We're Okay

Chapters

Don't Run From Me
Don't Look Away
They Can't Control Us
Because We're Okay(Epilogue)

Don't Run From Me

Just like any celebrity, as a Wonderbolt, one's life is a topic that many, many ponies want to know about. News ponies and other fans absolutely love to lap up every possible piece of juicy gossip that comes from celebrities. This might be fine sometimes. It's not always ponies knowing details that causes problems. The problem is how they react to a given piece of news, and how they share that reaction and their opinion with others around them. At times, it's really no big deal and can even be sweet. When the public somehow found out that Sun Chaser's sister had passed on, they were extremely kind and went out of their way to show their support for her at shows and give her words of reassurance at meet-and-greets. Sometimes, it feels like high school all over again. When Rapidfire and Misty Fly's relationship was discovered due to a careless mishap on their part, reactions were well split. Half of their fans were happy for them and often gushed about how good of a couple they were, and the other half got jealous and made a big deal of it. No matter how useless that seemed.

Other times, it sucked. Plain and simple. At least that's how the Wonderbolts saw it when a picture of Spitfire and Fleetfoot snuggled up on a cloud was leaked. Nopony knew who took the photo, or how they had even managed to sneak into the boundaries of their Headquarters to take it, but what they did know all too well was the trouble it caused. The reason for all the fuss was even more mortifying.

"Spitfire! Fleetfoot!" came the shrill voice of Surprise as she flew down the hallway towards the rec room where the 'Bolts were getting ready for practice. "This is bad. Like reeeallyy bad!" Her voice carried notes of panic and urgency, which nopony liked to hear, especially from her.

"Surprise? What is it? Did something hap-" Spitfire was cut off as Surprise rounded the corner with a newspaper in hoof and a look of concern written all over her face. Spitfire knew that the bundle of cheer that was her teammate could be serious when the situation called for it. So the look on her face was enough to put her on edge. Surprise handed the newspaper to her and landed, panting as Fire Streak placed a hoof on her back, also with concern starting to make its way onto his face. Having made her way over to Spitfire upon hearing her name being called, Fleetfoot was now parked at her side, looking on over her shoulder. Spitfire's stomach dropped as her eyes scanned over the front page of the paper. It was a copy of Equestria's 411, a very popular gossip paper with magazine-like content. There was a short article, as well as a picture of the two of them on a cloud just outside of their headquarters with Spitfire's wing draped over Fleetfoot, and Fleetfoot's head tucked snugly underneath Spitfire's chin. The article below read:

Wonderbolt Captain and Third-in-Command in Love?
Wonderbolt captain Spitfire Flare and Third-in-Command Fleetfoot Frost have been spotted by an anonymous photographer, engaging in activities that can only be described as romantic. As seen in the picture above, the two seem to be much closer to each other than they appear to the public.

Throughout military history, same-sex couples within the ranks have always been scorned. If a member of a force identified as a homosexual, they would do everything in their power to keep it a secret for fear of being discharged. Only a few years ago were policies directly barring ponies of the LGBTQ+ community from serving repealed, and many still believe that the policies should have stayed. However, it seems that the current captain of our aerial flight team has become more lenient with those traditional beliefs. Now, does this bring about change and encourage others to move forwards, and away from history? Or is it a violation of the pride, honor, and discipline that the military has stood for over the centuries it has been active? The belief that homosexuality does not belong in the ranks of the military is very widely spread, and we can say now that the two are going to be in for a long ride. "Ask anypony, and they will tell you that the Wonderbolts are starting to stray away from their path of strict rules and order, and we can expect to see stains on the reputations of these two mares," says reporter Shiny Quill. What will they do when the going gets tough? We'll just have to watch closely to find out.

Spitfire was mortified. Angry. Mostly angry due to the sheer stupidity of the article. She and Fleetfoot had been trying so hard to keep their relationship hidden since it had begun in order to avoid crazy ponies like the media. However, the two had failed to consider this a reason why. At first, the two wanted to prevent anypony from suspecting nepotism. The two had worked their flanks off for forever to earn both their spot and rank in the team, and anypony could easily see it. Yet they knew that no matter what, some ponies were denser than mercury, and would make a big deal of things when they knew very well the suspicions were false. But this? Their sexualities were not among the things considered when they agreed on staying secret. Spitfire had come to terms with being bisexual very quickly, as Equestria was moving onto a new era, and if anyone tried to deny her love... she'd most likely punch them. Fleetfoot she knew though, was very insecure about being gay. Looking over her shoulder, Spitfire saw her marefriend's horrified expression. Her ears were pinned to the sides of her head, and her eyes were wide and wet. She quickly passed the newspaper back to Surprise and turned to her marefriend. "Fleety? Are you okay?" The mare sniffled once and nodded quickly. She leaned in and rested her head on Spitfire's shoulder.

"Why didn't we think of thith? We conthidered tho many other thingth, but not thith? Hrmmm..." she groaned and trailed off sadly. Spitfire wrapped a hoof around her shoulders and gently rubbed Fleetfoot's back.

"I don't know hon. I really didn't think this would be an issue. I'm so sorry this happened."

"What did the paper say, Cap?" Blaze asked softly. After a nod of approval from Spitfire, Surprise handed the paper to Blaze, who then passed it around to the rest of the 'Bolts. Looking around, Spitfire saw lots of different facial expressions. Some were angry, some looked worried, and some looked disgusted. Soarin spoke up next.

"This is... disgusting. How the photo was taken is beyond me, but the commentary on this is unbelievable. Are you guys going to be okay?" Spitfire sighed, and looked down at her marefriend, who was still leaning against her looking defeated.

"I'll be fine, though I doubt that the pony who took that picture will be if I ever find them. What about you Fleety?" she inquired. Fleetfoot was taking this harder than she was. Fleetfoot just nodded, her mane brushing the underside of Spitfire's chin as her head moved back and forth. Spitfire frowned, as she could clearly see that she was not okay. She decided that this was a question she wanted to address more privately, so she gave her a tight squeeze before speaking to the rest of the team, who all shared varying looks of concern. "Soar, can you get practice started for me? I'll be out in a few minutes," she requested. He nodded and gave Fleetfoot a reassuring pat on the shoulder before leading the team outside. Everypony gave their own quick statement of support and a warm smile before walking out, making Spitfire feel a bit better herself. At least their team would be there for them through it all. Now she wanted to make sure Fleetfoot knew that as well. "What's on your mind hon?"

"What are we going to do?" The mare asked after a second. She removed her face from Spitfire's shoulder to look up at her. "We have a show in three dayth and everypony'th going to be watching uth. I don't want to be gawked at," she explained. Spitfire thought about this. Fleetfoot was right, their next show was in three days, and what was worse, is that it was in Canterlot. The home of a bunch of snobby traditionalists who could never keep their opinions to themselves.

"Ignore them Fleety. If they want to look, let them look. They can't do anything to us, and if they try, we have the team to help defend us. If they try to hurt you in any way, they'll have me to answer to. I won't let anything bad happen, I promise. Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye." She attempted to go through the motions of the promise Rainbow had done so many times, and accidentally poked herself in the process, making Fleetfoot giggle. She pulled Spitfire into a warm hug and smiled.

"Thankth Thpitty. I needed that."

"Of course hon. I'm here. Always," she said, returning the embrace. After a moment, they let each other go and went out to join their team.

It was the morning of the show in Canterlot, and Fleetfoot thought she was going to throw up out of nervousness. She wasn't afraid of performing, but of the questions and comments she would receive after the show. In those three days after the article came out, so many ponies had voiced their displeasure with her and Spitfire's relationship. She had even gotten a letter from her parents the day after the article was published. The two were very traditional ponies, and had been very involved in her career as a Wonderbolt. Since she first told them of her dream to be a part of the team years ago, they had drilled into her head the importance of their line of work, and the honor and dignity required to become a part of it. Of course, upon finding out about her relationship, they were furious. They told her that she didn't belong in the military if she was willing to engage in "dishonorable and unnatural" relationships. They had told her that how she felt was wrong, and that it was disgusting that two mares would feel that way towards each other. It had hurt so badly. She had spent an extended amount of time crying in the shower that night, but didn't want to bother her marefriend about it. She was already angry enough at the public without having to worry about her parents. To add onto her already sky-high anxiety, there had been one more article published that morning addressing the coming show. The page was filled with ponies' opinions of them. Fleetfoot knew that the majority of the statements that made it onto the paper would be negative, but when she had read the new article, the only statements in there had been negative. Spitfire and the rest of the team had done their best to calm her nerves and soothe her mind, but she was too deep into her fear to listen to any of them.

As they waited in the backstage area of the arena in Canterlot, Fleetfoot sat next to Spitfire shivering. The show should go smoothly because their performance was specially choreographed for the interests of Canterlot. Spitfire looked at Fleetfoot with a look of worry on her face. She sat closer to the fuchsia-eyed mare and draped a wing over her back comfortingly. "Fleety. I promised you I wouldn't let anypony hurt you. Look around." Fleetfoot saw her teammates all smiling at her. "We're all here and I'll be damned if we let you face those ponies alone."

"Totally Fleet," agreed Rainbow. "No one pony left behind."

"Fleets, we love you no matter what! You're part of the team and it shouldn't matter to anypony who makes you happy," argued Surprise.

"They're both right. We're behind you on this and we'll make sure nopony gets in the way of your confidence or happiness," said Lightning Streak. Fleetfoot smiled wearily. Her stomach continued doing flip-flops at the thought of the meet and greet later on, but she felt safer around her friends.

"Thankth guyth. I appreciate that a lot." She leaned into Spitfire's embrace and waited for the performance to begin.

The performance went well and was as usual, met with hearty applause. In the arena, nothing from this show was different from any other show. Yet the true testament of how their fans took the news would be shown at the meet and greet they were holding right then. Fleetfoot's heart was racing and she was sweating more than she had during the performance. As she weaved her way through fans to get to her spot at the table for signings, she heard whispers and felt multiple pairs of eyes on her. She had wanted to sit this session out and let her other teammates handle it, but Spitfire had insisted that they show the public that they weren't ashamed of themselves, and that they couldn't make them feel that way. As inspiring and strong that sounded, Fleetfoot couldn't help but feel slightly ashamed. Which in turn made her feel extremely guilty.

Since she and Spitfire had started dating, there had never been a moment where Spitfire showed anything less than her best at providing care, comfort, and understanding when it was needed. Even sometimes for no reason other than her wanting to show Fleetfoot how much she loved her. Even before they got together, Spitfire was the most protective, nurturing friend she could ask for. She was a shoulder for Fleetfoot to cry on, a chest to hide in, and a side to lean on. Still though, there was a nagging feeling in her gut that they were doing something wrong. She felt her parents were right. Everypony was. No matter how many ponies would tell her that she was okay, and that she needed to do whatever made her happy, she just couldn't accept herself. She loved everypony's support, and it did help her sometimes, but at times like this? Where ponies were whispering, both quietly and not so quietly. Where anywhere she looked, she was scrutinized. It was at moments like these where she felt wrong. So incredibly wrong.

As she got up on her seat beside Lightning Streak and High Winds, she suddenly felt so lightheaded. There were camera flashes from fans who may not have been fans after all. She couldn't focus on any of the foals who came up to her for her autograph. All she could focus on were the few comments she could hear from the crowd. A young colt came up to her but was quickly ushered away by his father. "Let's move along Light. We're going to get the autographs of ponies with self respect," he spat, making sure she could hear it. Her ears drooped and she looked down to hide the look of pain on her face. She looked back up in time to see a large earth stallion walk past her and throw her a nasty look. She very visibly flinched, and felt Lightning Streak's hoof on her shoulder for comfort. The event continued that way until it was over, with High Winds and Lightning occasionally having to speak up on her behalf. By the end of it, Fleetfoot just wanted to go back to the HQ and hide away somewhere. The only thing left to do before the team could leave was walking through a sea of reporters and even more fans to get to their designated exit. After every show, the team would go to a certain spot in a given area before flying off to either their compound or wherever they were staying.

At this point Fleetfoot was dizzy with anxiety. She was glued to Rainbow Dash's side as the team walked to their takeoff spot, with Soarin nearby. She thought that if anypony would be able to protect her at a time like this, it was Rainbow, as she would take absolutely zero bullshit when it came to protecting her friends, and had very quickly become one of Fleetfoot's most trusted friends besides Soarin and...Spitfire... Oh how badly Fleetfoot wanted to nestle herself under Spitfire's wing for comfort, but she was choked by shame which only overwhelmed her with more shame. Rainbow kept giving her reassuring looks and telling her to focus on her for the time being. It had been working so far, but the camera flashes became more intense as they got closer to taking off. The ponies' words became clearer around her, and she could pick up some insults among the crowd.

"Disgraceful to the military force."

She scooted closer to Rainbow and took a shaky breath. Her eyes darted to the side, searching for the source of the voice, before turning to face forwards again.

"Does she feel no shame?" came another voice.

So much shame, she thought sadly, as she picked up her pace. Rainbow and Soarin followed suit, flanking her on either side. Fleetfoot's heart was racing a mile a minute, and she needed to just. get. out.

"What we don't need in our Air Force is a couple of fa-," the remark was cut off as Fleetfoot gasped and ran forwards towards the takeoff zone. All sounds after that were blurry. She could vaguely hear Rainbow and Soarin sharply addressing whoever made that comment. Without thinking straight, she launched from the zone and sliced through the air as fast as she could towards the Wonderbolt compound. Tears blurred her vision, making it hard to see, but she could fly to HQ backwards with her eyes shut. She was so far gone in her pain and emotion that she didn't notice Spitfire flying after her, calling her name repeatedly.

So many thoughts were running through her head at that moment. So many looks she had gotten that day were flashing in her vision. The last remark made before she flew off replayed over and over in her head. It wasn't only the comments and insults that were bothering her. Her reason and judgement were trying to fight off the words plaguing her. She knew that she had only paid attention to the negative, and that most of the ponies there would probably support her, especially the foals. She knew deep down that there was nothing she was actively doing wrong, but it felt like she was. Every other thought was an insult, and between each one she was chastising herself for focusing on that insult.
I'm wrong. I shouldn't be doing this.

But why should she care what has been the norm? Why not change it? Why should she accept it?

They'll never accept me! I can't just embarrass the military like this?

What about my relationship is so embarrassing?

I shouldn't like other mares. It's not right.

What about Spitfire? She likes mares, and I would never call or think of her as weird or unnatural.

It was a vicious cycle in Fleetfoot's head. Questions now joined the remarks inside her head. Once she landed on the compound's grounds, she ran into the building and hid in the nearest room she could find. She unknowingly slammed the door into Spitfire's face before locking it and lowering herself slowly to the ground. It turned out that she had entered a supply closet. She looked to her left and saw a mop and a bucket sitting next to her. It didn't matter to her as she finally let her tears go, letting the bitter and salty liquid flow down her turquoise cheeks.

Author's Note

First of all, I wanted to thank Melody Song for allowing me to use the surname that she came up with for Fleetfoot: Frost. Go check out her works, they're great!
Secondly, I felt awful writing the newspaper article for this. I had no idea how to write it in "true journalist fashion", and it was hard not believing what I was writing but still writing it for the sake of the story.
But the next chapter will be out by tomorrow night so stay tuned. Things will get better.
:)

Don't Look Away

Spitfire watched in horror as Fleetfoot suddenly sprinted towards the takeoff zone and shot up into the air as fast as her wings could carry her. She turned to the direction she saw her marefriend running from to see Rainbow Dash and Soarin speaking sharply to a gruff stallion. Without missing a beat, Spitfire approached them and asked hurriedly what was going on. "He called Fleetfoot a slur," Soarin briefly explained, eyes narrowed, as Rainbow continued to berate the stallion. That was all Spitfire needed to hear. How dare he, she thought. She gave him the angriest look she could possibly muster before speeding off after the turquoise blur in the sky. Under other circumstances, she would have handled the situation differently. She would have probably tried to punch him but she had restrained herself because first of all, she was under enough fire as it was, and at the current moment, Fleetfoot was her top priority. Earlier she had wanted to be calm under all the pressure, but now she was fine with flying off if it meant helping her marefriend. "Fleety!" she yelled out. "Fleety it's me!" The mare either did not hear her, or was too far gone to be able to stop and answer her. She followed Fleetfoot all the way back to their headquarters.

Spitfire was beside herself with worry for her marefriend. She should have been closer to her during the events of the day to stop anything like this from happening. Then again, she could also imagine that the insults would have pummeled them harder had they been together at the event. The thing that was bothering her was the last insult though. She had known that there would of course be looks and insults thrown their way, but seriously? Throwing out a slur so blatantly towards them, and with foals around? It was no wonder Fleetfoot had zipped away so fast. What Spitfire did wonder though, was how their experiences had differed during the day. Fleetfoot had been more than nervous the entire day, and she was definitely more anxious overall than Spitfire. She wouldn't be shocked if she had gotten the same amount of hushed remarks as Fleetfoot, but she had been able to ignore all of them, as well as brush off the ones made to her face. Fleetfoot however, would have been hypersensitive to all the little things going on around her as she always was when she was anxious about something. All the whispers would have reached her ears, every pair of glaring eyes would have met her terrified ones. In fact, she probably had no idea what was going on right in front of her unless it was negative, and the background noise was louder than the main crowd for her. Spitfire regretted pushing Fleetfoot so far out of her comfort zone so quickly, but right now she had to be there for her.

Spitfire was right behind Fleetfoot as the two landed at their compound. The turquoise mare wasted no time in throwing open the doors to the building and staggering in. Her heavy gasps for air could be heard as she dragged herself around the corner of the hallway and into.... a supply closet? Spitfire's heart was breaking as she followed down the hallway. She couldn't tell if the gasps were from her flight or from her distress, or both. She caught up to the distressed mare right before she slammed the door shut right in her face. For a few seconds she just stood there, momentarily stunned, before she heard sniffling from inside the closet. Her ears drooped down as she gently knocked on the door, but not before removing her face mask. She wanted to be able to comfort Fleetfoot, without anything obscuring her facial features. The crying mare gasped, all sniffling ceasing for a few moments, before a shaky voice called out, "Who ith it?" So she really hadn't noticed Spitfire trailing after her.

"It's me, Fleety. Spitfire," she answered gently. The supply closet door opened shortly after revealing a crestfallen Fleetfoot. Without making eye contact, the mare backed up, allowing Spitfire to enter the room with her. "Do you want to go to my office?" she asked, confused. Fleetfoot didn't give an answer other than a faint head shake, and sat down next to Spitfire after she had shut the door. The two sat in silence for a short while, until Spitfire looked over at Fleetfoot. Her eyes were squeezed shut, and she was biting her bottom lip hard to stop more tears from escaping her eyes. So hard in fact, that all blood flow was cut off, making it turn white. Spitfire moved closer to the mare before wrapping her forelegs around her. Fleetfoot tensed briefly before relaxing into her embrace. As she felt tears start to darken the suit and fur on her chest, Spitfire enveloped her marefriend in her wings as well. She held her as she trembled, whimpers escaping her throat periodically. Not wanting to rush, Spitfire just sat there with her, stroking her mane and nuzzling the top of her head.

Some minutes had passed before Fleetfoot had begun to calm down. Not removing herself from Spitfire's embrace, she began to speak. "Ponieth are mean," was all she said. Spitfire could not agree more.

"I know Fleety. Soarin told me what happened right before we left. I know you're not okay, and I know why, but what went down today? The slur was just the breaking point wasn't it?" Fleetfoot flinched hard and nodded.

"I flew away before he could finish. The latht thing I heard before flying away wath Rainbow and Thoarin thcolding the thtallion who called uth that."

"What exactly did he say?" Spitfire questioned, as she had initially thought that he just called Fleetfoot a slur.

"He thaid that what they didn't need in the Air Forthe wath a couple of f-f-fa," her voice cracked, jaw working furiously to formulate the word with her mouth. "H-he called uth f-fa-," the level of hysteria in her voice steadily increased the more she focused on that one, horrible word as if it were engulfing her in anguish. Spitfire quickly pulled away and placed both hooves on Fleetfoot's shoulders. She gently rubbed them as her marefriend approached the verge of hyperventilation. She looked her dead in the eyes and brought her hooves up to cup the delicate, wet turquoise cheeks she loved so much. Gently shushing her, she waited until her breaths eased enough to not concern her so much.

"I know Fleety. I know." Once she was completely sure that her marefriend was okay for the moment, she resumed the hug, anger joining the heartbreak she was currently feeling. "The sad part is, I can believe that. Heh, I just can't believe he said it around all the foals." She sighed, before continuing. "What else happened today Fleety?" The mare sighed deeply in resignation.

"You know me too well Thpitty. After the show though, everything ith a blur. I honethtly don't think I wath very aware of mythelf today. When we were walking to our theatth for the meet and greet, all I could hear wath the whithpering. But then when ponieth gave me mean lookth, and encouraged otherth around them to do the thame, I noticed. All I could thee were the camera flasheth. I wath really panicking. I wath thweaty, dizzy, I felt nauseouth. It wath terrible. Then on the runway, I glued mythelf to Rainbow tho that I wouldn't be alone. You know the retht," she said miserably. A couple more tears escaped from each eye before they were wiped away.

"I'm so sorry hon. I shouldn't have put you through so much stress all at once. I didn't think you'd panic so much," Spitfire acknowledged. She really did feel guilty about it. One thing did stand out to her though. "Fleety," she said. "Why didn't you come to me when you needed help?" At that, Fleetfoot stiffened and pulled herself out of Spitfire's embrace.

"I-I didn't.. It would have made thingth worthe." She stumbled over her words as she tried to give an explanation. "I jutht.. couldn't make.." she trailed off as she hung her head in shame. Spitfire knew she was nervous about telling her something, and she had a good idea as to what it was.

"Do you think we're doing something wrong?" she asked cautiously. Fleetfoot's head snapped upward frantically.

"No! Not at all..." she paused before looking away again. "We're wrong, Thpitfire. Why are we like thith?" Spitfire was taken aback by the pain in Fleetfoot's voice. The questions hurt too, but she knew that they came from a place of uncertainty. So right now, she had to help Fleetfoot recognize that these doubts could be eased.

"Fleetfoot," she began. The mare's eyes were drawn back to her by the use of her full name. "We should talk."

Author's Note

This was kind of a filler chapter. Their talk will be out later today. It's 3:30 a.m and my brain is shutting down.
Until next time.
:)

They Can't Control Us

Spitfire's words had Fleetfoot's attention in a vice-like grip. First she had used her full name, which was an extremely rare occurrence, as it was always "Fleety" or "baby," or her personal favorite, just "hon." Second, she had dropped a statement that was enough to put anypony on edge, especially when it came to their significant others. "We should talk." What does that mean? Does she agree with me? Are we really wrong together? In the momentary silence that followed the panic that came from the statement, she studied Spitfire's face. Nothing about her face suggested any malice or potential bomb droppings. No, her amber eyes were just as soft and caring as always, and her posture was relaxed. If anything, she looked concerned, and a bit.. disappointed. In what though? Me? Did I make her mad? There was only one way to find out. "A-About today?" she asked. She cringed at the stupidity in her question, but it was all she could think of.

"About today, yes," Spitfire answered. She was patient, which was a good thing. "But also about everything else. What's been happening, what's going to happen, and why that is." She was so calm about this, and it helped Fleetfoot relax slightly.

"What more about today? We've already gone over what happened." It was brief yes, but everything was covered. Or, most things were covered.

"I want to know what ponies said to you, and I want to know what else was happening around you today," Spitfire gently pressed on. Fleetfoot looked up to her right, remembering easily their gross insults.

"They thaid that we were dithgratheful to the military. They thaid that we had no thelf rethpect. They athked if we felt no shame in ourthelveth." She really wished that she couldn't remember them.

"Are their words the only things you remember about today? Or were you aware of the other things happening around you?"

"It wath all fuzzy. It felt like I wath thuffocating all day. I only thaw their fathes or heard them thay thothe thingth. It wath like I wath in thome thort of daze."

"Why is that Fleety? I know you're an anxious pony and you get like that whenever you start to panic," Spitfire ventured, hoping to get her marefriend to acknowledge and address the deeper issue at hoof.

"I gueth I didn't want anypony to think that I wath a freak or anything," Fleetfoot answered truthfully. Sensing that she was getting closer to what Spitfire wanted her to address, she continued. "I didn't want them to be right."

"Do you think they're right?" asked the amber-eyed mare, wasting no time in between her questions and Fleetfoot,s answers. Fleetfoot saw no way out. Spitfire was able to read her like a book, and all her mannerisms suggested that she already knew what she was thinking.

"You mean do I think we're freakth? Am I ashamed of uth? Kind of, yeth. Everypony elthe theemth to agree!" her voice rose steadily until a lump prevented her volume from rising any further.

"And who is 'everypony'?" Spitfire asked. She was so calm and collected. How can she be so cool about this? How is she so strong? How can she be so calm? As much as it confused her, her demeanor encouraged her to answer the questions being thrown her way.

"Our fanth. The military. My parentth." Her voice dropped so low at the end that even she had to strain to hear herself. For all she knew, the words had never exited her mouth and she had just said it in her head.

"What was that last part Fleety?" Her demeanor changed very briefly. She sounded concerned. Her eyes went from calm to worried in an instant. And then changed back again just as quickly.

"My parentth. They thent me a letter after the article came out." Spitfire's eyes narrowed ever so slightly, making Fleetfoot just a bit hesitant to tell her what they said.

"What did they say?" Her voice was calm, but just as Spitfire knew Fleetfoot, Fleetfoot knew Spitfire. She was already angry, and this was going to make it worse.

"They just thaid that after all they've done to teach me to be a dignified and honorable member of the military, I've just gone and flushed all their hard work down the drain. That I've jutht dithappointed them ith the general githt of it." Tears welled up in her eyes again. She'd cried a lot that day. She just couldn't help it. She heard Spitfire sigh and shuffle closer to her. She draped a wing over her back and looked towards the door knob.

"Look Fleet. Everypony who is going to hate is going to do it for all the same reasons. Because we're not 'traditional', because we're 'undignified', we go against what has been for the longest time. They're all going to say the same things over and over again. And to be perfectly honest, screw them! They're wrong." Her tone was full of strength and conviction. The wing she provided was warm and comforting. Even as the tears cascaded down Fleetfoot's cheeks, Spitfire had her full attention. Her words cut through the fog in her mind and reached her ears. "They can say that two mares shouldn't love each other. That we go against tradition. They say the same thing about stallions. But all they can see is the fact that two ponies of the same gender are in love. They don't actually see the love in between the ponies. They've let their traditional beliefs blind them from what really matters. They can't see how special we are to one another, just that we do mean something to one another. And it's so stupid. You know the saying 'love is blind'?" Fleetfoot nodded even though she knew Spitfire wasn't looking at her. "Love can see better than any of us can. It can feel better than any of us can. Love knows that what two ponies share is never a phase. It knows whether something is right or wrong, and it's unbiased. Tell me honestly Fleet, what is telling you that we're wrong?" Fleetfoot had a quick answer. Too quick.

"It'th jutht a gut feeling. Like thomething deep down ith telling me that thith shouldn't be happening." Spitfire shot out another rapid-fire quesition.

"Where is that feeling coming from?" Me. But.. is it just me?

"Mythelf I gueth. Becauthe everypony sayth that we're wrong. So it hath to be a little bit true. Right?"

"No." The word, just like all her questions, came out quickly, as though she had had her speech planned for some time now. "It's not true at all. Would you feel wrong if everypony was supportive? If everypony respected you for you and your feelings? If everypony made you feel valid, and never tried to make you question yourself?" It was a hard question to answer. She didn't know for sure, but she did know that it sounded so nice. It sounded like something she so desperately wanted. No, needed. She needed to feel accepted. To feel loved no matter what.

"It'th hard to thay Thpitfire. Maybe I'd feel totally valid, and confident in mythelf. Maybe there'd thtill be that doubt, but I don't really think there would be. I can honethtly thay though, that I want that. It would feel tho nithe to feel thupported by everypony. "

"Exactly. It's what everypony like us wants. What we need is to be one hundred percent comfortable in out own fur. And the environment we're in, in our line of work, we're held to different standards. Hear me out. If we weren't in the military, would we get so much backlash?" Again, she knew all the answers already. She knew Fleetfoot knew the answers already. She just wanted to hear them for herself.

"I don't think we would. Ponieth might look at uth funny, but there wouldn't be tho much upfront backlash." Spitfire nodded.

"Right. And that's really messed up. Because we're in this specific line of work we suddenly have to feel differently than the rest of Equestria? I mean come on." She laughed bitterly. "Say we were teachers. Doesn't matter what kind. If we were together and other ponies knew, they'd brush it off and leave it be for the most part. Our sexual orientation shouldn't and cannot be expected to change based on how me make a living. It's ridiculous." Fleetfoot nodded again. Spitfire's passion while speaking compelled her to come up with her own argument against what others thought.

"Like Twilight'th thcool of friendship? Creatureth there weren't welcome there by the EEA, even though they can't control the fact that they're different thpecies. It didn't matter to that Neighthay dude that they were pupilth upholding the ruleth, and were learning friendship anyway. All he thaw wath their thpecieth." Spitfire smiled at her. She pulled Fleetfoot into a full embrace.

"Yeah. Like that. They were exceptional students who were belittled because of their species. Something that they can't change. Just like we can't change our sexualities. And we don't need to. If they can't accept us, they are missing out on some amazing ponies. I do have one last question though. Pretend that everything's okay. That we're in Ponyville, the friendliest, most accepting place in Equestria. Someone stops you and asks who you're dating. Random I know, but tell me what you'd say in response." Her answer was very quick. Just like the last one. But this time, it was right.

"Thpitfire. I'm dating Thpitfire..." her eyes widened and her mouth formed a small "O" shape. The embrace tightened.

"What's the 'Oh' for hon?"

"I'm dating you. It''th the only right anthwer. I wouldn't anthwer 'a mare' to that quethtion. It doethn't matter your gender, becauthe I love you. For you and your fiery perthonality, your pretty eyeth, the love you show me. It doethn't matter that thothe ponieth try to convinthe me that who I love ith the wrong pony. It won't ever be the wrong pony becauthe it will alwayth be you." It was funny even to herself how her thoughts had suddenly become much clearer. How much strength her voice had obtained since the conversation had started. "We'll never be wrong becauthe you'll alwayth be right. You've been my betht friend forever. You being a mare ith an afterthought I gueth. You make me feel all the right wayth, tho who careth what you are? Who you are should alwayth be my number one conthern." Even more tears fell down her cheeks as she started to understand. She was still afraid of rejection and scrutiny, but today's revelation made her feel lighter. Spitfire just continued to hold her, and rub her back as small sobs escaped her lips once more. It was only when Fleetfoot felt droplets on her head that she noticed that there were tears running down Spitfire's cheeks as well. But there was a bright smile on her face. One with enough light in her eyes to start the fire that earned her her name.

"That-" she hiccuped. "Was really sweet first of all. And it's true. I know that you've known for a long time that you're gay. Hell Soarin and I have known as well. I can't speak for him, but I think that it was accepting you that helped me learn to accept myself so quickly when I found out that I was bisexual. You had nopony outside of yourself to see as an example. You've kept this to yourself for so long that you've let it hurt you so badly. " She gave her forehead a tender nuzzle. "You just need to know that no matter what, you just need to do what feels right. You are what helped me accept myself, but you've never learned to accept yourself. I mean you'd never think that there was anything wrong with me would you?" Fleetfoot shook her head.

"Heh. I wath thinking about that earlier. I would never hold your thexuality againtht you. I wath fighting with mythelf. The thcared thide of me and the logical thide of me. One wath telling me everything you are. The other wath thpeaking from the otherth' perthpectiveth. "

"See, you know that we're okay, you just let those mean ponies in. Don't let them in. Don't let them control us. If they were really fans of ours, they'd respect us and not try to control us. As for your parents, they have always respected you. It just changed when they found out you were dating me. You are no different than you've always been. It's just gonna take a bit for them to see that. Your parents are smart and reasonable ponies. They'll come around. I know they will."

"Thankth baby. And until ponieth thtart to come around, we have our Wonderbolt family. They've got uth no matter what right?" she knew she was smiling now. Thank Celestia for Spitfire.

"Of course, Fleety. Do you feel better now?"

"Yeah. I thtill need a lot of time, but I know what I need to tho that'th what matterth right now." Spitfire let her go and just sat next to her.

"I'm proud of you, hon. I love you and I'll be here whenever you need me. We all will."

"I love you too, Thpitty. I'm lucky to have you." The two mares smiled at each other lovingly. "Ready to get out of here?'

"For sure! It'th really thmall in here." Spitfire stood up and opened the door to let Fleetfoot out first. A grin suddenly broke out across her face. "Hey Fleety," she called.

"Yeah?"

"We totally just came out of the closet."

The laughter of the two mares could be heard down the hall as they enjoyed their joke. They rejoined their teammates, who were in the rec room, with smiles on their faces. While not completely comfortable with herself just yet, Fleetfoot felt better about herself than she had in a long time. She was ready to find peace within herself, and would happily start and end her journey with her wonderful marefriend at her side.

Author's Note

Hey y'all. There will be one more chapter of this that will be posted some time next week.
I really hope I did their conversation justice. I know there are probably a lot of things I missed, or could have gone further into detail on, but I didn't really know how to put it into words. I hope you enjoyed it nonetheless, and do end up being able to take something from these words.
:)

Because We're Okay(Epilogue)

Since the closet conversation with Spitfire, Fleetfoot had set out on a mission. A mission to find self love and acceptance. It had taken a while to not only become comfortable with herself, but also to become confident and fight back against negativity. Throughout her journey, she had learned many things, met many ponies, and shed many tears. As the months had gone on, so much weight had been lifted off of her shoulders, some of which she hadn't even known was there. She, as well as the rest of her teammates, had noticed how much happier she had been. Her gait was less timid, her chin was tilted every so slightly higher than usual, and she was much less afraid of sharing a loving nuzzle with her marefriend in public. To top everything off, none of it was a forced way of protecting herself. She genuinely knew she was safe and protected, and she knew that she could now help others to achieve that. She knew she had helped others feel comfortable with themselves, some even being teammates. Since that day, Lightning Streak and Thunderlane had started dating, and so had High Winds and Night Glider, who was now a recruit.

So at the current moment in time, she could not be happier. She stood next to Spitfire in the middle of a street in Manehattan along a sea of other ponies. It was a warm day in the middle of June, which was an entire month dedicated to celebrating the identities of ponies like her, as well as ponies who weren't like her, but were part of her community all the same. As a gentle breeze breeze blew overhead, flags of all different colors rippled in response. There were flags of blue, pink, and white. Flags of black, grey, purple, and white. The flag that appeared most often, the one that bore every color of the rainbow. Of course, there were many more stripes waving in the air that day, more than she or Spitfire could count. They themselves didn't bear any flags of their own, instead adorning each an elastic band on their foreleg. Spitfire's band was about two inches thick, and had wide stripes of pink, purple, and blue. Fleetfoot's band was the same thickness, but had skinny stripes of oranges, white, and pinks. She was nearly bouncing on the tips of her hooves as she walked along, and her ears were perked up in a way that radiated excitement. If her body language didn't tell a story, her facial expression sure did. On her face was a beaming smile as she looked around the crowd, their cheering and laughter making their way into her ears. It was such a wonderful and welcoming sound. Looking to her immediate right, she saw Spitfire beaming right back at her. She looked just as happy as Fleetfoot was in that moment, but also had pride dancing in her eyes.

It was not surprising that Spitfire was so proud of her. She had seen first hoof the progress Fleetfoot had made. She had been right next to her during the journey. Right next to her as she shed tears at every major event along the way. There had obviously been tears of sadness.

Fleetfoot sat on a lonely cloud a bit out of view of the Wonderbolt compound. She had just read an article made by a smaller newspaper. It was actually more of an opinion column published by the author of the article. In it, there was a very strong opinion of herself and Spitfire. The words on the page were so incredibly harsh and cold that they left a powerful sting after reading the letter. She had read the column in private, but had been unable to brush off the words hours after she had read it. Despite knowing that the words had no validity to them, they were still enough to make her hurt.

She looked down at the offending paper as she heard steady wingbeats approaching her. Whoever had approached her planted themselves right in front of her and just sat there in silence. Even with her eyes swimming with tears, Fleetfoot had known that it was Spitfire. She brought a hoof up to attempt to dry her eyes. Once the tears were temporarily removed, she saw her marefriend looking at her with a mixture of concern, sympathy, and sorrow etched into her face. She wrapped her in a comforting embrace, simply letting Fleetfoot sob freely into her chest. She knew that Fleetfoot didn't believe what the paper was saying. She knew that it was wrong. That being said, what needed to be worked on was confidence. She needed to believe that she would be accepted by others. She needed to be able to go out in public without being afraid. Until then though, she needed her to be there, giving her the support she needed to continue to grow.

There had been tears of frustration.

It was a Sunday. Spitfire and Fleetfoot were walking through the marketplace in a more secluded area of Cloudsdale. They were getting groceries for the team since nopony else had volunteered. It was a gorgeous day outside, with the sun's rays gently surrounding them with warmth, and a warm breeze tickling their eyelashes. The two stopped by a stand selling apples and carrots. Most of the chitter-chatter that had come from what had come to be known as the "Snuggle Scandal" had died down. Remarks were still made here and there, and the looks continued in many places, but nopony would go out of their way to bash the couple anymore. For the two, walking side-by-side elicited more reactions than there would be if one of them went alone, but that was to be expected. Public displays of affection often led to many wrinkled noses and muzzles stuck up high in the air as ponies huffed and turned in the other direction.

After paying for their purchase at that stand, the two decided to split up to be more efficient. Spitfire would go to the summer-fruit stand and Fleetfoot would go to the fish stand. As they were about to go their own ways, Spitfire leaned in to nuzzle the tip of Fleetfoot's nose tenderly. However, upon noticing a mare staring at the two, Fleetfoot sharply jerked her head away from Spitfire. Without meeting her marefriend's eyes or looking back, she walked quickly away to complete her errand.

The rest of their outing had been without further bumps, but the tension between the two was almost thick enough to cut. There was no anger between them, but there was still a tiny sting of hurt coming from Spitfire, and a large amount of guilt emanating from Fleetfoot. The two were now lying in bed together as it was nearing midnight. Spitfire was snoring quietly, rolled onto her side. Fleetfoot was wide awake, also rolled onto her side, but was facing the opposite direction of Spitfire. For what seemed like the millionth time since her journey began, tears slid down her cheeks and dampened the surface of her pillowcase. She was just so frustrated with herself. Obviously she knew that confidence wouldn't suddenly bubble up in her overnight, but pulling away from Spitfire was a really big "what have I done?" moment for her. She was so frustrated that she had let a single pony dictate how she expressed her love. They already knew, so what was the big deal about a nice nuzzle?

Nothing. Absolutely nothing. They could either like it or not, but she shouldn't be listening to them regardless. Yet she had still roughly pulled herself away and not looked back. She probably hurt Spitfire which was the very last thing she'd want to ever do.

Why?

Why did she let them control her just then? She knew that she'd work on it, and that Spitfire would forgive her, but she couldn't forget that she had done it in the first place. She was a mass of frustration at the moment. So, she rolled onto her other side and did her best to curl most of her body around the bigger mare. Draping a foreleg over Spitfire's chest and burying her muzzle into her neck, she whispered, "I'm thorry Thpitfire. I love you." She planted a kiss on the mare's cheek before letting herself drift to sleep.

There had been tears of hope.

Several weeks went by before Sun Chaser came up to the couple to suggest going to a support group. She said that maybe if Fleetfoot was exposed to more ponies like herself, she would be able to relate to them and come out of her shell a bit more. Agreeing that it was a great idea, the two got to searching for one. As it turned out, finding a group was less challenging than they had anticipated. There were several small ones in places such as Appleoosa, Manehattan, and of course Ponyville. The decided that it would be really good to start in Ponyville, as it was the closest of the few they had found, and it was the most welcoming place they knew. There were four couples in total in the support group excluding themselves. Lofty and Holiday, Lyra and Bonbon, Cloud Chaser and Blossomforth, and Caramel and Terra were all waiting for them when they met them at the park. Without even asking, they all made their way to a hill away from everypony else.

The group was mainly for the four of them to socialize with each other and be open about themselves. Once the five couples had arrived at the hill, they all sat down in assorted positions. Holiday and Lofty sat upright, leaning against each other, with Lofty's wing draped over her wife's back. Blossomforth was curled up in front of Cloud Chaser who was resting her top half across her. Caramel had a foreleg draped over Terra's shoulders while Terra's head was tucked under his chin. Unsure of how to act, but reassured by everypony else, the mare's got comfortable themselves. Spitfire opened a wing and allowed Fleetfoot to nestle herself into her side. Lofty started off the conversation with a warm smile. "Welcome to our support group dears." Spitfire smiled in return.

"Thanks for having us. Even if the group is small, this actually seems pretty nice," she commented.

"Yeah it's pretty cozy," responded Cloud Chaser. "I'm assuming you two are here because of the paper that came out a while ago?"

"Mhmh," hummed Fleetfoot, who now looked slightly uncomfortable. Everypony seemed to pick up on this, so Blossomforth was quick to reassure them.

"I for one think you're very brave. I mean, what some ponies had to say was absolutely disgusting." Her upper lip curled slightly upwards as she spoke. "I mean, your relationship literally changes nothing. You'll still fly the same, you'll still interact the same with fans, you'll do your job the same way as before. Your love life has in no way impacted your work! I was so mad when it happened!" she fumed. Cloud Chaser moved her head to nuzzle her marefriend's ear.

"I know what she means. I want to become a 'Bolt someday too." A sigh escaped her lips. "I'm afraid to be out if I did make the team. Or at least I was. After talking to these guys though, I decided to not hide it. If the public has a problem with me then tough shit. I did well at the academy, I do my job well, and I am a perfectly normal daughter, friend, and sister. The only thing different about me is the fact that I kiss this jackass after work instead of a stallion." She ruffled Blossomforth's mane slightly. Fleetfoot's head perked up slightly at the very brave remark.

"How can you thay that? Doethn't it bother you at all?" Fleetfoot was perplexed, but then again... maybe she shouldn't be.

"At some point ya gotta just get them haters outta yer head," chimed Caramel. "They're just gonna keep tryna knock you down, but yer stronger than 'em. "

"Honey, no one in a clear state of mind is going to fault you for something you can't control. And they won't think that you need to control it in the first place. I'm sure that you have ponies who will be there for you no matter what?" Holiday asked. Fleetfoot nodded.

"Our teammateth are all thuper thupportive. Thpitfire'th mom ith too. Mine though.." her voice took a sad tone at the end and became much softer. Holiday took her hoof in hers and looked at her in a way that could only be pulled off by a mother figure. Based on descriptions from Rainbow Dash, she knew that she and Lofty raised Scootaloo, so it must have been that speaking.

"I'm so sorry honey. It's always the hardest when somepony that important to us doesn't see us the way we want them to. How long have they known?"

"Thinthe the article came out. But I've known thinthe I wath eight, so for thixteen yearth now." She was honestly very surprised at how easy it was to open up to these ponies. Maybe it was how strongly they felt about these matters. Maybe it was how sure they were of themselves. Maybe it was their sheer kindness. Whatever it was, Fleetfoot liked it.

"Well Ms. Fleetfoot, I agree with Cloud Chaser," Caramel's colt friend spoke up. He was a pastel yellow earth stallion, though smaller and sleeker than Caramel. He looked very smart, and very kind. "I think it's really cool that you've known for so long. But can't you see? You've always been you, and until they found out, they've always been supportive towards you correct?" Fleetfoot nodded. "I have no doubt that you already know this, but they'll just need some time to adjust. I mean, they just need to come to terms that you're you, and have always been you."

"I know that, and it thoundth tho thimple. I know a lot of thingth. That thingth need time, that I can't lithten to otherth, that I need to be patient with mythelf. It'th jutht tho hard." Her ears splayed back and she let out a frustrated huff. She looked over at Caramel as he let out a chuckle.

"Well shucks if that ain't the truth. It's real hard at first, and it's even harder when yer not the problem. I personally think that it's real shitty when somepony tells ya that 'only time will tell'. I know that, but it's still a might frustratin'. So it's normal to feel the way ya do. Sucky, but normal." Lofty gave Caramel a small look of disapproval at his negative outlook on things, but even she had to admit that it was true.

"Look dear, it's going to be hard," she began. "But here's what's going to happen next. Equestria is changing for the better. You are setting an example for foals all over. Whether you know it or not, you're inspiring others to embrace themselves. And when everything plays out, the one's who love you will be right at your side. They'll never hesitate to defend you from the negativity. But by the time that plays out, the ponies with nasty things to say will most likely just keep their distance or at least not lash out anymore. And by then, everything you've been through will have been worth it. You'll know what it's like to be confident in yourself, and you'll be proud of how far you've come. You'll be able to appreciate it so much more when you've had to endure so much. At the rate we're going, that day will come. It's just a matter of when."

As she spoke, Spitfire's grip around Fleetfoot had tightened a bit. Fleetfoot's eyes were misty by the end of it, but no tears fell. Lofty's encouraging eyes, her soft yet firm tone, her caring demeanor all gave Fleetfoot hope. She had already had hope, but hearing it from somepony who didn't have to love her, who hadn't been loving her her whole life, who didn't know her in her entirety, but knew the parts she herself didn't made it that much more special. She looked up at Spitfire, who had been rather silent during the entire thing. Her amber eyes were misty as well, and she smiled down at Fleetfoot. Fleetfoot returned the smile happily before sharing it with the other couples.

"Thank you tho much. For everything." Everypony else gave smiles of their own, before the two departed, feeling just a bit lighter than before.

And the best of all had been the tears of happiness.

It was time to talk to Fleetfoot's parents. Months had gone by since she had spoken to them last. Neither she nor they had even tried to contact the other since the letter was sent. At least until another letter came in the mail one day from her parents. She had opened it with Spitfire next to her for moral support. It really wasn't needed until after she had read it though. In it, her parents had invited her and Spitfire over for lunch the following week. Nothing about the letter seemed angry or disapproving. If anything, it sounded calm and inviting. Fleetfoot had been weary nonetheless, and had been in a somewhat flustered state for an entire week. She was both excited to see her parents again and nervous as to what they had to say. She wasn't panicked though, which in itself showed great progress on her part. Earlier on she'd have worked herself into a frenzy. She was proud of herself for this.

The week leading the the meeting came and went quickly. Before they knew it, Spitfire and Fleetfoot were in Cloudsdale knocking on Fleetfoot's parent's door. A turquoise mare with a braided navy mane opened the door for them. Like her daughter, she was very sleek, but unlike her daughter, she was a lot taller. She was slightly taller than Spitfire. Her radiant fuchsia eyes showed just an ounce of hesitation, before they reflected warmth as a smile grew on her face. "Fleetfoot, darling. Spitfire, come in." She beckoned them inside with a hoof and led them to the dining room where her husband was waiting for them. He was a larger grey pegasus with an icy white mane and large blue eyes. He gave an unsure smile upon seeing the two and gave a wave of his wing.

"Good afternoon you two. Come sit, we made a salad and some sandwiches. Is that alright?" he asked.

"Yeah of courthe," Fleetfoot responded. Nothing much was said during lunch other than generic small talk. Just the usual questions about work and how certain friends were doing.

After lunch though, everypony was ushered into the living room for a talk. Fleetfoot and Spitfire shared a loveseat while her parents sat across from them on the couch. "We're sorry darling," began her mother. Spitfire took one of Fleetfoot's hooves and gave a small squeeze. "We weren't there for you when you needed us, and even worse, we contributed to what you had to hide from. No matter how shocked we were, what we said to you was not okay in the slightest. I don't want to be another pony who tries to hurt you. Your father and I love you Fleets, and again, we're so sorry." Fleetfoot bit her lip. Of course what her mother said was lovely, but why had they done it in the first place? Her father spoke up before she could ask any questions.

"How long have you like mares Fleetfoot?" She wanted to answer normally, but she felt hurt enough to want to fight back a little bit.

"Dad I've liked them thinthe I wath eight. Iv'e alwayth been like thith. I'm no different now, or when that article came out, than I've been for the patht thixteen yearth! We've only been dating for about nine monthth, but I've never felt any attraction towards stallions!" Spitfire looked between her and her parents, rubbing circles over her back, not saying anything. She trusted that Fleetfoot was able to stand up for herself now.

"Sixteen years? Oh sweetie, that long? How come you've never told us this before?"

"I wath thcared of how you'd react! Clearly I wath right to be thcared! That letter.." she took a deep breath. How could you thent me thomething like that?" Her mother looked sad, as she had since her apology.

"It was a stupid decision. Looking back, not even we have an answer to why we did that. We've been avoiding you for the past few months actually. We've berated ourselves so much, and we couldn't even imagine how much pain you were in." Fleetfoot could see the genuine regret in her parents' eyes. She wanted to hug them, to feel their love. She was mad but she believed that they could see her for her. Not who she dated.

"Guyth, I'm working on being confident with mythelf. I acthept your apology, but I need you to work with me too. How can I know that you'll really be there?" Her mother spoke out again.

"Darling, all your father and I want is for you to be happy. Your'e right, too. You're the same way you've always been, and it took us a minute to see that. But we want to be there for you. Even just sitting here on the seat, I can see how much you two mean to each other."

"We've known you, Spitfire, since you were toddlers," her father added. "You've always been the best of friends, and it was never any secret how protective you were for each other. We trust Spitfire wholeheartedly, and if she makes you happy, and keeps you safe, we can't truly see an issue." Spitfire smiled at the level of respect she had from her marefriend's parents. She was startled when Fleetfoot launched herself off of the loveseat and towards her mother, burying her face in her chest. Her mother in turn wrapped her forelegs and wings around her daughter and held her in a loving embrace.

Celebration might not be in order this early on, but at the point, just hearing that her parents wouldn't hold her sexuality against her, that they approved of her relationship, that they honestly cared about her, made her eyes water. These weren't tears of sadness or bitterness. They were tears of happiness. Because her parents wanting to make the change to support her made her very, very happy.

Here she stood with her love, along with the ponies from Ponyville's support group not far from her. Ponies like them had made her journey so worthwhile. She had grown out of her shell more and more with their help. She had learned so much about their journeys, and how they compared and differed from her own. There was one thing that always remained constant and true for all of them, and millions of others in Equestria and beyond:
They were okay.
And they always would be. No matter what.

Author's Note

Hey y'all. I really hoped you enjoyed this story. I know that Fleetfoot has a happy ending, but not everyone does. My heart goes out to you and wishes you the best. Please keep in mind everything that was said in the story, and reach out to someone to help. Nobody should have to live in fear of themselves or of others. We can't let ourselves believe others when they say that one love is right where another is wrong. We all need to just love and let it be.
Everyone deserves unconditional love, no doubt. I wish everyone well, and know that you'll be safe here, there's no judgement.
-Crystalline :)