The sun was beginning to set in Canterlot's parking lot. Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo headed towards the car. Rainbow was unusually quiet, and Scoot noticed it right away.

"Rainbow, everything okay?" the younger one asked as she climbed into the car.

The multicolored haired girl sighed and sat in the driver's seat, starting the engine. "Yeah, Scoot. Just... thinking about some things."

After fastening her seatbelt, the younger one spoke up. "Is it about training? Or did something happen with Applejack?"

Rainbow shook her head as they pulled out of the parking lot. "No, it's not that. Well, partly. It's more complicated."

"Is it about Fluttershy?" asked.

The elder looked at her sister for a moment before turning back to the road. "How did you know?"

"The other day when I mentioned spending more time together, your expression reminded me of weeks ago when you asked about the family reunion," the younger one said.

"Huh, you never cease to impress me," the athlete replied with a forced laugh. A few seconds later, her expression changed. "Do you think... I can be a bit... selfish?"

The magenta pony frowned, surprised. "Selfish? You? I don't think so, but maybe other things."

Rainbow let out a laugh. "That's what I thought."

"What made you wonder about that?"

"I had a talk with Flutters," the athlete said, sounding down.

"Did she tell you that?"

"Not exactly... it's something we talked about," Rainbow said.

"You can do a lot of things, but selfish isn't one of them," said, trying to sound reassuring as she placed a comforting hand on her sister's shoulder.

Rainbow smiled, feeling a little better. "Sometimes it's good to hear that from someone else."

Scoot smiled in response. "I'm always here for you."

The multicolored haired girl drove in silence for a while, both lost in their thoughts. When they arrived home, each went to their own room. It was a few minutes before Scootaloo knocked on Rainbow's door.

"Yeah?" came her sister's voice from the other side.

Scootaloo opened the door and saw Rainbow lying on her bed, playing with a ball-shaped pillow, tossing it into the air each time it returned.

"Dinner's ready," reported.

The athlete stopped and sat up on the bed, looking at the younger one. "Can you tell Mom and Dad I have work to do and will eat later?"

The magenta haired girl nodded and looked at her for a moment. "You know, whatever happened with Fluttershy, you'll fix it soon. You always do."

The elder gave her a smile. "Thanks, Scoot. See you at school tomorrow."

"Goodbye, Dash. Good night," said the magenta haired girl and closed the door.

Rainbow stayed silent for a moment, her smile slowly fading. "How did I not realize what I did?" murmured to herself, feeling a knot in her stomach. She lay back on the bed again, this time not tossing the pillow.

The night grew longer as she reflected on her actions and their consequences.

The next day, the girls headed out for recess after what could be considered their first class, though it might have been the second since Thursdays and Fridays usually start a bit later.

Fluttershy and Twilight were in the locker hallway when the blue-haired animal lover noticed Fluttershy looking quieter than usual and somewhat downcast.

"Fluttershy, are you okay? You seem to have something on your mind," Twilight asked, concerned.

The pink-haired girl sighed. "Well... Yesterday I had a conversation and... everything I felt at the time came back, and I'd like to talk about it."

Twilight didn't hesitate. "Sure, Fluttershy. I was just about to head to the library, let's go and talk there," said. "The girls can wait for us a little longer."

Fluttershy simply nodded.

They walked for a few minutes until they reached the library entrance. They went inside and sat in one of the empty seats.

"You can trust me. What's going on?" Twilight asked gently.

Fluttershy looked at her for a moment. "It's about Rainbow Dash. As you've probably noticed, we've been somewhat... distant."

"Yeah, several of us have noticed," said the blue-haired girl with a small smile. "Many at the university have noticed too," she thought. "And apparently it's not so recent, you've been like this lately."

"Yeah..." Fluttershy said, nervously playing with a strand of her hair.

"As far as I know, Dash mentioned she would talk to you about it. At lunch and in music class, both of you seemed distracted. Was it something she did that was so bad?" Twilight pondered.

Fluttershy opened her mouth and began to reveal everything she had been keeping inside. "It's been tough, Twilight. Ever since Rainbow started dating Applejack, our dynamics changed. At first, I didn't mind, I'm happy they're together, but..."

Twilight nodded, encouraging her to continue. "But, what?"

Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash were arriving at the music room to rehearse during their free period, a moment they all shared. Upon arrival, they found Sunset, who greeted them, and Applejack, sitting on the steps, looking down with elbows resting on her thighs.

"Whoa, what happened?" Pinkie asked.

"It's because of art class," explained Sunset.

"But what happened?" Rainbow asked, almost disinterestedly.

"Belle, that's what happened," said the blonde, lifting her head.

"Big surprise," Rainbow expressed, somewhat dejected. "What did she do?"

"It's actually not something she did," clarified Sunset. "Yesterday we finished with drawings, and today we started with crafts, but the teacher asked us to pair up in twos to create a sculpture."

"Oh, oh... let me guess, you got paired with Rari..." Pinkie stopped and changed the name. "...Belle," added.

The party girl hated that the girls had decided to refer to the fashionista as 'Belle' every time a conversation about her came up, to make it less awkward to talk about.

"I didn't have another choice," said the farmer, waving a hand.

"I had promised Starlight that in the next assignment I would work with her, so I didn't choose AJ," explained Sunset.

"The teacher could have mentioned it yesterday about the project, but had to wait until today," said Applejack, standing up and looking at the two. "Look at the irony, the theme of the assignment is... friendship."

"How ironic," commented Rainbow, crossing her arms and looking down.

Pinkie and Sunset glanced at the multicolored girl, a bit confused by her tone and disheartened behavior.

The blonde spoke, snapping the two out of their thoughts. "I have to go find her right now, because when I saw that I had to do it with her, we didn't even talk," she mentioned, approaching a large instrument that no one was using to lean on.

"She didn't say anything to you?" Sunset asked.

"I don't understand what got into her overnight," Applejack commented.

"Yesterday, I was surprised she said something brief and gave us the reason," Sunset recalled.

"It's strange that she's not apologizing like she used to. She did with me, maybe because I was kind and approached compared to the others," thought the party girl. "Maybe I'll talk to her later."

"Well, sorry, girls, maybe we won't rehearse today. Like I said, I have to find her to move forward and I hope and wish... to finish the job as soon as possible," said, walking towards the door and leaving.

"Twilight and Fluttershy are also missing," Pinkie said, looking at the door.

"Where could they be?" Sunset wondered.

The athlete let out a heavy sigh upon hearing the name.

"Rainbow, are you okay?" the redhead asked.

"I talked to Fluttershy," said with her hand on her forehead, letting out another sigh.

"Did you finally find out what happened?" Pinkie asked anxiously.

"By the sigh, it seems like it was more than you expected," Sunset said, concerned.

The athlete nodded. "It was more than just sidelining her."

"Sidelining her?" repeated Pinkie.

"It was about how I handled my relationship with AJ." Rainbow started.

"With AJ?" Sunset asked. "What does Applejack have to do with this?"

"You see, when I started dating the blonde... I mean after Belle left town, we started having our dates."

"The classic thing couples do," commented the party girl.

The athlete removed her hand from her forehead. "Exactly, but I thought it wouldn't hurt to invite her to a date with AJ and..."

Two Years Ago
Rainbow Dash and Applejack were holding hands as they arrived at a game fair. They paused briefly, waiting for someone else.

The athlete let go of the blonde and approached the animal lover. As usual, she greeted her with a hug. Pinkie Pie had always made an exception with affectionate gestures. After breaking the hug, Fluttershy looked at the farmer.

"Hello, Applejack," she greeted with a smile.

"Hey, Fluttershy, ready to enjoy a fun day?" the farmer replied.

"We're going to have a great time, shall we?" said the athlete.

"Sure."

The three of them started walking, stopping at different game stalls to have fun.

"Look at that!" exclaimed Rainbow, pointing to a shooting gallery booth. "Let's try to win some prizes."

Fluttershy glanced nervously at the booth but followed her friends to the line.

"Come on, Flutters, this is going to be fun," encouraged the athlete. "We'll show you how it's done."

When it was their turn, the booth attendant handed them toy shotguns and explained the rules. They had to knock down a series of cans lined up on a shelf.

"Let me show you first," said Applejack, taking one of the shotguns. With a focused look, she aimed and shot, knocking down several cans with a single shot.

"Well done, AJ!" cheered the multicolored girl. She then took her shotgun and repeated the feat with impeccable precision.

Fluttershy picked up a shotgun with trembling hands. "I'm not sure about this..."

"Don't worry, Fluttershy," reassured Applejack with a smile. "Just relax and take a deep breath."

Rainbow stood behind the pink-haired girl, placing her hands over hers to help her aim. "That's right, just focus on the nearest can and breathe."

Fluttershy looked into her eyes for a moment. Rainbow nodded in encouragement, so Fluttershy took a breath to calm herself. The animal lover carefully aimed and pulled the trigger. The nearest can fell, and Fluttershy let out a small exclamation of surprise.

"You did it, Flutters!" exclaimed Rainbow, patting her on the back.

"See, it's not so hard," added Applejack with a smile, giving her a high-five.

As they continued playing, Fluttershy grew more comfortable and knocked down several more cans. Each time she succeeded, Rainbow and Applejack cheered her on. After her turn, the two followed suit, knocking down every visible can.

After several attempts, they managed to earn enough points for a prize. Rainbow looked at the prizes, thought for a moment, and made a choice.

The athlete picked up a plush toy. "Here, this is for you," said, extending her arms.

"Oh, for me?" asked Fluttershy, surprised as she looked at the plush still in her friend's hands. "Shouldn't you give it to Applejack?"

"It's okay, Fluttershy, take it," insisted the farmer.

"Besides, it's a little cheesy to give her something," joked Rainbow, shrugging. "And I wouldn't receive something so cheesy from her."

The farmer frowned slightly for a moment.

"Thank you," said Fluttershy, taking and hugging her prize. "It's really cute. Why a rabbit?"

"You always mention wanting a rabbit, so why not have a plush one for now?" Rainbow replied, smiling at her.

"A rabbit?" asked Applejack.

"Yeah, I've been thinking about it, and I think a rabbit would be ideal for me," said the pink-haired girl.

Rainbow and Applejack smiled, happy to see Fluttershy so pleased with her new plush toy. As they continued walking around the fair, enjoying the various games.

After a while, they sat on a bench to rest and enjoy some ice creams they bought from one of the stalls.

"You know, Fluttershy," said Rainbow, licking her vanilla ice cream. "I'm glad you came today."

Fluttershy smiled shyly. "It's nice to spend time together."

Applejack nodded, placing a hand on Rainbow's shoulder. "Yeah, a girls' outing is always nice."

"I promise I won't let so much time pass without having another outing like this," said the athlete.

"Today has been a wonderful day," said the pink-haired girl.

The three friends shared a laugh and continued enjoying the fair.

Rainbow Dash continued, "...it was great, we had a lot of fun, the three of us," recounted with a smile.

"Wow, Dash, I knew you were close to Fluttershy, but giving her a plush toy..." Pinkie commented with a smile.

The athlete sighed sadly. "Yeah, I've always been closer to Fluttershy, and well, with Applejack... things are different."

"I understand. Sometimes dynamics are different depending on the relationship. Nice gesture on your part to give it to her," Sunset remarked.

Pinkie, ever curious, added, "Yeah, maybe another prize choice would have been liked by AJ, don't you think?"

Rainbow raised an eyebrow. "Like you said, everyone has their different dynamics. AJ and I... we have ours."

Sunset nodded. "But getting back to Fluttershy, how did this affect your relationship with her?" asked.

"Yeah, it seems like a normal outing: playing, having fun... What happened?" said the party girl.

"We kept going out. Sometimes with Fluttershy, and other times with AJ. Occasionally, the three of us together," Rainbow continued.

"That's good, that you have time for your best friend and separately with your girlfriend, and occasionally all three," said the red-haired girl, gesturing with her hands. "I don't see what's wrong... unless you invited her..."

Rainbow Dash looked at her with a somewhat nervous expression.

"Rainbow, don't tell me that..." Sunset began.

"I didn't want to push Fluttershy aside for my dates, so..."

Fluttershy arrived at the local cafeteria, a meeting point for her and her friends. She had arrived a little early to wait outside for her friend Rainbow.

Before long, Rainbow appeared, walking with determined steps and a smile upon seeing Fluttershy.

"Hi, Fluttershy," greeted.

"Hello, Dash. Ready?" Fluttershy took a few steps forward.

The athlete gently stopped her, taking her hand. "Wait, it's not all three of us yet."

"Three?" the pink-haired girl asked, turning to look at her friend.

"Look, just in time," Rainbow said, pointing towards where Applejack was approaching.

"Um... um, hi," Fluttershy said, somewhat surprised to see her.

"Hey, Fluttershy," greeted the farmer with a smile, approaching the two.

Rainbow stepped back a bit from her friend, standing in front of both to speak. "I thought about it and decided to invite my best friend and AJ to spend time together. I had mentioned to the blonde going somewhere, but I had nothing in mind. When you mentioned the Botanical Garden, I thought it would be ideal to spend the day enjoying nature and flowers together," she explained.

The pink-haired girl forced a smile. "I don't... I don't see anything wrong."

"Me neither," added Applejack with a reassuring smile.

The three started walking towards the nearest taxi or Uber stop. Applejack took Rainbow's hand.

"Dash, is something wrong?" Fluttershy asked on her left side.

"Nothing, why?"

"You made a face, did something hurt?" asked again.

"Yeah, I stepped on something hard and it hurt," replied.

"You should be careful with what you step on," said Applejack on the other side.

"I hope you don't step on a screw by accident," Fluttershy joked.

Rainbow gently laughed at both comments as they continued walking to the taxi stop.

"But rest assured, that was all," said the athlete

"I see," said Fluttershy with a playful smile. "Please be more careful, I don't want you to get hurt."

Rainbow nodded with a smile. "I'll keep that in mind."

They soon reached the taxi stand and got into one that stopped in front of them. During the ride, they chatted excitedly about what they could expect at the Botanical Garden and what plans they had for the day, although Fluttershy still felt a slight discomfort as it wasn't the girls' outing she had expected.

Fluttershy nervously played with a strand of her hair as she spoke. "I thought it would be both of us," mentioned, "but when I saw that Applejack was coming too, it surprised me a bit."

"I see. From what you're saying, it wasn't the first time the three of you went out together," Twilight commented, watching her friend closely.

"I'm not saying we didn't have a good time or that I didn't want to see her there, but I thought it would just be the two of us," Fluttershy continued, her voice soft and somewhat melancholic.

The blue-haired girl nodded understandingly. "I get it. It can be tough when dynamics change. Did Rainbow mention in the other outings that Applejack would be coming?"

"Yeah, the other times she did mention it, and I agreed. They're my friends just like you all are, and even though I was surprised that time, we still had fun," the pink-haired girl said.

"But?" Twilight prompted, sensing a pause in her story.

Fluttershy sighed. "I understand she has to cancel outings for her dates, but after a while of just the three of us going out together, something happened..."

The three friends had decided to spend the day at the park, taking advantage of the good weather.

"Why exactly did you ask me to bring drinks and some snacks?" Applejack asked, pulling a bag off her shoulder.

Fluttershy smiled, revealing another basket with some sandwiches inside. "I brought some sandwiches," said Rainbow. "Why do you think I brought my backpack?"

"A picnic?" reacted, surprised, looking around.

"Yeah, I was torn between going to the field or having a picnic, but I decided on the picnic because of Fluttershy," explained the athlete.

"Oh..." murmured the farmer, watching the pink-haired girl lay the blanket under the tree.

"What? Aren't you one for picnics?" asked Rainbow with a half-smile.

"Uh... yeah... that's it," stammered the blonde, trying to disguise it.

"I knew you were one of mine," affirmed the multicolored film, giving him five.

The blonde saw the gesture. "Sure," replied with a half smile, bumping hands with her.

"I'll swallow your excuse a little... bad liar, bad with excuses," Rainbow thought, watching as the farmer looked into the bag.

"Ready," Fluttershy announced, catching the attention of both.

They sat down and began to enjoy the food and the company.

"These apples are delicious, AJ," commented Rainbow, taking another bite.

"Thanks, Dash," Applejack replied with a smile. "They're from the farm. Big Mac and I have been working hard."

Rainbow savored the apple, thinking that, of the few times he had been to AJ's house, he had never shown him exactly where they came from.

"And the sandwiches you brought are really good, Rainbow," Fluttershy said with a shy smile.

"Thanks, Flutters," Dash replied quickly before focusing back on Applejack. "Hey, AJ, did you see the soccer game last night?"

"Of course I did! I couldn't believe what happened in the last minute," said, feeling more relaxed talking about something she was interested in.

As they talked about the game, Applejack noticed thatthe pink-haired girl was trying to participate, but she was getting lost in the excitement of the conversation.

"That sounds interesting," the pink-haired girl tried to say, "it reminds me of when the animals at the shelter compete to see who's faster. It's fun to watch them run."

"Yeah, definitely," the multicolored pony intervened without realizing it. "AJ, do you remember when we tried to train for that competition?"

The farmer laughed. "Yeah, I never thought we'd run that much."

The pink-haired girl smiled weakly, trying to find another moment to intervene. "And speaking of competitions, at the shelter we organized a little race for the rabbits. It was adorable watching them run."

Rainbow nodded absentmindedly, not taking her eyes off Applejack. "Sure, Flutters. Hey, AJ, was thinking we should sign up for the soccer team?"

As time went on, the pink-haired girl felt more and more like a spectator rather than a participant. She tried to contribute a couple more times, but her comments seemed to go unnoticed amidst the enthusiasm of the other two.

Finally, after a while, Fluttershy took a deep breath and slowly got up. "Girls, I think I'm going to take a walk around the park. I need some fresh air," commented, trying to sound casual.

The two stopped for a moment and looked at her. "Are you sure, Flutters?" asked the athlete. "We can come with you if you want."

The girl forced a smile. "No, no, it's okay. I just need a moment alone. I'll be back soon."

"Okay, take care. See you in a bit," replied Applejack.

Fluttershy nodded and started to walk away, her steps slow and measured. She felt a knot in her stomach as she headed towards the nearby lake, looking for a quiet place where she could be alone with her thoughts. Upon arrival, she sat down on a bench and let out a sigh, feeling tears starting to well up in her eyes.

She felt trapped between her desire to be part of her friends' lives and the reality that her place in that triangle had changed. The feeling of not fully belonging filled her with sadness, and she wondered if things would ever be like they used to be.

"That day..." Fluttershy lowered her gaze. "I felt a bit... ignored." She paused before continuing. "Every time I spent more time with them, it seemed like they barely noticed me."

"Oh, Fluttershy..." Twilight murmured with understanding.

Fluttershy took a deep breath before explaining further. "I could tell our outings became less frequent. Rainbow and Applejack often have plans together, and as I mentioned, Rainbow sometimes cancels our outings."

"Frequent cancellations?" Twilight asked. "That sounds frustrating."

"Yes," confirmed sadly. "And when we do get together, sometimes Rainbow and Applejack seem more focused on each other. They talk about things I don't fully understand, as if they share a separate world."

"It makes sense since they're couples, and it's common for them to kind of get into their own world," thought the blue-haired girl, then nodded empathetically. "It sounds like you felt excluded."

"Exactly," sighed Fluttershy, taking a deep breath before continuing, choosing her words carefully. "Each time that happened, I started feeling like..."

"The third wheel," Twilight finished for her. Fluttershy nodded sadly.

"But amidst that, not only did some outings get canceled and the other... but something else happened," said, looking at Twilight with regret.

"What else happened?" Twilight asked.

Side B / Music Room
"I remember Fluttershy's slight discomfort, but I didn't think much of it at the time," Rainbow said, frowning as she recalled how she had been more focused on Applejack than her friend.

"Dash, it's normal for couples to be focused on each other, but you should have balanced it out and not invited her so often," commented Sunset.

"I know, but I didn't want to ignore her for AJ," responded the athlete.

"But you ended up achieving what you didn't want to," added Pinkie with a sad expression.

The athlete put two fingers on the bridge of her nose and shook her head. She let out a sigh and looked at both of them. "I didn't even realize I was ignoring her when I got lost in conversations with AJ."

"I know you didn't do it intentionally," said the redhead.

"No, it wasn't intentional, but I did push her away a lot..." admitted sadly.

"Rainbow, at least... you didn't do that when we all hung out together," said the party girl, trying to find a positive side.

"That's true," she said with a faint smile that quickly faded as something crossed her mind. "There's another thing that was almost normal for me with you all that I didn't take into account until our conversation."

"Normal?" asked Sunset.

"With us?" asked Pinkie.

"After that, not only did I cancel outings with Fluttershy," continued the athlete. "I used to call her..."

Rainbow sat on the edge of her bed, phone in hand, staring at the screen before dialing Fluttershy's number.

("Hello, Rainbow,") greeted the soft voice on the other end of the call.

"Hey, Fluttershy," responded, trying to conceal the frustration in her tone. "Can we talk for a moment?"

("Sure, what's going on?") Fluttershy asked.

Rainbow sighed. "It's Applejack... we had a fight today."

("Oh, I'm sorry to hear that,") responded empathetically. ("Do you want to tell me what happened?")

"It's just... our differences are starting to affect our relationship," explained, frustrated. "I don't know how to handle this."

Fluttershy listened quietly on the other end before responding cautiously. ("What was the fight about?")

"It was about how we handle our responsibilities. I get that college is important and all, but sometimes I just want to chill and do things my way." She let out a laugh. "It's almost like Twi sometimes."

("That sounds tough,") commented Fluttershy calmly. ("Differences in handling responsibilities can create a lot of tension.")

"Yeah, we're always clashing over these things," Rainbow admitted.

("Maybe you both need to find a way to communicate better and find compromises,") she suggested kindly. ("Have you talked about how you feel about this?")

"Not in a really productive way. Whenever I try to talk, she gets defensive," Rainbow expressed, sounding a bit upset.

("It might help to try talking when you're both calmer. Explaining how you feel without accusations can help her understand your perspective,") advised gently.

"Thanks, Fluttershy. You always help me see things clearly," Rainbow sincerely expressed, grateful for her friend's support.

("I'm here for you, Rainbow. You can always count on me,") Fluttershy responded understandingly.

They continued talking for a while longer.

"Well, that was one of the first calls I made to her about my fights with the blonde, and since she's my best friend, I thought of her to talk about the subject," the athlete explained.

"So you called her to advise you, like we usually do now," said Pinkie, then felt Sunset's elbow. The party girl nervously smiled.

"Calling her for that?" Sunset asked, surprised.

"Not just calls... video calls too," admitted the athlete, looking downcast.

"Rainbow!" exclaimed the redhead, incredulous.

"I know..." said, putting her hand to her forehead again.

Pinkie and Sunset looked at each other, understanding the situation more clearly.

"It's easy to fall into that habit," Sunset said. "When you trust someone so much, you can forget that they also have their own needs."

Rainbow nodded. "It's something I always did, even before my relationship with AJ was official. I called Fluttershy to talk about my problems, and she was always there to listen," she explained. "But those calls became more frequent..."

Fluttershy was in her room, working on a research paper for a university assignment. The notification of an incoming video call sounded on her notebook, interrupting her progress. The pink-haired girl looked at the screen and saw it was Rainbow Dash, so she accepted the video call.

"Hey, Dash. What's up?"

The screen showed the athlete in her room, visibly upset.

("Fluttershy, I need to talk to you! I got into another fight with Applejack and I'm so mad...") she began. ("I can't believe what happened!")

"Oh no, what happened this time?" said Fluttershy, concerned.

Rainbow sighed. ("We had planned a date, right? Well, I arrived on time and Applejack was late. It's not the first time this has happened. But when I mentioned it, she said I had made her wait too!")

"I'm so sorry," Fluttershy said sympathetically. "I understand how frustrating that must have been for you. Being late can be annoying, especially when you had already planned something."

("Exactly! And she's the one who organized it and doesn't show up on time... at least apologize when she's late,") said the multicolored girl.

"Sometimes, differences in how people manage time can cause tensions. Have you talked to Applejack about how it made you feel?" Fluttershy asked.

("I tried, but she got defensive... again,") Rainbow said, rolling her eyes. ("And she started mentioning other times when I was late.")

"Sometimes when we're really angry, it's hard to see a solution. Maybe wait until things calm down a bit," suggested Fluttershy.

("You're right, Fluttershy. Maybe I should give her some time. But I feel so bad right now...") Rainbow said.

"I'm here to listen, always. If you need to talk more or distract yourself, we can go for a walk or do something fun together," offered Fluttershy.

("Thank you, Fluttershy. I really appreciate that. Maybe a walk wouldn't be a bad idea,") said Rainbow, sounding calmer.

"Sure, whenever you're ready," replied Fluttershy softly.

("Would you like to go out now?") Rainbow suggested with a smile. ("I think that would do me good. Thanks for being so understanding.")

"Yes, I'd like that. That's what friends are for," said the pink-haired girl with a smile. "See you in a bit, Rainbow."

("See you, Fluttershy.")

The video call ended. Fluttershy prepared to go out and meet her friend.

"After certain calls, we would go out to have fun or distract her," Fluttershy said, sighing. "As I said, that happened in between everything."

"I see. But in a way, at least you were going out with her, right?" commented the blue one, smiling and trying to be somewhat optimistic.

Fluttershy nodded sadly. "At least that happened, and also when all six of us went out together."

Twilight patiently waited for her to continue.

"I don't want to sound bad, but when one of you called, I was glad because it was to talk about other things or get together," Fluttershy said, almost with a smile. "Those moments reminded me that I still belonged to the group."

"It must have been a relief," Twilight commented with a smile.

"Yes, it was," Fluttershy replied. "But those moments became rarer and rarer. Every time my phone rang, I hoped it was one of you, but most of the time it was Rainbow."

The pink one frowned, feeling the growing sadness in her friend's words.

"How did that affect you?" Twilight asked, wanting to better understand the situation.

"I became more reserved, more introspective. I didn't want to worry the others with my problems," Fluttershy admitted. "I felt like my role was the understanding friend, the one who's always there to support."

Twilight nodded. "That explains why we only just realized now that something was wrong."

Fluttershy took a deep breath. "It hurt to see Rainbow suffering, and I wanted to be there for her. But at the same time, it hurt to feel like I was only important when she had a problem."

"Wait, Rainbow was only calling you for that?" Twilight asked, surprised, though something told her she knew the answer.

Fluttershy didn't say anything for a few seconds, looking down at her hands with a thoughtful expression. Finally, she opened her mouth and spoke with a melancholic tone. "Every time I saw she was calling me, I knew what the reason was, and it saddened me..."

Fluttershy was organizing her plants on the balcony of her house when an incoming video call rang on her phone. She glanced at the screen and saw it was her best friend again. With a slight expression of frustration, she accepted the call.

"Hey, Rainbow... What happened this time?" Fluttershy asked softly, but with a hint of strain in her voice.

The phone screen showed her friend with a furrowed brow.

("Seriously, the blonde frustrates me so much. This time it was over something as silly as which movie to watch. She always wants to choose and won't let me decide," the athlete expressed with frustration.

"Wow... that sounds frustrating," replied the pink-haired girl, trying to stay calm.

("I just don't understand why she can't just compromise once in a while! It's always her way or no way. Why is it so hard for her to get that?") sighed Rainbow.

"Now it's AJ. The other time she mentioned that Applejack got angry because it was Dash who always chose. Sometimes I don't understand them." Thought the pink-haired. "Rainbow, I know this is important to you, but have you tried talking to her calmly about how you feel?" She said with a firmer tone.

("I've tried, but it seems like she never listens to me!") replied, exasperated.

"I understand. Maybe you could suggest taking turns making decisions. One day she chooses, and the next day you. That way both of you have a turn," Fluttershy suggested, forcing a smile, but feeling a little frustrated.

("Yes, you're right. But sometimes I feel like I'm the only one who gives in,") said, sighing.

"Maybe you could talk to her when you're both calmer," the pink girl suggested with a small smile.

("I will do that,")

"Is there anything else you want to ask me?" Fluttershy asked hopefully.

("No, that's all. Thank you, Fluttershy. Seriously, I appreciate you always being there for me.")

"Of course, Rainbow. Whenever you need me..." replied with a slightly forced smile.

The video call ended. Fluttershy stared at the screen for a moment, sighing deeply before returning to her activities, feeling a little disappointed that she hadn't been invited out again.

"I tried to be a good friend, but I felt exhausted," confessed Fluttershy, her voice trembling slightly. "Is it wrong to want your friend for yourself for once, outside of those problems?"

"Of course not," said Twilight, looking at her. "It's completely normal to want to spend quality time with your friends."

"I felt like I wasn't important to her anymore," continued the pink-haired girl, her gaze fixed on her hands. "It was like I was just a spectator in her life."

"That sounds very painful, Fluttershy," said Twilight softly, touching her arm in a gesture of support.

"I was just someone to turn to when she needed to vent," she said, letting out some tears she had been holding back. "It hurt so much every time I saw her name on the screen because I knew she just wanted to talk about her problems."

Twilight hugged her tightly as she saw her tears becoming more intense. "Did you ever tell her?" she asked gently.

"No... I didn't want to cause her more trouble," replied, burying her face in Twilight's shoulder. "That's why I decided to distance myself from her... was it wrong to do that?"

"You were just protecting yourself from feeling worse than you already were," said Twilight, gently stroking her back. "Sometimes, we have to take care of ourselves first."

"I had become her shoulder to cry on," Fluttershy continued with a broken voice, "even though many times when she called, she looked angry or frustrated. It was never a call to see how I was doing, just to vent."

Twilight maintained the hug, offering her unconditional support. "You didn't deserve to feel like that. You're a wonderful person and an amazing friend. You deserve to be valued and cared for too."

The pink-haired girl nodded slowly, feeling somewhat relieved to finally be able to share her feelings with someone who understood her. "Thank you, Twilight. It means a lot to me that you listen," said, releasing the hug.

"I'll always be here for you," Twilight affirmed firmly.

Feeling calmer after releasing everything she had kept inside, the pink-haired girl opened her mouth to continue. "Yesterday, I talked to her, well, she talked to me... apparently she realized the reason for my behavior."

"Did she figure it out?" asked Twilight.

"Not everything, but just a part."

Rainbow looked at her friends with an air of sadness and regret. "I think I used her as a refuge. I only called her to talk about my problems with AJ. I forgot that she also needed time with me as her friend."

"Rainbow, she must know you didn't do it with that intention," said the party girl, trying to console her.

"But still, I hurt her," Dash said, clenching her fists in frustration. "I didn't just push her away or ignore her, I made her feel like she was only useful when I had problems."

"Dash, you could have talked to us too," Sunset said, seeking a solution.

"I wish I had done that a long time ago," Rainbow replied, regretful. "I have to fix this. I can't lose my friend because of my mistakes."

"We'll support you in whatever you need," affirmed the redhead, determination in her voice.

"Yes! Friendship is the most important thing!" added the partygoer enthusiastically.

The multicolored girl took a deep breath, trying to calm herself.

"So, we need to think about how you can talk to Fluttershy and show her how much you care," Sunset said.

"We can plan something special for you to show her how much she means to you! You'll see, you'll be back to how you were before," Pinkie suggested.

Rainbow smiled faintly, feeling a little more hopeful with her friends' support. "Thank you, girls. I need all the support I can get. Fluttershy is one of the most important people in my life, and I can't lose her because of my own mistakes."

The redhead nodded, something crossing her mind. "Did you agree on something when you finished talking?"

The athlete looked at both of them, eyes filled with determination and remorse. "We didn't talk much after that. But I asked her to give me another chance..."

Fluttershy and Rainbow were in an empty room after the latter had come to talk about what she believed was causing the distance between them. Now, the pink-haired girl was finishing telling the other side of the story to the multicolored one, who hadn't realized it at the time.

"Did... did I do that?" Rainbow said, almost stuttering.

Fluttershy nodded slowly, sadness evident on her face.

"How did it make you feel?" asked, fearing the answer.

The pink-haired girl took a moment to gather her thoughts before speaking. "It's not just that you sidelined me," she began with a trembling voice. "It's also how you made me feel during those moments. Every time you called me, it was to talk about your problems with Applejack. I cared about you, but I also felt... used."

The athlete frowned, feeling a pang of guilt. "Used?"

"It felt like you only reached out to me when you needed to vent," continued, tears starting to fill her eyes. "I felt like I wasn't important to you anymore, like I was just someone to turn to when you were upset or frustrated. We weren't friends sharing happy moments anymore."

The multicolored girl clenched her fists, feeling helpless. "Fluttershy, I never meant for you to feel that way. I didn't realize how much I was hurting you."

"I know," Fluttershy said softly. "And that makes it even harder. I didn't want to distance myself from you, but it was affecting me too much. I needed space... to not feel so... ignored."

Rainbow looked at her with a mix of surprise and sadness. "And when the three of us hung out? Did you feel the same way then too?"

The pink-haired girl nodded. "Yes. At first, I was glad you still wanted to spend time with me. But then, unintentionally, you would dive into conversation with Applejack, and I would feel invisible."

The athlete nodded slowly, processing her friend's words. "I understand, Fluttershy. And I'm so sorry for putting you in that position. I want to fix this. I want to be the friend you deserve, the friend I used to be."

"Rainbow Dash, it won't be easy. But I appreciate that you're willing to try."

The athlete took a deep breath and nodded. "I'll do whatever it takes to earn back your trust and our friendship. I promise."

Fluttershy smiled faintly, tears still in her eyes. "That's all I can ask for."

"Thank you for giving me a chance to make this right, Fluttershy. I won't waste it."

Present
"She asked for a chance to fix our friendship... She wants to make it right," Fluttershy expressed, looking at Twilight with a reflective expression.

"That shows she really cares. How did you feel when she asked you?" Twilight asked, smiling warmly at her.

The pink-haired girl lowered her gaze, nervously playing with her hands. "I felt relieved and, at the same time, fearful."

"That's understandable," affirmed Twilight, placing a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder. "But it's also an opportunity to establish clear and healthy boundaries in your friendship."

"Yes, I suppose you're right," Fluttershy conceded, feeling a bit calmer. "But I'm still afraid that everything will go back to how it was before."

Twilight nodded understandingly. "It's normal to fear change, but if Rainbow is truly committed to improving, you can work together to strengthen your friendship."

"Thank you, Twilight."

"That's what friends are for," Twilight replied with a warm smile. "Besides, all of us will be here to support you."

Fluttershy took a deep breath, comforted by her friend's words. "I think I need to talk to Rainbow Dash. We need to clarify some things and establish those boundaries."

"Addressing it directly is a good idea. Do you want me to come with you when you talk to her?" suggested Twilight.

The pink-haired girl thought for a moment. "Thank you, but I think I should do it alone. However, I really appreciate your support."

"I'm here for whatever you need," assured Twilight with a warm smile. "And remember, there's no rush. Take all the time you need to feel ready."

Fluttershy nodded. "I'll talk to Rainbow Dash tomorrow. I hope we can find a way forward together."

Twilight looked at her confidently. "I'm sure you will figure it out. But for now, would you like to relax and go to the cafeteria?"

"I'd love to, Twilight. Thank you," Fluttershy said, rising from her chair.

Together, they left the library on their way to the cafeteria.

Author's Note

• I haven't read much fanfic because I've focused on advancing mine, but I've very rarely read Appledash. I don't know if anyone has done anything different, like making Fluttershy feel like the third wheel instead of being in the love triangle.

• The reason for Fluttershy's estrangement was finally revealed! Do any of you guess? I gave enough hints of this. I wanted to do something different and avoid the typical cliché.

-Initially I thought Fluttershy would remember what happened at her house, but in the end I decided to have her tell Twilight.. This also establishes Twilight as someone Fluttershy can trust in the development of the story.