Shard: A Shining Visitor

Chapters

A Stallion at The Door
Family and More Than Friends
First Stop of the Tour
Fluttershy Seeks Advice
Rarity Threat Re-met
Telling Twilight the Truth
Food, Drink, and Entertainment
Disappointment and Understanding
Confession of Feelings
Awkward Morning
Back Again Back Again

A Stallion at The Door

Fluttershy sat at the table, watching the activity going on in the kitchen. Pinkie Pie stood on her hind legs, her pony disguise off for the time being. She had one of her front legs wrapped around a bowl, holding it in place, and held the whisk in the other as she mixed the batter. Next to her, the filly Princess Luna was trying to ice the cupcakes that had already been finished, the frosting similar to the color of her coat and the night sky.

"I appreciate what you're doing, Pinkie," Fluttershy said.

"No problem," Pinkie said with a grin, showing off her changeling fangs. "It is little Lulu's first slumber party after all. We want it to be fun and memorable. Right, Luna?"

"Right," Luna agreed with a grin, her wings giving a flicker of excitement. "And who better to help than the best party planning pony in the history of ever?"

Pinkie grinned wider, letting out a small chuckle at the filly's compliment. She moved as she stopped stirring, pouring the batter into the cupcake wrappers.

A knock at the door got the attention of the three ponies.

"I'll get it," Fluttershy said as she got up. "You two keep working on your cupcakes."

Pinkie and Luna nodded as they continued their work. Fluttershy smiled, glad to see her ward so excited, as she made her way through the living room and toward the door.

Standing on the other side was Rarity. Beside her was a small unicorn filly. The filly had a sheer white coat, same as Rarity. Her mane, however, was very different. Half of it was a pale pastel pink, with the other half a similarly shaded purple, and the entirety of it a small mess of curls.

"We're here," Rarity announce in a sing-song voice. "Sweetie Belle, this is my friend, Fluttershy. She takes care of Luna and will be watching you tonight. Fluttershy, this is my sister, Sweetie Belle."

Fluttershy leaned down to eye level and smiled (close-mouthed to keep her fangs hidden) before holding out a hoof.

"Nice to meet you, Sweetie Belle."

"You too, Miss Fluttershy," Sweetie Belle responded, shaking the offered hoof. "Thank you for inviting me."

Fluttershy moved aside, allowing the pair to enter, and shut the door behind them.

"Luna is in the kitchen with Pinkie Pie making cupcakes. You should go joi-"

Sweetie Belle shot off like a rocket and headed toward the kitchen.

"-oin them and introduce yourself," Fluttershy finished.

"Sweetie Belle can be a bit excitable," Rarity said, "but for the most part, she's a well-behaved filly. If you have any problems with her, let me know.

"Have fun, Sweetie," she called out toward the kitchen.

"You sure you don't want to stay for a little bit?" Fluttershy asked.

"Perhaps another time," Rarity replied. "There are still a few minor details to check on prior to opening for the evening. I want to be certain that Coco is capable of managing matters on her own before I need to let her do so."

Rarity turned and headed for the door, her horn glowing as she gripped the handle in her magic. She stopped as she opened it, eyes going wide.

"Oh, my," she gasped out.

Rarity had opened it just as a unicorn stallion was about to knock. He was taller than average, with a hint of toned muscle beneath his white coat of fur. By no means in the same size and strength category as Big Macintosh, but still a very well-built and handsome stallion. His multi-hued blue mane was short and a bit mussy. He stared at Rarity with his blue eyes wide and mouth hanging open.

"Oh my," Rarity said, almost whispering. She turned to face toward the kitchen.

"Darling. It seems you have a stallion caller."

Rarity turned her attention back to the stallion and grinned.

"A very handsome stallion caller at that," she added, licking her lips. "How can I ... help... you?"

"Am..." the stallion stuttered before coughing and straightening up. "Am I in the right place? My name is Shining Armor and I'm looking for Twilight Sparkle. I think this is where she's lives."

"You're at the correct house," Rarity answered. "Twilight Sparkle does indeed live here. However, I fear you may be quite disappointed. I sincerely doubt that you would be considered her... type, as it were."

Shining Armor's face scrunched up in confusion as he took in what Rarity said. His eyes then went wide with understanding, and wider still in shock.

"What?" he cried out. "You think that I'm here to... No. No! It's not like that. You see I'm..."

He stopped as Rarity laughed, his cheeks turning a bright pink color.

Fluttershy stopped as she reached the door, seeing her friend enjoying herself thoroughly for some reason.

"Rarity? Is everything o-" she noticed the stallion at the door. "-Oh! Lieutenant Shining Armor. What brings you to Ponyville?"

"It seems," Rarity said as she continued to chuckle, "that he has finally come to visit his little sister and see how she is doing."

Shining Armor looked from Fluttershy to Rarity and raised an eyebrow.

"You knew?" he asked.

"As soon as you told me your name," Rarity answered. "I have heard a bit about you from both Twilight and Fluttershy. It just seemed like it would be fun to tease you a little." She smirked. "And I was correct. Although I expected a little more self-control from a lieutenant in the royal guard."

Shining Armor blushed and shifted, looking away from the door and toward the ground.

Rarity moved forward and out the door.

"Well, as lovely as it was to meet you, I really must be going. Have a club to run and all. You should come by some evening before you return to Canterlot. I'll make sure you have a wonderful. And don't worry. I won't bite."

She grinned.

"Until we're alone," she added with a wink before leaving.

Shining Armor and Fluttershy watched Rarity go a moment before turning to each other.

"Is she always so... direct?" asked Shining Armor.

"I've never seen her do something like that before," Fluttershy answered, "but I haven't known her very long, so I can't really say.

"Anyway, would you like to come in? Twilight won't be back until tomorrow. We're actually in the kitchen making cupcakes and getting ready for Luna's first sleepover."

"Thank you," Shining Armor said as he stepped inside. He suddenly froze.

"Wait."

He turned to look at Fluttershy.

"Did you say Twily won't be back until tomorrow?" he asked. "Where did she go?"

"The library," Fluttershy answered.

Shining Armor looked at her a moment, then chuckled and shook his head.

"Guess I shouldn't be surprised," he stated. "Let me guess, doing research for some big project? Seeking legends and rumors about other long lost treasures? She must have made friends with the librarian to be able to stay all night."

"Uh...." Fluttershy let out, one of her ears twitching. "Actually... she knew the librarian already. It was her former dormmate, Trixie."

"Oh," Pinkie Pie (looking like a pink pony once again) cried out. "Are you talking about Twilight's marefriend?"

"Marefriend?!"

Family and More Than Friends

Twilight Sparkle walked back toward the cottage, enjoying the feel of the morning sun on her coat and the dew against her hooves. She smiled, humming to herself slightly. She had spent a wonderful night with Trixie, and now she had some books with legends she was unfamiliar with to look into. It was going to be a good day.

As soon as she opened the door, she stopped, staring. Twilight had been expecting at most to see four fillies sprawled out on the living room floor asleep. There were no fillies in the living room. Instead, there was the form of a large stallion, sprawled out on the couch, with a blanket over him.

Moving closer, Twilight recognized the stallion.

"Shiny?"

Shining Armor opened his eyes. yawning. He blinked a few times, trying to get the sleep from his eyes before noticing a purple blur above him.

"Twily!" Shining Armor called out, throwing himself up off the couch and wrapping his front legs around her. Twilight smiled, returning the hug.

"I'm glad to see you too, Shiny." She broke the hug, taking a step back. "So what brings you here?"

"Well I needed to take a vacation," Shining Armor explained. "So I figured I would get away from Canterlot. Plus we haven't seen each other in a..."

His eyes widened, then narrowed.

"Wait a second." He pointed a hoof at her. "I'm still mad at you?"

The statement made Twilight step back. She tilted her head, raising one eyebrow.

"Mad at me? For what?"

"You're dating somepony," he stated, "and you didn't tell me? How could you not tell me something like that? I thought we shared everything with each other."

Twilight shifted, feeling a pang of guilt. It was true. The two of them had always been close. Shining Armor had practically been Twilight Sparkle's only friend growing up (although now that she knows about Trixie's feeling and behavior, that may have been more Twilight's own doing than anything). They spent nearly all their time together growing up before Shining Armor joined the guard. After all, Shining Armor would probably tell her if he was seeing somepony, right?

The thought caused a memory to flash across her mind: a conversation that she had with Fluttershy and Luna as they were coming to Ponyville. The guilt burned away as she was suddenly filled with anger. Twilight's ears pulled back and her jaw tensed as she turned her attention back to Shining Armor, her eyes narrowing.

"Oh, really?" she growled. "So we share everything, do we, Lieutenant Shining Armor?"

That caused Shining Armor to bite his lip and take a step back. He had heard Twilight use his rank and full name before. It had been when she was angry -- almost furious -- with him about something. As soon as he did, she took a step forward, her nose nearly touching his.

"So," she asked, "you're mad because I didn't tell you I was dating somepony?"

Shining Armor shifted, trying to keep calm. He felt like he was in trouble, but could not figure out why.

"Yeah," he finally managed to say. "Do you know how strange it is to find out from somepony else?"

"I don't know," Twilight snapped with a roll of her eyes. "Probably a lot like finding out from somepony you just met that your older brother is dating a princess!"

Shining Armor opened his mouth, shut it, then opened and shut it again.

"...Didn't I mention that?" he finally managed to ask.

"No," Twilight shouted. "You didn't. I found out about you and Princess Mi... Mi..." She paused, rubbing her head as she tried to remember the mare's name.

"Mi Amore Cadenza," Shining Armor told her.

"Thank you," Twilight said before continuing. "Anyway, I had to find out about you and her from Fluttershy and Luna on our way here to prepare for The Spring Equinox Celebration. At least when they told you, you already knew them from around the castle for I don't know how many years."

"Actually," Shining Armor stated, "it wasn't Fluttershy. It was this pink pony with a big, poofy mane... Looked kind of like cotton candy."

With a huff, Twilight Sparkle rolled her eyes.

"Fine," she conceded, "you found out from a stranger as well. My point remains the same though. You are pretty much getting mad at me for something you did first."

"If it's any consolation," Shining Armor said, "she broke up with me."

Twilight froze, staring at her brother. The statement had caught her off guard. It also made it hard to keep angry at him. Not really a comfort, but now she felt bad for being upset with him.

With a sigh, she sagged.

"What happened?"

"How about I answer while making pancakes?" suggested Shining Armor. "That way I can make up for not telling you originally, and there will be some for the four hungry fillies that will be waking up any minute now."

Twilight's eyes went wide and she grinned, which she immediately hid. After all, no reason to let it be known how excited she was at the prospect. She cleared her throat, looking around a moment as she "considered" it.

"Well I haven't had breakfast yet," she admitted, "and it has been a while since I've had pancakes."

"Great. I'll need your help too. I don't know where anything is in the kitchen."

She was unwilling to admit it, but neither did Twilight. There were times when she would grab a quick snack, but she never did any actual cooking.

The two made their way and started searching what they needed. Most of it was easy enough to find. The pan, spatula, and whisk were all stored next to the stove. The butter, milk, and eggs were all inside the refrigerator. The flour was in a tin on the counter with the very word written on it. The only thing that took some searching was the baking powder.

It was in the pantry. Right in front. Exactly where Fluttershy had put it after their baking from last night.

Soon the pan was heating up and Shining Armor was stirring up the batter.

"So, what happened?" Twilight Sparkle asked again.

Shining Armor let out a sigh, moving to pour the batter into the pan.

"There's not really much to tell," he said. "Cadence... Princess Cadenza said that she had too many royal obligations to be pursuing a relationship. Between taking care of Celestia, learning to run the kingdom, and figuring out how her own powers work, she doesn't have time to have a coltfriend."

Shining sagged slightly, his ears drooping. he turned his attention back to the pan, checking the pancake before turning it over.

Twilight got up and moved over to her brother, giving him a hug with one leg.

"I'm sorry, Shiny," she said, giving him a gentle pat. "How about after breakfast, I show you around town Ponyville and introduce you to my other friends. We can even stop by the library and you can meet Trixie."

"Why does that name sound familiar?" Shining asked.

"She was my dorm mate back in school," Twilight answered. "I'll even spring for lunch since you're making breakfast."

"Thanks."

"Pancakes!" four voices shouted from nowhere before the sound of an elephant stampede came trampling through the cottage and toward the kitchen.

First Stop of the Tour

After eating breakfast and having four fillies wash up after getting syrup all over themselves (including places that made no sense. "How did you get it around the base of your wings?"), the seven ponies left the cottage and made their way.

The first place they went to was Sweet Apple Acres. It was the closest place to the cottage where a friend lived, and it where the four fillies were going to be playing for the day. Apple Bloom had mentioned she found an old clubhouse in one of the older parts of the orchard. Her plan was that they could fix it up and use it as a place to hang out during the summer. As soon as they reached the grounds, Apple Bloom took off, followed shortly by Scootaloo, Sweetie Belle, and Luna.

Shining Armor stared at the place in wonder. Having spent nearly his entire life in Canterlot, he had never seen an actual functioning farm before. It did not look like how he imagined. It did have some of what he expected: cows grazing, pigs lying around in their pen, and crops of wheat, corn, and tomatoes growing. It also looked very different from what he had seen and imagined. For one, there were hills. All the pictures he had ever seen of farmlands had them long and flat. That was not the case here. The entirety of Sweet Apple Acres that he could see was covered in rolling hills. For another, there were trees. Lots of trees. Every one of the previously mentioned hills seemed to be completely covered in them.

"Wow," he said softly to himself before speaking up. "How many ponies work here?"

"Mostly just two my brother and I," a voice answered, causing the stallion to jump. "Though, Granny helps where she can."

Turning, the three found the older apple siblings approaching.

"Shiny," Twilight Sparkle said, "this is Applejack and Big Macintosh. Applejack, Macintosh, this is my brother, Shining Armor."

"Nice to meet you," Applejack said with a grin, grabbing Shining Armor's hoof and shaking it vigorously. "Any friend of Twilight and Fluttershy is a friend of mine."

"Nice to meet you as well," Shining Armor sputtered out. His front leg was being shaken so vigorously, it was affecting his entire body. It was a surprise for him. She was stronger than some of the other guards he worked with.

He then noticed Big Macintosh. He had to be the biggest stallion that Shining Armor had seen. If Macintosh's sister was any indication, the red farm stallion was probably incredibly strong as well. If there were stallions like him in the guard... it would really have no effect since they don't have much in the way of war and few wish to harm Princess Temporal, actually. Still, it would be quite an intimidating figure to see outside the doors.

"Hello?" a raspy voice called out. "Who's this young fella."

Looking at the group from the house was an old green mare with white hair. Moving slowly toward the group, she stared at Shining Armor.

"This here's Twilight's older brother," Applejack stated.

"Ah," Granny Smith said with a slight nod. "Came to visit her then, did ya?"

"Yes ma'am," Shining Armor replied. "Your granddaughter was just telling me that the three of you run this whole place by yourself."

"Ah." she gave a wave of her hoof. "The two of them do most of the hard work. I just do a little cooking and cleaning when I can." She smirked. "You know, we could always use some extra hooves around here... Also wouldn't mind seeing a couple more of the little ones running around to take over and help out someday too.

"You wouldn't happen to be single, would ya?"

"Granny!" Applejack yelped. Her face turned as bright red and her brother's coat. Shining Armor's own was not far off from it either.

"Calm down," Granny said with a gentle pat. "I'm just asking is all. I already know those two fillies are single for Macintosh if he would just ask one of them out."

It should have been impossible for the mentioned stallion to turn any redder, but somehow, it happened.

"I think," Granny continued, "he should go with that Flutterbat one."

Fluttershy let out a squeak, hiding behind her mane.

"Got a nice pair o' hips on her," Granny stated with a grin, "and you already know she good with foals, what with raising a princess and all."

"Speaking of," Fluttershy nearly shouted, "she and the others are off looking at some old clubhouse that Apple Bloom said she found."

Applejack grinned and let out a chuckle.

"I forgot about that old place. Don't think I've been out there since I was about Bloom's age. Somepony should probably keep an eye on them just to be sure they don't get hurt."

"Eyup," Big Macintosh said as he turned to walk off. It was a bit strange for some of the others to watch. The pace itself seemed slow, more of a casual saunter. At the same time, there was something about it that seemed urgent. It was like he wanted to get away from something as quickly as possible, but not make it clear that was what he was doing.

Applejack smirked and shook her head. One of her metallic hind legs shifted.

"Well," Twilight said, moving forward, "we'll leave you to your work. I'm going to show Shining Armor around town and introduce him to the others."

"Alright," Applejack said with a smile. "Y'all have fun. I'll come by later and see how it went."

She took a step closer to Shining Armor, her cheeks turning pink.

"And... uh... pay no mind to Granny Smith. She's been a bit like that for a while now."

Shining Armor smiled.

"It's fine," he stated. "I'm sure if she were here, Mom would be trying to fix Twily and your brother as well."

"Shiny!" Twilight shrieked, eyes going wide as her pupils shrank to pinpricks.

"She would," Shining Armor insisted.

"No she wouldn't," Twilight replied. "Even if I wasn't already in a relationship, mom never really cared about things like relationships and stuff. For crying out loud, last time I talked to her, she was considering having another child with dad."

"That reminds me." Turning to his sister, Shining Armor narrowed his eyes. "When am I going to get to meet this mare that you're dating?"

Fluttershy Seeks Advice

"Fluttershy?" Rainbow Dash asked as she floated along beside her friend. "What are we doing here?"

"This is where I'm supposed to meet Twilight and her brother after they're done with Trixie," Fluttershy answered. "Besides... I kind of want to get Rarity's opinion as well."

Rainbow gave a nod and headed for the door. It was unlocked and no Diamond Dog was on the other side watching it.

In the main room of the club a one pony: a cream colored mare with a two-toned cyan mane. A pair of glasses rested on her nose as she looked at a pile of papers in front of her. She hummed to herself as she worked, the faint sound filling the otherwise silent air of the dinner club.

Fluttershy felt something tickling at her side. Turning her head, she found the source to be one of Rainbow Dash's wings. They were spread wide, sticking out from the pegasus' sides as far out as they could. Rainbow's rose colored eyes were wide as she was staring at the mare at the table, her mouth hanging open slightly. It was a look that Fluttershy had never seen on Rainbow's face before.

The surprise of it was enough to make her want to giggle. Instead she moved away from Rainbow Dash and toward the busy mare before clearing her throat, drawing attention to herself and away from her friend.

"Oh," the mare said as she noticed the batpony in front of her. "Sorry. Can I help you with something?"

"Sorry to interrupt your work. I'm Fluttershy, and that's Rainbow Dash."

At the sound of her name, Rainbow Dash snapped out of her stupor. Wings folding against her, she shut her mouth and straightened up.

"'Sup," she said with a nod of her head.

"We're friends of Rarity's," Fluttershy continued, "and came by to see her."

"Nice to meet you," the creamy mare said. "I'm Coco Pommel. I think Rarity is still in bed asleep, but she should be up soon."

"Not soon," a voice called out. "Now. I'm up now."

Rarity stepped into the room, shaking her head. She looked around quickly before focusing on Coco Pommel.

"Coco," Rarity said as she moved closer. "I thought I sent you home last night. Please tell me you went and got some sleep."

"Yes ma'am," Coco answered, shifting some. "I did."

Rarity stopped and studied the other mare a moment.

"Don't tell me you came back here immediately after breakfast."

Coco shifted, chewing her lip as she looked back at the papers in front of her. Rarity let out a sigh and moved closer, placing a hoof on Coco's shoulder.

"I appreciate that you are taking this seriously," she stated, "but I don't want you working too hard. You need to take some time for yourself and relax. Can't have you burned out before you even start, can we."

"I know," Coco said before letting out a sigh. "It's just... this means a lot to me. I want to prove that you made the right choice."

"Take a break," ordered Rarity. "Leave these here and join us for a chat."

With a nod, Coco Pommel got up from the table. Rarity gave her a smile and another pat before turning toward the others.

"Rainbow, Fluttershy, please have a seat. I'll get us some beverages."

Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and Coco Pommel all moved to an empty table and sat down as Rarity made her way to the kitchen. A few minutes later, she returned with four glasses.

"So," she asked as she passed out the drinks, "what brings you two here so early?"

"Twilight is introducing Shining Armor to her friends," Fluttershy answered. "They're meeting Trixie now and are supposed to come here next, so I came here. Ran into Rainbow Dash on the way, so I asked her to come with me."

Rarity tilted her head and narrowed her eyes, studying her friend. Shifting under the gaze, Fluttershy grabbed her glass and took a sip. The taste of tomato juice and hint of black pepper slid across her tongue. It was not a drink she had tried before. She found it quite tasty.

"And?" Rarity asked, raising an eyebrow.

Licking at her lips, Fluttershy flicked her gaze toward Coco Pommel. One of the batpony's ears twitched before she returned her attention to Rarity.

"I... I wanted to get some advice about something. But.. it's kind of personal. And..."

"I understand," stated Coco as she got up. "I can check on some things in back of the stage." She turned to start in that direction.

"I do apologize," Rarity called out. "I promise that we'll spend some time together away from work."

Coco gave a grin and continued on. Soon she was out of sight.

"She's hot," Rainbow blurted out.

"High praise from you," Rarity stated with a grin. "And quite unexpected. All the time I have known you, I don't think I've ever seen another pony turn your head."

Rainbow Dash let out a huff, her cheeks turning pink. She grabbed her drink, taking a long gulp. Rarity grinned at the reaction before turning her attention back Fluttershy.

"Now, what is it you wanted to speak with me about? How to tell Shining Armor into bed, or how to tell him that you are romantically interested in him. Although, the two are not mutually exclusive."

"You know?" Fluttershy asked, eyes wide.

Rarity let out a laugh. Reaching out, she placed one of her hooves on top of Fluttershy's and gave it a gentle pat.

"Darling, of course I know. I've listened to the way you've talked about him, remember? I've seen that look in your eyes when he's the subject at hoof." She let out a chuckle. "Besides, it's right out of romance novel. A young, fair maiden, taken in to work at a castle of royalty, meets a handsome young guard, and the two fall in love. They face challenges, he risks his life, but in the end, he becomes a hero and they live happily ever after." She let out a sigh.

Rainbow Dash let out a gagging noise.

"But that's more like what happened between him and Cadance," Fluttershy stated. "Well... except for the last part about 'happily ever after.'" She gripped at her mane and stroked it. "And I don't think he's risked his life for her..."

"Who's Cadance?" Rainbow asked.

"She's an alicorn," explained Fluttershy. "She takes care of Luna's older sister, Princess Celestia. She's closer to Shining Armor's age and they were dating... until recently."

Her gaze turned to her glass, looking at the juice inside it.

"I always kind of liked him. He was really nice, and friendly. Not to say that the other guards weren't, of course. It just... I don't know. It seemed like he was being more of a friend than some of the others. Like he was looking out for me. I guess it was because I reminded him of his sister in a way, so he started treating me like one..."

"So he's nice to you," Rainbow Dash stated, "you like him, and he's single. Clearly you should tell him how you feel. Next time you see him, just let him know."

"I partially agree with Rainbow," Rarity replied. "You should certainly tell him how you feel. Although I disagree with the timing. I feel that you should do so when the two of you have a moment alone so you can do so without interruption."

"You know what?" Rainbow nearly shouted as she got up. "It's good advice, and I'm going to take it myself. If you'll excuse me, I have a mare to ask out." Walking away from the table, she approached the stage to head toward the back. The other two watched her go before turning back to each other.

"I just don't know if I can," Fluttershy stated. "I mean... is this really the right time? His girlfriend did just break up with him. He might be feeling vulnerable. He might be on the rebound. What if he says yes, but for the wrong reasons? What if he says no?" She let out a gasp, her wings flaring. "How will Twilight react?"

"Calm down sweetie, before you hyperventilate. Breathe deeply and calm down. Maybe your drink will help."

"Okay." Fluttershy took a deep breath and slowly let it out. Picking up her drink, she took a long, slow, gulp.

"Alright," Rarity said once her friend had calmed down. "To start: you are her friend, and Shining Armor is her brother, so the relationship would be a matter that affects her. At the same time, it is not her relationship. If things do happen between you and her brother, then you should tell her. She might worry about the relationship, but you are a friend and he is her brother. If you two are happy, she'll be happy for you... eventually.

"If he says yes for the wrong reasons..." she paused, rubbing her chin. "Well, I don't really think I can give you much of an answer on that. It's not really something that I have ever considered. I suppose the best plan would be to hope that -- even if he started the relationship for the wrong reason -- he chooses to stay in it for the right ones. If he simply rejects you, however, I am fairly certain what shall happen. You will be disappointed, and probably depressed for a while. As time passes, you will move on until, one day, you are ready to find a different pony you may be interested in. And believe me when I say that it shall be better if you are aware of his feelings than if you are simply left wondering about what might have been."

Fluttershy chewed her lower lip, her ears shifting as she considered her friend's advice.

"You really think I should?" she asked.

The sound of hooves drew the pair's attention before Rarity could answer. Rainbow Dash was walking back toward them, wings and head drooping low to the ground. Reaching the others, Rainbow grabbed her drink, chugged the entire thing down, then slammed her head against the table and let out a groan.

"Uhm..." Fluttershy moved closer. "How did it go?"

Rainbow Dash let out a snort, not looking up.

"I stared at her with my mouth open for what felt like an hour," she groaned. "When she finally tried to talk to me, all I was able to blurt out was 'I really like your mane.'"

"I am certain she appreciated it," Rarity stated.

"Yeah," Rainbow conceded, finally looking up. "She thanked me and adjusted it, then said she liked mine as well."

She slammed her head against the table again.

"Then, after an eternity of staring at each other, she tried to talk to me, and I just said it again."

Fluttershy moved closer, opening a wing and wrapping it around her friend.

"Well," Rarity stated, "optimistically, it's a start." She grinned.

Rarity Threat Re-met

Shining Armor lagged behind as he followed his sister through Ponyville and headed toward The Diamond's Gleam. Things had gone well at the library. He had met Trixie, got to know about her, and ended up being told that they had only slept together in the literal sense so far. At one point, Shining Armor was alone with Trixie and managed to give her some advice from his role as elder sibling (although any others who heard it would have called it "threatening" or "intimidation"). Neither of them said anything to Twilight on the matter when she returned.

When the meeting was done, Twilight Sparkle started to lead Shining Armor to the club to meet Rarity.

The name had sent a thrill of uncertainty through the stallion. That was the name that Fluttershy had called the white unicorn he met last night.

Shining Armor had to admit that he was never very good with mares. Most of the time, attempts to approach and talk to them had been awkward. He never really knew how to start conversations. It also turned out he was a little oblivious when it came to flirting. Several of his associates had teased him when a mare had been trying to get his interest, and he had not even noticed. As such, he could appreciate a bit more of an open and direct approach. It had also just been some harmless teasing.

At the same time, he was not used to such forwardness or aggression. He had seen it before, most often with stallions. There had even been times when he had needed to step in because a mare was being uncomfortable or intimidated. Even a mare being so direct was not entirely alien to him. It was just that he had never been on the receiving end of it before. It was kind of a strange experience, and he was not entirely certain how he felt about it. He appreciated the idea of a mare being open and expressing what she wanted, but he also found the experience intimidating as well.

As such, Shining Armor felt uncertainty as to how to interact with Rarity. Hopefully, the teasing was done for the time being (although a small part of him would have no objections if it continued... a part that was immediately burdened by guilt then anger). He would like to get to know the mare and see why Twilight is friends with her. Plus, having a mare act that way toward him in front of his sister sounded extremely embarrassing.

Feeling a little more relaxed and confident, Shining Armor continued to follow after his sister. The two soon reached the building in question, and headed inside.

Three mares sat at one table. Two of them Shining Armor recognized: Fluttershy and Rarity. The third pony was a sky blue pegasus with a rainbow colored mane.

"Oh," Twilight called out. "How convenient. I was wondering how to find her." She started walking toward the table.

"Shining, these are my friend, Sergeant Rainbow Dash of the town guard, and Rarity, owner and manager of The Diamond's Gleam. Rarity, Dash, this is my brother, Lieutenant Shining Armor of The Royal Guard."

"Hey," Rainbow Dash said as she turned to face two. "Nice to meet ya. Been hearing a lot about you lately."

"Yes," Rarity said with a smile. "It is nice to meet you again."

Twilight shifted and tilted her head, looking between Rarity and Shining Armor.

"You two have met before?"

"Rarity answered the house when I showed up at your and Fluttershy's house," Shining Armor answered.

"Indeed," agreed Rarity. "I had just dropped off Sweetie Belle for the sleepover and was leaving when your brother arrived."

"Speaking of leaving," Rainbow Dash said as she got up, "I need to head out." She turned to Shining Armor. "Maybe we can hang out before you go back to Canterlot."

A flap of her wings lifted her from the ground as she flew off toward the door.

"So," Rarity said as she turned to face Shining Armor, "prior to your arrival, Fluttershy" -- Fluttershy tensed at the sound of her name -- "was telling me about" -- her eyes went wide as she hid behind her mane. Rarity would never tell a secret like her crush, right? -- "about your recent break-up with your fillyfriend. You have my sympathies. I know it can be rough to have a relationship end rather abruptly."

Fluttershy relaxed, letting out a sigh of relief. She felt a little bad thinking her friend would betray her trust like that, especially since Rarity was the one who advised her to tell Shining Armor about her feeling when the two of them were alone. It was just Fluttershy being a little paranoid.

"Thanks," Shining Armor said, giving a small smile. "I appreciate it."

"Tell you what," Rarity said with a smile, "how about a night on me? Come back tomorrow and it will be my treat. A well made meal with a deliciously fattening dessert, a few drinks, some good music and some humor. It won't help you get over the situation entirely, but I assure you that you will feel much better after."

Shining Armor chewed his lip, considering it.

"I insist," Rarity stated. "You will enjoy yourself and be in a better mood, even if you do not believe so now."

"So, I don't really have a choice?" Shining Armor asked.

"No. Either you come on your own, or I shall come and pick you up -- literally if necessary -- and drag you here."

"Would she actually do that?" Shining Armor asked the other two mares, who simply shrugged. Shining Armor rolled his eyes and gave a shake of his head.

"Well it seems I don't really have a choice in the matter, does it?"

"I know I'm seeming a little malicious," Rarity admitted, "but I assure you it is for the best. It is better to express your feelings and let out your grief than to... mope... as it were. Besides," she smiled, "it may even help you enough that you are willing to begin moving on." She gave a wink to Fluttershy.

"Now, I'd offer you lunch, but I believe you were planning to dine elsewhere."

"Right," Twilight Sparkle answered. "Do you want to join us?"

"Perhaps another time. I still have some matters to deal with here. Besides, Coco is still about and I should make certain she eats as well."

"Alright. Well, good luck and we'll see you later."

"You certainly will." Rarity turned her attention to Shining Armor. "Especially you."

Shining Armor felt his cheeks heat up as he moved away from the table. He and his sister made their way toward the doors, heading back out to Ponyville.

"Thank you again for the advice," Fluttershy said before following after them.

Telling Twilight the Truth

Twilight Sparkle sprawled out in her bed. A single light on her end table glowed, as did the unicorn's horn. Floating in front of her was the latest Daring Do book in the series. Admittedly, she was not exactly in what would be considered the target audience, but she still enjoyed it. It was actually similar -- although not as popular -- stories that had gotten Twilight interested in history, artifacts, and monsters of legend. Sometimes, she wished she had the courage, skill, and capability to go out on adventures, seek out ancient artifacts, and recover long lost knowledge to bring back to ponies all across Equestria.

Although she probably would do poorly. Probably end up getting impaled or eaten on her very first expedition. Maybe it was better if she stayed out of the field. Perhaps, instead of putting her life at risk, she could do research on ancient legends and share what she discovered with a skilled treasure hunter or archaeologist who could then mount an expedition. That way, the treasures would certainly be brought back, and she would not be killed.

Still, a part of her thought that it would be fun to travel the land, escape traps, decipher ancient codes, and stop greedy or power hungry creatures from getting a hold of incredible ancient powers. Maybe she could even have books written about her and inspire other ponies to do the same.

Or maybe she would just write her own version.

Except nopony would really be interested since it would compared to Daring Do.

A knock at the door drew Twilight Sparkle from her thoughts and book. Marking her page, she set the book aside and sat up.

"Come in."

The door opened silently. Fluttershy peaked through the gap before slowly stepping inside.

"Can I talk to you a moment?" Fluttershy asked, shifting her hooves as she looked at the foot of the bed.

"I guess so," Twilight replied, raising an eyebrow. "Is something wrong?"

"No," Fluttershy answered, shaking her head. "It's just that..." she looked down at her hooves, "well..." she mumbled something softly as quick as she could.

Twilight's brow furrowed and her ears perked up. She moved closer toward her friend.

"I didn't quite catch that."

Fluttershy took a deep breath.

"IreallylikeyourbrotherandIwannatellhimwhenhegetshome."

Twilight stared a moment longer, trying to decipher what her friend had said. She thought she the words "like" and "brother."

"Did you say you like my brother?" Twilight Sparkle asked.

Fluttershy nodded.

"That's great," Twilight shouted with a grin, causing Fluttershy to look up at her in confusion.

"It is?"

"Yes." Twilight hopped off the bed and gave Fluttershy a hug. "I want all my friends to get along with my brother, you most of all since you were kind of my first. I figured you already liked him since you knew from the castle and it sounded like you were already friends. Although it is nice to hear you actually say it." She paused, brow furrowing.

"Don't get why you feel the need to tell him though. I thought he already knew."

It was at that point that Fluttershy realized what was going on. She took a deep breath and sighed, feeling her cheeks heat up.

"No," she finally said. "I don't mean I like him as a friend -- even though I do. I mean that I like him in a romantic way."

"You like my brother?" Twilight asked.

Fluttershy nodded.

"Yes," she mumbled.

"Why?"

Twilight held up a hoof before Fluttershy could say anything.

"Wait. Let me try that again." She rubbed her chin, thinking a moment. Taking a deep breath, she slowly let it out.

"Okay," Twilight said. "So, Shining Armor is my brother, and I love him. It's just... well... I don't know." She let out a sigh of frustration. "I just remember him as this big, dorky colt that was my brother. I really don't see why any filly would be interested in him, especially one that has connections to Princess Temporal and could probably have her pick of stallions."

"You do realize he was dating a princess, right?" Fluttershy pointed out.

"Point," Twilight conceded, rolling her eyes, "but it doesn't change anything. I get that he's a guard, but I don't really see why mares are so interested him. Why are you -- or anypony really -- so interested in him."

Fluttershy considered this a moment, one of her fangs sticking out from between her lips.

"Maybe we should talk about this in the kitchen over tea," she suggested.

Twilight Sparkle agreed and the two of them made their way downstairs toward the kitchen. Twilight filled the kettle and set it to boil while Fluttershy got the tea and some cookies out. Soon the water was hot and the two had their drinks ready.

Fluttershy took a bite of a cookie then a sip of tea before talking.

"To start, I never really fitted in anywhere. Batponies mostly keep to themselves in darker parts of Equestria. That's why you don't really see a lot of them around. If you did, you would see that most of them have dark coats: blues, grays, purples, all colors that would blend in with the night. So, having a bright yellow coat and pink mane kind of made me stick out. It kind of made a lot of the grown-ups uncomfortable, especially with my red eyes. Because of that, other foals weren't allowed to play with me and were even afraid of me..."

Her ears drooped as she stared down at her cup, a tear running down her cheek. Her wings stretched out before wrapping around her, like she was hugging herself. She sniffed and took a deep breath before continuing.

"I'm not really a good flyer, and none of the other batponies wanted to teach me. So my parents tried sending me to a flight school in Cloudsdale. It... wasn't much better. Being the only batpony, not being a very good flyer, being shy. I got teased a lot."

She smiled and looked up.

"It wasn't all bad. It was where I met Rainbow Dash. She told some of the bullies to leave me alone, so they did for a while. After that, we would hang out sometimes. Not very often. She had Gilda and Lightning Dust to do things with, but she always had at least a little time for me. Until Princess Temporal came and found me. I don't know why, but she showed up at the flight school and invited me to her castle. I was scared at first, but Rainbow Dash said I should go and it would be an awesome opportunity. So I went, and you know what happened to Dash."

She sighed.

"Maybe if I had still been there, I could have kept it from happening. Rainbow Dash was always a great flyer. If she had finished flight school, she would probably be a Wonderbolt by now.

"Anyway, at the castle I was treated pretty much like any other pony."

She paused, rubbing her hoof against her chin.

"No," she corrected. "It was more like I wasn't treated differently because of what I am. Not really a normal life. I got to spend time with Princess Temporal, was tutored and educated by Professor Spike, even met Princess Cadence. When I got a little older, I was introduced to Luna, and put in charge of being her nanny."

Fluttershy grinned at the memory of how cute Luna was as a baby, with her little wings and big eyes. It was hard not to love the little filly.

"Anyway," she finally continued, "it was some time after that when I met your brother. He was a brand new guard, fresh out of the academy, and very nice. He was very professional on duty... most of the time. Off duty, he would talk to me, ask about Luna, treat me like a friend. Sometimes, it felt like... well..."

"Like you were his little sister?" Twilight suggested.

Fluttershy nodded.

"It was nice," Fluttershy stated. "We weren't close, but we did have kind of a casual acquaintanceship. It might even have become a full friendship -- " looked out the window "-- or maybe something more."

Taking a moment, she drank more of her tea. All the talking had left her throat feeling a little dry. It was also doing something else. It was kind of like a catharsis where she was getting all of her negative emotions out, but it also felt like all of these ancient feelings that have been long forgotten were being stirred up again. Flutteshy was familiar with the idea that talking about feelings helped deal with them, but she always had that with current emotions and problems, same as she told to Luna. Was it possible that dealing with older -- even nearly forgotten -- feelings could help as well?

She returned her attention to Twilight and her story.

"I did eventually develop a crush on him. I didn't know that's what it was though. I just really liked him and wanted to spend a lot time with him when I could. By the time I realized that I liked him like that, he was already with dating Cadance."

That statement brought back one particular memory very strongly: It was Hearts and Hooves day, and Celestia and Luna were with Princess Temporal for the moment. A young Fluttershy had made a little card to give to Shining Armor, letting him know how she felt. Screwing up all her courage, she walked through the halls of the castle, carrying it to give to him. After turning one corner, she stopped, eyes going wide and mouth falling open.

Further down stood Shining Armor and Princess Mi Amore Cadenza. The stallion was giving the mare a bouquet of pink roses, and was holding a heart shaped box in his magic. Both of the ponies were grinning, their cheeks pink as they blushed.

After seeing that, Fluttershy turned. Her wings flapped as she ran, giving her more speed and having her barely touch the carpets. Tears burned her eyes. She ran as fast as could, going to her room. Slamming the door behind her, she curled up on the bed and hid.

Giving a hard shake of her head, Fluttershy returned her thoughts to the present, and her attention to Twilight.

"Now that he's no longer with Cadence, I should at least tell him how I feel." She looked down at her cup, turning it slowly. "I mean, I doubt he'd be interested, but I should as least let him know. Right?"

"I don't know about whether or not he would be interested," Twilight responded, "but you're right. He does deserve to know. However," she narrowed her eyes and pointed a hoof, "keep in mind that he is my brother. That means that if you two are dating, I have certain expectations as to how you should treat him as well as how he better treat you. So you better be careful and not hurt him."

Fluttershy grinned, letting out a small chuckle.

"I won't."

Twilight Sparkle smiled back.

"Glad we understand each other." She then finished her own tea and got up. "Now, I'm going back to bed. I'll see you in the morning."

Fluttershy nodded, but stayed where she was, deciding to have another cup of tea and cookie while she waited.

A knock at the door was a surprise to both of them. It was pretty late, and few ponies would still be up at this hour. Shining Armor would have just come in since he was staying there. Had one of them accidentally locked the door?

Fluttershy headed toward the living room as Twilight Sparkle answered the door. She found it unlocked as she opened it.

"Rarity? What are you doing here so late?"

Rarity stepped inside and looked around quickly. She turned her attention to Flutteshy.

"I take it you two have been talking?"

"I was telling Twilight about my feelings for her brother," Fluttershy answered.

Rarity gave a nod and took a deep breath.

"Fluttershy, sweetie, I'm sorry."

Food, Drink, and Entertainment

Shining Armor looked around at The Diamond's Gleam as he entered. It looked different than it had before. Not because the place had been rearranged or anything, everything was exactly where it was the when he had first seen it the day before -- at least, as far as he can tell. Everything seemed so different, however, because of all the ponies that were now there.

Numerous tables were filled by pairs or groups: some sitting around and chatting, others eating in silence, and a few looking up at the stage. Still more of them sat the bar, having drinks and chatting to others. The dance floor was empty, but that was no surprise since there was no music at the moment. Instead, two stallions in top hats and bow ties stood on stage, performing some sort of comedy routine.

"Shining Armor?" a voice asked, drawing his attention. A mare stood beside him, smiling gently.

"Nice to meet you," she said. "Miss Rarity asked me to show you to your table and be your waitress for this evening. If you follow me, please, I'll lead you to your table."

On stage, the pair of stallions were finishing up their performance. As they took their bows, Rarity came on stage, stamping her hooves firmly in approval. Smiling, she looked out across the audience as she walked toward the microphone. Her gaze focused on two particular ponies for a moment. One was Shining Armor, currently being led to the special table she had reserved. The other was a completely unrelated matter, one she had very entertaining plans for later.

"Thank you, gentlemen," she said clearly into the microphone. "That was a wonderful performance. I can't wait to see what you have to make us laugh next time. Speaking of wait, we have a special surprise performance planned for you later tonight. In the mean time, please enjoy some wonderful music by our band."

With that, the band behind her started playing. She turned and smiled at them before heading into the wings and down to the main floor. Moving among the tables, she spoke with several of customers to see how they were doing. A couple of words, a bit of laughter, and then on to the next one. Eventually she made her way to Shining Armor, who had just finished giving his order as she approached.

"Shining, darling," she said with a smile as she approached. "So glad you were able to make it. I know it has not been very long, but I do hope you're enjoying yourself."

"Well..." Shining Armor started, shifting slightly. "It's a little upsetting to see some of these other ponies here since it looks like they're on dates or something. Still, I appreciate the effort."

Looking around, Rarity mentally scolded herself. The fact that many of the ponies that come to her club were in groups -- most often as romantic pairs -- had not crossed her mind. Granted, it was entirely the case. There were a small number of individual ponies that came, such as the captain of the town guard. There were also pairs that were more about business deals than romantic interest, such as when Filthy Rich brings a potential investor with him. Then there were the groups of three, four, or even more, that were out just to have a good time with friends (although she knew that at least one of the trios was actually a group of three ponies all romantically involved with each other). Still, it still was mostly couples. Even if it were not the case, it would be what Shining Armor would notice first in light of recent less than romantic events.

"Perhaps I had not thought this through as well as I should have," Rarity admitted. "Be that as it may, I am still hopeful that you will have an excellent time and enjoy yourself. Silver Server is a wonderful waitress and will see to all of your dining needs."

She considered adding "and more if you play your cards right," with a wink and a smirk, but in light of her friend's interest in the stallion, thought better of it.

"If there's any trouble," she said instead, "just let me know and I'll be sure to take care of it."

"Thanks," Shining Armor said, smiling.

Rarity smiled back and gave a wave of her hoof.

"Think nothing of it. Twilight and Fluttershy are both good friends of mine." Her smile faded as she looked down at the table. "Besides, I know how it can feel to have a hopeful relationship turn out rather poorly..."

"...Rarity..."

Before Shining Armor could say any more, he was cut off by a hoof being held up.

"I appreciate the pending offer," she told him, "but there is nothing to speak of. Besides, it is long past." With that, she turned around, and walked off.

Shining Armor watched her go, stopping to speak with his waitress for a second. His curiosity had been piqued. What had happened to that mare that made her react so? It was something he might ask about another time. That was, assuming he remembered it when he saw her on some other visit.

The question was put aside as Silver Server arrived with his drink and appetizer, letting him know that his meal would be ready shortly. After thanking her, he turned his attention to the battered edamame and began to eat one of them. He closed his eyes, enjoying the taste in his mouth and listening to the music in the air.

The time from appetizer to main course passed peacefully for Shining Armor. The food was good -- not what others would call home made, but delicious all the same -- and the music and occasional stand up was entertaining. It was nice. Unfortunately, he could not fully enjoy it. As much as he liked it all, it felt like something that should be done with other ponies. As much as he was enjoying the food, music, and atmosphere of it all, it was lacking because he had nopony with him to talk to.

Rarity, meanwhile, was making certain to keep busy and that everything was running as smoothly as possible. She assisted Shaker at the bar and checked on the stock of liquor. In the kitchen, she checked on the preparation and made sure the cooks were mostly happy (it was difficult to be completely in a good mood when working hard in such a warm confined area). Several times, Rarity would stop a waiter or waitress and check to see how they or their customers were doing.

When Coco Pommel started to approach, Rarity perked up. Giving the mare her full attention, she raised one eyebrow curiously, one of her ears giving a small flicker.

"I believe that it is about the time you wanted," Coco stated. "She's mostly done eating, just like you told me to look for."

"Wonderful," Rarity said with a grin. Leaving her place from behind the bar, she quickly made her way toward the stage. A grin spread across her face and she worked her way forward, weaving between the tables with practiced ease. As she approached, the band started to wind down their latest song, finishing up just as Rarity stepped up to the microphone.

"Attention please, everypony," she called out, getting the audience's attention. "Thank you. I mentioned earlier that I had a special surprised planned for everypony, and I believe the time has come to share it. Would Captain Lyra Hearstrings come up to the stage please?"

A spotlight came on, the beam striking the table where a mint green unicorn sat. Lyra Hearstrings squinted at the blinding white light, trying to see. A part of her was curious as to what Rarity was planning. Another, larger, part was already trying to figure out a way to try and make the mare pay for whatever was about to happen. Despite some uncertainty, Lyra got up and headed for the stage.

"Let's encourage her with a round of applause," Rarity said, stamping her own hooves. She was soon joined by others in the audience doing the same.

The sound made Lyra smile and straighten up. It had been a while since she had heard the approval of an audience. She still practiced regularly, and played her lyre, but it had been a while since she had actually done a performance for an actual audience. Usually if there were any ponies around to hear her perform properly (and not just fiddling around like she did in her office pretty regularly), it was friends or family. It made her realize that she kind of missed it.

Stepping up onto the stage, she stood by Rarity and smiled out at the audience, waving one hoof at them.

"Many of us know Miss Heartstrings as captain of the town guard," Rarity stated clearly to the audience, "and a few of us have heard her playing music, even if we have never gotten an opportunity for a proper performance."

Lyra tensed, feeling a pit of worry form in her stomach. Was she going to be forced to perform? She had no song ready and her lyre was at home.

"Well it turns out," Rarity continued, "That Miss Heartstrings is far more talented than that. Recently, we discovered that back in school, Lyra wrote and performed in a musical that ended up becoming quite popular."

Oh no! Lyra mentally groaned. Her jaw clenched tighter as she felt her nervousness skyrocket. She tried to keep looking friendly, to get the audience to believe that she was smiling. Meanwhile, she was plotting to kill Rarity. Slowly.

"We have managed to find one of the more -- if not the most -- popular song from that. I'm sure that we would all love to hear her perform it, wouldn't we?"

A roar of agreement and the stamping of hooves came from the audience. Lyra moved closer to Rarity, turning her attention the other mare.

"You are so going to pay for this," Lyra growled between clenched teeth.

"Well then," Rarity replied with a smile of her own, "I hope that you make it worth my while. You really do need to get out and perform more often." She gave Lyra a gentle pat on the shoulder, then moved away and walked off the stage.

Taking a deep breath, Lyra tried to calm down and collect herself. No reason to lie to herself. She was angry -- furious -- with Rarity for pulling this stunt. At the same time, she was... excited. It had been a while since she performed, and was looking forward to doing so again. Preferably, the entire musical would be forgotten and nopony would ever mention it again. She did still remember most of the lyrics for the songs, and she knew she remembered them all for the one Rarity had in mind (if she guessed right). All the same, it was still something she would prefer to forget.

Feeling collected and having the first line in mind, she turned her attention to the band and nodded. Returning the motion, they began to play and she prepared to sing.

Finishing the song, she took a deep breath and gave a bow. It had gone better than she could have imagined. Not only did she remember all of the lyrics, but turned out she still knew the dance moves that had gone along with it. It also seemed that the audience had enjoyed it quite a bit as well. The shouts of excitement and stomping of hooves was nearly deafening.

Maybe she would let Rarity live after all, if only to keep the club open so she could come back and perform again. Willingly.

"Thank you," she called out to the audience. "Thank you." She gave one last bow then hopped off the stage, making her way back toward her table. The applause made her feel like celebrating. Maybe she would stay long enough to order dessert and have another drink.

As she sat down, movement caught her eye. Turning to look, she caught sight of a white unicorn stallion with two-tone blue mane walking toward her.

"That was a really impressive performance you gave up there," he said, smiling.

"Thanks," she responded, not sure what else to say. Fortunately, the stallion kept her from needing to by changing the subject.

"So, did I hear that right?" he asked. "You're the captain of Ponyville's guard?"

Disappointment and Understanding

"I tried to keep an eye on them," Rarity said after telling her story, "have their conversation to listened in on whenever a server passes, and be ready to intervene if anything seemed to be taking a turn for the romantic. For the most part, they were comparing experiences in their jobs as guards, so I was not too worried. Unfortunately, Torch Song -- who was supposed to sing later -- had a bit of an emergency that required my assistance. Before I came back, the two of them had left together."

Twilight and Fluttershy sat there, looking at their friend and thinking about what she had just told them.

"I wonder what they're doing now," Twilight said, getting the other two to look at her. Rarity raised an eyebrow.

"I thought somepony would have explained this to you by now," Rarity replied. "You see, Twilight, when two or more ponies -- in this case, a mare and a stallion -- find each other attractive--"

"I know about...that..." Twilight Sparkle snapped, her cheeks turning pink. "I just don't think my brother would do that with a mare he just met. So they must be doing something else."

"Even if he's feeling vulnerable after a break-up?" Rarity asked.

Twilight groaned and rubbed her head.

"I'm stopping this conversation now," she stated. "I really don't want to think of my brother doing.... that..."

Rarity let out a huff and rolled her eyes, but said nothing.

"What do you think they are doing then?" Fluttershy asked.

Twilight considered it a moment, rubbing her chin.

"Well," she said slowly after some consideration, "they started talking after she sang, and Rarity did say that she wrote the song as part of a musical. Maybe they're going to create a rock opera about being a guard?"

"Really?" Rarity asked. She turned and looked at Fluttershy. Rarity did not believe what Twilight was saying for one moment, and really wanted to call her out on it. At the same time, it seemed like a bad idea to push the subject. Rarity wanted to be honest on the matter, but did not want to make Fluttershy upset more.

"That does actually sound like a good idea," she said instead. "If that's not the case, remind me about it later. It could make quite a show.

"Now if you will excuse me." She moved to get up. "As much as I would like to stay and chat, I still have matters at the club to take care of. Fluttershy, I apologize again for not being able to assist you in your plan..."

The rest of her statement stopped in her throat. She watched as Twilight and Fluttershy both had their eyes go wide, Twilight making a slicing motion across her throat and Fluttershy giving a rapid shake of her head.

"What plan?" the familiar voice of Shining Armor asked from behind Rarity, causing her to tense. Her mind worked rapidly to think of an excuse.

"Fluttershy...was... thinking about making a comedy sketch about being a batpony." She grinned. "Being in entertainment, she was wondering if I could help her out. Unfortunately, while I am quite capable of comedy, I am rather lacking in the skills required to teach others such as well."

Shining Armor blinked before turning to Fluttershy.

"Really?"

Fluttershy shuffled her hooves, feeling her face warm up.

"Yes," she mumbled. "I... I thought... well... uhm..."

"That by making something with batponies that ponies would enjoy," Twilight jumped in, "she would be able to also make them notice some of the problems they face, seeing as they are so insular. Plus, it might make some of the batponies that do interact with others to know that they aren't alone."

"Yes," Fluttershy agreed, nodding rapidly. "Yes, that's it exactly."

"I must say that I'm surprised to see you here," Rarity said, hoping to change the subject and distract Shining Armor before he could think about the excuse too much. "When I had heard you had left with Captain Heartstrings, I assumed you would be staying the night with her."

"Why would..." Shining Armor started. He then stopped, letting out a slight gasp as he realized what she meant.

"No no. Nothing like that. We were talking about what it was like being a guard, and Captain Heartstrings wanted to leave in case you planned on trying to get her to perform an encore."

Rarity grinned and let out a chuckle.

"I will admit to considering it, but not this time." She moved to step past him.

"As I was saying, I really do need to get back to work. Shining, glad you had a great time. Fluttershy, good luck with your project." She gave a wink that Shining Armor would not see. "Twilight, have a good evening." Giving one more smile, she quickly made her way for the door. As soon as she was outside, she let out a sigh of relief.

Shining Armor watched her go, then turned to Twilight and Fluttershy.

"Speaking of Captain Heartstrings, we could use your help tomorrow, Twily."

"Really?" Twilight asked. "What for?"

"Captain Hearstrings and I were talking," Shining Armor explained, "and we were comparing what it was like to be a royal guard to being a town guard. At one point, we were talking about basic and continued training. As we did, we both started noticing differences. Then, I had an idea. Maybe we could have a representative from one group visit the other and share some of the differences that might prove helpful."

"That does sound like a good idea," Fluttershy said.

"Thanks," Shining Armor responded, smiling. "But to do it, we need to write up proposals for the mayor and Royal Guard Command." He turned his full attention back to Twilight. "That's why I need your help. You probably have the best capabilities of writing the proposal properly."

"I guess I can help," Twilight said. "I might have to check a few things to make certain that everything is properly written."

"Well," Fluttershy said, "while you two discuss this, I'm going to head up to bed. I'll see you two in the morning. Good night Twilight, Shining Armor."

"Night," Shining Armor responded.

"Hold on," Twilight called out. "I'll walk up with you. Sounds like I have a lot of work to do in the morning, and I need to get my sleep. Night Shiny."

Shining Armor moved to give his sister a hug. After, she and Fluttershy headed for the stairs and up toward their rooms.

"Fluttershy," Twilight whispered once they were out of earshot, "aren't you going to tell Shining Armor about how you feel?"

Fluttershy shifted, her hair falling across her face. One of her ears gave a flick.

"Not tonight," she said. "I think it can wait. Besides, it sounds like he has a lot on his mind."

Twilight's horned began to glow. Using her magic, she took a hold of Fluttershy and turned her so the two were facing each other. Twilight then pushed the mane out of the way so that they were looking eye to eye.

"Now is not the time to get scared and put it off," Twilight stated. "From what I understand, if you do, it will just be harder to do next time."

"... I don't know..."

"Fluttershy, look at me. Now is the perfect time. He's here, he's still single, and he's in a good mood. You should go and tell him."

"But..." Fluttershy started, then stopped. She was uncertain what to say. At the moment, being so close to actually going through with it, she felt nervous. It felt like bats were flapping around in her stomach.

"Listen," Twilight said after Fluttershy had been quiet for over ten seconds, "do you want to end up having him meet another mare and get with her before you tell him?"

"...No..." Fluttershy conceded.

"Then get back downstairs, and tell him how you feel." Twilight released Fluttershy from her magical grip. "I'll be up for a few more minutes, so if you want, you can come and tell me about it after. Okay?"

Closing her eyes, Fluttershy took a deep breath then slowly let it out. She gave a nod and started to head back down the stairs.

"Good luck," Twilight called after her before going into her bedroom.

Confession of Feelings

"Good luck," Twilight Sparkle called out to Fluttershy before going to bed.

Thanks, Twilight, Fluttershy thought as she continued down the stairs, but I think I'm going to need more than just luck on this. She could still feel her stomach twisting with nervousness. This was outside her comfort zone. She had gotten pretty good at being brave and assertive-- in her own gentle way -- when it came to taking care of Luna, and Princess Temporal, Shining Armor, and her time around the castle had helped her become a little better about talking to other ponies (even if she still had a ways to go). Unfortunately, this fit into neither of those categories. This was her actually having to open up to another pony and express how she actually felt.

There was no need for her to actually tell him, was there? Twilight was in her room in bed, either asleep or reading. Fluttershy could slip back upstairs and into her room unnoticed. No need to say anything to Shining Armor. Just go upstairs and go to bed.

Except Twilight would probably ask about it in the morning. If that was the case, Fluttershy would either have to admit that she got too scared to go through with it, or lie. Neither of those really sounded appealing.

Besides, a little voice in the back of her mind said, if you don't do this, you will regret it. Do you really want him to end up with somepony else without at least knowing how you feel?

No.

Jaw clenching, she took a deep breath and straightened up. Pushing all of her doubts aside, Fluttershy stepped away from the stairs and moved toward the living room.

"Shining Armor."

At the sound of his name, Shining Armor sat up from his spot on the couch. His blue eyes turning to look at her caused Fluttershy to freeze up, her mind going blank.

"Everything okay?" Shining Armor asked.

Fluttershy's mouth opened and closed several times silently before finally squeaking out a barely audible "yes."

"Yes," she repeated louder. "Everything is fine." She moved forward, stepping closer to the stallion on the couch. "It's just... there's something I... I want to talk to you about."

"Does it have anything to do with the story Rarity made up when I got back?"

The question made Fluttershy tense. Her wings spread out as her eyes went wide, ears pulling back against her head.

"You knew?" she asked, the surprise at the realization temporarily overcoming the fear of the whole matter.

"Rarity was pretty convincing," he answered, shifting to face her fully, "but I've known you for years and my sister her entire life. Neither of you are very good liars."

For some reason, Fluttershy grinned, letting out a nervous chuckle. The news made her nervous and uncertain again. He knew that they were lying about the sketch, and was going to let them keep it to themselves. Or was he? Was he simply going to wait until he could talk to his sister alone? No. No, he was not like that. Flutteshy knew that. Either he was willing to let them keep their secret, or simply wait until they decided to come clean on their own.

Guess I should go ahead and come clean then.

"Yes," Fluttershy said as she moved closer still. "It has something to do with that. Do you mind if I sit down?"

"Not at all." Moving, Shining Armor set himself on one side of the couch, making sure their was plenty of space for Fluttershy. Sitting on the opposite side, Fluttershy wrapped her wings around herself and stared at the floor.

Several seconds passed in silence.

"Are you sure everything's okay?" Shining Armor asked again.

"Yes," Fluttershy repeated. "It's just... well..."

She took a deep breath then blurted out:

"I've had a crush on you since I was a filly and I would like to go out on a date with you."

She then closed her eyes and squeezed down, trying to make herself as small as possible while waiting for his reaction.

"Could you repeat that?" Shining Armor asked. "I didn't quite catch... well... most of it really."

With a huff, Fluttershy opened her eyes and turned to face him. She had already said it once. Now she felt like she could say it again while actually looking at him.

"I like you," Fluttershy stated. "I have since I was a little filly and had a crush on you. I never said anything because you were with Cadence and I was still little. But now I'm all grown up and your no longer with her. I still like and hope you feel the same way about me."

Shining Armor stared at Fluttershy, thinking about what she had said. He had known that she had been crushing on him when she was younger, but thought that she had grown out of it. Now, here she was, an attractive young mare, telling him that she still had romantic feelings for him.

"I..." he started, then paused before trying again. "I'm flattered you feel that way, and admire your courage for telling me."

Fluttershy frowned, her heart sinking. The way he was talking did not sound like the start of Shining Armor saying he felt that way about her too. Quite the opposite in fact.

"I like you," he continued, "a lot. But, I'm not sure if I like you in that way." He looked at his own hooves. "I always kind of saw you more as another little sister than anything. I'm not flat out saying that I don't have feelings for you. It's more of... I'm not entirely sure how I feel."

Fluttershy slid on the couch, moving closer.

"Can I try something?" she asked, looking toward him, but more down than forward.

Shining Armor turned and faced her, raising an eyebrow.

"I guess," he replied. "What is it?"

After moving closer, Fluttershy reached out with her front hooves and took a hold of Shining Armor's face. After taking a deep breath and steeling her nervous, she closed her eyes and leaned forward, pressing her lips against his.

Shining Armor's eyes went wide as he felt Fluttershy kissing him. Slowly he relaxed, eyes closing and ears pinning back as he returned the kiss. Wrapping his forelegs around Fluttershy, Shining Armor pulled her closer to him until their chests pressed against each other. The was a small thrill through his body as he heard a faint whimper of pleasure. Something rubbed against his sides and back as it wrapped around him.

The two broke the kiss, breathing heavily and their cheeks flush. Fluttershy's bat wings had wrapped around Shining Armor, holding him close against her.

"Sorry to ruin the moment," he whispered, "but you do know that I have to go back to Canterlot in a few days, right?"

"Then I guess we should make our time together really count," Fluttershy responded before leaning in to kiss him again.

Awkward Morning

Twilight Sparkle laid in bed, opening her eyes. The morning sun shined through the window, bathing her room in gentle light. A new day was waiting for Twilight.

But the bed and blankets were quite insistent, and very persuasive.

"There's no reason for you to get up yet," they said. "Plus, feel how warm and soft it is. Stay here with us. You are already accept by us. Surely you can stay a little longer. Perhaps a week? At the very least, you can wait until lunch."

As persuasive and enticing as the offer was, Twilight decided that -- as much as she wanted to -- she very well could not stay in bed for an entire week. At the very least, she would have to get up to tend to biological needs such as food. Besides, she did have things to do today. Her brother was still visiting, and he had asked for her help to write a proposal. She could neither spend time with her older brother, nor work on said proposal, while curled up in bed under her soft, warm, comforting, inviting sheets and blankets.

Well... she could, but it would be kind of awkward. Besides, Daring Do would never just lie in bed. Although "not willingly" would probably be more accurate. Considering all that Daring Do had been through and how many time she has been injured, there were probably times where she was forced to stay in bed -- if not the hospital -- until sufficiently recovering.

The idea of not being able to get up was enough to encourage Twilight to do so herself. A quick stop at her dresser to brush her mane, and she was ready to face the new day.

Stepping out into the hall, she stopped, ears perking. She thought she heard something. Head shifting and ears twitching, she listened intently. It sounded to Twilight like she was hearing... snoring? That was unexpected. It almost sounded like...

No, she thought to herself, giving a shake of her head. It couldn't be.

After listening a little longer, Twilight moved back and forth, trying to find the direction of the sound. Once found, she followed it, making her way toward Fluttershy's bedroom door. Leaning close, she pressed an ear to it and held her breath.

Sure enough, the sound was coming from inside Fluttershy's room. After sharing a room and then a house with her, Twilight knew that Fluttershy did not snore. She did make this little squeaking noise from time to time, but no actual, full-on, snoring. So if it not Fluttershy, it must be somepony else. Which would mean...

No, she thought to herself as she took a step back. Walk away Twilight. Just walk away. Her horn started to glow with magic. It's none of your business. Even if he's your brother and she's your friend, they are both consenting adults. Her magic gripped the knob, turning it. Besides, do you really want to risk seeing your brother after... that... Pushing the door open a crack, she stepped forward and peeked inside.

Catching sight of something white and electric blue, Twilight shut the door, fighting the urge to slam it shut and disturb the sleeping ponies. Trying to push the sight and its implications from her mind, she made her way downstairs and toward the kitchen. She turned on the coffeemaker and tried to distract herself by making breakfast.

A few minutes later, the smell of fresh brewed coffee filled the air. Shortly after, the silence was interrupted by the sound of hooves coming down the stairs.

"Morning Twily," Shining Armor called out as he entered the kitchen.

"Morning," she replied. Her eyes flicked away from him to the coffee machine. Grabbing the pot, she poured herself a cup before adding milk and honey. Her gaze shifted to her brother who was getting mug for himself. As soon as he turned around from the cabinet, her attention returned to her cup. She took a sip.

She could feel her brother's eyes on her as she continued to drink. Her cheeks started to turn pink.

"Everything okay?" Shining Armor asked.

"Yeah," Twilight replied. She looked up at him and grinned, her eyes glancing off toward the window. "Why wouldn't it be?"

There was a pause as Shining Armor took a drink, still watching his sister.

"If you say so," Shining said as he put his coffee down. "Anyway, there's something I need to talk to you about."

"Unless it's about your pro... business proposal to the mayor and princess," Twilight stated, "no there isn't."

"Twilight, this is serious." He moved to face her and took a deep breath. "Last night after you went to bed, Fluttershy--" He was cut off by a hoof being placed over his mouth.

"I know what happened after I went to bed," Twilight told him. The statement made Shining Armor blanch, his eyes going wide.

"You did? I'm sorry Twily. I didn't think we were that loud.'

"No!" Twilight snapped. "That's not -- gah! I didn't want to know that! Ew. No. Ew ew ew! That's not what I meant."

"...oh..."

Twilight took a long, slow, deep breath, and let it out. She collected herself, pushing out the thought of Shining Armor and Fluttershy (Oh, Temporal! I swear I can hear it now). Feeling calm and in control once again, she opened her eyes and looked at her brother.

"Fluttershy told me how she felt last night before Rarity came over," She stated, "and wanted to be sure I was okay with it, which I am. I also had to encourage her to go and tell you how I felt before going to bed."

Before the conversation could go any further, the sound of another pony approaching reached their ears. They both turned to see Fluttershy coming in, who stopped and stared at the pair as she realized she was being watched.

"Am I interrupting something?"

"I was just telling Shining Armor that I already knew about you two," Twilight told her.

"Oh," Fluttershy responded, looking down at her hooves. "I'm sorry Twilight. I didn't think we were that lou-"

"NOT! LIKE! THAT!" Twilight shouted before slamming her head against the table with a groan.

Fluttershy moved closer. Reaching out a wing, she placed it on Twilight's back.

"Are you sure you're okay with this?"

"Honestly?" Twilight looked up, her gave focusing on Fluttershy and Shining Armor. "This is a little weird for me. I want you two to be happy together and hope it works out, but it still feels weird for me that my older brother is now in a relationship with my best friend."

Shining Armor shifted and let out a sigh.

"Twi-"

"No," Twilight cut in. "Look. I just need time to get used to the way things are. Don't worry about me, okay?"

"Okay," Shining Armor said.

"Okay," Fluttershy agreed.

"Good," Twilight replied before drinking the rest of her coffee. "Now, I need to go and check on what's needed for a proposal to a township as well as the princess." She got up and headed toward the door.

"While I'm gone, why don't you two get to know each other." She paused, turning to look at them. "Not in the way you did last night." With that, she continued to the door and left, heading off to the library.

Shining Armor and Fluttershy watched her go before turning to look at each other.

"Well," Fluttershy said, shifting, "that wasn't how I expected this morning to start."

"Me neither," Shining Armor agreed.

"Do you think she'll be okay?"

"Yeah." He moved closer, pressing his shoulder against hers. "You heard her. She's happy for us and needs time to get used to us. We probably do as well."

Fluttershy pressed back against him, her wing opening to wrap around his body. She looked at him from the corner of her eye and gave a half smile.

"So, you think we should talk like she said?" she asked.

Shining Armor lifted his head and narrowed his eyes, studying her.

"Did you have something else in mind?"

"Well it sounds like a good idea," Fluttershy admitted, "but... I was just thinking that maybe we could take a shower first. You know, together." She grinned.

Shining Armor returned the gesture as his horn started glowing. Picking up Fluttershy and putting her on his back, he started back up the stairs. Fluttershy held onto him, leaning up to nip at one of his ears.

Back Again Back Again

Shining Armor stood at the train station, looking up the tracks in the direction of the approaching train. He let out a sigh, turning to face the others: Twilight Sparkle, Fluttershy, and Rarity.

"Well, looks like my ride's here," he said. "Guess I should start saying my goodbyes."

Rarity moved forward first, holding out a hoof.

"It was wonderful to meet you," she said.

"You as well," Shining responded, taking her hoof in his own and shaking it.

"And don't worry about them," Rarity gestured toward Twilight and Fluttershy. "I'll be sure to keep an eye on them for you until your next visit." She let his hoof go and moved away.

Shining Armor grinned, letting out a chuckle.

"Thanks. But don't worry too much. With both of them here, I'll be trying to visit more often."

"You better," Twilight stated, moving forward. "I don't want to just see you when there's a problem." She wrapped her forelegs around his neck, pulling him into a hug.

"You have everything, right?"

Shining Armor returned the hug, but rolled his eyes at the question.

"Well, mom," he retorted, "I didn't really bring anything with me. So the only thing that I have to take back is the proprosal for my COs. Which I have... right... uhm..."

Where had he put it? He did grab it and bring it with him when he left their house. Had he? If not, it would still be on the table back at the house. There was no time to go back to get it and catch the train. He would have to miss this one and take the next. He would still be on time to work, but would not have as much time to settle back into his place and get ready for a return to normal routine. Maybe he could delay the current train a little and have Fluttershy--

Twilight Sparkle held the scroll up in her magic for Shining Armor to see. She broke the hug and stepped back, smirking as she continued to hold the scroll aloft.

"You were saying?" she asked.

Giving a sheepish smile, Shining Armor reached out with his own power. He took a hold of the scroll and tucked it away to take with him.

"I'll let the mom comment slide." Twilight narrowed her eyes. "This time." With that, she moved away and Fluttershy moved forward, kissing Shining Armor on the cheek.

"Be safe," she said. "I look forward to seeing you again soon."

Smiling, Shining Armor returned the gesture.

"Between my duties as a guard, and your being busy with Luna and Sombra, I doubt we'll have time to even notice the other is gone before we get to see each other again."

The moment between the pair was interrupted by the sound of giggling. The two turned, spotting Rarity who stood there grinning behind her hoof.

"What's so funny?" Shining Armor asked, raising an eyebrow.

"My apologies," Rarity responded, still grinning as she lowered her hoof from her face. "I just find it rather cute that you are acting so chaste and innocent in public. Especially considering how you to seem to have been in -- " she snickered " -- more intimate settings." One of her eyebrows quirked up.

Shining Armor and Fluttershy both went pale.

"H-hu-how do you know about that?" Fluttershy managed to asked, her eyes wide. "Did somepony tell you?"

"Darling," Rarity responded, "nopony needed to tell me. From the way you've been looking when you walk around down, it was quite obvious what happened to put you into such a mood. Plus, I saw the bite marks on Shining's neck when I shook his hoof."

The couple went from pale to pink at the statement, Shining Armor rubbing at his neck, and Fluttershy looked down at the ground, scuffing her hooves.

"What?" Twilight yelped before turning and pressing her face against Fluttershy's. "You bit my brother?! How? Why?"

Before Fluttershy could say anything, Twilight Sparkle was gripped in a pale blue aura of magic and pulled toward Rarity.

"Now, Twilight," Rarity said in a soothing tone, wrapping a foreleg around her friend's neck, "you should know by now not to ask questions that you most assuredly do not wish to hear the answer to."

Twilight turned to face Rarity and opened her mouth. Several seconds passes as she held it like that, not saying anything. Finally, Twilight closed her mouth, let out a snort, and nodded.

"Now boarding!" a voice called out.

"Well that's my cue," Shining Armor said. He turned to start for the train and stopped.

"Oh, what the hay."

Horn glowing, he grabbed Fluttershy and pulled her toward him, causing her to let out a surprised squeak that he found very cute. Before it could register what was going on, the Shining pulled Fluttershy close and gave her a full kiss on the lips. There was a moment of tension from the mare as she felt the stallion's lips against her own. Slowly, she relaxed, returning the passion with her own.

The two broke apart, staring at each other as their mouths separated. Shining Armor panted as Fluttershy's cheeks were flushed with color. Nearby, Rarity stood by grinning while Twilight Sparkle looked away, her cheeks colored as well. Saying nothing, but smiling widely, Shining Armor stepped away from the mares and onto the train.

"Last call," the voice from before shouted. "All aboard for Canterlot."

Twilight, Fluttershy and Rarity all stood there quietly, watching the train as it began to pull away.

"Well," Rarity said as the train left the station, "that was entertaining." She turned to walk off the platform. "I almost feel like I was part of a romance novel. How about we stop by Sugarcube Corner and have something sweet. It will be my treat."

"That sounds nice," Twilight responded, "but not necessary."

"I know. But I'm still making the offer." Rarity paused, rubbing her chin. "Well, it's not really an offer, I suppose. In point, I insist. I think it will do us all some good to sit down and bond over a little over something tasty. I'll even pay for something to take back to Luna."

"I'm certain she would appreciate that," Fluttershy said softly. She continued to stand on the platform, watching the train until it shrank down to a pin prick and disappeared. With a turn, she joined the other two and started the walk toward the center of town.

As they walked, a buzzing sound began to reach them. Fluttershy heard it first. A faint, distant, constant hum just at the edge of her hearing. Something about it sounded familiar. She was certain that she had heard it before, and recent, but she could not quite place it.

The answer came to her from the down the road ahead of them. An orange figure moved toward them rapidly, leaving a trail of dust in its wake. As it moved closer, the figure became easier and easier to make out.

Scootaloo twisted the handlebars of her scooter, turning the vehicle into a slide as it came to a stop in front of the trio. A wagon that had been tied to the back swung widely from the momentum before stopping as well. Audible groans came from the three mares inside.

"Did you have to stop like that?" Apple Bloom grumbled. Sweetie Belle was currently lunging over the side as she audibly expressed her own discomfort from how things ended up. Luna was sprawled out against the wall, her wings spread wide.

"Sorry," Scootaloo said with a sheepish grin. "I'm not used to pulling other ponies behind me. Besides, we found them."

"You were looking for us?" Twilight asked, looking at the four fillies.

"Sort of," Apple Bloom replied. "Luna says something came in through dragon mail. She wanted to get it to Fluttershy right away."

Fluttershy stepped forward, taking a look down to see Luna moving to get back up onto her hooves.

"Are you okay?"

"That was fun," Luna shouted with a grin. "Maybe over the summer, Scootaloo could give other ponies rides, and we could charge them for it." Her eyes suddenly went wide. "Oh, right." She pulled out a scroll and held it out to Fluttershy. "Here."

As Fluttershy took the scroll and began to open it, Rarity moved around to the other side of the wagon. Her horn lit up as she took a hold of her younger sister, gently lifting her out of wagon and moving her away from the mess the young unicorn had made. Slowly, Rarity lowered Sweetie Belle to the ground, making certain she could stand on her own before releasing the magical hold.

"Are you alright, Sweetie?" Rarity asked, pulling out a handkerchief to clean her sister's mouth.

"I'm okay," Sweetie Belle responded weakly. "Just... not used to being tossed around so much, I guess."

"Well we were on our way to Sugarcube Corner. Would you four care to join us?"

"Yeah!" Luna, Scootaloo and Apple Bloom all shouted, grinning.

"I guess," Sweetie Belle mumbled.

Rarity reached out and ran a hoof gently through her sister's mane.

"I'm certain you will be feeling better by the time we walk there."

"Walk?" Scootaloo groaned, throwing herself against her handlebars. "But that's going to take forever."

"It will do you good to slow down once in a while," Rarity insisted. "Besides, you still have to push your scooter and pull the wagon, so you will still be getting more exercise than the others."

Scootaloo groaned even louder at the thought of doing exercise, even if it was something she did normally.

The four fillies started to head down the street, keeping close to each other. Fluttershy and Twilight Sparkle began to follow, Fluttershy still looking at the scroll.

"What is it?" Twilight finally asked.

"We're invited to a dance," Fluttershy answered. "Princess Temporal wants the six of us and Luna to attend."

"That sounds like fun," Twilight said with a smile.

"...not really..."