(Flutterdash) The Whole Story

by KaleidoscopeYarn

Rating: mature
Tags: Cutie Mark Crusaders, Big Macintosh, Main 6, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Dark, Rainbow Dash, Romance, Fluttershy
Length: 39100

The whole story of Fluttershy and Rainbow's love. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash have been dating for a year, and are finally ready to come out to their friends and family. Things go roughly, and the whole town gets involved.

Fluttershy and Rainbow have been in a romantic relationship for about a year. They haven't told anypony, though, because they're afraid of how they'll react. This story follows them through that process as the town gets involved, the Princesses get involved, and it becomes a debacle.

Marked mature, but not a clopfic. Rated so for occasions of almost sex. Tagged dark for a thing; not a grim-dark fanfic. Trigger warning: attempted rape - hence the dark tag.
My loveletter to Flutterdash; maybe after putting this out there I'll be free of it. Pretty long, took three years to write, and I encourage you to read the author's note at the end.

Art is the Flutterdash edit of two of Antiander's beautiful pieces. Pieces are here and here, and the edit is here.

Published 2015-05-30 04:50:01 UTC
Last updated 2015-05-30 04:50:01 UTC

Part 1

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash had been dating for a little over a year. Behind their friends, who didn't know yet, they stole kisses and affectionate nuzzles. Every day during their adventures and misadventures they stuck together and slipped in shows of their affection. It was a gamble, hugging and touching and kissing and even, when Rainbow got playful, licking and ear nibbling. All the while stuffing it away in the shadows, and hoping nopony would catch them.

On Wednesday, helping Twilight reorganize the library, Fluttershy found an opportunity. Rainbow sat behind a low wall of books that could easily hide them both.

"Excuse me Rainbow," Fluttershy said jokingly as she brushed past, purposely rubbing the side of her face against Rainbow's. Once she had set a little pile of books in the right spot and she started coming back out, she moved in to give Rainbow a kiss. But Rainbow moved away.

"Listen, Shy. I gotta talk to you after this."

"Are you okay?" for a second Shy was terrified something was seriously wrong. Rainbow was going to break up with her, or she was dying, or—

Rainbow smiled a little sadly. "I'm fine, we're fine, I just want to talk."

"Okay." She was still worried, but much less now.

"Here," Rainbow scooted foreword and stuck out her lips, "Smooch?"

Fluttershy pecked Rainbow on the lips and slipped out of the book wall. The rest of the afternoon she worked with a busy mind that chased clouds instead of concentrating. She could hardly pay attention to the books she was stacking and placing on the shelves. Once she was so sidetracked Rainbow made her jump when she came out of nowhere and licked her cheek. She squeaked loudly, but managed to cover it up when her friends asked why she had flipped out for no reason.

Finally, they finished and everypony piled out of the library. Twilight waved as they all left, "Bye girls, thanks for your help!"

Rainbow waited for Twilight to slip back inside before she pulled Fluttershy close with a wing and slowed down. "Listen," Rainbow said, "I want to tell ponies about us."

Fluttershy had been dreading this talk, but in honesty she knew it was long overdue.

Rainbow continued, "I want to tell our friends and I want to tell my parents. I don't know how any of them are going to react, but I can't keep us a secret anymore."

Fluttershy nodded, "I understand. I do, really. I knew this was coming, and I don't like living behind everypony's back either. But I think I want to tell your parents first, if that's okay."

"Alright. Are we going to tell your parent's too?"

Fluttershy bit her lip. With her dad, she already knew his reaction, and with her mom, well. This was why she wanted to tell parents first. She knew how they would react, but with her friends she could only hope it would be taken well. "I.... Only if you want to."

"Well, I think we should. I mean, it would feel wrong to just, you know, forget about them."

"Okay."

"They live in Clouds Dale too, right?"

"Yes." It was at least technically true.

The sky had already burned into an ashy black, and the air was rapidly cooling. Rainbow said, "Come on, we can tell them tomorrow. Let me walk you home?"

Rainbow stretched out her left wing and wrapped it further over Fluttershy, drawing her close and shielding her from the wind. But Fluttershy squirmed and said, "Actually, can we fly home? I'd like to get there quickly."

"Oh yeah, of course." She drew her wing back a little awkwardly, and off they went, coursing through the night's ink. They arrived at Fluttershy's cottage after only few minutes.

"You okay?" Rainbow asked as they touched down on the porch.

"I'm fine. Sorry, I'm just worried about tomorrow."

"Don't be, I'll be there right next to you every step we take, okay?"

Fluttershy nodded, but the words did nothing to help her unsettled mind.

Luna's moon was already high in the sky, throwing down silver light over the cottage. They stood in the doorway, saying goodbye. Rainbow leaned in, and they kissed, slowly, lovingly. Rainbow relished every little contact they had, and those sweet lips felt tender and sincere. It made her head spin and fill with butterflies. Fluttershy felt the same, savoring the sweet, sweaty taste of Rainbow as a fuzziness entered her hooves.

"Mmmmh."

They broke apart. Rainbow smiled and slowly flew away. Fluttershy leaned onto the doorframe, watching her go wistfully. "I'll see you tomorrow, my Rainbow."

The first thing Rainbow did when she woke up was find Thunderlane. As second in command, he was instructed on the day's scheduled weather and what jobs to hand out to who.

"If you don't mind me asking, mam," Thunderlane said with a theatrically formal air and salute, hovering outside the weather office where the weather-team pegasi reported every morning, “Where are you going?"

"Out. Taking a sick day."

With that done, Rainbow headed off to Fluttershy's cottage. It was about five in the morning, and she was surprised to see Fluttershy up and outside. She was sitting with some animal that had its back turned to Rainbow, facing east. Fluttershy saw her and waved her over.

"Good morning, Rainbow."

"Hey! I didn't know you got up this early."

"Oh yes, I get up early sometimes to check on the animals and watch the sunrise with the newborns."

"Newborns?"

Fluttershy nodded, "This time, it's some new otters." She leaned down close to the animal, a large female otter, curled close to her hooves. "Ms. Oilfur, would you be willing to let Rainbow see your children?"

The otter made some chittering noises and nodded.

At Fluttershy's signal, Rainbow walked closer and bent down over the otter to see tiny pastel miniatures of the mom. They were cute and innocent, looking up with wide, wet eyes at Rainbow.

"Yeah, I guess they're cute," Rainbow said. Glancing back to Fluttershy, she watched the loving, maternal look in her eyes. She was taking in the babies with such infinite tenderness, it made Rainbow pause for a moment. It made her think, for one wild second, about what it would be like to be a parent. How happy it would make Fluttershy. Then she snapped back to the moment, "So, uh, what time do you want to head to Clouds Dale?"

"Oh, I think we can head out some time soon, I just need to finish tending to some of the animals."

"Okay." The scene had affected Rainbow somehow. Seeing Fluttershy in such a mothering state, actually sitting next to newborns, was new to her. While it wasn't surprising, it did make her think.

Fluttershy kissed the mama otter on her forehead and slowly stood up. To her, she said, "Your babies are beautiful, Ms. Oilfur. Thank you for letting me be a part of their first sunrise." She leaned down and let the little otters gently scratch her nose in affection. Then she turned to Rainbow. "I'll try not to take so long, but I have a few things I need to do, if that's okay."

"Oh, yeah, I guess I can wait."

Rainbow watched as Fluttershy started hurrying about, going in and out of the cottage. Her own legs and wings started aching for some exercise, and she pranced in place where she was.

Fluttershy noticed her fidgeting, "Rainbow, would you like to help?"

So Rainbow helped feed and brush and find and calm, all under Fluttershy's careful guidance. She was glad to help and to stretch her legs and exercise a bit, even if the hardest thing she did was lift a few seed sacks. By nine o'clock, the chores were done.

"Ready to go, Fluttershy?"

"I'm ready."

The flight to Clouds Dale wasn't hard, but it was long. Rainbow enjoyed it, turning corkscrews and pulling aerial tricks around the path Fluttershy carved in the wind. More than once they stopped on a rogue cloud so Fluttershy could rest her wings. Rainbow didn't mind too much. She would have minded more, ordinarily, but something was beginning to gnaw at her insides. It crawled up her throat and scratched her tongue, it filled her stomach and shook her lungs. She was nervous.

Nervous about how her mom and dad would take the news. The news that their tough little tomboy was wrapped up in a lesbian relationship, not with a stallion like everypony thought she would end up with. Her mom and dad were sure that one day she would become romantically interested, as almost everyone eventually does. They were sure some strong, handsome male would come along and steal her heart in a proper romance. But it wasn't a stallion, it was a mare. It was Fluttershy that had come along and swept her heart away.

All too soon they were standing outside the door to Rainbow's parent's house. The place was large with cloud columns climbing up to the sky, huge open windows, and a large yard with a shallow rainbow pound that spilled over the edge.

"It's a beautiful house," Fluttershy said shakily, her pupils were contracted with terror.

"Yeah." Rainbow pulled Fluttershy into a side hug with her wing. "Listen, I don't care what happens, I just want to - I want you to know that I...” She looked into Fluttershy's eyes. “I love you." The words fell out honest and true, messy and beautiful, for the first time.

Fluttershy's eyes grew big and wet. "You-you really mean that?"

"Of course I do."

"I love you too!"

Fluttershy thrust forward and snuggled her lips with Rainbow's in a passionate kiss that was much too short. Rainbow pushed away after only a few seconds, "Okay, we can make out later, after this. Deal?"

Fluttershy giggled, "Okay, okay, I'm sorry. I'm just so happy to hear you say you love me!" She squeal-hummed and squeezed Rainbow tight.

"Ah- ahhaha, Shy I forgot how strong you are. Really though, we gotta-," she pulled Fluttershy off, both of them smiling now, "gotta do this later."

Eventually, they composed themselves. Rainbow rang the doorbell and together they waited, Fluttershy standing behind her. They heard the chimes echo through the house.

The door opened to reveal a lavender-coated stallion with the same vibrant, rainbow mane as Rainbow Dash. He had golden eyes that smiled down at them; his cutie mark was somewhat similar to Rainbow's.

"Rainbow! Long time, no see!" he had a big, booming voice, friendly and warm.

"Hey Dad."

"You coming in or are you just gonna stand out here all day?"

Rainbow, stepping inside, pretended to yawn as she walked past, throwing out her left wing and bashing her dad in the face, "AHHHHHh, oops, sooooorrry daad."

"Oh yeah, soorrry Raaain," he threw out his own wing and flapped it a few times, hitting Rainbow in the head in a kind of play fight. They laughed good-naturedly at each other.

"Seriously, though," Rainbow said as she walked in, "we're actually here for a reason. Is Mom home?"

Rainbow's dad was about to walk in himself, when he noticed Fluttershy. Turning back to her, he said "Are you... Fluttershy?"

"Oh, um, yes, I am." She hid her face half behind her mane, hoping Rainbow would come back.

"Wow, you're so grown up! Do you remember me?"

"Um, well-"

Much to her relief, Rainbow came back to the door, "Hey dad, you remember Fluttershy, right?"

After everypony realized they all remembered who she was, Fluttershy came in and (at Rainbow's invitation) sat with Rainbow on the cloud couch while Rainbow's dad flew off to get Rainbow's mom.

"Rainbow, I'm sorry, what was your Dad's name again?"

"He'll probably let you call him Skittles, but right now you can just call him Mr. Dash. And my mom’s name is Firefly, or Mrs. Dash."

"Ok, thank you."

Rainbow noticed how worried she was. "Don't worry, Shy, I'll do most of the talking."

Fluttershy nodded, "Thank you Rainbow. Sorry, I'm just really scared."

"It's okay,” an audible shake wobbled in her voice, the tremor that fear adds to even the bravest of throats. “I'm worried too."

The two heard Skittles and another pony coming down the hall from way in the back of the house. Rainbow's mom sported a blue mane and tail, with a light pink coat, shinning purple eyes, and two blue lightning bolts for her cutie mark. They came in, and after saying hi and introducing Fluttershy as Rainbow's grown-up childhood friend, sat opposite in a love seat.

"So," Skittles said, breaking the ice, "what brings you two here?"

Rainbow swallowed and spoke up. "Well, I have something I, we, want to say. So, um. . .. You know, life can be complicated and take unexpected twists and turns. They can be good or bad, but we can't always avoid them. And sometimes it's unhealthy to avoid them. Because sometimes it’s just part of who you are, no matter how hard you try to change. So when these things happen, how we deal with them can be... upsetting to some ponies. Some would say how we dealt with these, uh, things is wrong or disgusting. But we don't believe them... and we choose to believe what we think – know – is right, so. Yeah. No matter what everypony else thinks, we are sure in what we did, uh, do, and we just want to make sure that you know that. We're not asking for permission or forgiveness, we're asking that you accept us. And... and that's pretty much it."

"Uh...what?" Skittles' face was completely blank, "You lost me there."

Ms. Dash looked at them in confusion, "You... you did something wrong?"

Rainbow took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "Mom, Dad, I know it might be hard for you to see me like this, but... I'm a-" her voice ran away from her, hiding in the shadows. "A... I'm gay. A lesbian."

Her parents sat slack-jawed. Skittles scotched up in his seat, "So - so you're," he pointed a hoof at Fluttershy, "You're her—"

For the first time, Fluttershy spoke up. Timidly, keeping her head down, "I'm her girlfriend."

For a moment, they all sat there in silence. Then Firefly spoke up. "Well, I think I'm okay with this." Turning to her husband, "Are you?"

Skittles shook his head vigorously, "Uh. Yeah, I guess I am. I mean, I had no idea—"

"You are!?" Rainbow shot off the couch, tears brimming in her eyes, "Thank you thank you thank you," she zoomed right over to them and tackle-hugged them both. "I was so afraid, I thought you might hate me an-and-"

"Rain," Skittles sad, smiling, "You're crying."

Rainbow sniffed and pushed him away playfully. "A-am not!"

They talked and visited for a couple hours, talking and laughing, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash not even trying to hide their smiles. Firefly turned out to be a lot like her husband, whose real name turned out to be Thundercloud. Fluttershy had started out hiding in the shadows, even though she remembered Rainbow's parents from when she had visited Rainbow's house when they were both little, but came out of her shell enough to actually enjoy the time they were all having. She talked about her animals and flowers and friends back home, talked about how the connection between Rainbow and herself had started, talked and talked and talked and actually, uncharacteristically, enjoyed it.

"I like your parents, Rainbow." Fluttershy said as they left, nearly two hours after they had arrived. "They seem like such nice ponies."

"Yeah. As you can see, my awesomeness has rubbed off on them."

They both laughed at this. They flew to a local cafe for a late lunch, and there Rainbow talked about how scared she was that they wouldn't accept her; how glad she was that they did. They finished eating at around three o'clock.

"So," Rainbow said as they walked away from the restaurant, "We going to your parent's place next?"

Fluttershy thought about it for a moment. "I think I only want to tell my mom right now."

"Oh, uh, alright. Where does she live?"

"Well... you'll see."

Before they left, they stopped by a flower shop. Not many flowers grow in could, and the selection of ground flowers was limited. Rainbow thought it rather odd, but didn't say anything. When they were growing up, Shy had hardly ever talked about her parents. Several times Rainbow had attempted to breach the subject, but she never got very far. And not once had she ever met them.

Flowers in mouth, they flew down to the ground. This also struck Rainbow as strange, but again she decided to wait. There was a small, small little town there. Just a few things were built: a well, two or three houses, and a couple places that collected ground resources for the pegasi above. Stuff that is hard or impossible to get in the clouds, like flowers. The biggest thing there, and it was huge, was a cemetery.

The pegasi had had trouble in the past with corpses falling out of the cloud floors of mausoleums. As the bodies decomposed, the magic in them faded enough that the clouds could no longer hold them. It was a pretty sickening sight to see bodies randomly fall out of a floor, especially if that floor happened to be above you. Many ponies switched to cremation, but not everypony wanted to be burnt. So a proper cemetery had been started on the ground below, many years ago. Erect stones stood like sentinels, guarding the dead for what seemed like miles; they stretched nearly out of sight, way off into the distance, spanning hundreds of years. And then Rainbow finally understood.

"Fluttershy, is your mom..?"

"Yes." She said it without sadness, completely accepting.

"Oh," was all Rainbow could say.

They walked through the headstones for a little while, without talking. Rainbow was surprised at how completely un-phased Fluttershy was. Then, after only a little while, they stopped at a stone that looked to be only about fifteen years old. Engraved on it was the name "Posey Faintheart."

Fluttershy sat down facing it. She laid the flowers down carefully on the grass. "Hello, Mom. I brought flowers for you."

"Fluttershy, you never told me your mom was dead. Or that your last name is Faintheart."

She motioned for her to sit down next to her. Once she did, "I don't use my last name much, sorry. You must have heard it before, but I guess I just never thought to tell anypony else what it was." She sighed, showing a hint of sadness. "And I kept my mom a secret, well, just because I know all of our friends already know how weak I am. I don't want to give them another reason to... to pity me."

"Wow. I mean...," on the one hoof, Rainbow was vexed she had kept such a big thing locked up for so long. On the other, she understood why she had done it. "I...."

"It's okay, Rainbow." She stretched out her wing and laid it over Rainbow Dash. Turning back to the headstone, "I know this isn't quite what you would have expected, but Rainbow and I are in love. I know you'd be glad I'm happy, no matter who it was. Even if it is a mare. Even if I am a lesbian, you'd still love me."

They were quiet for a while. Rainbow couldn't get over the fact that they were sitting on top of Fluttershy's dead mom. It was deeply sobering. And surprising.

Fluttershy was always happy to see her mom, she said. They talked a little, and she confided in Rainbow how she came to the large cemetery of Clouds Dale about once a month and told her mom what had happened over the last few weeks. How she had had a long time - Posey died when she was young - to come to peace with the matter.

Before they left, Fluttershy hugged the headstone and made sure the flowers still looked pretty. She said softly, to the stone, "Goodbye, Mom. I'll see you later." She turned to Rainbow, and said, "I'm sorry if this is putting you out of your comfort zone. We can leave now."

"Yeah, uh, it's okay. Goodbye, Ms. Faintheart."

They started away, flying back up to the cloud city above. “We’re going to your dad’s next, right?” Rainbow asked.

“No,” Fluttershy said, “I think I need to tell him later. I might write him a letter.”

“Oh, alright.”

The return flight to Ponyville was much quieter than the flight to Clouds Dale. They still had to stop every now and then to let Fluttershy rest. They sat next to each other, on each pit-stop they made, if Rainbow wasn’t flying for the fun of it. Fluttershy would land and let her wings droop down. Then Rainbow would come in, out of the air or the other side of the cloud, and scoop her up into a hug. They would fall to the cloud and Rainbow would hold her from behind, putting her wing and foreleg over her. It was still magic for them both, every little touch they took.

On one of those clouds, cuddling with her muzzle buried in a sea of delicate pink hair, Rainbow said, "You know, Faintheart really is a beautiful name. Fluttershy Faintheart. Yeah, I like that."

Fluttershy giggled, "Thank you."

"I mean, it can't beat Rainbow Dash or anything, but I like it."

When they finally reached Ponyville, the sun was setting. Before they headed off to their separate homes, they stopped at a restaurant to eat. Hay fries, daisy sandwiches, and lily soup aside, Rainbow escorted Fluttershy home.

At her cottage, standing in the doorway, Fluttershy said, "Well, it was a lovely day, Rainbow."

"Yeah, it was, wasn't it? I'm so glad my dad was okay with it all."

"I am too; your parents are really fun. I can see where you get your rambunctious attitude."

"Oh, I'm sorry, didn't you mean pure awesomeness?"

Fluttershy giggled, "Yes."

They leaned in and kissed. A proper kiss, with heat and passion, and tongue. When they came back down to earth, their faces were flushed and steamy.

They breathed together for a moment, until Shy finally said, "Well. Good night Rainbow. I love you."

"Love you too, Shy."

In a daze, Fluttershy slowly closed the door. Rainbow started to walk off, head still to Flutteshy. She only got ten steps before she stopped. There, just two feet in front of her, a shocked Twilight stood with a gaping mouth. She had seen it all.

"Oh, uh, umm, hey Twilight."

"YOU.... An-and HER—"

"Twilight, those aren't sentences, sorry. So if that's all, I'll just be go—"

"RAINBOW!"

"Rainbow? Where? Can there be rainbows at nigh—"

"AND FLUTTERSHY!"

"Well good talk Twilight, goodbye!" Rainbow managed a powerful takeoff, but almost instantly Twilight had her pinned to the ground with her magic.

"Rainbow what was that?!"

"Mhmhmm," SPLUFTHFTH and out went the dirt from Rainbow's mouth, "That was a pretty speedy takeoff if I do say so—"

"Between you and Fluttershy!" Twilight's eyes were bulging, but Rainbow couldn't tell if it was form anger or shock or both. "You kissed her! Passionately!"

"Yeah, and it was pretty dang nice." Twilight looked suddenly repulsed, and now Rainbow was scared again.

"So... so you are a.... You're gay."

"Yes, I am." Rainbow struggled up and took an aggressively defensive pose, "Why?"

"I just... you just never seemed—"

"Never seemed what, Twilight?" Twilight took a step back. This was the moment Rainbow had been dreading and rehearsing in her mind for weeks, and suddenly every insecurity and anger at every imagined insult came pouring out of her, "Never seemed disgusting? Never seemed sex-crazed? Never seemed like something out of the ordinary, never seemed to be the type to—to be so disgusting, right? I bet you never thought I would end up one of those gutter fags, one of those dykes right? Well guess what, I am! And yeah, I like Flutter—, no I love Fluttershy! And, and no matter what I, I..."

"Rainbow, that's not—"

"Oh yeah? Then why are you backing up? Are you afraid I'll corrupt you or something? Oh, better look out, here comes the lesbian. Better hide or you'll become a slut like her!" Tears were streaming down her face now, hot and bitter, biting the dust at her hooves as Twilight watched helplessly. "Don't let her touch you or you'll get molested! Don't look at her and maybe she'll go be queer somewhere else, the worthless bitch!"

"Rainbow, that's not what I meant. I mean. It just. I'm just surprised. Is all." But she still stepped back as Rainbow stepped closer.

"Really? Then stop stepping away like I'm a leper!"

"Rainbow you're not a lep—"

"This is why I hadn't told you yet Twilight. I knew you'd treat me differently, like I'm some kind of freak." She turned around and started forcefully down the path. "Don't follow me."

But Twilight did. She swallowed, grimaced, and trotted right up next to her. "I don't think you’re a freak. Look!" To prove it, she summoned up all of her courage and placed a wing and a foreleg across Rainbow's shoulders. On any other occasion it would have been completely normal.

Rainbow stopped and sniffed. "See?" Twilight said, drawing her closer into a side-hug, painfully aware of Rainbow's warm body against her own. Now so foreign when once so familiar. "I'm fine with it, really I am."

Rainbow looked at Twilight with wet eyes, still angry on the inside. Still on fire. She collapsed onto the ground in a sitting position. "...sorry."

"It... it's okay."

"I guess I overreacted. I've just been so ready for.... For that. For being outcast."

"Yeah. I'm, uh, sorry. But I can't believe you haven't told me! You two must have been dating for at least a couple months by now!"

"How did you..?"

"Well, you might kiss somepony on the first date, but Fluttershy sure wouldn't. And that kiss I saw wasn't all you, it was her too. So you two must have been dating for a while. And she leaned into it like it was familiar, so it must have been longer than just a week or two."

"Yeah. Like a little over a year by now.”

"Why haven't you told us? Oh."

Rainbow pulled into a little log on the ground; stared at the dirt. "Just scared I guess."

They were quiet for a moment. Then Rainbow said, "Look, Twilight, I'm sorry I snapped at you but it's been a long day and I'm tired. Can we talk about this later?"

"Tomorrow."

"Sure. Bye, Twilight."

"Goodnight, Rainbow."

And with that Rainbow Dash flew slowly home. Tomorrow, she knew, was going to suck.

Part 2

Rainbow woke up with the sun. She took a slow look around at the world: Tank sleeping not too far away, the cloud wall shining with the diffused light of the sun, the fresh wind blowing through a window somewhere. Then she remembered Twilight and what had happened the night before.

"I'll get up later."

Rainbow went back to sleep.

Fluttershy slept unusually late for the time she normally got up. Being so active yesterday had worn her out. Physically and mentally, having spent many hours flying and many hours talking with other ponies.

Angel, not always as nasty as he appeared, was already up and about, tending to breakfast for himself. "Oh, Angel, you got your own breakfast. Thank you, I overslept a bit."

Angel nodded and continued to eat.

Fluttershy set about her daily routine of tending to animals and such. Eventually she left the house to visit Rainbow, and so they could talk and decide when they wanted to tell their friends. If today at all. Rainbow's house was on the other side of town, near the other edge, a quicker commute to Clouds Dale. Fluttershy decided to walk through the first part of town, and maybe fly later.

She came up to Applejack, who was ponnying the apple cart at the market. "Good morning, Fluttershy," she called.

"Good morning, Applejack."

"Whatcha been up to? Didn't see you or Dash at all yesterday."

"Oh, um," Fluttershy tried to make it look like she wasn't just deciding how much to reveal. "We flew to Clouds Dale to visit some family for the day. Sorry we didn't tell you girls first, we really should have."

Applejack shook her head, "Naw, that's okay sugarcube. Just wanted to be sure y'all were alright. With what we've been through I wouldn't have been surprised if you two were foalnapped or imprisoned by some giant unicorn or somethin'."

Fluttershy laughed and said, "I sure hope not, but I guess you're right."

When she finally did reach Rainbow's house, she found herself standing nervously outside the door. She thought, should I knock? Are we at the point yet were I can just come in? She did come into my room that time during cider season, and that was back when we had just started dating. But I don't want to be rude... After a minute, she decided to knock. Just in case. So she pushed her hoof against the could door loud enough to make a kind of PHLOPH, PHLOPH noise that carried wetly through the house. She waited. Nothing happened. Is she still asleep? I guess... Well, I guess I just go in then. It seemed wrong, but Fluttershy swallowed her feelings and opened the door anyway. She stepped in and looked around.

Fluttershy had been to Rainbow's house before, but only once or twice. The front door opened up to reveal a large airy living room with a high ceiling. Two cloud couches spread themselves around the living room without any real need, since Rainbow did most of her living and lounging outside. Arched windows were set in the walls along intervals, shining down the ten-o'clock sunlight and casting pale gold in strips. Touching the right-hoof side of the room was a staircase that sprawled upward to Rainbow's room. Tucked away behind the living room was a kitchen (that looked messy from here), an extra room that held miscellaneous junk, a back door, and a bathroom. Upstairs there lived Rainbow's bedroom, another bathroom, and a kind of workout room with weights and exercise equipment Rainbow admitted to using very seldom.

Fluttershy flew upstairs and peeked in Rainbow's room. Rainbow was asleep. But another head distracted her as it looked up from the floor.

"Oh, hello Tank, I haven't seen you for a while. Still doing good? Is Rainbow taking good care of you?"

The corners of his mouth sluggishly dragging upward, tank nodded. Fluttershy hugged him and whispered, "Good."

Then she straightened up and looked back at Rainbow. She was a sloppy sleeper, unless she was hanging on a tree branch. Her head tilted to the door, nearly hanging off the bead, and her tail whipped up in a splash of color over her body and wayward limbs, stuck in every which direction. Fluttershy took a moment to appreciate how cutely weird and messy Rainbow looked, before taking another moment to decide how best to wake her up.

Dimly, from somewhere far away, there was a heat. Pleasant, like the embrace of a hot room after a long day out in the snow. Not that there was snow here, out on top of a plateau in the middle of dead-grass plains. It seemed to come from the sky. Rainbow decided to fly up and look for it, until she remembered she didn't have any wings. So instead she decided to look in a cave nearby for tank, and see if she could borrow his flying mechanism. But she had only crawled in a little ways when an outcrop of rock fell and trapped her chest in a tight clamp. I can't get to Tank like this, she thought. But then, in a blur of smells and colors, she was on her bead. With Fluttershy, standing close enough to pleasantly rub up against her, gently shaking her chest.

"Rainbow, I'm sorry, but I think you need to get up now."

"Mmm, yeah..."

"I don't mean to be rude but it's already ten and we need to talk before we tell our friends, and you have weather duties, and I'm sorry but it's time to get up."

"No duties today... It's Friday." Rainbow struggled to get up, rolling her limbs all to one side and starting to sit up, "I get Friday off once a month," she yawned, opening her mouth wide and showing off lots of pink, "about."

"Oh, I'm sorry. If you just want to sleep then, I can—"

"No, it's fine. You're right. We need to talk." Rainbow half-fell out of bed into a standing position and stretched like a cat, "Hug first though."

"What—" But Rainbow had already stepped forward and was clutching her close, forelegs wrapped around her neck, burying her muzzle in the flowing pink hair.

"Good morning."

Fluttershy hugged her back, blushing, "Good morning Rainbow."

They made their way down to the kitchen, and even though Fluttershy had already eaten they both sat down, at the square table in an open space near the living room, with bowls of cinnamon oatmeal.

Rainbow started the conversation with food in her mouth, "So Fluttershy, I'm surprised to see you in my bedroom so soon. Could this maybe mean—"

"Rainbow, no!" Fluttershy’s blush deepened significantly, and she hid behind her mane a little. "I just came in to check on you and talk. I knocked first, I did!"

Rainbow laughed. "It's fine, really. You look so cute when you blush."

This made Fluttershy blush even more, and she cast around for a new conversation topic. "So, um, what's the weather next week look like?"

"Oh, you know, sunny skies mostly. We have a shower scheduled for Saturday, but for now we're keeping it just a shower. And then we've gotta make Sunday and Monday mostly cloudy after that, just to keep the water from evaporating too quick."

"Well that sounds good, I'll have to remember not to water my garden on Saturday. I have passionflower coming in good this year, you know, I might even have to trim it back.”

“Nice.”

“So how's Scootaloo been? Are you still giving her flying lessons?"

"Oh yeah, she's improving really quick. You know last week she nearly flew half a mile by herself."

"Wow, last I saw her she was still having trouble hovering."

They made small talk like this until the conversation steered toward the subject Fluttershy had come about in the first place.

"Oh, uh, yeah. About that Shy. Well, actually, Twilight already found out yesterday."

Suddenly Fluttershy felt just colder. "She did?"

Rainbow looked her in the eyes. "She saw us kiss last night, and I think she's okay with it, but I'm not so sure. Said she was anyway. She wanted me to go to the library today to talk to her about it. I think you should come."

"Oh gosh." Fluttershy bit her lip. "Oh Rainbow what if she's not okay with it? What if she's freaked out and—and doesn’t want to be our friend anymore? What if—"

"Fluttershy, no matter what she says, you still have me, and probably still all our other friends. Besides, I don't think Twilight is gonna go and just ditch us, alright?"

"...okay."

They set off together, after putting their dishes in Rainbow's rather full sink.

They got to the library door and Rainbow stepped forward and knocked. Spike answered. "Hey guys. Need Twilight?"

"Hey Spike. Yeah, is she in?"

He looked almost bored. "I'll get her." He turned and walked away, leaving the door open. They stepped in in time to see the green and purple tail disappear upstairs. Twilight came down a moment later, but Spike stayed upstairs.

The familiar wooden world of the library seemed to Fluttershy rather harder than it used to be. As if everything in the room, every book lined up at attention, every piece of furniture sitting in wait, every arrogant decoration, every crevasse in the wood stared at her. Angrily.

"So." Twilight said.

"So." Rainbow sounded braver than she felt.

Twilight turned, "Fluttershy, are you really... really—"

"Yes." Fluttershy said in nothing more than a whisper.

"Okay. I just wanted to make sure Rainbow wasn't, ah." Fluttershy pressed closer to Rainbow, hiding deeper under the blue wing around her back. "Forcing anything. I didn't think so," she added quickly, "I just wanted to make sure."

They stood in an awkward silence for a minute, Rainbow glaring at Twilight, Twilight staring at Fluttershy, and Fluttershy starting at the floor wishing she could go back to sitting at the table eating breakfast.

Then Twilight collected herself enough to say, "I've done some reading," Rainbow and Fluttershy both rolled their eyes at this. She ignored them. "Ethics and biology mostly, but there were some other things, and in the end I asked Princess Celestia about it."

"Really?" Rainbow didn't hide her annoyance, and couldn't hide her fear. "You didn't use our names, did you?"

"Of course not! Anyway, I think I'm, well," She sat up on her back legs and fiddled her forehooves together in little circles. For a second Fluttershy thought she was going to say "I want to study you and run some tests," and then try to hook them up to machines. But, averting her eyes, she said, "I want to support you."

Rainbow managed to hold herself together better this time, but Twilight was still bowled over from the force of both of them rushing forward to hug her. "Oh Twilight," Fluttershy cried, "thank you so much!"

Twilight was on the floor, with Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy above her, clutching on with hearts racing, legs brushing up against legs, hot breath against her chest and neck, inner thighs touching inner thighs—"Girls, I'm glad we're all still friends, but now that you're," she swallowed, "attracted to mares, can you not get so close, please?"

Immediately they understood, and climbed off her. "I'm sorry," Fluttershy said, "I didn't think... about.... Sorry."

"It's fine," Twilight said, standing up and looking away and hoping her face didn't look as hot as it felt. "I just. Yeah. Anyway, we need to tell the rest of our friends. It's not right to keep a thing like this locked up for so long."

"But what if they react like you," Rainbow said, "almost did."

"Then we'll go from there. But they can't react at all if they don't know."

"Good point."

Eventually they made a plan (mostly from the things Twilight read). They would invite everypony to a picnic Sunday and let the news drop then. It seemed for the best, but Fluttershy and Rainbow were already scared.

They set out to invite their friends, and the first pony they ran into was Applejack. She said she would be delighted to come. The next one they ran into was Rarity, who was also good for that Sunday. The one pony they didn't see out and about was Pinkie Pie, so they went to Sugar Cube Corner to check for her there. She was working the counter.

Twilight came up with Fluttershy and Rainbow in tow. "Hey, Pinkie Pie. We just came in to invite you to a picnic this weekend. Does Sunday sound good?"

"Yeah! I'll bring cupcakes." Pinkie said, with an ear-to-ear grin swimming in her voice and on her face. "At the meadow, then?"

"Yep."

"Is there any special occasion, or does everyone just want to hang out?"

"Just hang out mostly," Twilight said smoothly.

Pinkie then seemed to notice the two pegasi standing off to the side. "Hey guys! What's upppPPPPPP AHH YOU GUYS!"

They looked back at her, startled, "Wh—What?" Rainbow stammered.

"TWILIGHT KNOWS NOW, DOES THAT MEAN YOU'VE COME OUT?"

"How- how did you-"

"Oh, please," Pinkie bounced over the counter and scooped them both up in a huge hug. "I've known since day two, but I also knew that this is something big and you should tell us on your own time. I was going to say something soon since it's been like forever already, but now Twilight knows and we can all be happy together!"

This was a shock for all three of them. Twilight spoke first, "How on earth did you know that I knew?"

"Pinkie sense, silly," she said, smiling over her shoulder. "And it's in your eyes."

"Pinkie," Fluttershy squeaked, "Could you put us down now, please?"

"Oh, right," and she released them from her clamp. They fell on top of each other in a heap. "Sorry. Do you make out all the time? I bet you do, ohhhh I'm so happy for you two!"

“So... so you're okay with us, with who we are?” Fluttershy asked quietly, “With us being gay?”

“Of course, silly! Why wouldn't I be?” At this, Rainbow's eyes flickered over to Twilight for a heartbeat. Pinkie noticed this and looked behind her for a second too, smiling. Twilight opened her mouth to say something, but Pinkie quickly turned back.

“I wondered if you might like mares once or twice,” at this, some dark smear stirred in her eyes, but immediately vanished. “And then you two started dating and you HAVE to tell me that story and then it took you FOREVER to come out and now you're out and you're SO CUTE TOGETHER!” She scooped them back up off the floor for another bone-crushing hug that they returned with just as much exuberance. They held each other a moment, then broke apart.

Everyone just kind of looked at each other. Then, Fluttershy broke the silence, “Oh, but, um, Pinkie, we're not exactly out yet.”

“Awww, what?”

“Well,” Rainbow said, “We kinda didn't really mean to tell Twilight, and we had no idea you already knew, so the only ponies who know about it besides you two are my parents and Fluttershy's mom.”

“Oh.”

Fluttershy spoke up again, “We were planning on telling everypony at the picnic. Do you, um, do you think you could maybe not tell anyone until then?”

“Of course, Fluttershy. I can totally keep a secret.”

After Pinkie had properly performed a Pinkie Promise, Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash, and Twilight managed to walk back outside. Twilight went off, saying goodbye, to attend to some work in the library.

Rainbow and Fluttershy walked together for a little distance, going nowhere in particular, when Rainbow said, “Hey, so. Do you want to do something today, since we have a bit of free time? It's only noon, after all.”

“Yeah, that sounds really nice.”

The day passed in the best way: slowly and filled with a bunch of little good things. It was nice to just hang out with each other and occasionally pass conversation with good talking friends. It was such a nice day, but all the while it felt like the eye of the storm for both Rainbow and Fluttershy. Like after this momentary calm there was to be some major storm in the next days. And the wall of the hurricane coming on Sunday.

Part 3

Saturday passed fast. The rainy, wet day seemed to slip by in only a few hours, and suddenly it was Sunday – cloudy, cool, and time for their picnic.

Sometime around noon the group gathered together in a loose knot on an outstretched blanket with a food basket nearby. Everyone took their seats: Pinkie sat next to Twilight and Rainbow, Rainbow sat next to Fluttershy, Fluttershy sat next to Rarity, Rarity sat next to Applejack, and Applejack sat next to Twilight. Somepony started passing out food until they all had something to munch on.

Small talk bubbled up, but Fluttershy and Rainbow felt removed. They were waiting, and dreading, the upcoming. Any minute now....

“So, Twilight,” Applejack was saying, “What have you been up to this week?”

“Oh, you know, studying mostly. Had a bit of a turn with a little something, but I got it resolved in the end.” Her eyes flickered over to Rainbow and Fluttershy.

Fluttershy opened her mouth to maybe say something, but Rarity cut her off, “Oh, I hope it wasn't anything too serious.”

“Oh, uh, nothing really.”

“Well, okay. Did I tell you what Opal did this week? She threw up all over my brand-new one-of-a-kind silk shawl that was a gift Fancy Pants mailed me just this week. It was awful! The pains of removing cat vomit from fine cloth—uh! I could write a book.”

The conversation rambled on, until a lull came up. Everyone was quiet for a second. Rainbow knew it was the right time. It was perfect. She swallowed and her stomach plunged down out of her body in a panic. She could feel the sour words form on the back of her tongue, and for a second she thought she might throw up instead of talking.

“S-so,” she choked out, “Me and Fluttershy have some news.”

“What's that?” Applejack asked.

“We, uh,” she turned to Fluttershy, who was trying to hide behind her own mane. Her foreleg fell over on to hers near the hoof. “Well... we're dating.”

“Dating who?” Rarity asked.

Really? Really? Was it not enough to just say— “We're dating each other. We're... we're dating each other.” That was all that would come out.

Fluttershy could feel the change in the air instantly. It went frigid and strained, and when Applejack stood up, Fluttershy was already cowering below.

“You sure?” It was cold and didn't seem to belong to the warm farmer from whose mouth it issued.

Rainbow tried to make light of it. “Well, yeah, I think I'd kind of know something like that.”

“Good. Fine. You two can just do that and sit here and be gross together, but don't you come around me anymore. I don't want to have anything to do with this, this mockery of affection. If I see you on my farm I'll run you out, and if you put ONE HOOF on Apple Bloom you won't make it out of the hospital in one piece, ya' hear?”

Everypony sat shocked, and Fluttershy cried silently into her hooves.

“Good. I'm leaving.”

“But Applejack!” Rarity was the first to find her voice. “How can you jus-”

“Just what Rarity? Just realize that this is wrong? Because it is! It's taking somethin' sacred and pure, love, and corruptin' it into a twisted-”

“No it's not!” Rarity was on her hooves, a fire in her eyes and tears licking her face. She swept over to Rainbow, who was hunched over between getting up and attacking AJ and staying close to Fluttershy so she could protect her, and curled a foreleg around her. “Applejack, if I know anything it's that love knows no bounds. If—”

“Then ya don't know anything! You don't, RARITY. This is wrong and unnatural and disgusting and all of y'all should be ashamed of your selves.” Before Rarity could say another word, Applejack turned abruptly around and started walking in the opposite direction. They could just hear her mutter under her breath, “Fagots coming into my life, try to....”

Fluttershy burrowed her face lower down in a feeble attempt to hide her sobbing. Rainbow, with slow-moving tears leaking down her face, put a wing over Fluttershy and joined her head on the ground.

“It's okay, 'Shy,” She whispered in a cracking voice that jumped roughly up and down in volume, full of rage and melancholy, “I promise. It'll be alright, it will.”

Fluttershy pulled her head up with visible effort, her nose still pointed at the dirt, and choked out, between gasps of misery, “I – hhh – I'm not... b-broken, but – hhh – I just need to c-cry... right now.” She slumped back down, thick, hot swells of liquid pouring out between her eyelids into the grass. Rainbow, crying with her, slumped down by her side and pressed her head against Fluttershy's wet cheek. Rarity cried as well, but her tears trailed down silently and bitterly. Together they wept while Twilight and Pinkie watched helplessly.

Eventually they managed to pull themselves together. They straightened up with puffy red eyes, looking around at their friends. Rarity was standing just behind them, her own eyes red at this point, and the first thing they did was hug her together.

“It's okay, girls,” Rarity said, hugging them back, “We'll get through this.”

Then Pinkie and Twilight joined in and they hugged there for a while.

The air in Sugar Cube corner was light and sweet. The group sat around a table, nibbling rather numbly on chocolate-chip cookies. Fluttershy and Rainbow sat together with their wings over each other. Fluttershy was trying not to cry again, but Rainbow was getting mad. Rage was building up to her throat, and once it burned out onto her tongue there would be nowhere for it to burst except into Appljack's face.

How can she, Rainbow thought, just – just do that? Have I ever been anything except a friend to her? No! Have I ever done anything to hurt her? NO! She's just stupid and narrow minded and a good punch would fix that, I fucking know it.

Everypony tried to console the two as Rainbow brooded and Fluttershy stared at the table. But it was hard, even for Pinkie, to be any kind of happy right now.

“I was afraid of this,” Twilight said, “but I can't say I was prepared for it. Maybe I can look back through my books...”

“Twilight, It's going take a bit more than books.” Rarity said.

Pinkie had a look on her face, and finally she said, “Guys, can we please deal with Applejack being a jerk later? I wanna celebrate!”

“Pinkie,” Twilight rounded on her, “this is not time to--” Pinkie grabbed Twilight by the ear and dragged her away, “Pinkie what are you doing?”

When Pinkie had her away from the group of confused friends behind, she whispered, “Twilight, trust me.” She looked uncharacteristically serious; her blue eyes bore hard into Twilight. “They need this. What Applejack said was horrible, and we definitely need to talk to her, but we can't right now. Just look at Rainbow, if we get her anywhere near AJ we'll have maybe two seconds before they kill each other.”

Twilight glanced over at Rainbow Dash, and sure enough she was steamed, grinding her hooves and teeth together in a way that was painful to watch. “Well—”

“And Fluttershy just lost a friend, like not in an almost okay way of just not talking forever until you drift apart naturally, she lost a friend by having that friend scream at her for being herself! No matter how brave she tries to be and how much Rainbow tries to comfort her, I know it's eating her up inside. If we don't do something to show her we all are one hundred thousand million percent in support of who she is, she'll drive herself mad with worry!”

“That... that actually makes sense, Pinkie Pie,” Twilight said, mulling through everything Pinkie said.

They rejoined their group at the table, and Pinkie quickly whispered what she had told Twilight to Rarity.

“So guys,” Pinkie said, immediately turning back to Fluttershy and Rainbow, “You have to tell us your story. Who kissed who first? Have you cuddled, like proper under-the-covers cuddled yet? What was your first date? Do you have pet names yet? Who's really the big spoon? OH, OH, OH!” She leaped forward and pushed her face right up next to them, just barely still in her seat, giving them bedroom eyes, “Have you, you know... said 'I love you' to each other yet?”

“Pinkie!” Rainbow said, snapping out of her angry, self-righteous inner monologue and pushing Pinkie back into her seat. “Some of that's privet you know.”

“I- I've been big spoon a couple times,” Fluttershy whispered with a small smile. “Rainbow likes to let me nibble her ear when I am.”

“Fluttershy! Don't tell them that!” Rainbow said, blushing profusely and shrinking down in her seat. Everpony giggled, except her. It was a good kind of giggle, not demeaning but uplifting.

“Okay, okay,” Rarity said, calming down. “We don't have to hear everything, dears, but do at least tell us how it all started.”

“Fluttershy seems to want to talk,” Rainbow said irritably.

“Oh, I'm sorry,” Fluttershy said, turning to her, “I shouldn't have said that. Kiss?”

“Yeah, I guess it's okay.” Rainbow sat back up in her seat, “Kiss.”

Everypony watched with different faces as Rainbow and Fluttershy kissed each other real quick on the lips. Rarity with a smile, Twilight with only with a hint of a grimace, and Pinkie Pie with a huge, goofy grin, rubbing her hooves together in an almost fan-girly way.

“Hey,” Rainbow said as she pulled away, “this is our first public kiss.”

“Oh yeah,” Fluttershy said, “It is.”

They smiled at each other, and after a moment began their tale.

Rainbow Dash started, “So, um, Fluttershy and me have been best friends since we were, like, I dunno, five? And a while ago I kinda started crushing on her. That was sometime around when you showed up, Twilight. It took me a while to say anything – I was afraid she would be overpowered by the sheer amount of awesomeness that suddenly was all hers.”

“She didn't know how I'd react,” Fluttershy popped in real quick to explain.

“But when I did ask her out, she was totally fine with it and said yes. Then we dated for a while, kinda without you knowing...” Rainbow said this a little sheepishly, “Because Fluttershy was afraid that you guys might react like, like Applejack did.”

There was a dark lull in the air before Fluttershy cut back in, “Rainbow, we were both scared.”

“Well, yeah, but you were the one who kept putting it off.”

Fluttershy let this slide, but she gave the others a look that said this was not the whole truth.

“And then we went to Clouds Dale yesterday and told my parents and Fluttershy's mom. Then that night Twilight caught us making out—“ Twilight blushed and looked away briefly, “—and we resolved to come out the next day. And today AJ happened.” She left it at that.

Pinkie said, “Come on guys, what about my questions? That hardly answers anything! Have you two tongue wrestled yet? Said 'I love you'? Have you said it yet?”

Rainbow looked at Fluttershy and let herself be swept up in a hug. “Yes,” Fluttershy said, “we have. It was very special, and the moment was absolutely perfect.”

“OOOOOO, you're so cute together!” Pinkie was absolutely beaming.

“Um, thanks I guess.” Rainbow said, with a smile, as she and Fluttershy stopped hugging.

Twilight spoke up, “How, um, did you know you were, you know, gay?” Rarity gave Twilight a look. “I mean, does it feel different? Is it like, uh...,” she petered out.

Rainbow spoke, a bit of a blush playing at the corners of her face, “It's just like liking stallions, really. Except with mares. I mean, it's not like colts are gross, it's just kind of not finding them hot like everypony says they are. And, uh, I knew I guess since I was around fourteen. But not for sure. It was just kinda noticing all the mares around me were really hot, but I never did anything about it. Until I started crushing on Shy, that is.”

“A-and it's scary,” Fluttershy said now, “Because you know you're not normal and you're constantly scared of how ponies will react.” She shuddered when she thought of Applejack. “It's awful when... when it goes bad.”

Twilight just nodded. An awkward film settled over the air. Rarity broke it up, “We should go out to the cinema or some such, to celebrate this new found relationship.”

“But what about AJ? Shouldn't we—” Fluttershy was cut short by Twilight.

“We can talk to her tomorrow. Maybe it'll help if we let her have some time to get used to all this.” But they all knew it wouldn't.

“Maybe,” Rainbow said, “It'll help to give a good bu—“

“I HEAR there's a good showing in an hour or so,” Rarity cut in.

Much later they were all walking away from the theater, heading home. It hadn't been much of a surprise when Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash shared a kiss, but it had been a surprise when Pinkie Pie had, more than once, stuck her forelegs through the seats behind them and pushed them together, whispering, “Okaythisisagoodtimetokissdoit!”

Rainbow walked Fluttershy home, after saying goodbye to all their other friends.

“That was fun,” Fluttershy said, watching the sun set in the distance.

“Yeah, it wasn't bad. Pinkie sure can be annoying though.”

Part 5

Applejack headed out the next morning, Monday, intending to talk to Rainbow and Fluttershy and her friends. She didn't really know what she was going to say, but she sure was going to say something. She had too.

She saw Rarity walk into Twilight's library, and figured that would be a good place to start.

Inside, Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Twilight were hovering together over something on a table. Pinkie heard the door open, and turned around. She looked, faintly, scared.

There was a hush. “Hello, Applejack,” Rarity said coolly.

“Hi Rarity,” Applejack said just as cold.

Twilight looked up, “Applejack, I have something I want you to read.” She levitated a scroll over to her, and unfurled it in her magic grip.

It was a letter. Applejack read, standing a few yards away from the rest of the group.

It said:

Dear Twilight,

I recognize your concern with your friends and their romantic pursuits. It can be unnerving to see something like what you're describing for the first time. (Ask me for that story later, it's a good one.) It feels wrong, I know, but I assure you that love is blind.

My dearest Twilight, you are well versed now in friendship but I might need to set you up to start studying love. (That is a joke, Twilight. It is okay to laugh.)

Love is something more beautiful and more magnificent than anything, stronger than my day and more all-consuming than Luna's night. If two ponies love each other, if they really truly love each other, then what should stand in their way? In the end, what could? You have read the stories of love crossing boundaries of social class, race, and nationality, and it is no different for gender.

In short, love is lovely, no luck for logistics (in this case).

I wish your friends good luck in their relationship; contact me again if there are any major problems with their being who they are.

Love Ya, Good Morning, Luna Says Hi, Happy Days, and All That Jazz,

Celestia.

Applejack looked up, unmoved. “So she's on y'alls little boat too now. I came around here to tell ya that this unnatural!”

“No, Appley-Jack,” Pinkie bounced up, “It's not! It's cute and you should be happy for your friends!”

“I'm not happy, I'm concerned! We need to talk them out of it, and get them back on the right track.”

Rarity spoke, “Applejack do you think this is a choice? They love each other, and they can't change that just because you think it's—“

“Just because I know it's wrong. I don't want to, to not be friends anymore but they—“

“Are beautiful together, and it's a shame that you can't see that!”

They were getting closer, Rarity taking tiny angry steps. Applejack taking a little leap each time she started up again, “No, it's a shame you can't realize this kind of crap is gonna reach out to us all!”

Rarity was boiling over now, her face red and her teeth grinding up; she just managed to choke out in rage-soaked breaths, “THEY. LOVE. EACH. OTHER.”

“THEY SHOULDN'T.”

A shouting match, “THIS ISN'T A CHOICE DAMNIT, YOU CAN'T CHOOSE TO BE GAY AND YOU CAN'T CHOOSE TO FALL IN LOVE!”

“YOU—woah!” Twilight held them apart in the air; they had gotten so close she was afraid they would start to hit each other.

“Can we please,” Twilight said coldly, letting them down gently on opposite sides of a table, “talk this over rationally?” Applejack and Rarity stared daggers into each other's face, and Twilight came up and took a seat next to them both.

Just then the door opened and in came Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy, appearing by coincidence.

“Applejack,” Rainbow said with venom dripping from the words. If Fluttershy didn't have her foreleg around her shoulders, she would have jumped forward and hit her right then. But she had to shake off Fluttershy, and that gave Twilight just enough forewarning to catch her in midair jump.

“Now Rainbow,” Twilight said as she lowered her into another seat at the table, “we are not going to assault Applejack, okay?”

Rainbow snorted, “Fine.” She looked like she was only waiting for Twilight to look away. Twilight stared at her, and motioned for Fluttershy to sit next to her.

Fluttershy did so, and whispered, “Dash, please don't be violent.”

Rainbow sighed and looked into her teal eyes, and slowly her anger melted a little.

“Please?”

Rainbow sighed, “Only for you.” She leaned in and kissed her, and at this Applejack lost it.

“How dare you! That's disgusting and wrong and I can't believe you can stand to do that!”

“Do what? Show that I love her?”

“Girls!” Twilight said, “This isn't gonna get us anywhere, okay? We need to be rational and talk this out.”

“Yeah,” Applejack said, “Here, I'll talk, I think y'all need to realize how unnatural an' foul what you're doin' is.”

“And I think you need to realize,” Rainbow said, leaning up in her seat, "that what we're doing is called love and it's completely fine!”

“Appljackie,” Pinkie said, “I don't think you've ever been in love.” There was something sad in the way she said it, not entirely like pity.

Applejack scowled, “That's completely beside the point. You know what?” She stood up and started walking away, “When you realize how much of an abomination what you're doin' is, I'll be here. But for now you can just keep out of my way.” She walked out and left them there, everyone fuming at her. Except Fluttershy, who was only sad.

“Maybe.... Maybe she just needs some time to get used to it,” Rarity said. “If we just let her have some space, some time to calm down.”

They sat in silence until Rainbow stood up and said, “Well that sucked.”

Everypony nodded rather quietly. “I had her read the letter,” Twilight said, “I can't believe that didn't help things. It helped me.”

Rarity was looking at Pinkie rather weird, but she said, “I think maybe it'll come back to her later.”

“Come on, Fluttershy,” Rainbow said, “I'm going back up to the skies on cloud kicking duty.”

“Okay Rainbow,” Fluttershy walked up to Rainbow and kissed her. But she soon had her head against Rainbow's chest and whispered, “I'm sorry Rainbow, if it wasn't for me, Applejack wouldn't—“

“Fluttershy, stop,” Rainbow pulled her away and held her at foreleg's length, resting on her haunches, “It's not your fault and you know it. AJ's a jerk and that would've come out sometime or another.”

Fluttershy held back her tears and nodded, “I-I'm sorry.”

“Stop saying that,” Rainbow said, making her stop by kissing her lips. “Come on, I'll walk you home first.”

“Okay.”

The group left behind could just hear Rainbow say as she left, “We'll get through this, I promise. And your birds will sing at our wedding, and....”

Applejack watched them come out and caught a few words of this. Somewhere, deep in her heart, she knew it was awful to see Fluttershy like this.

Back in the tree-house-library, Twilight ran off to get Spike to send a letter she wrote to Princess Celestia. She had kept Spike upstairs while they talked.

The day dissolved into a worn-out order as Rarity and Pinkie left to rejoin the world. Twilight got back to studying and resarching, Fluttershy returned to her animals, and Rainbow to the skies. They tried, by busying themselves with everyday tasks and routines, to forget about Applejack. They tried to distract the wondering thoughts about how horrible she had been and how much they wanted her back.

By the time the sun set, they were dying inside.

Part 6

Tuesday came and Scootaloo got up at the crack of dawn with her alarm buzzing excitedly. She jumped out of bed and hit the clock. It was 6:10. Only four hours until her next training session with Rainbow Dash.

Being very quiet, so she wouldn't wake anyone up, she sneaked outside and started stretching. Her wings were growing and getting stronger, but were still sore from last time's strain in training.

She did wing-ups, side-stretches, feather-fluffs, and a few aerial sprints. Then she started on practicing her takeoffs. Those were hard, and of all the things Rainbow had her working on, they were the hardest. She would run, jump and start flapping like crazy. And then she would fall on her face. In the clouds it was different: she could fall a little bit and have some time in the air to coast and get control to start flying. But here on the ground she could only run a little bit then clutch desperately at a foot of air before hitting the ground again.

Rainbow assured her that as her wings grew takeoffs would become much easier, as the ground is a great, solid thing to pelt with air. But for now her wings were small enough, and she was unskilled enough, that she couldn’t manage it.

Soon she was tired and aching from taking so many falls. She was about to start walking to their training point, near the edge of the park, when she spotted a big pink bow bobbing up the road toward her.

“Hey Apple Bloom,” she said, trotting to meet her.

“Howdy, Scootaloo. You headin' off to Rainbow Dash soon?”

“Yeah, I was just about to go. What are you up to?”

“Oh, I'm goin' to find Sweetie Belle, we're gonna plan while you practice.”

“Sounds good. I'll come around the tree-house later, once we're done.”

“See ya' later, Scootaloo.”

“See you Apple Bloom.”

When she got there, Rainbow was already warming up, doing a few straight strokes in the air above. There weren't many ponies at the park that day, which Scootaloo preferred. It was a good place to practice, the warming, gently rising air held just right for new fliers, but there had been, more than once, an incident with her crashing into innocent bystanders. Nopony had been too badly hurt, though.

Scootaloo ran out and called up into the white-dotted azure, “Rainbow Dash, I'm here!”

Rainbow came down with a flourish, “Hey kid, you ready to get workin'?”

“Totally!”

“Great, you all stretched already?”

Scootaloo nodded eagerly.

“Well okay then, think you can take off?”

Scootaloo looked down, “I don't think so.”

“Give it a try, come on.”

Scootaloo nodded, and squinted off to one direction in concentration. She shuffled into the proper stance, outed her wings, ran a few steps, jumped, flapped with big, powerful strokes like Rainbow taught her and—THUDSHFF. Right in the dirt.

She picked her head up, defeated, and muttered. “Not yet.”

Rainbow sighed, and knelt down. “Alright, climb on.”

Scootaloo couldn't help but smile. She clambered onto Rainbow's back and hugged her neck. They took off into the sky, and Scootaloo watched the ground drop away. She tried to imagine she was doing it herself, alone, this time.

They flew up, and were about to alight on a cloud when Scootaloo saw something, “Hey look, it's Fluttershy! What's she doing up here?”

Rainbow glanced around and saw Fluttershy gently gliding to them. She smiled, “Let's go find out.”

Rainbow flew over and meet Fluttershy on a small cloud. Without even thinking about it, she said “Hey cutie,” and kissed her on the lips. “What’re you up to?”

Fluttershy looked a little surprised by the kiss, but not nearly as surprised as Scootaloo, who had pulled herself up on top of Rainbow’s head and watched the whole thing. Rainbow realized what she had just done the moment after she had done it.

“Rainbow, you're dating Fluttershy?” Scootaloo said.

“Uhh... uh-hu.”

“How come you never told me?” In Scootaloo's mind, this meant a whole new thing to add to her secret Rainbow Dash fanfiction, which up to this point had almost completely left out romance.

“Slipped my mind, I guess,” Rainbow said, relief painted all over her and Fluttershy's faces. “So Fluttershy, whatcha doin' up here?”

“Oh, I um, I just came to watch you and Scootaloo practice. Oh, if that's okay.”

“It's alright with me.” She looked up to Scootaloo, “How 'bout you kid? Mind if Fluttershy watches?”

“Um... I guess not.” Scootaloo still couldn't believe her idol had a girlfriend. And Fluttershy, of all ponies. It was such a bizarre thought to her. The Dash was in a relationship? With a shy pony? What?

They practiced, Fluttershy sitting a few clouds off and occasionally cheering. For almost three hours they did strengthening exercises and sprints, dives and turns; hovering and quick-stopping. Scootaloo was improving, and Rainbow could tell. Now if only she could get her to master takeoffs.

After the practice, all three flew off. Scootaloo screwed up her moxie and jumped from a cloud, determined to make it to the clubhouse flying.

Rainbow shouted as she left, “Good luck, kid!”

She was going to need it. The Cutie Mark Crusader's club house was well over two miles away from the park where she was. It was easy to walk, and easy to fly for normal pegasi, but her flying there was going to be hard.

There was a buzzing noise outside. “What's that?” Sweetie Belle asked, looking out the window.

“Ehhbth, uh. Almost... there....”

“It's Scootaloo!”

Apple Bloom shot up and they both crowed around the window. Scootaloo looked exhausted, but she was in the air, and coming toward them.

“You're doing it, you're doing it!” Sweetie Belle squeaked.

“I... am.” Scootaloo panted. She slowly crossed the windowsill and collapsed on the ground in a heap. She let her wings flop out limply. “I did it. I... did it guys!” She smiled.

“That was amazing, Scootaloo! Did you come all the way from the park?” Apple bloom asked.

“Sure... did.” Scootaloo sat up, and looked at their excited faces, everypony beaming at each other. “I got all the way here without touching the ground once!”

“We should celebrate!” Sweetie Belle suggested.

“I have a few bits. We could go down to Sugar Cube Corner.”

“Yeah,” Scootaloo agreed, “But can we walk there? I don't think I can move my wings to scooter right now.”

On the walk to Sugar Cube Corner Scootaloo told them about flying over everypony and seeing a few look up at her encouragingly. Like an adventure, she narrated when she got caught in a wind but was saved by an updraft, when a squirrel had jumped onto her head to catch a ride, and when Derpy Hooves had saved her from touching the ground by flying under her and lifting her up a few feet.

“And then,” She was saying as they crossed the threshold into candied air, “She swooped under me and was all 'You can do it, Scoots,' and pushed me high enough so I didn't even scrape the hill. Then she flew away and was all, 'Good luck!'”

“That sounds amazing, Scootaloo.” Sweetie Belle said, “I wish I could fly.”

They ordered some milkshakes, then chose a table and sat down. Apple Bloom began to recount the plans made for that day when suddenly Scootaloo remembered something.

“Hey girls!” She said, “Did you know Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy are dating?”

“What?”

“They are?”

“Oh are they really?” Said a passing Mrs. Cake, who looked at them expectantly.

“Yeah,” Scootaloo said, “They are! Fluttershy came to watch me practice, and when she did Dash kissed her! When I asked why she hadn't told me, she said it just slipped her mind.”

“Well,” Mrs. Cake said, “Isn't that something nice? I had no idea they were—” She looked at the girls. Then she laughed, “Well I guess you learn something new everyday, don'tcha?”

She trotted away, and Apple Bloom was the first to speak, “Can you do that? I thought it was supposed to be a mare and a stallion that dated, not a mare an' a mare.”

“My sister said something about that once,” Sweeite said, “I think she called it lesbian, but that’s all I know.”

“I don't think I've heard of it before.”

“Oh well,” Scootaloo said, looking up from her milkshake. “I think they make a good couple.”

“Yeah, I bet they're cute together.” Apple Bloom said.

“Oh, oh!” Sweetie said, “I bet Fluttershy's the small spoon and Rainbow's the big one!”

“What?” Scootaloo and Apple Bloom said together.

“It was another thing my big sis said once, ponies spoon in relationships.”

“That’s not, like, that adult thing is it?” Scootaloo asked.

“What? No, this is something nice. I just don’t remember what it means.”

“Golly,” Apple Bloom rolled her eyes, “Your sister is weird.”

Part 7

Mrs. Cake told Mr. Cake about Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, Mr. Cake mentioned it talking to a friend, that friend told his friends, those friends told their friends, and so on and so forth. What with Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy being town celebrities, and the town being so close-knit and small, nearly everypony in Ponyville knew by next morning. And not everyone was happy about it.

They talked in the rising sun:

“How disgusting, absolutely scandalous!”

“I bet they make a cute couple.”

“What? I thought Rainbow Dash didn't have time for love.”

“Ha, I knew she was gay.”

“I can't believe, after all this time, two of the town heroes turn out to be dykes.”

“Thank goodness you told me! I need to keep little Bean Sprout away from them.”

“I wonder if they've banged yet.”

“I can't believe they have some fag up there controlling our weather! They need to send up someone else.”

“Awww, I'll have to stop by and congratulate them. Coming out is a big deal, you know. I bet it was hard on Fluttershy, she’s so shy.”

“Shit, that’s gross.”

“I bet the sex is good.”

“Haha, that's cute.”

“Whoa, really? I had no idea Rainbow Dash, of all people, would be into the quite type.”

“I thought they were already a thing?”

“Good grief, first monsters, Discord, then lesbians. What could possibly be next?”

Fluttershy woke up with awful bedhead. It looked like a miniature pink tornado was freeze-framed on her face. She shook it dimly, and decided to take a shower first off. The hot water plastered her hair into a wet submission; steam rose and wafted in the air, fogging the mirror. After washing, she stepped out and saw herself as a muddled pink-and-yellow blur. For some odd reason, she felt like it was going to be a long day today.

But she yawned and fed the animals, spruced up feathers and fur, cooked for Angle, cooked for herself, ate, cleaned cages, cleaned litter boxes, skimmed the paper; cleaned the kitchen.... By one she already felt ready to go back to bed. Instead, she made her way into town. She needed to go grocery shopping, and if she put it off much longer she would start eating her backyard. Not that that was particularly awful, but she tried to save that for the other grazing animals she took care of. She also wanted more variety than just common lawn grass.

The market wasn't overly crowded, but it was never quiet. A good number of ponies walked the streets with saddlebags and focused thoughts in their faces. But gradually, it seemed they paid more attention to her. Some snickered and smiled, some frowned at her coldly.

She walked up to her first stop and tried not to feel the eyes crawling on her back like bugs under her skin. “I'd like to buy two bunches of celery, please.” She said, opening her bag with her wing and pulling the bits out with her mouth.

The stall pony, a stallion with a blond coat, red mane, tail, and beard, roundish face, and rather gruff voice, said, “Of course, Fluttershy. Nice to see you're staying strong.”

“Staying—?” but the words were lost in her throat as another pony from behind her muttered something about taking all day. “Oh, I'm sorry,” she squeaked as she quickly took her celery and left.

“Gross,” somepony muttered behind her; she just caught a glimpse of the speaker rubbing her fur, as if to brush off dirt, where Fluttershy had brushed her.

What? Do I have dirt on me somewhere? Fluttershy thought, but before she could check, another pony walked up to her.

“Hey Fluttershy, you don't really know me, but I want to say thanks for standing up for ponies like us.” Lyra smiled as she talked.

“P-ponies like us? What—” But suddenly Lyra was pulled away by a friend, and she only waved goodbye. Fluttershy frowned and looked around quickly for a place to hid—rest. She ducked her head and started walking toward an empty stall when she caught a group of ponies glaring hatefully at her. Their leader, a pink-and-blue unicorn mare, started walking forward.

Fluttershy decided she had had enough of the market today. She flew home with only her celery, and while she coasted on the air above thatched roofs she tried to sort out what had happened at the market. Ponies like us? What does that mean? Standing up? For what?

Rainbow Dash noticed some of the weather team snickering behind her back. Nothing too unusual, but she wasn't about to let it slide. “Hey! You two! What are you laughing at?” she yelled as she swooped up them—Thunderlane and another stallion.

He snapped a quick salute, and the pony next to him looked up at her. Thunderlane spoke: “Sorry mam! We were only giggling mam.”

“About what? I can't have you two over here cracking jokes and letting the clouds fly rampant. Not if you want to get paid, that is,” Rainbow said, narrowing her eyes.

The pony beside Thunderlane made chocked on a sound that stuck in his throat, and said mustered out, “Of course!” He flew off and began to work on the clouds again.

“Yes sir, mam sir!” Thunderlane flew off as well.

Rainbow returned to her work as well, but soon she was looking up again at Flitter, who looked like she wanted to say something. “Ms. Dash?”

“Yeah Flitter?”

“Me and Cloudchaser talked it over and we want you to know that no matter who you choose to be, we'll still be here on your team, working in the skies.”

“Umm, thanks?”

Flitter nodded and started for a hug, but Rainbow put a hoof on her chest and said, “Uh, Flitter, what—?”

“Oh, I'm sorry, I guessed it might be different now. I'll go back to helping Cloudchaser and Candylane.”

“But what... does..?” But she flew away. Rainbow petered out. She went back to work, and tried to concentrate. Hmm. Today doesn’t feel quite right...

It wasn't until the day's work was almost done did she realize what was wrong.

“Hey! Thunderlane, don't go yet.”

“Uhh, okay?” He twirled around and looked scared. Everypony else was already heading home, off to enjoy the rest of the day. “Is this about earlier? Gusty Wind and I were only—I mean—you do have to still pay me for today. Right?”

“What? Yeah, of course you're getting paid. No, I wanna talk about something Flitter said. She said that her and Cloudchaser were going to keep working here no matter who I choose to be. Do you have any idea of what that means? And does it have anything to do with Lightning Chase, Cold Cloud, Rainy Cloud, and Feather Prick missing today?”

“Well,” Thunderlane scratched the back of his neck with a hoof, “They quit this morning—said they didn't want to have anything to do with a ‘scandalous lesbian'.”

It was what she feared. They knew. Somehow, it had finally gotten out.

Thunderlane interrupted her fiery train wreck of thoughts, “If it helps any, the rest of the weather team hardly bat an eye. I mean, there was some little fussing, but you know Cloudchaser and Flitter got it straightened out in the end.”

“And—why—do—” Okay. Rainbow felt queasy, but she tried to focus. One thing at a time. “Why did no one tell me they quit until now?”

“Didn't you read the bulletin posted on the wall at the weather hub? It had their resignation notices on it.”

“I never read the bulli—okay. Fine. We can get along without them. How did everyone find out? I never told them, and F—do you know who it is?”

“We, uh, heard it was Fluttershy. And the news just kind of spread—like wildfire. I don't know who it came from in the beginning.”

Rainbow's head was spinning. She grabbed a cloud and sat down on it shakily. “So... you know now. You were giggling at us! At me and her being in a relationship, weren’t you?”

“We didn't mean it to be mean,” Thunderlane said quickly, “we just thought it was funny, because we never thought you would go for the quiet type.”

“You suck.” She whispered, looking down at the cloud.

Thunderlane tried to comfort her. He sat down next to her and awkwardly put a foreleg on her shoulder. But then suddenly Rainbow realized that a few ponies quitting was far from the worst. The worst would be, “Oh my Celestia! Fluttershy!” In a shot she was off the cloud and into the air.

Thunderlane looked on as she flew in a frenzy. “She’s probably fine,” he mumbled to himself.

Fluttershy was boiling pasta, somehow there always seemed to be some kind of noodles hiding in the back of her pantry, when she heard a slam behind her. She had half a second to be scared before Rainbow Dash swooped her up in her forelegs, clutching her close and looking her all over.

She was stumbling over her words, “Fluttershy! You're okay! I know I've heard horror stories before, and Applejack, but you're alright!”

“Rainbow, I—” She was cut off as Rainbow kissed her hard on the lips, slipping in tongue in rough passion. “Rainbow, what are you doing?”

Rainbow hugged her tight and said, “You’re being okay.”

“Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy pulled away, “What's going on?”

“They know. They found out we're dating, and four ponies quit the weather team because of it.”

For a little bit, all they did was sulk in the kitchen, with pasta boiling next to them. Fluttershy told Rainbow about what had happened in the market. “What should we do now?” She asked Rainbow, who was biting her lip.

“I don't know. First AJ, then the weather team, what if the whole town reacts like that?”

“But surely the whole town won't.”

“I hope not.”

They were eating lunch (the pasta, which Fluttershy had luckily boiled enough of for both of them) when suddenly Rainbow had an epiphany.

“Hey! This means we're out now. We can—we don't have to hide anything anymore. I mean, I'm sure there will be a bunch of problems and stuff, but we're free! We don't need to hide.”

Fluttershy smiled. Yeah. Free. That sounded nice. Even if, well, even if there were going to be problems then let them be. Because they were free. Yeah. “We should, um, if you're free, we should have a public date. A real date.”

Up until now every date they went on had been secluded and private. No other ponies around, just a pick-nick at an empty park, talking on a rouge cloud, sitting together in the dark of the theater. Only once or twice had they gone to restaurants, and then they never let it look too much like they were dating. They looked like good friends, or sisters. But that would change now.

So they ate and decided for their real date they should eat dinner at a fancy restaurant. A romantic restaurant, preferably with the table in the middle of the evening crowd and the lighting set to a nice soft mood. And this time they wouldn't hide a thing.

In the meanwhile, Rainbow wanted to stay at Fluttershy's. She had an uneasy feeling that something bad would happen if she left her alone. As if somepony would come and... and something. It was silly she knew, but still. So Rainbow helped her do chores and this and that, and the afternoon passed slowly. And as it did she realized something. She realized that right here, with Fluttershy, was exactly where she wanted to be the rest of her life.

Applejack was crying. Silently, hotly, the tears falling to the roots of the apple tree next to her. Big Mac went over to her, and gave her a minute to collect herself. She would talk when she was ready, even though Big Mac already knew what it was about.

“It's just so stupid.” She said, and Big Mac listened. “I don't want them to stop being my friends. But I just can't believe it. And after all this time, all this time I've spent with them.”

Big Mac thought carefully over what to say. “Applejack, do you really believe this is something big enough to terminate your friendship?”

“Of course it is! Do you think I would still be friends with them if they turned out to be thieves? I can't let toxic relationships into my life, and Celestia knows it.”

Big Mac nodded sadly. “If you're really so sure, then it can only take time to move on.” Like vinegar coming out of his mouth. It was true, but the exact opposite course of action she needed to take.

“Yeah... but it ain’t gonna happen fast.”

That night Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy dined at Le Doré Haystack, the most prestigious eatery in Ponyville. It was no match for most Canterlot restaurants, and the bill would be expensive, but it was famous for having a romantic atmosphere. It was, in the town, the place to go on a good, serious date.

Fluttershy dressed up in a small outfit Rarity had made her some time ago. It was simple, a cape with sleeves almost, but it looked beautiful. Red and white Ribbons laced over her chest and clutched a pink single-flower corsage. The fabric danced up to meet her train that spilled over her back and down both sides near her hind legs. There opened a small, running slit for her tail. It was done up simply, just a beaded hair tie at the end, but her mane had more work on it. It was pulled back from her face and billowed in large curls. She wore eyeliner and flat red lipstick. She was nervous and scared, but she felt safe with Rainbow Dash and pretty with all she had done to prepare.

Rainbow Dash was dressed up as well. She really only had a few clothes at all, but she had managed to find something. She wore a simple black skirt with a black, frilly, short-sleeved top. A pink flower of her own slept against her chest. Her mane and tail were properly brushed together, and they looked shining. All the little cowlicks and sprawls had disappeared, leaving only a cool, collected rainbow. She didn't wear any makeup, but smiled continuously.

They came up to the double door of the restaurant, large worked oak with one opened into the building and spilling warm light out into the night. A stallion with slicked-back hair and a pencil mustache waited to greet clientele. He raised an eyebrow at them, but didn't say anything.

“Are you here for a table?” He asked in a thin accent, just enough that you could be impressed.

“Yes,” Rainbow said, “for two please.”

He bowed, and ushered them inside, “Naturally.”

He showed them to a table near one wall, with a perfect view out into the sea of puppy-eyed ponies on the right, and a good look at the river that cut though the town out the window on the left.

“Your waiter will be with you momentarily, the menus are here for you to review while you wait. Enjoy.” He left, heading back to the door.

No one had noticed them yet. “Well here we are. We're actually doing this.” Rainbow was grinning wickedly, like it was all some kind of stunt.

Fluttershy scanned over the menu. “Oh my gosh, Rainbow, nothing on here is less then fifteen bits, are you sure you don't want to split the bill?”

“Relax, Fluttershy, I got it. You can get the tip, okay?”

She sighed, “Alright.”

“Hey,” Rainbow pulled a saucy face, “You wanna split a plate of spaghetti?”

Fluttershy giggled.

Eventually they settled on their entrees and ordered.

“This is so nice.” Fluttershy said, looking around at the ambiance. She shivered. “I feel like a daredevil!” She was smiling. “Like I'm getting away with something.”

Rainbow laughed, “Like that time in flight school when we skipped class and you were freaking out the entire time?”

“Hey, you had to drag me into that!” She put her forelegs around herself. “Something like that yeah.”

By now some of the other patrons began to notice them. They were dressed up, and it sure looked like they were going out. They weren't holding hooves or anything, though. Maybe they were just catching up? But wait, that was Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, wasn't it? Weren't they a couple now?

One mare was frowning intensely at them, and several other ponies looked on in disgust.

“Rainbow, ponies are starting to notice,” Fluttershy

“Let's give them something to look at then,” Rainbow said, leaning forward to kiss her.

At this there was a small gasp and one dark-maned stallion stood up angrily, “Can't you go fag it up somewhere else?”

There was a little ripple of consent.

“I don't want to be a daredevil anymore,” Fluttershy whispered, leaning forward and purposely letting her hair fall into her face.

Rainbow stood up as well, “You wanna talk? Maybe you should look in a mirror. I should be asking you to leave so the rest of us can eat without barfing!”

“You little,” he threw out an accusing hoof, “At least I'm not some kind of sexual deviant!”

“So you admit you're dangerously disgusting?”

By now several other ponies were starting to stand up. Fluttershy sunk lower in her chair and kept her eyes on Rainbow. From the crowd came general accusations:

“Hey, we're trying to eat here, can you maybe respect that?”

“This is a restaurant for the adults, not the sluts!”

“Can't you just leave us alone?

But there were several who stood up and defended Rainbow:

“Oh would you shut it, Doughy, they're just eating!”

“And if this is a place for adults, why exactly are you here?”

“As if you've ever been in love.”

Rainbow's voice joined the many, and from the corner of her eye, Flutterhsy saw several waiters running off. The restaurant became a verbal brawl, with nearly every single pony shouting at somepony else.

A thick, sick feeling started to eat into Fluttershy when suddenly the air quieted. She looked up.

A very annoyed-looking Stallion was standing in the middle of the room, with a stiff suit and styled hair that suggested he was the owner. He was saying, “Everypony shut up, or I'll kick every one of you out!

“Now,” he strode over to Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash. Rainbow was still standing, and still fueled fire in her eyes. “Do you girls have bits to pay for your meal?”

“Of course we do!”

“Then I honestly,” He turned to the rest of the crowd, “Don't know why you should be bothered.”

There were several cries of outrage, but they were quickly silenced. “If anypony has a problem with this, then they can leave right through there!” He pointed a furious hoof to the door.

There was a grim silence that slowly faded back to a gentle, angry murmur of talking. He turned back to them, “I am terribly sorry about that. If it happens again, I'll be sure to.... Stop it again, I suppose.” He sighed and ran a hoof through his mane. “If you'll come with me, ladies, I can seat you at a finer table up in the balcony. If you wish, of course.”

Rainbow nodded, recognizing that this was a weak way of compensating for their trouble. “I wouldn't mind that. Fluttershy?”

Fluttershy wiped her tears off, so at least the owner wouldn't know she had been crying, and nodded weakly. “I'm coming.”

“Follow me then.”

He led them to a nicer table at that sat on the balcony overlooking the river. It was more lavishly decorated, and lit by white taper candles. There were a few other tables, some filled, but no one bothered them again. They must have heard the commotion downstairs.

“That was awful,” Fluttershy whispered when the owner had left them.

“Yeah, but hey we did it!” Rainbow said, “And now we're here. We've made it.”

Fluttershy shuddered. Rainbow noticed.

“Hey,” She said, “Come on. Those guys were jerks, but we're free of them now. We can enjoy the rest of the night.”

Fluttershy nodded, “I'll try to.”

The rest of the evening was much less eventful. They talked and smiled, ate and had a good time. When they left, they both smiled.

“I had a wonderful time,” Fluttershy told Rainbow as they rounded onto her cottage. “Apart from—you know, the beginning. You were right, it felt good to finally be able to something like this as a couple, not just friends.”

“Yeah, it did. And the food was pretty good too.”

“Well, Rainbow Dash, thank you for everything tonight.” She kissed Rainbow, and their lips held together just long enough for them both to forget the world. Eventually, Fluttershy pulled away. She gave Rainbow one more hug, then disappeared inside with a final, “Goodnight, Rainbow.”

Rainbow lingered for just a moment. Was it wasn’t too soon, but maybe... yea, not tonight. Almost perfect for it, but not quite. Rainbow jumped up and looped around. The stars, the horizon, hazy with dry moonbeams, turned and swiveled in her eyes. There was no up or down, there was only pure freedom in the starlit air—air that breezed in and out of the clothes she wore in puffed billows. It had been a great night nonetheless.

The diners that had fought with Rainbow Dash and each other spread the story, including how the owner of the restaurant himself had come out and served them. It trickled down through the town.

Part 8

The next morning, as the stall went up, she overheard some ponies talking about some lesbians being served at Le Doré Haystack. That fancy place.

“Can't believe what this town is coming to,” She muttered under her breath. “I'm gonna stand up, even if no one else will.” She grabbed an extra piece of cloth and painted on it. It said:

We Sell to the Straight

Applejack took a moment to admire her hoofiework, then strung the banner above the apples. It looked respectable.

Over the course of the day, several ponies reacted to her banner. Some came up and thanked her for taking a stand in the right direction, having heard of the Haystack fiasco. Others scowled and passed her by with rude remarks. Quite a few tried just to ignore it, seeming to not want to think about it at all.

Near mid-day a commotion began stirring far away from the market and the apple stand. A crowed gathered around the Haystack, as a staff representative hung a silk banner under the sign. It said:

Same-Sex Couples are Welcomed

With these two signs up, it became apparent that today a war was starting. The issue of queers, long hidden in the shadows, had finally emerged into the sunlight. And there would be a judgment, by hoof of the common if none else.

By the end of the day, the town was becoming almost segregated, and several other businesses had strung up their own policies over their doors.

“This is getting scary,” Fluttershy said, walking through town with Rarity next to her. “So many ponies are getting angry, not even Pinkie Pie can cheer them up.”

“Well,” Rarity said, “I suppose there is at least the potential for this to end happily. If we 'win' your freedom, in so many words.”

Fluttershy stared at the ground and hoped the spa wouldn't have any sort of banner, even an accepting one. “I don't want to fight, but you can feel the tension in the air. Oh Rarity, I don't want to fight.”

“It'll be alright, darling. Look, the spa is 'Proudly Accepting All.' Of course, I would expect so from aloe and lotus.”

“The town feels like a battle zone, and I hate conflict.”

“Fluttershy, listen, we came here to relax. So, we are going to relax. Besides, I know you don't want to fight, but I'm afraid you simply can't stand still on a moving train.”

Fluttershy nodded as Rarity paid for their stay, and Aloe smiled very specifically at her. “I know.” She rubbed her face with her hooves. “I can just feel something bad coming.”

“Relaxing, darling,” Rarity said as they entered the sauna, “That's what we’re here to do. I'm not paying for a lavish place to fret, dear. Now, see, this is nice.”

Fluttershy nodded.

“You know,” Rarity began, changing to a happier subject, “I and Fancy Pants are thinking of some sort of get-together soon. He's dying to see my new Red Inked Rose line, after I sent him the samples, and when he wears them this time I'm sure ponies will ask him about his fabulous clothes. And then they'll be directed to me and I swear I can feel a good season coming. Red is in this fall, much more than last year, last year it was all about yellow and brown. But of course....”

Rarity talked and Fluttershy listened, like always. But she couldn't fight a general sense of queasy guilt. Those banners, those angry ponies, they were all because of her, and it made her sick with herself. Until she realized that she was doing this, all of this being strong, for Rainbow Dash, and the thought that even for a moment she had regretted it made her feel bad all over again.

The rather tense patrons they saw occasionally didn't help at all. They would see her, recognize her, and sometimes back away as if they were afraid. It brought up dark shivers out of her memory, of the “New Flutteshy,” which just added more for her to hate about herself.

What a mess she was becoming, bad in the past, bad now to strangers, bad to the pony that loved her. And here she was, masquerading like the queen of the world, all she had wounded standing right beside her. It made her nauseous.

“...didn't like it. I mean, really, it seems like you just can't please her. First it must be black, then it needs to be blue, but wait it was always supposed to be black anyway! Uh. If she wasn't involved with Fancy Pants, and wasn't a paying customer, I swear I would say something. But a lady does not get mad, so I said—Fluttershy are you crying?”

Now she had even made her best friend upset. She really was a monster.

“Fluttershy, what's wrong?”

Rarity's hooves were around her, were gently shaking. She was saying something, but Fluttershy wasn’t hearing it.

The next thing she knew, she was on Rarity's bed. Whisper-voices leaked out of the door to Rarity's bedroom.

“...but she doesn’t have any fever, any kind of sign of sickness?”

“No, she seems fine all around. I swear, one minute she was kind of down and the next she's on the floor.”

“Kind of down,” oh, this one was Rainbow Dash, “like, sad or something? Do you know why she was?”

“No, dear, I've already told you. She was upset with all the commotion in town, but that's it. Maybe you should talk to her, since you are her special somepony.”

“Is it safe to wake her up, don't you think we should let her rest a little longer? I mean, we don't know what kind of trauma triggered this, she might faint again, or—“

“I'll just look in, Twilight. If she's really dead asleep then I'll let her sleep.”

“But how—“

TERRRAAAAAANT. Rainbow cringed. The door’s squealing sounded even louder with no kind of background noise underneath. “Oh,” she said, seeing Fluttershy sitting up and looking at her, “Hey girl.”

Rainbow flew up to the side of the bed and put her foreleg over Fluttershy's flank. “I heard you fainted while you and Rarity were at the spa. Do you want to talk about it?”

Fluttershy nodded, and scooted over so Rainbow could sit next to her.

Rarity watched them and tried to suppress a giggle that had no business being here after what happened to Fluttershy, and Twilight watched with a kind of blank, nervous stare.

“I'm sorry, Rainbow.” Fluttershy started. “I've just seen how much trouble we've caused, and I started to hate myself, but I remembered that I was doing this for us, and that just made it worse, and ponies won't sit near me because they're afraid, and oh—“ She started sobbing quietly into her hooves. Choking, “I love you R-Rainbow Dash, but I don't w-want to hurt anypony!”

“You're not hurting them, they're hurting themselves.”

“But they're doing that because of me!”

Rainbow frowned, “No, they’re not. Really, they’re just angry because they can’t grow up. It has nothing to do with you.”

“Don’t patronize m-me, Dash, I-I know it’s because of us that t-they’re so angry.”

Rainbow scowled. This was just too far. “You can't help it if they get a little bent out of shape because you love me! What are you supposed to do, break up with me?”

Fluttershy shook her head slowly, choking on her words. “No, Rainbow. But there has to be some way for us to fix this. If I’m the problem, th-then I can be part of the solution. We can. There has to be—“

“Be what? I mean, come on!” Rainbow shook her hooves in the air, “I know you don't want to hurt anyone, but does that really come at the price of loving me?”

“No, Rainbow, but should I really be so selfish as to anger the whole town just so I can be happy? I-it's barbaric!”

“US, Fluttershy! So that us can be happy!”

Twilight and Rarity shifted slightly. They knew this crossed the point into intrusion, but they were both too interested to walk away.

Fluttershy had never sounded more like an adult. “Rainbow I love you, but surely somehow—“

Dash didn't know why she was angry, “There is no other way, Fluttershy, because you're not doing anything wrong! You—I mean —” Her voice dropped in volume, and she slowly let herself sit back down. She tried to swallow her anger, “Don't I mean enough to... don't you love me enough that I come before strangers?”

“Rainbow, you can't say that!”

“But that's what you're doing!”

Twilight and Rarity both grew very uncomfortable at the sight of such an emotional Rainbow Dash.

“I just don't want to hurt anypony!” Fluttershy cried.

“Then should I leave? Will that make you happy? Let's break up so that you don't have to do anything outside of your comfort zone!”

“Rainbow you know that's not what I want to do! You know that's not—“ Now Fluttershy was angry, and that was a scary sight.

“Not what? Because I—I don't want to date you if I don't mean anything to you!”

“Rainbow you mean everything to me!” Her yell strangled through her tears, “But I can't keep hurting ponies like this!”

“Well then I'll just leave!”

“No!”

Fluttershy jumped up to catch her, but Rainbow was out the window in a flash. And suddenly Fluttershy was even more alone; even more of a monster. She stared at the window for a minute. Nothing happened. Suddenly more tears poured out and she sunk like lead into the mattress.

Rarity and Twilight watched in horror. Twilight whispered to Rarity, “I... what should we do?”

Rarity bit her lip. “We comfort, first.”

They rushed forward and Rarity pulled Fluttershy into a soft hug. Through her tears and the girls' comforting words, she bubbled out, “I'm sorry!”

“Fluttershy, you don't have to apologize,” Twilight said. “Right?” she whispered to Rarity.

Rarity nodded. “We can go chase Rainbow Dash down once you... we get you collected a bit.”

Rainbow sulked inside a dark cloud. “Stupid Fluttershy, stupid town, stupid Applejack...” Rain clouds were nice because when you were inside a rain could you couldn't tell if your face was wet from tears or the cloud. “Stupid, fucking stupid.” She pulled a tuft of cloud together in the gray and squeezed it angrily.

Stupid stupid, can't she see how much she means to me!? Don't I mean anything? UHHHHHGHNGGG! She took a wad of could in her mouth and bit down on it hard, to keep herself from screaming. Aren't I worth anything? Why does she worry about other ponies, why would she try to... to make them happy first? Doesn’t she like – love – me enough to fight for it? Or is she just going to crumble every time we run into any little problem?

For a minute, she wrestled with unhappy thoughts about Fluttershy until they fell onto another pony. Applejack. It's all her fault! If she wasn’t such a bitch none of this would have happened! In a blast of mist she shot out of her cloud and raced to give Applejack a good solid message.

“... perhaps just to keep an eye on her. I'm sure she needs more time to cool down, but Celestia forbid she does something stupid.” She whispered, leaning away from Fluttershy, who was close to falling asleep again, “And being Rainbow dash, of course, that’s highly likely.”

"Right," Twilight whispered back. "I’ll go catch her before something happens. The town is on edge enough as it is."

Rarity nodded wisely, a hoof on Fluttershy's withers.

"I'm going to go talk to Rainbow, okay Fluttershy? I'll be back."

Fluttershy nodded, only just moving.

Rainbow barreled through the sky at breakneck speed, angry tears falling into the wind like bullets failing to keep up. That stupid, hateful little—

“Rainbow!” Rainbow skidded through the air to a halt. She whipped around, and saw twilight hovering there, angrily flapping her clumsy wings. “Just where are you going?”

“I—Applejack!” She choked out, oversaturated with fury.

“Rainbow, Applejack is wrong, but do you really think attacking her will fix anything?”

“But—it’s her fault! All of it!”

“Rainbow, please!”

“None of this—” Rainbow gesticulated wildly, throwing her hooves everywhere and crying openly, “If she wasn’t such a jerk we’d still be friends! The town would still be friendly, Fluttershy wouldn’t be crying if wasn’t for her!”

Eventually, through four very long, tense minutes, Twilight talked Rainbow back down to the ground, where she hugged Twilight so fiercely she knew anger was being taken out on her.

“Are you okay?” Twilight asked tenderly.

“No.” Rainbow released her from her vice-like grip and locked eyes. “But I’m a little better.” She dropped her gaze and continued in a mumble, “I don’t want to see Fluttershy right now. I just... need some more time to cool off. Is it alright if I stay with you?”

“Um, yeah,” Twilight said, “I can keep you company for a while. You can stay the night, if you want, but I’m going to have to drop by Rarity’s first and tell her where I am.”

Rainbow nodded numbly. “I’ll see you at your place, then.”

“Alright.”

Twilight went off to Rarity’s house, and Rainbow stamped her way through the streets to the library. She didn’t feel like flying any more. Ponies in the street gave her diry looks, but they knew enough about her violent nature to not start anything. When she stepped into the cut-oak world of the library, a surprise greeter her immediately.

“Rainbow!” Spike ran up and tried awkwardly to find some way to greet her. He ended up just balling his claws into fists at his chest.

“Hey Spike,” Rainbow said gruffly.

“Rainbow,” He said urgently, “I know something weird has been going on, but Twilight won’t tell me what it is! I haven’t been allowed outside for days! You have to tell me what’s going on!”

Rainbow lowered her eyebrows, “Twilight’s been keeping you locked up?”

“Well, not really locked. But every time I try to get out she keeps me holed up. Gives me something new to do inside. What’s going on? How come the whole town seems so unhappy?”

“It’s, uh.” For a moment she paused and scowled at how Twilight had decided to keep him ignorant. “Me and Fluttershy are dating.”

“What?”

“That’s it, that’s the whole big thing. Spike, I’ll tell you more later but right now I’m just gonna take a shower okay?”

“Uh, alright. Upstairs, to your left.”

Rainbow was already on her way.

Spike thought about it. Who else did they want Fluttershy to date? Was it because they were both girls? But didn’t mares date other mares, like, all the time? Hmm.

Rainbow Dash leaned against the wall, letting the hot water pelt down on her. What a mess, she thought. What a damn stupid, stupid mess. Why can’t Fluttershy just... huuhhhhh. She sank down to her stomach and wearily rested her head on her forelegs. Awful. Awful, awful awful. She needs to apologize. And I... I shouldn’t have yelled. We can talk tomorrow. Fix this shit later.

Almost an hour after she had dragged herself up and started fiddling with the soap, she rummaged wetly through the medicine cabinet. Rainbow knew Twilight often had trouble sleeping. Not insomnia, but close to it sometimes. She knew what would knock her out. Vedquick for sleep was usually what she used, she and found it easily.

She swallowed the pill and skipped brushing her teeth (not that she had a tooth brush here anyway). Out of the bathroom, she could hear twilight talking to spike downstairs. But Rainbow dragged herself further upwards instead, and climbed into Twilight’s bed. They had slept in the same bed before, and if Twilight had a problem with it then she would just have to deal with it tonight.

Slowly, chemically, sleep seeped into her and she lost consciousness.

Twilight and spike talked about lesbians and gays for far too long. At first, Spike thought it was okay, then he thought it was weird, and now he fell somewhere where Twilight was. In between acceptance and uncertainty. When they finally decided to call it a night, twilight found Rainbow sleeping in her own bed. Half surprised and half repulsed, Twilight thought: What should I do? Climb in with her? What if she... enjoys it? What if... no, she’s my friend! I’ve slept next to her before, now shouldn’t be any different. But, she likes mares. If she can’t control herself....

Timidly, Twilight pressed herself under the covers and kept as far from Rainbow as she could, about a hoof’s length. Her hooves dangled off the side, and her back prickled with Rainbow’s distant existence. Just as she was starting to fall asleep, Rainbow stretched in her slumber and hit the base of Twilight’s tail with her back hoof.

Noooo, Twilight thought, squirming.

Part 9

Fluttershy woke up hazily at Rarity’s, with Rarity still snoozing next to her. Pinkie Pie, who had joined them yesterday night, slept curled up at the foot of the bed. Fluttershy had almost just gone home. But when she got there, the large front window lay in razor sharp chunks and fine sparkling dust about the ground. Worried about her animals, she had cleaned up and pressed plastic wrap over the hole. Her friends had been surprised at her strength, then stemming directly from emotional exhaustion. She had just been too tired to be afraid.

But now she was at least a little better, and the reality of what had happened snuck a foothold in her mind. She shook, and her eyes burned, but there were no more tears to come. Grow up, she told herself. Fights happen. Crimes happen. You’re not dead, Rainbow’s not dead. You’re strong enough to fix this; you have to be, and if you aren’t you will become strong enough.

Carefully, letting the others sleep, she left to find Rainbow Dash.

Twilight was awake, just barely. A cup of black coffee hovered near her, half empty.

“Hi Twilight. Is Rainbow Dash up?”

“No, she’s still asleep. Are you alright?”

Fluttershy looked at the dark circles under Twilight’s eyes, “Good enough. Are you?”

“Just didn’t sleep well. Rainbow did, she’s upstairs in my bed if you want to wake her.”

“Thank you Twilight, I think I will.”

“What’s that under your wing?” Twilight asked as Fluttershy walked in.

“A brick.”

Rainbow could feel herself being woken up. She tried to fight it, but the light was already spilling through her eyelids and she was moving too much. When she opened her eyes, she saw Fluttershy looking down at her. She sat up immediately, wary. Fluttershy just looked tired—the kind of tired that couldn’t be slaked by sleep. A deeper, stronger exhaustion taken root in the organs and growing around the heart. She didn’t look mad, but definitely wasn’t happy.

“Hey,” Rainbow said neutrally.

“We need to talk,” Fluttershy said.

“Yeah, I know.” Rainbow moved over so Fluttershy could join her on the bed. “I shouldn’t have yelled at you. I’m sorry Fluttershy. I just—well you know how I am angry.”

“I accept your apology. And I’m sorry too. You’re right, if I really love you I should love you enough to fight for it. I will. Or, at least, I want to keep dating you. The ponies in the town, they are wrong. And it’s not —” she remembered what Rarity had told her the other night, “— our fault how they react.”

Rainbow smiled weakly. “Thanks. Yeah, uh. I’m really sorry. I still love you, alright? And I’m sorry all this has happened. You don’t need to really fight—I mean—not like hoof fighting or anything. Just. Yeah. I want to keep dating you too.”

They smiled, starting to heal.

“Are you okay?” Rainbow Dash asked, “You seem a lot braver all of a sudden.”

“I think I’m still shellshocked, honestly. I feel numb. I’m not afraid at all.” She calmly unfurled her wing and extended a heavy, thick brick into Rainbow’s forelegs. Written on it in white paint:

GET OUT OF TOWN

“I wish I could be.” Fluttershy whispered.

Big Mac saw the damage done to Fluttershy’s cottage. He had only wanted to talk to her, but she obviously wasn’t home. In a big-brother way, he worried about her. But what was he planning to say anyway? Hey Fluttershy, you don’t know me well but I’m also not heterosexual and would love to talk to you about Applejack. He shook his head. No. Maybe I can offer to help fix her window, when she gets back. Turning, starting back towards Sweet Apple Acers, he kept thinking. There’s got to be some way to fix all this. I can sell apples tomorrow, if I can think up a pretext. Take down that vile banner and make some real money.

I hope Apple Bloom’s okay. She might still not know what’s going on. Maybe I can tell her. Somehow. He sighed. Far too long he had been in the closet. But there was always one friend he could tell. It was time.

If I’m quick, I can swing by Sugarcube Corner.

Pinkie Pie carefully pulled out the fresh sheet cake and set it down to cool on a wire rack. The bakery was fairly busy today, filled with ponies here both for food and to, indirectly, show their support for Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash and the general acceptance of same-sex relationships. Her rainbow sprinkles were almost all used up, everything gay-looking selling out quickly. Except for the odd pony or two who scowled at the general scene as they paid for lollypops or something, everybody inside was happy.

The doorbell jingled, and Pinkie looked up to see Big Mac looking around nervously. He beelined to the counter, obviously distressed.

“Ah. Pinkie?” He asked as she moved to meet him at the register. “Could I talk with you a second?”

“Of course Big Mac. Ms. Cake,” She called out to the left doorway, “Can you cover for me for a bit?”

“Sure dear!”

Pinkie lead Big Mac into the back—she trusted him more than enough not to steal or anything—and sat him down at the Cake’s breakfast table.

“You have something big to say, I can feel it.” She said. “Would you like some tea or coffee?”

“Coffee would be nice, if you please.” He said, rubbing his hooves together nervously.

“So what’s going on?” Pinkie said, pouring both of them blacks.

“Well, I’ve got something on my chest. I just want to tell someone before I hurt myself keeping it in for so long.”

“Well,” Pinkie sat down, “I’m listening.”

“Pinkie I.... Well I know you’ll still be my friend and I know you probably already know, but I....” He’d known for years, but now that he had to say it out loud, the words would not come. “I - ah - I’m bisexual.” He took a big gulp of coffee and watched her smile brighten. Shaking from leftover nervousness, a new, wobbly, relief engulfed him.

“That’s great Big Mac! I’m so honored I’m the first one you’ve told. Do you have a special somepony yet?”

Big Mac smiled and shook his head, “Nope. Hahaha.”

Pinkie gave him a knowing look as he chuckled in spite of himself.

“I’m sorry,” he said, “It just feels so good to say it, finally. I can’t stop smiling.” His face hurt from how wide his grin forced itself.

“I’m really proud of you, Big Mac. Thanks, really, for telling me,” Pinkie reached across the table and held his hoof loosely. Are you going to tell anypony else soon?”

“Applejack.”

Pinkie was surprised by this, “Really? I mean, isn’t she kinda the last pony you would ever tell right now?”

Big Mac shook his head. “No. She’s not right about this, but she’s my sister. Family is important, and even though I know we’re going to fight, it’s a fight we need to have. For our family, and for the town. I want to tell her today.”

“Wow. I mean good for you, but I think you’re a lottle off your rocker.”

“Hah ha, that’s alright.”

“So when did you know?”

“Well, it wasn’t too long after I got my cutie mark. There was a colt named Caramel in school that always made me nervous and warm inside when he sat next to me at lunch. It was the first crush I’d had on a stallion. We’re still friends, but I don’t feel that way about him anymore. It scared me white, really. I didn’t know there were other ponies in the world that felt like I did. Of course, eventually I realized on my own that I wasn’t alone. But I still haven’t told anypony, besides you. I figured with the whole town segregating, it was only a matter of time before I got found out. Think I want to say it, not have it said for me. And of course, given what’s happened, it’s something Applejack needs to hear.”

Pinkie Pie smiled comfortingly, “That’s really great. I’m so proud of you! You know there’s something not many ponies know about me.”

“Hmm?”

“I’m pansexual. I haven’t done much with romance though, so I just never remembered to say.”

Big Mac still smiled, even in his voice. “Well that’s mighty fine Pinkie.”

“Thanks! I really like girls, they’re so soft and skinny and there’s just this feel that feels so good and... you know what I mean?”

He nodded in agreement. This was weird, but nice. “I think I know what you mean. Mares are very nice.”

“But then stallions are so strong and hefty and thick. And they feel amazing too, you know, like when you’re hugging them, and I’ve only met four but ponies who are genderfluid or ambiguious, oh!” Pinkie hugged herself hard and squirmed in her chair. “I love love!”

Big Mac chuckled. “Me too. Listen, Pinkie,” he finished his coffee and stood. “Thank you for the coffee and for listening. And, well,” he rubbed at the back of his neck with his hoof awkwardly. “For accepting me. I wanted to have somepony on my side before I talk to AJ.”

“Yeah, of course!” Pinkie got up and hugged him tightly. When she pulled back and smiled encouragingly into his eyes, she had the strongest compulsion to lean forward and kiss him. But, giving in to her better judgement, she didn’t.

Big Mac turned and started to walk, then turned back around, “Oh, and Pinkie Pie? I almost forgot to say—I think Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash could use your friendship about now. Somepony awful broke through Shy’s front window.”

Pinkie was out the door quicker than Big Mac.

“A BRICK!? Somepony put a BRICK through your window?!”

Fluttershy nodded.

“I—what the FUCK!”

She cringed, “Rainbow, please don’t cuss.”

“But, a brick! Okay, okay first off you’re staying with me tonight. Or me with you, I don’t care if I have to sleep on the ground outside your house. And you’re not leaving town. Have you called—oh my Luna are you okay? Are you hurt?” She pulled Fluttershy very tightly to her chest and moved her hooves all over her, as if expecting to feel swelling lumps or wet cuts, but emotional pain does not manifest itself in so obvious a physical form.

“Rainbow, I’m fine. I wasn’t there when it happened, I just went home and saw the window broken and the brick on the floor.”

“Okay, okay, have you told the police?”

“Not yet.”

“Call them, right now. I’m going to tell Twilight. Hey,” she said, hugging Fluttershy close and hard, “I love you girl. This isn’t your fault.”

“I love you too.”

As soon as Twilight found out about the window, she immediately began drafting a letter to Princess Celestia. Rainbow paced angrily, every now and then casting Fluttershy a worried glance. Suddenly, Pinkie burst into the library with Rarity right behind her. They ran right for Fluttershy and Rainbow, sweeping them up and hugging them in the most frantically comforting way possible.

“Pinkie told me what happened—she heard it from Big Mac—oh my Celestia I hope you two are alright.”

“You’re not hurt are you?” Pinkie said, looking fluttershy all over for scratches just like Rainbow had done.

“I’m fine, Pinkie.”

“Are you sure, did you double check?”

“Yes.” She didn’t laugh.

Scared stiff by Fluttershy’s utter lack of even a smile, Pinkie cast Rarity a very worried look.

“Um, dear,” Rarity started gently, “You look ill. Would you like anything? Tea maybe, something to help the nerves?”

“Sure.”

“Rainbow will take some too, please,” Pinkie said.

“I’ll be right back, then.” Rarity left the three of them and joined Twilight and Spike downstairs. “May I borrow your kettle, Spike?”

“Yeah, of course. I’ll light stove with my breath.”

Twilight sat at one of the study tables intended for students, still writing the letter. Rarity sat down and waiter for her to finish or the water to boil, whichever came first.

The water did.

“I’m fine, really Pinkie. I don’t feel scared. I just feel tired.”

“Well, we can let you take a nap if you want.”

“No,” Fluttershy said, slumping down on the mattress. “I’m not sleepy, just tired.”

Trying her best to swallow her anger until Fluttershy got better, Rainbow approached her and gently put a foreleg over her neck. “Do you want to go for a fly? Or something?”

“That’s alright Rainbow. I’m going to go make sure my Animals are okay, but I’ll stay for Rarity’s tea.”

“Alright, I’ll come with you.”

“I’ll come too,” Pinkie said, keeping herself close.

“No, Pinkie, you have work today.”

“The bakery isn’t going to melt if I take a day off.”

Rarity came up with the tea, a blend of chamomile, catnip, and passionflower, and poured each girl a cup. They took them somberly, and all watched Fluttershy sip hers without commitment.

After a quiet twenty minutes, they all started up and headed out to Fluttershy’s cottage to help her tend to her animals. Rarity hung behind, not eager to get her hooves dirty and aware someone needed to heard Twilight onward when she finished her letter.

“I’m just finishing, Rarity,” Twilight said after a minute, standing up slowly, still writing. “Spike, mail this to Princess Celestia please.”

Spike eagerly jogged up and set the paper aflame, off to the princess.

“Ok Rarity, I’m coming. Spike, we’ll be at Fluttershy’s. Will you take care of the library, please?”

“On it!”

Far away, a scroll appeared over Celestia’s desk with a pop. It landed on an open book and rolled off onto the floor.

“I’m coming, I just need to grab my reference book - and I think I heard a scroll from Twilight.” Celestia popped her head in her room and grabbed the thick volume Twenty Years of Substance - a Theory of Molecules and Micromagic with her magic and looked across her tall bed to her desk against the wall. Nothing new on it; she needed to clean it off later, things were starting to pile up.

“Alright, on my way. And my bags are being packed, is that right?”

“Yes, Princess. Any message?”

“No, it must have been something else. Say, next week am I scheduled for astrophysics? - I’ve got a good theory I’ve been working on....”

Reality started steeping into Fluttershy around noon. She looked at the hole in the window, plastic wrap waving pathetically in the breeze. “Oh my Celestia, that could have been me!”

“Yeah!” Rainbow said, right next to her. She hadn’t left her side for longer than a minute the whole time. “That’s what we’ve been saying!”

“I could’ve been hit by a brick! I could have been - poines could have come in and beat me up!” She started shaking, and wrapped her forelegs around herself. “Wow.”

“Yeah.”

“I’d like to stay with you tonight, please.”

“Definitely.”

“Shouldn’t Celestia have responded by now?” Twilight said, mostly to herself.

“Maybe you ought to check the library?”

“Yeah, I’ll be right back.” SHAP.

Pinkie watched Twilight teleport, and looked questioningly at Rarity.

“She’s checking for a letter from Celestia.”

“No, I know that, but she’s right isn’t she? Celestia usually responds pretty quick.”

“Hmm.”

Big Mac felt his stomach churn. This is it. The end of hiding. No more peace. No more relaxation. This is the end. He approached Applejack, who was busy weeding the grapevines. His lungs felt like melting ice. “Hey. AJ? Can we talk?” Acutely, he was aware of how odd his voice sounded.

“Yeah, sure thing. Let me just get this root out. Uh! There, whatcha need?” She straightened up and turned to face him. Sweat rolled slowly down her face, and the rest of her body, but she breathed evenly. Her eyes burned into him steadily.

He swallowed thickly. “I.” Oh yeah, that’s what his voice sounded like. Funny. “I uh, I need to tell you something.”

“What?” Applejack softened, and paid him full attention now. She stepped closer and put a hoof on his withers.

Big Mac couldn’t do it. He couldn’t. He couldn’t look her in the eyes and say it. I can’t do it. “Applejack, I—” It’s not coming “I’m—” Why can’t I get this over with “I’m —”

“What?” And suddenly, she looked slightly afraid of what he might say.

Somehow, it choked it out of him, “I’m bisexual.”

“What?”

“I’m bisexual. I like mares and stallions.”

She looked like someone had ripped the earth out from under her and, like in a comic book, she was just now looking down to see she would fall. “No you’re not.”

“Eeyup, I am.”

“NO.”

“It’s the truth, AJ.”

“How! I—after all this time?”

Big Mac nodded.

AJ, torn between angry and sad, started on hysterics. “No, no, no, you can’t be! You’re better than this. Just because—because you haven’t found the right mare—we can still....” She thumped the ground hard with her right hoof. Stared down at where the grass met the mulch and watched hot pearls hit the dust without a sound.

“AJ, just listen. I know you think it’s wrong, but it’s not something I can help. I can’t change it, I tried. It’s just a fact of me.” He felt less and less nervous now that it was out, but he hated seeing Applejack mad at him.

“You tried? Did you try hard enough? Come on Big Mac, you can fix this!”

“It doesn’t need to be fixed, and it can’t be changed.” He heard his voice rising, and reigned it down. “I’m sorry AJ, but when you get past your shock there isn’t anything wrong with it.”

“No, we can fix it! You can choose to be straight, just only go after mares!”

“AJ, love dosen’t work like that. I can’t decide who I fall in love with.”

“Uh huh.” Applejack looked up, tears trailing down her already moist checks. “You’re just as bad as the rest of them. I can’t believe—” she had to look back at the ground. “I can’t believe you.” Without looking at him again, she pushed past him and sternly trotted away.

Big Mac let her go. It would take time, but she would get there. He sat on his tail and wiped a tear from his eye. It could have gone so much worse.

Applejack paced her room in a depressed fury. Her body couldn’t decide if it wanted to kick something a thousand times or collapse limply and weep, so it compromised by walking in circles and slowly leaking from the eyes.

How could he. How could he choose this? And then just act like it isn’t his fault. Her teeth pressed themselves together tighter and tighter. Didn’t he think of his family? Our family? What about Apple Bloom, what am I supposed to tell her?

She slammed her hoof into her bedpost, and jumped down on the mattress while the frame still rattled. Maybe, a voice told her for the first time, he’s telling the truth. Maybe he really didn’t choose it.

No, of course he did. Nopony actually was born like that, they just say it so ponies don’t yell at them.

But what if? And AJ, you know you don’t choose to fall in love.

I know. But that’s real love. Not some facade of lust. And you know that.

I do not know that.

I do.

A third, If it’s true, just if, wouldn’t that apply to Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash as well? They seem in love, not lust.

Seem like it. I don’t think so. Besides, true love, real love, is something only a girl and a boy can feel together. Mare and stallion. Such pure love couldn’t become something so gross and disturbing.

She stood up again, punched the headboard, and started pacing again.

They’ve got their sick spell invading my mind.

Twilight decided enough was enough. Already, the day had spun halfway through two o’clock. She would see Celestia herself and find out why nothing had happened yet. Fluttershy and Rainbow were shopping for a replacement window, Pinkie was with them, and Rarity with herself.

“Rarity,” She said, turning to her, “I’m going to catch the train to Canterlot and talk with the princess personally. I don’t know why she hasn’t responded yet, but I’m going to find out.”

Rarity looked up from the notebook open on the library desk, “Do you want me to come with you?”

“You should probably stay, and help out the other girls.”

“Very good, I think I will.”

Twilight packed light and walked to the library door with her saddlebags almost empty. “It’s only two, so I should make it back before night.” Rarity nodded, and watched her go.

On the train, Twilight passed the time by reading A Homosexual Heart with the cover masked by the dust jacket of the first Furry Potter book. The book talked, in the four chapters she was rereading, about how to deal with finding out one of your friends is gay or bisexual.

Sleepover threats:

If you were comfortable holding a sleepover with your friend before you found out they were attracted to the same sex, you should still feel comfortable letting them sleep over now. Though it may be scary at first, remember that they are still the same pony they were before they came out...

The train rattled onward.

The secretary bowed when she saw Twilight, and it reminded her suddenly that she was a princess. “Oh! Uh, at ease?”

“Thank you. Princess Twilight, are you seeking an audience with Celestia?”

“Yes, I need to speak with her at once,” she said. The secretary was a unicorn; chocolate-colored with a smooth cream mane and tail. Her mane was tied up in a bun, and her tail cut short, just reaching past the point where her black and white type-writer cutiemark stopped.

She spoke, “I’m afraid you just missed her, you highness. She’s on a two-day trip to Mostcow, to settle relations with the Hooviets.”

“What—really?”

“Yes, I’m afraid so. If you want, I can take a note for you.”

“No, no that’s alright. What about Princess Luna?”

“She’s asleep right now, or she should be. Is this urgent? Should I send for her?”

“Um.” Twilight paused to consider that. Luna still held power like Celestia, but how much help would she be sleep-deprived? But she wouldn’t be much help at night, either. Would she? “No, that’s alright. I’ll wait untill she wakes up, around eight, right?”

“That’s right.”

“Okay. And Shining Armor is still in the crystal kingdom, right?”

“Yes, your highness.”

“You don’t have to call me—thank you.” Twilight left the lobby and found a quiet balcony to think on. Overlooking half of Canterlot, she sat down on the marble with her forelegs hooked over the railing. She closed her eyes. The gentle, cool breeze ruffled her mane and pushed wispy ribbons of her tail over the majestic floor. It tickled her ears, the gentle, fresh movement, and combed her thoughts into order.

Luna can visit the dreams of ponies, but we still don’t know who threw the brick and visiting each pony separately might not work. Shining armor would be nice to talk to, but I don’t think he or Cadence can really do anything.

Can I do anything? I am a princess.

What would you do, arrest every pony in the town?

No. No, I don’t know what I would do. What would Celestia do?

She’s Celestia, she could do anything. She probably has a spell to find out who did it.

Oh! Of course, the library. I can look for criminology spells, there must be something to help!

Yes, but what about the rest of the town? How can we fix this whole thing? A public address, a speech about it. But they already know you’re for it. They need a higher authority telling them to calm down.

Hmm. I need to visit Shining, be here when Luna gets up, and check the library. If I teleport to the crystal kingdom and back, I should be able to do it all today.

She opened her eyes and looked up at the central clocktower behind her, held high aloft by voluminous, intricately scrolling columns. It’s five forty. I better get going.

She checked in the library, but the spells were harder than she thought they would be. Without practice, she memorized a few that looked helpful, and then gathered her strength. SHAP.

She stood, suddenly, on the train tracks to the north, about ten miles away from Canterlot. SHAP. Closer.

Closer.

Closer....

By the time she made it to the front gates of the crystal kingdom, a ravenous exhaustion had eaten into her. Panting, sweating, her wings hanging limply at her side, she nodded at the surprised security guard, who opened the door for her.

“Tha-thank. You.”

“Of course, your highness. Are you alright?”

“Just... I’ll recover.”

In the glittering metropolis of the crystal kingdom, everything fought for her attention. The shimmering beauty of the crystal in the evening sun, the crystal ponies, the towering palace walking toward her, caught her breath in her throat. It was more beautiful then she remembered. As quick as she could manage, she made her way to the palace. Inside, she found Shining Armor by chance, bustling through the hallway.

“Twilie! Hey! Where did you come from?”

“B.B.B.F.F.! I was looking for you! I need your help on something, is now a good time?”

“Oh no, what is it now? Did Ponyville get invaded again or--”

“No, no it’s not like that.”

She led him into an empty conference room and shut the door. A round table, big enough to seat twenty ponies, stood in the middle of the room. Twilight sat down, and motioned for Shining to do the same. He now looked slightly nervous, but took a seat resolutely. “What’s this about?” He asked.

“Well, it’s about the town. It starts with Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy.” And for the first time it occurred to Twilight that she didn’t know how Shining would react. She became nervous herself. I’ve already accepted them, really, but what about him? What if he reacts badly? What if he wants to throw a brick through their window? “Uh, they. Well,” a strange, fizzy nervousness foamed up in her stomach. But she had to tell him. “They’re lesbian. Dating each other.”

“Oh! Hahaha, that’s great. They’ve come out then?”

He was smiling. Happy. Accepting. Huh. “Yeah, they did. And the news kind of spread, and now the town is fighting with itself. Today, somepony threw a brick through Fluttershy’s window.”

“Whoa, that’s awful. Is she okay, have you caught the pony who did it?”

“Yeah, Fluttershy is alright. We haven’t caught the pony yet, and the whole town is angry. I don’t -- I don’t know what to do. I was going to Celestia, but she’s in Mostcow. I’m going to talk to Luna later tonight, when she wakes up. What should I do?”

“I think you’re on the right track. Gosh. I don’t know. I bet Cadence could do something, but she’s sick with the flu.”

“UH! Are you serious? I can’t believe I never thought about it, she could fix everything, but she’s sick!”

Shining gave her a look.

“Sorry, sorry. I’m sorry she’s sick, I hope she gets better soon.”

“Yeah me too. Things aren’t the same without her up and about. I don’t know about Ponyville, but once Cadence gets better, we can come down and try to help.”

Twilight looked down at her lap. “Thanks big brother.” She looked up again, “Can I ask you something?”

“Of course you can.”

“How are you so... okay with this?”

“With?”

“With Fluttershy and Rainbow dash being in love. Two girls, it just doesn’t make sense. It’s weird and illogical, and not right. It’s not supposed to be like this. Love is supposed to be between a girl and a boy, not a girl and a girl. And I thought you would think this too, but you’re just fine with it. How are you so unphased?”

Shining smiled at her understandingly. “I was the same way, at first. When I moved here to help govern the crystal ponies with Cadence, I only thought about love as a mare with a stallion. And then, I met some of the crystal ponies. A lot of the workers in the palace, it turns out, are in same-sex relationships.

“I freaked out, kind of. Cadence managed to talk me down. She explained that love isn’t confined by boundaries like gender. I didn’t believe her. But my best friend, Arrowpoint, came out as bi. Kind of like how Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash came out to you. It totally threw off my perspective. And I’m fine now. It just takes getting used to.”

“But how do you get used to it? It’s so gross.”

“Haha, yeah I thought that too. Let me tell you, when I first saw Arrow kiss his boyfriend, it made me feel weird. Like it was wrong or something. But while I could never kiss a stallion myself, I’m alright with others doing it. They love each other like how I love Cadence, and how Cadence loves me. It just takes getting used to.”

“Yeah, I guess.” The whole thing still didn’t feel right to Twilight. It was too off, too strange. “I dunno, I still don’t feel right about it. Would Cadence be up for talking?”

“We can go check. Oh, well, you can. I got a lot of work to get back to. Sorry, Twilie.”

“That’s alright, thanks for talking to me.”

“No prob. I gotta get going though, love you!”

They hugged each other tightly, and Twilight held on a little long. In the end, she watched Shining run back to whatever he was doing. She started making her way to Cadence’s room, walking slowly. She didn’t want things to be okay. She just wanted everything to go back to normal. But now, things would never be the same. Things would always be weird now, wouldn’t they.

On her way up, she watched the ponies around her. How many were gay? How were you supposed to know? She sighed. Stopped walking. Turned her head into a doorway and watched for a minute.

An earth pony with a gray coat and a dark purple mane, a stallion, was talking to another stallion, a pegasus, with a pink coat and white mane. They were smilling, laughing. Suddenly, the pink one leaned in and they kissed, the two boys kissed eachother on the lips. The gray one put his foreleg over the withers of the pegasus, and they walked out a different door together.

Twilight pulled her head back and lay down on the floor. Girls kissing girls, boys kissing boys, it’s so weird. A hoof hit her in the side of the head, and she straightened up lightning fast.

“Oh! Oh my Luna, I’m so sorry your highness,” The gray stallion bowed and so did his equally flustered pink boyfriend.

“No it’s alright, seriously stop bowing. It’s okay.” They obviously didn’t leave out the door they had ducked into. Twilight felt her face heat up as she realized she had been caught creeping on them.

“I - uh - it’s nice to meet you!” The pink one said.

“Nice to meet you too.” Without thinking, she blurted, “It’s okay that you’re gay.”

“Uh? Thanks?” More surprised than anything else, they awkwardly skirted around her, apologized again, and quickly went on their way.

Twilight denied herself anymore detours on her trip to Cadence.

Cadence looked like a pink version of death, confined to her bed like a prison. “Twilight?” She asked thickly, sitting up slightly. Her eyes were red, her nose was red, she looked like every movement hurt.

“Hey cadence,” Twlight said, “I’m sorry to barge in on you like this. How’re you feeling?”

“Like tartarus. Come give me a huuug.” She was a little loopy, whatever drug they had her on certainly showed through.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“It’s okay, Shiny put a spell on me so I’m not contagious anymore. Huuuug.”

“Alright...” Twilight walked over, and leaned into a shaky hug. “Wow, you’re burning up.”

“I’m getting better. What brings you here?”

“Uh, I have a bit of a problem.” She related the whole story to her, and included her run-in with the two stallions in the hall.

“Aww, you poor girl.” cadence said, “If I get better soon, I’ll help you put the town to rest. It’s okay. Love is love is lovely. Girls love girls sometimes. Boys love boys sometimes. It happens.”

“But it’s not supposed to.”

“That’s not true. You’re just like your brother, he was crazy at first. Twilight, have you ever been in love?”

“Well, not really. I have a crush on this one stallion, but that’s all.”

“Then you don’t understand yet. What it is to really love somepony. When you do, Twilight, and when they love you too, everything else just disappears. It’s magic. I’m the princess of it, Twilight. And it doesn’t matter whether it’s a boy and a girl or a girl and a girl. They’re the same pony underneath, but better. Because they’re in love.”

“Thanks Cadence,” Twilight said, not much reassured.

“Listen, Twilight, you’ll understand one day. It’s just gonna take time.”

“Yeah. Thanks.”

Cadence was falling asleep, her eyes closed as she strained to listen and talk. “I love you Twilight,” she whispered. “Just remember love. And talk some more, it’s soooothing.”

Twilight smiled. “Well, I’ve got to get going soon, I teleported here but I don’t have the strength to do it again. Talk some more, uh. I read some spells about criminology, and I hope....

“...but I don’t know about her.” She checked the time against their alarm clock. “Yeah, I’ve got to go. Thanks, Cadence, it was really good to see you again.”

Cadence, asleep and snoring softly, didn’t respond.

On the train back to Canterlot, Twilight watched the sun hit the horizon.

In ponyville, Big Mac finished installing Fluttershy’s new window. All of them, except for Pinkie, were surprised to see him come and want to help. He’d explained to them that he was, in fact, bisexual. Fluttershy had been so happy for him, everyone was so kind and accepting, hugging him and smiling with him and teasing him about the water in his eyes.

He turned around and grinned at Rarity, who smiled warmly back. She walked over, and inspected both him and the window.

“The window looks marvelous, Big Macintosh. And so do you, you haven’t stopped smiling since you came out.”

Big Mac laughed, “Eeyup, I just don’t know Rarity. It feels so good to be out.”

Rarity hugged him around his immense barrel. It was true, the smile had not left his voice or his face the whole time.

“Okay, Big Mac, I want to know,” She said, pulling off of him. “How are you and Applejack holding up?”

“Ah, eeyup.” Big Mac sat and pushed himself around to face her. “I told her already. I think it’ll help. We haven’t talked since, but it was only today I said it.”

“Oh.” It was hard for Rarity to speak, her hoof up against her mouth as if witnessing some horrible monstrosity. “Oh, you poor thing. I’m sorry, I hope you and her make up.”

“One day.”

“Do you have a special somepony? Come on now, I need to know. Perhaps some refined mare, or maybe a nice handsome stallion?”

“Hahaha, no, I wish. I would love to have a special somepony, but I don’t.”

“Not even a crush? Not even a little one?”

“Well.... There is this one stallion that’s sort of cute, but. I don’t really know him.” It felt so amazingly odd and pleasant and honest to say that. To talk about that. In the midst of the whole town burning up around them, Big Mac couldn’t be happier in the moment.

“Well, Big Mac! If you ever want help setting up a blind date, you know where to find me.”

“Hahaha, thanks.”

“This whole thing could be settled in ten minutes, someone just needs to give her some real stallion love, she’ll snap out of it.”

In the dirty, sweet-smelling bar, his friend tried to talk him out of it. “No, I don’t think that’s a good idea. It’s--”

“No, it’s not! Give thirty seconds and she’ll be into it.”

“I don’t think so.”

“Look, it cures lesbianism, I already know that. A friend of my friend’s cousin says he knows a pony who did it, and they ended up getting married afterward.”

As the day wound down, Big Mac returned to the apple farm. Applejack wasn’t in the fields, but she waited right inside the door to berate him for being gone so long.

“Consarnit, Big Mac!” She started as he walked into the living room. “Where have you been all day? You were supposed to be helping me in the fields, not gallivanting all over Ponyville. I mean, come on Big Mac, we’ve already got your personal issues to worry about, don’t start letting work pile up.”

“I’m sorry, AJ. I was helping Fluttershy install a new window.”

“A new what?”

“Window; somepony threw a brick through her old one.”

“What? Somepony broke her window?”

“’S right. Now, I’ll be off to bed already; don’t worry none about the chores, I’m gonna get up extra early tomorrow. I’ll make up for it in a couple hours.” Big Mac started up the creaky wooden stairs by himself. He could see this was news to Applejack, and news that she was having trouble digesting. She needed to think over this on her own, so it would be her own thoughts leading her toward acceptance, and forgiveness.

Applejack stood rooted in the wooden floor of the house. The whole lamp-lit interior of cosey rugs, nice family portraits, comfortable couches and chairs, the radio in the corner... it all fell away around her. Someone hurt Fluttershy. That’s so wrong. But Fluttershy’s a lesbian. She. Celestia! How am I supposed to feel about this?

You should feel good, the problem is being taken care of by other ponies.

No, you should feel bad. Fluttershy can’t take this, this isn’t justice.

...

For about fifteen minutes, she stood staring at the lines in the wood of the floor, tears ever threatening to produce themselves in her eyes. Until Apple Bloom found her.

She patted Applejack on the side of her right foreleg, “Hey sis, you alright?”

“What? Oh. Yeah, I’m fine Apple Bloom.”

“That’s about as true as fried pickles tasting bad. What’s wrong? Come on, you can tell your little sis.”

“I. No, it’s alright Apple Bloom. You run along, I’ve got some more chores to do.”

“Well, okay. But the Cutiemark Crusaders are ready to get their cutiemarks in therapy any time you need us!”

Turning out the door, Applejack said, “Thanks AB, that’s real sweet.”

Apple Bloom smiled as she watched Applejack leave. She hopped upstairs and found Big Mac brushing his teeth. “You’re going to bed already?”

“Eeyuph,” he said through a mouthful of toothpaste.

“Well, alright. I was just gonna read any way.” She almost trotted away, but turned back around. “Hey, does Applejack seem okay to you?”

“I hope so.”

“Yeah, me too. Oh! And I kept forgetting to say, do you know Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash?”

He turned to look at her. “Eeyup.” Where was this going?

“Well Scootaloo found out they’re datin’!”

He tried to look surprised, helped along by his genuine surprise at Apple Bloom knowing this. And she was okay with it? “Haha. Good for them,” He said mostly in a question.

“Yeah! Can you believe it? I could hardly believe it, I never would have put them two together. And a mare dating a mare, isn’t that funny? I think the town’s picked up on it, with all the banners. How come some of them are so mean?”

Uh-oh. She was asking questions. He should have thought about her noticing all the commotion. “Well, some ponies don’t think it’s right for a mare to date a mare.”

“But it is right, ain’t it?”

“Yes. It’s just different, and most ponies don’t like different.”

She nodded. “I like different. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy make a cute couple, I reckon.”

He smiled now, “Yeah, they’re a good match. Say, how would you feel about a stallion dating another stallion?”

“Oh yeah, I forgot about that. That’s good too. Right?”

“Right.”

She almost walked off, but turned back around excitedly, “Huh! Big Mac, are you telling me that you’ve got a special somepony who’s a stallion too?”

“No, AB. Though, I might have a small crush on one.”

“Big Mac. How come you never told us! The Cutiemark Crusaders can try to get their cutiemarks in matchmaking again!”

“No, that’s alright—”

“But we’ll have to wait until tomorrow,”

“AB, please don’t—”

“And we need to know who the stallion is,”

“AB—”

“We can set up a cafe date. And—”

“Apple Bloom. I don’t suppose you keep can this to yourself for the time being?”

“That Big Mac has a Big Crush? Suuure, I’ll keep it to myself.” She smiled and winked very unencouragingly at him.

“Uh, thanks.”

As she dashed off to her room, she called back, “But I’m gonna have to tell Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle!”

Big Mac frowned at himself in the mirror, but he would let her do that. Just so long as she didn’t mention it to Granny Smith. How he was going to break the news to her he had no idea. Continuing to brush his teeth and think, realized Apple Bloom must have read the word “sexuality,” surely, somewhere in the town. Did she know what it meant already? She wasn’t quite old enough for The Talk, but maybe she was getting there faster than he realized.

Banners, banners everywhere. Just about every commercial establishment in Ponyville had taken a stand on the issue of gay relationships. Even a few houses had hung up something to show their support or dislike.

It made Fluttershy queasy as she flew with Rainbow to her cloud house. She had insisted on Fluttershy staying with her, and Fluttershy did not object at all.

Rainbow flew ahead by a few lengths. When they got there, they both ate leftover spaghetti and crawled in bed together. Fluttershy positioned herself so that Rainbow could cuddle with her. Rainbow hugged her back with all four legs, and curled her tail into Fluttershy’s waist. She kissed down her neck, down her side, pulling herself on top. Then, she kissed her on the lips and slowly sank down onto her.

Her eyes beautifully half-lidded and seductive in the dim light, she asked, “Hey Fluttershy. You up for some fun?”

Fluttershy felt her body heating up. “Fun?”

“I know this is all really stressful,” She said, trailing a hoof down her chest, “and I was thinking maybe we could try and relieve some of that stress?”

Fluttershy was too stunned by surprise and pleasure to say anything, and the face Rainbow read belied her intentions.

Rainbow’s hoof tickled a path down her soft belly, around her teats, “So is that a yes? Cuz, I’m ready to get started,” her hoof reached it’s goal, and Fluttershy snapped herself out of the stupor.

“R-rainbow, Rainbow wait, wait Rainbow,” She sat up as fast as she could, squirming out from under Rainbow and planting her rump firmly on the mattress, fun stuff out of reach.

“Oh, sorry,” Rainbow said, immediately backing off and sitting up like Fluttershy was. “Did I come on too strong? We can start with some gentle stuff first.”

“No,” Fluttershy said, feeling her whole face heat up from a mixture of arousal, embarrassment, guilt, and fear. “No, Rainbow. I want to wait.”

“Too tired tonight?”

“No, I want to wait until we’re married. If—you know—if we get married. I’m not asking to, I mean—not that I don’t think I could marry you—but, I don’t want to do it until I’m married.”

“Oh. Are you sure?”

She nodded, awkward but resolute.

Hot all over and still very much aroused, Rainbow couldn’t understand. “But why not? I mean, nopony actually does that anymore, not since, like, decades ago.”

“Rainbow. I’m sorry if this is upsetting. I know it’s old-fashioned, but that’s because I still believe in old-fashioned sex.” The last word tasted funny in her mouth, and sounded strange in her voice.

“That doesn’t mean, like, no toys or..?”

Becoming even redder, “No, no, it’s not like that. I mean, if you want to try, or—I’d be alright with experimenting—hooh.” She sighed. “I’m sorry, Rainbow. But by old-fashioned sex, I mean I still believe it’s something only married ponies should do. Something more than just pleasure. It’s a bond. It’s the most physical display of love and trust between two ponies. You’re letting out the deepest, most hidden part of you to make you both happy. Sexual things become unnerving and gross outside of relating to the pony you love, but when you come together by yourselves it becomes something magical.

“When you have sex with someone, it forms a bond. Your bodies fall in love with each other, regardless of the heart or the head, and it becomes part of you. So if you had sex with just any pony, it would become meaningless. It would degrade the value of love in your heart, and in the heart of the pony you slept with. So I’m waiting until marriage. Marriage is a gentler bond, to me, even if it seems bigger. It’s huge, but not as big as sex. Not to me. I hope you’re okay with this.”

It was a lot for Rainbow to take in, especially when the sheets rubbed so enticingly between her legs. But it was sweet, Rainbow admitted to herself. “Of course I’m okay with it. I don’t want to do anything that’ll hurt you, and if you don’t want to do it at all, that’s alright. Just, yanno, not what I was expecting.”

Fluttershy smiled. Rainbow leaned forward and kissed her forehead.

“I really love you, Fluttershy.” For a small, intimate moment, they only looked at each other. Then Rainbow looked down, abashed for Fluttershy’s sake. “But, uh, my gears are already grinding so... I think I’m gonna need to go take a shower, if you get what I mean.”

“Oh yeah, sorry. I’ll um. I’ll be here, then.”

Rainbow smiled in a way she hoped was reassuring, and started to leave for the bathroom. At the doorway, she turned back, suddenly curious. “Fluttershy, do you masturbate?”

Feeling immensely guilty and weird about such a frank question, Fluttershy admitted uneasily, “Sometimes. It just happens sometimes.”

“Ha. Well, I’ll be in the bathroom, so if you want to rub one out—”

“I’ll be fine,” Fluttershy cut her off, “It’s alright.”

“Okay, babe.”

When Rainbow climbed in bed twenty minutes later, Fluttershy had calmed down. Rainbow was curious whether she had had to relieve the steam too, but didn’t ask. Instead, libido cleared from her head, she said something she had thought about in the shower. “Hey, Shy. Thanks for stopping me. Earlier. I know it made you scared to say no, but I really admire it. And, yeah, I really don’t want to do anything until you’re ready for it.”

Fluttershy whispered back, “Thanks for accepting it, Rainbow. I was scared, but I feel good now.”

“Nice. So, can we cuddle?”

“We can try; I’d like to. Just, well, I don’t want to make it too tempting.”

“Don’t worry Fluttershy,” Rainbow said as she swept her up in a hug and pulled the blanket over them both, “I’d stop you.”

Fluttershy felt her chest swell, an actual almost painful burst of largeness in her heart as Rainbow’s love for her filled up all the empty spaces and grew her love for Rainbow ever larger. “Thank you Rainbow Dash. I love you.”

“I love you too, Fluttershy.”

Part 10

Luna rubbed her eyes and took the coffee mug blindly from the guard. “Thank you, Constantune."

“You’re welcome, Princess Luna.”

Not Constantune’s voice. Not any guard’s voice. Luna opened her eyes to a bleary image of Twilight, looking tired, holding her own cup of coffee. Somewhere behind her a gray blob shuffled with a sparkle; it was the batpony night guard she’d mistaken Twilight for.

In her advanced state of grogginess, having just climbed out of bed minutes ago, she forgot formalities and instead slipped unintentionally into the first thought in her mind. “This isn’t good news, is it Twilight?”

“Well, it could be a lot worse news.”

“Hmm. Let us talk while we eat, then. Unless, of course, you have probably already eaten?”

“Yes, I had dinner before I came.”

Twilight wasted no time. She told her everything, including her talk with Cadence and Shining Armour. When she finished, Luna had already eaten and raised the moon. Twilight felt better, she realized, after getting the same stuff off of her chest so many times. It began to feel silly, in fact, how uncomfortable she felt with same-sex relationships.

Walking off the top tower the princesses used for raising the sun and the moon, Luna put a friendly wing around Twilight. “I understand, Twilight. I think it admirable how you are able to self-scrutinize, and do not vacuously support nor degrade your friend. You thought critically about it first, and I find that a very special trait.”

She removed her wing. Their hooves echoed on the marble. The batpony nightguards were switching out with the day guards down the hall, a soft susurration of friendly conversation pooled at their fetlocks like fog in a dream.

She continued, “As for your situation, I do not know what you want me to do about it. I cannot see where my or my sister’s power could be wielded without significant backlash. This, Twilight, is the double-edged sword of freedom. They are free to be mean to each other, however awful it might be. The brick thrown through her window, that could be punished very severely, as an example perhaps, if not for lack of perpetrator. Otherwise, there is not much I can do. The majority of companies of in Ponyville are privately owned, and so have more rights to discriminate based on the founder’s beliefs.”

“But you wouldn’t let them not serve unicorns, or not serve earthponies would you?”

“No, that kind of discrimination is enforcibly illegal.”

“Then why is this not?”

“Because it has not become this significant until now. And, although I know it not to be a choice, your sexuality, it is not as physical as someone’s race. So, there will always be somepony arguing vehemently that it is all imagination of the ponies’ minds. You and your friends, Twilight, are on the bleeding edge of social reform.”

“That’s troubling.”

“My sister and I could enforce it into law, we might, even, but not only will it take both of us to do it, it will take enough paperwork to set back the effectiveness of it by at least a week.”

“Well... That’s still better than nothing. If you do it. Why would you not?

“Freedom, Twilight, freedom again. It is unfortunately up to us, and to an extent up to you now, Princess, to etch the lines of freedom into life. Where does the shop owner’s freedom to run his shop end and the homosexual pony’s freedom to shop begin? For, after all, are there not other shops? Did not the shop owner start the shop herself? Is not the pony still an individual with needs? Is not homosexuality an unchangeable piece of character? Freedom is a tougher question than it appears, I assure you.”

Twilight frowned. “I don’t think I like politics.”

“Ponies in a heard, or a civilization, create politics of necessity. Then grow them, naturally, into a monster that consumes all but the few. I pray you never like it.”

“Well, if you do sign it into law, I think we can make it a week in Ponyville.”

Luna smiled at her in the oily dandelion of the lamplight, her coat standing out beautifully against the creamy marble wall behind her. “I shall see to it, and I can say you should be optimistic about it.” She pulled some paper from the air and wrote on it with her magic. It disappeared again.

“Is there anything I can do to sooth your mind, Twilight?”

Twilight looked up appreciatively at her. She hadn’t expected this to take so little time. Sooth my mind. Nopony talks like that anymore, I need to hang out with Luna more often. I guess it’ll just take time. For me and Ponyville.

“Would you like to see a dream, while I have you here?”

“A dream?”

“Yes. It might help to see the sides of your friends that are incapable of lying, the subconscious that sprawls itself out in unapologetically strange and surreal ways in the form of dreams.”

“Isn’t that really personal though? Like, I know some of my dreams I wouldn’t want anypony seeing.” It occurred to her, “You haven’t seen... all of my dreams, have you?”

Luna smiled a little too happily, “I turn away when they get graphic, but it is my job to survey dreams, and this means I must briefly check up on you.”

Twilight’s stomach felt a little thicker, “I—uh—I don’t—when you saw the one—”

“It is okay, Twilight. Like I said, I do not linger in personal or sexual dreams for longer than ten seconds; just enough time to assess whether I need to intervene. And it is natural, when your body constructs these fantasies for you, because it is an encrypted expression of your brain busy in the background. It does not make you a different pony; dreams do not mold the heart.”

Twilight could feel the flush all over her face and her feathers prickle up. “Thanks I guess.”

“And besides,” Luna dropped her voice to a whisper, “Between you and me, that royal guard is very handsome.”

“Luna!”

She laughed and trotted forward gaily, “Oh Twilight, to see your face! I am sorry, but what a jest it was was worth it.”

Twilight stared at the floor, annoyed.

“Oh, and it is not intrusive,” Luna said, getting back on subject, “because you are a princess, Twilight. This is within your authority; they are the peasantry. And I can survey the dream first. If it is inappropriate, I will not let you see it if you do not want to.”

“I don’t know. I don’t think this is a good idea.”

“Whatever pleases you. I must return to work though, if there is nothing I can do to help.”

“Well, I don’t suppose there is. If you see anypony who confesses to throwing the brick, that might be helpful.”

“I’ll keep my eye trained for it.”

“Thank you, Princess Luna.”

“You are welcome, Princess Twilight Sparkle.”

When she got back to her tree house, it was late and she was tired. Spike had already gone to bed. He was curled up, asleep, and only shifted slightly as Twilight opened the door to her room. She slipped into bed and drifted slowly off to sleep.

Applejack stared at the rising sun. Everything felt wrong. The sliver of white-red pushed feebly at the horizon, slowly painting over the dusk and gaining a golden momentum. She stared down at the sugar-covered grapefruit and cup of coffee balanced on the window sill of her bedroom.

She didn’t have the heart to eat downstairs like a normal pony, where Big Mac was eating. He might be finished by now, might be in the fields. But she didn’t want to see him right now. She didn’t want to see anypony. She rested her head on her jaw on the sill, the coffee warming her cheek.

What am I going to do?

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash tried to go about their day normally, keeping a respectful distance from other ponies. They saw Rarity and Twilight and Pinkie, but nopony else besides in passing remarks.

The day drug on gloomily, an odd moroseness in the sunshine and sparse clouds, in the warm breeze and calm waving of the grass. A sadness in it all, contrite and pervasive. The sun set in a haze of gentle fog and sleepy whispers of ponies’ walking and conversing. Waiting for something. The night held it’s breath in anticipation, the stars stared without twinkling, looking for clues, eager, the moon only a silver curved hair in the punctured dark.

Part 11

Fluttershy yawned and rubbed Rainbow’s shoulder. She looked so cute sleeping.

SNKka, she snorted.

Fluttershy giggled and slipped out of bed. As she ate oatmeal, Rainbow came downstairs with a tall cowlick on the side of her head. Fluttershy smiled at her as she blearily sat down next to her with her own bowl.

“Gubmornin, Shy,” she mumbled.

“Good morning, Rainbow Dash.”

“Wadda—aaAAAaahhh—what do we gotta do today?”

“I’ve got to feed my animals, and you’ve got afternoon weather duties. And we need to go food shopping, too. I can do that later though. So we can spend some time together, if you want to come help with the animals, and we can eat lunch together.”

She nodded. “Sounds nice, but I need to practice flying. I’ve taken almost the whole week off and I really need some hard exercise before I go too soft.”

“Okay, I understand. Come to my house for lunch?”

“Yeah, that sounds great Fluttershy.”

After breakfast, they headed their separate ways and got busy.

Applejack let Big Mac deal with the chores for the day. She asked him to take up the slack, and he consented without questioning. She needed a while to think, really think, without having to worry about this or that. Without Apple Bloom or Granny or bisexual Big Mac.

She walked among the fields on the outskirts of the village and felt the tall grass scrape against her undercarriage and her legs. She thought about her friends. She could find new ones, that’s how life works sometimes, but she could never find another brother. And nopony anywhere could match all what he was, all that he was to her and as an individual.

It’s not like we have to disown him or anything. Obviously. That would be a disaster emotionally and physically, half of the farm is Big Mac’s work. Without him we’d would never make it. He just needs to change.

Or maybe you need to change.

Someone has to have their head screwed on the right way, and if that isn’t me then who will it be?

Maybe it isn’t screwed on the right way.

She stopped walking and sunk down so the grass reached up and became the horizon and a forest in front of her nose. It smelled earthy and fresh, faintly musty.

Maybe I’ll just lay here for the whole day.

You can’t.

I know.

Get up and just go talk to him. That couldn’t hurt. Maybe you’ll change your mind.

Maybe he’ll change his mind. I don’t want to talk to him. I’d just get mad, and he’d just be all patient and smug with himself.

He’s not smug.

She took some grass into her mouth and chewed idly.

Fluttershy walked through the market very aware of all the eyes on her. But she was going to face this fear for her and Rainbow’s relationship. And because they both really did need food, all they had left was oatmeal and pasta. Why does pasta never run out when you don’t need it? How nice of pasta.

Waiting in line for carrots, Derpy Hooves trotted up to her.

“Hey, Fluttershy. How’re you doing?”

“Hello, Derpy. I’m alright. A little shaken by the all the trouble in town, but I’m managing.”

“Oh yeah, all the banners up.” The line shuffled forward, and Derpy stayed quiet while Fluttershy bought a bundle. They walked together toward the center of the lane, where less ponies walked, and Derpy hugged her. “You’re a good pony, Fluttershy. And I’m glad I can call myself your friend. Heheh, I’m not straight either, and you gave me the confidence to come out to my other friends.”

“Oh, really? Thanks Derpy, I’m so happy for you. So, are you a lesbian too? How did your friends take it?”

Derpy’s smile broadened sincerly, “Yeah, thank you. I’m bi, and most of them took it well. Nopony got mad or anything, but a few were a little wary. And it turns out one of my other friends is gay. It feels amazing being out, just so free and open,” She happily closed her eyes, arched her back like a stretching cat, and spread her wings out as far as they would go. Then stood back up and looked Fluttershy—mostly—in the eyes. “You really give ponies like me a lot of courage, Fluttershy. I want to thank you for that.”

“Oh Derpy, thank you so much!” Fluttershy hugged her close, chest pressed to chest. Derpy hugged back eagerly.

They separated. Fluttershy asked, “Are you staying here much longer? I’ve got a lot of shopping to do; we could do it together if you want.”

“Sure! I’ve got a little while.”

They shopped together for half an hour, and they both rediscovered how warm the other’s company was. Laden with about a third of her shopping done, Fluttershy watched Derpy fly away merrily.

Though the occasional pony threw an angry glance her way, things were mostly peaceful. They were looking up.

A male unicorn she didn’t know walked up to her and asked, “Hey, Fluttershy, right?”

Suddenly fearless, Fluttershy said, “Yes, that’s me.”

“Could I talk to you a second?”

She nodded, and he led her over to an alley, down into it and around the bend so nopony in the market could see them. Then he started, “Hi. I don’t really know you, but I know of you. You’re a lesbian, right?”

He seemed sort of nervous, and Fluttershy thought maybe he was about to come out to her. It was the perfect spot, nopony could hear them if they were quiet. “That’s right. You’ve probably heard, I’m dating Rainbow Dash.”

“Yeah, I have. So you’ve never been with a stallion, then?”

“No, not at all. Why?”

“Well, I was thinking,” he used his magic to gently levitate her heavy saddlebags off her back and a little bit away. “If you had the opportunity to feel what it’s really like you’d change your mind.”

“Feel—” Suddenly Fluttershy was afraid. She backed away toward her groceries on the ground, “No, no, no, I don’t want any kind of experience with stallions, sorry.”

“Oh come on, you haven’t felt it yet. It’ll fix you, don’t worry. Just let me get started and you’ll like it.”

“No!” Forgetting the groceries entirely, she jumped hard into the sky and beat her wings as fast as she could. But he had her in his magic clutch before she could clear the roofline. She tried to yell, call out for help, scream blindly, but he silenced her with his magic. She couldn’t move; she couldn’t talk.

“Halfway through you’ll be having the time of your life, don’t worry,” he said as he set her on the ground, butt facing him. He lifted her tail perpendicular to the ground and stared at her exposed vagina. “Just let me get hard first.” He sat down and started playing with his sheath with a hoof, staring at her.

Every cell, every protein, every amino acid in her body strained against the magic, but she could do nothing. She couldn’t see him. She could hear him starting to masturbate, hear him moan softly. She could feel her exposed self against the air.

“Okay, it’s growing,” he said. He stood. “Mmm, this is going to feel really good, don’t worry. I’m all up now, let’s get started.”

Horror raged in Fluttershy’s mind and body as he laid his forehooves over her forcefully folded wings and lined up his penis. She could feel the heat, the closeness of his penile head as he readied himself. Only an inch away, he hunched back and thrust forward to shove himself into—

A pair of strong, hardened back legs folded smoothly up into the air, for an instant balanced against gravity, and exploded outward faster than they ever had before, and slammed into the cheek and jaw of the stallion. He flew like a ragdoll, and banged thickly against the brick wall of the alley. He made to get up, but Applejack jumped forward quicker than lightning and her back hooves came up again before he could blink, and one hoof crushed the side of his head and the other smashed his horn into shards against the wall. He passed out from the impact and the pain, bleeding from the jaw, cheek, and marrow of the horn.

Applejack’s hooves hit the ground with a sound thump and she stared seething at the collapsed stallion, his penis still hard.

Fluttershy had run away immediately after the magic cut off, and from ten lengths away she looked back up in time to see Applejack return to the ground. She couldn’t speak

But Applejack could. “Fuck you,” she whispered at the collapsed body. Applejack didn’t cuss, ever. She looked up at Fluttershy with softer eyes still burning with righteous fury. They refocused on the ground at once, guilty. “Hey Fluttershy. I was, well, I was trying to find you so I could apologize. And I guess I was just in the right place at the right time. He didn’t, you know, start already did he?” She looked scared for Fluttershy, genuinely concerned.

Overcome with relief and shaking from the adrenaline of fear, Fluttershy ran unhesitatingly up to Applejack and tackled her in a hug. Just barely not knocked over, Applejack swayed and slowly embraced Fluttershy as well.

Vividly, Fluttershy was aware of herself crying. The hot, wet tears pouring down her cheeks, packed with a mix of so many emotions. Her mouth stayed open, letting out a loud, throaty wail and looking like someone had taken a knife to a mouthless pony and cut a hideous hole rapidly, crudey, out of the skin just so it could open in that one important instant. Her hair fell into her face and her skin pulled up around her eyes to help her cry ugly tears over her ugly face.

“AAAAAAAAUUUUUUUW -- HHHHHHHHHH – AAAAAAAAAAAA”

“I’m sorry,” Fluttershy could hardly hear her talking, “I’m sorry, Fluttershy. I shouldn’t have yelled earlier and I’m sorry for what I said. I think I’m changing my mind, about you, but even if I don’t, just because I don’t doesn’t mean I want to just give up on our friendship. I think I’m okay with you being different. Being gay. I don’t know. I want to say, that is, I just. I want you to still be my friend, Fluttershy. And I am so, so sorry.”

Applejack pulled away and held the blubbering Fluttershy at foreleg’s length. Tears trickled daintily, beautifully, down her beautiful, frowning orange face.

“A-ah-hie-hie-hie-Applejack. Thank you-hie-hie-hie-for saving me.” She stuttered in gross fits of uncontrollable sobbing, gasping in air like she’d never breathed before.

Applejack lead her out of the alley. Ponies had started down into it from the sound of crying, and saw them walking out side by side, grimly covered in tears.

Somepony hailed down the cops, and three of them showed up with a police carriage and a two-pony EMT unit. One collected the bone shards and clotted the stallion’s bleeding. It was an ordeal. Every pony in the vicinity stopped what they were doing to watch. They saw the stallion, sex still vaguely excited, and deduced easily what had happened. They had holes to fill, but no one asked questions yet. Had he finished? Did Applejack beat up the pony for her? Did Fluttershy do it? Why was Applejack crying as well?

The other EMT pony examined Fluttershy’s rear end, and when she found there had been no penetration or touch gave her a blanket for the shock and told her to sit for a while and let herself cry. Nearly incoherent, Fluttershy told the pony she hadn’t because of Applejack.

They asked Applejack questions, asked the hysterical Fluttershy questions, and hug around for about thirty minutes after the stallion had already been wheeled away—cuffed to a stretcher—to the hospital. It was for Fluttershy’s sake.

Five minutes into it, Rainbow Dash saw the crowd from the clouds and curiously glided over. As soon as she saw Fluttershy she became a jet, and hit the ground so hard she almost hurt herself. Then she almost hurt Applejack in misdirected anger, until she explained the situation. Then, enraged, she banged crazily against the bars of the police carriage, screaming obscenities and threats. The police pony stopped her immediately, so instead Rainbow fumed silently at Fluttershy’s side, holding onto her as if her own life depended on it, angry mostly at the stallion but also with herself for not being there.

Applejack sat on the other side of Fluttershy, away from rainbow, feeling angry, guilty, and numb.

Eventually, Fluttershy stopped crying. “Thank you.” She whispered to them both.

Rainbow, still hugging her fiercely, kissed her, “Fluttershy I’m so sorry. I should have been there, I should have been there for you.” She buried her face in Fluttershy’s mane, “Are you sure you’re okay? He didn’t get into you? Are you okay? I love you.”

“He didn’t get to me. Applejack saved me. I’m okay, Rainbow Dash. It’s alright. I’m okay. I love you too.”

Pinkie Pie and Rarity showed up. Twilight came. Big Mac came. Derpy, Roseluck, the Cakes, Thunderlane, Lyra, Bon-Bon, Caramel, Flitter, Cloudchaser, Candylane, Tulip Tree, Bookly, Quick Cut, everypony who heard about it and even slightly knew them found them and came to show support.

In the middle of the cautious clamor, Big Mac quietly approached Applejack.

“How’re you feeling?” He asked her.

“Like I want my brother back,” she said, opening up her forelegs and accepting a big hug. “I’m sorry, Mac. If you want to kiss stallions all day long that’s okay.”

“Thanks AJ.”

Eventually, the cops and the EMTs went away. The crowd thinned. The sun came dangerously close to the horizon, and Twilight invited all of them to a sleepover, thinking it might help.

Pleasantly, the six of them found themselves in Twilight’s house. Mostly they talked and gave Fluttershy an easy time. Rainbow left her for second, apologized at least fifty times for not being there for her, and protectively hugged her butt whenever she could physically manage it.

Fluttershy was recovering, “It’s alright. I don’t blame you, Rainbow Dash. It’s okay.” She felt safe with all her friends there, and Rainbow, and while she was even quieter than usual she did smile.

Applejack stayed close to her as well, trying to make up for what she had done days ago, even though to Fluttershy she had made it up in full that day. Rainbow was still mad at her, but she left it alone. Everypony else forgave her, and tried to forget about it.

Twilight didn’t tell Spike specifically what happened, but told him to be extra nice to Fluttershy today. And, knowing enough of what was going on, he played soldier. He took up his post, after hugging and consoling Fluttershy, at the door. If anyone was going to break in, he said, they were going to have to get past him. Even though his figure was not imposing, they all knew how well he could breathe fire now. And he took his job for the day seriously, participating in the conversation when he could but never leaving the door.

They fell asleep on the floor of the living room, everypony sleeping in a circle around Fluttershy and Rainbow, who still cuddled her rump protectively with her own hips.

Big Mac went to his own house. He was tempted to go with the other girls, but knew he didn’t know them well enough and that the last thing Fluttershy needed at the moment was a strong male presence.

Apple Bloom asked him what the big thing in town had been when he got inside.

“Somepony very awful tried to hurt Fluttershy, and Applejack stopped him.”

“Go AJ! Is she alright?”

“I think she will be.”

“What happened?”

“Well. They tried to hurt her, that’s all Apple Bloom. Come on, now, have you eaten dinner?”

“Uh... yeah, I ate already.”

Part 12

The next day, most of the banners were down. The news had spread almost instantly, and even some of those with accepting banners decided that it was time to give it a rest. They cut them down, untied them, or painted back over them. It had gone too far, officially, and now there was a lingering feeling of shame over the whole town. Everypony bore the burden.

“I call this meeting of the Cutie Mark Crusaders to order!” Apple Bloom looked down at her other friends in the treehouse, Scootaloo and Sweetie Belle waiting below her. “Roll call. Apple Bloom? Here. Scootaloo?”

“Here. We already know—”

“Sweetie Belle?”

“Here.”

“Okay, well,” Apple Bloom jumped off the podium and came up level with the girls. “We all know the town’s gone crazy over Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash.”

“Turns out girls dating girls is a bigger deal than we thought,” Scootaloo said, sitting down. “Did you see the sign over the Burrito Barn?”

“Celestia Hates Gay Ponies,” Sweetie Belle said from memory. “That’s so mean!”

“We know it’s okay though, I asked my brother. And they’re up everywhere,” Apple Bloom said, “Rarity has one on the boutique, right?”

Sweetie Belle nodded her head. “It said All Orientations Welcome, but she took it down today.”

“Right. Well,” Apple Bloom continued, “a whole bunch are down now. I know it’s because of what happened yesterday, and I know Fluttershy and Applejack are involved. Applejack saved Fluttershy from something. Do either of you girls have the full story?”

Sweetie Belle shook her head. “No, I know it’s something really bad though. Like, grown-up bad. Rarity stayed at Twilight’s house, I think all of them did, and Fluttershy was with them.”

“I think I might know.”

Sitting close together on the wooden floor, the air pushed in around them tighter, and the gravity of the situation pressed harder as Scootatloo began her tale. “I got into the crowd a little after it happened. I think a unicorn stallion tried to... you know...“ She made some vague gestures with her hooves before giving up to taboo language. “That sex thing. I saw him in the carriage as they took him away. His horn was smashed to pieces and his...” she put a hoof between her hind legs and drew it out in a stick-like motion. Her voice dropped to a low, shaky whisper. “His dick was still up.”

The feeling of pervertedness shouldered its way between each of them, and they stared at the floor awkwardly.

“Holy horsefeathers, that’s awful.”

“Luna,” Sweetie Belle said, “that is adult. I’ve heard about it before, but I don’t remember what it’s called. I remember it’s really, really bad though. Like, up there with murder. Should we... make something for her, or something?”

“Can you give get-well cards for that?” Scootaloo asked.

“I don’t think so,” Apple Bloom said, “but we could go by and see her.”

“And say what?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“Hope you get better from what?” Scootaloo asked, “What would we say? We’re not even supposed to know what happened, I think.”

“Hmm.”

Tired and annoyed, Celestia rubbed the side of her cheek. She could feel the imprint of the part of the carriage she had rested her head on while she slept. The journey back from Mostcow had taken less time than she thought, but in the end that really meant she had had less time to sleep.

In the castle, she found Luna just going to bed. Tired as well, Luna smiled warmly at her and gave her a hug. “How went it, sister?”

“Alright. It’s all political slog, but at least they seem less aggressive now.”

Luna nodded, using her magic to sip a cup of tea. “That is good. I am off to bed, as you can see, but I should tell you to check your desk. Twilight and her friends seem to have stirred up some trouble. She’s written you more than once, I think. She actually came to talk to me, very kindly, and we have things to discuss now. But her letters, I believe, are addressed to you.”

Celestia nodded, and sighed. “Okay, I’ll help her out.”

Luna smiled again and walked away.

Celestia got to her room, and flopped gracelessly on her bed. She levitated all the scrolls on her desk over to herself and began reading. The first one was from Twilight, informing her that a brick had been thrown through the window of Fluttershy, because some ponies in the town were angry she was lesbian. She read it through once, skimmed it again, and started taking mental notes for herself as she moved on to the next scroll.

This one was from the chief of police in Ponyville. She shifted on the bed and failed to convince herself that it could be nothing. She read:

August 3rd, 4388 WC,

From the office of chief Cold Cuffs

Concerning: convicted criminal Thick Brew

Thick Brew (file enclosed), resident of Ponyville, recently attempted to rape Fluttershy Faintheart (file unneeded). His motive was to cure her of her homosexuality, thereby settling the town’s unrest. Unrest involving issue of gay ponies has become predominant in the last few days. Also suspected of personal motive for sexual gratification. Admits guilt.

Thick Brew held Fluttershy Faintheart in his magic so that he could complete sexual intercourse with her, against her will. Flutteshy Faintheart showed her unwillingness by attempting to run away after telling him no when he asked her to copulate with him. Applejack Apple (file unneeded) stopped Thick Brew by physical intervention: she knocked him unconscious and broke his horn.

Thick Brew in holding, trial unneeded as he admits guilt and several other ponies can testify to his guilt.

Action needed: none.

Request? Yes.

Requesting personal punishment delivered by royal sister(s).

If so, why?

This kind of crime indicates an advanced level of sickness in the heart and in the head, not something easily fixable by normal means. Practical request given the rarity of this crime and the prestige of the victim.

Time sensitive? No.

Risk factor? Low.

Other notes:

Fluttershy Faintheart is in a romantic relationship with Rainbow Dash (file unneeded).

Signature:

Cold Cuffs

Celestia considered the request carefully. She leafed through Thick Brew’s file, but there wasn’t much more she felt she needed to know. Before she made up her mind, she read Twilight’s other letter. It informed her of the same incident, with a new perspective. Weary, Celestia pulled herself up and hailed her guard.

She arrived in Ponyville an hour later, and much to the surprise of those ponies who saw her. It was a discreet visit, and she kept quiet as she walked into the jailhouse. Cold Cuffs was very surprised to see her, but lead her right to Thick Brew.

“You are the attempted rapist then, correct?” she asked.

The stallion only nodded, and while he looked up with his eyes he kept his muzzle pointed downward. His horn was in a cast, but his face had been healed fully.

“Good. Stand up.”

He stood.

Celestia used her magic to immaterialize the bars of his cage. She stepped past them as if the iron were only more air, and bent her horn to touch that of the stallion’s. He tried to move away, but there was nowhere to move and Celestia could easily stop him. So he stayed still.

The cast fell off; underneath his horn fixed itself, painfully, in her magic. She straightened up. “It is healed. Horns are conductors of magic, and one of the most fragile things in the equine body. They take special magic to heal, difficult magic. But you will need it healed for this. You sit here because of your extreme selfishness and misguided ideals. I have a punishment fitting for you.”

“What is it?” He asked, afraid.

Celestia willed a large flowerpot to appear beside him, and then picked him up herself, using her magic. She moved him over the pot, “You will be taking care of a living thing for me, and by feeling it grow and feeling it die I hope you might better understand the impact your actions have on others. You will be growing a flower, just an annual, from a seed. But first, don’t be afraid, you well become dirt.”

He dissolved into silt, a confused horror on his face as it turned to soil and settled into the pot. Celestia put a seed in the dirt, and covered it. Picking up the whole pot, she turned to Cold Cuffs and said, “He is still conscious. He will grow a flower for me, when I water it, and then I will bring him back, and he should be ready to free.”

Cold Cuffs couldn’t say anything, he was so startled.

“Don’t worry,” Celestia said as she walked out, “it was a painless transformation.”

Cold Cuffs swallowed, and mumbled to himself, “So that’s what requesting does....”

She put the pot in her carriage and flew herself to Twilight’s library. She knocked, but no one answered. So, asserting her authority, she opened the door and walked in anyway. In the process, she bonked a sleeping Spike on the head, but he only grumbled and didn’t wake up.

Twilight, Rainbow, Pinkie Pie, Rarity, Fluttershy, and Applejack were all sitting together on the floor, only Twilight and Applejack awake. The rest were snuggled up in sleeping bags, all circled around the romantic couple.

Applejack and Twilight gasped when she walked in, and immediately bowed.

“Princess Celestia!” They said together in surprise.

“Yes, it’s me.” Celestia laid down on the floor, tucking her legs under her and keeping her neck up so she was now eye-level with the girls. “I got both your letters, Twilight. I see the town is returning to normal, perhaps? Or did you exaggerate the amount of banners placed up?”

“Oh! No, Princess, quite a few have taken them down, since.”

“Good. And your friends?”

She glanced at Applejack, who looked back at her, “They’re all okay, now. They’re asleep, I can wake them up if—“

“It was a long night?”

Twilight nodded.

“Good, let them sleep. Applejack? I understand you have gone from enemy to hero, is that correct?”

Applejack nodded, “Yes mam, uh, your highness.”

Celestia nodded. “Good, I am glad to hear it. You are a good pony, Applejack.”

She nodded, and smiled despite herself, but kept her eyes on the ground.

Celestia yawned, and realized she probably should not have sat down. “Twilight, I think I want to talk to Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy. But it would be rude to wake them up,” she stood and walked over to the couch no one was using. “So I think I’ll just have to wait here for them.”

Twilight smiled and nodded her head, “That would be fine princess, I can you get you some tea if you want.”

“No, no, it’s alright.” She lit her horn and spoke into the air, “Endurance? Take the pot back to my castle, put it in the garden and get someone to water it for me. I’ll be a while here, you’ll hear from me when I’m done.”

And from the same air, “Yes mam!”

Distantly, a carriage started rattling forward and up. “Thank you, Twilight, I am very tired.” With girly, normal-pony enthusiasm, she bundled herself up in a blanket on the couch and blissfully started to nap.

“This is surreal,” Twilight whispered, shaking her head. “It’s like a dream.”

Applejack looked on quietly.

Pinkie Pie and Rarity woke up at about the same time and saw Celestia. Twilight and Applejack mumbling to each other, Pinkie turned to Rarity to make whispered conversation as well.

“Celestia’s here.”

“So I see. It must be about the town, of course. She looks very happy to be asleep.”

Pinkie Pie nodded. “I would be too. I guess we have a chance to talk. Whatcha thinkin’ about?”

“Well, there was something on my mind. Pinkie, when you told Applejack she never loved, a while ago, that was coming from somewhere wasn't it?”

Pinkie gave an odd sadish, tired smile that somehow she pulled out of her billions of smiles.

“So what was it,” Rarity asked, “That prompted that?”

“Well,” Pinkie began her yarn looking down at the floor and rubbing her hooves together, “I've had some... crushes I guess.”

“It's not.”

“It was. Fluttershy's just so kind and caring and I want to scoop her up and kiss her. And Rainbow is so much fun, I wanna fly around with her holding me above the clouds. But they have each other now, and that's good.”

“So does that mean you're a lesbian too?”

Pinkie giggled, “No, silly. I'm pansexual. I think Thunderlane and Big Mac are cute too.”

Rarity smiled, but looked slightly annoyed, “Pinkie, how come you never told us?”

Pinkie shrugged. “I dunno, just never seemed important.”

“Not even in all this big mess about the subject?”

“Well, there was just so much happening. I don’t know. I guess I was more scared than I thought to come out. It’s not like it’s a big deal or anything anyway, I don’t have a special somepony.”

“But you could get one Pinkie. We could help, if you want.”

She shook her head, “No, it’s alright.”

“Are you going to tell the rest of the girls now?”

She nodded, still with that mix of feelings on her face, “I will.”

They were quiet for a minute. Then Rarity asked, “You never made a move on Rainbow or Fluttershy?”

“Well, I was trying to decide between them. It changes, some days I think it would be nice to be with Fluttershy because it would be so nice and she's so nice and we could just snuggle together forever. But then some days I think Rainbow would be better because we could go pranking and have tons of fun doing lots of stuff together.”

Rarity nodded.

“What about you? Gotcha eye on somepony?” Pinkie winked several times, and Rarity giggled.

“Well, Big Mac and Thunderlane are handsome. But no, I don't really have anything going on romance-wise. Now back to you, how come you never perused one of them?”

“Well,” Pinkie dug into the floor with a hoof, “I guess I was always worried I would hurt them. I've heard about it you know,” Pinkie looked up, talking very quietly, becoming still on her sleeping bag, “when loving somepony goes bad and everyone gets hurt. I've always been afraid of that.”

Rarity smiled warmly, in admiration. “You’re a great friend, Pinkie Pie, and a classic romantic. But next time, I think you owe it to yourself to try.”

Pinkie looked at her sincerely, “Thanks Rarity, I might.”

Rainbow Dash woke up first, and woke Fluttershy up before she noticed Princess Celestia contorted on Twilight’s couch.

“Princess?”

Celestia stirred, and forced herself to sit up. But she didn’t open her eyes yet, she let them rest instead. At length, she remembered where she was and she pulled herself to focus. Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy were just woken up in front of her, and she couldn’t remember what she wanted to say to them. So she started vaguely, “Well, good afternoon girls. You two have been the source of much disturbance recently, as I understand it.”

“Yeah, when the town found out we were dating it went kinda crazy.” Rainbow said. Fluttershy nodded next to her.

“Did you mean to make this big of a scene?”

“No mam,” Fluttershy said, “But once it began there wasn’t any way we could stop it.”

Celestia nodded. “I trust you two, and I’m glad you’re both okay. Fluttershy, I understand you lost a window?”

“Oh, well, yes.”

“I will reimburse you; how much did it cost?”

“Oh, no, it’s alright. I’ve got it covered, your highness.”

She looked at her warmly. “Very well.”

Celestia left after some conversation with them. She didn’t want to keep the palace waiting for her, and she had an address to make. She flew high above the village, and used her magic to project her voice over the whole of it. “Dear citizens of Ponyville.”

It filled every corner of every building, and pushed through every stone on every street. Ponies stopped and looked up, amazed and shocked to see Princess Celestia flying high above them.

“I am here to make an address on the issue of same-sex relationships. I understand in the recent days there has been quite some uproar over it. Accept these different friends, there is nothing wrong with same-sex relationships.”

This was the definitive end to the argument, and after a day of repressed outrage from less than half of the citizens, the news was accepted. All the banners fell, and while a lot of ponies remained angry, things did get better.

Part 13 (Epilogue I)

“I just feel like she's given up so much for me, done so much for me. And I've hardly done anything for her, it feels like.”

“You've been you Fluttershy. That's all that maters to her. And I'm sure you've sacrificed more than you think.”

Fluttershy shook her head. She and Rarity sat in the communal bath of the spa, on one of their weekly get-togethers. It had been seven years since Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash had started going out.

Fluttershy said, dully waving a hoof through the water, “I don't think so. She comforts me far more than I need to comfort her. I need her more than she needs me. I want to do something for her.”

“Fluttershy, all she wants is you.”

“I know. And I've been thinking....”

Rarity tilted her head back to her, away from the edge of the pool she had been using as a headrest. “What?”

“I'm thinking maybe it's time for me to ask the question.”

Rarity leaned forward quickly, sending out little waves and ripples. “Fluttershy do you mean—“

“I'm going to propose to Rainbow Dash.”

Rarity squealed, “Eeeeeeee, Oh Fluttershy! I'm so happy for you!” She scooped her up in a hug.

“Well, I haven't actually asked yet. And Rainbow could still say no.”

“Oh please,” Rarity pulled her away too look into her eyes. “Like Rainbow would ever say no. She was ready to marry you around your third year, I have an eye for romance, I should know. She only took it slow because of you. But now you two will be engaged!”

“Took it slow for me.” Fluttershy repeated. “See? When have I ever sped it up for her? Never. That's why I want to do this. I don't want her to ask me, I need to ask her. To contribute to our relationship somehow. And I want it to be special.”

“What are you thinking?”

“That's, um, something I was going to ask you. How do you think I should propose?”

“Hmm, something romantic of course, but with Rainbow Dash my efforts might be lost.”

“Well, she doesn’t like to show it, but Rainbow can be romantic if she wants. Once, she set up a whole candle-lit dinner, with the table fully laid and spotless. It was just the two of us, at her house.”

“Hmm.” Rarity tapped her chin, and looked Fluttershy over. “Does she like... scavenger hunts?”

Fluttershy arrived at the cloud house at about noon. They should be up by now. She walked over the cute bridge above the pool of rainbow, and rang the doorbell.

Skittles opened it a moment later, “Oh, hello Fluttershy. Come on in, come on in.”

Firefly was sitting on the couch, and sat up as Fluttershy walked in. “Oh, Fluttershy. Good to see you! Is Rainbow with you?”

“Hello Firefly, it’s good to see you too. Rainbow isn’t with me right now, and that’s sort of why I came. You see, I want to discuss my intent with her.”

They crowded around Fluttershy, growing exited, “Your intent?”

“Yes. I’ve gotten to know you well, and I am very fond of both of you. I thank you for your support, and all your love for the both of us. You see, Mr. and Ms. Dash, I want to marry your daughter.”

“Yeeeeeaaaaahh!” Firefly jumped on her and hugged her all over. “I’m gonna be your mother in law!”

Skittles, with his long forelegs, picked them both up and buried his face next to his wife’s. “Rain is getting married!”

“She’s getting married!”

“Well—” Fluttershy said above their loud excitement, “Only if she says yes!”

“She’ll say yes, she’ll say yes, of course she’ll say yes!” Firefly let go of her and instead danced around her husband in excitement.

“Fluttershy, that’s great!” Skittles said, “I can’t wait for the wedding. Have you proposed yet?”

“No no, I needed to get your permission first.”

Firefly said, “Well, permission granted. You have our blessing, Fluttershy, totally.”

“Thank you both so much!” Fluttershy said. They talked with each other for a while, and before she left Clooudsdale she stopped by the cemetery. She found her mother’s headstone and sat down next to it.

“Hello mom. I haven’t told you yet, but I’m asking Rainbow to marry me! I know you’d be happy for us, and I know you’d be as excited as me. I’ll think about you, mom. It’s good to see you.”

“It just feels like it's been forever, you know? I mean, we're moved in, we sleep in the same bed, it just feels like she should be ready by now, you know?”

Applejack nodded, “Yeah, I can see what you mean. Think maybe you should talk to her about it?”

“I dunno.” Rainbow rubbed the fencepost she leaned on with a hoof, “I really don't want to push her too much because I know she'll do almost anything to make me happy. If I ask her she'll say yes, even if she's not ready yet. I don't want to do that to her.”

“Well, you could always stay engaged an extra year if'n you needed to.”

“Yeah. I guess.”

“Hey,” Applejack said, “She still loves ya. You made it this far. That's what matters in the end, I think. Now, I'll be seeing you, gotta get these bails into the barn.”

“See ya AJ,” Rainbow said as she flew off. Girl talk. It was scary that she had almost gotten used to it.

Fluttershy was acting odd when Rainbow Dash came home. She seemed more nervous than usual. “Hey, Fluttershy, Rainbow said as she walked up to her, sitting at the kitchen table.

“Hi Rainbow.”

“Uh, is there something wrong?”

“Hmm? Oh, no. Nothing. Just an animal, I'm uh, a little worried over.”

“Right. Well, have you had dinner yet? I was thinking maybe we should eat out.”

Fluttershy jumped up and whisked over to the kitchen. “Oh, no, I've eaten. And I made your favorite, PB&J with some zap apple jam I've been saving.”

“Oh, uh, thanks!” Rainbow looked over to find a little platter of sandwiches. Fluttershy looked like anxious for her to do something. So Rainbow took one and bit into it. “Mmm, these are always the best.”

“I'm glad you like it. But, uh, I think I'm going to on to bed now if you don't mind.”

Fluttershy looked almost guilty, standing up. “Fluttershy, are you alright? Do you want to talk about something?”

Fluttershy shook her head and forced a smile, “No, no, I'm okay. I just need some rest. Oh, and, I'll be up early tomorrow, taking care of that animal.”

“Fluttershy, I trust you but you know we tell each other everything. So whatever it is, don’t be afraid when you want to talk about it, okay?” Rainbow didn't like it. Something was off.

“Don’t worry about it, Dash. I’m alright, I promise. I’m just nervous about this animal. I'll be in bed, just come up when you finish eating. And you can leave out the plate, I'll clean it tomorrow.”

Rainbow Dash came up later to find Fluttershy curled up asleep. She snuggled her way under the blanket, softly kissed Fluttershy, and whispered goodnight, even though she knew Fluttershy wouldn't hear it.

The next morning Rainbow woke up with Fluttershy gone. Which was odd, as usually Rainbow woke up first. She got out of bed and found a note, along with a tin-foil wrapped breakfast, on the dining room table. It said:

I'll be back latter, enjoy your breakfast!

~Fluttershy

Under her name there was a little heart scrawled with the words “Love you honey” in it. Far from calming Rainbow's nerves, it made her even more worried.

No “I'll be here doin' this?” No specific time, she thought, what’s wrong? I hope... we're still okay. Rainbow shook her head violently, No no no, you're going soft! Wonderbolts are not soft! If they see you going soft, you're going to get kicked out! If she was breaking up, which she would never do because you're awesome, she would be way more nervous. She ate, swallowing away the thoughts prickling at the edge of her mind.

After she finished, she headed out to the skies. One of her weather team members came up to her just as she reached them, a little pega-knot in the sky.

“Excuse me,” Thunderlane said, “I heard from a classified source that your presence is demanded at Sugar Cube corner as soon as you arrive, mam!”

“Uhh. What about the weather?”

“Under control, mam!” Thunderlane smiled.

“Well, I'll go there I guess....”

“Have a good time, mam!”

Pinkie Pie was waiting at Sugarcube corner. She held a card in her mouth, and offered it to Rainbow Dash with a little, “Here!”

It said: This is where we had our first secret date, you and I. It was cold that morning, and under your wing you kept me.

Obviously, it was from Fluttershy. Rainbow was about to ask for an explanation, when Pinkie suddenly said, “I think maybe you should check out the library—you never know, Twilight might need your help.” Then she bounced away, clearing the room in two hops, before Rainbow could ask any questions.

When she got to the Library, Twilight waited just inside the door, a card ready. “You, too huh?” Rainbow said as she took it. Twilight just smiled.

It said: We decided to tell our friends here. The beginning of a battle, and a test of our love.

Uh-oh. A big word to throw around, love. She looked up, and Twilight cut her off before she could start, “I bet the weather team is having a rough time without you, better get back up in the skies!”

“Twilight, what—“ But quick as a whip Twilight pushed her out and closed the door. Rainbow flew up and was surprised to see a large, vaguely city-shaped, cloud formation in the sky, where it did not belong according to the day’s schedule. There weren't any weather team members, but there was a small cloud floating near Twilight's tree castle with a card on it. Oh boy.

It said: We flew to Clousdale, learned and loved and talked. For the first time, we were out to our parents. Later we had a picnic.

Rainbow looked up and realized that the clouds were meant to look like Cloudsdale. They must have been moved into shape very quickly, because Rainbow swore they didn't look like that this morning. Picnic....

When Rainbow got to the park, there was a picnic blanket laid out over the grass near where she remembered coming out to her friends. A card there said: We came out to our friends, and the war really started with just one's anger.

Applejack's.

All through the day, Rainbow chased clues from cards that lead her all around town and through memories of her and Fluttershy's life together. She saw all of her friends, but not once did she see Fluttershy. And she realized, she thought, cautiously excited, what was going on.

With the sun setting and Rainbow's head swimming with remembered niceness, she headed to Fluttershy's cottage. There, waiting with something clutched close to her heart in her fore-hooves, sat Fluttershy.

“Fluttershy! Finally,” Rainbow said, running up to her, “Please tell me this I what—“

“Rainbow,” Fluttershy cut her off, “I want to tell you, and I'm speaking true

that all this time I've spent with you

has been the greatest part of my life.

I love your smile, your eyes, and your mane

your voice, your spark, and your brain.

I've fallen head over hooves,

into your waiting embrace.

No longer are you something I chase

we belong to each other now,

at least I feel, and I will.

Say when you're near my fear is still.”

Fluttershy started tearing up, moisture licking the corners of her eyes. Rainbow too found herself deeply moved, more than she cared to admit, as she built herself up for the end.

“My heart beats fast.

My life is lit up bright

because you banish the night.

Rainbow, I love you.”

She sniffed, doing her best to not let it get through to her voice. But it did, and Rainbow could hear it.

“And I have a question to ask,

I'm sure you see

Rainbow Dash,

will you marry me?”

She pulled out from her hooves a small box and opened it. Inside was a silver ring with a row of three gems, red, yellow and blue.

“Fluttershy!” They both cried freely, and Fluttershy had this big, stupid grin plastered all over her face like maybe she would never stop smiling, maybe she would never want to ever stop because she already knew the answer coming.

Rainbow choked, and felt herself go weak-kneed. Bent closer to the ground, a hoof over her mouth, Rainbow couldn't say anything at all. She nodded, and felt the tears fall into the air.

“Is that a yes?” Fluttershy asked teasingly.

Finally, Rainbow managed in a whisper, “Yes, yes yes. Yes!” She pulled Fluttershy up in a huge hug and felt herself kissing her all over her wonderful, smiling face. Her own lips stopped puckering, she was smiling so hard, and she switched to spinning them in a circle. Any motion she could manage to show her exuberance.

From below, they were in the sky now, weren't they?, a huge cheer erupted as a crowd of ponies came out of nowhere and started yelling things they couldn't hear. They flew down, Rainbow still crying, and all their friends and more came around them to hug and fore-head kiss and ruffle hair and smile and smile and Rainbow was sure her face was going to become stuck like this but she didn’t care. And Fluttershy, close at her side, was smiling like maybe they ought to go ahead and get married before the sun finished setting.

There was so much noise, and Rarity wanted to see the ring, and Fluttershy was still smiling, and Rainbow was still crying, and sometime around then a pony shouted, “I've got the grill started!”

Eventually ponies stopped crowding them, and the blubbering Dash was left with Fluttershy to talk and enjoy the party in the dusk as the corn and fruit grilled.

“Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy said as they sat down facing the field that now was host to a party, “You're still crying!”

“I know!” Rainbow said, wiping tears from her eyes, “I'm just so happy.” Suddenly her face went shocked and she said, “Oh my Celestia! Fluttershy, we're engaged! We're getting married!”

Fluttershy laughed, and bobbed her head up and down. “Yeah—we are.”

Normally big parties would make Fluttershy nervous. And they would make Dash excited. Fluttershy would try to hide; Rainbow would look for ways to show off. But now they both sat in each other's legs and were completely content to just watch the happiness unfold.

Big Mac and Applejack sat talking with Twilight, Rarity, and Pinkie Pie as they watched, from a distance, Dash struggle to control her leaking eyes.

Applejack was saying, “Well, if anyone had told me I’d be attending the wedding of Rainbow and Fluttershy back a couple years ago, I would’ve called them crazy for a number of reasons!”

Everypony laughed at that; Twilight spoke next, “Well, if you told me I’d have dated Big Mac I wouldn’t have believed you either.” They giggled, and Twilight turned to Big Mac at her side. “I am really glad we’re still friends, Big Mac.”

He nodded, “Me too, Twilight.”

“You two,” Rarity said, pointing to them, “are very lucky you not only had a mutual breakup but also stayed close friends.”

“Well,” Twilight shrugged, “I guess that’s true.”

“Not like you and Kingpiece,” Pinkie said, pointing to Big Mac, “I still can’t believe he moved out of Ponyville.”

“Well, he was handsome, but underneath it all he was a pretty big jerk.”

They all nodded in agreement. “But now,” Applejack said, looking over her shoulder, “You’ve got that new mare Busy Bee.”

Way off near the grill, a brown-coated, golden-maned earth pony waved at Applejack and Big Mac. They all waved back.

“She’s mighty nice, brother, and y’all have been dating for a while. If, ya know, you want to pop the question some time I’m sure it’ll be a good edition to the Apple Family. Hey! You could do it right now, have a double weddin’!”

Big Mac blushed, “AJ, not yet. It’s only been two years, you act like that’s a lifetime.”

“It is for a two-year old!” Pinkie busted in.

“She is very nice,” Rarity said, “She has a natural kindness and love and her honey is to die for.”

“What about you,” Twilight asked Applejack, “do you have your eye on anypony, or are you still married to your work?”

“At the moment, I’m with my work. Just like you, Twilight. But one day, maybe.”

“Well,” Pinkie said, “I hope I’m married this time seven years from now.”

“Me too,” Rarity said, “I haven’t found the right one yet, but I feel like I’m getting closer.”

“You could ask Rainbow dash for romance advice, I hear she’s doing pretty good,” Pinkie said. They all laughed.

Rarity looked over at Rainbow, “Well, maybe if she stops crying this century I will.”

“Hahaha. They’re finally getting married,” Twilight mused. “I’m so happy for them. They really deserve each other.”

“True.”

“Yeah.

“Definitely.”

The night came on slowly and still there was food and talk and celebration.

Part 14 (Epilogue II)

Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash sat with Cadence around a royal breakfast table in the top of the Crystal Palace. The morning sunlight streamed through the windows and sparkled on the all around them.

“What do you think, Cadence?”

“Well, this is a big decision. I think you should make sure it’s what you really want to do. After that, I’m not sure. There are spells for this kind of thing, but they’re not one hundred percent reliable. Most of the ponies in the Crystal Kingdom just adopt their foals.”

“Well,” Fulttershy said, “We are thinking about that as well. We were thinking I would have one or two--”

“—just one—” Rainbow interjected.

“—and then adopt one or two more.”

“Still just one.”

Cadence laughed. “Well, you might want to decide together how many first.”

“Anyway,” Fluttershy said, giving Rainbow a look, “could you preform one of the spells for us?”

“Well, I can try. But there is someone who might be able to do it better than me.”

“Really, who?”

Discord pulled the door toward himself and stuck his head out without opening. “Oh! Rainbow and Fluttershy, what are you two doing here?” He stepped out, and closed another, identical door over the old one. In the hallway that connected his room, Rainbow and Fluttershy stood expectantly.

“Hello Discord,” Flutteshy said happily, hugging him around his middle.

“Hey Disco,” Rainbow said radically, holding up a hoof for him to bump, which he did with sudden sunglasses on his face.

Taking them off, “It’s nice to see you two, but why are you here?”

“Well, we were looking for ways to have a baby together,” Fluttershy started, Rainbow blushing behind her, “and Princess Cadence referred us to you. Do you think you could use your magic to help us?”

“Me? Cause something chaotic? Why,” he recoiled humorously in mock shock, “I haven’t been asked to do that in ages! Of course I’ll help you, just tell me who wants to carry the foal.”

“Fluttershy does.”

“It’s true, I’ve always wanted to be a mom.”

“Well then! Do you want the boring way or the fun way?” Discord said, rolling up the sleeves he suddenly had as if reading himself for hard work.

“Well, what are they?” Rainbow asked.

“You know what, I’ll just give you two the fun one,” he snapped his fingers dramatically and suddenly Rainbow was aware of two lumps of dangling flesh between her legs that she did not have before.

“What—“ She looked down and saw a nice pair of testicles and a sheath between her legs, though she could still feel her vagina in the back. Staring at it, shocked from the suddenness of it, her blue penis started to wake up, pushing cutely and slowly out of its sheath. “Hey!”

“You girls can thank me later, guaranteed to work or your money back, it’ll vanish when you’re done with it, and, just between you and me, you two girls might want to find a room, if you catch my drift.” He opened a door on the wall that hadn’t been there before, “A guest room will work fine, I’m sure.”

“Thank you Discord,” Fluttershy said, pulling Rainbow inside before she had a chance to object.

“All in a year’s work, Fluttershy.” Discord said, closing the door and willing it to disappear.

“Flutteshy, what? How am I supposed to use this thing?” Rainbow said, poking at it with a mix of disgust and arousal.

“Just like a strap-on,” Fluttershy said, giving Rainbow’s butt a tender kiss. She put a hoof gently on Rainbow’s balls, and brought it up to start stroking her shaft, pushing it against and away from Rainbow’s small teats.

“I don’t know about—oooh, that feels good,” Rainbow moaned, her face growing hot and red like it always did.

“It’ll be fun, come on.” She hopped on the bed and presented her rump to Rainbow. “Test it out, then maybe a little foreplay before we start?”

“Fluttershy,” Rainbow said, now fully erect and rearing to go, “you are the sexiest pony in the universe.”

Part 15 (Epilogue III and Author's Note)

“Push! I want you to take deep breaths, okay? It’s coming! Push!” The doctor yelled.

Rainbow stared with weakening stomach as a little nose inched out of Fluttershy. “Ohhh yuuckkk,” She tried to look at the floor, but it was blurry, and she felt like it was quivering under her hooves. The sounds around her seemed to fade, even Fluttershy’s screaming.

Against her better judgement, she looked up again. The foal was halfway out, quickly, coming out, it was slimy looking and—and my didn’t those white linoleum floor tiles look nice.

Startlingly close, she heard, “You did it! Nurse, check the placenta. Rainbow Dash, would you like to cut the cord?”

She looked up. The little baby pony was lying there, in a nurse’s care, and the cord reached from it right up into Fluttershy. “Ah-gghhg.” She shut her mouth so she wouldn’t throw up, and promptly fainted.

When she woke up, she was in the waiting room with everyone who had come to see the baby. “Uhh.”

“Howdy, braveheart. Too much for you after all?”

“Shu.” Wow, her tongue was thick. “Shut it AJ. Ohhh, I still feel queasy.” She closed her eyes and wrapped her hooves around her stomach.

“You fainted like a rock. They brought you out here; Fluttershy’s getting cleaned up. They’ve got the baby swaddled, would you like to see?” Pinkie’s voice was all smiles.

Slowly, excitement replaced her nausea. “Oh, um. Oh yeah! I don’t even know if it’s a boy or a girl!”

“It’s—”

“Don’t tell me! I want to see for myself!” Rainbow was allowed into the baby-keeping room. It smelled really weird; almost unpleasantly so. Almost. A nurse guided her to her baby.

“This one is yours.”

“What is it?” Gingerly, she put a hoof on the sleeping baby. Suddenly she was filled, overpowered, with love. This was her and Fluttershy’s. It was amazing. She checked. It was a boy!

“It’s a colt,” the nurse said unnecessarily, covering up the baby again. “And he’s quite a handsome one!”

The little baby colt had a gray coat and four colors in his sparse mane and tail; pink, orange, yellow, and blue; all pastel and running in lines. His eyes were closed tight, and he looked like he was very determinedly sleeping. He had two little wings tucked up close to his side.

“Fluttershy said you and she were thinking of Grayspine, is that right?”

“Yep, that’s him.”

A month and a half later, at home, Rainbow held their little baby Grayspine. She sat on her hind legs and rocked her whole body back and forth, trying to get the crying to stop. It filled the whole house, piercing and annoying.

“Fluttershy?” Rainbow yelled over it, “I think he might be hungry!”

“I’m coming!” Fluttershy glided down the cloud stairs and gingerly took the baby from Rainbow. She carefully laid down and helped the crying thing latch onto a teat. He began to suck, quiet at last.

“Man, that thing can scream,” Rainbow said, kissing Fluttershy on the cheek.

“He’s just hungry. Yeah, look at him drink.” She said it looking down at their baby, her eyes filled with such pride and love, such burning warmth and determination to make this little life count, to love this little thing, that Rainbow just had to kiss her again. She giggled, “Aren’t you happy today, Rainbow?”

“Seeing you happy always makes me happy.” She smiled, and looked at the little Grayspine herself. She knew, in her heart, nothing in the world would stop her from protecting that little ball of fur. If she had to kill twenty dragons at once, she’d do it. Nothing, not in Equestria or beyond, would stop her from keeping him safe.

She looked up and locked eyes with Fluttershy.

And her.

Author's Note

So. This story has a story behind it (suprise suprise suprise).
I have known I’m bisexual for maybe three or four years now. And I got into ponies about early or middle season 2. A lot, if not most, of this story stems from the turmoil inside me as I struggle with being moral, Christian, and bisexual. I’d like to think I’m over it now, because I have accepted myself and prayed and felt God accept me. With the first (right now there are only three who know) person I came out to, I was also coming out to myself. How Big Mac reacts when he comes out is how I reacted, pretty much. For twenty minutes after hanging up the phone call, I was consumed by smiles and giggles and had to hug my pillow. It was, intensely, pleasant because it was a huge flow of positive emotions in me, directed at me, as I accepted myself fully for the first time.
So when I started it like three years ago all that kind of stuff was on my mind and it became kind of an angst fest. And then a lot more story grew out of it then I had expected, and I lost interest for a long time, then I had a bunch of other stuff to do, yadda yadda yadda. It’s finished now, finally, and I know it could be better. I’m leaving it like it is because I’m really fairly sick of it now and, after all, it is just fanfiction. If I write anymore I might make sure it’s higher quality, but this’ll have to do for now. I should have had Fluttershy initiate tough love, Pinkie and Rarity’s conversation about her sexuality should have been moved, I still have no idea what the proper grammar is on ellipses, I think I use dashes and ellipses too much, Applejack’s arguments are really weak and bad, and good grief like every other page ponies are hugging. But oh well.
I didn’t include the story of how they started dating because that’s what most Flutterdash fanfics are about. The ones I’ve read, at least. I wanted to write about their relationship a little deeper, and to do that I needed them to be further along.
Writing the almost rape scene was hard; it exposed a beautiful weakness in me. It was hard to start writing. It was hard to write because my body shook with an uncomfortable excitement. I had to pray for a time before I could more than a fourth of it. It was hard to write. I knew what I wanted to happen, and how, but still when I brought my finger down to type I just couldn’t. It was too awful, too far from me.
I'm not sure how much I should have included in the second Epilogue. I definitely didn't want to write a clopfic, and I don't think I did. But I didn't want to just skirt around what happened; euphemisms just make it more awkward. I don't know. I just want to show that these two ponies love each other. That's what it comes back to. They love each other, and Fluttershy wasn't scarred for life, and yeah she can take Rainbow's dick even though she's a lesbian because maybe love is bigger than that, and Rainbow's still a girl, so.
Also, the word “ponnying” in part two is a pony version of manning. I thought it was funny.

Overall, this was kind of my final loveletter for Flutterdash—an obsession of mine since joining the fandom—and might end up being my last for the fandom as a whole. I think I want to move on, so I can work on original projects. But we’ll see. Until then, if it comes, thank you very much for reading!

Part 4

Big Mac looked around, following the noise. The sun was setting and Applejack hadn't come in yet. Sometimes she worked into the night, but something seemed off today. An almost sinister air followed her, and Big Mac knew a night festering by herself wouldn't make whatever it was any better.

Eventually he found her among the apple trees, slamming her back hooves against a tree with a scary amount of force. She was muttering under her breath the whole while, but what she said hid beneath the solid CHTHUK of her bucking.

“Um, AJ?” Applejack looked up suddenly, startled. “You okay?”

“Oh, just you Big Mac. Yeah, I reckon I'm doin' right fine.”

Mac gave her a look. “AJ there's something on your chest, and I don't think it right to leave it there.”

Applejack sighed and let her head droop, “Just some things goin' on with my friends is all. Mac, Rainbow and Fluttershy came out as lesbians and I just can't believe I've been hangin' around with them the whole time! And what's even worse is all of my other friends were just fine with it. They hardly bat an eye!”

Mac stiffened. This is where he and Granny Smith and Applejack and most of the Apple Family didn't see eye-to-eye. He chose his words carefully, “Applejack. There's some things we can't help. And there's nothing good comin' from thinking on it when you're tired and angry.”

“Yeah,” Applejack muttered, staring at the soil, “Yeah I guess you're right. We can deal with them in the morning.”

“Eeyup.”

The walk back home was tense. When they got in, Granny was asleep already, in her room. Big Mac nodded goodnight and watched AJ slip into her room. He began to walk to his own, when he caught the light spilling from another.

Carefully, he walked up and peeked into Apple Bloom's room. Apple Bloom was sitting on the floor, picking burrs out of her Cutie Mark Crusader cape. Big Mac knocked on the door, and it swung open a few inches.

Apple Bloom looked up, “Hey Big Mac.”

Big Mac smiled, and lay down next to her, sinking down all the way so his head was only a little above hers. “Apple Bloom,” He said, chewing over his words carefully, “Do you think....”

Apple Bloom looked at him, and suddenly Big Mac realized he didn't know how to ask. So instead he smiled. “I could have a goodnight kiss?”

Apple Bloom giggled, “Sure.” Big Mac leaned his head at an angle and Apple Bloom gave him a kiss between his eyes.

Big Mac smiled and stood up, “Goodnight AB.”

“Goodnight, Big Mac.”

As he walked to his own room, Big Mac tried to think of a way to ask it better, next time.