Applejack was the first to come to her senses.

“Ugh, what a hangover.” Blinking, seeing her girlfriend pressed tightly to herself, and a photo of Melody and West at his nieces party, informed Applejack that the past few days hadn’t been a dream.

She gave Coloratura a little shake. “Hey, Rara.”

Rara groaned.

“Hey, wake up, sleepy head.”

“No!” the popstar protested in a playful tone. “Five more minutes! Keep the opening act going a bit longer. They won’t mind!”

“Come on, sugarcube.” she said with a laugh and kiss to her nose. “It’s... Gezz! Nearly eleven.” She then felt the fatigue of Melody Orchards attempt to make the most of, every, minute catching up to her at the feeling of a sore back. “Dang those kids.”

“No kidding,” Rara croaked, letting her grip go of Applejack to stretch. “I have half a mind to ground that girl if I could.”

Applejack let out a very loud laugh. “Oh yes, honey. I’ll get right on it! No golfing for a week.” she said while rolling to the side. “Oh by the way, her teacher called again. Something about-

“Stop it!” Rara said with a playful slap on Applejack’s shoulder

They smiled at each other, before they realized what may have been most important thing to deal with now that they weren't fused.

“So,” Applejack started.

“Why don’t we just give him a call and go from there?” Coloratura suggested.

Applejack nodded. “Okay.”

****
The phone rang in West’s house.

West sighed as he climbed out of bed to answer it. He noticed some food wrapping paper on the floor, and started walking over it. However, he did a double take, took the time to clean it up, then answered his phone.

“Hello?” He asked.

“Morning.” His dad answered cautiously. “Hey, before I-

“No, dad!” West said, rubbing his eyes. “I wanted to say, I’m sorry. For being, maybe, a bit of a jerk. I don’t mean to and, can’t say I don’t appreciate your help and such. Just... Me trying to be an adult and only half the time knowing what I’m doing can get distressing.”

There was a pause.

“Well, I’m glad to hear that.” His father answered. “And I’m sorry for giving you such a hard time. I’m really trying my best to be helpful, and I’m glad you meet someone.”

West lowered his head. “Yeah.”

“Oh. Well, do you need some space for today? Or, maybe you could come over? I could use some help.”

West started to say no, but held back for a moment. He knew Melody wouldn't want him moping around his house All.

He answered instead, “I’ll see. It doesn’t sound like a bad idea, but let me get back to you on that once I’ve woken up a bit.”

“Okay. I love you son.”

With a happy sigh, West said, “Love you too, dad.” He hung up, and the first thing he did was pick up those wrapping papers. Which was interrupted by the phone ringing a second time.

“Hello?”

“Hey, West?” an unrecognizable, but somehow familiar voice answered. “It’s Applejack.”

The phone nearly tumbled out of West’s grasp.

“Oh, hey, miss Applejack!” he said, trying to play it cool. “You two doing alright?”

“Yeah, we’re fine. Thanks for asking sugarcube.” she answered in a way West assumes sounded happy for the concern. “A little sore from all the ‘fun’ from the past few days, but nothing regretful.” She pauses when West shallowed nervously at that. “Anyways, you free for breakfast? Same place as alway?” She let out a laugh at that.

West answered yes, although he couldn’t shake a funny feeling from the way Applejack had said, same place as always...

*****.

To say that the private room Pinkie Pie had set the three of them up for at Sugarcube felt awkward, would be the equivalent of saying the sky was blue.

Coloratura and Applejack arrived at the bakery first, and their friend was able to sneak them into the back where they talked more about their feelings they may or may not of had for West. The stallion in question showing up about ten minutes later. His first reaction to seeing the two, was a bit of star struck awe. Particularly towards Coloratura, who hid her face in embarrassment. The lad then remembered everything, and tried his best to apologize and act like it meeting them was no big deal. Which turned out to not be that difficult.

“So,” West finale spoke up as they finished their pancake breakfast. “You two, doing alright? Sorry I left right after... You know. Didn't want to be invasive. Figured you both could use some space.”

“It’s fine.” Applejack assured. “We appreciated the jester.”

West smiled and nodded, before asking the question that had likely been just as much on their minds.

“So... You two still find me attractive?” He cringed. “No! That’s not, I mean, hey! I promised I would be alright if you didn’t, and I mean it. Okay,” he rubbed his head. “What do you two feel?”

The mares looked to each other, then back to him.

“Well,” Applejack said first, scathing at the table. “I... Well, I guess I had always thought I was gay and, well, after reflecting it a bit,” she smiled. “I think it turns out I’m a bit bi after all.”

“Well, as for myself,” Coloratura began. “The idea, I admit, is strange to me. But, I wouldn’t be against the idea of seeing where things might go with us.” Coloratura’s surprise, West didn’t perk up as much as she thought he would have. “Is that a problem.”

“What?” West blinked, snapping too. “No, no! I mean, it’s great but,” he bite his lip. “You’re not just saying that to make me feel better, are you?”

Applejack narrowed her eyes. “Alright, what's really bugging you, sugarcube?”

West started to protest, but he could see the same look Melody would give him when she knew he wasn’t being truthful.

“Guess you two really are her.” He laughed, then sighed. “Look, if you both want the truth; I almost didn’t want to come to this. Not because I was afraid neither of you would be interested in me, quite the opposite, actually.”

Applejack tilted her head. “You didn’t want-

“It’s because we’re not her, isn’t it?” Rara answered coldly.

West leaned into his chair.

Before he could explain, Rara answered for him, rather coldly, “If he were to date either of us, it wouldn’t be us he’d be in love with. It's would be her!” The thought made her boil. “Well you know what? Maybeit would be easier to just break it off now. There! Problem solved.
She started to stand up, but West met her at eye level and grabbed her wrist.

“Whoa whoa! Wait, Mel-

His eyes widened in horror as Coloratura glared daggers at him.

“Okay, fair point!” West confessed, letting her go and holding up his hand. “But that’s not what I care about.”

Rara narrowed her eyes. “Really? And what do you care about? My popularity? Fame? Maybe I can self promote one of your fan fictions to help it gain traction.”

He caught on to that last part not sounding as harsh as she probably wanted it to be. “So you don’t want to find out what happens to the mermaid after the scene in the truck?”

“Oh!” Rara’s face lit up, in a mixture of fluster and anger. “You... You-

“Come now, you two!” Applejack interjected, rising to her feet to get between them and took both of their hands. “You want my honest opinion as well?” She took a breath. “This whole thing is nuts and not what any of us signed up for. And I know if we were to all say yes, things are not going to be easy.” She rubbed the back of West’s hand and gave him a smile, then let go to give her full attention to Rara.

“The truth is, I’m lonely when you’re away. Not that I don’t love or would want to end things for a second! But, at the same time... I won’t say I may not have been thinking, even lusting, for attention. So, maybe this wouldn’t be an unfair compromise?”

Coloratura looked worriedly at Applejack. “I... Gah! I was going to say how it wouldn’t be fair that I’m just as alone on tour without you but... Oh!” She pouted at the bemused Applejack, and evening West, who’s laughter made her feel warm on the inside. “Fine... Maybe it’s not such a bad idea.”

“Well,” West said, taking a breath and stepped closer to the pair. “I can still understand. This will take some time to get used to. I mean, you can’t blame me if I see and think of Melody with either of you two for a while. Actually, I probably always will. She’s the one I feel in love with. But, I know she wouldn’t have wanted me to moan over her forever, and that she would want me to move on and find my own happiness. She is also the both of you. And, I can definitely tell. I see a lot in both of you what I loved in her.”

The pair blushed.

“So,” Coloratura fidgeted as Applejack took her hand. “Are we really going to try to make this work?”

“I mean, what’s a little more complications in what we already have? Still,” she let go of Rara’s to take both of West’s. “Maybe we should, um... Make sure we can handle close proximity. I’m pretty sure I’m bi, but-

“Are you asking me to kiss you before agreeing to go on a date with me, miss Applejack?” West teased.

“I guess I am.” Applejack laughed.

The two of them gazed at each other for a few seconds. Although, being the bolder one in the relationship, Applejack broke the distance with a nice long and deep kiss.

Oh yeah. She was definitely bi. And West didn’t seem to have a problem. Which, as they pulled away, only left himself and Coloratura.

“Hey,” West offered, as he walked over and offered her his hand.

Hesitantly, but but with a smile, she took one of his hands into hers and answered back, “Hey. Look, I’m sorry about all that. When we were Melody, the whole reason she existed at all, was because I wanted a break from the spotlight. Mine- Or rather, her greatest fear was that you found out I was half of her, that very same spotlight was all you would see in her. In either of us.” She took his other hand. “But I really don’t want to walk away just because of it.”

West smiled softly. “Well, so far, I seem more interested in Countess Coloratura, the mare who likes to golf from time to time, is beautiful and self confident, knows what she likes, who helped push me to get past my insecurities, the homie-

“If it means anything,” Applejack butted in to Rara, “that will be the thing I’ll have to get the most use of too with this.”

West and Coluratura stared at her

“What?” Applejack huffed. “We all agreed this wouldn’t be easy.”

Rara and West laughed as they stood in front of each other. “Yeah. But, even if I stumble sometimes, accidentally call you Melody or flaunt over dating a pop star, I wouldn’t have anyone more or less famous than you, Rara. If you’ll have me as well as Applejack.

Having been brought to tears, Rara leaned forward, and West was all too happy to join her in their kiss.

“Ah!” Applejack swooned. “Come here!” She then leapt forward and brought them both into a surprise bear hug, lifting them off the floor.

“Hey!” West cries out. All to lost in the joy of the moment as he fought his arms free to return the hug, as Rara was content to stay sandwiched between them.

“So beautiful!” Pinkie Pie cries out from her hiding place. The pink mare holding a box of tissues and sneezing into them. The three of them turned to the her. Pinkie Pie looked around the room, kicked at her feet, sheepishly apologized, and backed away. Leaving the three of them to laugh, smile, cry, and kissed. More often than not, with all of their lips brought together at the same time.

And even though it was probably not a good idea, even if it meant a word from his dad later, West called in to say he needed the day off from work.

Author's Note

So beautiful!

Debated if I should of combined this with the last chapter, but long and short term I think this was the best choice. Let me know what you think of the defusing scene Impacted you 😭 and if the pay off in this chapter was worth it or not.

Thank you Silvak for editing, and to Nightshade for making this world exist in the first place.
Now all that remains is the epilogue...