Ribbons and Lace

Rarity's screams finally cut off in a gargle when Fluttershy turned the hose on her full-blast. Frantic scrubbing replaced them, accompanied by a barrage of imprecations against Applejack's hogs, the King Pig, and all swinekind in general. By the time Rarity finally waved off the deluge, gasping and starting to shiver, Applejack had already trotted away to return to her chores. The worst of the mud was gone, but she still felt a crawling sensation on her scalp that she hoped was illusory. "Ugh," she groaned with a shudder. "Now I need a spa treatment as well."

Fluttershy didn't respond except to look guiltily down at her hooves. "Shall we?" Rarity prompted, taking a step closer to the pegasus.

"I'm sorry," the pegasus whispered.

"Darling?" Rarity asked, reaching out a hoof, but Fluttershy cringed away from it. The unicorn's eyes widened. "Whatever's the matter?"

"I... I'm so sorry, Rarity!" the pegasus burst out, looking up with wide, teary eyes. "I'm a terrible pony! Please forgive me for making you do that!"

Rarity gave her a faintly perplexed smile. "It's all right, dear... I volunteered, after all."

"That's not it..." Fluttershy shook her head, the words spilling out in one long, continuous stream. "I lied to you, and I'm so, so sorry! I didn't really plan to do all that today, I just picked all the dirtiest, messiest jobs I could think of to get rid of you because I don't want to go into Ponyville because of my admirer!" She ended with a choking sniffle.

Tell her.

"Oh... oh, darling, you could have simply said so! Of course I forgive you." Rarity's tone was beatific, but the explanation struck clear to her heart. In a way, this was... simply justice, then, for putting Fluttershy in that position in the first place.

"I know I should have just told you I didn't want to go, but I didn't want to disappoint you. I'm so, so sorry." Fluttershy threw herself at the fashionista, pressing her neck against Rarity's in a pleading hug regardless of her wet coat.

Rarity wrapped her arms gently around the pegasus, squeezing in return, though her stomach knotted as if Fluttershy could somehow read her mind and see all the prurient thoughts that raced through her head in that moment. "That's all right... I'm a big filly. If it makes you so uncomfortable, I can easily go to the spa on my own."

Fluttershy gave a little shake of her head. "I know I'm not Lotus Blossom, but if it's okay with you, you could clean up at my house instead. I know I was trying to get you to leave, but... I really did enjoy spending the morning with you." She gave Rarity a quick squeeze before breaking away.

Tell her!

What else could she do? It was an unambiguous offer to spend the rest of the day together. Practically begging, really. Rarity smiled and shrugged. "Well, how could I say no?"

Coward! she snarled at herself.

As they started off, Fluttershy added, "I'm also sorry for thinking you were shallow enough to leave just because of some dirty jobs."

"Well... on another day, I might have," she allowed. "I'm afraid I had been rather hoping that you would eventually feel more like talking about, ah, the letter that's made you so upset."

The yellow mare murmured, "Oh," but that was all.

In truth, she had hardly thought about the letter all morning. It felt almost like old times, when she could go on some wild adventure with her friends without guarding her every word and action.

Since when did last week count as 'old times'? she thought, half giggling at herself, but the urge to laugh was diluted by a longing to return to that simple, crazy life with the friends that she treasured so.

Fluttershy's bathroom was oddly devoid of the array of shampoos, conditioners, moisturizers, repairers, relaxers, stiffeners, and protectants that crowded Rarity's shelves. There were only two bottles: a mild 'no tears' shampoo, and a rather ordinary conditioner (because Fluttershy wasn't an utter barbarian like Rainbow Dash.) The unicorn had long since come to terms with the other mare's simple beauty, but it still rankled a bit that she could do so much with so little effort.

Rarity paused in scrubbing the most stubborn mud spots under the shower spray, closing her eyes while Fluttershy worked the shampoo in around her horn. She let out an inaudible little sigh of contentment, just enjoying the feel of the yellow hooves against her mane. She let herself drift, thinking nothing at all while the water ran down her body. A warm, comfortable sensation bloomed in her chest; a familiar sensation, not one she felt just for Fluttershy, but for every member of their little clique. The simple joy of sharing a quiet moment with a friend.

Rarity found, on reflection, that she was starting to have trouble identifying where 'friend' ended and 'love' began. Obviously, there were certain things that mere friends didn't do, but her sense of friendship with Fluttershy still burned as strongly as it did for all of her closest friends. Given that, she supposed it was no surprise that she had been so slow to understand her feelings for the lovely pegasus.

Fluttershy's hooves pulled away, and Rarity leaned into the shower to rinse the shampoo out of her hair. I suppose romance and friendship are not mutually exclusive, then, she thought. Are they entirely different things, though, or does one build on the other? Hmm. I wonder what Twilight would make of that.

On the other hoof, the failure of a romance most certainly had the potential to destroy a friendship. Rarity felt an uncomfortable ripple of cold run down her spine in defiance of the warm water. She was taking a terrible risk... but what choice had she? To live in pain and denial? No. She had to steel herself and trust that their friendship could survive even... rejection, should it come to that.

And hiding behind anonymity is the way to show that trust, is it?

"I'll get the conditioner," the pegasus said, and Rarity just nodded, her eyes still squeezed shut as water trickled down her face. The sound of soft wingbeats moved about the room, and after a few seconds, Fluttershy began massaging her hair again.

Of course, by the same token, the feelings of friendship didn't do anything to decrease her longing. Fluttershy moved away once more and there was the hollow sound of a plastic bottle on the shelf, then her gentle hooves were rubbing the conditioner into Rarity's tail. The unicorn locked her legs and held her breathing in careful check, aware that any slip could give her away as she let herself enjoy the stirrings between her haunches. The soft tugs at her tail could not be ignored. Would the pegasus peek beneath her tail as she worked? Would she notice the signs of the unicorn's excitement? Would she realize what they meant? Her stomach fluttered in anticipation.

It was both a relief and a disappointment when the pegasus blithely announced, "All done! Now just let it stand for a minute or two." Rarity's limp, soaked tail drooped back across her rump as Fluttershy released it without comment. For a moment, she fancied that her friend knew good and well what she was feeling, and was grinning a self-satisfied grin on the other side of Rarity's eyelids as she waited for the fashionista to work up the courage to admit it.

Or maybe she was politely not mentioning an uncontrollable physical reaction for the comfort of both mares. Assuming she wasn't too shy or oblivious to make note in the first place. "Thank you, Fluttershy," she said, finally. "This means ever so much to me."

"Oh, well, it's really no trouble," Fluttershy deflected. "Thank you... for listening..."

"Hm? To what, darling?" she asked, cracking one eyelid to peep at the other mare. She was looking down, now, drawing in on herself.

"To when I said I didn't want to go to the spa," she said softly.

I wouldn't drag-- Rarity began, but stopped that thought halfway. I would, wouldn't I? I've done it before. Because I know so much better than everypony else. After a long pause, Rarity murmured solemnly, "I'm sorry for having ignored your wishes in the past."

Fluttershy gave a wistful little sigh. "No, it's okay. I'm so wishy-washy... I wish I were decisive, like you."

No, you don't, Rarity thought. You really don't. I can be as thoughtless as Rainbow Dash sometimes. And afraid to make it right...

They both fell silent, each unwilling to accept the other's admission of weakness, until Fluttershy said, "Um, you can rinse now."

Rarity nodded and ducked into the shower stream again. When she emerged, freshly waterlogged, she said, "If you don't mind, Fluttershy, I believe I'd like to soak for a bit."

The pegasus complied, of course. "I'll get some lunch ready, then. Just call me if you need anything!" The door closed as Rarity wiped hair out of her eyes and closed the drain.

The unicorn slumped down against the edge of the rather rustic wooden tub as it began to fill. How is it, Fluttershy, that you can bring all my shortcomings right to the forefront like that? It was like picking up a delicate vase and suddenly becoming aware of how rough and clumsy one was most of the time.

She pushed that to the back of her mind, though, along with all her other cares and worries, trying to clear her mind and recover the simple pleasure of gentle hooves on her mane.

"Would you like to join me, dear?" Rarity asked with a grin. "I know you must be at least a bit muddy and sweaty after all that..."

"Oh, as long as you don't mind," was what Fluttershy said, but her grin belied the passive tone. She slipped into the tub in front of Rarity without waiting for a response, lowering herself into the water with exaggerated care to give the unicorn plenty of time to admire the curves of her rump as they slowly disappeared below the surface. She tossed her mane and peeked flirtatiously over her shoulder. "Scrub my back?"

Rarity smiled her reply and started stroking the washcloth between the other mare's shoulder blades with her magic while her hooves stretched out to caress Fluttershy's sides. The cloth soon fell into the water, though, when Fluttershy pushed back against her, snugging her hips between Rarity's thighs with a low purr of pleasure. The unicorn pulled her into an embrace, nosing aside her mane and kissing her neck gently.

Rarity slid her hoof down her stomach, paused, then edged it a little lower. Not quite low enough, though. She rested it just above her quickly pinkening lips, almost shivering with anticipation, but trying to take her time. The ever so slight chance that Fluttershy might poke her head in and catch Rarity in the act urged her to act quickly, but she deliberately ignored it.

Fluttershy arched her neck and gave a little coo of pleasure, her hooves moving to rest on Rarity's. The unicorn brushed one hoof across Fluttershy's belly while the other continued to hold her close. After several seconds, she leaned up and lightly nibbled the edge of one ear.

Fluttershy giggled again and twisted around far enough for their lips to meet, the kiss slow and gentle in spite of the mares' growing excitement. They had plenty of time. "Mmmm... I love you, Rarity," she said softly.

"I love you too, Fluttershy."

Rarity's hoof slid down a bit farther, stopping just below Fluttershy's navel and drawing a happy sigh that was almost swallowed by the rumble of water filling the tub. Pink hair brushed against Rarity's sex as Fluttershy settled back against the unicorn's chest, her tail slipping up between creamy thighs. The pale mare gasped a soft moan of her own, her lips tracing a slow line of kisses down the graceful curve from Fluttershy's neck to her shoulder.

Biting her lip, she kept the noise down to a little "mmmh" in the back of her throat when her hoof first stroked across her swollen folds. Celestia, how she wanted to moan the other mare's name out loud! She caressed herself slowly, softly, careful not to go too far too quickly. The nervous tension over the danger of being caught mixed deliciously with the salacious thrill of pleasuring herself in Fluttershy's own bathroom. So she held herself back instead, savoring the combination like dark chocolate with a rich zinfandel.

Fluttershy's mane trailed in the water as the tub gradually filled, her head hanging forward to bare her neck to Rarity's affections. The unicorn soon slipped down the ridge of her spine, though, leaning farther toward the rising water until her lips pressed against the soft-feathered base of Fluttershy's left wing.

The pegasus straightened slightly in surprise, looking over her shoulder as she spread her wings out. There wasn't much room between the mares in the confines of the tub, but a few moments of silent negotiation found Fluttershy hunched foward with the unicorn nestled between her wings, covering them with loving nuzzles while her hooves rode low on Fluttershy's hips. The pegasus giggled and reached back, sliding a hoof along Rarity's thigh in reply.

The unicorn reached out with her magic to shut off the water, barely cracking an eye to finish the task while her hoof rocked slowly against her nether lips. "Ahh, Fluttershy," she sighed, barely voicing the name.

Rarity raised her head and slid her hooves around Fluttershy's middle below her wings, pulling her into a tight hug as she leaned back to the edge of the tub. The pegasus gasped a little coo of pleased surprise, then sunk into a knowing grin as she cuddled back against Rarity. It took a few seconds to settle into a comfortable position, squirming back until her dock snugged firmly against the unicorn's slit. Rarity gave a little moan of her own and giggled, "I love you."

The unicorn froze. That was out loud! She strained her ears for any noise from beyond the door, but a moment later she caught a distant clatter from the living room. She let out the breath she'd been holding and resumed, pressing her hind hooves against either side of the tub as if straddling another mare's hips and leaning her head back on the edge.

"I love you tooooh!" Fluttershy said, her reply cut off by the touch of Rarity's hoof between her thighs. She let her head fall back against Rarity's shoulder, giving little gasps and squeaks as the unicorn's hoof slid across warm, pink-flushed flesh. "Ohh... Rarity..."

The fashionista shifted a bit, moving to position the base of the other mare's tail against her own hot folds and sucking in a wordless hiss of pleasure as it settled into place.

Rarity pressed the edge of her hoof against her clit, letting out another tiny, nearly-suppressed cry of pleasure. The unicorn moved her hoof slowly, lightly, resisting the urge to grind her hoof in. She squeezed her eyes shut, imagining the feel of that coat against her body, wet and slicked down against the skin. She tried to gasp as quietly as she could while her hoof made tiny, steady sloshing noises in the bath.

Rarity gave her hoof a deft twist, and Fluttershy pressed back against her with a delightful squeal. The shy pony swallowed further cries, muffling them to long, strangled groans as the unicorn's hoof slid feather-light across her stiff little nub.

She kept her touches light and feathery, however much she might wish to make the pegasus shriek at the top of her lungs. Then she pulled her hoof away, to the other mare's audible disappointment, and slid the tip gently along the slit between Fluttershy's thighs. She moaned louder this time, hardly making the effort to keep her voice down, pressing back against Rarity and pushing her hips up toward the unicorn's hoof.

Rarity gasped as she stroked lightly across her clit, aching to stroke harder but straining to hold herself back. It was so hard to control herself and fantasize at the same time while sparing the concentration to stifle everything except her increasingly heavy breathing, but oh, was it worth it!

The way Fluttershy writhed dragged dock and hair across Rarity's own marehood; the unicorn shifted her hoof back and stroked a little harder at the pegasus's stiff nub, giving her what she wanted until she settled back against Rarity's chest. Then Rarity pulled her hoof away again, trying to provoke more of those wonderful wriggles.

Fluttershy delivered in spades. Raising a hoof to her mouth, she bit down on her fetlock and clenched her eyes shut, letting out an adorable scream of frustration as she pushed up again.

Rarity dragged her hoof away, feeling the tingle of a building orgasm fade ever so slowly. She shivered despite the warmth of the water. How long before she couldn't stand it any more? How long before Fluttershy came in to check on her? Her heart pounded, breath coming in sharp, loud gasps.

Despite her best efforts, Fluttershy wasn't being quiet at all. Her groans gradually shaded into only slightly controlled squeals as Rarity teased her ever so slowly toward climax. Then, suddenly, the pegasus twisted, pulling away from Rarity's hoof and rolling on her side. One wing flopped awkwardly out of the tub, slinging an arc of droplets through the air, while the other slipped beneath Rarity's free arm.

Wide, sky-blue eyes stared longingly into Rarity's, then closed as Fluttershy leaned in and pressed her lips against the unicorn's. Fluttershy's tongue twined with her own, both mares greedily sucking at one another's mouths while Rarity's hoof traced a line back down through the pastel-yellow coat to her lover's swollen rose.

The pegasus stiffened and moaned urgently, kissing and jousting with Rarity's tongue in between gasps and half-frantic cries. She'd finally found another way to muffle the sounds of her pleasure, though she'd taken away the source of Rarity's stimulation in the process. Rarity didn't mind that much, though... well, she did, but making the beautiful mare cum was so much more important! Rarity had to smirk, though; without the grinding stroke of Fluttershy's tail against her, she could keep this up until they were both completely pruney...

Then Fluttershy's hoof ran down the unicorn's pale stomach and began to return the favor.

Long enough! Rarity dug the edge of her hoof in again, barely holding in a lusty howl as it traced circles across her sensitive nub. She shuddered, setting the water sloshing as she squirmed and twisted against her own hoof.

The pegasus was tentative at first, but the answering moans quickly improved her confidence, barely contained by their kiss. Rarity slipped down a couple of inches in the water, trembling as the other mare's hoof rubbed roughly at the center of her pleasure, grinding and thrusting as if they were having a race. The white-coated mare's mouth broke from strong, eager lips to catch a breath and gasp something encouraging but almost incoherent, her own hoof working to match Fluttershy's intensity.

Rarity bit down hard, feeling a scream growing in her throat and doing her best to stifle it. With unsteady magic, she gave both taps a twist and pulled the plug, hoping the sound of running water would help cover up any sounds that slipped out. Her hoof never stopped moving.

Fluttershy shrieked at a pitch, if not a volume, that a soprano would envy. She bucked against Rarity's hoof, sloshing water entirely out of the tub in her throes, though she still managed to find Rarity's lips again in the midst of orgasm. Her kiss was electric, shooting down through Rarity's body until it met the pleasure rising from below, and the unicorn exploded in her own paroxysm of passion.

Rarity managed to keep her voice down to a gutteral groan, her whole body tense and quivering as the ecstacy hummed through her. She twisted in the bath, desperately keeping her noises choked and muted until the urge to scream receded at last.

She sucked in a shuddering gasp as the tension drained away, leaving her feeling breathless and wonderfully limp. The purple-maned mare lay there for another minute or so in lazy satisfaction before she dragged herself to her feet and stepped under the shower spray for one more rinse before drying off.

Fluttershy was watching a crowd of assorted vermin nibble at the edges of a huge pile of food pellets when the unicorn emerged back into the cozy, cedar-scented living room with one towel wrapped around her mane and another around her tail. "Feeling better?" the pegasus asked.

"Immensely," Rarity replied with a grin, hoping that hot water would adequately explain her flushed complexion. Her legs still felt rather like jelly, as did her back, and neck, and spine... on the whole, she'd have liked nothing better than to stretch out on her bed for a while in spite of the hunger pangs gnawing at her midsection. Her morning croissant had been a long, long time ago, after all. Fortunately, lunch was a close second on her list of desires, and the yellow mare was as good as her word. A pair of sandwiches were already laid out on the table along with a plate of apple slices.

"I made peanut butter and apple sandwiches," Fluttershy explained as she glided across the room to the table. "I hope that's all right. There was some apple left over, so I just sliced it. But if you want something else..."

"They look delicious," Rarity assured her, resisting the momentary urge to rearrange the apple slices into an attractive spiral. Instead, she smiled as she picked one up and bit into it. "Thank you very much."

The unicorn found it rather easier to concentrate on the conversation today than during the fiasco of their previous meal together. Not, perhaps, that there was anything of more substance to say, but at least she could recall it all afterward. She related her recent dissatisfaction with Silkyshine's newest book and quite possibly the romance genre as a whole, though she neglected to mention the second book she had purchased that day.

Fluttershy made sympathetic noises. "I'm sorry to hear that. Maybe Twilight can suggest something you'd enjoy." Rarity hmmed and nodded, and the pegasus continued. "I've been reading Bunpire to Angel this week."

"Bun... pire?" Rarity echoed, raising an elegant eyebrow.

"Oh, yes. It's the first book in a series about a vampire rabbit who sucks the juice out of vegetables." She lowered her voice conspiratorially and added, "I think it's kind of scary for a little bunny, but he really seems to enjoy it."

The unicorn nodded in understanding. "Well, I suppose it's one way to get him reading," she said philosophically. "As long as it doesn't give him bad dreams." Then she had to cover her mouth as a huge yawn sneaked up on her.

Fluttershy's ears laid back and she asked, "Oh, no. Am I boring you?"

Rarity shook her head quickly, biting off the yawn as quickly as she could. "Ah, not at all! Pardon me, please. I'm afraid I haven't been sleeping well, is all."

The pegasus perked up a little bit, but hesitated, rubbing one hoof with the other. "Oh... well, if you'd like, you could take a nap here. I don't mind, I'll just do some mending and knitting..."

Rarity's first instinct was to reject the offer, but with a belly full of food, short sleep, and her limbs still feeling loose and floppy, she found herself inclined to acquiesce instead. "It's very kind of you to offer. I think I'd like that, actually, if it's not too much trouble."

Fluttershy just smiled.

She allowed herself to be led upstairs, feeling pleasantly droopy, even forgetting to look up at the other mare's rump as they ascended. Curious how the decision to get some rest seemed to double the weight of her weariness; by the time she reached the top of the stairs, her neck ached with the effort of holding her head up. Fluttershy hovered above the bed, turning back the sheets for her.

Normally the unicorn would never sleep on a wet mane, but she wasn't going to get to style it properly for some time yet, anyway. And somehow, that was okay. She felt... safe, somehow, with Fluttershy. Unjudged. She squirmed into bed with her accustomed care and let out a slow breath. "Thank you."

"Sleep tight," the pegasus murmured as she moved to the door and the sound of hooves retreated down the stairs.

The bed was amazingly soft -- a bit softer than Rarity's ideal, in fact -- and though the sheets were of a slightly rougher weave than she preferred, it was by far the most wonderful bed she had ever slept in. Everything smelled like Fluttershy. The scent was richer than her memory rendered, a faintly animal musk, brightened with the sweetness of flowers and the clean pungency of aromatic wood; it was as if somepony had blended all the best parts of nature into a single elusive perfume. With her eyes closed, Rarity could almost feel the other mare laying beside her, just out of reach, breathing silently while she dreamed.

The whole cottage was silent, but not with the hollow, sterile silence that had pursued her home that morning. It was a silence full of life, of the cautious non-sound of small, furtive creatures and the subconscious rasp of calm, noiseless breathing. Is that why she shares her home with so many animals? she wondered sleepily.

The unicorn rolled onto her side and inhaled the puff of Fluttershy-scented air as the sheets settled again.

Heaven.

Rarity awakened only when the sun crept low enough to glint into her eyes from the lantern on the bedside table. No dreams had troubled her sleep that she could recall. She rubbed her eyes and considered enjoying the bed's embrace for a bit longer, but a glance at the clock on the mantelpiece said she'd been asleep for nearly three hours already. Fluttershy must be growing impatient, in her own accommodating way. It was enough, anyway. It was almost as if she'd forgotten what being truly rested felt like!

She stretched and slid out of bed, pausing to look at herself in the mirror as she pulled the damp towels off her mane and tail and dropped them in the clothes hamper. Her hair hung in a loose, twisty curl now rather than its usual springy spiral, which actually didn't look half bad after a few strokes with her hostess's brush. The unicorn almost reflexively fluffed the pillows and smoothed the bedsheets with her magic before she left the room.

Fluttershy looked up from where she was knitting a tiny pink sweater, barely big enough for one hoof. She delicately spat out the needle with a small smile. "Did you have a nice nap?"

"Darling, I'm an entirely new mare!" Rarity crowed. "Thank you ever so much for the use of your bed."

The pegasus stood up and nodded. "Any time!" Her smile faded slightly, though, as she went on. "Um... I don't want to take up any more of your time if you're busy..."

Rarity cocked her head curiously. "Do go on?" she prompted.

The smile brightened up again. "Well, I meant to go pick some wildflowers and herbs, but with my secret admirer out there, I've been kind of nervous about going out, so... would you mind going with me?" She grinned hopefully, but hurried to amend, "If you do mind, I'm sure Rainbow Dash wouldn't get too bored, or Applejack could go with me whenever she's not busy, or--"

The unicorn giggled. "I'd be delighted to watch your back, as 'twere." (Pervert.)

Fluttershy collected a pair of bushel basket panniers and her rabbit, and they started off once more.

As it turned out, though, Rarity had little opportunity to gaze after her friend. For once, her vaunted 'eye for detail' worked against her; once Fluttershy gave her a sample of the flowers and plants she wanted, Rarity picked them out easily from the background clutter. Her eyes were busy roaming the ground rather than Fluttershy's backside.

"You could simply buy this from Daisy," Rarity noted at one point as she tossed a stalk of rosemary into the pannier.

"Well, yes," Fluttershy said, "but it's free right out here, if you take the time to look for it."

The unicorn couldn't disagree.

Soon, the big baskets were filled with loose piles of herbs both medicinal and culinary, topped with a large pile of flowers destined for potpourri. "Thank you so much for coming with me, Rarity. You don't know how much it means to me to have a good friend along today."

Rarity smiled, though a small part of herself raged that Fluttershy didn't consider her more than a friend. A very small part, and firmly quashed. "It was a very enjoyable day," she replied, then gave a tiny twitch. "For the most part. --Don't apologize," she said firmly as Fluttershy looked down and opened her mouth. "I will remind you it was my own choice."

The shy mare gave a little nod, though her expression remained a guilty frown.

Rarity leaned closer to her and lowered her voice as if imparting a secret. "I would go so far as to say it was worth it," she murmured, which provoked a faint giggle at last.

As they rounded the short path up the hill to Fluttershy's door, the yellow pegasus paused, peering quizzically at the raised flag on her mailbox. "That's funny," she said as she trotted up to it. "Derpy already brought the mail while you were aslee--" She stopped suddenly, her hoof hovering halfway to the mailbox door, eyes going wide while her pupils shrunk to pinpricks.

"Fluttershy?" Rarity asked. "Whatever is the matter?"

"Derpy already brought the mail," she repeated. "It must be from... her..."

Rarity blinked at the other mare. "Her who?"

"M-my secret admirer..." Fluttershy whispered hoarsely.

Oh, of course. The thought hadn't even crossed Rarity's mind -- naturally not, as she had delivered no such message. However... You made a slip, darling! "Your admirer is a 'her'?" she gasped, feigning shock.

The other mare barely responded, her hoof inching toward the latch as if it might bite should she startle it. Rarity watched, her impatience growing by the second. Clearly, Fluttershy wouldn't even begin to discuss this 'revelation' until her fears were proved groundless. "Honestly, Fluttershy, the mailmare probably just forgot to deliver something. You know how she can be." She reached out with her magic, briskly pulling the door open to reveal a three-by-five card with a few lines of neat typewriting on it. "You see?" she continued, levitating the card out. "It's just a--"

Dear Fluttershy,
I think you're really gorgeous.
Signed,
Secret Admirer

Rarity's magic evaporated and the little card fluttered gently to the ground.