Love is Like Gravity

Shit.

Swift felt like it, the tidal waves fighting in his head ringing about his mind and body while one tried to gain dominance over the other. It had been a week after Rainbow assaulted him with her insanely hot passion, and the full logical affect was grabbing hold of him. On the pros list he made in his head: he was no longer a virgin, he loved Rainbow and she loved him, he could tell it was the second best thing to have happened to him. Now for the cons: they just had sex, something so extreme and personal that it could never be forgotten or taken back. And they had been together for a month. Yes, they are adults, but this was moving faster than Swift thought normal. These two lists fought non-stop.

And it was maddening.

On one hand, this was good, no, great that he found someone who cared about him so much. It was a sign of things to come; that he was capable of loving after what happened so long ago. But it was moving alarmingly fast. This nagged at him, pestered him to no end. He was no teenager; his hormones were more than in check. But his emotions... they were an untamed force, capable of things far greater than he thought possible. The only thing that could 'control' it was his logical side, but deep within his wall of realism, was fear. Fear that it knew the day would come when it would crumble to the ungodly force it contained.

But with the trains of thought running his mind ragged, logic seemed to be out to sabotage his wall. The cracks had always been there, they had every reason to be after what he witnessed. They only leaked emotion, however. All the depression, pain, numbness came slowly over the years, causing him to fly in that fateful storm. That was a slow buildup over years, and it had a heavy effect. To think what would come of a full-blown break in his wall... it sent shivers down his spine. And logic was only beating it with a sledgehammer. He thought long and hard about what he and Rainbow had done, and the more he thought, the more it seemed to point to a different answer than love:

Lust.

Swift admitted to it, Rainbow had the best body on a girl that he had ever seen. Granted, he didn't really see a lot of girls, that had been changing as of late with his social side growing. Swift had caught himself looking over Rainbow more than was needed the day he meet her... well, the week AFTER the day he meet her. He had fantasized over what that body would look like, what it could do, what he would do to it. He was only human, but with the way Rainbow had appeared that day, doing her very best to show her feminism, Swift couldn't fight it any more. He happily did as Rainbow wished, and had kicked himself for it every day after it.

He had no doubts that Rainbow did it out of love; the way she acted was more than enough proof of that. That was what Swift feared though; that if what he did didn't signify that he felt the absolute same for her, he knew it would tear Rainbow apart. He mulled it over in his mind several times, struggling to find the words that held his answer. It took him several minutes before he could fully formulate the arguments in his head and decided to find the truth within himself, or at least start.

"I love her. That's a good sign, right?" Swift said, hopeful and unsure.

'Do you? While you may care for her and her feelings, you do so for all six of your friends, yet you don't love them.' Logic countered.

"This is different, this is-" Swift said, cut off by himself.

'How is this different? You care about her physical and emotional well-being, just like all your friends.' Logic stated.

"Yes, but my other friends don't make me feel the same. When I'm around Rainbow I feel happy, safe, like I belong in this world." Swift said.

'True, but you also have base needs that do not need love and happiness to fulfill. All you need is a compatible partner, in this case, Rainbow. She offered herself to you and you didn't even hesitate to accept her.' Logic said.

"Yeah, but that was different. That was love making, not primal sex." Swift said.

'What is the difference? The words? Society has altered the true meaning of survival so as to rationalize its own actions.' Logic said with an aggravated edge to its words.

"Society has changed a lot, I should know. I change it all the time. But true happiness between two individuals using something as personal as intercourse to show affection for one another? That. Is. Different." Swift said, full force behind his words.

'Is it now? What about other creatures? Take the Black Widow spider for example. Once the female is with the male’s seed, she then consumes him to feed her young. That is not a sign of affection or love, yet they had sexual intercourse.' Logic said.

"How is that even remotely the same? Humans don't eat each other after sex. And other creatures, such as Emperor Penguins, have been found to mate for life." Swift said, glad to find a counter-example with Logic's own point.

'Very well, you have forced my hand. You and I both know that emotion control or understanding is something that is new to us, and we only have the most basic of knowledge on it. How do you know for SURE that what you feel is love? How do you know it's not lust or another emotion entirely? You have never felt it, how can you know what it is?' Logic said.

Swift couldn't find an argument for that. 'Furthermore, we can hardly comprehend our own feelings over the murder of our parents. Sadness and grief are obvious choices, but what about the others? The anger, the resentment, the pain? How do you know that they aren’t present, even in your own mind?' Swift was once again at a loss for words. Now that he thought back on it, they were there. They were what bothered him when he thought back on it. Logic had the upper hand, and he knew it. 'Here you are, twenty four and you are only just discovering emotions from something that happened seventeen years ago. How can you possibly understand what you feel for Rainbow Dash?' Logic smugly said.

Swift had his mouth agape, truth coursing through him at this realization. Logic was right, one hundred percent right. Both these situations are life-altering events for him, and he was only just seeing the other side of one. How could he be sure of anything when it came to Rainbow? How could he be sure of anything about himself? "There is an answer for this, I know there is..." Swift mumbled.

'You are right, and it is you are in over your head. This is something that you can't handle. This is a test that you WILL fail.' Logic stated.

"Goddesses Damnit, you're right." Swift said, hanging his head in defeat.

'But... you can pass. With help.' Logic said, more softly.

"Looking back on this, I need serious help. I'm talking to myself about me. But, it's nothing that I haven’t done before, and I don't show signs of mental illness, so, let's hear about this help of yours." Swift said.

'Agreed, we will look back on this sometime in the future. Until then, you have five choices: Twilight Sparkle, Pinkie Pie, Applejack, Rarity, or Fluttershy. Given that Fluttershy is Rainbow's best friend, I suggest we start with her.' Logic stated.

"True as that is, I think I'll start with Twilight. I'm closer with her and feel like she would be of more use right now." Swift said his mood brightening, if only slightly.

Golden Oaks Library

Twilight was engrossed in a fascinating text on magical uses of certain plants when a very unexpected knock came from the door. Not that she heard it, all her focus was on this book. That is why Spike was with her in this library; otherwise Twilight would have missed numerous visits by others. Spike opened the door to Swift, hands in pockets and a distant look. "Hey Swift. What's up?" Spike asked, looking up to Swift.

"Hmm? Oh, right, hey Spike. Is Twilight here?" Swift asked, snapping out of his thoughts.

"Yeah, but she's reading a book. Good luck getting her attention." Spike said as he stepped aside to allow Swift entry.

"Thanks. Her room? Or her study?" Swift said as he entered.

"Study." Spike responded, returning rather quickly to the kitchen he emergered from.

'Must be cooking lunch.' Swift thought as he made his way for the study. Sure enough, Twilight was deep within her book. Swift took a moment to ponder how to best remove her from her state of detachment from reality. 'Look, I know I'm here for something serious, but who says I can't have a little fun?' Swift thought to himself as he looked around the room mischievously. 'That will do perfectly...' Swift thought as he pulled a large book from its spot on the shelf.

Twilight's Mind

This was fascinating! All the different uses for Poison Joke in the magical field were incredible! Simply incredible! The very roots (No pun intended) of its magical powers struck Twilight to be dumbfounded. It dated back eons ago, much longer than Equestria had been around, down to the very sorcery the Ancient Ones used to heal. However, there had been a trickster amongst them during its creation, and their negative influence in the magic caused the other casters to-

*WHAP*

Twilight jumped up and yelped in surprise, her heart racing as she looked about in a panic to discover and identify the source of the loud noise. After a few heart-pounding moments, her eyes fell upon the form of Swift, rolling on his back, waving his legs in the air much the same way Rainbow did, laughing hysterically. Twilight looked from Swift to the large book now on her desk and sighed in frustration. "Swift, what the hell?!" Twilight said, her irritation chilling her voice. Swift finished his fit of laughter before standing and facing Twilight, wiping a tear from his eye as he did so.

"Sorry Twi. I couldn't help myself." Swift said as he offered a hand to help Twilight off the floor. Twilight was still pissed at Swift, but she accepted his hand as he hauled her into standing position and a hug in one fluid motion. Twilight hugged him back before disconecting.

"It's nice to see you Swift. It's been a while since I've seen you. Or Rainbow for that matter. You two must be doing well, huh?" Twilight said as she led Swift to the living room portion of the library. Swift followed her and sat down in the couch across from the one Twilight sat down in.

"That's, uh, why I'm here, actually." Swift said, the tidal waves stirring in his head.

"Oh? What do you need Swift? I'll help any way I can." Twilight said, concern leaking into her voice.

"Well, about a week ago, Rainbow and I... well... we, uh... y'know..." Swift said, rubbing the back of his neck and blushing.

"Fucked?" Twilight offered.

"Yes. Wait, WHAT?! Twilight!" Swift said, mortified that the bookworm would use such blunt language.

Twilight giggled, “What? It's just a word Swift." Swift stared at her gobsmaked. "

Yeah, but, sweet Celestia Twi! You don't have to be so blunt!" Swift said.

"Oh, come now, Swift. So, as you were saying..." Twilight prompted with a gesture from her hand to proceed.

"Oh, right. Well, we... y'know... and we both said we loved each other." Swift resumed.

"That's great! But... why are you telling me?" Twilight asked confused.

"Let me finish and you'll know why. While I have no doubt that Rainbow loves me... I don't know if I love her." Swift said slowly.

Twilight looked like someone asked a simple question in an advanced placement course, “Well, why did you say it then?"

Swift looked to the floor, “I don't know if what I feel is love. We were in the moment; it felt like the right thing to say. But looking back on it... I'm not sure if I really meant it."

Twilight closed her eyes and put her head on her hand, deep in thought. Swift stooled about in his own mind, waiting for Twilight to finish her thoughts. The tidal waves were pressing against the wall, not in an attempt to burst forth, but testing its boundaries. 'I hope I can keep it in check, for now.' Swift thought to himself.

"Hmm. Have you thought this over yourself?" Twilight asked, only her mouth moving.

"Yeah. I'm not sure if what I feel is love or lust. Or something else entirely." Swift responded.

"Mmm." Was all Twilight gave before resuming her thoughts.

'Well, this is boring. Wonder what Spike's up to...' Swift thought as he rose from his seat.

"Don't even think about leaving yet." Twilight said, once again, only her mouth moving.

'Or I can stay here.' Swift thought as he sat back down. Swift thought back on the afterglow of his and Rainbow's shared moment. How right it felt, he incredible she looked, the content on her face. Most importantly, how she made him feel. He felt safe, like nothing could hurt him. Happy, like nothing had ever been bad. This HAD to be love... didn't it?

"So... just to clarify, you and Rainbow had sex?" Twilight asked, opening her eyes and facing Swift.

"Y-yes." Swift replied with a blush.

"And you said you love each other?" Twilight asked, tone neutral.

"Yes..." Swift said, looking to the floor.

"And you aren’t sure if you love her?" Twilight asked.

"That sums it up." Swift said.

"I think I know the answer then!" Twilight said, happily clapping her hands together. "

Really? What is it?" Swift asked quickly.

"You love her!" Twilight said proudly. "You cared enough to turn to your friends for help on how you feel about someone you had physical relations with. It bothered you that you were unsure, so it must mean you have feelings for her. I think the cause of your nerves is the rate your relationship is going."

"... Wow. That is pretty accurate. Thanks Twi!" Swift said, jumping up and hugging Twilight.

"Sure thing Swift. Anything else you need?" Twilight said, half joking.

"Now that you mention it, do you have a book on metals and their facts? Specifically their weather resistance?" Swift asked, breaking the hug.

Twilight looked at Swift with slight confusion before responding with, "Yeah. Actually, the book you startled me with is on metals and their uses." Twilight said with slight annoyance.

"Awesome! Now off to Fluttershys house... thing." Swift said gathering the large book.

Fluttershys Cottage

Fluttershy had been enjoying a relatively quiet day so far. It was one of her "easy days" when her animals felt like being kind to her and caring mostly for themselves. 'So peaceful...' Fluttershy thought to herself as she sat down with a fresh cup of tea at her couch. She took a sip and savored the minty taste as the soothing liquid swirled in her mouth and slithered down her throat. Fluttershy felt absolutely relaxed for the first time in a while... until a knock came from the door. Panic struck her for a fleeting moment before she rose to answer the door. "Hello?" Fluttershy quietly asked while she opened the door to reveal Swift holding a large book.

"Ah, hello Swift. How are you?" Fluttershy asked at full volume.

"I'm... well, I've been better. Can I come in?" Swift asked.

"Oh, sure Swift." Fluttershy said, opening the door to allow him in while stepping aside. Swift walked in and sat on the couch placing the large tome down next to him. Fluttershy sat down next to Swift and sipped from her tea once more. "Would you care for some tea, Swift?" Fluttershy offered after her sip.

"No, thank you. I was wondering if I could talk to you about something a bit... personal." Swift said.

"Of course Swift. What do you need?" Fluttershy said, a motherly tone of concern warming her voice.

"It's about me and Rainbow. We... uh..." Swift said the same blush from earlier warming his cheeks once more.

"You screwed her brains out?" Fluttershy offered for Swift.

"Ye- HOLY SWEET LUNA, Fluttershy!" Swift yelled, appalled that someone as quiet and sweet as Fluttershy would say something so... well, vile.

Fluttershy giggled, “It’s just a saying Swift. So you were saying..." Fluttershy prompted.

"First Twilight, now you... anyway, yes, we did that. We also said that we love each other, but I'm not sure if I do." Swift finished.

"Why would you say it if you aren’t sure if you mean it?" Fluttershy asked.

"Just like Twilight... It just felt like the right thing to say. While we uh... yeah." Swift said.

Fluttershy looked into the warm brown depths of her tea as though an answer lie somewhere in it. "Do you know if she loves you?" Fluttershy said after a small pause.

"Of that, I have no doubt she does." Swift said in a mixture of happiness and sadness.

"I see..." Fluttershy said before returning to her drink.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, Logic returning to check up on Swift's progress. 'Twilight said you love her, and she made valid points. Perhaps you really do love her.' Logic mused, deep in analysis of Swift's emotions.

'As I hoped, Logic.' Swift thought.

'Well, so did I. I am you, after all.' Logic stated matter-of-factly. 'Now pay attention, Fluttershy has an answer.' Logic said, throwing Swift back to reality.

"So, she loves you and you're not sure if you love her?" Fluttershy asked, setting her cup down.

"That about sums it up. But... I don't know. The more I think about this, the more I want to believe that it's love." Swift said, placing his head in his hands.

"Well, you know how fast Rainbow likes to go." Fluttershy said with a small chortle.

'You have no idea...' Swift thought to himself with a mental chuckle. "Yeah, but what should I do?" Swift said, aloud this time.

"I think you should just talk to her about this yourself. Just say that you think you should slow down a little. I'm sure she would understand." Fluttershy said with a small smile.

"Alright, but, do you think I love her? Or not?" Swift asked, a little fearful of the answer.

"I'm sure you love her as well, Swift." Fluttershy said with a warm smile.

Swift breathed a sigh of relief, “Thanks Fluttershy. Really. Anyhow, I really should get going. I have a project to work on and a beautiful girl to talk to." Swift said as he rose, gave Fluttershy a hug, and turned for the door. 'This has what it takes, so tell me why, can't this be love?' Swift sang in his mind as he walked for Ponyville.