Bechdel's Law

Co-written with Steel Resolve
Commissioned artwork by Spittfire

“Rarity! Rarity, wait!” Fluttershy cried. In a flurry of feathers she was after the fleeing mare, faster than anypony present had ever seen her move. Soaring down the stairs, she dove at the mare attempting to pry open the door and clumsily tackled her. She stood over Rarity, panting from the exertion, a little startled by her own, uncharacteristically assertive course of action. “Stop... Please...”

Rarity looked up with a flash of anger, but there was something else in her eyes: panic. “Darling, we need to just stop, don’t you see? You know very well what else happened that fateful day. It was all special to me, I don’t want to share it. I won’t have what we shared be cheapened by a silly game. Please, can’t we just end it here?”

When she finally had her breathing under control again, Fluttershy still didn’t quite know how to respond to that. Part of her actually agreed. But something was off, and didn’t quite ring true about Rarity’s statements. She stepped aside and helped the prone mare up, apologizing profusely for the flying tackle. She kept a wary eye on Rarity, though, wondering whether she might bolt for the door again. “Rarity? Um... I told you, I am not the least bit ashamed about what we did. Sure, it’s a little embarrassing, but... is this like before? Do you want to stop because of me?” She closed her eyes, chewing on her lower lip, her feathers ruffling slightly as she felt emotions welling up within her which she seldom allowed to surface. She planted both her front hooves on the ground with a semi-loud -clop-. ”Stop... stop trying to protect me!” she whispered. But, as whispers sometimes do, it almost sounded like yelling; her tone frustrated and a little offended.

Rarity looked into the eyes of her lover, trying to summon up the will to sound reproachful, but finding she just couldn’t do it. She couldn’t continue to lie about what was truly bothering her. It wasn’t fair to Fluttershy. Applejack’s accusations had hit far too close to the mark. She felt her whole body sag in defeat, and found herself staring at the floor so she did not have to look Fluttershy in the eyes. "Has it occured to you it's not necessarily you I wish to protect? That I might feel some shame for my actions? For my inability to properly reciprocate your feelings?" She spoke very quietly, sadness weighing heavily in each word, tears streaming down her face. "I don't know if I can show this to anypony else. Please, I feel mortified enough that you know. The pony I became... she offends me now. I cannot believe I was once proud to be that mare. D-don’t make me bare my soul to them. Please. I simply can’t!”

Then Rarity fell silent, peering past Fluttershy and trying to erase the tears from her cheek, letting out a loud sniff. At the top of the stairs, she had spotted Twilight and Applejack. Both ponies stood stock-still on the threshold, looking very uncertain, having swiftly realized that the scene unfolding below them was extremely personal, even though it involved them in a way. Neither fully understood the reason for Rarity’s outburst.

After a moment, Applejack made to climb down the stairs as well. Her first reaction to Rarity storming out of the room had been one of annoyance; she loathed theatrics like that. The sight of the unicorn crying, however, had the usually stoic mare wincing with very real pangs of guilt. The sight made her instantly regret the harsh words she had spoken. She’d gotten so caught up in sticking up for Fluttershy - whose fragility and inability to stand up for herself tended to bring out her protective, maternal side - that she hadn’t seen the truth: even the pony whom she considered her equal, with whom she never minced words or bothered to sugar-coat things, could be vulnerable. Rarity wasn’t just being a drama-queen, this time. This was genuine anguish. And she had failed to see that. She needed to make this right.

But with a swiftly extended foreleg, Twilight stopped Applejack, solemnly shaking her head in response to the puzzled earth pony’s questioning glare. She looked meaningfully at Fluttershy, who was quietly comforting a very distraught Rarity with a tenderness that touched her heart. Then she nodded, and gestured back towards the bedroom with her horn, resolutely turning around.

Applejack hesitated only a moment, staring down at the still softly sobbing mare. The soft, whimpering sounds seemed to be truly painful for her to bear, a fact made evident by her gritting teeth and the way her ears were flattened. But when her searching eyes met Fluttershy’s, she seemed to relax a little, mollified by that gentle gaze.

‘I’ll take care of her,’ those eyes said.

Nodding acquiescently, Applejack, too, turned and retreated to the bedroom, leaving Rarity in the capable hooves of Doctor Fluttershy.

“We’ll, erm--We’ll be up here if you need us, girls!” Twilight called over her shoulder, before quietly closing the bedroom door to finally grant their friends a little privacy.

After nodding gratefully, even though Twilight had already gone, Fluttershy spent several more minutes in silence, merely offering Rarity her presence and warmth. She had clearly misinterpreted Rarity’s emotions - this wasn’t about her after all, nor about a prudish sense of shame for some of the things the two of them had gotten up to. This was a different kind of shame.

Looking miserable, Fluttershy sat down next to Rarity, a bit lost on what to do now that their usual roles were suddenly reversed. She didn’t have to think long, though - kindness compelled her to reach out to the unicorn, to gently stroke that beautiful mane and caress those stained cheeks. Looking her in the eyes, Fluttershy murmured, “Don't do it for me, then. Y-you know I won’t make you. And don't do it for them, either.” She paused, glancing at the door at the top of the stairs. ”Do it for yourself, Rarity. These are our friends. They care about you. Even Applejack, although she can be bit, um, irritable, at times. If you share your pain, it may help you heal... It’s--it’s not healthy to keep everything bottled up inside. I mean, I should know. Keeping important things to yourself, it’s--" The timid mare swallowed, suddenly looking a bit uncomfortable. Almost guiltily. “It’s bad.” She ended lamely.

Rarity threw her forelegs around the kind mare and began to weep softly. For a time she simply held Fluttershy and cried into her mane. Her friend reciprocated, gingerly tightening the embrace by putting her legs around the unicorn and simply allowing her get it all out of her system. Finally, the fashionista regained her composure enough to speak. “Y-you’re right of course, I am such a silly filly at times. And a vat of contradictions, to boot - you must be dreadfully frustrated with me! One the one hoof, I wallow in shame for my past life, on the other, I’m too proud to let anypony help me. Even you. H-here you are, offering me everything I have yearned for all these years, and I find myself afraid to accept it. Too scared to open up and share, even with my closest and dearest friends; whom, I know in my heart, would not hesitate to entrust mewith their darkest secrets.

“Let’s... go back up to them, then. I think I shall be alright now.” She kissed Fluttershy on the lips sweetly. “Thank you my darling, thank you for not allowing me to be weak.”

“Y-you’re not weak, Rarity,” Fluttershy stammered, smiling a little and touching her freshly kissed lips with the tip of her hoof. She was still getting used to the novel, tingly sensation it left on them, and honestly didn’t quite know what she did or said to make Rarity calm down and change her mind. “You are one of the strongest ponies I know. Um... You’re always ready to make sacrifices; to ignore your own needs in favor for those of others. Always looking out for your friends, and willing to give everything without asking for anything in return.

“Remember when you found me? The day I fell from Cloudsdale? I was tired, I was hungry, and I had no friends other than my animals. I needed help, and I found you. You stayed with me, you were patient with me. When I couldn't get anyone else to understand me, you were there, nuzzling me until I squeaked out the words to you. You found help for me. I don't know what would have happened if it hadn't been for you.” Even after these reassuring statements, the concerned mare still decided to keep a close eye on Rarity, who came across as shaky, emotional and everything but ‘alright’, despite her claims to the contrary. Fluttershy offered a her a helping hoof, using a few quick beats of her wings for leverage as she pulled the other mare back onto her own four feet.

"You were so lovely, my pony who fell from the sky,” Rarity reminisced, as she gratefully took hold of the proffered foreleg. ”I think I had a crush on you even then. Of course we were both too young to even comprehend such things. But you had to go home. I-I missed you my darling. I wish you had been there when I first tried to find love. My life would be much different now. But you are here now. That's what's important. I am sorry, I'll do my best to be stronger." She nuzzled Fluttershy affectionately. “Thank you for being here now.”

After they had both gotten back onto their hooves, the pegasus spread her wings and gracefully ascended the stairs, holding hooves and leading Rarity back up. “I want to make us work, you know,” she said very softly and earnestly, when they had gotten back to the door. She couldn’t look Rarity in the eyes for the moment, minutely studying her hooves instead. “I want to help you feel better. It’s just--I’m afraid I can’t do things like this alone. I’m just no good, really. I’m kind of hoping Twilight or Applejack would know what to do.” She smiled happily, seeming glad to have friends she could rely on. ”They’re both really smart, in their own way...”

Rarity stopped her before she had a chance to open the door. “Never... ever... say... you are no good.” Punctuating each word with a kiss on the lips. “I won’t hear it from you ever again. Do you understand, darling?” She smiled, her eyes still a bit red from crying earlier. “Just keep being the wonderful mare you are. That alone makes you more than ‘good.’”

Giggling, a flushed Fluttershy shot Rarity an intensely grateful and relieved glance. That had sounded a lot more like the Rarity she knew. “Sorry.” She mouthed the word, but did not say it, possessing enough self-awareness to know it was a phrase she grossly overused. And Rarity probably wouldn’t tolerate her being needlessly apologetic, either. “I-I will. But only if you promise to do the same,” she said, emphasizing her words with a fond little nuzzle and affectionate nose-bump.

With a little exclamation of effort the pegasus yanked the door back open, only to be deluged in a veritable tidal wave of eavesdropping pony. Both a very anxious and apologetic Twilight and a sheepish but trying-to-be-casual Applejack hastily hopped back to their hooves, picked up the two startled ponies and dusted them off a little.

After clearing her throat conspicuously, a guilt-ridden Applejack inquired, “So, we good? Y’all ain’t gonna dash out into the rain after all?” It spoke volumes about the - previously slightly antagonistic - earth mare that she didn’t make some sarcastic remark about precious manes being ruined or carefully manicured hooves getting muddied. In fact, if you overlooked her brusque words and mannerisms and focused just on her eyes, one could tell that she was, in fact, looking at Rarity with genuine concern.

Rarity nodded gratefully. She found herself a bit touched at the concern. Fluttershy was right of course. It would help to share, even if it was painful to relive some of this. When did she get so wise? I feel like such a fool compared to her now. “I’ll be fine now. Thank you for your patience with my outburst. Having taken you this far, I believe I will show you the whole of it.” She took a deep breath and touched her horn gently to the mirror. “Let’s continue.”

Heaving a contented, blissful sigh, Fluttershy squeezed just a smidgen harder, her forelegs still wrapped tightly around Rarity. She did so adore cuddling, and normally she only had an extremely unwilling bunny for a snuggle-buddy, who would only ever indulge her for so long.

Every time she inhaled, Fluttershy got a whiff of the expensive perfume she knew Rarity habitually applied every morning. But beneath that - close as her sensitive nose was to the other mare’s fine and well-groomed coat and smooth skin - the pegasus smelled something far sweeter. Something comforting and... nice. Even the saline hint of sweat, which Rarity would probably want to rid herself of, was strangely pleasant.

“Are you sure you’re okay?” the cuddly but concerned mare asked for the third time in as many minutes. Her little oral practice-session and the resulting fireworks seemed to have taken a lot out of Rarity.

Rarity was still basking in the afterglow. That... was intense. There seemed to be a lot more to the toy she’d dubbed “Tom” than was advertised. The blurb on the back of the box only mentioned “horn stimulation” as its core feature, but that succinct little phrase hardly seemed to do the actual experience justice; the toy felt almost like a part of her, wired directly into her very soul.

She’d always heard that hornplay was wonderful, but had never indulged herself. It had always seemed so vulgar and awkward to thrust one’s horn into another pony. She was curious now though; if merely having her friend’s mouth on the device had felt that good, what would...? Are you insane? Find some way out of this gracefully now. She can’t love me, she just can’t. I have to have been imagining it. “I’m fine darling, I am glad I could aid in your... education.”

“You’re a good teacher...” Fluttershy said softly. She left the statement hanging, biting her lower lip whilst her thoughts just churned away. “I’ve never been with a stallion, but...” The prospect seemed to make the pegasus a little nervous. She lifted her head from Rarity’s shoulder, looking up at her with bright but wistful eyes. “When I do meet one I just hope he’s as patient and experienced as you.”

“I’m certain when you find your special somepony they will be kind as well, darling. I hope this experience has given you a modicum of confidence at least. You will find somepony wonderful I am sure.” Inwardly she cringed. Her own first time had been so... painful. The stallion in question had distinctly not been gentle. He’d been an absolute ruffian. She’d practically sworn off sex after the horrid affair. It had left her feeling so... hollow and worthless. She dearly hoped Fluttershy found somepony sweet and gentle. She deserved no less.

Those limpid eyes continued staring at the white mare. Fluttershy tilted her head just a little, lending a subtle questioning quality to her neutral expression Something was just slightly off about Rarity’s words; her optimism didn’t seem genuine and her pleasant smile just an act. The timid mare didn’t say anything, of course; she didn’t dare point out that her friend didn’t sound very convincing, nor did she want to pry and simply ask, flat out, what was on the unicorn’s mind. That would almost be like implying that her friend was lying. “I-if you say so,” she murmured instead.

“You will see, there is somepony out there for you darling,” Rarity insisted. ”They will sweep you off your hooves, and when you feel that you are ready, when you are sure that they are the one, you will make love with them. It will be perfect! I can see it now...” She closed her eyes as she painted the idyllic scene for Fluttershy. ”The lights dimmed just so. Scented candles glowing softly. He stands above you, powerful, majestic. He is a strong colt, with a fiery spirit, but nevertheless he always exercises self-control and constraint, reigning in that passionate fire lest you should get burned. He holds you gently as you become one and he makes you a mare, and there is little discomfort in the act, for he is a gentlecolt and knows how to treat a lady. It won’t be at all like--”

She stopped, realizing that there were tears welling up in her eyes. She had been describing what her own first night should have been like. Oh, that scoundrel... How she regretted giving in to his sweet words. “Oh, I am sorry dear, I found myself overwhelmed for just a moment. Caught up in the fantasy you see. Ahem. You will be fine. Everything will be wonderful for you. I-I just know it.”

Fluttershy found herself snuffling softly, as well. She couldn’t help it; she could hear the regret in Rarity’s voice. Her keen ears had picked up that same tone of disillusionment before. Rarity’s attempts to reassure her rang rather hollow because of it, but Fluttershy imagined the other mare was probably trying not to scare her with her own, apparently mostly negative, experiences. She was bravely putting on a positive front... for her.

Fluttershy felt grateful, but also a little torn - part of her wanted to let on that she had seen through the sunny and unruffled mask, and wanted to know what had really happened. But she knew Rarity well... It was pointless to try and force things out of the stubborn mare. Any attempt to confront or comfort her, when she was working so hard to pretend everything was fine, would just be counterproductive. But perhaps, just perhaps, they could help each other...? Maybe if she opened up first, and divulged what was truly on her mind?

Fluttershy’s wings clenched up in frustration - if only the last part of her name wasn’t so dreadfully accurate!

Even more convinced, though, that this was what she wanted, Fluttershy gathered every last shred of her thoroughly tucked-away courage and finally suggested what had wanted to ask from the start; what she desired most, in her heart of hearts, even though every fibre of her timid being twitched in protest at the audacity of what she was about to propose. “R-rarity? Um.... If I asked you to be my first... Would you say yes?”

“Darling...” Rarity said breathlessly, flicking her ears in disbelief, ”I am honored you would think of it, but... but that should be reserved for the one! It’s far too precious a moment to spend frivolously! I speak from personal experience here; I made a mistake, long ago. I... trusted somepony with that delicate first time, and it was not special. He was...” She paused just long enough to close her eyes and shudder with shame and revulsion, ”...a brute. So what I can offer you is some sound advice: be careful, my dear. Do not fall for honeyed words... And for goodness sake, do not make rash decisions while inebriated; nothing good ever comes from it.” She winced at the memory.

“Don’t have to tell me that,” Fluttershy said morosely, spontaneously deciding to share her own, recent, horrific experience with alcohol. It was an attempt to Rarity up a little, albeit a slightly misguided one. But then, she was still shaking with nerves after having finally worked up the courage to ask that bold question. “I drank a little, for the first time, a few weeks ago, you know. “At that sort-of-barry little place, um, ‘The Prancing Pony’, I think it’s called?” Fluttershy rambled. ”Kind of an odd name, really, if you think about it, hahaha! But, um, Applejack and Rainbow Dash were having this contest to see who could do the most shots of cider, you see, and they sort of talked me into trying a little. J-just a sip.” The suddenly super-talkative pegasus pouted when she recalled the you-did-not-just-do-that looks on her so-called friends’ faces. ”Later on, I... I found out that Pinkie and I had spent the rest of the night...” Fluttershy closed her eyes, shivering at the mere thought. Oh, the horror, the horror. “...on stage, singing karaoke.”

“Oh my, I wish I had been there to witness that!” Rarity pictured the scene, quite eager to evict the unpleasant mental imagery currently occupying her mind’s eye. “You have such a lovely singing voice, my dear.” She smiled warmly, and cleared her throat, not sure how further to respond to this sudden revelation. ”But, ahem, yes... just avoid sweet talking stallions - you will know the type when you meet one.”

The unicorn’s smile, however slight, made the embarrassing little tangent worth it in Fluttershy’s eyes. But they were getting side-tracked, and she wasn’t going to allow herself to back down. Not this time. Not again.

Tentatively getting back to the real subject at hoof, Fluttershy grew unusually quiet, even by her standards. “B-but., um... Don’t you see, Rarity? I--” She trailed off, her lips still forming undecipherable words while the red glow on her cheeks spread across the entirety of her face. But despite all this, when the stammering pegasus found her voice again, there was a firm conviction in her pleading eyes. “I-I’d rather it were you? You’re my best friend, you know. And I...“ Another pause, as if she was carefully monitoring, or censoring, her own words. ”Trust you. Very, very much. Stallions, they... Um, well, they kinda scare me, to be perfectly honest.” A nervous, slightly flakey laugh followed.

“You... oh my, you’re serious, aren’t you?” Rarity said, biting her lip in concern. There were words left unspoken in Fluttershy’s fragmented sentences - important words. This confirmed what Rarity had already been suspecting, but had tried to avoid acknowledging. Fluttershy wasn’t asking for mere experience - she wanted her to be the one!

Rarity experienced a flurry of frenzied thoughts. I don’t know if I can trust myself to do that, and I am certain I don’t deserve it.

On the one hoof, regardless of how gentle she was, it was going to hurt Fluttershy; it always hurt. It was only a question of how much. Everything they had done thus far was merely external stimulation, she had avoided any use of sex toys for that very reason. The thought of Fluttershy in pain made her cold to her core. This was supposed to boost the timid pony’s confidence, to make her feel like a desirable creature who should be loved. As such Rarity had resolved to do nothing that would result in anything but pleasure for her.

But... on the other hoof, who else could be trusted? Maybe I can give her what should have been given to me: the perfect first time.

It sounded reasonable for a millisecond, before Rarity pushed the idea off irritably. It’s not right, that should be done with the one she loves! And that is most definitely not me; she can’t love me, I won’t have it! You poor dear, I will find somepony, I swear it!

But then, as before, another voice interjected. Love is so... fickle. He told me he loved me, and I believed him. Then he proceeded to crush my romantic dreams and leave me feeling broken. She didn’t want that to ever happen to Fluttershy. Even if I can not love her... I care for her deeply. Perhaps that is enough? It feels so selfish of me! I would love nothing more than to have such an intimate moment with her... No, if you are even considering this, you will tell her exactly how you feel. She deserves the unvarnished truth.

She took a deep breath in order to steady herself. “Darling... if we do this, I want no illusions between us. This has already been the single most memorable and exciting sexual experience I can ever remember having. I am being quite honest here. I... do want this, but I feel I want it for the wrong reasons. I desire you on a level I was not previously aware existed, and I worry that this is clouding my judgement. However... I do not love you.”

Beaming proudly at the thought of Rarity genuinely enjoying her company, Fluttershy’s smile quickly froze and faltered when the other mare, clearly struggling for words, finally concluded with her true feelings. Her eyes grew very wide for a moment; something within them seemed to quiver, before shattering irreparably when Rarity spoke those crucial words. Each one of them was like a blow - like an actual, physical blow - to her previously hopeful heart. But the plucky mare hid this, as well as she was able, masking the sinking feeling in her stomach even as she felt the butterflies dying within.

Reliving the moment, and seeing the cruel effects of her blunt admission more clearly now, Rarity found tears streaming down her face. “I am s-so sorry...”

Fluttershy nuzzled up to her and kissed away the tears.

Rarity hesitated when she saw that smile fade, suddenly feeling quite horrible. She could see, only now, the impact of her honest words, and the pain that they had wrought. She turned from Fluttershy, not wanting to see the sadness in those lovely eyes and dearly wishing she take it all back. Here she was trying to avoid hurting the inexperienced mare, only to end up doing it regardless. ”I am not saying I could never come love you but... I don’t feel I love you the way you deserve to be loved at this moment,” the unicorn in the mirror explained, attempting to nuance her harsh words. ”As such, I hesitate to agree to what you ask. Should nothing more come of this than a single night of passion, well, honestly, it would be more than enough for me. I will do anything for you, though: I will teach you anything you wish to know, and I will find you somepony suitable, and deserving of your love!”

There were no tears. It would ruin the mood, Fluttershy knew, and would probably convince Rarity that she was too fragile and emotional to be able to cope with the jaded unicorn’s caveats. She wanted to be strong now, or this intimate moment between them would slip from her hooves and probably never come again. The truth was that a part of her - a seed of self-perceived worthlessness nurtured by countless unrequited crushes - had expected this response. Had expected worse. But there was hope, also. An indomitable light in her heart, unphased by rejection, undimmed by despair, that allowed her to stubbornly cling to even the slightest possibility...

“I understand,” Fluttershy said slowly, careful not to stammer or allow her voice to waver. She hid behind a surprisingly convincing, ingratiating smile. She wanted this. Desperately, pathetically almost, she still wanted this - even if Rarity did not truly love her, and perhaps never could. She could preserve and cherish the moments they shared together in her heart forever, even though the memories would be bittersweet; tainted by the knowledge that her feelings went unrequited. “If that’s the way you feel, then, um... that’s okay.”

Rarity nodded at the words, but felt the pegasus could not properly understand yet. She would not do the same thing that confounded colt had done to her. She refused to take a poor innocent heart into her hooves without the owner of that heart truly understanding what was coming. Moreover, she felt - no, only hoped - that if she explained why she was the way she was, that perhaps the saddened mare could forgive her. “Darling, please, do not be upset. I just do not wish to risk you doing this under false pretenses. I... have been hurt before - so much so that I ended up latching onto an impossible dream, because dreams couldn’t hurt me. You recall the fictitious stallion we were discussing? My first time was with a overeager colt who used me and left me to cry upon the bed of broken dreams. He had no idea what he had done wrong, and could do nothing to comfort me.” The bitterness was evident in the unicorn’s voice. ”In my mind, it was going to be perfect; it was supposed to be perfect...”

Her face screwed up in anger and frustration. “For a long while I consoled myself by indulging in the most frivolous of dalliances. I cannot remember their names or faces, all of them were single-night affairs, mares and stallions alike. It shames me to admit I cannot count them. I didn't get what I expected. I got what I deserved, if we're being totally frank. The worst of them all? I dated a mare just like myself for some time. She might as well have been my reflection, we had so much in common, and... in the end, I was the one who ended it. Why? Because I hated everything she represented about me. After that, I decided to turn away from the, ah, carnal pleasures and see what I could do with self-satisfaction.” Rarity’s pale cheeks acquired a rosy color at this point. ”And while it was certainly... satisfying, in a way, it didn't actually accomplish what I was hoping to find.”

She shook her head sadly. “But then you came back into my life. My foalhood crush, the pony I so often dreamed of. Every week we would meet, and always I admired you so - and hated myself for it. Darling... I want so badly to be able to love you. I want to give you what you ask of me, and tell you I will love you the rest of your days. I just... can’t. All this time, I’ve known that I simply couldn't allow myself to feel that way about you. I felt that, if you loved me, it would taint you, and I care for you far too much to let that happen.

Rarity gingerly reached out, and tenderly caressed Fluttershy’s cheek with the flat of her hoof. “But now you ask me to make love to you, rather than simply teach you how. And I... I’m feeling those taboo emotions welling up again. I’d kept buried them away, where they could do you no harm, but now you seem to share them; to feel the same way about me..." She began to cry softly, and let her hoof drop back down. "Why do I have to be such a mess of a pony?! I didn’t feel I could ever be worthy of you. Even if you say otherwise, I’m not sure I can get past the locks I placed on my own heart, so as to let loose the feelings I want to share with you!"

She turned back to Fluttershy and spread her hooves, as if to convey how she was baring her soul. “This night, here with you, has meant so much to me. I can feel my heart beginning to open again... Frankly I find it both terrifying and exhilarating. But... I refuse to lie to you. Do you see? I am not saying I cannot love you - you are a wonderful pony, you deserve love! I am just saying that I am not sure I know how, anymore. But... I will relearn, for you, if that is what you wish, and if you have the patience. Perhaps... you can teach me as well. Will you try?” She cast her eyes downward, shame building in her for having to admit to her own failings. She had only meant to show her friend that sex could build confidence, and instead she was revealing that... it could destroy you.

“I’ll try my best,” Fluttershy said earnestly, after swallowing hard. A tear escaped her, from the one eye not covered by her bangs. It had seeped through the cracks of her brave and unruffled mask, which hadn’t fooled Rarity for a millisecond. A dark line of mascara was left along the side of her snout in its wake, making it impossible to hide - but it was okay, because she was also smiling - really smiling - letting out a noise halfway between and chuckle and a sob. “Because...” The mare drew in a deep, shuddering breath, and shook her head, clearing her mind and dislodging the silly droplet still clinging to her cheek. “Because I--I...” With a hoof, Fluttershy pulled aside the disheveled curtain of pink mane obscuring part of her face, and lifted her head, beaming at Rarity, her bright eyes alive with affection. “Because I do love you.”

There. She said it. She finally said it. Hadn’t even stuttered, there, near the end! “Even if you d-don’t, um, feel the same way.” She blushed. Same old Fluttershy, after all. "Please, be my prince.. and treat me like a lady..."

Rarity raised her downcast face as she heard those words. She looked into Fluttershy’s shining eyes. In that moment, she felt her heart swell to bursting. This... this is what she had been searching for in the faces of all those random ponies. This is what she should have felt on that night so long ago. The hurt was still there - she supposed it would never truly leave - but the edges of her scars seemed somewhat softer now. I am loved... Somehow I will prove worthy of it. I will find a way, my darling.

Smiling with tears in her eyes, Rarity realized that may well have been the cutest and hottest proposal for intimacy she had ever heard. “How can I deny the request of my lady? I... feel I am ready to learn darling. Teach me to love you, I will study hard.” She kissed Fluttershy deeply, holding her head gently in her hooves.

With surprising enthusiasm, Fluttershy returned the favor; the elation of finally having spoken the words she’d been yearned to say made her feel giddy and light-headed, as if a weight had been lifted from her shoulders. She wasn’t sure whether this counted as a role reversal or not; didn’t know who was the patient teacher, and who the eager student, anymore. Perhaps it no longer mattered. And besides, it was hard to ruminate on such details with somepony’s tongue in your muzzle! She focused on softly suckling on that instead, shivering with a sudden flash of passionate heat that welled up from the molten core of her infatuated little heart. “Mrr..” she purred into that warm muzzle. The pegasus seemed to be just full of happy little noises.

Without breaking the kiss, Rarity leaned them both down on the bed. Pinning Fluttershy down on her back gently before she finally broke away and gasped for breath. She smiled into her friend’s - no, her lover’s - eyes. “Y-you’ve learned quickly, sweetheart. Here, let me prepare you for the final exam.” Looking around the room, she was suddenly struck by inspiration. She levitated some candle holders over to her bedside, and lit them with her magic. Now to dim the lights... Yes... everything must be just so.

Rarity kissed her way gently down Fluttershy’s neck, while simultaneously applying gentle pressure on her sex below. Before she started playing stallion in earnest, she wanted to be certain her love was already on the very brink of release. My own first time might have been far more bearable if that idiot had had a lick of sense. It’s called foreplay for a reason! As she gently worked her way down, she nipped at that exposed neck, but lovingly kissed every nibbled spot better right away. She could feel the increasingly impassioned squeals vibrating in the throat pressed against her teasing lips. When she felt the moment was right, she increased the speed and tempo with which she was moving her hoof, and watched her lover’s face for a reaction.

The reactions were promising: apart from the cutesy, gasping squeaks there was Fluttershy’s increasingly feverish panting - not to mention the tell-tale pair of suddenly-rigid wings forcing their way out from underneath the pinned pegasus. The ecstatic mare spread her hind legs a little further each time that wonderful hoof drew another rapid little circle across her vulva; the motion gradually became smoother and slicker as the trembling pony’s excitement and state of receptiveness grew.

Oh my goodness! Although initially hazy, Fluttershy’s eyes quickly refocused when another kiss pulled her out of her trance. Smiling, she reached out with a hoof to brush back Rarity’s mane and caress her snowy cheek, her own face now flushed with the heat of arousal rather than embarrassment. Well, okay, not entirely: the wet noises coming from below were plenty embarrassing.

“Ra-Rarity,” she whined, biting her lower lip and lifting her yellow bottom off the bed a bit in her frustration, trying to twist away from the incessant source of pleasure that was coming dangerously close to getting her off prematurely. “I-I think I’m prepared...” Her words were as polite and demure as always, but there was an urgency to her breathless, panting voice. ”Could you please just... just d-do me? Pleeease?”

Rarity chuckled just slightly. She moved into position between her Fluttershy’s thighs, tightening the straps with some last-minute magic and readying the toy. Setting just the tip at her entrance, she felt the virgin mare’s breath stalling in her muzzle out of sheer anticipation, and leaned upwards slightly to whisper hotly but comfortingly into Fluttershy’s ear. No hesitation - the quicker it’s done the quicker we can move on to the good part. “Brace yourself, my dear. I’ll try to make this as smooth and painless as possible.” Rarity then once more locked lips with Fluttershy, feeling her tensing up slightly in response to her words. Apparently the poor thing was preparing herself for the imminent insertion... Well that simply won’t do. You ought to relax, my love.

Rarity broke the kiss for a moment, and stared into Fluttershy’s eyes. “Darling, don’t be frightened. This will hurt a bit, but it will hurt far less if you aren’t all coiled up like a spring. Relaaax." She nuzzled with the nervous filly for a bit. "You trust me don’t you?” She fluttered her eyes and adopted a slightly coy expression.

Fluttershy nodded nervously, gazing back with love in her eyes. Rarity’s coquettish behavior somehow managed to make her smile. “O-okay.”

Rarity smiled back encouragingly. Leaning down, she kissed Fluttershy again, playfully caressing the other mare’s tongue with her own. Only when she felt the slightly apprehensive pony melting into the kiss - her whole body visibly relaxing - did she begin. Rarity lined the tip up to the glistening, parted folds of her lover and thrust into her, steadily driving deeper. It was one smooth stroke; Rarity did not hold back until she felt that they had reached the very hilt.

There, that part's over, at least. She marveled at the contradictory feelings of constricting tightness and yield suppleness around the magical toy's shaft, the sensations being relayed to her horn and very nearly setting her magic off right away. Oh Celestia, all those poor colts I chided for finishing too soon... I had no idea! She calmed herself, knowing from experience that she needed to allow some time for Fluttershy to adjust to the sudden intrusion. “I-I know that was abrupt darling - I'm sorry, but it’s best to do it quickly. Drawing it out only makes it worse.” I wish I had known that during my own first time. “Please tell me when you are ready for me to move.”

Fluttershy had been grateful for the lengthy kiss, since it had offered her a warm muzzle to muffle her soft cry of pain with. “Owie-ow-ow-ow...” Fluttershy continued to whimper under her breath when Rarity leaned back, although the stream of little yelps subsided quickly. Her deflowering had hurt a bit, but, in the end, it had been but a small splash of pain in an ocean of built-up, tingling pleasure, the sharp sting dulled and eventually smothered by overwhelming desire.

It helped that she was well-lubricated; Rarity had certainly seen to that.

She lay quietly, just breathing and adjusting to the size of it inside her. She felt... full, stretched, and marveled at the feeling of her inner muscles twitching happily around the intruder, through no conscious thought of her own. With her eyes closed like this, and her brain jolted wide awake, she could feel everything, perversely aware of the pleasing shape and thickness of the object inside of her...

Except, it wasn't just an object anymore. Every inch of the toy was alive with Rarity's magic, and Fluttershy could swear she felt it pulsing inside of her. She also felt trembling - and for once, she wasn't the source. Oh Rarity, you can’t break me that easily... “It’s o-okay, Rarity. I’m fine,” she said with a smile, comforting both her concerned, anxious lover and her equally shaking self. She reached up and lightly caressed Rarity’s face. Her marehood seemed to agree, snugly wrapping around the horn-toy inside, the fit so flawless it was as though she were made to receive it. "I don't break that easily. You can, um... you know..."

"Fuck you, now?" Rarity unabashedly suggested. It was weird to hear her say that word.

"Oh!" a wide-eyed Fluttershy responded, wondering why the utterance of that raw, filthy word elicited another series of fond squeezes from her. "R-Rarity, is that... really okay to say?"

"Normally, I disapprove of vulgar language, darling, but in situations such as these, I feel such words are entirely appropriate. Don't you think? If you would prefer I toned it down, however..."

"No! No... it's fine. You're right. It sounds... kind of nice. Um... please, if you don't mind, f-fuck me, Rarity. "

“I would be delighted, my dear,” Rarity said fondly, before she began moving in earnest, taking Fluttershy’s words to heart. She kept her thrusts shallow at first, though, and her timing slow, building a steady rhythm that did not cause discomfort in the mare below her and which she was comfortable maintaining herself.

Keep it slow; she needs time to get used to the sensations. Rarity desperately wanted this to be memorable... Her thoughts turned slightly frantic; she was trying so hard to be completely selfless here, to focus solely on Fluttershy’s needs, but it felt so good... Focus, darling! Did you not resolve to give this mare a mind-blowing, throw-your-hooves-in-the-air climax? Gradually she increased the pace, feeling the tension build not just in her magic, but in her own sex below. This was an incredible sensation, unlike anything she had ever felt before. The warmth and tightness were just excruciatingly exquisite. How exactly did those poor stallions manage to last? She did all she could to hold back the orgasm that was quickly building up inside of her, but it became more and more difficult as time wore on.

When Rarity heard Fluttershy’s intermittent moans increasing in volume and tempo, she placed her hooves on either side of Fluttershy’s flank to give herself better leverage. Oh my Goddesses, somehow this is even tighter! She took a deep, calming breath to steady herself. Not before her! I won’t have it! Then she began to work the mare in earnest, delighting in seeing the blush on her face and hear the quiet noises Fluttershy was making grow ever louder and more urgent. She laid her chest atop the heaving pegasus and began to bite her neck lightly, without ever letting up. Internally, she railed at the inept lovers of her past. I wish you could see this, you amateurs! This is how you make love! She cooed teasingly in the mare’s ear, “How is it my darling? Shall I go faster? Slower? Gentler? Harder?” She punctuated that last word with an extra-deep thrust into the pegasus, bottoming out at the entrance of her cervix.

Fluttershy squeaked at the sudden and incredibly deep intrusion, pleasantly shocked and immensely turned on by Rarity’s provocative, whispered words. Only one thought bubbled up in her feverish mind: she wanted more. More of this, more of the hot, breathless intensity and rough, almost animalistic mating. It translated into a single word: “H-harder...” she whispered in a tiny, timid voice. But the dull, fleshy slaps of Rarity’s haunches against her quivering flank drowned out her plea. “H-HARDER...” the desperate little pony begged, finally doing the word itself justice. She accompanied her cry with a wanton, well-timed thrust of her own, pushing herself back against Rarity. “Pleeeeease?” she couldn’t help but add in a gasp.

Rarity obliged, moving like a thing possessed. She could feel the heat from the wet friction and the heated little filly wrapped around her beginning to build, mitigated only slightly by the slick moisture contributed by not one, but two aroused mares. The pegasus's back was arched, and her wings, previously merely somewhat extended, now stretched as wide as they could go; her feathers were positively a-quiver with the strain. Rarity herself was gasping for air and sweating profusely, her precious mane growing ever more disheveled. A fine sheen of sweat began to cover both of their coats, actually - the smell was pungent, but not unpleasant. The smell of their mingled, musky arousal was almost strong enough to overpower the scent of the candles. Oh dear Celestia, I hope she is close; I am not sure how much longer I can stand this without finishing, myself!

Finally, just when Rarity felt she couldn’t hold out any longer, the mare below her threw back her head and opened her muzzle in a silent scream, and trapped Rarity with her previously outstretched hind legs; pulling her in whilst her wings shifted around erratically. Gratefully, Rarity followed suit, at long last allowing herself release; energy flowed from her horn in a dazzling display of sparks as she did so. At the same time, she felt Fluttershy shuddering violently below, milking her with those delectable mare-muscles. Everything seemed to proceed in slow-motion for a few seconds; Rarity watched a few droplets of their shared arousal, tinged with the slightest hint of pink, running languidly down the trembling mare's yellow thighs; she saw the vibrant colors of the last few burst of magical discharge reflected in Fluttershy's freshly opened, adoring eyes...

Rarity continued to rock her hips slowly, letting the pegasus ride every last gentle, ebbing wave of passion. They were long, deep strokes, continuously hitting the very depths of Fluttershy’s being. Finally, when she felt her lover beginning to relax, she pulled the toy out, relinquishing her firm grip on the other mare’s thighs.

She collapsed into the waiting embrace of Fluttershy’s wings, and they shared another series of passionate kisses, albeit more deliberate, exhausted ones. For a time, Rarity amused herself with lightly touching and kissing her charge, delighting in the happy nickering that rewarded each touch. She knew from personal experience that every little thing could set off a fresh wave of mini-quakes after a particularly intense session, and mercilessly abused this inside knowledge.

When they were both finally spent, Rarity yawned, feeling strangely exhausted. The side effects of using this device appeared to include quite a bit of magical fatigue. “Darling, I sincerely hope that was good for you. It was... unbelievable, for me.”

Fluttershy smiled happily, staring glassily up at the ceiling, her chest still heaving. She was still getting used to the sudden feeling of emptiness, so soon after getting used to the fullness from before. She leaned up at last, and kissed Rarity on the nose. “Thank you... That was wonderful! Hey, c-can we do it again? Can we? Um... Rarity?”

Quiet snoring was her only answer. Fluttershy giggled, and briefly considered poking the worn-out unicorn, but eventually just lay her head down next to Rarity’s, snuggling close before swiftly falling asleep herself.

“Interesting,” Twilight observed, rubbing her chin with the back of her hoof. “So that doesn’t just happen to stallions?” She recalled how often she’d teased Soarin’ with a similar tendency towards falling asleep after the main course, leaving no time for every mare’s favorite dish: dessert. She may or may not have referred to him as “Snorin’” on a number of such occasions.

Rarity looked to the side a bit bashfully. “I can’t really compare the experience. Imagine having every bit of magic inside you forcibly explode and burst forth. Then do it again. I daresay you’d be a bit worn out after that, n'est–ce pas?”

Fluttershy lay quietly next to Rarity for a while, fondly admiring the spent mare’s peaceful face and nuzzling at her gorgeous, slightly messy mane, being ever-careful not to wake her. She herself had just enjoyed a nice nap; a few hours was all she had needed, but Rarity showed no signs of stirring yet.

When those purple curls proved too ticklish to nose at for long, the restless pegasus got up and stretched her stiff limbs and wings a little. She did not feel very tired at all, oddly - quite the opposite, in fact. She felt alive, antsy; all kinds of pleasant, scintillating chemicals were coursing through her veins. Aching for something to do, Fluttershy began poking around the bewildering array of beauty products Rarity had amassed.

Rarity awoke languidly some time later, feeling briefly disoriented since she hadn’t even realized she’d lost consciousness. When she lifted her heavy lids and spotted Fluttershy stretching, her mind went very still. It was a while before she spoke up; she simply enjoyed secretly watching the oblivious mare go about her business too much. She is so beautiful... “Um... I’m sorry darling, I guess that took a lot out of me. How are you feeling?”

“Hm?” Fluttershy looked a little startled. She had opened the cap on an eye-catching bottle with a particularly beautiful design, and was just in the middle of sniffing at the contents when Rarity announced her return to the land of the living. “Oh, um, I was just... looking around a little. Sorry. You have so many oils and creams and--” She paused, her nose wiggling, and sniffed again, inhaling a little more deeply this time. “Oh, hey, strawberries. This one’s really nice. Very fragrant. Reminds me of a certain blend of tea, actually. What is it for?”

“Oh my, I still have that? It’s meant for... sensual massages. It’s flavored, in case one wished to, say, employ more than just one’s hooves...” Rarity blushed a little at the memory of the last time she’d gotten to sample it. “It’s... quite tasty.”

“I see...” Fluttershy said, her cheeks, too, flushing a little again; the blood rushing to her face almost as fast as the dirty thoughts that bubbled up into her conscious mind. The confidence she should have gained, after all the intimate moments they had shared together, already seemed to be missing again; it eluded her even though there’d only been such a brief lull in the action. She blinked, considering for a moment before tentatively licking the top of the opened bottle. The sweet taste of fresh strawberries instantly brought a smile to her muzzle. “Oh, yum!” she enthused, smacking her lips. “It really is tasty.” Her eyes shifted slowly and meaningfully from the bottle to the alluring mare still watching her from the bed.

“Um... Rarity?” Fluttershy tried to sound nonchalant, keeping her tone as conversational as possible, as if simply discussing the weather. “You wouldn’t happen to have any really sore muscles, after all that strenuous activity, w-would you?” She blinked again, shocked by her own boldness. Perhaps not all of her confidence had evaporated, after all...

Rarity shivered, both in anticipation and appreciation. She had not used the muscles in her hips in such a furious way in quite some time. “Yes! Ahem - yes. Quite a number of muscles, in fact,” she complained quite seriously. ”All over my body, I am afraid. Very sore indeed. I may require your assistance, or I shan’t be able to get up!”

“Don’t worry, Rarity,” Fluttershy said seriously, while she spread some of the sweet-smelling massage oil on her hooves and vigorously rubbed them together so as to preheat the chilly liquid. ”I’ll take care of you.” Climbing back onto the bed, she had her patient lie flat on her stomach and straddled the prone pony’s stretched out hind legs. This allowed her access to Rarity's back, which she began to rub - gently at first, but more and more firmly the more her confidence grew, and because she kept coming across one clump of tightened muscle after another.

“Oh my, it feels like you actually were a little stressed,” Fluttershy said with a frown. All of the so-called “knots” she came across she smoothed out through hard, ungual labor. Her hooves started sliding ever more easily along that well-groomed white coat, the more she worked the soothing oil into the unicorn’s supple skin. It was almost uncanny how the amateur masseuse managed to home in exactly on the sorest spots, relaxing bundles of pent-up tension Rarity hadn't even known were bothering her.

It was a while before Rarity realized that Fluttershy had stopped. “Whuh? Why, I must have dozed off! Is something the matter, dear?”

“Yes. Well. Um, if you want...” Fluttershy’s nose found the unicorn’s ear and nosed tenderly at it for a moment before she finished the trailing sentence in a suggestively shy whisper, “maybe I should take care of the front, too?” Her cheeks were glowing, of course, but for once she didn’t let that stop her.

Rarity blushed at the feeling of warm breath in her ear. She twisted round to face the pegasus. “My, haven’t you turned into the little minx all of a sudden! Perhaps I taught you too well.” She chuckled, then lightly kissed on of those soft, rosy cheeks. “I am putty in your hooves, darling. Almost literally, at this point. Use me however you wish.”

“I wasn’t--I didn’t mean--” Fluttershy sputtered. Kisses like that - even playful ones - still managed to make her all flustered, as did the notion of Rarity being at her mercy, just a little bit. Her eyes looked guiltily into those of the willing mare beneath her for a moment, before slowly, almost suggestively, trailing downward. “I’ll, um... I’ll go get the oil, then.”

Gingerly taking the whole bottle of strawberry-flavored massage oil into her mouth, Fluttershy unscrewed the cap once more with a few flicks of her hoof. “Mnow zhis muwht buh a lil cowld,” she cautioned quite clearly, before biting down and squirting a surprisingly (and unintentionally) large amount of oil all over Rarity’s haunches and inner thighs. “-phtoo- S-sorry...” She chuckled sheepishly and tried to fix things a little by spreading out the slippery oil with her hooves - but, of course, this only exacerbated things, and made a mess of her own fur to boot. “Oh dear, I’m such a klutz...”

Rarity levitated a towel from the bathroom, gently dabbing Fluttershy in an attempt to remove the excess oil, before drying her own haunches as best she could. “Fret not, darling. See? All better.”

“Y-yeah,” Fluttershy said with a tiny nod. She seemed to be gathering courage for something, swallowing a few times to remedy an acute case of dry muzzle. “I think, maybe, you might’ve missed a spot, though,” she pointed out vaguely, even though there really wasn’t much to be seen after Rarity’s thorough cleaning; even if there was, the pegasus was averting her eyes while she spoke. Edging just a little closer, Fluttershy bent down and teased the tip of her nose along the reclining unicorn’s tummy, before poking at a specific spot. “Here...” A flick of her tongue made absolutely sure that not a trace of the offending oil was soiling that particular patch of tummyfur. The breathless, blushing mare exhaled, her breath nice and tinglingly chilly on Rarity’s freshly licked skin. “And h-here, maybe.” Another lick. Directly on a nipple, this time.

Rarity shivered involuntarily, feeling goosebumps rapidly spreading from the spots that tender tongue had pretended to clean. “I... I believe I may have missed a little more! Down by the thighs. P-perhaps you would like to check?”

“Oh my, how careless of you,” Fluttershy replied; she seemed pleased that Rarity was playing along, feeling herself growing a little bolder with every passing moment despite the uber-flimsy pretext for her actions. Nuzzling fondly and searchingly at the inside of the unicorn’s delicate white thighs, she pressed little kisses here and there, and licked whenever she happened across a potential smudge - which was implausibly often, all things considered. “I know this must be very unpleasant for you - all this tedious grooming. But please bear with me, Rarity... I’ll make it allll better.”

“Um... I think some may have dripped down a little further. Keep checking.” The entire process was so unpleasant, apparently, that Rarity was having a spot of trouble breathing.

“Really? You mean, um, d-down--” Fluttershy’s inquisitive nose trailed inward, where indeed she found quite a bit of moistness. “--here?”

Rarity found herself feeling very grateful for having had a nap recently, because it seemed Fluttershy was still very much in the mood to play. “Y-yes, there. Please check there. For the love of Celestia, please check thoroughly.”

“Alrighty...” It was hard to blame the pegasus for her enthusiasm; before now, she’d only ever had pillows for company. It wasn’t just pent-up desire that drove her onward, though - there was curiosity, too. An eagerness to learn... everything. That, and more than enough love for the pony squirming against her muzzle to make her heart feel like overflowing. Fluttershy poured all of these powerful motivators into that initial lick, shivering at her first taste of another mare. “Y-you are going to love... this,” she panted softly, licking her lips and blushing furiously. “I know I will...”

While her tongue and taste buds were still warm with their first sampling with Rarity's arousal, Fluttershy took a moment to open her eyes and look - really look -at the soft, smooth mound so tantalizingly close to her snout. She had to force herself to not look away from something so private and, well, embarrassing, but knew she had to overcome her reservations if she wanted to do this right. She inhaled deeply, drinking in an intensely feminine smell which, together with the lingering taste, made her salivate. This... was Rarity. She was tasting Rarity. It didn’t get much more intimate than this... "T-this is better than the strawberries," she whispered with a soft giggle, her breath hot on the other mare's sensitive flesh. She helped to cool it off again rather quickly, though, lapping eagerly at the entirety of the unicorn's sex and teasing the soft lips of her labia apart with her - still somewhat timid - tongue.

Rarity gasped and twisted her torso sideways slightly, burying her muzzle in a nearby pillow. She had come very close to unleashing a moan that would have impressed even Princess Luna herself with its sheer volume. She lay back, simply allowing Fluttershy to explore as she wished; in fact, by this point, she had been rendered utterly powerless to stop her. She didn’t quite understand why Fluttershy tending to her like this was affecting her this badly; surely she wasn’t that sensitive?

Thinking back, Rarity realized that none of her past conquests had actually indulged her quite this much. The stallions she had asked to pleasure her had all been very awkward about it, or had considered the act a tedious chore, to be gotten over with as swiftly as possible; neither type had ever made more than a token effort, and even that had been purely in hopes of getting some oral attention back in exchange. And as for the mares... Well, the ones she had dated had all considered the practice beneath them. Too messy, disgusting and depraved for them to besmirch their pristine muzzles with.

Lifting her head with some effort and looking down between her hind legs, Rarity saw no such reservations in Fluttershy’s eyes. The only hint of concern therein was more of an insecure, cutely questioning glance. One that said: “Am I doing this right?”

“Y-you are doing wonderfully, dear,” Rarity praised her. Oh Celestia, so very wonderfully! “Keep doing exactly what you are doing.” She watched those blue eyes light up with pride. Then she was no longer capable of speech, as the gentle ministrations of Fluttershy’s tongue redoubled with fervor. She pressed her face into the pillow again and moaned softly into it.

Cautious by nature, Fluttershy had taken things slowly at first, but given Rarity’s squirming and passionate cries of definitely-not-pain, she eventually dared to probe a little deeper. By applying some mild pressure with her snout, she was able to get at the source of the heat that was coating her tongue; she circled this twitching little hole with the very tip, eagerly lapping up the warm wetness it offered in reward. Doing all of this made it a little hard to breathe, however, which was when she decided it was time to pay some attention to that special little spot a little higher up, which Rarity had stimulated on her, to such great effect, when their roles had been reversed.

Dragging her tongue tenderly across the protective skin behind which Rarity’s most sensitive spot lay hid, Fluttershy paused to sweetly murmur, “Come on out little one - don’t be shy.” Then she pressed her muzzle to her friend’s soft, pink lips once more, licking upward to expose that swollen little bundle of raw nerve endings, only to tease and toy with it in every way she could imagine. The eager little mare prodded at Rarity’s vulnerable clit with her tongue, circled it and licked at it directly, then pressed a kiss to it, applying pressure with her tightly held lips before, finally - as the coup de grâce - suckling softly.

Rarity’s eyes rolled to the back of her head for a moment when just the right spot was hit. Repeatedly. “There!” She managed to not-quite-scream. Words were failing her quickly, again; even her thoughts were becoming rhubarb toaster. Oh Celestia I have never met a more talented amateur!

Fluttershy continued with her gentle prods and licks. She seemed quite happy that her beginner-level attempts were working out so well, and held on tight while Rarity bucked her hips, continuing to apply gentle pressure to the little button she’d just coaxed out of hiding. She took a deep, shuddering breath, enjoying the intensified scent of arousal that was coming from her lover. Then she delved in deep again, this time trying to force her tongue inside Rarity the way she remembered the unicorn doing to her.

Rarity’s hips bucked helplessly at this; she felt the same gradual build-up of sensations she’d felt when Fluttershy was rubbing against her, but this time, it was much more intense. Knowing she was loved so much as to be given such caring and generous attention was amazing to her. I don’t know what I have done in my life to deserve you, my darling, but I shall be a happy mare if I can ever come close to justifying your feelings for me. Every gentle lick and soft breath was such bliss.

Fluttershy’s tongue was getting pretty tired now, but she still kept going, determined to see Rarity through to her inevitable climax. It was strange - she wasn’t being stimulated herself, but somehow giving was (almost) as good as receiving... Even though she wasn’t the living embodiment of generosity, Fluttershy found herself quite content to just keep licking without even touching herself; Rarity’s squirms were as pleasing as gentle caresses, and the unicorn’s repressed, lady-like moans like music to her ears. Even the taste, which she had feared would be slightly unpleasant, was beginning to grow on her... to the point where she actually found herself craving more. It was all psychological, of course, but immensely gratifying nonetheless.

Rarity’s whole body felt like it was about to explode. She could feel a tingling heat spreading like a wildfire throughout her loins. Any moment now... “Fluttershy, I’m going to--” The pony in question took the hint and licked even harder, finally forcing her tongue inside the unicorn. Rarity felt herself tighten around it, but soon found herself incapable of discerning such distinct details, being far too busy whinnying helplessly as she came, covering her lover’s muzzle in the process. Her whole body shook, and still Fluttershy patiently maintained a measure of pressure with her tongue, gently pushing it in and out. After several lengthy seconds of tensed-up trembling, at last, Rarity was finally allowed to relax - her body instantly went limp.

Fluttershy got up from between Rarity’s hind legs and smiled shyly, looking more than a little proud of herself. Her weary lover gratefully smiled back. “That... was divine my darling. Thank you so very much.” Rarity rested her head and just let the bed envelop her for a time, staring at the mirror on the ceiling, curious about the look on her own face. Is.. is that what satisfaction looks like? She closed her eyes just for a moment, and before she knew it, fell lightly into a doze.

Fluttershy, on the other hoof, was feeling very energetic. She tried to lay quietly for a while, and snuggled up to the snoozing pony beside her, but sleep continued to elude her. Her brain just wouldn’t shut down - wouldn’t stop. So much many significant things had happened, in such a short span of time; too many of her dreams had been fulfilled simultaneously. Fluttershy found an indelible smile plastered on her snout as she mentally replayed all the things that had transpired, and involuntarily started squirming a little, since her mind seemed to have a mysterious tendency towards remembering mostly the parts where she totally just had sex for the very first time...

Dwelling on such thoughts, however, somehow made her remember the box. The big, unopened toy Rarity had so anxiously kept away from her, made by Chekhoof... something-something. With a quick glance, Fluttershy confirmed that it was still where the unicorn had hastily hid it - tucked away in a dark corner. Intense curiosity took hold of the restless little pony. She wanted to know everything about Rarity - now more than ever. What could possibly be so embarrassing that she would keep it from her? It would be wrong of her to pry, of course; she really ought to wait for Rarity to confide in her, eventually. Yes, she would just have to be patient.

Ah, who was she kidding? “Just a little peek won’t hurt, right?” she told herself. She almost half-believed it, too.

When she’d barely gotten halfway across the room, however, Fluttershy froze in mid-stride. She’d suddenly had an unpleasant thought: what if the love of her life turned out to have some bizarre fetish? Something Rarity knew would disturb her. The naturally nervous pegasus swallowed, and started struggling through some great internal debate. But eventually she steeled herself - an adamant look of determination growing in her gentle eyes. Whatever the contents of that box turned out to be, she would not think less of Rarity for it, she resolved. If at all possible, she would probably even have a go at playing along with it - anything to make Rarity happy. She could be flexible and open-minded, right?

What she found in that box startled her, however.

In fact, the box itself startled her: it depicted a ferocious looking dragon, towering at its full, intimidating height, with smoke threateningly billowing from its nostrils. That image alone was enough to make Fluttershy cringe, but what the perverted pony who had designed the box had seen fit to render between the great worm’s haunches was enough to make the poor pegasus blanch. It explained the title boldly emblazoned on the front, most likely: “The Double Dragon”.

From behind her, Rarity awoke with a start. Fluttershy? She was just here, wasn’t she? She looked around in confusion, not directly realizing that she had nodded off again. Oh, there she is. Aha, she’s just looking at that box I meant to put away! Well, I... Oh. Oh dear. Within seconds, she was on her hooves. “Ah, So very sorry you had to see that darling! I-I picked it up on impulse one day. One very, very lonely day... I’m not even really sure why; it’s not designed to be used by one’s self. Please, just... just put it away. As you can clearly see it’s not exactly something I would ever expect to try out with you.”

“It’s not?” She didn’t want to admit it - she didn’t want to appear naive - but Fluttershy wasn’t sure what was supposed to be in the box, exactly; apart from the mildly nightmarish box-art, there were no further hints as to the actual contents. “I’m afraid don’t understand, Rarity... Why a d-dragon?”

“It is some sort of costume, I believe,” Rarity explained, ”With accompanying equipment of the, shall we say, anatomically correct variety. And as for the ‘why’... Dragons have always fascinated me,” she admitted, pausing for a moment before continuing with a reminiscent sigh, “ever since I read old stories about them as a filly. They are such majestic beings... To my shame, I have in my possession not a few novels which explore the concept of, ah, romantic relations with them... in graphic detail.” Blushing at her own, rather shameful admission, Rarity averted her eyes and prepared for the disapproving gasp that was sure to follow.

“But they’re so big and scary!” Fluttershy protested.

Surprised that this was the only thing Fluttershy was concerned about, Rarity blinked, considering her answer carefully before speaking. “They are, yes. But is that not also a little exciting, darling?” Her eyes lit up, and her mannerisms became more animated while she tried to make the other pony see. ”They are nigh-immune to magic, leaving even the most powerful unicorn as helpless as a newborn foal! And they have those beautiful adamantine scales, shimmering like diamonds...” The day-dreaming pony’s own eyes were now equally sparkly, and her voice was growing ever more sultry. “Oh Celestia, those intense, unblinking, reptilian eyes! They stare into your very soul, my dear.. Not to mention the enormous hoards of gold and rare gemstones they tend to amass... In my fantasies, that is where the dragon-of-my-dreams would gently lay me down, on a bed of rubies! Then he would use that loooong, deliciously forked tongue to...” She caught herself just in time.

Fluttershy, herself borderline-dracophobic, looked at her with a dubious expression.

“It is fantasy, my dear. Everything goes in one’s imagination, there are no taboos or practical concerns. Obviously adult dragons are not suitable partners for ponies. I mean, for one, there is the rather extreme difference in size.“

“And also because they have t-two--?” Two bashful blue eyes were still transfixed by the very erect - very nonsingular - members the exposed dragon in the artwork was sporting.

A rosy-cheeked Rarity responded quietly: “Well... that is one interesting aspect the designers chose to focus on. That need not necessarily be a problem, in and of itself, however. Providing the mare in question happened to have sufficient lubrication at hoof, and was not opposed to, shall we say, entertaining more than one guest...”

“M-more than one...?” Fluttershy said with a gulp, “But... but... wouldn’t that get a little, um, cramped?” She tried to picture it, but her inexperienced mind drew a blank. No amount of lubrication seemed sufficient for any one mare to take both, particularly given the generous endowments of the dragon depicted. “How would another, um... another one even fit?”

Despite her obvious reservations, the innuendo-laden discussion actually appeared to be having an effect on Fluttershy. The inescapable mental image of Rarity, willingly engaged in such a lewd and wanton act, had her shifting uncomfortably on her haunches; her hooves were scraping along the floor and her voluminous tail was nervously whipping to and fro.

Rarity blushed heavily, realizing there really was no realistic way for her previously virginal lover to know this. “Well darling, it’s not impossible. That entrance is designed to stretch after all - foals and whatnot. However, while it’s considered a bit... uncouth, a mare does have more than one place to welcome a guest. And I am not referring to the muzzle.”

“Wait, you mean...?” She couldn’t say it. Instead, Fluttershy looked over her shoulder and lifted her long, pink tail slightly, wiggling her rear to indicate that that was the place she was thinking of. “In there?” It didn’t seem physically possible for her to blush any harder than she already was, but somehow, her incredibly talented cheeks managed it.

Rarity nodded, smiling mischievously.

“But... but...” Fluttershy sputtered again, apparently not realizing how incredibly fitting that particular protest was, given the subject, “wouldn’t that hurt?”

“A little, maybe,” Rarity chuckled lightly, “But I can be very accommodating if need be.” Noting the look on Fluttershy’s face, she hastily added, “It isn’t really supposed to hurt, darling. In fact, I daresay it tends to feel really, really good, actually. There are a lot of nerve endings in that particular area. So if your partner is patient and gentle, and you are sufficiently relaxed, and the required bond of trust exists between you...”

“Do you, um... Would you trust me like that?”

“Without a moment’s hesitation, my dear.”

With a decisive nod and a determined look, Fluttershy took the handle on the side of the box in her mouth and carried it with her to an ornate screen, which Rarity had set up so that customers of the Boutique could change in relative privacy.

“Darling, what are you--?”

“I want to make all your dreams come true,” was Fluttershy’s brief and immediate answer. The rustling sound of clothing sliding along a smooth yellow coat could be heard, as well as lot of fidgeting and muttering as straps were being fitted and adjusted - and there would be the sound of utter embarrassment, if such a thing was audible.

After a moment’s hesitation, Fluttershy emerged from behind the screen, wearing a full-body costume similar to a flight-suit, with a pseudo-scaly tummy and chest, and soft, rubber spikes running along her back and crest. There was also a cowl, reminiscent of a hoodie, that went over her head, although it failed to contain the entirety of her long, flowing mane.

“I-I am a ferocious dragon!” Fluttershy said dramatically; her acting was made all the more incredibly convincing by her fillyish, timid voice. “Rar!” the terrifying dragon-mare roared, at about the decibel-level of a squeaking mouse.

Rarity stared for a moment, open-mouthed and speechless. “My dear, you look--you look absolutely...” She tried to contain herself, but failed, quickly clapping her hooves to her muzzle when she burst out laughing. The outfit looked patently ridiculous. It was nothing like the exotic, regal, powerful creature of her fantasies. She really should have known better - fetish costumes purchased from “adult novelty item” stores could rarely, if ever, be taken seriously, even when worn by a pony as gorgeous as Fluttershy. She could only hope that her laughter did not end up hurting the poor mare’s feelings...

But her costumed fillyfriend, having already caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror, was giggling like a mad thing herself. “Oh my,” Fluttershy snickered, barely getting the words out, “It’s-- it’s not very good, is it?” Rarity’s laugher proved particularly infectious, and before she knew it Fluttershy was cracking up, laughing aloud, which greatly helped to relax the nervous, dressed-up little mare. The awkwardness of it all sort of faded away; the stage-fright she had felt, her concern about not playing her role convincingly, it all fell by the the wayside.

It was as though the two mares had mutually agreed to embrace the inherent silliness of their little role-playing romp, and just have fun with it.

When Fluttershy sat down on her haunches, however, and inadvertently put the most crucial part of her otherwise silly costume on display, Rarity quieted down a little. It was clear that most of the work and attention to detail had gone into that particular part. It was fairly realistic, too; both silicone units were scaly in texture and of a pleasantly intimidating-but-not-frightening size. Seeing such an exotic set of members attached to Fluttershy, of all ponies... Well, suffice to say, the juxtaposition of the cute and the kinky, the adorable and the obscene, was making Rarity feel a little hot and bothered. Not to mention moist.

They were both still chuckling a little, but Rarity was having trouble keeping her mind from wandering... Yes, Fluttershy looked absolutely adorable and not at all ferocious, but that did not detract from the appeal. In fact, it actually enhanced it considerably. The thought of being taken while Fluttershy playfully and cutely growled in her ear... She felt a strange, ticklish sensation running along her inner thigh. “Darling... in all seriousness, would you mind terribly mounting me? As in, right now?”

“Oh? Oh! Well, um, if you want me to, Rarity. Wait! That’s not right, is it? I m-mean...” Fluttershy closed her eyes and wrinkled her brow. She tried to pretend being a fierce and powerful dragon - the very creature that tended to instill such fear in her. If she hadn’t been so busy summoning her inner dragon, she might have realized the whole thing was strangely therapeutic somehow.

While Fluttershy got into character, Rarity, too, mentally prepared herself for the part she was to play. But something was not quite right with the setting...“Darling, one moment please! If we’re going to do this, we may as well complete the fantasy.” She quickly went to the fitting room, and returned in the dress she had so painstakingly designed and hoofcrafted for Fluttershy. She winked. “No sense letting a party dress go completely to waste, is there? Let’s resume, shall we?”

Puffing up her fuzzy chest and framing her diminutive stature with outstretched, feathery wings, the pegasus-pony-slash-dragon growled in an adorably menacing way. “Ha ha ha!” she cackled, ”Mine is an evil laugh!” And then she began to playfully (but insistently) nudge the willing white mare’s side and flank with her snout. Inhaling deeply, audibly sniffing like a beast, Fluttershy sampled the scent of Rarity’s arousal, feeling the pleasant heat between her own hind legs building again. She raked her fake claws across the gown, as if to tear it impatiently from her captive’s trembling frame.

Rarity stood frozen, almost as if she was truly being confronted by a fiercesome dragon intent on ravishing her. “ Y-you scoundrel! My beloved knight is on her way to slay you as we speak! You should release me now, or things will not go well for you.” While delivering this dramatic line, Rarity somehow maintained enough presence of mind to levitate a bottle of lubricant from her toy box, and slather the top head of the toy. The bottom head... should not pose any difficulty whatsoever, she thought, feeling herself positively dripping in a way she recall ever experiencing before. She glanced back, seeing the timid mare still sniffing her as if she were a bitch in heat... Not entirely inaccurate. Her tail instinctively moved up and out of the way to prepare for what was coming. It began wagging of its own volition as she waited with bated breath for the fun to begin.

Feeling strangely empowered by her dominant role and impressive new endowments, and immensely impressed with the convincing performance Rarity was giving, Fluttershy mounted the trembling, sopping wet damsel-in-distress before her, blatantly ignoring her dire warnings. The usually timid pegasus pony lifted the hem of the form-fitting red gown with her teeth and firmly grasped that tantalizing white flank with her clawed forelegs. She pulled Rarity a little closer, before resting her warm weight on the other mare’s back. “Grrr..” she play-growled hotly into the unicorn’s ear, her twin tips poking teasingly at that special, sensitive space, just below the base of the lifted tail that was now smooshed between their bodies.

“Y-you want me, don’t you, little mare?” Dragonshy rumbled somewhat ironically, using a deeper, more sultry version of her usual gentle voice. Granted, she was probably the cutest-sounding and most stuttery dragon in all of Equestria, but she still ought to get an A for effort.

Blushing furiously, Rarity hotly denied the accusation. “H-how could anypony want to be taken by an uncouth beast such as you? To allow you to have your way with me, for hours and hours on end...? Using me as some sort of plaything for your perverse desires? Why, the mere thought disgusts me!” Her tail, in complete contradiction to her words, wrapped itself around the waist of the costume, pulling Dragonshy closer. Those two toys teasing her ever-so-slightly made her shudder in anticipation. She mentally prepared herself for what was coming; it had been a while since she’d let anypony else play the dominant role, after all. This had a lot to do with the fact that she had seldom trusted anypony enough to submit to them. Yet here she was, begging to be ravaged by somepony, and feeling no worries whatsoever. She knew that Fluttershy would never harm her, neither physically nor emotionally. Being able to completely turn the reins over to somepony else like this was, quite frankly, a nigh-unbearable turn-on.

The draconic fiend accosting the poor pony actually seemed strangely reluctant, and appeared grateful for the guidance offered by that amazingly prehensile purple tail. Not in the last place because she couldn’t actually feel whether she was lined up correctly, herself. With that in mind, Fluttershy pushed forward very carefully. She asserted her alleged dominance only by lovingly taking hold of a few curly locks of the unicorn’s mane with her teeth, assuming that was what a predatory male would do. After a bit of nervous, breathless shifting and scooting around, and a few frustrating false starts, the ferocious dragon suddenly felt her hips slipping forward a little. Everything was suddenly aligning beautifully, allowing both tapered tips to slide into the needy mare that shuddered beneath her.

Rarity groaned a little at the first few inches of penetration. The simultaneous sensations of something meant to stretch that way, and something else not quite designed for the purpose, were like warring signals of discomfort and satisfaction in her brain. The pressure mounted as both shafts continued to slide smoothly into of her, stretching her, stimulating every last one of the countless nerve-ending that lined each of her orifices, and deliciously distorting her innermost depths in ways she had never experienced before. The discomfort quickly disappeared, but she gave a bit of a yelp as the final inch slid firmly home.

Fluttershy stopped moving when she heard that little cry. “Are you okay? Did I hurt you?” She sounded a little frantic. ”Rarity, please be okay!”

Rarity chuckled just a bit. The laugh was genuine, although it sounded a bit strained. “I’m... quite alright, darling. It’s just a bit of a shock at first; you understand.” She wriggled her flank a bit, trying to get used to the gratifying feeling of fullness. "Rest assured, I shan't break either, much like yourself."

Fluttershy was still not moving, despite feeling very relieved. She felt just a little silly when she realized she'd (over)reacted in exactly the same way Rarity had. Still, the dragon-mare thought it couldn't hurt to wait for her ‘victim’ to adjust for a moment, while she nibbled patiently on one of those flattened ears. She whispered breathlessly into the one she was currently tending to. “Hey Rarity? Um.. what does it feel like?”

Rarity found herself getting more and more aroused; the nibbling was definitely a turn-on. “It’s a bit uncomfortable at first, to be honest. Particularly in the rear... It's a curious sensation... ah--a sort of pressure... inside... Oh, but darling, the feeling of taking two at once! Every nerve is on fire down there, I can feel them rubbing together... inside. And I feel so nice and dirty, darling - so stuffed... taking two big cocks; y-your big cocks. Oh, oh Goddesses... I can't help it. So please, don’t worry, dear. Actually, I’d much prefer if you were a bit... rougher. I can take it. I want to take it. In fact, if you wouldn’t mind... could you try talking dirty to me while you do it? I feel so very naughty doing this - it would really help me.”

“O-okay, I’ll try.” Fluttershy seemed taken aback by this request, but her dedication to pleasing Rarity was quite strong.

“Then let’s get back into character, shall we?” Rarity looked back at her ‘attacker’, giving a reassuring - if slightly pained - smile. “Oh, you beast, how dare you treat me so! Biting my precious ear like that, and violating me in every which way... i-it doesn’t feel good at all! But very well then, the deed is done. Have your way with me; I am... at your mercy. Prithee, I ask only that you spare my life, Master Dragon. P-please, grant me that much. Shamed though I am, I wish to return to my beloved!” She again pulled Fluttershy toward herself slightly with her tail, trying to encourage her to continue.

Despite the verbal and physical encouragements, Fluttershy drew the moment out a little longer. Slowly, lazily almost, she stopped licking and nuzzling at Rarity’s ears. Only after she had taken a firm hold of her mane again did she oblige the eagerly urging mare. The pleasant sense of power and control she got out of imposing this slight delay, while feeling her needy lover wiggling and twitching impatiently, was quite a rush to a pony who usually bent over backwards to please everypony else. “Stop lying to yourself,” she rumbled softly, as she thrust her hips forcefully; it surprised her how quickly she found her haunches bumping up against Rarity’s soft flank. The lubrication - both from the bottle and more natural sources - was doing its job really well, apparently. “I can tell how much you need this, Rarity--um, I mean, little pony. How badly you’re aching for my... my c-cocks...”

Never before in the entire history of Equestria had a wild, predatory dragon ever blushed as badly as this one, after saying those words. Talking dirty really wasn’t easy, even for a fire-breathing lizard - or a pony pretending to be one. But it was obviously affecting Rarity quite a bit to hear her say such lewd things.

The impact of the successful penetration, meanwhile, sent a shudder up Fluttershy’s spine. She had no magical connection with the toys strapped to her waist, but there was a strategically placed little nub inside the costume’s harness - she had felt it right away, after putting it on, but only now its purpose became apparent. When she pressed into the other mare, it rubbed right up against her most sensitive spot. The stimulation was what was making her shiver in a realistic approximation of a male sinking balls-deep into a wanton little mare-in-heat. She muffled her adorable moans in Rarity’s mane, not wanting to break character.

"You won't want to return to your precious prince at all, when I'm done with you, you dirty little mare," Fluttershy said breathlessly, "Pulling me in with your tail like that..."

-Oof- Yes, there it is, she’s got the idea. “That’s a l-lie! I would never... Oh my beloved, I am sorry! I have betrayed you in body, but never in spirit. Please, forgive my weakness...” The initial discomfort was long gone - this was, after all, not her first time at this particular rodeo. It had been a while however, and her previous partners had not been nearly as generously equipped. Whoever had designed this Double Dragon was quite ingenious; the ridges of the two shafts turned out to be very complimentary, stimulating and tugging at her in all the right spots.

Something nagged at her though, some detail about the device she had neglected to tell Fluttershy about... Oh yes! The vibration feature... Let’s see, visualize, like so... and suddenly a pleasant vibration buzzed to life in the toy, treating her to the tingly warmth only a really good marital aid could offer a mare. “Oh, you magnificent b-bastard... Don’t... Stop...” The thrusting continued, building heat in her loins and sending shivers down her spine. Even the one in the ‘wrong’ hole was feeling very right, all of a sudden, providing her with sublime pleasure. Her tail had ceased its hold on the ‘dragon’ and was now dancing happily to a tune only mares getting precisely what they want could hear.

Fluttershy squeaked in surprise when those powerful vibrations started on her end as well, and quickly found herself squirming and breathing erratically. “Aaah... R-rarity, what--?” Not usually noises one associates with rutting dragon males... but she was only a flesh-and-blood filly in a silly costume, in the end. And sweet, merciful heavens, this felt so good. She had just been in the middle of another little thrust, so the base of the dual toy had been pressed hard up against her sex, just as the buzzing noise began. For a moment, the pegasus went very still; her proud wings, poking through the holes left in the back of her costume, were standing on end. After she had gotten a little more used to the direct, clitoral stimulation, however, she found herself craving more.

Still locked deep inside of Rarity, the dragon-of-her-dreams began humping softly, grinding its uncharacteristically soft, scaly tummy into her lewdly lifted rear and stirring both battery-operated dragoncocks inside of her.. As a result, Fluttershy could now enjoy both the intense pleasure provided by the dragon-toy’s “tail”, as well as getting a front-row seat to the sexiest flank in Equestria wiggling enticingly. She fed off of Rarity’s thorough enjoyment of the sexual-fantasy-come-true, each little horny whinny or feverish nicker-moan like a splash of oil on the passionate fire that fueled the petite pegasus’s racing heart and wildly bucking hips.

“N-not ever going to stop...” Fluttershy assured Rarity softly, reverting back to herself again for just a moment. But then she growled, and gave the unicorn’s exposed neck a possessive nip, parts of her fictional dragon-self blending with her original personality. Light as she was, the pegasus was leaning heavily on Rarity as well as unknowingly beating her wings; the downforce nearly forced the submissive mare’s front end to collapse. “Want to.... mate you... like this... forever...” she gasped in between several noisy, panting breaths.

All pretense of roleplay now forgotten, Rarity surrendered herself to the steady rhythm of thrusts. Somehow it felt like her ‘dragon’ was managing to push himself in even deeper than before. The breathless pleasure of what had quickly become a truly passionate rutting, on top of the vibrations from the toy, were taking their toll; no stallion had ever made her lose control like this.

Annoyingly, she still could not quite manage to reach her peak. She could feel it coming; it was so close. She knew what was missing, though: she wanted to feel Fluttershy cum with her. The trouble was that, while Fluttershy was clearly enjoying herself, the vibration wasn’t nearly as satisfying for either of them as Tom had been... That’s it! We need Tom! A quick glance at her horn confirmed that she had, in fact, never removed the ring that allowed his activation. No surprise there; she had, rather embarrassingly, passed out almost immediately after all. This meant that her new favorite toy, currently lying unused and neglected on the bed, could easily be reactivated.

Glancing up at the mirror, Rarity noticed something else that was rather convenient: the costume designers had apparently anticipated more than one use for this costume. There was a strategically placed hole in the rear. Oh yes, this should be lovely. Her horn flared up, albeit with some difficulty - it was getting pretty hard to concentrate on much of anything besides the constant and wonderful invasion going on. She picked Tom up in her magic, and activated him in the process, before aligning him with Fluttershy’s slit. “Darling, brace yourself, I just thought of something even more fun. Here comes Tom!” Then she slid him home into the other mare. Her mind went blank a moment, overloaded by the sensations of both her orifices being plundered by her ‘dragon’, paired with the sensation of her horn toy sliding into the warm wet tightness of Fluttershy. Oh goddesses! That feels so good!

The heads-up barely registered in Fluttershy’s brain; fatigue was starting to weigh heavily on her frail shoulders. She wasn’t used to - or really built for - the tiring task of mating a mare. But still the pint-sized dragonfilly soldiered on, almost mindlessly, even though she sounded like she was hyperventilating at this point, and there was sweat dripping from her brow. The slender muscles in her thighs and rear flexed and worked, driving the two toys into Rarity again and again. But something had indeed been missing; it was like each mare was waiting, unable to bring themselves to climax without feeling the other twitching and tightening, first.

When Rarity’s special toy slipped into her, however, Fluttershy’s thrusting got even more erratic. “A-ah... Rarity!” she gasped, wide-eyed and trembling, ”Rarity, I can feel you inside... I--” However many nerve-endings were being stimulated by the vibrating nub rubbing up against the weary pegasus’s sensitive clit; however much she savored the sights and sounds of a whimpering and writhing pony beneath her, it was the feeling of the unicorn’s magic - Rarity’s very essence - inside of her that began to slowly, inexorably, deliciously push Fluttershy over the edge. Briefly, they shared a connection that went beyond her sex or her senses, a profound closeness that had been sorely lacking even during this intensely erotic and arousing act.

She timed her thrusts carefully, moving forward when Tom was thrust into her from behind, and so taking advantage of the force of Rarity’s telekinetic thrusts to add momentum to her own. She had found a second wind, and used it to ride the unicorn hard, intent on driving them both towards an intense climax.

Rarity was being hit with so many sensations at once; she could feel her lovely ‘dragon’ gamely trying to keep up the pace, but the moment Tom came into play everything changed. She could feel everything... for a moment, her magic, pulsing away inside of Fluttershy, even gave her a taste of what she was feeling; it was a brief, intense flash of being penetrated while penetrating. But Rarity was nothing if not a multi-tasker, and soon enough, she had developed a rhythm of thrusting into Fluttershy while the pegasus continued to thrust into her

“R-Rarity..” Fluttershy gasped out. “Could you... move him a little, um, h-higher?” She flushed crimson, grateful that her face could not be seen right now. The question had been hard for her to squeak out. She wiggled her tail meaningfully.

“... are you sure?” Rarity was in no position to argue; she would do anything this lovely mare desired. I would be only too delighted. Still, concern for her inexperienced lover welled up.

“P-Please? I-I trust you.”

That was all the encouragement Rarity needed. She began to extend her aura to the tight ring of muscle just above where Tom was still merrily rutting the mare, and gently eased the tangible magic inside, while still continuing to thrust into Fluttershy. She had a bit of trouble maintaining concentration while continuously feeling the tight embrace around Tom and the wonderful fullness between her own legs, but somehow, she managed.

Slowly, the passage stretched open, and Rarity began to fill Fluttershy’s rear with her aura; she was soon rewarded with a noticeable increase in the volume of the breathless pegasus’s moans. When she was satisfied it would cause the least discomfort, she removed Tom from the burning hot tightness of her lover’s loins and inserted his length firmly into Fluttershy’s rump.

Rarity moaned in appreciation as Tom relayed that indescribable sensation. The two mares both paused for a moment, feeling connected in every way possible. “Give it a moment, darling. Let yourself adjust.” When she felt the passage relax a bit more Rarity withdrew Tom, only to push forward again a moment later. She began with slow, deep strokes, letting Fluttershy adjust to the curious sensation.

“R-Rarity... that feels... nice.” Fluttershy picked up the rhythm and resumed her efforts. The speed gradually increased, their nerves singing as the pleasure built. Rarity flexed her aura slightly, and began to massage her lover’s lower lips gently as she continued the gentle but firm ravishment of Fluttershy’s derriere.

It was too much for poor Fluttershy; it was pure sensory overload. The usually reserved mare’s inhibitions were melting away in the frictional heat of the toy that was slipping into her sensitive, virginal rear with such surprising and satisfying ease. She made noises neither pony had ever heard her make before; embarrassing noises, though that fact currently failed to hold Fluttershy back even the slightest bit. She even began talking. Cop-out words like ‘nice’ just didn’t cut it anymore, didn’t suffice to describe the immense pleasure and fulfillment she was feeling. As much as talking dirty had seemed to stymie her before, at the moment, a whole string of incoherent, raunchy words and fragmented sentences came gushing out of that gasping little yellow muzzle, almost as copiously as the arousal that was dripping down her trembling thighs. “Yes, take me! Deeper, Rarity! Harder! Oh.. oh... you’ve taken everything from me, now, everything I have to offer; everywhere. I want you to have it all... Please, please take it; please take me! ”

“Oh my darling, I … will take you, every last bit of you. I lo-” She choked on the words, she wanted to say them, but could not. “Give me your love, let me feel it!”

Burying both ribbed dragon-toys into her wonderful lover to the hilt, and adding her own trembling and shivering to the vibration from the toys, Fluttershy tensed up for what seemed an eternity, cumming so hard she could not even vocalize her delight. She could only squeeze down hard on the toy infused with her beloved Rarity’s magic, before finally slumping forwards, relaxing in an instant.

Rarity felt the mare shudder, and screamed aloud when she hit the most amazing peak of the entire evening - or maybe her entire life. Her thighs were positively drenched with a combination of sweat and her own nectar. Then, she felt Fluttershy squeeze down hard on Tom, and her horn flashed with a blinding light. Oh my goddess!. She collapsed tail up with Fluttershy on top of her. “D-darling... ” She gasped, unable to form words. “Thank you!” She finally managed.

“Whoa," was the only thing that came to a wide-eyed Applejack's mind. "So, erm, that wraps up that, then?” She sounded almost disappointed; she’d even refrained from making witty comments during Rarity and Fluttershy’s recollections, so enthrallingly kinky and cute the lengthy scene they’d been treated to had been.

“Yes,” Rarity replied hastily, remembering what came next.

“No?” Fluttershy said softly, smiling until she realized she had just contradicted her fellow storyteller. “Oh, um, yes, I mean.”

“Too late now, Shy,” Applejack said with a smile, “Cat’s out of the bag now, and Twi’s prolly dyin’ to know what happened as much as I am, I reckon.” A quick glance over to Twilight’s flustered and frantically nodding face confirmed this. “Y’all can’t just leave us hangin’, now!” She scratched her head through her thick, blonde mane, frowning. “Though I don’t rightly know what y’all could be tryin’ to hide, after the stuff we just seen...”

Sighing, but also offering a distraught Fluttershy - who seemed convinced that she had said too much - a well-meaning, it’s-okay smile, Rarity obliged without further protest.

Rarity got to her hooves somewhat painfully. “Darling, would you mind terribly... pulling out? I think we could both use a nice, hot bath after this...” Her muscles were still clenching a bit around the dual girth inside of her, and she winced slightly when the twin shafts were removed, leaving her suddenly feeling very empty. She focused with difficulty, carefully removing Tom from Fluttershy and setting him down on the bed. She then deactivated the device with a thought and floated the ring over to the bed to lay neatly next to it.

“I’m sorry,” was Fluttershy’s belated response to Rarity’s wincing, though she actually smiled self-consciously when she said it, knowing full well that she was being silly and had nothing to apologize for. She had pulled back and dismounted Rarity very carefully, and after taking a step back, she had stared straight at Rarity’s shapely backside for a brief moment. She’d quickly averted her eyes, however, blushing heavily at the sight of the slightly stretched unicorn still happily twitching beneath her tail.

“Thank you, my love. Oh my, let’s get these off shall we? This dress is now in desperate need of laundering, I fear...” Rarity disrobed, a little stiffly and awkwardly, before depositing the gown onto a nearby equinniquin for the time being. Every movement was a fresh, sore reminder of her recent activities. Very much going to feel this in the morning... An irrepressible smile played along her white lips, however. Totally worth it. “I’ll pour the water - please come join me, once you’ve managed to peel off that costume, won’t you?” She sauntered off to the bathroom, friskily flicking her tail to and fro without even realizing.

“Oh, okay,‘ a distracted and winded Fluttershy said with a nod, her eyes glued to that dancing, retreating tail for a long moment. A soothing bath did seem like a very nice idea at the moment; the dragon-suit - apart from beginning to make her feel a little ridiculous again - proved to be pretty hot and sweaty. She struggled out of it with some difficulty, but made use of the time alone to gather her thoughts and search her feelings. The entire situation suddenly felt slightly surreal... had she really just had wild, kinky, passionate sex with Rarity? Or was this just another one of her Rarity-centered fantasies - the most intense and realistic one yet?

The slight, tender soreness she still felt inside suggested otherwise.

Fluttershy glanced at the toy that had finally made her a mare; it was sitting there on the bed, just as when she had first been introduced to it. Now that Rarity no longer wore it, it was just an object again - lifeless and artificial despite the silly name. Still, she felt a fondness for this disembodied stallion, and, on a whim, and with a quick, surreptitious glance at the door through which Rarity had disappeared, she pressed a shy little smooch on the silicone.

“Thank you for, um, helping us, Tom.” She even gave the discarded dragon on the floor a grateful little nod. “And you, too, I suppose, Mr. Double Dragon sir.” With those formalities out of the way, Fluttershy’s mind drifted swiftly back to animate objects - such as, say, Rarity. Her mind’s eye eventually settled on a spectacular mental image of the gorgeous white mare in the steamy shower... sensually running her hooves through her dripping, clingy purple mane...

Trying very hard to wipe away the dreamy little smirk that had appeared on her muzzle and replace it with an appropriately demure expression, the giddy pegasus quickly hobbled off to the bathroom, before the unsuspecting unicorn could begin to wonder what could possibly be keeping her.

Rarity finished drawing the bath, having already added some expensive, scented oils to the mix, as well as a little bit of bubble bath. She eased herself carefully into the giant tub, which, she knew from experience, could easily accommodate the two of them. The unicorn cried out softly when she sat down on her rump. Ouch... still a tad tender. Still very much worth it. She lay back, closed her eyes contentedly, and waited for Fluttershy to join her.

The belated pegasus slipped into Rarity’s spacious and ornate bathroom moments later, looking disheveled and bedraggled, with her long, pink mane and tail in utter disarray and her coat matted with sweat. As such, the dirty little mare could be heard sighing very, very gratefully when she stepped into the warm, foaming, fragrant water.

Fluttershy beamed at the mare next to her; sharing a bath was cozy and familiar, due to the countless hours they had spent together in the spa.

Rarity smiled happily, luxuriating in the heat. “Do you remember the first time I asked you to join me on a spa trip, Fluttershy dear?”

Blinking at the unexpected question, Fluttershy had to think about it for a moment. “Oh my, that was quite a while ago, wasn’t it?” she mused, staring blankly at the bubbly water as she journeyed back in her mind. She rewinded back through the soft-spoken saga of her life; lots of happy little moments of mare bonding flashed by, as did countless conversations on every topic imaginable. And also - for her part, at least - innumerable yearning looks. Eventually, though, her memories got kind of vague and muddled, and she had to give up with an apologetic shake of her head.

Rarity nodded, stretching backwards to ease the muscles that had grown sore from holding position for so long just now. “I speak more of what I asked you after that day. Do you remember? I suggested we could make it a regular visit, with just the two of us, together.” Rarity struggled for a moment; what had seemed like a smooth segue in her mind was turning out to be rather clunky. ”I recognize this is hardly the most romantic proposal but-- Will you... continue to see me? Even if I cannot quite call you my fillyfriend? Even if... if I cannot bring myself to say the words you want me to say, just yet?”

“Make it a... regular visit?” Fluttershy considered it, repeating the phrase slowly to buy some time. Just to occupy herself while she mulled it over, she did what she usually did when sharing a bath with Rarity: she got behind her and gently splashed some water onto those curly, purple locks, working it in with her hooves and making sure her mane was thoroughly and evenly soaked. “Hmm... Well, I think that I would miss you very much if I said ‘no’...”

It was at this point - idly speaking those words whilst using the tips of her hooves to gently massage Rarity’s scalp - that Fluttershy finally realized that there was no going back. Even this simple act of grooming, which they had shared so many times before, was suddenly different. The way that Rarity closed her eyes in delight and moaned happily wasn’t innocent anymore; Fluttershy found herself blushing at the mere sound of it. “Also, things can’t be, um, like before, I think. D-do you feel it, too?” She could see in frowning unicorn’s eyes that it wasn’t just her. She wasn’t imagining things. ”So either we try to make this work or... or...” She couldn’t even finish the sentence.

“Perish the thought, my dear! I would never... I mean... Oh, how to explain?” Frustrated at the way the right words just weren’t forthcoming, Rarity brushed some clingy mane out of her eyes with an impatient gesture, before muddling on. ”When I agreed to make love to you, I did so with the intent of trying to make you happy. That’s... that’s really all I care about. I suppose what I am asking is... will it make you happy, trying to fix a prematurely embittered, obviously depraved thing like myself?” She leaned back into the massaging hooves of the pegasus, enjoying the closeness of the grooming as always. ” We’ve had a wonderful night here - perhaps it was enough for you? I... would not hold it against you, should you wish to find somepony with less baggage; somepony who could freely love you back, without reservations.” Somepony better than me. Somepony deserving.

Those gentle hooves slowed in their movements, and a soft, tiny drip hit Rarity’s already wet mane, swiftly followed by another. “I don’t want anypony else,” Fluttershy spoke in quiet, tremulous tones, wrapping her forelegs around Rarity and pulling her into a tight hug. “And n-no, it wasn’t enough! It will never be enough, Rarity. I want to--to share everything with you. Every night, not just this one. Every day, too... And, and--oh, I-I’m not very good at this...”

Rarity snuggled close and breathed a sigh of relief. "Darling... all that I am - all that I have... My soul, my time, my affections... I willingly give it to you. But as for my heart, well, I cut that treacherous thing loose long ago. I never regretted doing so, until now. Now... I want so much to find it again, so that I can give it to you as well.” Her voice grew soft; she felt like she was being selfish, but still couldn’t stop herself from entertaining a tiny little flicker of hope. ”Could you, perhaps - if it’s not too much to ask - help me look for it?"

“I will try...” Fluttershy said with a nod. Seeing Rarity like this, so vulnerable and uncertain, reminded her a lot of herself. She let her hooves run down the unicorn’s long mane again, all the way down to her shoulders, and treated those to some relaxing and reassuring kneading, too. While she nuzzling at some of those pleasant-smelling wet locks, Fluttershy was suddenly very aware of the intimacy that suddenly existed between them, a closeness that could only be born from making love. She wanted to hold onto that feeling.

The silence beginning to grow uncomfortable, and Rarity frantically thought of something to say. A thought struck her - just an amusing observation. This has been a lot like what I’d envisioned my wedding night would be like, hasn’t it? Well, perhaps not with myself as the stallion... "Well darling, I think that, should we ever decide to tie the knot, we should just spend some time resting after the vows. We've rather done the honeymoon part justice already, wouldn't you agree?" She laughed.

Fluttershy did not join her, however; her response to Rarity’s jest was to go all starry-eyed and immediately start daydreaming about their wedding. I want a white dress! Wait, no, white is supposed to be virginal, and that wasn’t... but wait! If she wore another color, everypony would know! They’d all be looking at her, completely aware that they had... had... Oh, but who cares, really? Let them know! she thought resolutely. And whatever the color would end up being, she'd want to wear some nice lingerie underneath the dress, for certain. It would be so much fun to undress each other afterwards... Or hey, maybe they shouldn't; maybe they should just go at it in the carriage afterwards, dresses and all! Wait, why was Rarity staring at her like that? Something about the honeymoon? "Hm? Oh! Oh my, yes, we should definitely have the honeymoon in Prance. I... I mean... yes, um, what you said."

Rarity smiled happily. I believe I might just ask her someday. If there’s anypony I would want to spend the rest of my days with, it would be you, my lovely pony from the sky.

Fluttershy leaned into her softly. She bit the unicorn’s ear lightly and whispered into it: “I-I was wondering, when you’ve rested a bit, can we--?”

Rarity gulped, but smiled inwardly. My Goddesses, I’ve created a monster!

On the other side of the mirror, however, Rarity wasn’t smiling at all. The fading scene of her passionate night with Fluttershy left her with mixed feelings of joy and regret. They hadn’t been as intimate since, and seldom shared more than the occasional, secretive kiss, which was probably the only reason their relationship had not yet been discovered. She was still trying to sort out the fractured mess that resided in the spot where her heart used to be, but it didn’t help that, deep down inside - her jokes about marriage notwithstanding - she still feared that Fluttershy would be better off without her.

Re-experiencing the spur-of-the-moment flurry of enthusiastic sex the two of them had shared did make her yearn for more, but still she couldn’t shake the feeling that she had taken advantage of Fluttershy somehow - that she had marred something innocent and beautiful, like a pony trampling over pristine, untrodden snow with filthy hooves. Projecting her own, self-deprecating concerns onto the other mares, she wondered if Applejack or Twilight perhaps suspected her of planning the whole encounter. They might think that she had invited Fluttershy over for a lingerie-fitting solely to seduce her...

Sensing her distress, however, Applejack sauntered over and leaned in close to Rarity for a moment, draping a foreleg around her shoulder as a show of camaraderie. “Sorry, sugarcube. ‘Fraid I misjudged you pretty badly.”

Rarity blinked back tears, she had known in advance that seeing the final scene of them in the bath would have this effect on her. Even then I could not say it. The very height of passion, followed by the most intimate of baths, and still I could not spit it out... “ No, darling, you were right,” she sighed. ”Even now, I worry about her offering me her heart, when I have so little to offer in return. And I fear that there is no way, once given, to return such a gift. At least, not without breaking it into a million little pieces...”

Applejack awkwardly patted Rarity’s back with a hoof. “Rarity, y’really ought to stop doin’ that. It’s still there in your chest, y’know, it’s just... I mean, okay, so you got yerself hurt. You went and tried to bury that hurt in stupid. When that didn’t work you shut yourself away, took yer heart and put up some big ol’ walls around it, to protect it like. That filly there?” She pointed at Fluttershy, who was immersed in her own, quiet little chat with Twilight. “Could give yours truly a run for her bits, ‘s far as stubbornness goes. She came along with a hammer and a chisel, you catch my drift? She’ll make it through - heck, she’s already got ‘em crackin' all over the place. I can see that now. Don’t rightly know why y’all can’t...”

Rarity shook her head sadly. “I dearly hope you are right, but I fear you are wrong.”

Fluttershy, meanwhile, was concluding her hushed conversation with Twilight, leaning in so closely that her muzzle nearly touched the unicorn’s ear, which had perked up and swivelled towards her. Her whispered words were completely indecipherable to anypony else; her already quiet voice lowered to subaudible levels. But Twilight could still understand, apparently, nodding and smiling at her co-conspirator.

Closing her eyes, Fluttershy concentrated while the unicorn fired up her horn, and touched the very tip to the pegasus’s forehead. Twilight drew out another blinding orb of light; she squinted at it while she carefully carried it over to the mirror, before gently depositing the brilliant memory into the reflective surface, anchoring it to another mirror and moment in time. Fluttershy solemnly watched the sliver of thought being carried off - blushing, of course, but holding her head high.

Another scene unfolded before them, wherein two familiar mares were climbing onto a small stage - or rather, one was actually climbing, while the other was sort of being dragged along. Both appeared a tad tipsy, though it didn’t affect them in quite the same way. “Um... Pinkie? I think I’ll be just fine down here. Why don’t y-you go ahead and sing? I’ll be sure to cheer real loud for you...”

Even under the influence of alcohol - notable for its inhibition-lowering and bravado-imbuing qualities - getting Fluttershy to perform on a stage in front of others, even just her friends, remained a monumental feat. She waved a wing nervously at a particularly raucous Rainbow Dash, who was shouting something that sounded like “free bird!”, for whatever reason. As fond as Fluttershy was of birdies, and however much she advocated their liberation from cruel cages, she didn’t quite see what that had to do with anything...

Pinke spat out Fluttershy’s tail and pointed impatiently at the microphone. “That’s not how a duet works! I can’t sing both parts, that would be silly, silly! Now, follow my lead!”

“Oh, um, okay, I guess. I mean, if you can’t do it without me...” Fluttershy blinked slowly, wobbling a little on her hooves, and squinted at the strangely blurry monitor where the lyrics for their karaoke song were supposed to appear. ”Um, Pinkie,” she said guiltily, slurring her words just slightly, ”I kind of forgot what song we were singing...”

“That one song by something-something, uh...” The pink pony bopped herself over the head a few times, in an attempt to dislodge the wayward factoid. ”Too late now! Gotta improvise! And-a-one, two, one-two-three...!”

“W-wait, you’re not thinking of singing about... about that thing-I-shouldn’t-have-told-you, that I just told you about?”

“Noooo,” Pinkie said, in a don’t-be-silly kind of way. ”Wait, yes.”

Hey Fluttershy! Let’s us two try
to sing a quick duet!

Oh, um, okay, P-pinkie Pie.
Hush-hush though - don’t forget...

If all, for love, you have to show
is heartbreak and regret;
there's plenty other mares, y'know,
and colts you haven’t met!

But none so dashing, confident
and rare a gem as she.
I'll wait in line and be patient;
she may still notice me?

Good things don't always come to you,
if you just sit and wait!
No need to be so passive, do
you want to be too late?!

Just wish I were a bolder mare,
with sinews made of steel...
For then, perhaps, someday, I'd dare
to tell her how I feel.

You don’t need “sea-news”, silly mare!
Only a song and dance!
Or just be coy if you don’t dare;
ask her about romance!

You want me to be indirect;
pretend to ask advice?
I fear that she would soon suspect...
Though... it might break the ice.

Pinkie’s back seemed to twitch violently for a moment, and she looked around in startlement. Suddenly she looked at the mirrored wall through which a foursome of future fillies were watching her. No, not at it - through it. She locked eyes with Rarity, then smiled knowingly and winked. Despite the initial shock, Rarity found herself smiling back incredulously.

You would not even have to lie;
there’s not much to forgive.
You won’t regret it, Fluttershy,
as long as you’ll both live...

“...” Rarity’s jaw dropped in shock. She rounded on the shy mare beside her, barely even able to form coherent sentences from the sheer surprise. “Fluttershy, you... Even then? You and Pinkie planned this?”

“Um... Maybe a little bit?”

“Oh... you manipulative, deceitful, wonderful mare you!” The last vestiges of the walls around her heart came crashing down. Has anypony ever loved me so much as this? Will I ever love anypony that much in my life? She rushed to Fluttershy and swept her up in a tight embrace, whispering softly in her ear. “I am so sorry I made you wait, my love, but I can say it now: I love you. I will love you for as long as you will let me.” Then she held her gently, and passionately, wantonly kissed the blushing mare.

“Uh, girls?” Twilight looked amused, but also a little embarrassed. “We’re, erm, still right here? Girls?”

Rarity looked up in amusement, still a bit breathless. “Oh really now, Twilight dear, you’re going to be all prudish after what you’ve just seen? What could I possibly do in your presence that would rival those delightful depths of depravity?”

“I dunno, I could think of few things,” Applejack supplied helpfully.

“Oh? I do so love to try new things,” Rarity challenged coyly; nothing could raise her ire at this point. ”Perhaps you could make me a list?”

“Um... um...” Fluttershy stammered, finding herself caught in the crossfire.

“I still ain’t told my story yet, lil’ miss dragonlover,” Applejack said sharply, but with a huge grin; she appeared relieved by the fact that Rarity was back to her old, feisty self again, being far more comfortable with their bickering than with mushy, heartfelt moments like the one before. ”Y’all might learn a thing or two!”

“Oh goodness, you’re right! My, where did the time go? By all means, Jackie, do continue.”

Surprisingly, several moments after uttering that name Rarity was still very much alive, despite the Applejack’s earlier threats. In fact, the cutesy nickname seemed to be stirring up something deep within the farmfilly’s heart. Her green eyes grew distant, staring through the other mares and the library’s walls, as if her thoughts were being carried far away, and were reaching out to somepony.

“Alright then, I will.”

“Oh, it is sure as it is sad
That any lad is every lad,
And what's a girl, to dare implore
Her dear be hers forevermore?
Though he be tried and he be bold,
And swearing death should he be cold,
He'll run the path the others went....
But you, my sweet, are different.”

• Dorothy Parker, "Incurable"