Forever and Always

Rainbow Dash

“Rare?”

“Yes?” She answers startled.

“I kind of told Fluttershy that we would go over there tonight, so she wouldn’t be alone for the storm.” I can hear the wheels of Rarity’s brain come to a full and complete stop. This could go either way.

“You didn’t mention….?"

“No. I just went to tell her about the storm. I thought we said that we would talk to her together.”

“So, we did.”

There’s a pause, where the only sound is our hooves crunching against the dirt.

“Think she’s ready?” I ask.

“Not in the slightest, but perhaps tonight will be an opportunity to change that.” She looks at the sky, “We don’t have much time.”

I look up to see that the carefully crafted weather system is doing it’s thing. I can see my cloud system from here. It’s doing awesome, naturally. Rarity is right though. Even if we just drop the gems and run, we’ll probably still get rained on.

“No rewards for services rendered tonight I guess.”

“Oh darling, I’m sure we can find an opportunity.” There is a naughty glint in that unicorn’s eyes, and I like it.

“Well, what are we waiting for?”

We break into a gallop. I’m careful to match Rarity’s gait. I’m faster, but she has longer legs, and we aren’t sprinting. It only takes another couple minutes to reach the boutique. We pull the cart into a little shed, and Rarity locks it with her magic.

“Why don’t you fly ahead?” Rarity says just as the first thunder booms through the sky. “Poor Fluttershy must be quite beside herself. I’ll be along in just a few minutes.”

“You’re really going to walk to Fluttershy’s in a thunderstorm?”

“Oh no, I fully intend to run the entire way,” She says with a wink. “I just want to fetch the necessary items to fix my mane once I get there.”

That’s my Rarity.

“See you there,” I say and then take off.

Fluttershy

Dashie and Rarity are coming. Dashie and Rarity are coming. Everything will be fine, because my two best friends in the whole world are coming.

BOOOOOOOMMM

When are they coming?

The front door opens with a crash then closes quickly. Oh, I hope it’s Dashie and not some transient pony that thought my cottage looked like a welcoming place to sit out the storm.

“Shy?” I hear a raspy voice call out from the bottom of the stairs, and relief spreads through me like hot cocoa on a warm day. Of course, I still can possibly call out to let her know that I’m under the bed, but I’m certain that she’ll find me. Dashie knows my routines.

“I’m going to come up the stairs now, k?”

Of course it’s ok. Come save me!

It is very thoughtful of her to warn me though, so I don’t fret about what other pony might be climbing my stairs. That is a terrible thought though: that Dashie just got here, AND there’s still possibility of a transient pony on the stairs….

Eeeep.

Somepony opens my bedroom door, but I can’t see who, because the bed skirt is in the way. In the choice between having any sort of optical advantage and creating an enclosed den of comfort, I had chosen the den and now I might pay for it with-

“It’s just me Shy.”

Relief. But what about-

“I already checked the rest of the house. There’s nopony else here.”

What about-

“It was just me walking up the stairs, featherbrain.”

Relief.

“Do you wanna come out now?”

Ummm…..

I hear her lay down on the floor and she lifts the bedskirt. Raspberry eyes meet mine. She smiles comfortably. I can see the concern behind the bravado. Of course she isn’t scared of some storm. She’s worried about me and my worrying.

Even when we were little, seeing me worry made her nervous. That’s when she started spending nights like these with me, making sure that I was as comfortable as I could be. Of course, she often tries to tell me that I can be braver. Sometimes, when it’s in the heat of the moment she gets impatient with me and tells me to toughen up, which usually hurts my feelings. Then she always says sorry, and reminds me that she doesn’t look at me and see some coward of a pony. She sees a dragon master and a manticore whisperer.

She just doesn’t understand why I can’t be that brave all the time. No matter what happens, that’s the pony she knows I can be and I love her for that.

I mean-

Well, I don’t-

Ok. I do. I love Rainbow Dash.

I have been in love with Rainbow Dash for years. I think she knows too, but is too nice to say anything about it and make things uncomfortable between us. I feel bad for putting her in that position, but I have no idea how to change it and we seem to be getting along ok. Especially now that Dashie and Rarity are together.

Almost a year ago, when they came home from that trip to Canterlot and said they were dating I could tell that they weren’t just dating- something had happened. They were a mated pair, even if they weren’t ready to admit it to themselves or to all of their friends. Part of me wanted to be disappointed and feel bad for myself that any tiny hope I had of a future with Rainbow Dash was gone, but mostly I was just so happy. My two best friends made each other so happy! Plus, they both still took time for me. The three of us would even spend time together sometimes, which was nice. And they both still...looked at me.

I never would have believed that I could be a model if not for Rarity, and it wasn’t her words that convinced me. It was her eyes. How many times had I caught her looking at me in ways that made me blush?

Dashie was the same way, even now as she sits patiently waiting and worrying about me; her eyes wandered over me just a bit. I know that I should probably feel bad, because she’s with Rarity and should only have eyes for Rarity, but I can’t make myself do it. It feels too good to know that she likes to look at me. If that makes me an evil awful pony, then that’s what I am.

Besides, they both do it. Sometimes...they look at me together. And that isn’t just flattering; it’s naughty and I like it.

EEEEP.

“Shy, you ok?”

“Ummm...yes.”

“Rares should be here any second. Wanna come with me to watch for her?”

The thunder booms again. Rainbow’s face lights up with pride when I only cower a little. Then something occurs to me.

“Rarity is out the in rain?”

“Ha, yeah.”

Immediately I’m out from under the bed looking out the window. “Oh I hope she’s alright. I’m so sorry, Dashie. I shouldn’t have asked you two to come. Rarity hates getting wet.”

She pulls a long side me and gives me a quick nuzzle. “It’s all good. You didn’t ask; I offered. Plus, Rares was gonna grab all her crap so she can fix herself up when she gets here.”

“Oh. Ok.” Then a thought occurs to me. “Should I get a bath started for her? If she’s walking here, her hooves are going to be all muddy?” Rarity hates dirt.

“Oh she’s not walking.”

What?

I look out the window and I see her. I little point of light at the tip of her horn shining on the path in front of her. For just a second, she doesn’t look like Rarity at all. She looks more like Applejack or some heroic pony from a story. Her dark mane is flying behind her as her hooves fly across the ground at a full gallop. Mud has splashed up her legs and onto her barrel. There’s a little shimmer around her whole body, and I can’t tell if it’s water glistening off of her or something else. I can just imagine each little squeal she might make as the mud splashes around her.

She’s absolutely beautiful, but she’s also so sexy I can’t help but stare.

I mean-

Well, she is-

Ok. So, I think Rarity is sexy. Like it’s a good thing we’re in separate tubs for our mud baths at the spa because I may or may not have done naughty things to myself with my hoof one day when she fell asleep under her cucumbers, because even (maybe especially) covered in mud Rarity is a stunning, mind blowing, level of sexy that I just can’t ignore.

Rarity is running through the mud for me?

A quick glance at Rainbow Dash tells me that maybe it’s just not for me. Dashie is transfixed on the white unicorn. It’s not quite the same look she has when she watches the Wonderbolts perform, but it’s close. If I know Rarity, then she knows Rainbow is watching. She probably had that hood up the entire way, but took it down as she came over that last hill because she knew Dashie would be more turned on by a wet mane.

I know I sure am.

EEEEP.

“I’m going to go start that bath for her.”

Rarity

Frankly there is a battle raging in my head. On the one hoof, I am covered in mud and slime. I am wetter than a fish- and not in a good way. Although, I am hoping for that to change in the next little while, which brings us to the other hoof. My darling Rainbow Dash is definitely watching from the window in Fluttershy’s room, and if our history together is any indication, then I can be reasonably confident that my paramour will find herself sufficiently aroused by my entrance. Were it just the two of us, there wouldn’t be any hesitation. Rainbow Dash would take me before I got through the door. However, I daresay Fluttershy would be traumatized by that, which would be entirely counterproductive considering Dash and I have decided to try and date the darling yellow pegasus.

Truthfully, we talked about approaching Fluttershy just a few days after our first date. It was one of many conversations we’ve had about the various ponies and qualities we each find attractive. Somehow, we kept circling back to Fluttershy. Rainbow talked about a completely different version of our friend than I did. We were each captivated by her for different reasons. Even if I hadn’t already been smitten with Fluttershy, I certainly would have been after hearing Rainbow talk about her; and Dash said the same of my description.

We agreed to be just the two of us for a while before we truly considered trying to date another pony, and what a wonderful year it had been. Not perfect, of course. Rainbow and I can both be stubborn. My fastidious nature can be trying, even for a pony that can see the value in it. Rainbow’s penchant for naps above all else and leaving a room without taking proper leave had caused friction on more than one occasion as well. She also willfully refused to model anything for me, unless it was Wonderbolts apparel, which was infuriating until came up for an elegant Wonderbolts themed evening gown. She even wore it to the premier of the new line of fangear which has been such a tremendous success.

Each disagreement ended. We haven’t slept apart in more than 6 months. And perhaps most significantly for both us, we have never quarreled about fidelity. That we would remain together for the rest of our lives was a foregone conclusion. It’s ironic that there were so many spurious rumors and innuendos about Rainbow Dash; that pony mated for life. I still don’t know what I ever did to deserve being her special somepony, but from that first day I knew it was our reality and neither she nor I have questioned it since.

If a crush or interest arose, then we talked about it. Often that meant returning to our conversation about Fluttershy. She had been a best friend to each of us for such a long time that she was already special. It felt so perfectly natural to include her in certain things. She was a counselor when we fought, often reminding us that simply being a little kinder to one another was all we really needed. She brought a sweet balance to our sometimes over-impassioned dynamic that we desperately needed.

Without noticing it we had already created opportunities for the three of us to spend some extra time together. A few months ago, after spending a particularly lovely afternoon together with Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and I were entering the boutique when I was struck by a realization that made me gasp. When Rainbow questioned me about it I answered, “Darling, I do believe we have been gently courting Fluttershy for the past few weeks.”

Sometime around our 8 month anniversary, Rainbow and I had started making a point of having a weekly lunch or dinner with our friend. Additionally, each of us spent at least one afternoon or evening with her on our own. None of that was particularly out of the ordinary, but it was how we were spending time with our mutual hearts desire. We had invited her on a trip to Canterlot with us for a design session with the Wonderbolts. We had taken to sending messages with some of Fluttershy’s animal friends in advance of our arrival to the cottage to help assuage her terror at unexpected guests. These were subtle differences, but all combined to show our intentions- at least to us in the know.

Around the time I had my realization, Applejack made some offhoof comment to Rainbow about Fluttershy being our perpetual third wheel. Naturally, Rainbow rose to Fluttershy’s defense and there was a bit of a rift between Dash and Applejack for about a week. Thankfully, they let bygones be bygones and returned to their perfectly childish competitive nonsense. However, the result was a conversation betwixt Rainbow and myself about the fact that we mutually desired Fluttershy for our third- not our third wheel. In fact, although each of us still took note of the occasional other pony, we had long since stopped talking about the possibility of incorporating anypony other than Fluttershy into our relationship.

Now we just had to figure out how to talk our darling girl without scaring the feathers off her.

She does have such lovely feathers.