The First Night

Chapters

The First of Many
Ghost/Shell Desynchronization
Because You're Beautiful
Experimentation
Secret Origins
Euphoria

The First of Many

A "shindig."

That's the specific term Pinkie Pie used to describe it to me. When I off-handedly mentioned that I had never been to a party, Pinkie was abjectly horrified. I explained to her quickly that I couldn't really handle parties due to a number of external factors, such as my social anxiety and the constant awareness I had of my body, but she was having none of it. She quickly suggested a "shindig," something with the atmosphere of a party, but limited to just us seven. I was wary at first, but after the rest of the girls gave positive reactions to the idea, I felt I had no choice but to agree.

That's how I ended up in front of Pinkie's nice, two-story, upper-middle-class house, wearing a pale-cyan-and-pink sweater and my only nice pair of jeans. Despite Rarity's objections, Pinkie insisted that there would be no dress code at her shindig, but I still wanted to look at least a little nice. As I stood in front of Pinkie's door, I checked my watch. 6.30 PM. I was half an hour early.

Before I could contemplate silently hiding in a bush for 30 minutes, the door to Pinkie's house swung open, revealing my pinkest friend wearing a white tank top and a triple-layered pink skirt. "Twilight, you're early!" Pinkie exclaimed as she pulled me into one of her patented squeeze-hugs. With much difficulty, I was able to reach my arms around her to hug her back, my need to reciprocate my friend's hug overtaking my need to breathe. Gratefully, she eventually let go of me, letting me reclaim my breath.

"Yeah, I think the nerves made me walk faster than I was expecting," I explained, my fingers beginning to twiddle nervously. The twiddling didn't last for long, however, as she grabbed my hand and forcefully pulled me inside.

The bottom floor of Pinkie's house, a combination living/dining/kitchen room, was set up like a typical high school party (or at least, what I assumed was a typical high school party, based on films I've seen). Slightly dimmed lights, snacks covering the table, a healthy supply of plastic red cups, and some pop song I'd never heard filled the white noise of Pinkie's house. Pinkie took a chip out of a bowl on the table and threw it into her mouth. "I wanted to make it like a real party, just so you could get used to it!" she explained to me with a big smile on her face. I couldn't think of a good response, so I simply smiled back and nodded with appreciation. Pinkie then moved towards the TV and motioned to a large, white obelisk next to it. "I had to get out the PS5, too. Street Fighter 6 just came out, Applejack and Dashie are all over it and they're begging us to play with them," Pinkie explained as she pulled out four controllers from the cabinet under the TV. Pinkie turned back to me. "Alright, you sit your cute butt down and I'll get you a drink!"

My what?

Before I could finish processing Pinkie's... compliment(?), she had already sat me down on the couch and had entered the kitchen part of the bottom floor, opening the fridge. "We got Coke, Pepsi, Solo, Fanta, Dr. Pepper, Mountain Dew, Sprite, 7-Up, Sunkist, aaaaaand Ginger Ale," Pinkie rapidly listed the soda selection at me before turning to face me. "What do you want?"

"You have... a lot of soda," I said, still reeling from what Pinkie said to me mere moments ago. She simply smiled at me.

"You can never be too prepared!" Pinkie replied to my comment. I can definitely agree with that.

"I'll just take Solo," I finally answered. It felt like I had just finished my answer when Pinkie placed a red plastic cup filled with the yellowish drink in my hand. Pinkie wandered back to the kitchen, presumably to get her own drink. Before I had enough time to ponder Pinkie's hind-related comment, she was sitting next to me on the couch, a cup of what I presumed was Coke in her hand. She took me by surprise by leaning into me, her head resting on my shoulder, letting out a relaxed sigh, and taking a sip of her drink as my heart rate spiked.

I knew skinship was common among friends. I had already been a part of many group hugs following my... incident a month back, and of course, Pinkie especially was very touchy-feely with the rest of the girls. Rainbow Dash and Applejack were also fairly physically intimate with each other, but that tends to be the case when you're dating. This kind of closeness, however, felt different. There was a softness, a subtly, something I couldn't put my finger on. The warmth of Pinkie's face traveled through my sweater and into my shoulder. It was... nice. I smiled to myself, a light blush on my face.

"So how's your day been, Twiggy?" she asked me without a hint of irony. 'Twiggy.' It's a nickname that Rainbow Dash came up for me after our first shared PE class, and unfortunately, it stuck. Thankfully, its' use was limited to Rainbow and Pinkie, and the variation of it ('The Twigster') is something I found a weird endearment in. I guessed demeaning nicknames are a part of this 'friendship' thing I was still getting used to. Considering my overwhelming lack of experience with it, I found it hard to believe that my otherworldly counterpart was the princess of the thing. I sighed.

"Fine, I guess," I replied lazily, which Pinkie was having none of. She cupped my chin and forced me to look at her, moving me around and examining my face.

"Hmm, you don't seem fine." After a moment, she let me go. I should've figured that my nerves wouldn't get past Pinkie.

"If I'm being honest, I've been really nervous all day." My explanation slowly turned into a ramble as I leaned away from Pinkie, her smile never faltering. "I mean, this is my first party. Sure, it's not a real party, but it's still a party, and I'm still new to this whole friendship and I don't want to mess up you girls having a fun night and I know you said that there was no dress code but I still wanted to look nice and it took me like 45 minutes to decide to wear a sweater and jeans and I just--"

And then Pinkie Pie kissed me.

It wasn't a long kiss. A simple meeting of the lips, skin-on-skin contact. Nothing more, nothing less. Even then, it was like my entire world rebooted in an instant, the definition of existence changed within seconds. Pinkie's face left mine, leaving me paralyzed and alone with my thoughts. Unfortunately for me, the only thought my broken brain could muster was how Pinkie's lips overwhelmingly tasted like cotton candy, despite the presence of what I now knew was Pepsi. I could still feel them on mine, metaphorically speaking. The softness, the sweetness, like pure joy quickly flowing from one person to another.

A giggling Pinkie brought me out of my stupor to look at her, leading me to realize that I had spent a good minute staring off into space. "Welcome back, Twilight," she said through her giggles. After what felt like an hour of blushing and stammering, I finally managed a response or more, a question:

"Why?"

Pinkie lightheartedly rolled her eyes and smiled at me, like the answer was the most obvious thing in the world. "Well, you do this thing sometimes where you start rambling and get all frizzled, and I've always found it really, really cute, and when you started to do it this time, my brain said to me 'Hey Pinkie, you should kiss her!' and I was like 'Ooh, good idea!' and so I did!"

Ah. Of course. That made complete sense. Except...

"B-but I'm... me!" I exclaimed in confusion. Pinkie chuckled at that.

"Heh, yeah," she said with a warm smile that nearly stopped my heart. Pinkie then finished her drink, tossed it onto the floor, and let herself fall forward, her head landing firmly on my lap. This was a lot more physical contact than I was used to.

I really liked it.

Pinkie looked up at me with her trademark grin and poked me in the nose, letting out a loud "Boop!" before laughing like it was the funniest thing to ever happen. That's what broke my silence. I laughed too, and we laughed together like it was the end of the world. At a point, we locked eyes, the laughing coming to a halt.

"Hey, Twilight? Can I tell you a secret?" Pinkie asked me.

"Um, sure, I guess," I responded nervously. Then it was Pinkie's turn to blush, something her pink skin made less obvious but still noticeable. She looked out into the middle distance.

"I've... kinda wanted to kiss you for a while," she confessed. "And if I'm being honest..." She looked back at me with a small smile as she forewarned me of what the rest of the night would entail.

"I don't think I'm the only one."

Author's Note

Hopefully, I finish this before Final Fantasy XVI comes out and takes over my life.

Ghost/Shell Desynchronization

Moments later, Pinke had hopped off the couch (and therefore, my lap) and had gone to acquire more snacks. For better or for worse, I had no time to think about Pinkie's kiss or her ominous (exciting?) confession thereafter as a knocking came on Pinkie’s door. Pinkie rushed to the door and opened it, revealing Fluttershy wearing an incredibly nice European-style dress adorned with a handbag covered in pins. Pinkie latched onto Fluttershy, picking her up into a spinning hug that brought her inside. Pinkie kicked the door closed behind her before placing Fluttershy down with a gentleness that did not appear in the hug she was being released from. After a moment, Fluttershy regained her bearings.

“Um, hey, Pinkie,” she said, still shaken from the hug. She looked around the room, quickly noticing me. A small smile came to her face. “Oh, Twilight!” she moved over to sit next to me. “You’re here early too?”

I rubbed the back of my neck, nervously laughing. “Yeah, my nerves made me walk a little faster,” I replied.

“You want something to drink, Shyshy?” Pinkie asked from the kitchen. Fluttershy turned her attention to Pinkie.

“Just a water, please, if that’s okay!” she replied with a slightly raised voice. She had gotten somewhat better at projecting her voice since I’d first met her. Even though I knew it wasn’t really my place, considering how new I was to the group, I was proud of her. Pinkie quickly returned with a plastic cup of water, giving it to Fluttershy before, much to my shock, placing a soft kiss on her cheek. Fluttershy blushed and giggled as Pinkie returned to the table of snacks. My head darted back and forth between them, confused, before finally landing my gaze on Fluttershy, whose expression was turning increasingly nervous.

“Oh, y-you know Pinkie, she’s just… like that.” Even though her tone was incredibly unconvincing, her reasoning was sound.

“I… see,” I responded. Fluttershy's gaze nervously shifted to Pinkie before tilting her head at her, like she was silently asking a question. I turned to look at Pinkie, who responded to Fluttershy's possible inquiry with a big smile and a thumbs up. I turned back to Fluttershy, who nodded at Pinkie before looking at me with a newfound sense of determination. One that went completely unnoticed by me at the time.

"Twilight, I-"

"Is that Ghost in the Shell?" Fluttershy stopped her speech in its' tracks, turning to look at where my vision was pointed. I was looking at Fluttershy's handbag, specifically, the pins that covered it. I was specifically looking at one pin that showed a front-view shot of a familiar-looking Neighponese woman. I lightly pointed at the pin, turning my gaze to Fluttershy. "That's Major Serpent Saber, right?"

Fluttershy's head quickly turned back to me, her eyes wide with excitement. Whatever she was going to say, she was happy to drop it in favor of this new topic. "Oh, yes! It's specifically Stand Alone Complex, I got it at a convention a few months ago!" Fluttershy leaned closer to me, immediately instilling worry in me considering what happened the last time someone's face got this close to mine. "I didn't know you watched anime, Twilight." I waved my hand dismissively.

"Not really," I responded, which elicited a disappointed frown from Fluttershy. "Not anymore, at least. In the brief overlap of time that my brother was still living with us and I was old enough to watch more mature stuff, he showed me his entire collection of Japanese movies. He loved them, insisted on sharing that love with me." Fluttershy's smile returned.

"So you've seen all the classics then?" she asked. I shrugged.

"Maybe?" I quickly turned around to see what Pinkie was doing, only to see her still looking at us while slowly chowing down on snacks. She almost looked like she was waiting for something. I turned back to Fluttershy. "I think I remember..." I rested my hand on my chin, trying to remember the movies Shining Armor had shown me before he moved in with Cadence. "Arika?"

"Akira!" Fluttershy corrected with a rapid head nod. It was strange watching her getting this excited over something, but bearing witness to her joyful smile and wide eyes made my heart strangely aflutter. "I haven't watched it in ages, I need to rewatch it again..." Fluttershy then pulled her bag onto her lap, having the pin-covered front side facing me. "Anything else you recognize?" she asked me, her eyes piercing mine expectantly. I glanced over all her pins, unable to find another that rang a bell. I shook my head.

"I'm sorry, no," I replied apologetically. Fluttershy's smile faltered. She looked over to Pinkie, before looking back at me with a nervous glance.

"Um, would you mind, maybe..." Her gaze fell to the ground. "...if I told you about them?" I smiled warmly and gave her a nod. Her face lit up again. Even if it was gone for only a moment, I realized that I had missed it.

My mind began to wander as Fluttershy told me all about the magical girls and demonic swordsmen that adorned her bag. Fluttershy rarely spoke up, but when she was able to talk about something that interested her, her joy was almost as infectious as Pinkie's. It was different, though. If Pinkie Pie was like a disco ball, sparkling joy all over a room with reckless abandon, Fluttershy was like a candelabra, small and subtle but still bright, warm, and effortlessly beautiful. Even though I loved all my friends equally, I still held a special place in my heart for Fluttershy after she was the first to show me real kindness during the Friendship Games. Once I had transferred to Canterlot High, she was the first person I told about my... past.

"Um, Twilight? Are you okay?" Fluttershy's concern pulled me from my thoughts, leading me to realize that I'd been staring at her for some time. There was no way I was going to tell Fluttershy that I was thinking about how beautiful she was, so I came up with a convincing lie.

"I, uh..." my eyes scanned her bag. "I was just wondering what that pin was from?" I pointed to a black pin adorned with the letters 'DxD.' Fluttershy looked at where I was pointing, before looking back at me.

She did not break eye contact for seven seconds.

"...Let's not talk about that one," she said slowly, a look of discomfort on her face. No, not discomfort... embarrassment? It was time to quickly change subjects.

"What's Stand Alone Complex?" I asked, curious about what Fluttershy mentioned before. Happy Fluttershy returned immediately.

"Oh, it's a re-adaptation of the original Ghost in the Shell manga that aired about ten years after the movie came out. The original movie, while good, missed a lot of parts of the original manga, so a new team wanted to make a more complete adaptation that stood alone from the movie, hence the name."

"But it's still about Serpent Saber, right?" Fluttershy nodded.

"Yes, though she's a lot different from her counterpart in the 1995 film. She's a bit more aloof and cool, but nowhere near as over-the-top as she is in the manga. More like a middle ground between the two."

I nodded my head in interest. "I guess I should watch it sometime."

"Um, I have it physically, if you'd want to come over and watch it..." Fluttershy politely offered. Once again, I nodded.

"I'd love to, Fluttershy," I responded with a smile. Fluttershy smiled back, a twinkle of something in her eyes. "I, um... I used to watch Ghost in the Shell over and over again when I was younger," I admitted to Fluttershy, who tilted her head in curiosity. "That sense of disconnect that Major Saber felt within herself, like her mind and body were two separate entities, one merely piloting the other, it... really connected with me." Fluttershy nodded in understanding as I continued. "When he left, Shining gave me his copy to keep. I think he knew what I was going through, and how it helped."

Fluttershy noticed the frown on my face. "You really miss him, don't you?" she asked me, even though she already knew the answer. I nodded.

"He was my anchor to the world. I felt lost without him," I admitted. "At least, until I met you girls."

Fluttershy put down her now empty cup and wrapped me up in her arms. Fluttershy wasn't a very physical person, only really joining in on group hugs or reciprocating Pinkie's vicious grapples, so the hug very much came as a surprise. Fluttershy pulled away, her arms not leaving my shoulders. "I'm really glad we met you, Twilight," she said. "I'm really glad... I met you..."

And then Fluttershy kissed me.

Fluttershy's kiss was much like Fluttershy herself: soft, gentle, and full of love. Unexpectedly, it was also a lot longer than Pinkie's too, much to my pleasure. Gently, I began moving my lips, and she moved hers in kind. My brain was disconnected from my body, not fully registering the situation and merely going with the flow, letting Fluttershy's kindness guide me. Eventually, slowly, remorsefully, Fluttershy's face moved away from mine. It was only then I noticed that behind me, Pinkie Pie was clapping.

"Yeah, you go, Flutters!" she exclaimed, increasing Fluttershy's already high levels of embarrassment. Her gaze whipped between me and Pinkie.

"...I need to use the bathroom." With that, Fluttershy dashed upstairs. I looked at Pinkie, who simply smirked at me as she ate another chip, winking.

"Told ya."

Author's Note

Alternate Chapter Title: "Fluttershy Stims for Fifteen Minutes."

Because You're Beautiful

"TAKE MY LOVE!"

Rainbow Dash winced as the large Spartan woman ground her spunky ninja girl into the wall. "TAKE ALL OF IT!"

With the announcer's "KO," Applejack had won another match between the two. The other four arrived shortly after Fluttershy had kissed me and escaped to the bathroom, and almost immediately Applejack and Rainbow Dash were on the PS5, playing their new fighting game. Rarity, Sunset, and I managed to get a few (very low-quality) rounds in with Pinkie substituting the game's live commentary with her own, but it was primarily matches between the two rivals-turned-lovers. Rainbow groaned, shooting daggers at Applejack as she said "I promise, your ass is grass when Wind Walker comes out." Applejack chuckled.

"Sure it is, sugar," she replied, kissing Rainbow on the cheek, bringing a blush out of the star athlete. As the two began another round, Rainbow swapping to a Trottingham-accented secret agent the announcer called "Killer Bee," I decided to get up from the couch and grab some snacks. Standing by the table was Sunset Shimmer, who had barely talked to me ever since arriving, wearing a small bag that had been on her person ever since she arrived. It clashed a little with her outfit, one made up of her traditional leather jacket, a triangle-patterned orange shirt, and purple jeans, but I was sure she had a good reason to be constantly adorned with it. She gave me a small smile as I approached.

"Hey, Twilight," she greeted. I gave Sunset a close-range wave as a gummy snake was caught in my jaw. I quickly noticed that Sunset was drinking something, and the hands holding her cup were incredibly shaky. I raised my eyebrow at her as I swallowed.

"You alright, Sunset?" I asked. Almost immediately, Sunset launched into an over-exaggerated series of arm waves and head tilts.

"What? Me? Psssh. I'm fine! Absolutely fine." I wasn't sure if her performance was more or less convincing than Fluttershy's from earlier, but it certainly wasn't fooling me.

"Clearly," I commented dryly before my unamused look turned into one of concern. "Seriously, Sunset, what's up?" Sunset sighed.

"Just... I wrote to Princess Twilight this morning and it's been hours and she still hasn't gotten back to me. It's really important..." She patted her bag, which I could see clearly now was magic-leather-book-sized. "It's why I brought the book to the party."

"Ah, I see," I nodded, slightly solemnly. While I understood the necessity of it, my super-secret and not-at-all-obvious crush on Sunset made sure that a twinge of jealousy spiked every time she mentioned the Princess. This never happened elsewhere, whether it was Sunset making lewd comments whenever she forced me to watch a pirated STARDOM pay-per-view or her eyes lingering a little too long on Fluer de Lis' backside, I never felt jealousy over other girls. It was just with the Princess. If I had to hazard a guess as to why, I would say it was because I thought she was simply a better me. Because, well, she was. In the brief time I had gotten to meet her after the Friendship Games, she had held herself well, spoke without stuttering or pausing for long stretches, and had even managed to not completely freeze up when hugging the other girls goodbye.

Also, she was hot. Like really hot. I hadn't asked her about it, given that I barely knew her, but I assumed she was biologically female which gave her a very distinct advantage over me. The Princess was... frustrating.

"Twilight?" Sunset's concerned voice grabbed my attention, with me realizing that I had spaced out again.

"Sorry, just... thinking."

"About Princess Twilight?" I nodded, and Sunset sighed. "Guess we both have her on our mind then," Sunset said as she took a sip of her drink. I nodded and shuffled away from the conversation, taking my place back on the couch, seeing that Applejack's win-streak counter had increased by three in the time I had left.

It was then that Fluttershy returned from her half-an-hour-long bathroom break. Almost immediately, Rarity took her into the kitchen and began talking to her, me being unable to hear their conversation due to the game. I was able to notice, however, both of them occasionally side-eyeing me. Soon after, both of them returned to the living room, with Fluttershy sitting in one of the chairs Pinkie had brought over from the dining table and Rarity, confusingly, kneeling in front of me on the couch. Then, for the second time that day, my chin was forcibly grabbed and my face was being examined. Rarity frowned. "Oh, this won't do at all." Rarity turned to Pinkie. "Do you mind if I use your bathroom?"

"Go ahead! Just don't do anything I wouldn't do," Pinkie replied with a wink. I blushed, and Rarity chuckled before turning back to me.

"Come with me, darling," she said as she grabbed my hand and pulled me off the couch. I barely managed to get any words out, only hearing snickering from both Applejack and Rainbow Dash as Rarity pulled me up the stairs. The last thing I saw before entering the bathroom was a nervous smile and a half-hearted shrug from Sunset. Rarity placed me in front of the mirror, giving me a good second to analyze my inherent flaws, before turning me away from it. As Rarity put down her handbag on the countertop and began taking what I assumed were cosmetic tools out of it, I was able to appreciate her dress better. It wasn't complex, a simple two-toned lavender-and-blue dress over a dark indigo long-sleeve top, but it was still stunning as Rarity always was.

Rarity glossed over her tools. "Yes, this should be enough," she said. I had no idea how Rarity was able to fit so much into one bag. Pinkie called it 'hammerspace,' which I assumed was some lingering effect of Equestrian magic.

"What... is happening?" I asked, concerned for my immediate future. Rarity turned to me with a smile.

"Why, we're re-doing your makeup, of course!" I cringed, which Rarity noticed. "Not to say that you didn't do a good job, darling, it's just that it simply doesn't do you justice!" Rarity explained. I tilted my head at her, confused.

"Justice?" I asked.

"Well, a girl as ravishing as you deserve 'the works,' after all." Once again, a strong blush stopped me from properly responding. Rarity equipped her glasses and clapped her hands together. "Right, let's get started!"

After Rarity removed my pre-existing light makeup with a wet wipe, the worst kind of wipe, she began by applying some moisturizer before spreading a small amount of strange gel I had never used before over my face. Rarity saw my confusion, explaining it was something called 'primer.' After a moment, she lifted my chin up slightly. "Have you gotten laser treatment, Twilight?" Rarity inquired. I shook my head.

"Never had the money for it," I replied. Rarity let out a small 'hm.'

"Interesting. Your chin is remarkably hair-free, then."

"Yeah. Thankfully, facial hair isn't something that runs in the family," I said, chuckling as I remembered a particular incident of Shining crying into our dad's arms when he found out he would never be able to grow a mustache. As Rarity applied liquid foundation (something I recognized) to my face, rubbing her fingers into my skin, she chuckled.

"Enjoying ourselves, are we?" she asked with a smirk, forcing me to realize that my lips had grown a pleasant smile.

"I, uh..." I tried to push words out of my mouth to no avail.

"Try not to worry about it, darling. I want you to enjoy this." Her voice got lower with the last sentence, sounding almost... sensual.

I shivered, the thought of an experience with Rarity similar to the ones I had with Pinkie and Fluttershy made me both nervous and excited. Nervouscited.

Rarity grabbed another bottle off the countertop and closely examined my face, bringing a small blush out of me. "Thankfully," she began, "you don't have anything I would need concealer for." Rarity then noticed something, looking directly at my eyes. Because, of course, I had eye bags.

Rarity sighed. "You needn't be so hard on yourself, darling, everyone around our age has eye bags," she said, trying to comfort me as she applied the concealer to the area under my eyes. "I do wish you wouldn't be so hard on yourself, it's awfully frustrating to know someone as beautiful as you think so lowly of themself."

As Rarity began applying blush, I had forgone blushing myself in favor of a sigh. "I'm not..." I began to rebut. "I'm not beautiful, Rarity. I wish I was, but I'm not, and I'm okay with that." Rarity remained silent as she finished with the blush and began highlighting parts of my face. "I know what I look like. I know what I am. I know I have a stiff jaw and low cheekbones and bad skin, and-"

"Stop." Rarity halted my speech of self-depreciation right in its' tracks before grabbing what I understood was eyeshadow. "Close your eyes," she requested, and I complied. "Now, I'm a little busy at the moment, but I will have words for you when we are done."

The final steps of eyeliner, mascara, and lip gloss went by without any talking from either of us. Rarity forcefully spun me around to look at myself in the mirror, and...

I almost cried. I actually looked like a woman. Rarity smiled.

"Do you know why I love doing other people's makeup, darling?" she asked me. I shook my head. "It's for reactions like these. The realization on their face when they come to know that yes, they are in fact beautiful." I stifled back tears. I didn't want to ruin Rarity's hard work.

"But that's because-"

"Contrary to what some more boorish people may say, makeup isn't a disguise or a lie. It only brings out and radiates what's already there, and you, my dear Twilight, are radiant."

And then Rarity kissed me.

You may be wondering how she kissed me, considering she was behind me. Well, she didn't want to ruin her hard work, so she instead targeted my collarbone, eliciting a very inappropriate moan from me.

"Gorgeous."

She kissed me again.

"Stunning."

She kissed me again.

"Divine."

With every touch of her lips to my collarbone, another compliment came. Burgeoning tears were long gone, replaced by a feeling of desire. My hands tightened up involuntarily, prompting Rarity to grasp one, intertwining her fingers with mine. Light kisses became stronger, and I suspected that Rarity was making something else she would need to cover up with makeup. Finally, much to my chagrin, Rarity stopped, looking directly into my eyes through the mirror. "I never want to hear another bad word about yourself out of you again. Do you understand?" I nodded silently, breathing heavily. She smiled at me. "Good." Rarity then inspected the light hickey she had made, reaching for her tools before stopping and smirking. "On second thought..."

Rarity left me standing there silently as she packed up. After she was done, she turned my head to face her, planting one last chaste kiss on my lips before leaving. "Take all the time you need, darling," she said as she closed the bathroom door behind her.

I stood there silently for minutes on end, processing what just happened, and how it related to the two previous incidents. Eventually, my brain was able to send the right signals to my mouth to form words. Said words came out as a cry for help, a plea to the universe, a direct request of knowledge to the Goddess Athena herself.

"What the fuck is going on!?"

Author's Note

With Final Fantasy XVI beaten, I can get back to this! Also, apologies if I got anything wrong with Rarity's work, I don't know what makeup is.

Experimentation

"What's your safeword?"

After minutes of... let's call it 'intense contemplation,' I returned downstairs to an overwhelmingly positive reaction to Rarity's work. Fluttershy's stunned silence was somewhat expected, but I didn't expect the same reaction from Rainbow Dash. Applejack's response was limited to a surprised "Yowza," Sunset's new habit of nervous fidgeting was driven into overdrive, and Pinkie capped it all off with a "Looking good, hot stuff!" which made me assist the blush Rarity had applied to my face. Rarity couldn't have looked more pleased with herself. Much later into the night, Rarity suggested a game of 'Truth or Dare,' which everyone else had enthusiastically agreed to, Fluttershy included surprisingly.

Said queen of shyness was possibly regretting her earlier enthusiasm.

"W-What?" Fluttershy nervously replied. Rainbow Dash chugged a bottle of cider that Applejack had brought, the popping of it out of her mouth suppressing an unladylike burp that made me unfortunately giggle.

"You heard me. What's your safeword?" Rainbow repeated her question. Fluttershy looked like she was about to fall apart.

"Um... I... uh... it's... well... it's-"

"Fatal Lease." Fluttershy, surprised, turned to Rarity, who had answered the question for her. Rarity looked at her in kind, a sympathetic but cheeky smirk in tow. Fluttershy's response surprised Rarity: a shaking of her head, before turning back to the rest of us.

"Fatalis," she proudly declared. "My safeword is Fatalis." While most of us responded with surprise and interest, Applejack responded with a stifled laugh.

"Maybe that shoulda been Schrade's safeword," she joked, much to my confusion. Fluttershy clearly understood though, as she responded with her own soft, cute laugh.

Fluttershy shifted her gaze to her immediate right, looking at whose turn it was next. Pinkie Pie scanned the room, before landing on Rainbow and smirking. "Truth or dare, Dashie?" she asked the prismatic girl. Rainbow shrugged and took another swig.

"Truth," she responded, much to my surprise. "Don't wanna heat things up too early, right?" Rainbow turned to Rarity as she said that, who responded with a smile and a nod. Something between them was being conveyed that I didn't understand. Pinkie frowned and snapped.

"Aw, drat. I had a really good one too!" Pinkie turned her head towards the air in thought, exaggeratedly tapping her chin with her knuckle. After a moment, she had an idea. "Who's the hottest, sexiest, absolutely most scrumptious person in this room?"

"Rarity." All of us turned to her in shock. I, at the least, was expecting her to say her wonderful 6'4" buff lesbian girlfriend, but I was clearly mistaken. Rainbow turned to said girlfriend. "Right?" Applejack, continuing the path of shock, nodded in response.

"Without question."

Bathing in my confusion, I looked at Rarity. She looked very pleased with herself as if she was expecting Rainbow's answer. Pinkie, satisfied with the answer, twisted her head towards Fluttershy. "Your turn~!"

Fluttershy blushed, before snapping to Rarity. "Rarity, truth or dare?" she said with unexpected confidence. Rarity, initially taken aback before quickly getting ahold of herself, closed her eyes and turned her head up with a high-held cockiness.

"Dare," she responded, clearly not expecting anything too severe from her soft, literally-in-her-name shy friend. However, as a surprisingly dastardly smirk grew on the cream woman's face, her intentions were made clear. She was out for revenge. Fluttershy stood up and grabbed her bag from the couch before slowly turning back to Rarity with a smirk. Rarity's confidence fled as her face turned to one of nervous knowing. Fluttershy slowly walked back to Rarity, accentuating every step, before kneeling in front of her. Out of her bag, she pulled out a black-and-purple collar, a butterfly-shaped pendant clasped to its' front.

Oh.

Rarity, with her signature self-assuredness swept away, held her head out, stretching her neck. Fluttershy clasped the collar around Rarity's neck, before silently returning to her spot with a smile. A dare asked and fulfilled without a word spoken between either of them. Fluttershy turned to her left. "I believe that's your turn, Sunset." Sunset, recovering from what she just witnessed with the rest of us, cleared her throat before scanning the room, landing on Pinkie.

"Uh, Pinkie, truth or... dare?" she asked, frizzled. Pinkie shrugged.

"Not like I'm gonna top what just happened, so, truth!" she responded, ending in her trademark smile. Sunset thought for a moment.

"What's all the whipped cream in your fridge for?" Sunset asked with a genuine tone of confusion.

"All the what?" I added. Pinkie giggled.

"Why don't you come over and find out," she responded with a sly smirk.

"I... am over," Sunset responded with a confused look. Pinkie's eyes went wide in realization.

"Oh! Then just cooking, though maybe we could use it for other stuff..." Pinkie's gaze slowly shifted to me as she gave her answer.

"I'm sorry, 'we?'" I questioned. Pinkie merely chuckled as I was softly elbowed. I turned to Sunset, realizing it was my turn. Panicked, I decided to lock on to the person in my immediate vision. "Sunset! Truth... or... dare?" I nervously asked. Sunset, clearly not having expected me to choose her, thought for a moment.

"...truth?" As she responded, a thought entered my mind. Finally, it was time for some answers.

"What did you ask the Princess earlier?" I asked her. Sunset sighed.

"I... can't tell you yet. But I promise I will, just... later. I promise." I looked at the rest of our friends, who were all agreeing with her. They all clearly knew what was going on between Sunset and the Princess, and I was stuck there, out of the loop. I sighed in frustration.

"Fine. I believe you, but I'm holding you to that promise." I poked at her for emphasis, which elicited a chuckle from my bacon-haired friend.

"Seriously, Twi, I promise." She smiled at me, and I smiled back, before turning to the next person: Rarity, who was fiddling with the butterfly pendant on her collar. Something had shifted within her when Fluttershy put on her collar, with Rarity becoming softer and more distant, but somehow more comfortable, more at peace. Even I could notice that. Rarity finally noticed me looking at her, the remembrance of the turn order dawning on her.

"Right, yes, I..." Rarity looked around before locking eyes with Fluttershy, who after a moment gave her a small smile and a nod before motioning to Applejack. Rarity nodded back, turning to Applejack.

"Applejack, truth or dare?" she asked her. Applejack shrugged with a smile.

"Truth." Rarity gave her a knowing smile.

"What are your intentions with our dear Twilight here?"

Applejack smirked directly at me. I froze. "Truth or dare, Twilight?" she asked me. I stuttered.

"Are... aren't you gonna answer Rarity's truth?" I struggled to ask.

"Ah am." There was a confidence, a hint of knowing, a spark in her eyes that compelled my next word out of me.

"D-Dare." With that, Applejack sat up properly, crossed her legs, and patted her thighs.

"Dare ya to rest yer head on mah lap," she requested of me. Slowly, with much confusion, I shifted over towards her, eventually resting my head on her jeaned legs. The entire time, Rainbow watched me like a hawk, her expression unreadable as she took another sip of her cider. Applejack brushed some hair out of my face, smiling. "Twi, yer trans, right?" I blinked at her question.

"Uh... yeah?" I answered, wondering what that had to do with anything. "I mean, it's pretty obvious."

"How is that obvious?" I heard Rainbow chime in. I glanced over at her, making sure not to move my head.

"I mean, my voice?" I put forth.

"Pretty sure your voice is higher than mine, dude," Rainbow replied pointedly.

"My face?"

"Darling, what did we agree on earlier?" Rarity reminded me. I cringed silently.

"My... shoulders?" Applejack laughed at that one.

"Pretty sure mah shoulders are broader than yers', sugar."

'Sugar.' She didn't call anyone that but Rainbow.

"I..." I let out a defeated sigh. "I give up." Pinkie breathed in harshly as if she hadn't been able to for the past few moments.

"Ugh, thank you! No offense Twiggy, but that was really depressing," she stated a-matter-of-factly. "And for this, we want you to be in the best headspace possible!" She emphasized "best" by reaching over to me and booping my nose, a gesture that brought a smile out of me before my face went back to one of questioning.

"Wait, best headspace for what?" I asked. Applejack answered.

"Well, Rainbow and Ah were doin' some research and..." she trailed off. "We wanted to try somethin'. An experiment, if ya'd like." I raised my eyebrow.

"An experiment?"

"How'dya phrase it...? Ah have an action in mind, and Ah wanna see if it causes the expected... reaction?" Applejack stumbled through the sentence, but let out a breath of relief after I nodded my head in response. Softly, she asked me "Do Ah have yer consent, Twi?" My nervouscitement struck back at full force, but through it, I was able to nod my head.

Applejack started petting me.

Without conscious thought, I nuzzled into her hand, earning a small gasp from Applejack. "Oh wow, that was instant," I heard Rainbow say. When I was first exploring my gender, internet forums told legends of the 'headpat,' an act of physical touch sure to bring immediate joy to any trans girl around my age. Naturally, being the social worm that I was, I had never gotten to experience such an allegedly incredible thing as the headpat until this moment, and... wow, they were right. Warmth, love, joy, every single positive emotion flowed through my entire body with the single goal of bringing me one thing: peace. Applejack, however, wasn't done.

"Good girl."

I died instantly. Metaphorically, of course, but the way my breath hitched and my heart stopped momentarily was rather convincing. If there was anything that brought a stronger reaction out of a trans girl than headpats, it was being called a "good girl." The two together were almost too much. I felt the world fade away around me, the only things present being my drawn-out breaths and Applejack's sturdy but gentle hand. The game continued without me, with myself having completely tuned it out in favor of Applejack's angelic accented voice. "Good girl." Every time she repeated it, it was like reaching enlightenment, as if I climbed a mountain to obtain absolute knowledge, and at its' peak was a stone tablet engraved with the phrase "You are a good girl." Somehow, I was satisfied with that. If inner peace was headpats and "good girls," then I understood why it was so sought after.

It took a moment for me to realize Applejack had stopped. I looked up at her, and she looked back down at me with a lighthearted smile. "Yer turn, sugar." The words snapped together as they flowed from our lips.

"Applejack?"

"Dare."

"I dare you to kiss me."

There was nothing blocking my mind anymore. Hell, there was nothing in my mind anymore, or at least it felt like it. All thoughts had gone away, replaced with complex and abstract emotions that I needed to please. Applejack smiled at me as she pet me one last time. "Ah want ya to remember, Twi, that Ah want this. We all want this. Just keep that in mind, okay sugar?" I nodded.

And then Applejack kissed me.

It wasn't like the past ones. It wasn't soft like Pinkie's. It wasn't brave like Fluttershy's. It wasn't erotic like Rarity's. It was just... real. An honest display of love. No tension, nerves, or even a hint of regret. Applejack wanted to kiss me, so she did, and I couldn't have been more happy.

Except...

As she broke the kiss, a thought entered my mind, and for the first time in a while, I looked up at the rest of our friends.

Rainbow Dash was gone.

Author's Note

Thank you Rin & Ebs for the Monster Hunter joke.

Secret Origins

I rushed upstairs, pleas to stop and wait from my friends going unheard. As I ascended, my mind raced with thoughts. It had been a strange night, filled with surprise and strange feelings. In the heat of the moment, I kissed Rainbow Dash's girlfriend. I had... made Applejack cheat. It had been barely over a month into our friendship, and I had betrayed Rainbow's trust.

The sound of the bathroom door opening pulled me from my thoughts as I locked eyes with Rainbow. She looked confused for a moment before I began rambling. "Dash, I'm sorry about what happened with Applejack, I shouldn't have kissed her, I'm sorry I made her cheat, I-"

"Woah, woah, woah, slow down, Twigster," Rainbow put a hand on my shoulder in an attempt to stabilize me. "You got nothin' to apologize for. Except for kissing Applejack while I wasn't there, can't believe I missed that."

"Rainbow, I..." Rainbow sighed.

"I really thought Sunset was gonna do this, but I guess I'll do it." Rainbow looked towards the staircase. "Pinkie!" Rainbow called downstairs. "Mind if we use your room?"

"Aww, but we're supposed to do it together!" I heard Pinkie's voice echo up the stairs. Rainbow rolled her eyes.

"Not that! I'm gonna give Twilight the backstory." Rainbow turned to face me. "I'm still pawning off the rest to Sunset," she said with a light smirk. My head darted back and forth between her and the stairs, trying to figure out what was going on and how to proceed, only to notice that Rainbow had entered Pinkie's room. I followed her in to see her lying on Pinkie's bed, resting her head on her hands, the edges of her varsity jacket falling to her sides like wings. I closed the door behind me before turning to Rainbow, my confusion building into frustration.

"Okay, please tell me what the hell is going on, here. This night has been weird and bizarre and confusing and-"

"Nice?" Rainbow finished my sentence with a question. I paused for a moment, before slowly nodding.

"Yeah. Really, really nice," I admitted. "I've never felt this... loved, I guess." Rainbow Dash gave me a surprisingly honest grin before shifting to the side and patting the bed.

"Lie with me, Twiggy," she requested. I complied, still making sure to keep my distance as we both stared at the ceiling. "Can I tell you a story?"

"Um, sure, I guess," I replied lazily. My brain was finally recognizing that Rainbow was, for some reason, not angry at me for kissing her girlfriend. Applejack's words echoed in my head.

"Ah want ya to remember, Twi, that Ah want this. We all want this. Just keep that in mind, okay sugar?"

"We all want this," I silently repeated.

"You say somethin'?" Rainbow asked.

"No, just... thinking." A moment of silence passed between us.

"You know why Applejack started dating me?"

"Because she... liked you?" I assumed, confused at the question.

"Because of a coin flip." Rainbow finished her sentence with a chuckle as if it was somehow a good memory. "Before we met you, AJ couldn't decide if she liked me or Rarity more. So... she did a coin flip. Landed on tails." Rainbow let out a soft breath. "She told me that around three weeks ago. I... okay, promise you're not gonna judge me?"

"I promise. I couldn't judge you if I wanted to, really." Rainbow let out a 'heh.'

"Give yourself more credit, Twi." Rainbow stopped talking. I could hear her breathing gaining speed, the courage to say something building up. "I couldn't stop crying when she told me, and I had no idea why. I know, in my head, that I should've been angry, but I couldn't bring myself to be. I thought long and hard that night about why I wasn't angry, why I cried instead. Until I realized... that I was crying because she had to choose."

Something warm wrapped around my hand. I looked down to find Rainbow's fingers intertwining with mine. I looked at her for a moment, before looking back at the ceiling, opting to let her continue instead of asking about it. I squeezed.

"Scootaloo came over the next day. You know Scootaloo?" she asked me.

"Your little sister, right?" I responded. Rainbow chuckled.

"God, I wish. I treat her like she is, though." I could feel Rainbow's smile warm the room. "She came over the next day to ask me about something. One that was... weirdly relevant."

"What did she ask?" I inquired.

"Why she had to choose." Rainbow took a moment to collect her thoughts. "She told me she had crushes on two girls. She didn't tell me who, but it was pretty obviously Sweetie Belle and Apple Bloom." Rarity and Applejack's little sisters respectively, I recalled. "She wanted to love them, but she wanted to love both of them, like, at the same time. I told her that's just not how things work, that you can only date one person. She asked me why." I felt Rainbow's grip on my hand tightening. "I didn't have an answer. So I said screw it, ask them both out, who cares what the world thinks!" Rainbow shifted closer toward me. "That night, I asked Applejack about it. Turns out she and Apple Bloom had a similar talk, and AJ had a similar response to mine. We had a talk and came to an agreement that what we were both thinking was something we both wanted. So... the next day, we went over to Rarity's." Rainbow rolled over, looking at me. I turned to face her, locking eyes. "Twilight, AJ and I have been dating Rarity for about three weeks now. Both of us."

It was then it all came crashing down. Everything from Pinkie's warning to Fluttershy's openness to Rarity's preaching to Applejack's promise, the entire night finally made sense in my head. Except, it didn't, because the only logical answer was that I was... being seduced by my friends. Potentially, propositioned for something deeper. I wanted it. I wanted it so bad, but a small part of me still couldn't accept that's what the night was about. Rainbow went on.

"Rarity and Fluttershy started dating around the same time, though honestly you could tell me they've been married since childhood and I'd believe you. Since then, Pinkie and Sunset joined in, though they're kinda wildcards in terms of actual feelings stuff. Pinkie's impossible to read but she definitely seems pretty content, but I don't think Sunset's gonna be truly happy with all of us until..." Rainbow smirked. "Well, you'll see."

We both lay silently for minutes on end, Rainbow's face never changing from one of understanding with a hint of amusement, presumably from watching my brain process everything.

"...why me?" I finally asked. Rainbow stifled a laugh.

"Dude, why not you? You're smart, you're goofy, you're kind, plus you're a fuckin' cutie, any of us would be insane not to like you." I nervously laughed.

"Honestly, I'm a little scared this is all going to go to my head," I admitted.

"You deserve it, dude! You're awesome!"

"But not as awesome as you, right?" Rainbow rolled her eyes.

"Well, obviously."

I could feel it coming. Everything in my body was telling me it was about to happen. I shifted closer to Rainbow, and she in turn shifted closer to me, placing her free hand on my cheek. "Twilight, I'm not angry about you kissing AJ. If anything, I'm pissed you kissed her before you kissed me." She giggled. "Usually I'd be upset about being second-last but... honestly, I don't really care anymore. I know you'd never betray me, Twilight. I'd never betray you. I'd never betray any of my friends..."

And then Rainbow Dash kissed me.

Rainbow's kiss was a promise, Applejack's promise from earlier given physical form. Her strength and passion were put on full display, holding me as if her life depended on it. I felt like I was at the end of a high school sports movie, the star football player finally kissing the cheerleader he's been in love with since the start of the movie. At first, I found this comparison my head made odd, but after everything that happened, I think I finally believed I was pretty enough to be the cheerleader. Making sure not to overstay her welcome, Rainbow's lips separated from mine, her magenta eyes piercing me as she finished her thought.

"...and I'd never betray any of my lovers."

Author's Note

Home stretch! Only one more chapter to go, hope you've all been enjoying it so far!

Euphoria

They hadn't noticed me come back downstairs at first. Instead, their attention was drawn to Sunset Shimmer's glowing and vibrating book. Whatever Sunset had asked the Princess, she had finally responded. However, instead of rushing to open it as I had expected, Sunset simply stared at the leather-bound tome of magic. Rainbow Dash, who was hovering over her shoulder as Sunset sat in one of the extra chairs beside the couch, glared at her.

"Well? Aren't you gonna look?" she asked impatiently. Sunset took a deep breath.

"Just... what if she says no?" she said, looking at Rainbow with an expression of worry.

"It's not like yer asking her out or anything," Applejack chimed in, her legs draped over the armrest of the couch while her head was square in Rarity's lap.

"Yeah, you're just asking permission to date her interdimensional clone!" Pinkie added, sitting on the floor with a cuddled Fluttershy in her arms.

"Honestly, I don't know why you had to ask in the first place," Rarity began, softly stroking Applejack's hair. "It's not like our Twilight and the Princess are the same person." The way she said it awoke butterflies in my stomach. Our Twilight.

"I dunno, I just don't want things to be awkward!" Sunset replied. "I don't wanna show up in Equestria next time I'm there with a copy of her and be all like 'Hey, Princess, sorry for not telling you I'm dating you from another universe.'"

"Please, Sunset." Everyone turned suddenly to look at me, finally noticing my presence. Sunset's nervousness grew tenfold. I slowly walked over to her, bending down, and putting my hand on the one she currently had over the book. I smiled at her warmly. "I'll be okay, no matter what she says." That, in honesty, was a little bit of a lie. Deep inside me, the jealousy I felt towards the Princess was primed to become a rage, ready to retribute for denying me a relationship with Sunset Shimmer.

"I don't know if I will be, though." Sunset's free hand stroked my cheek, her soft touch warming my face. "I've liked you ever since I met you, Twilight. You're the first person I met that really understood what I went through, what I'm still going through." I blushed at the confession, now holding both of her hands. She looked up, slowly glancing around the room at the rest of our friends. "When the girls invited me into their... situation, of course, I agreed. I mean, I love all of them, I'd be insane not to. But I had a condition: I wanted you." Behind her, now leaning against the wall, Rainbow scoffed.

"Yeah, like we weren't already thinking about that," she said with a smirk. Sunset joined in on the smirk, though hers was softer, before locking eyes with me again.

"I think we owe you an explanation," she said.

"You think?" I responded sarcastically but without malice. Sunset chuckled.

"Yeah, I can imagine this entire thing has been... overwhelming for you. In all honesty, that was kinda the idea." She put the book aside and stood up. I stood up with her as she began pacing around the room slowly. "That darkness, that self-hatred that builds up within you... I know what it feels like. So, when Pinkie suggested the party-"

"Shindig!" Pinkie quickly corrected.

"Right, shindig. So, when Pinkie suggested the shindig, I pitched an idea to the girls. I wanted to make you feel special, like the center of the world. One by one, we'd express our love to you, fighting your inner darkness with the light in our hearts. Then, when it was all said and done, we'd..." Sunset breathed softly as her confession came forth: "We'd ask you out."

I looked at Sunset, a nervous but hopeful smile shining across her face. I looked at Rainbow Dash, whose smirk did nothing to hide the softness in her eyes. I looked at Applejack, who nodded at me with comfort and security. I looked at Rarity, her high-held open palm giving the feeling that it was reaching out to me. I looked at Fluttershy, the kindness in her eyes giving me assurance. I looked at Pinkie Pie, grinning from ear to ear. Finally, I closed my eyes and softly sighed.

"I... I love you all, so, so much. Tonight has been wonderful, and I would love nothing more than to say yes. But..." I turned my gaze toward the book. "I can't do that until Sunset has peace of mind." Slowly, Sunset wanted over to the book, picking it up before walking over and taking her place next to me. The others formed a circle around us, all staring at the magical tome. I held her shoulder, her nerves being cooled by my touch. Finally, with great mental effort, she opened it, revealing the Princess' response for all to see.

"You don't need my permission, even if it is technically me. Go get your girl, tiger!"

And then Sunset Shimmer kissed me.

Well, that was putting it lightly. Sunset tossed the book aside and leaped onto me, tackling me to the ground as her lips pressed into mine with the force of a thousand suns, accidentally knocking Fluttershy and Pinkie out of the way in the process. Pinkie just laughed, and Fluttershy giggled with her. Any pain gained from my fall was ignored in favor of the warmth of Sunset's face. She occasionally broke the kiss for a split second to throw in an "I love you" or "You mean the world to me," sending my heart sky high in the process. Eventually, with a hint of regret, she broke the kiss before chuckling. "I'm sorry for tackling you," she said half-heartedly. Tears of joy began swelling in my eyes as I laughed with her.

"I don't care, Sunset Shimmer."

"HUG PILE!" With Pinkie's prompt, my other five friends had piled on top of me, all laughing along with me and Sunset, arms tangled in a ball of love and wonder.

"Wait," Rainbow suddenly began. "So does this mean you're one of us now?"

"I mean... if you'll have me," I responded initially, before continuing: "No... no you've all made your desires clear. Yes, yes I am one of you."

Everyone's life has a moment of true happiness, something that they will remember forever, a pivotal point that changes their lives for the better. For some, it might be graduating from university with a degree they've sought after for their entire lives. For others, it might be opening a business they've dreamt about for years. For me, it was hearing the cheers of my six girlfriends as they heard me pledge myself to them, their realization of me being theirs' and them being mine. It was a moment I'd never forget.

"Hey, uh," I began. "This isn't a one-off, right? Like, this isn't all of you just being swept up by the, uh, vibes, right?" Sunset looked at me with genuine confusion.

"Did you miss the part where we planned all of this?" she asked me. "Twilight, this isn't just tonight. We're not gonna go back to not loving you when the weekend is over."

"Absolutely wouldn't dream of it, darling," Rarity added. I saw Fluttershy shaking her head in agreement.

"I can't speak for anyone else, but I've been dreaming about this! I'd never give it up!" Pinkie confessed. "All of us in one big pile of love, hugging and kissing and touching and-"

"Maybe later, Pinkie," Applejack interrupted with a nervous giggle. "But no, sugar, we ain't gonna stop lovin' ya tomorrow just 'cause tonight was crazy."

"Like hell I'm gonna give up having six awesome girlfriends," Rainbow finished the group's thoughts.

"So, this isn't just a night together. This is our first night together," I declared with surprising confidence. Sunset nodded before giving me a peck on the lips. "I love you, girls," I exclaimed through held-back tears.

And they loved me, too.

Author's Note

And that's The First Night! I hope you all enjoyed reading it! Now, a brief post-mortem.

I'm surprisingly happy with this. I think I made a mistake earlier on by writing this in past tense instead of present tense. I feel that I could've explored Twilight's reactions and emotions more if I wrote in the present tense, but alas. Even then, I think I did a decent job telling this story. The Rarity chapter is still probably my favorite, and one I go back to read just for fun, which is probably a little egotistical on my part but oh well. I might explore this relationship in the future, or maybe even a prequel centered around the beginnings of it with Rainbow, AJ, and Rarity, but for now, there are other stories I want to tell. Overall, I'd personally give this fic a strong 6 to a light 7.