It Gets Easier
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It Gets Easier

It never got easier.

Rarity thought that surely it must, eventually. But no. No matter how many years, how many long introspections, and soul-searching sessions, it never got easier. She always smiled through it, put up her facade of contentment and satisfaction with life, but it was a lie. The truth was, Rarity had been hurting for a long, long time now, and every day only seemed to hurt more than the one before it.

"So? How does it look?"

Moments like this, with Sweetie standing there in a dress all her own design… Those moments made all the hurt worth it.

"It looks stunning, darling," said Rarity with a smile. A real smile, a genuine one. No pain, no regrets. Just pride and love for the most important girl in Rarity's life. Pride and love as that girl became a woman right before her very eyes. "Absolutely stunning…"

Sweetie twirled, her glittering golden dress sparkling as she inspected herself in the mirror. She didn't seem to notice the look on Rarity's face, the watery, bittersweet smile she wore. It seemed like just yesterday that Sweetie Belle was that squeaky, excitable little girl, running around and raising hell in the Boutique with such efficacy that you'd think it was intentional if not for Sweetie's reputation for being a perfect angel. Now, on her 18th birthday, she was a much different person.

Tall and busty, yet still, slim, sleek, slender, Sweetie was blessed with a supermodel's physique that even Rarity found herself envying. People always said the two looked quite alike, something Rarity agreed with to some extent. Sweetie was just so much more beautiful in her eyes, softer and less stern than Rarity herself. There was a brightness in Sweetie's eyes, a youthful energy that Rarity no longer possessed, and Sweetie's only imperfections came in the form of a spray of freckles across her nose. Sweetie always hated those freckles, though Rarity found them to be utterly perfect, much like the girl herself.

"You think Goldy will like it?" asked Sweetie, turning around to get a look at her backside, and how the silken fabric hugged her curves. "I don't know if it's sexy enough…"

"Sweetie…" Rarity frowned, her disappointment almost palpable. She only had a passing familiarity with Sweetie's boyfriend, and thus far, Golden Catch had failed to impress. "You're already showing so much..." Rarity's eyes scanned Sweetie's body, particularly the slit in the dress that bared her leg and the fairly low cut to expose Sweetie's cleavage. Rarity shook herself firmly before she continued, dragging her gaze back to meet Sweetie's eyes. "That boy is already on thin ice, as far as I'm concerned. The way he's treated you… he doesn't sit right with me."

"Geez, Rarity," groaned Sweetie. "You sound just like Mom. I'm not a kid anymore, you know."

"I just worry about you," said Rarity, fighting back a grimace. "You're my only sister, and I want to make sure you’re with someone who is going to treat you properly.” It truly hurt Rarity, to see Sweetie mistreated and, worse than that, thinking it was okay. Rarity just wanted the best for Sweetie Belle, just like she always had. “Is that so bad?”

“I know, I know. And I appreciate you looking out for me.” Sweetie turned to face Rarity, hands on her hips and pursing her lips slightly. Her expression softened when she saw the uncertainty, the concern, the struggle in Rarity’s eyes. “You’ve always looked out for me. You’re the best sister a girl could ask for.”

Rarity’s jaw twitched at that, wishing with all of her heart that she could just tell the truth. She liked to tell herself that she was just waiting for the right time, but the time never felt right. Tonight, on Sweetie’s 18th birthday… Whatever the right time was, it wasn’t then.

“But I’m an adult now. You can’t keep trying to shelter and protect me,” continued Sweetie, moving on without even noticing the way Rarity tensed up. “You gotta start trusting me to make my own decisions. It’s my life, and I gotta live it my way.”

“It’s not you I don’t trust,” said Rarity, crossing her arms. “That boy of yours…”

“He’s a sweetheart once you get to know him.”

“Yes, but he’s a prick if you don’t.” Rarity couldn’t help but let out a dark chuckle at the way Sweetie pouted, her cheeks puffing out adorably. Simply perfect in every way. “Perhaps that was a bit harsh.”

“Rarity, I really like him, and I can see us having something really special. Can’t you just be happy for your sister?”

It took all of Rarity’s restraint to hold her tongue, to keep from spilling everything she had been keeping in. The truth, the past, the pain, Rarity was suffocating on it all as she struggled to keep it contained. No matter how much she wanted to, she knew she couldn’t let it out. Rarity refused to ruin Sweetie’s day like that.

“I am happy for you. I love you, Sweetie.” That was undeniably true, but, sometimes, the truth could hurt more than anything. “And if you really like this boy… I suppose I can give him a chance.” Sweetie’s smile was everything to Rarity, bright and earnest enough to light up the night, and even to bring the beginnings of a smile to Rarity’s lips. “Just for you.”

“Thanks, Rarity. It means so much to me.” Sweetie crossed the room and wrapped her sister up into a hug. After a split second of consideration, Rarity allowed herself to indulge a bit and hug her back, pulling Sweetie Belle as close as she could manage. Though she could’ve held Sweetie there forever with very few complaints, Rarity pulled away first. Sweetie’s phone buzzed, giving an adequate distraction, and Sweetie checked her text quickly. “Oh, AB is downstairs. Think I’m ready for a night on the town?”

One last time, Rarity looked Sweetie Belle up and down, wondering where that tiny, dorky little girl had gone, and where this beautiful woman had come from. Finally, Rarity smiled and nodded.

“Absolutely. But are they ready for you?” Rarity pecked Sweetie on the forehead just like she used to when they were younger. “That’s another matter entirely. Go on, Sweetie. You have fun tonight.”

“Thanks, Rarity!” Sweetie hugged Rarity one last time before grabbing up her purse and hurrying out the door. “I’ll probably end up staying the night with Goldy, so don’t wait up! I’ll text you if anything. Love you!”

“I love you too, Sweetie.” Rarity was already alone by the time the words left her mouth, Sweetie gone like a gust of wind. Rarity was used to that feeling by now. Being alone. She had felt like that for years now. That never got easier, either.

With a sigh, Rarity collected her things, her tape measures and pins, the things she had used to help make the final adjustments to Sweetie’s dress. She could still feel the goosebumps on her skin, followed swiftly by the thick, heavy, slimy shame. Rarity was supposed to be a professional. All these years of dressing the most attractive men and women that Equestria had to offer, disrobing them down to their undergarments and touching them about as intimately as anyone could in order to fit them properly, and not once had her attention drifted away from being anything but pure and tasteful. When she was dressing Sweetie, however… There was an electric arc between them, something that sparked deep within Rarity when she felt Sweetie’s soft, silky skin. It was as detestable as it was irrefutable; Rarity wanted her.

Something caught Rarity’s eye, a purple garment that had been discarded. She scooped it up, smirking almost painfully as she held Sweetie’s panties. They didn’t go with the dress, so after a quick spell of modeling it, Sweetie had quite carelessly tossed it into the “No” pile. It must’ve fallen at some point, leaving Rarity to clean up after her. The more things change, the more they stayed the same.

Something came over Rarity, some compulsion filling her as she held the plain, simple, but no less beautiful garment that Sweetie had worn for at least two hours. She held it tight, holding it almost to her chest as she thought things over. Could she? Had she really fallen that low? Rarity liked to think that she had some degree of dignity left, some shred of self-respect. Even still, would it really hurt? No one would ever know. And it would feel so good… After fighting with herself for almost a full minute, Rarity finally caved, slowly bringing the panties closer to her face.

“Damn, you really down bad, ain’tcha?”

Rarity shrieked, throwing the panties to the floor and jerking her head towards the door. It was a mix of panic and relief when she realized who was standing in her doorway. Ideally, Rarity wouldn’t have been interrupted at all, but if it had to be someone to walk in on her, she was incredibly glad for it to be her best friend. Contrasting starkly with Rarity’s own flustered panic, Applejack’s cool, confident grin was like ice to her friend’s fire.

“Howdy,” said Applejack plainly.

“What in Celestia’s name are you doing here?” demanded Rarity. "You gave me a heart attack!"

“I'm just droppin' Bloom off so she and Sweetie can go clubbin' or whatever it is they have planned. Just thought I'd swing by to say hey. Figured you might want some company. But, if ya really feel that way…” Applejack raised up one of her toned, muscular arms, showing the large box of cheap white wine she had been carrying; One of Rarity’s biggest weaknesses. “I guess I’ll just keep this for myself.”

Rarity frowned at her friend, who just held that same confident smirk, waiting for the inevitable. Finally, after waiting a beat, it happened: Rarity broke, hanging her head slightly.

“Let’s not be rash here…” she muttered. Applejack laughed, waving Rarity over to join her.

“C’mon, girl. Let’s get some glasses.”

"So. Is tonight the night?"

Rarity didn't answer at first, becoming entirely too interested with her wine glass. She sipped her swill with an almost obsessed fascination, holding the glass up to the light to inspect what it contained. Rarity held onto that glass for as long as she thought she could get away with before setting it down onto the kitchen table, taking care not to spill a drop of the garbage wine on her tablecloth.

"This wine," said Rarity. "How much did you pay for it?"

"Got it on sale for $4," said Applejack, taking a sip herself.

"It's positively dreadful."

"I know, right?" Applejack smirked. "Want more?"

"Please.” After throwing back the last of her wine like a shot of hard liquor, Rarity gave Applejack her glass for a refill, which she promptly received. “Thank you, darling.”

“Mh-hm. Now, Rares, y’know I’m smarter than I sound. I know what changing the subject looks like.” Applejack leaned forward, arching her brow at her long-time best friend. “Are you gonna tell her?”

“It’s… Not the right time.”

“Yeah, no shit, sugarcube. There’s no such thing as ‘the right time’ for this,” groaned Applejack. "You keep waiting for 'the right time', when it ain't never coming. You gotta make the right time, and you gotta make it soon. No offense, Rarity, but you ain’t getting any younger."

“I am aware,” droned Rarity, clenching her jaw somewhat. There was no one on the planet more acutely aware of Rarity’s growing years than Rarity herself. She wasn’t by any means old, just turning thirty-one late last year, but every glance in the mirror reminded her of the march of time. New wrinkles and lines behind her eyes that weren’t there before, and all the while living with Sweetie Belle, in the prime of her life. Young, spunky, energetic. These things were behind Rarity, and while she knew there was no changing that, that knowledge didn’t make reality any more palatable. “You’re no ‘spring chicken’ yourself.”

“Yeah, I’m older than you, which is why I’m startin’ to settle,” said Applejack. "Our time only ticks down, sugarcube. You gotta use what you got, when you got it. Else…"

"It's not that simple, Applejack. I can't just… say it." Not for the first time, Rarity averted her eyes, staring down at the table as the shame washed over her yet again. "She'll hate me forever."

"Only if she finds out before you tell her. The longer you wait, the worse it's gonna be." Applejack reached forward, grabbing Rarity's wrist firmly, but gently. Applejack always was the more steady of the two, and the one to know what to do in any given situation. It was always a comfort to Rarity, albeit small, to have Applejack there with her. "I never said it was gonna be easy, but nothing worth doing ever is. You need to tell her, and she needs to know."

"On her 18th birthday? The happiest day of her life?" droned Rarity. "Her last moments before becoming a proper adult and being forced to take on the world on her own? That's when I should tell her?"

Applejack opened her mouth to retort, closing it and letting out a hum when the words clicked into her brain.

"Alright, fair 'nuff. Still, it ain't right to keep this from her. You really ought to just rip the bandaid off." Applejack refilled their wine again, and while Rarity took another healthy sip, Applejack never touched hers. "Maybe not tonight, or tomorrow, but soon. You're holding in so much shit that it's fixin' to leak out of your ears."

"You really do have a way with words…"

"Part of my down-to-earth charm." Applejack waited for the derisive snort she had come to expect from her best friend, but nothing came. Rarity was simply too distracted, too torn up. In too much pain. With a tired sigh, Applejack laced her fingers around Rarity's, holding her hand steady. "When Mama and Daddy passed… It was just me and Bloom at the farm. Mac was in Manehattan to handle some business, and Granny was seeing some cousins out west. I had cut class, you know how I was, and I heard about it first. There was no one there but me, and Applebloom… She was in school. She had no idea what had happened."

"How did you tell her?" Rarity knew that Applejack was taking things seriously if she was mentioning her parents. No matter how much time had passed, and no matter how strong Applejack had grown, she still tended to avoid the subject. Some wounds don't need reopening, she'd say.

"I didn't, not at first. I couldn't find the words," sighed Applejack. "I just remember her coming home from school and seeing me in the kitchen, cryin' my eyes out. She ain't never seen me like that before, and I hope she ain't ever have to see it again. But, in that moment, I was a train wreck. I just kept saying 'mama, daddy', over and over. Applebloom… Well, she was always a smart kid. She figured it out eventually, and then she started cryin' right there with me."

"Oh, darling…" Rarity clutched her heart. "You poor thing…"

"After a few days, when I ran out of tears, I grabbed up Bloom and I just told her straight up. Mama and Daddy, they gone. It's just us now. And yeah, we both knew that, but nobody ever said it 'til then. I ran out of tears, but Bloom still had some on reserve. So we just… talked. We talked about what happened, what was gonna happen next, how we were gonna get through it." Applejack reclaimed her wine, apparently yearning for something to take the edge off. "And sugarcube, having that conversation was about as easy as makin' the pope cuss, but we needed to have it. Shit hit the fan and our lives went all cattywampus—"

"I beg your pardon?" snickered Rarity, no doubt delighted by the word "cattywampus". "Did you make up that word just now?"

"Next Hearth's Warming, I'm getting you an Appleloosa Dictionary. The word don't matter, sugarcube. What matters is I had to be there for Bloom, even if it hurt like hell. I was there for her, and she was there for me. You and Sweetie need that."

"I know what you're trying to say, but it's different. What happened with your parents… That wasn't your fault."

"And this ain't yours."

Rarity didn't respond. She knew her friend to be insightful, and oftentimes more of a "big picture thinker" than herself, but Applejack was wrong this time. This was all Rarity's fault, it just had to be. It was Rarity who couldn't control herself, who was too cowardly to be honest and yet too deluded by the idea that maybe someday she could have what she wanted. But she couldn't. No matter how much she wanted to believe otherwise, she couldn't ever have what she truly wanted. Worse still, Rarity knew in her heart of hearts that she didn't deserve to.

"It's just so hard…" squeaked Rarity. Applejack nodded, patting her friend gently on the shoulder.

"I know, sugarcube. But once you get it done, you'll feel a might better."

"I refuse to let my inner peace come at the expense of her happiness." Rarity clenched her fist, steadfast on that point. "If it makes Sweetie feel even a modicum worse, then it doesn't matter how much better I'd be."

"I can't make this choice for you, doll," sighed Applejack. "But I really think you're shooting yourself in the foot here."

"Hmph. Well, you know. I've always been a natural at that."

There was a bang and a bump as the front door swung open violently. Both Rarity and Applejack were on high alert, thoroughly concerned and confused until they heard the sniffling that came along with the hurried, heavy footfalls. It wasn't long before they were joined by Sweetie Belle, her makeup smearing and smudging from her running tears. Immediately, Rarity's instincts took over. She had no time to worry about how she felt, not when Sweetie was hurting. Rarity met Sweetie in the middle of the kitchen, gently accepting her into her arms.

"Darling, what is it?" Rarity had her suspicions, but she kept them to herself. Sweetie's well-being was more important than Rarity being right. Sweetie was plenty distraught, too troubled to get it out. "Shh… Easy there, darling. Breathe…"

"H-he… He dumped me!" Sweetie shuddered, slumping against Rarity's chest. The sound of her quivering sobs broke Rarity's heart, who never wanted to see Sweetie in pain like this. She never deserved this. "Just… right there on the dance floor! In front of everyone…"

"Where the hell is Bloom?" demanded Applejack. "She shouldn't've left you by your lonesome."

"She had to get Scoots. She was gonna try to fight him for me," murmured Sweetie. "God, I feel so stupid!"

"Don't, Sweetie. It's not your fault." With a practiced hand, Rarity ran her fingers through Sweetie's hair, hoping to calm her down to some degree. "It's not you."

"You were right about him. You said he was shady and no-good and that I shouldn't trust him." Sweetie wiped her tears, further smearing her makeup. "Why didn't I just listen to you? You're always right about this stuff, but I thought maybe one time a boy would just like me… I should've known better…"

"Now Sweetie, you better hush, talkin' that mess," said Applejack. "Just cause that little prick can't see what a catch you are don't mean shit for nothing." Applejack's phone buzzed from her pocket, and she quickly checked her messages. "Shit. Bloom says she and Scoots need a ride. Can't rightly leave y'all here though..."

"It's okay. I just wanna be alone right now."

Before anyone could say anything to convince her otherwise, Sweetie Belle was gone, stomping up the stairs to her room. Rarity frowned, outright wincing when she heard the sound of Sweetie's bedroom door slamming shut. The next sound was that of Rarity's forehead hitting the table, an audible thunk that was all but drowned out by the seamstress' groan of despair. The presence of her best friend, patting her gently on the shoulder, was a calming feeling, if fleeting. Rarity knew Applejack would be leaving soon, which meant she would be all alone.

"You know I gotta handle this, right?" asked Applejack. Rarity forewent the use of words and responded only with another long, sustained groan. "Which means I can't be here to help you handle your business." Once again, Rarity let her sorrow be heard with a groan. "Sugarcube… Tell me if you can handle this."

"Will you stay if I say I can't?" grumbled Rarity.

"No, but I can call for backup. I bet if you just told some of the others—"

"No. Absolutely not." Rarity sprouted up, making this point incredibly clear. "I still can't believe I even told you all of this. If I tell them the truth, they'll never look at me the same."

"Rares… You gotta have more faith in your friends. Twi and them ain't gonna just ditch you."

"No. They won't. Even though they should, just like you should," said Rarity. "I don't want my secrets to be anyone else's burden."

"Wouldn't be a burden if it weren't no secret."

"Did you miss the whole 'hate me forever' thing from earlier?" Rarity's response was snappier than she intended, no doubt due to the great stress of it all. She seemed aware of this, and she softened considerably. "I don't mean to be short with you, AJ. I just…"

"Nah, I get it. And if you don't want anyone else to know, then they won't hear it from me." Applejack patted Rarity on the shoulder one last time, leaning in and giving her a little kiss on the forehead. "Take care of yourself, sugarcube. And if you need me, don't be a stranger. You be actin' funny sometimes, like you don't know my number no more or something."

"I just don't want to be a bother."

"That ain't used to stop you. Why start now?"

With a good-natured nudge, Applejack departed, leaving Rarity all alone to deal with her problems. What to do, what could she do? Part of her wanted to listen to Applejack, just air out her dirty laundry and get it over with. The odds were good that Sweetie Belle would react negatively, but the sooner they got to that point, the sooner the two could move on.

The other part, the larger, more frightened part, wanted to say nothing. Just clam up and keep it all balled up inside like she always had. It was toxic, obviously, but at least like this, only she herself would be poisoned. She wouldn't be spreading it to the people she loved. For Sweetie Belle, maybe she could keep choking down this poison.

With a tired sigh, Rarity lurched to her feet, more than a little twisted up inside. She couldn't, but she needed to. She wanted nothing more, but the idea of doing it made her sick to her stomach. She wanted this. She hated that she did.

Unsurprisingly, yet no less cruelly, things did not get easier.

Almost as if possessed, Rarity blinked, finding herself outside of Sweetie's bedroom. She hadn't so much decided to walk to the door as she suddenly ended up there, her body seeming to move of its own accord. Rarity raised her hand to knock, her knuckles pausing a scant inch from the wood of the door. She had to say something, but what? Sweetie needed her, and Rarity would stop at nothing to be there for her. Maybe Applejack was right. Maybe Rarity had to bite the bullet and make "the right time" for herself. With a deep breath to steel her nerves, Rarity knocked firmly on the door.

"Leave me alone," came Sweetie's dry, sullen reply. The gravel to her voice made it clear that she hadn't stopped crying since she arrived. More so than that, it was evident that Sweetie needed someone by her side now more than ever.

"Darling, I was just looking at the time. We've got thirty minutes before Pietro's closes." Rarity swore to herself as the words left her mouth. This isn't what she needed to say, but now wasn't the right time for that. Maybe there never would be a right time after all. "I thought you'd maybe like to join me for pizza?"

"I'm not six anymore, Rarity. You can't bribe me with pizza."

"Oh. I see." Despite the situation, Rarity grinned. She could hear some life return to Sweetie, and it brought her no small amount of joy to hear it. "How about some cheesy bread as well?"

It went silent for a bit, Sweetie Belle clearly mulling over her situation before responding.

"Can we get soda, too?" she replied meekly. Rarity never allowed soda in the house, deeming it unhealthy and unfit for consumption, but these were dire circumstances.

"Go get washed up, darling. I'll place the order now."

"What's wrong with me?"

Rarity took a pause at the question, glancing incredulously to Sweetie. She hadn't said much since pizza arrived, mostly just mumbling short answers to Rarity's questions. Even when huddled up on Rarity's bed, watching a cheesy romance that Sweetie adored when she was in middle school, Sweetie didn't have a whole lot to say. Now, with their pizza all but obliterated and their romcom nearing the climax, Sweetie Belle saw fit to break her silence.

"Sweetie, darling, what on Earth are you on about?" Rarity wrapped an arm around Sweetie, squeezing her gently. Even though she had stopped crying, her body was still a bit clammy and trembling. "There's absolutely nothing wrong with you."

"But there's gotta be, right? Why else would this keep happening?"

"Just because some immature idiot doesn't realize what a wonderful young woman you are, does not mean there's something wrong with you," said Rarity with a frown. The longer she sat beside Sweetie, wallowing in her heartache, the larger the pit in Rarity's stomach grew. Sweetie didn't deserve this, not in the slightest. "You are amazing, and don't you let some boy convince you otherwise."

"It's not just 'some boy'. It's a bunch of stuff. When I was in school, I was a loser, and the cheerleading team didn't want me. Diamond Tiara and all the popular kids, they didn't want me," lamented Sweetie. "Not even The Crusaders wanted me, really. I only ever got to join the club because I was AB's friend, and I was only ever AB's friend cause you were friends with Applejack!" Sweetie shrunk down, unable to look up from her knees. "My own parents didn't even want me…"

Rarity felt her blood run cold at that. Such an awful thing for Sweetie to feel, and until then, Rarity had no idea. She was suffering and, of course, it was all Rarity's fault. Her voice died in her throat, and it took almost a full minute for Rarity to work out an appropriate response.

"Why would you think that?" asked Rarity. She spoke slowly, painfully, as if she'd stepped on broken glass. "Of course Mother and Father wanted you, don't be ridiculous."

"Then why did they just ship me off to live with you? For as long as I can remember, you were taking care of me, not them." Sweetie sighed, leaning her head against Rarity's shoulder. "And it's not that I didn't enjoy living with you. You always did your best for me, and I appreciate that, but it still kinda stings to know that your own mother would rather push you off to live with your sister than raise you herself. I know I'm not as smart or pretty as you, and I get why you're the favorite, but… Rarity? Are you… okay?"

She tried to fight it back, she really, truly did. Rarity tried to stay quiet, to choke back her sorrow, to build a dam for her tears, but it broke. She broke. The tears ran free, streaking down her face, and Rarity shuddered from the weight of it all. Sweetie reached for Rarity, who jerked away from fear, from pain, from about a million things she couldn't quite put into words.

"Rarity, what's wrong?" Now, it was Sweetie's turn to do the consoling. "I didn't mean to make you upset, I just—"

"I'm so sorry, Sweetie, I'm so sorry…"

"It's not your fault, Rares. It's not you. You stepped up for me when Mom and Dad wouldn't. You're the best sister ever, what do you have to be sorry for?"

Time was running out. It was just like Applejack said: the longer Rarity waited, the worse things would end up. She had to make the right time for herself.

"Sweetie… I need to tell you something. Something… big." With every word, Rarity could feel herself wanting to turn back, but she stood strong. At least for the time being. "And just know that, no matter what… I love you more than anything."

"Um… Okay…?" Sweetie shifted, the energy in the air changing drastically. "What is it?"

"Sweetie Belle… You are not my sister."

The look on Sweetie's face wasn't one of disbelief or anger. No, her expression was far worse. It was pain. It was betrayal. It was the look of a little girl who had her entire life torn down. Sweetie never looked smaller, more vulnerable and weak, than she did just then, and it broke Rarity’s heart that she had to do this to her. Even still, the truth was necessary, no matter how badly it stung.

“W-what? What do you mean, I’m not your sister?” Sweetie’s quiet tears burned and scorched at Rarity’s very soul. “I’m… I’m adopted?”

“No. You’re… Okay. My thirteenth birthday. I was… rebellious. Immature. I was stupid, and I was hanging around a crowd I shouldn't have been hanging around. I snuck out to a party, and of course, there was alcohol, as well as… Well. Other things.” Even just recalling the memory of that night filled Rarity with the heaviest, most damning sense of shame. “I was doing things a girl my age had no business doing. And I was so swept up with getting my so-called friends to like me… There was one boy, an older boy, that I liked a lot. And… Well. I’m sure you can work out what happened next.”

“No…” Sweetie covered her mouth with her palms to contain her shock, horror washing over her as she pieced it all together. “Rarity, you didn’t…”

“I never learned his name. He was gone by the time I woke up the next morning, and I never saw him again,” sighed Rarity. “But… He left me a little something to remember him by.” Finally, she looked up, locking eyes with Sweetie Belle. Finally, Rarity faced the truth head-on. “He left me a beautiful, intelligent, talented, kind-hearted daughter.”

“You’re… You’re my mother?”

"I couldn't dream of taking care of you when you were born, and Mother… She didn't want me to do anything brash. So she raised you as her daughter, to save us both from that hardship," explained Rarity. "Once I started my boutique and I could finally provide for myself, I wanted to take care of my daughter. Maybe somehow make up for lying to her all this time."

"You're my mother… You're my…" Sweetie clutched her head, unable to wrap her mind around the reality she found herself in. "Oh my God… I'm just a mistake…"

"No!" Rarity snapped awake, wrenching free of her guilt and disgust for just a moment, just long enough to stamp that terrible thought to death. "I made a great many mistakes, yes, but you are not one of them. You are the best thing to ever happen to me. I don't want you to think anything else for even a second. If I could go back to that night, I wouldn't change a thing, because it gave me you."

"Just… this is a lot to take in…" said Sweetie, sniffling with almost every word. "You're my mom… That's insane!" Sweetie gasped, holding a hand to her mouth. "That's why you were always so hard on me for being a brat! I thought I was just annoying my big sister, but…"

"I'll admit, it was hard sometimes. Every time you called me your sister, it stung a bit. Like I was losing a part of myself." Rarity sighed, framing her daughter's face with a hand. She wiped a tear from Sweetie's cheek before indulging herself again, and giving her child a kiss on the forehead. "But I just wanted you to be happy. I thought you'd be happier if you didn't know the truth." Rarity rubbed her eyes, feeling a sort of peace take her. She wasn't sure how Sweetie would process this, but at least she didn't need to lie about this anymore. "So… How are you holding up?"

"I'll get back to you on that… I still can't believe it." Sweetie was surely rattled, and she wrapped her arms around Rarity like she often did when she was still a child. These memories took on a new light, now that Sweetie knew the truth. "Does anyone else know?"

"Only Applejack. She was there when I gave birth. She's your godmother, actually," said Rarity. "But she swore to never tell anyone, and Applejack keeps to her word."

"Yeah, no kidding… I just wish you would've told me sooner,” said Sweetie. “I feel like I deserved to know who my mother was before just now.”

“You did, and I am so sorry I didn’t tell you. I just didn’t know how.” Rarity took in a breath, squeezing her daughter gently, not daring to let her go for a second. As if afraid of losing her. “I hope you can find it in your heart to forgive me for that.”

“I’m not angry, Rarity. Erm… M-Mom, I guess.” Sweetie dropped against Rarity’s chest, letting out a groan of confusion, conflict, and exhaustion. “This is just… So much. You were my real mom, and I just never knew… Just… No more secrets, right? I don’t know if I can take any more…”

It should’ve been easy for Rarity to answer. Just agree that she was done keeping secrets, that everything was out in the open. Sweetie knew the truth, and Rarity had taken a great weight off of her shoulders. It should have been easy, but it wasn’t. Rarity knew that things weren’t likely to get easier, even with the truth out, because Rarity knew that she still had one more secret.

“Secrets… Well. I suppose things can’t get any more uncomfortable,” sighed Rarity. “There is one more thing…”

“Rarity, if you’re about to tell me Applejack is my real dad or something, I’m gonna actually die.”

Despite the situation, the dire aura of the room and the life-altering nature of the conversation, Rarity couldn’t help but laugh at that. Sweetie always had that talent, the ability to make Rarity laugh even during the hardest times. She was just such a pure-hearted, genuine soul, it was impossible to not smile around her.

"You're not making this easier on me," chuckled Rarity, shaking her head. "You're so damn perfect all the time…"

"I'm not perfect, I—"

"You are. I've never met anyone as bright and kind and beautiful as you and it drives me mad to know that I can't have you."

"What are you…? What do you mean 'have' me?" Sweetie tilted her head as the words seemed to catch up to her. She didn’t believe it at first, but soon, after watching how Rarity averted her eyes, it was harder to dispute. The shame, the regret, the disgust in Rarity’s eyes, it had a weight to it that dragged Sweetie down. She reached for Rarity’s hand, frowning when her mother pulled away. “Oh. Is, uh… Is that why you were so opposed to Goldy?”

“I’d be lying if I said it wasn’t a component. Seeing him with you… I was a bit jealous," sighed Rarity. "But it wasn't just that. He was no good, darling, and he showed his true colors tonight."

"Goldy said he was dumping me because he wasn't ever really into me. That I was just keeping him occupied until he found a 'real' girlfriend," said Sweetie. "So… you were right not to trust him. You've always been right. Always took care of me… So who's to say you can't have what you want?"

Rarity’s eyes went wide, part of her certain that she had misheard. She looked suddenly to her daughter, bemused and confused and about a hundred other things by the shift in Sweetie’s demeanor. The fear and confusion that came with her life being turned on its head, that was still there, but beneath it all was something lighter, something Rarity couldn’t quite put her finger on. Even still, she couldn’t believe her ears.

“What? No… I can’t,” said Rarity quietly. “I shouldn’t… I can’t…”

“Well. Why not?” asked Sweetie with a shrug.

“Because I’m your s—” Rarity shook herself firmly, taking a moment to remember the situation. “Your mother. It's… It's wrong."

"But, like… Why? Why is it wrong? We're both adults, aren't we? You have feelings, and I'm open to exploring them. So why don't we do something about it?"

"I'd be taking advantage of you," said Rarity. "I've been your guardian your whole life, and if we… The power dynamic isn't right. It's not okay for me to do that, even if you think you want to."

"So now I'm too stupid to decide for myself who I wanna fuck?" scoffed Sweetie. Rarity gasped, shocked and appalled by what she heard. "What?"

"Language, young lady!"

"Is now really the time to worry about a few swears?" Sweetie shook her head, taking her turn to be amused by her mother's antics. She paused for a moment, as an idea struck her, and she slowly reached around to her back. "So you find me… Attractive? Like, sexually?" Slowly, shamefully, Rarity nodded her head. "So… What if I just…?"

Before Rarity could ask what Sweetie meant, it happened; in a swift motion, Sweetie unzipped the back of her gown and let her dress fall down her body. Rarity knew she should have looked away, but there was a degenerate, perverted side of her that simply couldn’t. Much like the rest of her, Sweetie’s bust was perfect. Larger than Rarity’s own, but not overly big. So perky and round, her soft pink nipples being the main holder of Rarity’s attention. Without much conscious thought of her own, Rarity’s hand moved towards Sweetie’s chest, but she stopped herself. She couldn't. It wasn't right.

"Go ahead. You can touch them," said Sweetie quietly. When Rarity didn't move, Sweetie took matters into her own hands; She grabbed Rarity gently by the wrist and guided her hand, placing Rarity's palm against her own chest. "There. This isn't that weird, sisters help each other with bras and stuff all the time."

"Hm. I suppose you have a point…" At that particular moment, Rarity didn't give much thought to how drastically different helping Sweetie with a bra felt from groping her outright. She was a bit too distracted to concern herself with the holes in her daughter's logic. "This… This is okay. Right?"

"Yeah, exactly! This is fine. We're just really close, closer than most families. We're comfortable with each other. Nothing wrong with that." Sweetie's breath caught in her chest as Rarity's thumb brushed her nipple, a chill racing down her spine. "Mmmf… That feels nice, Mom."

"Y-you know, you don't have to call me that.” Rarity’s voice trembled, her fingers tingling as they danced across Sweetie’s soft, plush chest. The way Sweetie’s breath hitched seemed to embolden Rarity, and she squeezed a bit more firmly than before. “I’ve been your sister for so long, I understand if you don’t… Want to…”

“I do want to. It feels nice. Mom.” Sweetie’s hands wandered over to Rarity’s body, one to her hip and the other tracing up her side and cupping beneath her breast. “You’re my Mom. I’m your daughter.”

“Which is exactly why we shouldn’t—”

“If you don’t want to, then stop,” breathed Sweetie. She slowly leaned in, her mother doing much the same. “If you pull away, then I’ll drop it. Never mention it again. But you want this, don’t you?”

“I do…” Rarity’s eyes fluttered closed, her lips pursed and ready. “So much…”

“Then just think of this as a gift. To make up for all the Mother’s Days I missed…”

Rarity positively melted when her lips met her daughter’s, an electric shock of bliss charging through her very core. They held each other close, tasting each other, hands running through hair as mother and daughter kissed in a way that was, as far as Rarity was concerned, completely unforgivable. But she wasn’t concerned with forgiveness just then. All Rarity was thinking about was how good Sweetie’s tongue felt against her own, how hot it felt between them. How much Rarity wanted, no, needed this.

Forgiveness could wait until morning.

Sweetie maneuvered her hands to the hem of Rarity’s blouse, carelessly tugging the garb up and over her head during the brief second the two split for air. Once the blouse was gone, Sweetie turned her attention to the lacey black bra, quickly undoing it and freeing Rarity’s comparatively meager breasts. Size be damned, Sweetie still gave her mother’s chest the same attention she had received, squeezing and kneading Rarity’s boobs until she managed to coax a small, quivering moan from the seamstress.

Sweetie smiled, more than a bit amused by hearing that sound come out of her own mother.

“Why don’t you go get some toys while I get out of this dress?” purred Sweetie, finally pulling herself away for air. Rarity seemed to be drowning on air, barely able to string together a coherent thought.

“Oh? What makes you think I have ‘toys’, hm?” asked Rarity. Sweetie just looked at Rarity, shaking her head and rolling her eyes.

“You have a shoebox of dildos and stuff in your closet. You lock the closet when you leave but it’s the same key as your bedroom. One time, when you were going out of town, you left me your bedroom key so I could run in and grab stuff for dresses while you were gone. I snooped.” Sweetie grinned mischievously at the beetroot glow that radiated off of Rarity by that point. “I’ve been sneaking into your closet to use your stuff every time you went out of town since I was like 15.”

“Sweetie!”

“What? I always cleaned them, before and after. Besides, considering what we’re doing… I think we’re past that, don’t you think?”

It was hard arguing with that, so Rarity didn’t bother wasting her time by trying. She pulled herself away from Sweetie, though it appeared to cause her pain to do so, and crossed the room to the closet. She pulled open the door and, after a brief exploration, turned back with the large footlocker in question. As she was in the closet, Sweetie Belle had fully undressed, baring her soft curves and tight, perfect body in all of its glory. Still radiating embarrassment hot enough to cook dinner with, Rarity set the box down and popped it open, revealing a myriad of naughty instruments and accessories.

“Let’s see…” Sweetie rooted around the box, finding the moderately sized toy that she had helped herself to over the years. “So, do you want—”

Rarity snatched the toy away and grabbed Sweetie Belle into another deep, passionate kiss. She pushed Sweetie onto her back, descending onto her with a barely restrained desperation and desire. If the situation was different, Rarity might have been ashamed of her almost pathetic display of alacrity, but at that point, she was hardly worried about saving face in any capacity.

Her hand slithered down Sweetie’s smooth, flat tummy, fingers dancing across her pelvis and down the length of her inner thigh. Her kisses descended down the length of Sweetie’s body as well, dipping from her lips to her neck, then her collar, her breasts, lower and lower down to her belly button. Each meeting of soft lips to even softer skin sent tingles throughout both mother and daughter, particularly Sweetie, who jumped and jerked with each soft and deliberate motion from her mother.

“Heh… You really know what you’re doing, huh?” panted Sweetie. She let out a squeak when Rarity’s hand slid upward and glanced her soft lower lips. “Have you… Been with a girl before?”

“I suppose I’m rather… experienced,” chuckled Rarity. “I had a few girlfriends in college.” She flashed a grin at Sweetie, giving her a playful little wink. “And Pinkie’s parties can get a bit out of hand, sometimes.”

“Rarity!”

“Kidding. About the party thing, I mean. The bit about my experience…” Rarity dragged her tongue slowly, tauntingly, agonizingly tracing a path around Sweetie’s pussy, letting the girl squirm for a moment before gently planting a kiss onto Sweetie Belle’s softest, most sensitive area. “That was completely true…”

“Heh… I don’t think any of the boys I’ve ever been with has done… this,” sighed Sweetie. Rarity arched her brow, finding something worthy of disapproval in what Sweetie had said. “You didn’t actually think I was still a virgin, did you? I always thought you were just teasing me.”

“Hmph. I suppose I don’t have much room to talk…” Rarity brought her tongue out, sliding it up her daughter's slit. "Let's not worry about that right now, darling. Just let me work…"

And work, she did, by slithering her tongue across Sweetie’s body, savoring every second of it. True to her namesake, Rarity’s daughter tasted sweet like honey, and all Rarity wanted in life was to taste more of her. She could feel the heat blooming between the two, and she sought to fuel the fire by introducing the toy that Sweetie had picked; Rarity pulled up from between Sweetie’s legs and replaced her tongue with the phallic bit of silicone. After teasing Sweetie with the tip of the toy for a moment, Rarity slowly slid it into Sweetie’s folds.

Slowly at first, Rarity worked the toy in and out, a gentle, meticulous rhythm to her movements. Sweetie’s shallow breaths metamorphosed into full-on moans of pleasure when Rarity combined methods; As she slowly maneuvered the toy, Rarity reintroduced her mouth to the scenario, wrapping her lips against Sweetie’s clit and giving her a firm, constant suckle. Sweetie gripped the sheets tightly, throwing her head back and rewarding Rarity for her efforts with a breathy whine of ecstasy.

The sounds Sweetie made drove Rarity mad, and it soon became too much for Rarity to resist anymore. Without pausing or slowing her right hand, moving the toy in and out of Sweetie with increasing speed, or her mouth, sucking and kissing the birthday girl’s button, Rarity sent her left hand between her own legs, down the waist of her skirt and snaking her fingers beneath her panties. She teased and rubbed at her pussy, feeling her cheeks flush red as she moaned. To be there, finally tasting the forbidden fruit she had been coveting for so long, it filled her with this undeniable, irrefutable, inescapable pleasure and satisfaction, no matter the shame she felt. In fact, if Rarity was being completely honest, it was that shame that made things so exhilarating for her. If her friends knew she was doing this, they’d never look at her the same, but Rarity didn’t care. That’s how much this meant to her, how much she wanted her own daughter.

Sweetie's climax was beautiful music to Rarity's ears, an almost angelic choir ringing throughout the room. There was something about hearing her daughter moan that was so gratifying to Rarity, so painfully arousing that it took very little time before Rarity had rubbed herself to an orgasm of her own. Even as they came, Rarity maintained her assault, doing all she could to make Sweetie writhe in pleasure. Her legs quivered, her arms trembled and, once again, Sweetie came. She went limp, her ample chest rising and falling in time with her labored breathing, and Rarity finally stopped to let Sweetie get her bearings.

“W-wow… That was intense…” panted Sweetie. Rarity just chuckled, pulling the toy from Sweetie’s hole. She made sure to lock eyes with Sweetie before she took the toy into her mouth, moaning sensually as she licked and sucked every last drop of Sweetie’s juices from the rubber. “Who knew my mom was so dirty…”

“I’ve been waiting so long for this, and I’m not about to leave anything on the table,” said Rarity. “I… I wasn’t too rough, was I? I’ll admit, when you kissed me… I lost control for a moment.”

“No, no, nothing like that. It was nice, really. I could feel… Passion, I guess is the word.” Sweetie turned over on her side, better meeting Rarity’s eyes. “You really wanted me, but for me. Not what’s under my skirt.”

“I love you, Sweetie. More than you can ever know.” Rarity wiggled out of her skirt, crawling onto her bed once she was free of all clothing save for her panties. She brought herself face-to-face with Sweetie and gave her a gentle kiss on the nose. “It’s not just physical for me. I… You know what? You’ve had enough serious talk for tonight. Are you… Ahem. Satisfied?”

“Yes, Mom,” said Sweetie, rolling her eyes, her faux annoyance at Rarity’s doting betrayed by the slight chuckle in her voice. Her eyes went wide, and she sat up somewhat. “Oh, shoot. I didn’t… Reciprocate. I should—”

“You don’t have to worry about that. I have all I could ask for.”

“But it’s not fair—”

“Stay in bed and cuddle with me. Then we’ll call it even,” said Rarity. Sweetie seemed to contemplate Rarity’s offer, her mind made up when the two came together for another deep, loving, passionate kiss.

“Well… Okay. That works for me. Dibs on being little spoon!"

Rarity chuckled, and, after another quick, gentle kiss, turned her daughter around, wrapping her arms around Sweetie. She pulled her in close, the closest she had ever been with her child. Closer than a parent was meant to. Rarity decided that, no matter what she was meant to do, as long as they were happy, her family could be whatever she wanted it to be. Rarity didn’t believe that, not at first. She always had trouble being optimistic about her future with her child.

It was getting easier to tell herself that everything would be alright.

Rarity took in a deep breath, feeling the gentle breeze bristle past her. The anxiety, her fear and shame from her actions the night previous, froze Rarity in place for a moment. Soon enough, Rarity shook herself free of her vices. The simple truth was Rarity needed to have this talk, and there simply was no avoiding it. So, after setting down her bag, Rarity took out her phone and sent out a call. She waited for a few, listening to the phone ring until finally the line connected.

“Howdy, Rares,” came Applejack’s very tired voice.

“Hello, darling. Are you busy?” asked Rarity. She could hear Applejack grumble, which more or less just confirmed what she had already suspected.

“Uh… Yeah, sorta. There’s a reunion tomorrow, an’ I ain’t do shit for cooking yet. So… Can ya’ call me back?”

“Oh. Well, I was hoping to head over to your place.”

“That really ain’t a good idea, sugarcube. I’m serious, I don’t got time to entertain guests,” said Applejack. There was a bit of clattering and clanking on her end, and it sounded like she closed a door of some sort. “I just put the pie in the oven, so I got a bit to talk if you want, but I really am busy.”

Rarity pursed her lips, raising her fist up and giving the old wood door a firm knock.

“One sec, Rares, there’s someone at the door.”

Rarity just waited, hearing the heavy footfalls come closer and closer from the inside of the house. About a minute later, the door opened. Standing in the frame, wearing a messy apron and an irate frown, was Applejack, who clearly wasn’t amused by her friend’s antics. Rarity stooped down and retrieved her bag, removing the box of red wine it held.

“You won’t believe me, but…” said Rarity. She shook the box gently at Applejack. “$1.79, with my store membership.”

“You… But… Damn it all, come in,” grumbled Applejack. Rarity smirked slightly, stepping into the Apple family home before Applejack could change her mind. “We got the house to ourselves for a few more minutes, so make yourself at home.”

“Thanks, AJ. Sorry to just show up, but…”

“It’s fine. I did tell you not to be a stranger,” sighed Applejack. She led the way through the house and to the kitchen, where she was clearly in the midst of cooking a large amount of food for her large amount of cousins. Applejack grabbed up two cheap plastic cups from the counter, the only drinkware worthy of a beverage of this caliber, and placed them in front of Rarity to be filled. Once they were, Applejack allowed herself a short break to drink. “So, what’s so important you needed to talk to me right this second?”

“I… I told her, AJ,” said Rarity, part of her still in denial that the last night had even happened. “I told Sweetie.”

“You… You told her?” Applejack set the wine aside, leaning in with concern. “Told her what? The… Or the other thing?”

“Both. I told her everything, Applejack, I just told her!” Rarity tugged on her hair, unsure of what to do with herself. “I feel crazy! I can’t believe I really did it!

“Shit, me neither. When I told you to rip the bandaid off, I was expectin’ you to at least split it up into two bandaids,'' snorted Applejack. Despite the unfortunate timing, Applejack was proud of Rarity. This couldn’t have been easy, but she was digging her heels in and doing what needed to be done. “Damn. At least everything is out there. What’d she say?”

“She was surprised, obviously. Then she was scared for a bit. She wasn’t sure where we would end up after it was all said and done, and I didn’t either,” said Rarity. “We talked and, by the time it was all said and done, we were laughing about it. Then… We were doing more than just laughing.”

“You sly bitch, you kissed her?!” Applejack’s expression went from bewildered to confused to outright shock when she made notice of Rarity’s embarrassed smirk. “You fucked her?!”

“Obviously, I didn’t plan on it! It just, you know… Happened. Organically.”

“Ya’ don’t say… I’ll be damned,” chuckled Applejack. “So. How was it?”

“Oh my God, Applejack, you have no idea… It was perfect. Too perfect!” said Rarity. “She kissed me, and then—”

“Wait, wait, wait, hol’ up. She kissed you? She initiated?”

“I could never. Even if I thought we were both interested, I just couldn’t bring myself to do it. But it was her idea. Oh my God, it was everything I’d been waiting for my whole life…” Rarity let out a sigh, leaning back in her chair. “But… This morning…”

“Oh boy.”

“She regretted it. Can’t say that I blame her. It was all… What was it you said yesterday? Cattywonker?”

“If you’re jus’ gonna come in here an’ make fun of the way I talk, I’ll just go back to cooking,” grumbled Applejack. “But, she regretted it? Did she actually say that or is this just your dramatic ass making up the worst-case scenario.”

“She said ‘we can’t do this ever again’, and then she left. She's been dodging my calls all day. She was right, of course,” said Rarity. “We shouldn’t have done it once, never mind do it again.”

“Hm. Well, all things considered, I say things worked out pretty well. She knows the truth, and now you got it outcha system. Win-win, right?” Applejack narrowed her gaze as Rarity was suddenly very interested in her drink. “You did get it outcha system. Right?”

“It’s not that simple, AJ. I didn’t just want to have sex with her. I wanted to be with her.” Rarity pouted, taking a sip of wine to hopefully calm her nerves. "And I still do. But… Well, evidently, she doesn't."

"What're you gonna do?"

"What can I do? If she doesn't want to, then she doesn't want to," sighed Rarity. "She was adamant that we can't be anything more, so I suppose all I can do is just be there for her. As her mother or sister, whatever she needs from me. Best thing, for now, is to just pretend none of this happened.”

Applejack just nodded, and she rose from her seat to resume cooking. Now that Rarity was here, there was likely no getting rid of her, but that didn’t change the fact that Applejack had a large amount of food to prepare. Before much cooking could get done, the back door bust open with a thud. From outside into the kitchen blew the younger Apple sister, who seemed distraught in some way. Applebloom paused as her eyes passed over Rarity, a flare of something sparking across her features. Rarity felt her stomach clench at that look, but neither she nor Applebloom said anything.

“Bloom, perfect! You’re right on time,” said Applejack, apparently oblivious to the new tension. “I need your help.”

“Huh? Oh. Right, m’kay.” Applebloom never took her eyes off of Rarity, even as she shimmied through the kitchen. “Lemme just… Wash up real quick.”

“Alright, sugarcube, just hurry back.” Applejack turned to watch her sister leave, her gaze ultimately landing on Rarity, who seemed a second away from a full breakdown. “What’s wrong wit you?”

“Did you tell her?” said Rarity sharply. Applejack tilted her head, confused. “She knows, Applejack! She knows about me and Sweetie!”

“Now, sugarcube, I swore to you on my Mama’s grave that I wouldn’t ever tell no one what you told me. I’m a lot of things but I ain’t—”

“A liar. You’re right, you’re right. Sorry. But how could she…” Rarity groaned, slamming her head into the table. “Sweetie! God damn it!”

“Calm down, Rara, you’re gettin’ yourself worked up,” said Applejack. “She ain’t say nothin’, so how do ya know that she knows?”

“I just know. I saw it in her eyes, she’s furious with me! This isn’t good…” Rarity let out a tired sigh, pushing herself to her feet. She pulled out her phone and dialed Sweetie’s number, hoping beyond reason she would finally pick up. Just like the dozen times she had tried earlier, Rarity’s call went straight to voicemail. “I’m afraid I have to go, AJ. I need to… Well, frankly, I need to be somewhere else.”

“Understood, sugarcube. You do what you gotta do.”

Rarity nodded, muttering thanks to her best friend before hurrying out the back door, running from the guilt and remorse that continued to chase her. She couldn’t bear to conjecture as to what terrible things Applebloom surely thought of her. If she wasn’t careful, everyone would be like this. If she wasn’t careful, this could make her life, as well as Sweetie’s, very difficult.

Rarity wasn’t sure how she would fix it all, but she couldn’t help but think it would go easier if she could only talk to her daughter.

The sound of her phone buzzing angrily against the rickety wooden floor didn’t seem to concern Sweetie Belle at the moment. She knew who was calling and, at the moment, Rarity was not someone that Sweetie wanted to talk to. Truthfully, Sweetie couldn’t think of anyone she felt like talking to just then. It was why, after recalling the regretful night, she quickly dressed herself and departed to a place Rarity or anyone else was unlikely to find her.

The Crusaders Clubhouse hadn’t seen regular use in years, and yet the place was just like Sweetie remembered. A bit cramped, considering how much she’d grown since she called the treehouse home, but still just as comforting and friendly. She had spent so much time up in the old tree over the years. Hiding from the torment of her bullies, squirreling herself away to the one place she felt like she belonged. Often running from her sister’s well-earned fury.

Her mother, Sweetie had to remind herself. That woman was her mother. And, for reasons that still weren’t entirely clear to Sweetie herself, she had slept with her. She hardly believed it to be anything more than a strange dream when she awoke, until she turned over and saw whose arms she had nakedly landed in the night before. Then, it all came flooding back to her. Her heartache, her desperation to feel wanted and loved, and Rarity’s revelations, two giant bombs that would be tough for Sweetie to wrap her head around even if she wasn’t in such a mentally unsteady state.

“How could I do that?” Sweetie fell flat on her back, burying her face into her palms. “Stupid, stupid, stupid!”

“Hey, AB, I think she’s calling you.”

Sweetie sat herself up just in time to see the rickety wooden trapdoor push open from the floor. Up the ladder and into the treehouse came Scootaloo, sitting on Applebloom’s shoulders as she did the heavy lifting. Scootaloo had a paper bag in her hands, containing something warm and delicious-smelling, shaking it enticingly as she rose into the room. She flashed Sweetie a grin, just like she used to before pitching The Crusaders’ next big idea (which Sweetie normally had to talk them out of for various reasons), and clambered off of Applebloom to the treehouse floor. Applebloom herself wasn’t far behind, pushing herself up and over to sit beside her best friends.

“Sup,” said Scootaloo. She tossed the bag to Sweetie, who easily caught it. “We got you breakfast. Wildberry scones from Sugarcube Corner.”

“An’ by ‘we’, String Bean here means ‘me’,” noted Applebloom. “My idea, an’ we ain’t exactly go 50/50 on it.”

“It was like $3!”

“Yeah, until you ordered three donuts and a bagel for yourself. By my math, you owe me… $16.45?”

“Yeah, well,” snorted Scootaloo. “You always sucked at math…”

“Thanks, guys.” Despite how twisted up she felt, Sweetie couldn’t help but chuckle at her friends and their antics. It seemed that, no matter how much things changed, one thing Sweetie could always count on was Scootaloo and Applebloom butting heads. It was comforting, in a way, to hear the pair bicker. It returned a sense of normalcy, which is something she needed desperately. “I appreciate the snacks.”

“Well, we kinda flaked on you last night, so we wanted to make up for it.” Scootaloo lost much of her cool, nonchalant tone, her voice dipping down into genuine, earnest concern. “So… How you holding up?”

“I shoulda just let Scoot kick his ass,” grumbled Applebloom. “Little shit-stain ain’t deserve you.”

“Huh? Oh. Goldy.” With all that went on, Sweetie had almost forgotten that her breakup was the catalyst that started it all. “Well. Whatever, you know? I’m over it.”

“Uh… You sure? You got hella dumped just last night,” said Scootaloo. Applebloom glowered at her friend, socking her firmly on the shoulder. “Ow! What, she did!”

“After all that breakfast, you still gotta put your foot in ya mouth,” groaned Applebloom.

“It’s fine. I just… Got a lot on my mind right now.” Sweetie let out a sigh, having delivered the understatement of the century. “Don’t really have it in me to think about Goldy, too.”

“Well… You wanna maybe talk about it?” Applebloom scooted a bit closer, letting Sweetie rest her head on her shoulder. “It ain’t right for you to have to deal with this kinda stuff alone.”

Sweetie hesitated, caught in a rather uncomfortable bind. For as long as the trio had been friends, they had always been able to confide in each other. No matter what, Sweetie knew she could talk to Scootaloo and Applebloom about anything. Sweetie knew she could trust her friends, they'd never let her down before, but this was different. This was a bit more than secret schoolyard crushes and embarrassing blunders in the halls.

"I… I have something to tell you guys, but I need you to promise me you won't tell anyone," said Sweetie. Immediately, her friends were at attention, entirely focused on what Sweetie had to say.

“You got it, Swoots,” said Scootaloo.

“Yeah, we won’t tell no one. Promise,” agreed Applebloom. Sweetie nodded, her mouth going open and closing once again. Applebloom patted her on the shoulder, giving her a gentle squeeze. “It’s okay, sugarcube. Take your time.”

“Right. Well. Last night… I found out that Rarity isn’t really my sister,” said Sweetie. She’s… My mom…”

“Uh… What the fuck?” said Scootaloo. “She’s your mom? Are you serious?”

“Mhhm. I was just as surprised as you.” Sweetie looked around for a response, anything at all from Applebloom, who couldn’t manage more than stunned silence just then. So, with no other option, Sweetie soldiered on. “And, well… She told me she had… feelings for me. We sorta… had sex last night…”

“What the fuck?! You didn’t!”

“Why on God’s green Earth would you do that?” Whereas Scootaloo was confused more than anything, there was a strange degree of fire to Applebloom’s voice. She seemed incensed, horrified. “What were you thinking?”

“I wasn’t, really. I was just in a weird place last night,” sighed Sweetie. “Goldy dumped me, I was a little drunk, and—”

“What?! You were drunk?” demanded Applebloom. Slowly, almost frightened of what would happen, Sweetie nodded. “Your own mother took advantage of you when you were drunk? What the hell is wrong with her?”

“She didn’t take advantage of anything. I made a really bad decision, is all.”

“Like hell. She waits til you’re legal, then lets you get drunk so she can have her way with you? That ain’t right, Sweetie.” Applebloom crawled over to the trapdoor, pulling it open to access the ladder. “I’ll be back. I’m gonna go tell her ‘bout herself.”

“AB, no! You promised you wouldn’t say anything!” Sweetie dove forward and grabbed Applebloom by the wrist. Despite being roughly half the size of the farmgirl and nowhere near as strong, she still managed to stop Applebloom in her tracks. “Please don’t say anything. I swear, I’m making it sound worse than it really was. Rarity didn’t do anything I didn’t want her to do.”

“She opened up to us about something fucking crazy, AB,” said Scootaloo, shrugging slightly. “Least you can do is keep quiet about it until she figures it out.”

“Hmph… Fine. Later on, though, we gotta have a talk about this.” Gently, so as to not hurt Sweetie, Applebloom shook herself free of her fragile grasp. “I gotta go, y’all. AJ needs help getting ready for this family reunion thing tomorrow. If you need me, though… Text, okay?”

“Go ahead, AB. I’m not busy today, I’ll look after Swoots,” said Scootaloo. With a tiny nod of respect, she fist-bumped Applebloom, who disappeared down the ladder and out of the treehouse proper. Once again, Sweetie fell back against the rickety planks, hiding her face in her hands. “So… Got drunk and plowed your sister, huh? That's pretty nuts.”

“Not sister,” grumbled Sweetie. “Mom. Remember?”

“Yeah, still haven’t totally wrapped my head around that.”

“You’re telling me… I guess it kinda makes sense, y’know? Rarity always was the one to take care of me. Never really knew why, but…” Sweetie raked her hair from her face, blowing an errant lock away from her eyes. “She was my real Mom…”

“Yeah… And you got drunk and banged her…”

“Scoots, can we maybe not stick on the biggest mistake I’ve ever made in my entire life?” groaned Sweetie. “This whole thing was so stupid of me! Why’d I even bother drinking, I know I’m a lightweight. It was only a matter of time before I do something dumb…”

“Yeah, that’s actually why I’m sticking on the whole ‘drunk’ thing, cause…” Scootaloo tilted her head, looking her friend up and down with concern. “So, I’m not trying to make this your fault or anything, but… How did you get drunk?”

“Huh? What do you mean? I had like three cups of punch.” Now, Sweetie was confused. What was Scootaloo talking about? “You said you spiked it.”

“I was joking. I never actually put anything in the punch,” said Scootaloo. “I was gonna wait until the party was over and have a real drink with you, but after your fuckboi ex dumped you… Well, the point is, there wasn’t anything in the punch.”

“But… That’s all I had. So how was I…”

“You… Weren’t. At least, I don’t think you were. Best I can tell, you were just really emotional. No judgment, but… Maybe you don’t regret last night as much as you think.”

It couldn’t be, it just couldn’t be true. Sweetie knew she had to be drunk, she wouldn’t ever do something this crazy if she was sober. Of course she regretted it, she had to. What she did with her mother was inadvisable at best, and flat-out wrong at worst. No matter how nice it was in the moment, no matter how soft Rarity’s tongue felt against her’s, no matter how much she had been pining for that feeling, Sweetie swore she couldn’t want a relationship with her own mother.

But, if she was wrong about being drunk, maybe she was wrong about more than that.

"I know I'm probably the last person who should be giving out family advice," said Scootaloo. "But as someone who barely knows their parents, lemme just say… Maybe you shouldn't let one awkward night stand between you and your mother. I know our situations aren’t exactly the same, but, hey, that’s just how I feel about it.”

“Maybe you’re right, Scoots. Maybe I should just put all this behind me…” Sweetie looked up, frowning at Scootaloo’s skeptical expression. “What? You don’t think I can?”

“No, I’m sure you could. I just don’t think you want to.” Scootaloo shrugged. “You chose to fuck your mom, and you seem like you enjoyed it.”

“It was pretty special…” admitted Sweetie. “But that’s my mom. I can’t keep sleeping with her.”

“Why not? Maybe not everyone should, but you’re an adult. Who can tell you that you can’t?”

“How about Princess Celestia?”

“I don’t think she can, actually,” said Scootaloo. “Don’t ask me how I know, but I’m pretty sure there’s no law or anything that says you guys can’t be more than family.”

“How could you know that?”

“Swoots, I literally just told you not to ask…” Scootaloo rolled her eyes, smirking in spite of herself. “Point is, maybe you should think about it a little more. Lofty and Holiday are out of town on some couple’s resort thing, so if you wanna stay with me for a couple of days til you get stuff figured out, you’re more than welcome.”

“You know, that sounds really nice,” said Sweetie. “We can get AB over, too. Have an old-school Crusaders Summit Sleepover.”

“God, we were so fucking lame when we were kids.”

“Heh. Yeah… Thanks, Scoots.” Sweetie shimmied over and wrapped her arms around Scootaloo, squeezing her into a tight hug. Never the most affectionate of people, Scootaloo didn’t know exactly how to react just then, so she just let her hands hang for a moment before gently patting Sweetie on the back. “I really needed to talk about this.”

“Hey, you and AB are my best friends. I want you to be happy, even if it’s in a way I don’t totally understand,” said Scootaloo. “If I can help you find that happiness, then bet your ass I’m gonna do it.” She squirmed in Sweetie’s hug for a bit, clearly growing a bit uncomfortable with the emotional display. “I don’t know about you, but I feel like we’re probably pushing our luck, hanging out in this old-ass clubhouse. Seriously, this place wasn’t super safe even when we were 8. You wanna get out of here before the floor caves in?”

“Good point. Let’s skidoodle,” chuckled Sweetie, finally releasing Scootaloo. “Come on, let’s go pay AB back for breakfast. I bet she’s thirsty from all the cooking.”

“Milkshakes?”

“And Bloom says you’ve never had a good idea in your life.”

The two chuckled with each other, filing out of the treehouse to the ground below. As they did, Sweetie battled with herself, between what she felt and what she was told was right. Could she really bring herself to do this? Did she really want to? Sweetie wasn’t sure, not at first, but the longer Sweetie thought about being held in Rarity’s arms, her dexterous fingers playing her like a harp, her soft lips, her gentle, loving voice, it was getting easier and easier for Sweetie to convince herself that this was the life for her.

Sweetie inspected her phone, looking up and down the dozens and dozens of missed calls, all from the same person. The bulk of the calls came during the first two days after Sweetie’s night with Rarity, with infrequent and irregular calls peppered throughout the week. Sweetie had turned her phone off during that time, and so she had missed most of them, but as soon as she resumed communications, she made sure to send her mother a message. They didn’t speak much, just long enough to make plans for dinner, but that didn’t matter. What Sweetie wanted to say was better said in person, anyway.

She followed the smell of Rarity’s expert cooking into the Boutique, all the way along to the kitchen, where her mother stood in wait for her. Rarity was at the counter, slicing carrots in silence and occasionally dumping them into a large salad bowl. Judging by her white blouse and black skirt, as well as her messy purple hair and the glasses she wore on her face as opposed to around her neck on its chain, it seemed that Rarity was only just then recovering from a long day of work. Sweetie watched for a few moments before clearing her throat with a cough and breaking the silence.

"I've been thinking about the other night," said Sweetie. Rarity clearly heard her, pausing her dinner preparations for just a split second before returning her attention to chopping vegetables. Sweetie had expected this sort of reception, especially considering she had been avoiding her mother for so long. "Er… Do you want some help with that?"

"I can manage," came Rarity's curt reply. “The casserole is in the oven, I’m just preparing a salad. Won't be but a few."

"Oh. Ok." Sweetie parked her rear at the table, watching Rarity carefully. After a few moments of silence, she took in a deep breath and pressed on. "So… Can we talk?"

"I don't think there's an abundance for us to talk about. I was out of line and you don't want anything like that to happen again." There was no bitterness in Rarity's voice, nothing but remorse. "I understand, of course, and I'm incredibly sorry."

"Yeah, well… maybe you shouldn't be. I, uh… I might've overreacted, that morning after," sighed Sweetie Belle. She noticed Rarity stiffen but, again, her mother didn't offer an immediate response. "I know this is unusual, and maybe a bit crazy, but… I thought about what I said that night. About how you were always there for me. And I decided that I'd like to be there for you. If you'll let me."

"You've already done plenty for me, darling, you don't have to pay me back."

"It's not about repaying a debt. It's… Love. I've always loved you, Rarity, and after hearing the truth about how much you love me, and what you put yourself through just so I would be happy…" Sweetie rose from her seat, striding across the room and stopping just behind Rarity. She wrapped her arms around Rarity's middle and pulled her close, as close as possible. Despite her agreement that they shouldn't ever be that close again, Rarity did nothing to stop her daughter. "Now it's your turn to be happy. And I think we can be really happy, together, if you would let us."

"We can't, Sweetie. We just can't," whispered Rarity, though much of her resistance melted when Sweetie leaned in and kissed her neck. "What will people say?"

"Who cares? If they can't be happy for us, then why do we care what they say?" breathed Sweetie. "Our friends, they'll support us. Mom and Dad will, too. Everyone else?" Sweetie kissed her mother's neck again, and again. "They can say whatever they want."

Finally, Rarity turned around, face to face with her daughter. The air between them smoldered, thick with electricity and passion from one woman to the other. There was so much pain in Rarity’s features that it broke Sweetie’s heart to know what her mother had gone through. She brought a hand to the older woman’s face, running her fingers down Rarity’s tired features. Rarity had it so hard, all these years. She had suffered enough for her mistakes, Sweetie thought. Now, she deserved for things to go her way.

“You don’t want this. Not me,” said Rarity, shaking her head. “You want someone your age. Someone you can build a life with.”

“We already have a life together, Mom. Let’s just let it be what it wants to be.”

When Sweetie’s lips met Rarity’s own, it was just as magical as the first night, if not more so. It felt more grounded, more real than before. Now, Rarity could properly feel Sweetie’s tongue against her’s, could truly comprehend the situation she was in. Just the same as that night, though, was how good it felt, how easily Sweetie melted into Rarity, grabbing her around the waist and pulling her close as they kissed each other deeper and more passionately than they had ever kissed anyone before. Time crawled to a stop, the only sound being each woman’s gentle, pleasured moans for several moments before Rarity finally pulled away to take in a deep, quivering breath of air.

“Do you smell smoke?” said Sweetie, grinning a bit smugly. Rarity went pink, flailing in Sweetie’s arms as she reached for the oven.

“Damn it!” Rarity broke free, tearing open the oven to confirm what she already knew. With a sigh, she turned the oven off and slammed the door shut. “Burned it rather badly…”

“We can order some take-out later. Right now…” Sweetie grabbed Rarity by the wrist and pulled her along, stopping her at the table and gently pushing her onto its surface. Her skirt hiked up her leg as she slid onto the table, which gave Sweetie the perfect opportunity; She stooped down to her knees, reaching up and gently tugging her mother’s panties down the length of her legs. She tossed the panties aside, licking her lips at her prize. “I’m more interested in you.”

“Sweetie… I—” Rarity used her palm to stifle her moan when Sweetie slithered in, planting soft, fluttering kisses up the length of her inner thigh. Sweetie wasted very little time working her way up to her mother's pussy, giving her a slow, sensual lick. For all of her lack of experience, Sweetie made up for it with enthusiasm and fervor, not giving her mother even a second to breathe.

"God, yes…" moaned Rarity, throwing her head back as her daughter's tongue flitted into her pussy, sending arcing waves of pleasure through her body. Sweetie attacked her with her tongue, savoring the earthy, sweet essence of her mother’s juices as they trickled a sticky trail down her chin. Rarity writhed on the table, knocking down the cups and plates she had set there previously. “Don’t stop, darling…”

Sweetie felt Rarity grab her hand, lacing their fingers together and holding her tight. Her legs tensed around Sweetie, scissoring her head and pulling her in closer. Memories of their first encounter flashed in Sweetie’s mind, and she did all she could to pleasure her mother the same way she had been pleasured that messy, emotional night. Her tongue wiggled inside of Rarity’s tunnel, and she kissed her mother’s mound sensually in time with the tensing of Rarity’s body and her labored, haggard breathing.

The more she worked her tongue, the tighter Sweetie felt Rarity’s legs squeeze around her, until there was no escaping her mother’s embrace. Of course, Sweetie had no desire to escape, no desire to do anything but taste Rarity, relish the closeness between them, and feel the heat blooming in Rarity’s core. Sweetie, having learned from her mother last time, perked up and wrapped her lips around Rarity’s clit, earning a shrill, quivering shriek of delight from the older woman. She smirked to herself, working her tongue quicker with the sole intention of hearing her mother squeal again and again.

It didn’t take long for her to get her wish, just a few more lashes of the tongue to make Rarity howl and thrash across the tabletop. Sweetie could feel Rarity’s orgasm, the way her mother’s hips jerked, how her pussy sprayed against her tongue, and she kept her mouth moving as she relished in Rarity’s climax. Rarity couldn’t string together a sentence for a spell, just a smattering of mumbles, moans, and mutters, much to Sweetie’s amusement.

“We made a mess,” noted Sweetie, surveying her handiwork. Aside from the trembling mess she had reduced her mother to, there was also dishes and silverware littering the floor, not mentioning the disorderly tablecloth. “Whoops. Sorry, Mom.”

“Next time… Let’s try to make it to bed, yeah?” panted Rarity, covering her eyes with a forearm as she regained her breath. Sweetie glowed, her grin widening across her face.

“So… That means there’s a next time?”

“I certainly hope so…” Rarity slowly sat herself up, straightening her clothes and glasses. “You were right. Our friends… They’ll be happy for us. Everyone else can sod off, for all I care. The only person I care about is you.”

Sweetie smiled, boosting herself up to kiss her mother tenderly, romantically. As they embraced, and the energy in the room began to lower, the acrid smell of smoke wafted its way to Sweetie’s nostrils. She broke away and licked her lips, snickering to herself all the time.

“Why don’t you go on upstairs and get comfortable? I’ll clean up here,” said Sweetie. “Then we can order in and maybe catch a movie?”

“You know, sex normally comes after the date,” said Rarity with a smug grin. Sweetie laughed, diving in to peck her mother again on the lips.

“Since when has anything about us ever been normal?”

One month later

“Alright, girls, I’ve got some news.”

Sweetie wrapped her arm around Rarity’s, clinging tightly to her as Twilight finally looked up from her various books and rolls of parchment. The unorthodox couple leaned in, excited to hear what Twilight had to say on their situation. Out of habit, the princess rose from her seat and began to pace to length of the room, doing a full pass before she began speaking again.

“So, I’ve poured over every bit of Equestrian marriage law, and, much to my surprise…” Twilight paused, flashing the pair a grin. “There is no law, bill, ordinance, or legislature that explicitly deems a relationship between a mother and daughter unlawful. So, legally… You guys are good.”

“That’s awesome!” cheered Sweetie. She squeezed her mother, her life partner, and gave her a kiss on the cheek. “We’re in the clear, Mom!”

“Well, let’s not get too excited, darling,” said Rarity, patting her love gently on the shoulder. “Twilight sounded an awful lot like she was going to say ‘but’ at the end, there.”

“Ah, yes. You know me well. Slight hiccup is a different bit of royal law,” continued Twilight. “The law stating that any business, individual, or organization has the right to refuse to serve anyone so long as it’s not on the basis of race, religion, gender, or sexual orientation. Your relationship sadly doesn’t fall into that protected category.”

“So no one can stop us, but they don’t necessarily have to be happy about it.”

“That about sums it up, yes. I don’t think you two will run into too much trouble, but it’s worth keeping in mind. Furthermore… The church likely won’t sanction a marriage between a mother and her daughter, if you two decide that’s what you want. On the bright side… Part of my princess status is ordainment. I am actually able to legally wed any couple in the kingdom.” Twilight smiled brightly. “And I’d be more than happy to marry you two.”

“I don’t think we’re ready for that just yet,” said Sweetie. “But thanks a million, Twi. This is a load off of our minds.”

“You can’t imagine much I’ve been stressing about this,” said Rarity with a nod.

“I bet she could, Mom. Stressing is, like, your favorite thing to do.”

“Hush, you.” Rarity snickered, pausing to check the message she had received on her phone. She read the text quickly and gave a nod. “Applejack and Applebloom are ready for lunch. They said to meet them at the diner.”

“Don’t let me keep you. I hope you guys have fun!” said Twilight with a wave. “Are we still on for Saturday?”

“Yes, I think so. The others need to know, too,” said Rarity. “Until then…”

“They won’t get a peep out of me. Go on, you two. Enjoy your lunch.”

The pair stood up and waved to their friend, departing from the table hand in hand. They strolled forward, as close as can be, stepping boldly into the future. They knew the road ahead was sure to be difficult, as most roads worth travelling were, but they soldiered on regardless. Alone, it was very nearly impossible for either Rarity or Sweetie to get to where they wanted to be.

Together, though, their path gets easier to walk.