On The Wings of Love

Upon checking the mail that Derpy had left, Fluttershy and Dash saw an invitation to a sleepover at Sweet Apple Acres that night. It was no surprise though, they tried to schedule sleepover's about once a month and liked to switch up where they stayed. Since the weather team had nice weather planned through the rest of the week, the acres would be a good place for a camping trip.

"AWW YEA!!" Dash exclaimed. Despite having to sometimes deal with Rarity's overly girly sleepovers at the boutique, a sleepover at Sweet Apple Acres always turned into a good time for everypony.

Even Fluttershy seemed genuinely excited about the event. If the last few days had told her anything, it was that her friends are what truly made her life great. Despite that fact, a worried train of thought crossed Fluttershy's mind and she brought those thoughts to light.

"Um... Dash?"

"Yea 'shy?" Dash said, looking up at Fluttershy with a big smile.

"What do you think they'll think of... us?"

At this, Dash couldn't help but chuckle a little. Fluttershy had told her last night that she had asked all of their friends for advice.

"Well..." Dash, a hint of sarcasm playing on her voice. "I think YOU would know better than I would seeing as you asked all of them for advice."

Fluttershy blushed a bit as she hid behind her mane.

"Oh... right."

Rolling her eyes and walking over to the embarassed pony across from her, Dash lifted Fluttershy's chin and kissed her lightly on the cheek.

"They'll be okay with it Fluttershy. Remember that Pinkie and Twi are fillyfoolers too. AJ and Rarity may not swing like that but they'll be cool with it."

Fluttershy looked up and smiled a small but genuine smile.

"You really think so Dash?"

A gentle smile reassured her.

"I know so. Now lets get going, I bet everypony else is probably heading that way right about now.

Applejack put the last of her supplies into her saddlebags and took them out to the wagon sitting inside the barn. She always looked forward to the fall, the weather was often perfect for camping trips like the one she would be going on tonight.

"Big MacIntosh, did you put the basket with the apple-fritters in the wagon?" Applejack shouted back towards the house.

"Eeyup." Her brother drawled in his usual easy-going tone as he walked around the corner with a bundle of tents on his back.

For a while, neither sibling spoke. They just loaded the wagon with what few things the girls were going to need for the night.

"So... y'all gonna be alright down there?" Big Mac asked as he loaded the last of the tents into the wagon.

"Yup, we'll be-..." Applejack stopped mid-sentence and cast a suspicious glance over to her brother. There had been something in his tone that caught her attention, something she just couldn't put her hoof on.

"We'll be fine... why do ya ask?"

"No reason." He said as he walked over to the lanterns and started to fill them.

"Nuh-uh, Big MacIntosh. What is it?" Applejack said adamantly as she walked over to her brother.

Casting a sidelong glance at her and letting out a sigh as he finished filling the lanterns, Big Mac voiced what he thought.

"AJ, there's gonna be a lot of stuff come t' light tonight."

"Like Fluttershy and RD? Mac, pretty sure everypony knows THAT one's comin'." Applejack said, poking Big MacIntosh lightly on the chest with a hoof.

Big Mac simply nodded his head and walked to the wagon and gingerly placed the lanterns into their box.

"Eeyup... but I got a feelin' somethin' else is gonna come out that may just surprise ya sis."

Applejack looked at her brother questioningly.

"Like what?"

At this, Big Mac simply shrugged and started walking back to the farm house.

"Dunno... just don't be too surprised when something aside from Miss Fluttershy and Miss Dash sayin' they're together comes up."

Applejack started mumbling to herself, annoyed that Big MacIntosh had skirted the issue, when another voice from the barn's back door quickly caught her attention.

"He's right ya know... Ah kin feel it in mah bones."

Applejack looked over her shoulder to see Granny Smith standing behind her with a sage grin on her face. Closing her eyes into a grimace, Applejack vocalized her frustrations.

"Oh land-sakes, not you too granny! What in the hay are you two talkin' about? Next thing ya know yer gonna tell me Twilight's a fillyfooler too!"

"Heh, ya never know darlin'... ya never know." Granny said with a wry smile as she turned to walk back into the house.

Inside Carousel Boutique, Rarity was packing a few modest things for the camping trip. Though she did normally do her best to avoid going at odds with the elements, she did enjoy the odd excursion out to Sweet Apple Acres around this time of year. After all, the colours of autumn were simply marvelous!

As she packed a second scarf into her already bulging saddlebags, she heard a snicker behind her. Turning, she saw Sweetie Bell giggling at the sight of her sister attempting to stuff what could only be considered enough clothes for a week-long excursion into a saddlebag that was only designed for an overnight trip.

"Have enough clothes there sis?" Sweetie teased her older sister.

"Ha-ha..." Rarity said, deadpanning at her younger sister. "I'll have you know, I'm only packing what is ABSOLUTELY NECESSARY for this trip."

"Riiiiight..." Sweetie said as she walked over and pulled a dress out of one of the saddlebags. "Planning on meeting up with Blueblood again?"

Rarity grimaced at the mere mention of Prince Blueblood... Just like Sweetie Bell knew she would. Ever since the Grand Galloping Gala, Rarity had shown more than a ladylike disdain for him. Not that anypony could blame her of course. However, her reaction was just what Sweetie Bell was looking for.

"Unless you plan on going after one of your friends." She said, her young voice thick with implications Rarity thought a filly of her age should be blissfully ignorant of.

"SWEETIE BELL!! I'm absolutely aghast that you would even imply such a thing! Oh, I have no ill will against fillyfoolers and colt cuddlers but I am waiting for my prince."

At this, Sweetie couldn't resist. "Or princess?"

A glare from her older sister sent her scampering from the room, but not before she could get in one last jab at her older sister.

"Ya know... even I have to admit... Applejack has some nice flanks."

"SWEETIE!" Rarity exclaimed once more before turning back to her saddlebags and unpacking much of what she had spent the last few hours packing.

However... now she couldn't get the mental image of Applejacks toned, muscular flanks out of her head.

"Oh... darn that Sweetie Bell!"

"PINKIE!!" Twilight shouted at the party pony to no avail as she tried to grab her list away from the party pony's hoof.

"Nope. No lists Twilight. Everything is already going to be out at the acres! Plus, we don't need to do a checklist for EVERYTHING.." Pinkie said with an exuberant grin.

"Give me my list!" Twilight shouted, lighting up her horn with magic to grab the list from Pinkie when a sudden jolt ran from the tip of her horn all the way down her spine and caused her to collapse panting on the floor.

Taking a moment to regain her breath, Twilight looked up at Pinkie, who was wearing a small smirk whilst looking at the shocked unicorn.

"W-What... What did you just do?!' Twilight asked shakily.

"Well, seeing as you were going to cheat and use magic... I cheated and licked your horn. It tickled!"

Twilight gave Pinkie a disbelieving look before shaking her head.

"Do you know what that does to a unicorn? Touching their horn when they're running magic through it, much rather less LICKING it?!"

"Well duh! Depending on the force and nature of the touch, it sends a magical feedback through your body. In this case..." Pinkie gave Twilight a devious grin.

"I bet it was almost equivalent to an -."

Twilight shook her head and stared at Pinkie, who's mouth was now filled with Twilight's hoof. She hadn't expected an earth pony to know so much about the intricacies of unicorn magic.

"How did you-" Twilight started only to be cut off by Pinkie as she jumped back.

"I just do. Anyways, Come on Twi! We're burning daylight! Everypony else is probably already headed that way!

Twilight just shook her head slightly as she followed Pinkie out the door. A slight smile on her face as she chuckled to herself.

"Oh, Celestia help me."

Everypony arrived at the edge of the pond in the middle of Sweet Apple Acres around the same time. First was Applejack, followed shortly by Pinkie Pie and Twilight. Then by Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash, and lastly, Rarity arrived shortly thereafter, her luggage left at the boutique due to Sweetie Belle's constant jabs about trying to seduce one of her friends. Rarity would have to have a serious talk with her later.

The six mares wasted no time in setting up the tents and starting a fire for the night. That left only the eating and talking that each and every one of them looked forward to so much.

"Applejack, Darling, how on earth do you make these pastries so delicious?" Rarity asked, clearly enamored with the taste of the apple pie she was eating, despite what she would complain about what it would do to her flanks later.

"Family Secret." Applejack said with a wink towards the alabaster unicorn.

That, as anypony in Ponyville, or in all of Equestria who had tasted a fresh-baked Apple Family pastry would tell you, was no lie. No matter what anypony tried, NOPONY could duplicate the simple, yet complex deliciousness that was an Apple-family-made apple pastry.

All of the mares around the campfires nodded in unanimous agreement at the statement. It was an undisputed fact that the Apples had a way with the fruit of their namesake.

"So..." Twilight said, breaking the silence with a touch of apprehension in her voice.

"Dash... Fluttershy... Have you, uhm..." Twilight trailed off as she blushed lightly.

Reaching over and putting her hoof over Dash's, Fluttershy spoke up in a confident voice that belied her usually timid nature.

"Yes. We talked about it and... well..."

Fluttershy looked over to Rainbow Dash, who in turn, looked into the eyes of the butter-yellow pegasus across from her.

"We've found that, despite our flaws, that we care about each other greatly and want to give love a chance." Fluttershy said with an infectious smile that permeated it's way to everypony around them.

"Oh, how incredibly romantic Fluttershy." Rarity said, faux-swooning dramatically/

A big smile grew on Applejack's face as she congratulated the couple across from her.

"Well congrats you two! Ah hope ya have nothin' but smooth sailin' ahead of ya!"

"Here, here!" Rarity chimed in from her randomly summoned fainting couch. The appearance of which drew more than one odd look from her friends.

"What?" The fashionista questioned obliviously, giving her friends a questioning look as they stared at her.

It took Pinkie Pie piping up and congratulating the two pegasi to break the slightly awkward silence that followed.

"Yea, Congrats you two! You'll be totally great together, I just KNOW it!!"

At this, Rarity's eyes darted between Pinkie and Twilight briefly before she spoke.

"I concur. You two will be lovely together!"

The look Rarity gave Pinkie and Twilight had not been missed by Applejack.

"What was that all about?"

"Why, whatever do you mean dar-"

"You know exactly what I mean Rarity. I saw the look in your eyes when you looked at Twi and Pinkie. Now what's up?"

"I-I... I'm not sure wha-"

"Rarity... Spill." Applejack said tersely. If it was one thing she HATED, it was being lied to.

"W-Well, I..." Rarity trailed off before Twilight cleared her throat and caught everypony's attention.

"What Rarity is trying to say is that..."

Twilight reached over and put her hoof over Pinkie's.

"Pinkie Pie and I are also together... We have been for a while. We would have come out with it sooner but, we weren't sure how you girls would react."

At this, Applejack looked at the lavender unicorn and the pink earth pony with an expression that was part shock, part hurt, part anger, and part happiness all rolled into one.

"Wait, so you two... You're..."

"Fillyfoolers? Yea..." Pinkie said, rubbing the back of her head with a forehoof.

"We're sorry for not telling you sooner but..." Twilight looked to Pinkie, who nodded and smiled reasurringly.

"I was afraid. Afraid of how you all would react. The only pony who knows aside from all of you now is Princess Celestia."

"The princess knows?" Rarity asked, purely surprised.

"Well, yea... You don't think I would hide something like this from Celestia, do you? She's like a second mother to me!" Twilight asked.

Each of her friends, Pinkie Pie included, shrugged and shook their heads at Twilight's question.

"I suppose not darling but... telling Celestia about your love life seems a bit..." Rarity hesitated before she finished her sentence.

"TOO infomative... Don't you think?"

"I don't think so... She actually seemed quite glad that I had found somepony I could love. She did say that I should be in a relationship for the right reasons though."

"Oh? Is that so? What did she mean by that?"

"Well, I thi-" Twilight started before Pinkie Pie cut her off.

"She meant that Twi shouldn't base a relationship off a good buck."

Everypony blushed a bit, but at the same time chuckled at the bluntness of the pink party pony.

"Ah can understand that. Been there, done that... not somethin' I'm proud of though." Applejack said with a snort that surprised all of her friends.

"Really?" Dash asked, genuinely surprised that her friend would admit to something like that.

"Who?" Fluttershy asked with a curiosity that equaled her marefriend's surprise.

At this Applejack blushed and looked away.

"Ah'd rather not say right now. Ah'll tell you girls eventually but... not now."

All of the mares around her respected Applejack's wishes and nodded understandingly.

"Okay, you can tell us when you're ready Applejack." Fluttershy said, walking over to the orange earth pony and embracing her. The rest of their friends soon followed and wrapped the orange earth pony in a warm hug.

"Aw shucks, you gal's are great, ya know that?" Applejack said with a smile.

"Yea, we do." Rainbow said, her chuckling voice full of confidence, yet the care she felt shone through.

Every one of the six mares was smiling as the hug broke.

"Well, I guess Ah better get to bed." Applejack said slowly. "Cuz Ah know y'all get to sleep in, but Ah have to get up and work early tomorrow mornin'.

A unanimous agreement had everypony heading to their tents. Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash went over to one, Pinkie Pie and Twilight went into another which quickly took on a lavender aura as Twilight cast some sort of spell around it. Rarity and Applejack looked at the tent perplexed for an instant before Rarity leaned over and whispered into Applejack's ear; "Soundproofing spell... in case you were wondering."

Applejack visibly grimaced before turning to Rarity.

"Bit too much info there sugarcube. Let's just go to sleep. Oh, and Ah hope ya don't plan on tryin' to seduce me. Ah'm as straight as an arrow." Applejack said as she held the tent flap open with a hoof and let Rarity in.

"Oh... of course not Applejack. Whatever would make you think I would?" Rarity said with a half-hearted chuckle as she settled down on the makeshift bed for two.

"Alrighty then... Night Rarity." Applejack said as she laid down and closed her eyes.

"Goodnight Applejack." Rarity said as she closed her eyes. Despite what Applejack said, Thoughts of a midnight tryst danced through Rarity's mind as sleep overtook her.

Applejack was still awake as her friend moaned quietly in her sleep and cuddled up to her, if she didn't know better... she could have sworn the soft unicorn had moaned her name. A stray, slightly disconcerting thought lingered in her head until she finally fell asleep.

Does Rarity swing that way?

Over in the tent next to theirs, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash slept silently, wrapped in each others hooves as sweet dreams danced through both of their minds. All it took was a look inside the tent to see the small smiles that, even when asleep, never left them.