifting Fluttershy's chin with two fingertips.

Fluttershy slowly opened her eyes and looked up through her bangs at Rarity with a slow nod. "I like the way it feels getting pet."

"Would you mind petting me for a moment? I'd like to feel it too." Rarity laid down and rolled onto her stomach, scooting her head beneath Fluttershy's chest.

"I... okay, sure." Fluttershy sat back on her knees and carefully pat on Rarity's voluminous, bouncy hair. "You have nice hair. So much softer and shinier than mine."

"Credit my amazing conditioner. You can use it if you'd like to give it a try." Rarity closed her eyes and rested her chin on her crossed arms. "Pet me?"

Fluttershy gave a determined nod and ran her hands along Rarity's head. Her palms dragged across the silky purple hair while her fingertips parted it. She reached in deeper and flexed her fingers in small circles, massaging her scalp as she slowly lowered her hands towards the top of her neck.

Rarity bit her lip and hummed. "My my, Fluttershy. That does feel good. I might have to pretend to be your cat from now on."

"I'm glad you like it. I think I'm quite an experience pet petter. Maybe even the world champ." Fluttershy's burst of confidence was short-lived as Rarity rolled over and grabbed her hand.

"You think you're better than me? Lay down, you. I'll show you how people like to be pet." Rarity pulled down of Fluttershy's hand, laying her face down on the bed. "Here, use this pillow."

Fluttershy widened her eyes and blushed as she hugged onto the pillow. "Uhm... what are you doing?" she asked as Rarity straddled her, sitting upright on her knees.

"Shush, if you want me to stop then just say so, but I think you'll like it if you like to be pet." She began rapidly rubbing her hands together while Fluttershy took a deep, calming breath and pressed her face into the pillow.

Rarity licked her lips with a grin, then ran her friction-heated hands down Fluttershy's shoulder blades, pushing her palms against them in circles. She then grabbed onto the tops of her shoulders and rubbed her thumbs against the tender muscles, slowly working her way inwards to the neck.

Fluttershy's eyes partially fluttered open while her grin grew wobbly. "That really does feel good..."

Rarity gave her back one last quick stroke as she stood off the bed. "Just a little something I learned from my days at the spa with my mom. You know, you and I should go together sometime. If you liked what I just did, you'll love the professionals. And this is the least I can do after you've been so helpful with teaching me how to better care for Opal. You've been so kind and this is a bit of a thank you, I suppose."

Fluttershy shrugged and looked into her friend's eyes. "I'd love to join you sometime, and... you still have a lot to learn. Does that mean I'll get a lot more thanks?"

Rarity raised her eyebrows and laughed. "If you want to. I'm no master masseuse, but I'll show you what I can do anytime you'd like."

"In that case, let me give you your next lesson." Fluttershy sat up and let her feet dangle over the edge of the bed. "You know what would make Opal a lot less skittish? Let's clear off some shelf space and buy you a cat tree for the corner over there where my boots are."

Rarity placed a finger to her chin and glanced around. "The cat tree I get, but does opal really care about my cluttered shelves?"

Fluttershy giggled and shook her head. "No, but it's important for cats to be able to explore most of the room without touching the floor if you want to build confidence."

"I don't really understand, but I'll take your word for it." Rarity stepped to her bookshelf and began organizing them onto different shelves.

Fluttershy ran her hand along the bedroom wall, tracing an invisible line across it as she walked to the corner. Opalescence crawled out from behind the boots and rubbed herself up against Fluttershy's legs, circling around them as she purred. Fluttershy looked back at Rarity, who was sliding a pile of clutter from her desk into her backpack, then she knelt down by Opal and rubbed her chin. "Hey," she whispered. "She's trying her best, okay?"

Opalescence looked up into Fluttershy's eyes and blinked twice slowly before looking back down. Fluttershy returned the gesture and lowered her shoulders. "People... people are harder to understand than we are. I mean, than you are..."

"You two having a conversation without me?" Rarity asked as she zipped her backpack up and sat it behind her desk.

Fluttershy kissed the cat on the forehead and stood up. "Nope, just relaxing. I think she's okay now. Let's give her a few minutes alone and see if she explores your shelves. Something tells me she's been dying to."

Rarity glanced to her computer screen and tilted her head. "Ooh, an email."

Fluttershy glanced away and sat down at the foot of the bed and watched as Rarity took a seat at her desk and opened the message. She watched her friend's smile slip into a crooked frown as she read over the email, then she deleted the message, staring at the blank screen for several moments.

"Is everything alright?" Fluttershy asked as she fiddled with her fingers.

Rarity placed her hand to her brow as she shook her head. "It's nothing. It seems that yet again Pinkie Pie doesn't want me helping her decorate. I really wanted to be a part of the Fall Formal's design this year too... I don't know what happened between us. We used to be decent friends. But of course you already know that."

"It's not your fault, Rarity. That girl can't take anything seriously. Hmph." Fluttershy crossed her arms and pouted.

"'Hmph' is right. We don't need her anyway. You're my best friend now." Rarity narrowed her eyebrows and span around to face Fluttershy with a grin.

Fluttershy smiled and tilted her head. "You're my new best friend too. You accept me for who I am, and that means the world to me."

"It's not as though you're a hard person to accept, Fluttershy. I'm the one who should be thanking you. I know I can be a little..."

"Mean?" Fluttershy interrupted.

Rarity raised an eyebrow and frowned. "Well... I wouldn't say that. Maybe more..."

"Rude..." Fluttershy covered her mouth and shook her head.

"If I'm rude then you can just leave!" Rarity pointed to the door with a scowl.

"I just mean at first! You're actually very nice and understanding, and you so very generously offered to give me massages... I... I didn't mean it. Honest." Fluttershy's eyes widened and watered over. "You're my best friend right?"

Rarity winked and wagged her finger. "Settle down, you. I was just kidding. Yes, we're best friends. That means you have to learn a thing or two about my personality, and I'll do my best to learn about yours."

Fluttershy blinked several times and shook her head. "Oh... you were joking. I'm sorry. I... I'm sorry, I don't mean to say that I'm sorry so much, it's just that I'm so used to being able to read the thoughts of animals by how they act, and people are so confusing. I'm learning..."

Rarity stood up and pulled Fluttershy into a hug. "You and me both, sister. We have a lot to learn; cat's, boundaries, who our real friends are..."

"And each other. We have to learn about each other," Fluttershy added.

Rarity closed her eyes and rubbed her friend's back with a slow nod.

"Let's learn together."

Ch. 4 - Acceptance

Rarity stood in the shade beneath a large green oak tree. She gently kicked at the gravel beneath her boots and tightly hugged onto her backpack. Her deep blue eyes traced the edges of the playground from behind her thick red glasses while dozens of children jumped and played on the variety of equipment. A young girl with freckles and a long blonde ponytail smiled and waved at her.

Rarity let a smile slip, then quickly shut her lips to conceal her braces, hesitantly waving back. "H-hello," she muttered, too far away to hear.

The blonde girl smiled and skipped back towards the other kids without a second glance, and Rarity hung her head, falling to her knees. Oh my... this isn't going well at all...

Suddenly she felt a tug at her dress, and she glanced up. Rarity squinted her eyes as she looked over a girl with flowers littering her long, messy pastel pink hair. "Hello there. My name ish Rarity. What'th your name?" She immediately blushed and pressed her hands over her mouth.

The messy-haired girl smiled and revealed her own braces. "Don't worry... you get used to it. And I'm Fluttershy."

Rarity lowered her hands and nodded. "Oh..."

"Can't hear you; I'm a lemur. Owwweeeeeeeoh!" Fluttershy dropped to all fours and scurried across the playground, leaping up onto the monkey bars and dangling upside down.

Rarity smiled again at the sight and lowered her arms, watching as Fluttershy reached out to a small squirrel sitting below her. What a strange girl... she thought.

She flinched as two older boys rushed past her towards the center of the playground, where they stood around Fluttershy and scared the squirrel away.

"Look at Fluttershy. She's pretending to be a monkey again," the child teased.

"I'm not a monkey. I'm a lemur, and I can't understand you unless you raise your tail to let me know that I can be part of your social community," Fluttershy explained as she fell off the monkey bars and landed on her feet.

"Yeah right. You're just a big dumb monkey, and you want to eat our parasites." Each kid began hopping in circles around Fluttershy and scratching their heads and sides. "Ooh ooh eee eee."

"That's not a bad monkey, but I think they might find such stereotypical behavior offensive. If you guys want, I can give you some pointers." Fluttershy smiled and knelt down next to the kids who continued hopping.

The taller of the two bullies glared and stopped hopping, then shoved Fluttershy to the ground. "We don't need pointers from you, loser."

"Yeah, loser!" Each of the two kicked gravel onto Fluttershy before pointing and laughing.

Rarity took a step forward and raised her fist, then froze in place.

"Hey! Back off!" A girl with rainbow colored hair dove into action. She forced herself between the bullies and Fluttershy, fiercely glaring at the two boys who were much taller than her.

"What are you gonna do about it, Rainbow Dash?" they asked in unison.

"You wanna find out?" Rainbow balled her fists and took on a strong stance.

Each boy glanced to each other, then scoffed. "I'm not afraid to hit a girl... but I have to go. You're lucky this time."

Rainbow ground her teeth while the two walked away, then she turned around and helped Fluttershy to her feet. "Hey, you alright?"

Fluttershy nodded and wiped her teary eyes.

"Flutters, you can't..." Rainbow placed her hand to her forehead and sighed. "You have to try and take it down a notch around these kids. They don't understand you, and dumb people try to hurt things that they don't understand."

Fluttershy bit her lip and nodded once again. Rainbow Dash took a deep breath and hugged her friend. "I'll keep you safe. Don't worry about them."

Rarity stepped back towards the tree and sat down, hugging her knees and carefully watching how all the children interacted.

***

"Is it just me, or are you so sick of Sunset Shimmer?" Rarity asked as she finished typing up her paper.

Fluttershy shrugged and stretched out across Rarity's bed. "She's pretty scary, but I try to think that there's a little good inside everyone."

"Well if you ask me, I think she should just pack up and go to another school. She's been nothing but trouble ever since she showed up. I want to be Princess of the Fall Formal at least once before we graduate..." Rarity pouted and rested her chin on her keyboard. "Not a chance that'll happen."

Fluttershy pointed up at Opalescence, who was sitting on top of the bookshelf grooming herself. "Hey, look on the bright side. Opal seems to be enjoying herself."

Rarity glanced up at her pet and smiled. "Yeah. I think she's a lot happier already. I really hope that I'll be able to pet her how I want to soon without scaring her... I didn't realize cats were so sensitive about things."

"It's not just cats. A lot of different animals can be hurt by the behavior of people, even if the people don't really think they're being that bad... It can take a long time to recover. Sometimes those affected might never be the same again." Fluttershy smiled up at Opalescence and waved. "If I can help it, I'll make sure every animal I meet feels happy and accepted."

Rarity lowered her eyes and tentatively gripped her knees as she slowly rotated her computer chair back and forth. "Is that how you feel? Are you recovering from the things people have done to you?"

"I don't think it's that simple..." Fluttershy bit her lip and hid her face behind her hair.

"I always wondered why you became so shy after the first day I saw you. You can relate to cats, can't you? Maybe there are things I can do to make you feel safer and more confident in school." Rarity smiled and stood up tall. "I've got it. Yes. You see, Fluttershy, I'm quite savvy myself when it comes to human interactions and social situations. The same way we need to do things to make Opal lighten up, there are things Opal needs to do to stay a good house cat and receive the sort of attention she needs from us, right?"

Fluttershy titled her head and frowned. "I... I guess so."

"Yes. For instance, she can't bite us too hard, and she has to use her litter box, and we can't have her tearing everything up, can we?" Rarity paced her room and crossed her arms. "And in return for her house pet like behavior, I'm going to do my best to make sure she's a happy and loving cat too."

"All of that makes sense but what does it have to do with me?" Fluttershy frowned and shuddered.

Rarity turned and pointed her finger upwards with a wide smile. "You know why the other kids tease you? It's because we're all just animals too, and your body language isn't meshing well with the crowd. You look weak, and the strong girls are going to lash out at you like the ravenous predators they are, and what do you do then?"

"Run away and cry?" Fluttershy answered with a twisted smile.

"Exactly, and they walk away feeling like queen bees. You don't need to be a queen bee, Shy. What you need to do is not be target practice." Rarity took a seat on the bed next to her friend and lifted a lock of her hair.

Fluttershy wore a mirthful smirk as she sighed. "Rainbow Dash told me something similar once. I'm afraid I just don't have it in me to hit anyone, no matter how hard I try."

Rarity's eyes widened and she dropped the hair. "Darling, that's not what I had in mind. You're a lady, and a pretty one at that. Ladies don't resort to violence or other forms of brutishness. I wish that were true for most of our schoolmates, but sadly it isn't. What we need to do is rise above them and refuse to stoop to their level as to be offended by their petty insults."

"I... I don't stoop." Fluttershy narrowed her eyes and pouted. "I just don't like confrontations, and when you're insecure, meanness can really hurt."

"Aha! In that case we'll just have to work on that insecurity of yours. Which is mostly what I had in mind already." Rarity stood off the bed and took Fluttershy by the hand, guiding her through the bedroom door and into the bathroom. She faced her friend towards the full-body door mirror and stood behind her. "Do you think you're pretty?"

Fluttershy looked over herself. She saw a pale yellow girl with messy pink hair. Her eyes then wandered up the length of her body, over her cheap clothing and frayed skirt. She spotted a tear on her sleeve where an animal's claw had caught while she bathed it, then she looked into her own eyes before blinking loose a tear.

Rarity placed her hands on Fluttershy's shoulders and rested a cheek against hers. She reached around and wiped the tear, offering a reassuring smile through the mirror. "Don't cry, sweetheart. You're beautiful, and what's more is that you aren't wearing a drop of makeup. I've never seen someone so naturally beautiful before."

Fluttershy allowed her smile to return, and her eyes watched Rarity's hands through the mirror as they rubbed her shoulders. "You really mean it?"

"Every word of it." Rarity grinned as she watched her friends smile grow wobbly and her eyes begin to drift shut while she squeezed her shoulders. "You really like this, don't you."

Fluttershy nodded and placed her hand over Rarity's. "It feels really nice. No one's ever done this for me before."

"Is that so... Well you and I are going to the spa tomorrow. My treat." Rarity nodded and took a step back. "Go ahead and take a shower now. I'm starting to feel a bit tired and I want to get to the spa early tomorrow because Saturday is usually a busy day in the afternoon. I believe they open around ten in the morning, so we'll be ready by nine. Sound good?"

Fluttershy nodded and scratched her head. "Yes, but uhm..."

"Oh silly me." Rarity opened a cupboard over the sink and pointed. "Up here are some clean towels. You can use my shampoo and conditioner, because I just know you'll love it. I'll get things ready in the other room for you. Let me know if you need anything."

"I do need one thing... I can go get it." Fluttershy stepped towards the door and coyly pointed. "My change of clothes is in my bag."

Rarity nonchalantly waved her hands and pulled the door closed. "You get started, I'll go grab your clothes for you."

She smiled and walked back into her bedroom, where she found the green bag, unzipped and partially open. She glanced around and lifted it up before peeking inside. Her nose began to twitch, then she sneezed. "Ooph. My goodness... so much dander on this bag."

Rarity shook her head and carried it to the bathroom door, and quickly opened it up without knocking. Fluttershy sat on the edge of the tub still fully clothed, and Rarity's grin fell into a frown. "Here ya go. I'll be out here if you need me."

As she shut the door and stepped towards the front room, she heard a click and chuckled to herself. "Locked..."

Rarity sighed and silently scolded herself for her inappropriate thoughts, then opened up the hallway closet where she gathered up many blankets and extra pillows. She dropped them onto the floor and one by one decorated the couch into a cozy bed with the spare bedding. She took a seat atop the tucked blankets and flipped on the television, listlessly cycling through the channels with the remote in her free hand, and her ears focused on the bathroom door.

After several minutes of fruitless evening channel surfing, the sound of running water stopped, and Rarity crossed her legs. Several more long moments passed before Fluttershy opened the bathroom door. "Enjoy your shower?" Rarity asked.

Fluttershy nodded as she stepped out of the bathroom wearing a white tank top and cotton sleeping shorts. "Yes, thank you. Is this where I'll be sleeping?" she asked as she took a seat on the couch next to her friend, a towel wrapped around her head.

"I was thinking about it, but after testing it out myself, I discovered that it's terribly uncomfortable. I don't know how Sweetie Belle's friends share it so well." Rarity cringed at the thought and stood up, brushing herself off. "Come to think of it... gross. Who knows what kind of dirt and food and... whatever other disgusting things those three little pests have gotten all over it. This simply won't do. You'll have to sleep in my bed, and I'll sleep in my parent's room... or something."

"I don't mind, really. I don't want to be an annoyance for you. I'll sleep here on the couch just fine, or anywhere else you want me to sleep." Fluttershy nodded and put on a bright smile.

Rarity raised her eyebrow and placed a hand on her chin. "Well, if you're done with that towel, I'll take it now."

Fluttershy lifted the wet towel off her head and let her damp hair fall across her face and down her shoulders. It naturally waved back and forth and curled at the tips, glistening beneath the overhead light.

Rarity averted her gaze and balled the towel up, fiddling with it as she shifted her weight. "We'll figure something out. I'm going to go... I need a shower too. I'll be back. Let me know if you decide what you want to do while I'm gone."

Fluttershy nodded and blushed at the sight of her friend's own red cheeks. "I will. Thanks."

"Feel free to watch TV. If you're hungry you can grab a snack from the fridge. Really just make yourself at home." Rarity opened her mouth to add, but lost her thought as Fluttershy ran her hands through her moist hair and pulled it all over one shoulder.

"You're a very generous host, Rarity. Thank you so much." Fluttershy awkwardly patted her knees while Rarity stood silently, shaking the bunched up towel back and forth. "I'll go see what you have to eat. I can make you something too."

"Sure, I could go for a bite." Rarity lowered her eyes and watched her friend walk into the kitchen. "I'll have what you're having. Be back in a bit, maybe we can watch a movie before bed too," she said as she forced herself into the bathroom.

Rarity locked the door and looked herself over in the mirror. Girl, you are not getting a crush... she thought.

"Are you?"

Ch. 5 - Snuggle Buddy

Rarity stepped out of the shower and onto the still damp bath rug. She reached into the cupboard and pulled out another towel. The soft fibers soaked the moisture from her body as she brushed it over her shoulders, arms, and down each of her legs. After rubbing herself down from head to toe, she used her towel to wipe the fog from the mirror over the sink. She put on her red-framed glasses and looked into the mirror, shaking her head and sighing. "Stupid crappy contacts making my eyes itch..." she complained as she lifted the two round cases that held them and shook them around.

With a huff, she decided that Fluttershy had seen her in her glasses plenty of times before, and got dressed. She pulled a small gray t-shirt over her head and wiggled into a pair of darker gray flannel pajama pants. Then hanging her head to one side, she gathered up her hair and balled it up into a loose bun, sliding a hairband from her wrist over the bun, stretching it and twisting it into another loop to keep it in place. She shook her head and let several strands fall free while most of her hair remained in place.

"Damn I'm cute." She winked at herself in the mirror and struck a pose with one arm dangling and the other hand on her hip.

Her stomach growled, and she lifted her arms over her head to stretch, revealing her bellybutton to the mirror. She let her arms fall limp before pulling open the bathroom door and stepping out into the kitchen. Rarity leaned up against the doorway and bit down on the tip of her finger while she watched Fluttershy struggle with the plastic wrapping on a slice of cheese.

Fluttershy bit her tongue and tried to grip the corner, then ran her thumb over it several times before huffing and throwing it down onto the counter.

"Need help?" Rarity asked with a raised eyebrow.

Fluttershy gasped and jumped, turning to face her friend with a squeak. "Oh! Rarity... you s-startled me."

"Forgive me. I really didn't mean to." Rarity's eyes drifted down the length of Fluttershy's legs, then back up her body. "Let me help with that."

Fluttershy nodded and glanced away, rubbing her index fingertips together and blushing. Rarity took the square slice from the wrapper with a quick pull on the plastic.

"I didn't know what you wanted on yours, so I was going to wait for you," Fluttershy explained as she looked down at the plain sandwich.

"Anything is fine. Whatever you're having, actually. I'm not picky." Rarity nodded and added another slice of cheese to her own sandwich. "Let me know if you need anymore help with anything. I'm going to go find us a movie to watch."

Fluttershy gave a quick nod before opening the refrigerator and pulling out an array of condiments. Rarity pulled open a cabinet beneath her large flat screen television, where she began to sort through a wide variety of movies. She grinned and lifted a thin blue case, reading over the description printed on the back. Popping it open, she pulled the shiny disk from within and slipped it into her media player.

Fluttershy stepped back into the front room with two sandwiches on a small plate and a wide, sparkling smile. Rarity stood up and took the plate from her hands before she stepped backwards to the couch with a big grin. She sat the plate down on a coffee table and took a seat, signally for Fluttershy to join her with a finger.

"Here kitty kitty," Rarity called out, tapping the spot next to her on the plush sofa.

Fluttershy chirped and got down on her knees, slowly crawling across the living room floor and climbing up onto the couch, where she curled up in a little ball and rested her head on Rarity's lap with a purr.

"That's a good girl. Are you hungry?" Rarity asked, reaching for the plate.

"Mew," Fluttershy nodded and perked her head up with wide eyes and a smile.

Rarity grabbed a sandwich and held it by her pretend-pet's face, who leaned forward, took a bite and looked up into her eyes while she chewed. Rarity puckered her lips and closed her eyes. "You're such a good girl today," she said as she handed the rest of the sandwich over and scratched her ears.

Fluttershy took her food and nuzzled Rarity's side with the tip of her nose. She then began to finish her meal while watching the previews for upcoming movies flash across the television screen, and Rarity pulled the blanket over her own lap and tossed the rest over Fluttershy's body, who still laid leaning against her friend.

Rarity skipped the remaining previews and sat her remaining sandwich crusts down on the plate. Glancing down at Fluttershy who stared at the screen with a content smile.

"So what movie is this?" Fluttershy asked after swallowing her last bite.

"It's that new that new horror film everyone's be on about since it was in theaters last month, The Ghost That Haunts. I've been dying to finally watch it, but my parents never let me play it while Sweetie's home, because I guess there's... nudity, or... something. Do you mind that sort of thing?" Rarity asked, pausing the opening credits.

"I don't mind the... the nudity, but I don't usually watch scary movies." Fluttershy shivered and pulled the blanket up over her cheeks.

Rarity laughed and pressed play. "Don't worry, darling. If it gets too scary we'll just shut it off. This might be the only chance I get to watch it with a friend, and I don't really want to watch it alone."

Fluttershy gulped an nodded. "I understand." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Okay. It's just a movie, and I can watch it with you if it makes you happy."

Rarity sat the remote down and made herself comfortable against the arm of the couch while Fluttershy leaned against her. She lifted her arm and rested it across the back of the sofa, biting her lip and glancing down at her friend, who watched the screen with wide eyes.

A haunting piano filled the room with its discordant notes, and Fluttershy curled her knees to her chest while her teeth chattered. Rarity frowned and let her arm slide off the sofa and onto her friend's shoulder, then began to gently squeeze and rub her fingers against the muscle. Fluttershy stopped shivering and her nervous frown slipped into a satisfied grin.

"Would you like me to help you relax while we watch the rest of this?" Rarity asked, scooting back against the arm of the couch as Fluttershy sat up.

"Sure. What did you... have in mind?" Fluttershy asked, blushing and looking up with a coy smile.

Rarity scooted herself down the couch and leaned back with her legs open, resting her back against the large, plush couch arm. She gestured for her friend to join her. "Fluttershy, lean back on me the way you were and I'll rub your back and shoulders while we watch this. I can pet you and scratch your ears too."

Fluttershy's eyes lit up and she did as she was told, sitting in Rarity's lap and laying back against her. "Ooh, your pants are really soft," she said as she rested her hands on Rarity's knees.

"Thank you. These are my favorites for a reason." Rarity pulled the blanket back up over each of them before tentatively reaching down beneath the blanket and grabbing onto Fluttershy's short cotton shorts. "These are soft too, " she added, her knuckles rubbing against her warm thigh.

Fluttershy bit her tongue and blushed as she squeezed her legs closed. "Thanks!" she squeaked.

Rarity giggled and grabbed onto her shoulders, deeply massaging her warm skin around the thin straps of her tank top. "This is so comfortable, Fluttershy. If I'm not careful, I'll fall asleep here."

"Hm..." Fluttershy shrugged as she sank into Rarity's gentle hands with a blissful grin.

"Guess you don't mind too much then." Rarity took a deep breath and ran her fingertips up the back of Fluttershy's neck, running her fingers through her soft, silky hair and and letting it slip in between them. She closed her eyes and slowly pressed her nose to the top of Fluttershy's head, taking a slow, deep breath through her nose, the scent of lilacs stimulating her senses. "That conditioner suits you well."

Fluttershy partially opened her eyes and reached up to Rarity's hand with her own, pulling down and rubbing it against her cheek. She then curled herself up and leaned towards her side, resting her left cheek on Rarity's chest while her friend's hand gently stroked her right cheek. She closed her eyes and sighed, reaching one arm behind Rarity's back while she cuddled against her like a body-pillow.

Rarity rubbed her thumb over Fluttershy's cheek bone while the rest of her fingers warmly caressed the side of her face. "Are you... is this you, uhm, getting your scent on me?"

Fluttershy shook her head and smiled. "I just like the way it feels."

Rarity's heart skipped a beat and her next breath slipped out in a tremble. "I like the way it feels too. Would you like to pet me a little, too?"

Fluttershy nodded and turned all the way around so that she was facing her friend, and sat up on her knees. She ran her hands across Rarity's cheeks and looked straight into her eyes, inching closer. She reached her hands around to the back of Rarity's neck, and pulled her bun loose, letting her damp purple hair fall over her shoulder. Fluttershy then grabbed onto the free hair and pushed her fingers through it, stretching it as far back as she could.

Rarity closed her eyes and relaxed her body, instinctively rubbing her knees along each of Fluttershy's sides. Fluttershy closed her own eyes and tilted her head, rubbing her check against Rarity's and tightly wrapping her arms around her back.

Rarity ran her fingertips down Fluttershy's back and bit down on her lip as she let out a high pitched hum. Fluttershy leaned her head back, each girl slowly opening her eyes to meet one another's infatuated gaze. Rarity's hand made its way to the back of Fluttershy's head, where she began to pull her in closer, tilting her own head and parting her lips, their minds blank and their hearts racing in synchronization.

Just as their noses touched, a loud scream sounded from the television, and Fluttershy jumped with a startled squeal. She blushed and pulled the corner of the blanket over her face, squeezing her eyes shut and slumping backwards. Rarity shook her head to refocus her mind, and she cleared her throat.

"Oh my... that was scary..." said Rarity, hiding her blush and curling herself up in the corner of the couch.

"It was..." Fluttershy nodded and hugged her own knees all the way at the other end of the sofa.

The two took turns glancing at one another while the other would simultaneously glance back to the television, each girl searching for the words they wanted to say. Suddenly a loud crash rang out from the dark kitchen, and they each found themselves meeting in the middle of the large couch, shivering in each other's embrace.

"What was that?" Fluttershy cringed at the thought, burying her face in Rarity's neck.

"M'ow." Opalescence stepped into the front room from the kitchen carrying her toy mouse in her mouth. She then dropped it and began grooming herself.

"Opal... was that you in there making all that noise?" Rarity pat Fluttershy's back and smiled. "Don't worry. It was just Opal being a naughty kitty."

Fluttershy took a deep breath and stopped shaking. "Oh... I guess I'm just a little jumpy tonight."

"Don't mention it. I am too. Come lay back down with me and let's just finish watching this movie. Sound good?" Rarity asked, resuming her position on the couch and making room in her lap.

Fluttershy nodded and laid down against her friend, patting Rarity's thigh above the blanket, where Opalescence jumped up to join them on the sofa. Rarity warmly smiled while she watched her friend gently petting her cat, then she began to pet Fluttershy the same way she was petting Opal.

Fluttershy caught on and smiled herself, then ran her finger in a circle over the cat's head, and as she expected, Rarity did the same to her. She then began to rub Opal's shoulder, and waited patiently for Rarity to begin doing the same, who grabbed back onto Fluttershy's shoulder with a series of gentle squeezes. After several long moments of bliss, Fluttershy leaned down and kissed Opalescence on the forehead.

Rarity smiled, her heart fluttering in her chest as Fluttershy looked up at her with wide, expectant eyes. Rarity leaned down and kissed Fluttershy's forehead, who beamed with delight as she returned to nuzzling her chest. She wrapped her arms around Fluttershy's shoulders and closed her eyes, the movie's credits beginning to roll.

Fluttershy closed her eyes as well, drifting away in Rarity's warmth.

"Let's just sleep like this tonight."

Ch. 6 - Spa Daze

A bell chimed as Rarity and Fluttershy stepped into the spa, and they each took a seat in the lobby. Gentle soothing music filled the room along with the sound of a small stone fountain trickling. Fluttershy looked around to see many exotic plants and paintings lining the walls, as well as several hanging scrolls adorned with calligraphic writing she couldn't begin read.

"Velcome!" Two teenage girls with bright blue and pink hair stepped out from behind the counter. "So nice to see you, Rarity. I see you brought ze new friend today. So vhat can I do for you? Hmm? Ze usual? Deep massage zen pedicure?"

"We'll have the full package. I want my dear friend here to get the entire spa experience today. Charge my card." Rarity nodded and brushed her dress off. "How long will the wait be?"

Fluttershy frowned and gripped her skirt, nervously bunching it up. "Is it... expensive?" she asked, hardly audible.

"Shh," Rarity bumped her friend with an elbow.

"So nice to meet you, Fluttershy. My name is Lotus, and you don't you worry about a thing. Your very nice rich friend has you covered. Come on, ve'll get started right away. Yes?" Lotus stood up and waved them towards a door at the back of the lobby, and Fluttershy's eyes remained locked on a fish tank until the wall broke her line of sight.

Rarity followed with a blush and a smile as she waved to spa twins down. "I don't know about rich..."

"You two sit, sit, and ve'll be right back." Each sister placed her hands together and bowed as she backed away.

Rarity and Fluttershy took their seats on large, soft and heated recliners. Fluttershy closed her eyes and sank into her chair. "This is already great..."

Rarity nodded and took a deep breath, taking in the humid and fragrant air. "Just you wait, darling."

Fluttershy looked over at her friend with a smile and nodded. Rarity fluttered her lashes and sighed. "It's so nice to have you here with me instead of my mom. She just goes on and on about how hard her day is, and I understand that she needs to vent, but it kills the mood of the spa, which in a way defeats the purpose... Anyway, I'm glad you're here with me today. It's been a wonderful weekend so far, and this just makes it so much better."

"I'm glad you feel that way, Rarity. I like spending time with you too." Fluttershy closed her eyes and rested back against her seat, the warm chair engulfing her.

Rarity noticed Fluttershy's hand limply dangling over the arm of the couch, and she nonchalantly let her own hand fall right next to it. She flexed her fingers and cleared her throat, watching her friend's soft smile grow as their fingers made brief contact.

Rarity grinned and pushed further, brushing her fingertips against Fluttershy's, who ran hers down the length of Rarity's fingers, until they reached her palm. With a burst of boldness, Rarity spread her fingers and interlocked them with her friend's, effectively locking their hands together as they sat next to one another.

Fluttershy dropped her smile and looked away. "Rarity? Are you... holding my hand, like... like in a way that I should wonder about?"

Rarity shrugged and stared straight ahead. "What? Can't a girl hold someone's hand? Especially the hand of someone she likes a lot?"

Fluttershy stared blankly for a moment and nodded. "I guess she can. Does this mean you like me a lot?"

"Maybe it does. How do you feel about me?" Rarity asked, biting her lip and staring into Fluttershy's eyes expectantly.

Fluttershy gulped and felt her cheeks getting hot. "Rarity I... I like you like—"

"All ready?" Lotus walked into the room with a wide smile and a bag of supplies. She then locked her eyes on the hands being held and raised her eyebrows with a toothy grin. "Oh, Aloe, let's give zem a few more minutes," she said to her sister.

Rarity squeezed Fluttershy's hand and shook her head. "That won't be necessary. Please, do your thing and don't mind us."

The sisters nodded and pointed across the room to a bamboo changing room. "Please undress and put on clean robes."

Rarity swallowed her tongue and resisted the urge to smack herself in the face. She took a deep breath and stood up, helping Fluttershy to her feet. She led the way to the dressing room, which was simply a small wall with several plush robes hanging on it, along with a small table for clothing.

Standing behind the wall, they stared at each other, each hesitant to undress first. Rarity unlatched the belt around her waist and sat it down on the small table, taking yet another deep, calming breath.

"I'm not nervous, are you?" Rarity shook her head and scoffed. "It's just like when we played on the volley ball team together and showered. I wasn't embarrassed or whatever... You shouldn't be either."

Fluttershy shook her head and sighed. "But it's not like that anymore... because now I like you and... I, well you like me too so you know how I feel."

"You mean you want to watch me undress?" Rarity placed her hand on her forehead and fought blush.

Fluttershy shrugged and looked into Rarity's eyes as she let her tank top strap slide off her shoulder. She blinked several times, then grabbed the bottom of her shirt and pulled it up over her head, only breaking eye contact for a brief moment.

Rarity's heart sank into her stomach while she watched, just as infatuated as she was surprised. "Not bad..." She steeled her nerves and nodded, then lifted her own shirt off.

Fluttershy smiled and pointed. "Hey I have that same bra at home." She coyly pouted and looked down, bending one knee and crossing her arms behind her back. "Except I think I'm a cup size smaller."

Rarity giggled and reached behind her back, unlatching her black and purple bra and setting in on the table. "I'm afraid this is silly. Even if we like each other, we're still best friends, and it's not as though we've never seen each other like this before."

"You coming or vhat? Silly girls." Lotus shrugged and scratched her head.

Rarity nodded and called out, "Just a moment."

Fluttershy glanced at the robe before taking a deep breath and pulling her boots off. Rarity bit her tongue and watched as she wiggled her hips and her skirt slid down her legs. Fluttershy then wrapped the robe around herself, winking as she finished removing her undergarments from beneath it.

Rarity laughed and shrugged, taking a seat on the table as she removed her boots and socks. She then stood up and shimmied out of her own skirt, turning around and swaying her hips before swinging the robe around herself. Facing Fluttershy, she bent down and let her bare leg slip through the robe.

Fluttershy's heart skipped a beat and she averted her gaze, squeezing her legs together and tightening her robe's silky rope.

The two then walked back out into the spa's luxury room. Where each twin sister took one girl be the arm and led her to a different chair. They were seated, and the sisters dropped to their knees, resting them on small pillows beneath the foot of the recliners.

Rarity looked over at her friend and reached her hand between them with a soft smile. Fluttershy looked at Rarity's hand and slowly reached for it, their fingers quickly interlocking and warmly holding each other.

"I'm sorry about this morning..." Fluttershy said, smirking and widening her apologetic eyes.

Rarity laughed and shook her head. "Don't mention it, and I mean that. It was nothing."

"Oh, but it was... something." Fluttershy shuddered and closed her eyes.

***

Earlier, two girls rested fast asleep on a large plush sofa, their limbs interlocked and each girl snoring loudly. Rarity lay on her back while Flutershy rested against her chest, her mouth wide open and a small trail of drool dripping down the side of Rarity's breast.

As Opalescence stretched and meowed, Rarity began to stir. She yawned and stretched herself out beneath her friend, then raised an eyebrow as an unexpected moisture soaked through to her skin. She reached down and touched her wet spot, then examined her fingers with one groggy eye. As she spread her two fingers, she saw a sticky string form between them. Still half asleep, she grabbed her own breast and felt her hand slide against the warm goo.

"Fluttershy?" Rarity glanced down to see her friend nuzzled against her chest with her mouth dripping drool against her boob.

Rarity blushed and instinctively pressed her hand against her forehead, smearing the drool across her face. Her eye twitched, then she grabbed onto Fluttershy's shoulders and began to shake her.

***

"Yes let's just forget about this morning entirely." Rarity sternly nodded and cleared her mind. "Mmm... Isn't that just amazing?" she asked as she wiggled her toes between Aloe's massaging fingers.

Fluttershy chewed on her fingernails while she nervously watched Lotus rubbing a rough pad against her heels. "Y...yes..."

"Oh, what's wrong? Don't you want all that dreadful dead skin removed from your feet? So unattractive if you think about it." Rarity closed her eyes and leaned back, her body tingling beneath her massage.

Fluttershy blushed and looked down at her feet. "Unattractive?" she whispered. Then with a determined nod, she stopped fidgeting and gritted her teeth.

Lotus smiled and picked up the pace, winking at her sister. Moments later the two found themselves back up and ready to move on. They adjusted the chairs until they were laying flat and straight. "Now roll over please."

Rarity did as instructed and crossed her front arms, resting her cheek on them as she watched Fluttershy, who hesitated. "It's okay. This is one of the best parts."

Fluttershy slowly turned around and rested on her stomach, mimicking Rarity. "If you say so. They're more... hands-on than I thought they'd be."

"Don't be silly, dear. This is nice. Just try to relax and enjoy yourself." Rarity widened her eyes as she watched her friend, who nodded and let herself loosen up.

Aloe and Lotus untied their robes and slid them down over their shoulders until their backs were completely exposed. Lotus cracked her knuckles and chewed on her tongue as she grabbed onto Fluttershy's bare shoulders.

Rarity immediately sank into her masseuse's hands as her muscles turned to mush. She arched her back and wiggled her shoulder blades, her entire body going numb.

Fluttershy winced and shivered as Lotus pressed her fingers into her tight muscles.

"Hey, try to take it easy, okay? I'm not going to hurt you." Lotus rolled her eyes at her sister who had taken the easy client.

Fluttershy sighed and closed her eyes as the warm hands ran down her back. She pictured Rarity sitting on top of her and squeezing her arms. Her muscles went limp and her smile grew while the masseuse worked her palms into Fluttershy's back.

Rarity opened her eyes and licked her lips while she watched Fluttershy fighting her urge to drool. "Lower," she said as she glanced back at Aloe.

"What's got your friend so tense, Rarity?" Lotus asked as she worked the knots from Fluttershy's back.

"Why don't you ask?" Rarity smiled at her friend with a wink.

Lotus shrugged and continued her routine, working all the way down the girl's back. Then she began squeezing her thighs and calves, and Fluttershy chirped. Rarity widened her eyes and giggled at her friend before she drifted back off into the soothing sensation of being expertly rubbed.

***

Several hours later, Rarity and Fluttershy each stepped out through the front door of the spa, their hair done up in loose ponytails and their rejuvenated skin shining in the sunlight.

"This feels incredible," Rarity said as she stretched and bent down to touch her toes. "I feel like I could sprint a mile."

"Me too." Fluttershy kicked at the ground and nodded. "So now where are we going?"

Rarity stood upright and twirled around before pointing down the road. "To the pet store. We need things for Opal."

"I love the pet store!" Fluttershy squeaked and quickly swayed her shoulders.

Rarity took a long step forward to lead the way before she reached back and took Fluttershy's hand. "So tell me what you were saying in the spa earlier. How much do you like me?"

"I... well, you know." She took a deep breath and caught up to her friend's side. "A lot. I don't know why, but last night on the couch, I wanted us to be more than just best friends... Does that make me selfish? Or... greedy?"

Rarity shook her head and shrugged. "I don't know. What I do know is that the feeling is mutual. I was a second away from kissing you, and I only regret not doing so, because I think it would have been a perfect first kiss." Rarity stopped in her tracks and flinched. "Wha... Uhm, what do you think?"

Fluttershy lowered her eyes as she followed and hurried past the crosswalk. "I think that next time something might happen, that we shouldn't let it get interrupted."

"I think you're right. Will you stay the night again tonight? I don't want to be alone, and not to mention that I'd like you to help me set this stuff up when I get it home too." Rarity closed her eyes and smiled. "Please say yes."

Fluttershy looked down the street at the large pet store sign and shielded the sun from her eyes. "Yes. I'd love to stay with you again."

"Yes, thank you! Lets get this stuff for Opal while we're here, and we can have lots of fun later tonight watching movies again." Rarity picked up her pace and fought the urge to skip across the parking lot.

"Will we cuddle on the couch again tonight?" Fluttershy asked, hiding her face.

"I wouldn't have it any other way, love."

Ch. 7 - Collared Girl

Fluttershy took in a deep breath through her nose, the scent of cedar bedding and grooming supplies flooding her senses. "Ahhh... I love it here."

Rarity fanned in front of her nose and shook her head. "Where's the cat stuff?"

Fluttershy pointed towards the back of the store and led the way while Rarity followed close behind and eyed a wall of shiny, sparkling dog collars. She stopped and grabbed ahold of a thick black collar with big silver bell dangling at the front of it, then casually held it low and out of sight while she stepped into the feline area of the store.

Fluttershy stroked her hand up the length of fully assembled cat trees on display, some several feet taller than she was.

"What should we get for Opal?" Rarity asked, staring at the tall decorations with wide eyes.

Fluttershy lifted a box and inspected the picture on the front. "This one looks good. Opal is pretty chubby and there's a very wide perch at the top. I think she'll make good use of the little den at the bottom for a while too. What do you think?"

Rarity took the box in her hands and shook it up and down. "Seems good to me. What else should we get"

Fluttershy placed a finger to her chin as she watched Rarity angle the box into a shopping cart, then slide the collar beneath it. "How about a bag of cat treats?"

"No she has plenty of those. I just usually forget about them since she's usually too moody to hand feed," Rarity explained.

"Well how about this?" Fluttershy pointed a small red beam of light onto her friend's chest. "I love watching cats chase these around."

"A laser pointer? Okay sure." Rarity smiled and stepped back towards the cash registers. "I'm ready to kick my shoes off and curl up on the couch for a while, so let's go home for now. If we realize we've forgotten something then we can come back later."

Fluttershy nodded and followed, lifting the the box onto the counter along with the laser pointer. She then lifted the collar and raised an eyebrow. "Rarity, you do realize that this is too big, right? Opal is a cat and this is clearly a dog collar."

"Yes of course!" Rarity blushed and snatched it from Fluttershy, handing it to the cashier. "Don't be silly... it isn't for Opal, my dear."

Fluttershy tilted her head and narrowed her eyes, then spotted Rarity lifting her card from her bag. "No." She placed her hand over Rarity's and stepped in front of her. "I'll get this for you since you so generously treated me to the spa."

"Oh," Rarity said, putting her card away. "That's very kind of you. Thanks."

"I also like to rack up rewards points here with my membership card. So it's win win." Fluttershy smiled as she purchased the items with her crumpled wad of cash and earned her points.

***

Meanwhile, Opalescence found herself with free reign of the house. She cat-crawled into the open, stalking her prey from behind a shoe. The small dust ball inched across the slick kitchen tile floor as a draft creeped in through the window. At the sight of movement, Opalescence lowered her ears and wiggled her haunches before darting into action! She pounced onto the ball of dust full speed, losing all traction and sliding across the kitchen floor.

With a loud crash she collided with the refrigerator, knocking down several magnets and pictures Sweetie Belle had drawn. The cat quickly regained her bearings and resumed her chase, scurrying in place for several seconds before gaining any momentum. She eyed the dust and hopped on top of it in an attempt to capture it beneath her front paws, but it slipped between her grasp and floated high into the air.

Opal stared at the ball of dust forlornly as it vanished from sight, resting peacefully atop the refrigerator. Her attention was then caught by the creaking of the front door, and she trotted into the living room to investigate with a high pitched meow.

"Aright! Let's get this thing built," Rarity said with the pumping of her fist.

Fluttershy nodded and peeled the box open before dumping its contents onto the floor. A few pieces tumbled out and onto the floor and she took a deep breath, wiping her brow. "Okay good. This is the easy kind that you just twist together."

Rarity shrugged and lifted the base upright, noting the steel bolt protruding from the center. "Oh I see. This seems quite easy, much unlike what I expected."

Opalescence spied on them from the kitchen, watching as Rarity twisted the parts into place, and her tail flicked from side to side.

Fluttershy stood up and rubbed her hand across the soft carpeted top. "Opal might feel a little uneasy about this at first. Cats sometimes need a bit of time to adjust to furniture changes or the addition of furniture. I'm sure this thing smells very strange to her too, so there's that to consider."

Rarity nodded and dragged the tree into her bedroom, propping it up into the corner. "It'll probably stay here since this is Opal's main room. I'll see about letting her out more often, but Sweetie Belle is a mess, and Opal likes cleanliness."

Fluttershy smirked and shrugged. "So... about that collar."

Rarity's back stiffened and she stared straight past her friend, pulling the collar from her pocket. "Well, I just thought... I thought that, you know, since you're pretending to be my pet sometimes, I thought that maybe you'd like to... wear it."

Fluttershy rubbed her forehead with a wide smile and laughed. "Oh, that's all? I thought maybe you had a big puppy I didn't know about. Sure, I'd love to." She took the soft, silky collar and unlatched the shiny chrome buckle.

Rarity's eyes widened as she watched her friend lift her arms and wrap the black fabric around her neck. Fluttershy then lifted her chin and exposed her neck further. "Could you help buckle it please?"

Rarity nodded and gently slid the metal prong into a small hole before tucking the excess strap beneath the buckle. "Looks lovely on you."

Fluttershy flicked the bell with her fingertip and giggled. "I love it. Thank you for picking it out."

"Now I'll be able to find you whenever I need you." Rarity stared at the bell and placed her hand on Fluttershy's cheek.

"Yes, and I'll always be here whenever you might need me." Fluttershy nodded and leaned into her friend's hand with her eyes closed. She then took a deep breath and placed her own hand over Rarity's, and her deep teal eyes slowly inched open to meet Rarity's vivid blue ones. Fluttershy wore a coy pout as she leaned forward and Rarity tilted her head.

Fluttershy shifted her weight and rubbed her boots together as her nose brushed along the side of Rarity's, and just as their lips touched, Rarity jumped with a start. Opalescence pawed at her shoulder from the top of her perch.

"Oh look, she likes it." Fluttershy pointed to the cat, then clenched her fist and silently stomped the floor in frustration as Rarity looked back.

"I guess she does... That's really great. And she's playing with me. This is wonderful! I hope she's warming up already. Should I grab her treats?" Rarity turned back to Fluttershy with wide and sparkling eyes.

"Uhm... yes. Go ahead and give her a couple to celebrate her taking a liking to her new perch." Fluttershy rolled her eyes and rested her chin on the perch by Opal's face as Rarity headed into the other room. "You're such an attention hog, Opal," she mumbled before scratching behind the cat's ears.

She then whispered with a wink, "I'll kiss that girl eventually. Just you watch."

Rarity returned with her small bag of treats and shook it in front of Opal, who stuck her nose up and turned away. "Oh, I guess someone doesn't want any treats..."

"She doesn't seem too excited. I'm guessing she doesn't like them very much," Fluttershy noted.

"Maybe you're right. Do you want some?" Rarity teased and dangled the bag with her fingertips.

Fluttershy shook her head and walked into the front room. "Come on, let's give her some time with her new toy, and later we'll whip out the laser pointer for some real fun."

"Ooh, I can't wait." Rarity followed and joined her friend on the sofa as she turned on the television and flipped through the channels. "What are you looking for?"

"Just something to watch. I just like white noise at the very least." Fluttershy stretched her legs before kicking her boots off and resting her feet on the coffee table.

Rarity scoffed and shook her head. "Well you've certainly grown more comfortable around here."

Fluttershy paused for a moment, then quickly sat straight up and lowered her legs. "Oh my! I didn't mean to. It's just that I... well at home I..."

"Shhh. No worries, love. Just don't do it if my mom is home." Rarity winked, kicking her own boots off and propping her feet up as well.

Fluttershy smiled and hesitantly leaned back, resuming her previous position.

"What is she doing?" Rarity asked while Opalescence arched her back and dug her claws into the base of the cat tree. "Is she really sharpening her claws? That's why they do that, right?"

Fluttershy nodded and crossed her legs over the table, partially distracted by the tv. "Yes, her claws are getting sharper and stronger while she does that. She isn't necessarily trying to sharpen them, but instead she's instinctively honing them. They use trees in the wild to hone their claws, and it keeps them from growing to a point that they'll easily break. The sharpening is an important side effect."

Rarity slowly nodded. "I see. What if we get her declawed?"

Fluttershy shot upright and rapidly shook her head. "No, you can't! It's awful. Cats hate it and there are a lot of risks. If you're worried about claw length, then let's just trim them. I'll show you how with a regular pair of nail clippers."

Rarity chuckled and waved her hands back and forth. "Fine, show me how then."

Fluttershy rubbed her temples and took a deep breath. "The declawing procedure should be outlawed... Anyway, I just very recently clipped her nails yesterday, so she should still be fine. I can tell you how now and show you next week. Give me your nail clippers, please."

Rarity opened her bag which sat on the coffee table in front of the couch. She then handed the clippers over and watched carefully while Fluttershy took her hand. "Darling, don't ruin my nails."

"Oh... I'm sorry. Here, clip mine for me then and I'll walk you through it." Fluttershy sat back on her knees and and placed her hands on her thighs. "Mew... Please don't hurt me."

Rarity lifted the clippers and looked down at Fluttershy's fingertips. "Oh please, I've clipped nails a million times over."

"My nails aren't like people nails. I have a very sensitive nerve that grows inside not very deep in." Fluttershy pouted and pulled her hand back.

Rarity nodded. "I see. Well I'll be extra careful."

Fluttershy held her hand out and rested her fingers on Rarity's palm. "Just clip the very tip of the sharp part, less than about a quarter of the claw's length in."

Rarity focused and just barely nicked the very tip of the nail, not visibly altering it at all. Fluttershy smiled and pulled her hand away, then nuzzled her cheeks against Rarity's hand with a quiet purr.

"You're a good girl, Fluttercat." Rarity stroked her hair and jingled her bell.

Fluttershy smiled widely and quickly nodded. "You need to keep in mind that Opal might try to resist you clipping her nails at first because she'll feel nervous and uneasy."

Rarity crossed her arms with a knowing smirk. "You mean the way you were nervous and uneasy at the spa?"

Fluttershy frowned and sat back. "I... What do you mean?"

"Oh you know, when you were getting you pedicure. You seemed seconds away from a nervous breakdown." Rarity laughed and urged her friend backwards. "Are you nervous and uneasy right now?"

Fluttershy fell back onto her elbows while Rarity lifted her left calf and rubbed the muscle. "I'm a little... What are you doing?"

"I'm giving you a massage, remember our agreement? You teach me and I rub you," Rarity explained as she bared her teeth with an innocent smile.

Fluttershy nodded and took a deep breath. "...You know that I'm nervous. I just don't like that kind of massage."

"Oh? And how do you know? Have you experienced one? I was a bit disappointed that you didn't get one at the spa. I insist I get one every time." Rarity ran her hand down Flutteshy's shin while she held her calf with the other hand.

Rarity noticed Fluttershy cover her face and let her head fall flat against the cushion, then decided to carry on. She slid her index finger between Fluttershy's ankle and sock, then pulled down on the soft fabric.

"No." Fluttershy pulled away and sat cross legged on the couch, shaking her head. "Maybe later. Let's do something else for now."

Rarity let her hair fall over one eye as she tilted her head. "Okay. We can do whatever you want. What do you feel like doing right now, Fluttershy?"

"Uhm... H-how about a kiss?"

Ch. 8 - Firsts and Lasts

Rarity tensed up, caught somewhere in between a gulp and a giggle. "You want to kiss?"

Fluttershy blushed and hid her face behind her hands, then nodded. "Yes."

"Okay... I don't have a problem with that. Let's see... so, what kind of kiss are we talking about?" Rarity asked, placing a finger to her lips.

Fluttershy shrugged and stared down at her knees. "The one that we keep almost doing, but then it gets interrupted."

Rarity thought for a moment, then raised her eyebrows with a slick grin. "Oh I see. Well we have to let it come naturally, so we can't just do it right this instant. How about we set up a situation that we know will cause it to come about?"

"That sounds good. What do you think will work?" Fluttershy asked.

Rarity leaned back and grabbed the laser pointer from the table. "Let's make Opal chase a dot. That'll be fun, and who knows what it'll lead to."

Fluttershy scratched her head as she watched Rarity struggling with the package for several moments. It soon gave way and popped wide open, sending the device flying through the air. Wanting to catch it, Fluttershy shielded her face and cowered as it landed on her head.

"Ouch," she squeaked.

Rarity gasped and threw herself across the couch to Fluttershy's aid. "Oh my! Are you alright?! I'm so terribly sorry, love. The package really shouldn't be so tightly sealed, I... I had no idea it'd do that. Let me see where it hit you."

Fluttershy rubbed the sore spot and looked up into Rarity's eyes with a wobbly smile. "I'm okay... really."

Rarity was still leaning over Fluttershy's lap and balancing herself on her hands while she took a deep breath and sighed in relief. "Oh, good. It looks like you have a little lump, though. I'll be right back."

Fluttershy ran her finger over the bump as Rarity headed into the kitchen.

"Opal! What a mess you've made!" she shouted, lifting the pictures and magnets from the floor.

The cat quietly stirred in her sleep atop her perch at the mention of her name.

"I swear, that cat loves getting into trouble. How did she even manage that mess in there?" Rarity complained while sitting in front of her friend with a small icepack.

Fluttershy shrugged. "Maybe she saw a fly or some bug and jumped up after it."

"Who knows with her..." Rarity lifted the icepack and gently eased it onto Fluttershy's lump.

"Thank you, Rarity," she said, sniffling. "I'm sorry I'm such a klutz."

"Don't be silly darling. You're no klutz... You're just a scaredy cat, silly." Rarity lifted her friend's chin and smiled. "Don't apologize for that... You're my scaredy cat."

Fluttershy blushed and flicked her bell with her fingertip. "Am I?"

Rarity nodded, her smile slipping away. She grabbed the bell with two fingers and rolled it around, then slid her fingers beneath the collar. Her heart skipped a beat, and she used it to pull Fluttershy into her lips. Rarity closed her eyes as their lips interlocked, and she felt the world stop around them.

Fluttershy squeezed her eyes shut and balled her fists, her body limply leaning into Rarity's, who parted her lips, inhaled, and reconnected. Fluttershy felt her partner's breath slip through her nose and pour across her cheek, then felt coldness before opening her eyes.

Rarity had leaned back, taking deep breaths and wiping her mouth. "Our first kiss..."

Fluttershy looked up and down Rarity's body, then began to chew on her own tongue. "I loved it."

"I did as well."

...

Each girl sat quietly for several long, nerve wracking moments. They averted their eyes at the detection of a glance from the other, and Fluttershy fidgeted with her collar.

"Well... now what?" Rarity asked.

Fluttershy lifted the lazer pointer from her lap and smiled. "Opal," she called out. "Here kitty kitty."

The cat rolled onto her stomach and peered down over the edge of her perch, eyeing Fluttershy. At the sight of a small dot creating a figure eight, she jumped down and stalked it from around the corner, her tail flicking side to side.

"What's that?" Rarity reared up and playfully asked as she grasped her knees.

Opalescence wiggled her rear and darted across the floor, her front paws attempting to capture the dot as she chased it. With her target stationary and resting several feet in front of her, she pounced!

Fluttershy deactivated the pointer just as the cat reached it, and laughed as she began searching for her prey. She covered her mouth as she snorted and blushed, Rarity laughing at her side.

"Here, give it a try." Fluttershy handed the laser pointer over and watched Rarity run it across the floor. "It's important for Opal to do this to release her pent up urges to hunt. If she has them bottled up inside then she'll start hunting anything she can find and pretend is her prey; including, your feet, your hands, things on the floor, random bugs, and really anything that moves at all. They're very attracted to movement."

Rarity nodded and giggled. "I can tell."

Fluttershy took a breath and sank back into the cushion. "She loves that thing."

"So tell me, love. Do you have any pent up urges you want to release?" Rarity asked with raised eyebrows.

Fluttershy blushed and shrugged. "Want to help me release them? Like a good pet owner should?"

Rarity accidentally dropped the pointer and gulped as Fluttershy crawled across the couch on her hands and knees. "Yes... Yes I do," she said with a shaky laugh.

Fluttershy rested her chin on Rarity's lap as she fumbled for the laser pointer. "Then pet me. I have the urge to be pet while you play with Opal."

Rarity fanned her face and let out a deep breath. "Oh, yes I'd love to."

Fluttershy winked and began to purr while Rarity pointed the light back at the floor. With a beautiful smiling girl above her and the soothing sensation of fingers running through her hair, she yawned.

***

Several hours later, Fluttershy opened her eyes and stretched her limbs. She quickly wiped her mouth to check for drool, and sighed in relief when there was none. The room was dark, and she wiped her eyes to glance around. Rarity was near her, her body laying the other direction and her feet hanging over the arm of the couch while their foreheads touched.

"Rarity?" she asked mid-yawn.

Her friend stirred and opened a single eye, a smile breaking as their eyes made contact. "Good evening, love."

"Sorry I dozed off." Fluttershy sat up and rested her face in her palms. "I get sleepy sometimes."

"Me too. We needed a nap anyway. Now we can stay up late and watch another movie." Rarity winked and noted the darkness. "I'll get the lights."

Fluttershy hid her face and adjusted to the bright light before she cleared her throat and sat upright. She watched Rarity fiddle with a remote controller until a movie began to play.

"I don't know what this is, just something my dad recorded on the DVR, but who cares. Let's watch it." Rarity slumped down onto the couch and yawned, shaking her head to clear her grogginess.

"I like most movies..." Fluttershy added.

"Me too." Rarity tapped her leg at the sight of her pet walking through the front room, and she leaped up next to her owner, stepping in circles and purring.

"It's good to finally see you two really bonding. I can tell she's loosening up already... I told you cats aren't hard to keep happy. You just gotta know how they think and feel, because sadly they can't tell us very easily. They do tell us everything in their own way though. All you've got to do is learn their body language." Fluttershy fell onto her elbows and brushed noses with the cat.

Rarity nodded and smiled widely. "I can't believe how long she's been purring. I usually get a good ten seconds before she leaves."

"Well you're scratching her cheeks and chin. You aren't scaring her or towering over her right now either. I can see why she's so comfortable being affectionate. Soon she'll be like this any time you want her to be," Fluttershy explained.

"I hope so..." Rarity continued petting her cat, then tilted her head and scoffed. "Why is she... licking me?" Rarity asked as Opalescence licked her knee.

"Awww," Fluttershy squeaked and bunched her shoulders up. "She's grooming you. It's one of the most affectionate things a cat can do to its owner."

"Oh." Rarity blushed as the cat jumped off the couch and headed to her water dish. "That's great then, right?"

"Definitely. That means she feels like you're part of her family. You've had her since she was a kitten, right?" Fluttershy asked.

"Yes that's right. We bought her shortly after she was weened from her mother."

"Then she might feel like you're her mother. Especially if you two spent a lot of time together when she was growing up." Fluttershy nodded with closed eyes. "She's definitely your cat, Rarity."

"Yes she is... I got her a few summers ago, and her and I spent the first three months together in my room, almost exclusively with each other. She was my best and only friend after moving here. I feel like she's my family too." Rarity blushed and pressed a palm against her forehead. "Listen to me go on... I must sound pathetic."

"Oh no... Definitely not. Animals are the best friends a person could ask for." Fluttershy winced and shook her head. "She'll never lie to you or make fun of you behind your back. She'll never be too busy for you, and she will always love you unconditionally, even if you hurt her or scare her, and cause her to be skittish, the love for her provider and source of affection will last for a lifetime."

Rarity nodded and took Fluttershy's hand. "Darling... I understand why you're feeling this way. I promise you that I'll never do any of those things to you. You can be like family to me too."

Fluttershy kneeled back down, her bell jingling as she crawled over Rarity's lap and took her hand. "I'll love you just like Opal does, and if you take good care of me, I can be even more affectionate than her."

"I'll take very good care of you... as a cat, or a friend... or even a girlfriend." Rarity bit her lip and ran her free hand through her friend's hair.

Fluttershy help Rarity's hand with her own two and examined it, playing with her fingers and running them over her lips. "I'm pretending to be your pet cat right now... but I'd still like to be your girlfriend the rest of the time."

"I want you to, too. I want that affection you mentioned."

Fluttershy giggled and kissed the fingers in front of her. She then stuck her tongue out and flicked it against the fingertip.

Rarity gasped and closed her eyes. "Such an affectionate kitty..."

Fluttershy nodded before kissing the top of Rarity's hand and nuzzling her wrist.

Rarity shuddered and closed her eyes. "This is the start of a great relationship, Fluttershy. I can feel it."

~Body Language~