Making Up is Hard to Do

"Don't you think you should apologize to Rarity?" While the half-eaten pesto penne on her plate grew cold, Fluttershy sat at the castle’s kitchen table.

"I did nothing wrong!” said Twilight, sitting across from her and hiding behind the newspaper she read. “There's nothing to apologize for."

Closing her eyes, Fluttershy took a deep breath, counting down silently from ten before exhaling loudly. "It's been five weeks since the incident."

Folding her newspaper down slightly to peer over the top, she stared at Fluttershy and blinked. "I don't want to talk about it." The newspaper snapped back.

"Sometimes, Twilight, you apologize even if you were right. It's been statistically proven to improve relationships."

Twilight lowered the newspaper, "Since when did you care about statistics?"

Fluttershy's eyes flicked down briefly, and Twilight followed her gaze to the table, and the copy of Mare magazine upon it.

Retreating again behind the newspaper, she added "I don't need some pop science junk telling me how to run my life."

"But it's based on a peer-reviewed article in a reputable journal!" Her ears flicked as she looked away. "I thought you might ask and did a little digging."

From the seat beside Twilight, Rarity set down her magazine. “Are you going to finish that?” She gestured at Fluttershy’s plate. “Fencing lessons are leaving me just absolutely famished.”

“Whatever.” Fluttershy pushed the plate towards Rarity, who pushed aside her own plate to make space for it.

Stabbing the pasta, Rarity lifted it before noticing Fluttershy’s stare. “Thank you, dear. I’m glad you came by tonight, because we’ve been missing you. Well, I assume Twilight’s been missing you. Things just haven’t been the same with you gone.”

Rarity smiled, breaking through the frost to earn a small smile in return. She tilted her head down as she slowly moved the fork to her mouth. Her lips closed around the morsel, and she pulled the fork out. “Mmm. Delicious. But you know,” she said, leaning in, “there’s something else I’d rather eat tonight.” She winked, leaning back to eat more pasta.

“Hng. Rarity.” She looked at Twilight. Rather, the newspaper Twilight hid behind. “I don’t think I can tonight. This situation is too weird. Why can’t you two just make up?”

Rarity harrumphed. “There’s nothing to make up for. You can tell her I said that.”

“Rarity, she’s sitting right beside you! Just tell her yourself.”

“Hmmm.” Rarity stared at Fluttershy. “No.” She stabbed the penne forcefully, eating another bite.

“You two are acting like—”

Starlight Glimmer threw open the kitchen door, watching Trixie behind her as they walked in. “So that’s when I said ‘Real magic is not judging others.’” She laughed. “I don’t think they expected that from me.” Reaching the counter, she spotted the dishes. “Oh hey, someone made penne. You want a bowl, Trix?”

“Sure,” she replied, looking at the original occupants. “What’s going on here? You girls look as mad as you did a few weeks ago when—”

Twilight folded her paper forcefully and slammed it on the table. “Nothing! Nothing is going on. If you need me, I’ll be in my room.”

As Twilight stood to leave, and as Starlight spun to study the occupants, Trixie spoke. “Well if you ask me, you all just need some good make-up sex.” All attention turned to her. “That always makes me feel better after Starlight and I fight.”

Starlight elbowed her. “Trixie!”

“What?”

“We discussed this!”

Trixie blinked. “I didn’t mention any details of our great and sexual experiences. Trixie just meant in a general sense. I left out all the details, like that time on our Saddle Arabian trip where you—”

“No!” Starlight facehoofed. “Stop. That’s enough.”

“Oh, right. Sorry.” Trixie stepped forward, taking Starlight’s chin in her hoof as their faces drew near. “Can you ever forgive me?”

Starlight rolled her eyes, smiling. “Of course, Trixie.” They kissed, but Starlight noticed the three pairs of eyes on them and pulled away. “Ahem. Right. Yes. Come, Trixie. Let’s leave these three alone. I’m sure they can solve their problems without our help.” That said, she disappeared in a burst of magic, taking the penne with her.

As Trixie spoke, she met the gaze of the other three ponies, lifting her cape high in a flourish. “Remember, make—”

“Trixie!” Twilight leapt forward, putting her hoof on Trixie’s upraised hoof. “Not in the kitchen. Remember last time? All the food tasted like fireworks for a week.”

Trixie laughed weakly. “Did you think I was going to use a smoke bomb? Trixie has transcended smoke bombs. Behold!” She closed her eyes, concentrating. She opened one. “Hold on.” Inhaling deeply, she grimaced before disappearing with a flash and a pop. A loud “Ouch!” came from the hallway.

Twilight shook her head, a smile appearing briefly on her lips before she turned to Rarity with a frown and a pointed hoof, opening her mouth to speak. She stopped, brow furring, and turned to Fluttershy. “No. I’m not taking relationship advice from Trixie. I’m the princess of friendship. That’s basically relationships.”

“Oh come on! Just make up already!” Fluttershy turned to Rarity, who suddenly found the floor fascinating. She turned to Twilight, who also looked away. “Alright. Fine. I’m going home.” She stood. “But if you two haven’t made up by tomorrow, I’m going to write to Cadence”—Twilight’s ears folded down—”and I’ll tell her exactly what happened. She can deal with your nonsense.” As she left, she muttered, “Noteworthy wasn’t even as bad as you two are acting right now,” earning an unseen ear flick from Rarity.

Rarity met Twilight’s gaze. “Do you think she’s right?”

“Noteworthy was definitely worse than us.”

Rarity huffed. “I meant about apologizing.”

Twilight levitated over the magazine Fluttershy had left, flipping through several pages before slowing down and reading. She closed the magazine and her eyes, moving her lips silently before summoning a container full of scientific journals. Rifling through them, she pulled one out and flipped through, slowing again.

Rarity smirked. “Whatever are—”

“Shh. Reading.” After flipping slowly through a few pages, and going back to re-read some passages, Twilight closed the journal, placed it back in the container, and banished it back to the library. “Mare magazine completely missed the point of that article. My skepticism of science reporting was correct. Their conclusions are not supported at all by the—”

“We should apologize.” As Twilight opened her mouth to speak, Rarity added, “To Fluttershy.”

Twilight closed her mouth.

“Our silence towards each other has not been fair to her.”

Twilight hung her head. “Yeah. You’re right.”

“Of course I am. I’ve been right all along. It’s just taken you until now to realize it.”

Twilight’s gaze snapped up to find Rarity turning to leave. “Not what I meant.”

“Come now.” Rarity stood and walked to the door. “Just accept it and move on.” She stepped out, calling from the hallway, “Fluttershy needs us.”

Twilight scuffed the floor, fuming, but eventually followed Rarity to Fluttershy’s cottage, silent except for the muttering.

———❇️———

“It doesn’t work that way, Trixie. You can’t start a fight with me just so you can apologize. I’m not rewarding that behaviour.”

Trixie pouted, batting her eyes, with Starlight rolling hers in response.

“I didn’t say not at all.” She reached over, putting her hoof on Trixies. “How could I say no to the Cute and Adorable Trixie?” They shared a smile. “But let me eat first.”

“Ooh. I’ll accept that offer.” Trixie winked.

“I meant the food!”

“Too late. No takebacks.”

Starlight facehoofed.

———❇️———

Fluttershy breathed a sigh of relief, lifting her hoof to her chest. “Oh thank goodness. I thought I’d be sleeping alone tonight. I’m glad you two finally made up.”

Twilight and Rarity exchanged a glance.

Fluttershy anxiously looked at each of them in turn. “What… what was that glance for? You did make up, right? I mean, why else would you come all the way over here and apologize to me.”

Rarity stepped forward. “Fluttershy. Darling. Dearest heart.” The last earned her an angry look from Twilight. “We want you to be happy. Twilight agrees that we’ve not been fair to you.”

Fluttershy studied their faces. “So, you’re talking now? You’ve apologized?”

They winced, but Twilight recovered quickly and stepped forward. “Our friendship—our relationship with you—is more important than what we were fighting about.”

“That wasn’t a yes.”

Rarity waved a hoof dismissively. “Are trivial details really that important? We spoke. We’re here. Now do you want us to go, or are we staying the night?”

Twilight stepped forward, kneeling by Fluttershy. “Relationships are complicated. Sometimes, these things take time.” She touched Fluttershy’s cheek. “Won’t you forgive us?”

“Oh fine.” Fluttershy leaned in and kissed Twilight lightly on the lips. “But I better not regret this decision.”

———❇️———

“Fluttershy, tell Rarity to go faster.”

“Rarity, she says—”

“You can tell her that sometimes, these things take time.”

“…I regret everything.”