Rarity
This is lovely. The view from our spot in the grass isn’t as good as the one I’d been planning on, but it’s lovely nonetheless. Princess Luna has outdone herself tonight. The sunset is still fading, but already an absolutely gorgeous night is twinkling into existence.

Fluttershy and I are curled up together, our dresses tossed aside. They were ruined during our tussle. The moment she realized it, my dearest Fluttershy nearly panicked with guilt. She was soothed easily enough, but it was yet another reminder that she is a much more complex pony that I’d ever imagined.

The silence between us is not strained, but it is weighty with the issues of the evening. I’m in no rush to strike up the conversation however, because her birds have just started singing. She’s been perfectly still for the nearly twenty minutes, but I saw her ear twitch when the song began. It was a gentle beginning, sweet as a morning rising over a meadow. It’s building now into something strong and beautiful.

She raises her head and casts about, searching for the unseens performers of her serenade. The birds stay hidden. The song is for her, but they seem to be giving this magical moment to us both. I feel as though they are thanking me for loving her. It brings tears to my eyes. A quick glance at Fluttershy tells me she’s crying too.

There’s a new melody now. It is bold and flashy, yet it fits perfectly with the sweet serenity of the foundation. At first there’s an ebb and flow to the two lines, but they find their way to a beautiful, rich harmony. It repeats, then changes. Somehow there is a space between the themes now, a gap, as though a voice is missing.

It’s a grand, encompassing thing when the third melody begins. For a moment, it completely overpowers the other two, disrupting their synchronicity. The brash line weaves in with the new voice first. They are a powerful combination that makes my pulse quicken. Slowly, the original tune rises, melding with and mellowing the others. It’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever heard.

Just when it all seems to be over, one more melody briefly enters. It is complex and precise. It matches the original notes perfectly, and blends with the other two themes creating something so wonderful I can’t begin to try and describe it. The song finishes with a sense of hopeful, beautiful, loving ambiguity; as though it doesn’t have to be over. It just is for now.

“Oh, my.” Fluttershy whispers quietly.

“Thank you all,” I say in equal reverence to the world around me.

“They think I can do this,” she almost hums. Then she looks at me with a joy I’ve always hoped to see, but hadn’t found a way to inspire. She thinks she can do this too. Her animals know her better than any pony. She is her truest self with them. She is strong and confident and bold with them. Yet, they care for her as well. They tend for her in her quiet moments of isolation, when she refuses to burden any other friends with her weakness. Their song means infinitely more to me than it did even a moment ago. We have their blessing.

I hate to think what they will do to Rainbow Dash and me if we ever upset her.

That thought must show on my face, because she gives me a quizzical look. “I was just thinking how wonderful your friends are, and how happy I am that they seem to understand how much both I and Rainbow Dash love you,” I confess. “As well as how terrible it would be to be attacked by a flock of birds should I ever fail to care for you properly.”
She blushes and giggles quietly. “Maybe we should warn Dashie.”

“Indeed, I believe we should,” I say into her neck as I nuzzle her. “Do you think they’d put on a repeat performance?”

“I’m sure they would,” she says confidently. “I’m sure they want her to hear our song too.”

Our song. That thought makes me lift my chin. She meets me in a wonderful kiss. There is none of the panicked passion from earlier. Oh, the passion is there and it is strong, but it’s restrained. She’s in control of herself, and simply enjoying this moment with me.

It is one of the most perfect kisses of my life. Her lips move shyly against mine. For a moment I remember that she doesn’t have much experience with this sort of thing, but she’s a natural, so I’m not concerned. I brush her lips with my tongue and she welcomes it into her mouth. I’m only leading a little and she follows easily, if carefully.

A wing unfurls next to me then gently finds it’s way to back of my head, gently pressing me into our kiss. I’ve been kissing a pegasus regularly for quite sometime now- Rainbow has never used her wing like that. I never want her to. It feels so wonderfully like my Fluttershy: soft, and careful, and alluring.

Without breaking our kiss, I pick myself up a bit and roll her onto her side. Our mouths separate for just a moment so she can release her other wing. With very little prompting I understand what she wants and let her slide the wing under me, so she can wrap it’s incredible softness around my side and across my back. When we kiss again it is deeper, but still slow.

I can feel her willfully controlling her hunger for me, and I must admit I appreciate it. I’m not ready for more than this. I didn’t realize that until this moment. This is perfect: slowly learning each other; becoming comfortable with being more than friends; accepting that Fluttershy holds within herself a powerful, almost frightening, passion. I’m going to need a lot of this- far more than I anticipated.

With all of that in mind, I’m careful with my hooves as I let myself explore her. It reminds me of those moments with Dash in Canterlot, when she wasn’t ready for more, and I just got to touch her. Fluttershy responds to everything. Her chest and midline seem to be safe zones, I can touch them without her moaning into my mouth or feeling her wings pull me ever closer. Those delightful appendages are definitely an erogenous zone. Straying too close to them has immediate results, and I can feel her struggle to maintain her composure. So, I break the kiss for a moment and just look at her.

“Sorry,” she says in a breathless way that speaks of her restrained desire, her eyes still closed in focus.

“It’s alright. I simply didn’t want to push you too far.”
She nods.

“May- maybe I can have a turn?” It’s a perfectly sweet and humble request.

I press a long, firm kiss to her mouth and say, “Of course.”

She keeps her eyes closed. I want to ask what’s wrong, but I wait- hoping she will just tell me.

“I don’t think I can kiss you anymore right now,” she sounds ashamed. It’s taking everything she has to tell me how close she is to losing herself to whatever force inside her we saw for just a moment in her cottage that first night.

I relax into her wings, letting my contribution to the tension between our bodies fade. Relief washes over her immediately. I kiss her quickly on the nose. “It’s alright, my love. Thank you for telling me.”

She just nods and we stay like that for a few minutes. It’s so tempting to touch her, to reach to that place on her back between her wings where Rainbow likes for me to drag the edge of my hoof softly back and forth. Yet, I know she couldn’t handle it. It would set her off and neither of us can know what would happen then. Part of my heart aches at her struggle. It’s hard to imagine a pony suppressing so much for such a long time, that they can hardly allow themselves to be touched by the one they desire. We are going to have to be far more careful with her in this regard than we imagined. Yet, I get the impression that Fluttershy will be a very aggressive lover when the time comes, so we will also have to remind her to be more careful with us at first- until things even out.

The tip of the wing that has been cradling my head moves slightly. I lift just enough to set it free. Her eyes are still closed. I close my own and enjoy the sensation of careful feathers exploring my crest. Her forehooves twitch, and with a little sucking of air she allows herself to touch my chest. Her hooves do not wander. They just touch, testing to see if she can handle it.

I’m careful not to respond too much to anything, even though it feels wonderful. The feathers exploring my neck are especially intoxicating.

Slowly her hooves wrap around to my lower back. I open my eyes to check on her expression to find her watching me. She blushes and starts to pull away. I reach with one hoof to her cheek and shake my head. She looks down, then back up at me through her lashes as if to ask: Really? I nod.

It’s a risk, but I move myself closer and tuck myself under her chin, careful not to poke her with my horn.

Fluttershy

Oh why oh why oh why did she have to do that???? I was doing so well, but now her horn is RIGHT THERE!

Ok. Fluttershy Breeze get a grip. Just focus on something else.

Like what!?!? It’s RIGHT THERE! AND I WANT IT!

No. NO. Just ask her to move it.

But I want it!!!!

My own whining is what brings me back.

“Rarity?”

“Yes?”

“Umm- I’m really sorry, but I need you to move.”

She pulls away in a rush, just enough so I can see her eyes. That’s all I really needed anyway. “I’m so sorry, my dearest. Did I hurt you? Was my horn bothering you? I can be so absent minded about it sometimes.”

I’ve been fascinated by it since the first time we met. I’ve spent time with other unicorns, of course. Horns have always been fascinating to me. I have an almost Twilight-style curiousity about how they work. That isn’t how I feel about Rarity’s horn. Her horn has always been sexy. Maybe it’s because she cares for the appearance of hers more diligently than any other unicorn I know, except for maybe the Princesses. Maybe it’s because she’s the first and only unicorn I’ve ever let myself admit I was attracted to. Maybe it’s a lot of things, but they all add up to me being a little obsessed with it.

I need to tell her about her horn, but I don’t want to. Not yet. Five more minutes. There’s one more thing I want to do before we start talking about everything.

I relax the wing that’s been holding her and let the other one wander a bit more. Rarity is so soft, and it isn’t just because she goes to the spa either. I go to the spa too. Rarity is just soft.

Like a marshmallow.

That makes me laugh. I wonder when Dashie realized they were strong enough as a couple to try out that nickname. I like it.
Rarity is also really strong. She’s not sinewy like Applejack, or cultivated muscle like Dashie. Rarity is just latently strong. I know she works hard collecting all her gems and things. Plus, she’s been a lot more outdoorsy since she and Dashie got together. It all shows in the muscles of her back, which I can feel just beneath all the wonderful softness.

She’s being so patient with me. I really hope she’s enjoying this. I’m terrified that I’m about to go crazy again, but I also love touching her. It’s another dream of mine coming true. I half hope that she’s just holding back that she likes having me touch her, and half feel guilty that she might have to do something like that. I’m glad my first date was with Rarity. I don’t think Dashie could have given me this. She gave me this afternoon in the clouds though, and that was wonderful too.

Rarity gasps a little in my ear. While I was thinking, but feathers worked their way to her cutie mark, which is what I was trying to do anyway.

“Is it ok?” I ask

“It's wonderful, Fluttershy. Please continue.”

“D- do you?”

“Not tonight, my darling.”

I don’t know if that makes me feel ok, or if it makes me sad. “Why?” I ask, because earlier tonight, and that first night in my cottage it seemed like maybe she wanted to.

She leans back a little. She’s looking at me. Her eyebrow isn’t up, but I know she’ll wait for me to look her in the eye before she starts talking. It’s a habit of hers that makes me nervous. With animals it’s important to not hold their gaze too long, because they might think I’m a threat. With ponies, I don’t like to look them in the eyes, because I feel threatened. I always worry about what they might think when they see me. With Rarity, I always know I can look into her eyes (unless I’m lying to her) and she’ll love me anyway. Rarity has beautiful eyes.

“Thank you,” she says. It’s all there. She wants me too, but she’s scared. She’s happy, but she isn’t ready. Everything is ok. It makes me smile, and she smiles back, and rubs our noses together. “I’m just not ready, Fluttershy,” she says quietly. “I was naive enough going into all of this to think that I was, but I’m not.”

She sounds sad. Like she’s worried that she’s disappointed me. She’s still nervous and wants me to like her.

Yay!

“It’s ok,” I say nuzzling her cheek. She didn’t ask me to stop touching her cutie mark, and I hadn’t until now. I wrap her in both my wings and hold her with every limb I have. She snuggles into my chest. Luckily her head is tipped so her horn is pointed away.

“Thank you,” she whispers into my chest, and I blush with happiness.

“You’re welcome.”

It’s perfect and wonderful. I think back to the song my birds sang for us. They must have worked so hard on it. It was so beautiful and complicated. I think even Dashie will like it.

We stay like that in the grass for a long time. I think Rarity might be falling asleep. “I should take you home,” I say trying not to sound sad. I don’t want to sleep alone tonight. Having her and Dashie in my bed was so wonderful, I’ve been looking forward to doing it again, but I’m trying to understand why they might not be ready for that.

Rarity snuggles in just a little more. “Five more minutes,” she says. “Then we can go. Hopefully, Rainbow will have done us the courtesy of warming the bed for us.”

What?

She giggles at my panic. “That is assuming you’d like to sleepover?”

“I- I- … mhm.” I nod. She giggles again, and kisses my cheek.

“Should we get going?” It’s cold when I let her go. I drape a wing across her back, so she doesn’t catch a chill. “Thank you, darling.”

We walk in silence for a little while. I know it’s the right moment for the other conversation.

“Rarity?”

“Yes, Fluttershy?”

“I- um- need to talk to you about your horn.” I can close my eyes to the world without worrying about walking into anything because of how we’re walking. She won’t let me run into anything, but I probably should pony up as Dashie would say. So, I look at Rarity instead.

“My horn?”

“Um- yes. Well….the thing is…. Ireallyreallylikeyourhorn, andifitgetstoclosethenitmakesmethinkaboutnaughtythings, soifyoucouldtrytonotletitgettoclosetomyfaceuntilyourready, thenthatwouldbereallyreallyhelpful. Please.”

Rainbow Dash

Ahhh. This is what I needed. There’s not a problem in Equestria that can’t be solved by spending a little time in this bed. Now, if one or both of my mares would get home, then I could sleep.

It’s dark out, so I’m guessing they’re either having tea in Fluttershy’s kitchen, making out on Fluttershy’s couch, or headed this way. Pinkie had a good point about Rare. If Rares isn’t sure about something, she usually doesn’t do it. The weirdness with Fluttershy is more about me than Rares, but it doesn’t make sense that she could just handle everything Shy’s thrown at us without a hitch. She’d try, because she’s Rares, but even she needs time to process once in awhile.

Maybe I should read for a little bit. I’m in the middle of rereading my favorite Daring Do, but just laying here is kinda nice.

I wonder if she’ll bring Fluttershy home. I hope she does.

That’s cool, because I’m not confused about it- like I have been with just about everything having to do with Flutters for the past week. Today helped though. Today was awesome. Today, I want to fall asleep knowing Shy’s here and knows that we’re ok.

When we slept at Shy’s house, Rarity slept in the middle. She was the buffer from the weirdness, which was good, because I don’t think I could have slept next to Shy then. Maybe Shy can be in the middle tonight.

I hear giggles outside, and it makes all kinds of happy, squishy feelings happen. My mares are home! Part of me wants to fly down and get them, and tell Flutters should act like a real pegasus and come in through the window. The other part of me wants to keep listening to them.

“Honestly, Fluttershy!”

“What? It was funny.”

“What did she do?”

“Sneak attack me in the cloud.”

They’re talking about what happened this afternoon. They really didn’t get around to that until right now? I can’t decide if I think that’s awesome, or weird.

“Do you think she’s asleep?” Shy asks.

“Probably not. It’s early enough that she’s probably waiting for us.”

“Oh. I-”

“Shh. She’s fine.”

Then I can’t hear them anymore. What are they doing?

“Hey!” I yell, and they giggle again. “If kissing is happening, then it needs to happen in here where I can see it!” I really don’t know if I’m ready to watch them kiss, but I am ready to see them.

“Do you think she can handle it?” Shy asks. She sounds….is mischievous the right word? She dumped a cloud on my head earlier, so I think it might be.

“I think we’d best not push our luck tonight, my dear.”

They’re on the stairs now. Flutters is pouting, “Ok.”

I don’t know what happens next, but Rares squeals and crashes through the door, closing it with her magic. Then she dives into bed and hides behind me. “Save me!” She laughs.

“What did you do? And weren’t you wearing something when you left?”

“She got it all dirty.”

“And now?”

“I forgot myself for a moment, and flicked my tail at her.” Rares sounds like she can’t decided if the situation is silly or something to be legitimately nervous about. Something comes softly through the window and lands on the bed in front of me. It’s Shy.

“It’s ok,” Shy says. “I promise I’ll stay over here...this time.” It’s a playful threat, and it is damn sexy. If things were even a little less weird between us, I’d want to see where this could go. As it is, I just puff up a little. Flutters giggles at me. “What ya gonna do Rainbow?”

“Why don’t you come over here and find out?” I have no idea what I’m going to do and it doesn’t matter. Shy leans over and kisses me. It’s quick. Totally didn’t see it coming. “Hey! No fair!”

“Well, what did you expect Rainbow Dash?” Rares says in my ear.

“Can it Marshmallow. I was on your team until now. Get her Fluttershy!”

“She isn’t a dog you can- AAAAA” Flutters jumped across me and tickled Rarity. I join in. “You…..two….stop…..this instant!”

“Sorry, Rarity,” shy says. It’s totally a sorry, not sorry.

“Yeah, what she said.” I really should learn not to pick a tickle fight with a unicorn. I get all tingly, then I can stop laughing. She’s ticking me everywhere. Shy’s laughing too. She’s floating above the bed in a little blue cloud.

Rares sounds like she just got made Princess of Equestria, “Now, what do you two have to say for yourselves?”

Flutters kinda whines and squeaks out another “Sorry.” She would give in that easy.

“That’s what you get for flicking your tail at ponies and running away!” I manage to get out in one breath. The tickling stops and I collapse into my super awesome bed. Shy comes back to the spot next to me where she was before and nuzzles me.

“Thanks, Dashie.”

“It’s cool, Shy. I know it’s crazy not fair when she does that.”

Rares snuggles in on my otherside. “Don’t I always make it up to you?” she says right before she kisses me. I love the way she kisses me. It’s freakin’ awesome.

“Hehe, yeah, you do,” I say when we’re done kissing. Shy is all tense next to me. “You ok, Shy?”

“Mhm. I didn’t watch.” She doesn’t sound sad about it. It’s just like….she’s learning what she can handle, and what to do about it.

That’s so awesome!

I kiss her cheek. “Thanks, Flutters.” I feel her cheek get all warm. She’s blushing. Of course she is.

“Wonderful,” Rares says turning out the last light.

“How does she just turn it off like that?” Fluttershy asks.

“It’s a unicorn thing, darling,” Rares says being dense on purpose.

“That’s not what she meant, Marshmallow.” Then I turn to Shy and whisper loudly, “She can’t. She just wants you to think she can, so that she can play all innocent later.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” still being dense.

“But what you’ve got to do, is remember that Rares really likes being in charge; so most the time even her acting like she isn’t in charge is her way of being in charge.”

“That sounds complicated,” Shy says. She means it, but she’s smiling to.

“Eh, you’ll figure it out.”

For a few minutes I just enjoy the awesome: Rarity on one side, Fluttershy on the other, belly fully of cupcakes and cider, cloud bed. This day in the life of Rainbow Dash has been awesome!

Author's Note

I hope everyone likes today's update. The story isn't over, but I am putting it on hiatus, because my brain has been completely taken over by another project.

As always, I really appreciate feedback. So far, I've done all my own editing. I know I miss things, and even though I've gone over these chapters a few times I still feel like there are a lot of little mistakes I keep missing. So, if you happen to catch one please let me know and I'll fix it.

Thanks for reading and commenting!