Romance and the Fate of Equestria

I'd like to thank those who spoke out in response to my earlier request for readers to do so. Murooj and bakaleafblade, whom I hear from occasionally, thanks for making yourselves known again. I'm very glad to have your support, and it was nice reconnecting with you both.

Then, more recently, there's Ukchana. The very excellent Ukchana. Thank you most of all, for all the encouragement and advice. And, just yesterday, Raven Darkness94. Thank you. And—though this last reviewer did not appear due to my request as she's still in the early chapters—my dear old friend Stegotron, it's so great to have you here.

I hope you all enjoy the ongoing adventure and continue reviewing. And I haven't seen Ranger for a while, so I might be in need of a new confidant. I might be scouting out one of you as a potential replacement. Heh heh, just messin' with ya.

Chapter One Hundred and Three

Rainbow pranced down the street, singing under her breath and occasionally bringing out a few dance moves, wearing a broad grin and scarcely looking where she was going. She spotted Twilight, sitting at a picnic table outside of Sugarcube Corner and writing a letter. Out of the corner of her eye, Rainbow spotted Lyra and Bon Bon pass by her on the street and roll their eyes at her.

She skidded to a stop and flapped her wings, flying backwards and stopping in front of the two of them. "Hey. What's with the dirty looks, ladies?"

"Come on," Lyra laughed. "Nopony likes a pony who does the singing, dancing, just-had-sex thing."

"Don't you think the ponies in this town are judging you enough?" Bon Bon drawled.

"Judging me?" Rainbow demanded. "Hey, anypony whose opinion I actually care about is going to be happy for me and Derpy. Otherwise, screw 'em."

"Oh," Lyra said with interest. "Well, good for you. 'Cause the happy-for-you reaction, meh, you're not gonna be getting a whole lot of that."

Rainbow scowled. "What's your problem? What, is my stealing a young bride from her straight wedding giving the gay community a bad name? That's rich, coming from the lesbian kissing-cousins."

Bon Bon laughed cruelly, snorting as she did. "The public perception of the gay community isn't going to be altered by anything you do. Get over yourself. You're not that important."

"Yeah, put that ego away before it smothers you in your sleep," Lyra said brightly.

"…Or don't," Bon Bon muttered, smirking.

"Or don't!" Lyra agreed, giggling. "Keep it out and wait for the inevitable moment when it smothers you."

"Whose loss is that?" Bon Bon sneered.

"Nopony's," Lyra growled.

"Anyway, best of luck to ya," Bon Bon said lazily.

"Yeah," said Lyra, abruptly back to being perky. "Good luck, and, you know, prepare yourself."

Lyra and Bon Bon walked past Rainbow on either side of her, brushing up against her as they did. Rainbow turned around slowly to glare at them.

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" she demanded. "What are you talking about?"

"Oh, a few things," Lyra called over her shoulder. "Aphorisms, you might say. Clichés, even."

"Like what?"

They turned, looking thoughtful.

"Um… what goes around comes around?" Lyra suggested.

"Or, once a cheater always a cheater?" Bon Bon added.

Rainbow quivered with anger and gritted her teeth. "Derpy is not a cheater," she said viciously. "She didn't cheat on anypony. The minute she knew that I loved her and that she could be with me like she always wanted, the wedding was off. Okay? She's not capable of cheating."

"All right, so she'll cordially dump you when her next true love comes along," Bon Bon chuckled.

"Hope it's not at your wedding," Lyra giggled. "'Cause that would be heartbreaking…"

They proceeded on their way. Rainbow took to the air and flew over their heads as they walked. "I am her true love," she snapped.

"Oh?" said Bon Bon. "So, you'd have gone and confessed your love to her even if things had worked out between you and Big Macintosh?"

"That's… that's a non-issue," Rainbow stammered.

"Oooooh, fascinating!" Lyra said eagerly, completely ignoring Rainbow's statement. "What if you'd dated him for a while, and then got dumped after Derpy's wedding?"

"Yeah, what would you have done then?" said Bon Bon. "Would you have made her get a divorce?"

"She totally would have," Lyra muttered.

"Not even a question," Bon Bon agreed.

"But… could you have convinced her to break that big of a commitment?" Lyra mused.

"Ain't that the question of the day," said Bon Bon.

"Look… SHUT UP!" Rainbow snarled.

"Fine, fine!" Bon Bon said dramatically as she walked. "It's true love! You belong with her and she thinks you're totally worth the shame of being a runaway bride. Of course she thinks that. You just came back from a sensual vacation to an exotic west coast location which, oh right, was meant to be her honeymoon. That level of glitz and romance, yeah, that'll carry the true love thing. But for how long? What about ten years from now, twenty years from now, when the novelty has worn off? It happened with her fiancé. How are you going to stop it happening to you?"

"Ten to twenty years?" said Lyra. "Babe, that's awfully generous. It's never gonna happen." Her face darkened again. "I give them less than one year."

Rainbow dropped down to the ground to block their path, her face contorted with fury.

"I am going to be with Derpy for the long haul," she said raggedly, "because I love her, and she loves me. I don't need to prove anything or explain myself to a couple of absolute jerks like you!"

"Oh, you don't, do you?" Bon Bon drawled.

"No, I don't!"

"You don't?" Lyra said in mock surprise.

"NO!"

"Then why are you still following us around, hotshot?" Bon Bon said sweetly.

Rainbow looked around and realized where she was standing, that she was blocking Lyra and Bon Bon from entering their own house. She had followed them all the way home from Sugarcube Corner. She bit her lip for a moment, then without a word took the air and returned to the pastry shop.

Twilight was exactly where Rainbow had left her, writing a letter at a picnic table. "Rainbow Dash," she said without looking up, "you're not going to let your perception of your own relationship with Derpy be altered by the opinion of Lyra and Bon Bon, are you? I sincerely hope that's not what's happening here."

Rainbow hovered in place, staring blankly. "…No" she said. "No, of course that's not what's happening. I mean, it was, but… gosh, I'm so stupid, to have almost let that happen." She grinned sheepishly. "Thanks, Twilight. Way to knock some sense into me with a single sentence."

Twilight winked at her. "It's what I do."

"Their opinion doesn't matter," Rainbow said confidently. "What matters is what I think." She tilted her head at Twilight. "And maybe… what my friends think?" she said, wide-eyed and pouting hopefully.

Twilight continued writing for a second, then jerked in surprise. "Oh!" she exclaimed. "Right. Um… so, how was the, ah, 'honeymoon'?"

Rainbow scowled. "Oh, so now you're getting all Captain Judgmental-Pants on me too?"

"What?" Twilight said in alarm. "Judgmental? Me? No, no… no, no, no, no, no… no, no, no…" She paused for a few seconds. "No," she said firmly. "I'm sorry I gave that impression. I'm happy for you. All your friends in there are also happy for you. Nopony is judging you."

"…Okay," Rainbow said agreeably.

"It's… I mean…" Twilight muttered reluctantly. "I've gotta admit, your timing could've used some work. A lot of ponies put a lot of time and money into that wedding. You couldn't have approached her… earlier?"

"Ugh, I know," Rainbow said, wincing. "I know that. I never said I had no regrets… I've got regrets. Things I wish I'd done differently…" She exhaled softly. "Have you seen Pierce since the wedding? How's he doing?"

"He's… I don't know," said Twilight. "He left Ponyville, just as he said he would. I don't know where he went. East, I think."

Rainbow sighed. "That's gonna be hanging over our heads for a long time, what we did to him. But when something's right, it's right. I've always known that."

Twilight stepped away from the picnic table. "Rainbow, come here."

Rainbow hesitated.

"Really, come here," Twilight insisted.

Rainbow approached, and Twilight pulled her into a hug.

"I'm so happy you've found somepony," Twilight whispered. "The stigma of where and how you first got together will soon be forgotten. I hope you two will be happy together and give me lots of reports to write." She giggled as they parted from the hug. "I love you, Rainbow Dash. Nice hickeys, by the way."

"Oh," Rainbow said lovingly, putting her hooves to her heart as if genuinely touched. "Thank you! I was hoping somepony would notice."

Rainbow fluttered into Sugarcube Corner and was immediately cornered by Pinkie Pie. "Hi Rainbow Dash!" she squealed. "Didja have fun?"

"I did," said Rainbow. "Best week of my life."

"That's great!" said Pinkie eagerly. "Now you know how I feel every week."

"You have fake-honeymoon sex every week? You know, I've often suspected that about you. I mean, nopony is that happy…"

Pinkie laughed wildly. "That's not what I meant. I just mean… if you have the right attitude… every moment can be the best moment ever."

"I knew what you meant," said Rainbow, hugging her. "Thank you."

"Hey, RD," said Applejack. "Nice to see ya. Up top." She held up a hoof, and Rainbow clacked her own against it. "I'm happy for ya."

"Thanks, AJ," Rainbow muttered. "I'm just sorry this means we won't be going out looking for dates together. I was looking forward to that." She pounded Applejack on the shoulder. "I've still got your back, Jack."

"Thanks," said Applejack. "I know ya do." She inspected the marks on Rainbow Dash's neck. "Aren't you a little old for hickeys?"

"Too old for proof that I'm getting some?" Rainbow balked. "Never."

Fluttershy and Big Macintosh were together at a corner table, snuggling with each other against the wall. Pinkie Pie brought them their breakfast of toast, pastries, and eggs, beaming at them as she set the plates down. "Aw, look at you two, all cozy," she said happily. "It's like you were never apart at all."

Fluttershy smiled. "Thanks, Pinkie."

"Eeyup," said Big Macintosh, nuzzling Fluttershy's face with his nose.

"But you were," Pinkie said thoughtfully, staring at Big Mac. "You were apart. You broke her heart and left her all alone. How could you do such a thing?"

"Pinkie Pie!" Fluttershy scolded. "Could you please just let him live that down? It's time to let it go now."

"Okaaaaay," Pinkie said reluctantly, going back behind the counter.

Twilight walked into the shop. "Hey," she said to the group at large. "I just had some correspondence with Joe."

"Yeah?" said Applejack. "How's he doin'?"

"He's fine," Twilight said half-heartedly, as if reciting a passage from a book. "His business hasn't been going quite as well as he'd hoped, but the Bazaar is hitting one of its dry spells, going over an uninhabited patch of the Whispering Desert, so that means food suppliers like him will become pretty important, every one of them having to chip in. He thinks he'll get something going pretty soon, that many residents will be forced to discover him, and that it'll result in a boost of popularity for the store once they reach another inhabited place and rationing can stop." She was silent for a moment, then spoke again, a tremor in her voice and a longing ache in her tone. "I sure do miss him. You all really think I can make it work long-distance?"

A chorus of voices quickly rang out, all five of her friends' statements overlapping so it wasn't clear what precisely each of them was saying, but the overall tone was of reassurance and, faintly detectable, exhaustion at that question being posed yet again.

"Thanks," said Twilight. "And… sorry, I just sometimes have little doubts… but I'm good. Pinkie Pie, can you get me a coffee, please? And… and I could really go for some donuts right about now."

Pinkie giggled softly and put a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. "You bet, Twilight. Coming right up." She gave Twilight a tiny kiss on the cheek and ruffled her mane before hopping off to the kitchen and returning, almost instantly, with a cup of coffee and a tray of donuts.

"Thanks, Pinkie," said Twilight, sitting down at a table in the middle of the shop. "Are these cream-filled?"

"Um, no. Jelly. Sorry."

"Ooh, that's even better," Twilight said eagerly, floating a donut up to her mouth and biting into it ravenously. "Mmm… oh yeah," she sighed. "Oh, my jelly-filled goodness, come to mama." She continued eating, moaning passionately with every chew. "You are a tasty treat worthy of a lady like me. I hope you find me… Twilight-licious."

Rainbow stared at her. "Um… Twilight?"

"Yeah?"

"You're… really into those donuts."

Twilight raised an eyebrow. "What?" she said defensively. "I miss my boyfriend, who makes donuts. Obviously, donuts are going to make me a little bit emotional. Is that a problem?"

"They make you 'emotional'? Is that what you're calling it?" Rainbow said in amusement. "Well, in that case, I made Derpy 'emotional' twice this morning, once on the train and again at my house. And I bring that up because it's less awkward than what you're doing right now."

"And what exactly am I doing right now that's so awkward?" Twilight demanded. "I'm eating donuts!"

"You're makin' sex noises, Twi," Applejack said bluntly.

"Yeah, for realsies," Rainbow chuckled. "You were with him a month and a half ago, Twilight. I appreciate that you miss him, but you can't possibly miss him that much."

Twilight scowled. "Fine. Apparently you can't enjoy a donut around here. I'll eat over here and try to do it quietly." She picked up her plate and cup and moved to a table up against the far wall.

Fluttershy, still pressed up against Big Mac, lifted her head from her breakfast and noticed Rarity, standing in the middle of the room and looking unsure of what to do with herself. "Rarity, come here," she called.

Rarity turned her head in surprised and approached, pulling up a chair on the opposite side of the table from the couple.

"Rarity, are you okay?" Fluttershy said tenderly. "How are you doing?"

"I'm… you know, I'm fine," Rarity muttered. "Thank you. Still battling depression, as before, but… well, I've come to understand that it's an irrational depression, so I've stopped letting it get in the way of my work. I've been working in spite of my doubts, and that's helped tremendously. Getting up and just doing my job, it's helped me regain a touch of my passion… most days. Yes… most days, I'm fine."

"Okay," said Fluttershy. "Have you been working on Snowdrop?"

"I have," said Rarity. "The period clothing is interesting, but I think the most exciting part for me is the makeup. Movie makeup is something I've never attempted before, and doing something new, well, that's always fun. It's nice."

Fluttershy noticed that Rarity's eyes were firmly on her, never drifting over to Big Macintosh, who was himself looking out the window. "You know…" she observed, "you two don't talk to each other much. You kind of avoid each other."

Neither of them responded.

"Is this because you slept together five years ago?" Fluttershy challenged, smirking.

Rarity jumped back in surprise. "How did you know about that? Did Twilight tell you? Or did you hear me telling her?"

"He told me, Rarity," Fluttershy laughed, nodding at Big Macintosh. "He tells me everything. Well, except for why he won't talk to you. That connection I made on my own." She stuck her tongue out at him, and he blushed. "And you told me, Rarity."

"I did?" Rarity demanded, her eyes wide in shock. "When?"

"The morning after it happened," Fluttershy prodded. "At the spa?"

"Ohhh…" Rarity breathed. "Was that you? I don't remember that. I'm so sorry…" She turned to Big Macintosh. "That was before she and I became friends. I was just bragging to whoever was listening. I… I regret that part of my life," she peeped.

"Yes…" Fluttershy said softly. "From the very day I came to Ponyville, it wasn't just Rarity, other mares had similar stories about you. It almost made me fall out of love with you, way back then. But I guess something about the way you were completely perfect in every other aspect of your life made me want to hold on to those feelings. We're together now and you have, well, a clean bill of health. So… no problem."

She looked to Rarity, then back to Big Macintosh. "Now, look, I love you both and the past is in the past. I don't care about it, and I hope you don't either. I want you to feel comfortable being in the same room together so I can spend time with both of you. Okay? Can you try to put any awkwardness aside? For me?"

Rarity gave a small smile. "We can do that, Fluttershy."

"Eeyup," Big Mac agreed.

With genuine warmth and a sincere smile, Rarity addressed him. "Hello, Big Mac. How are you?" If she felt awkward, she had masked it completely.

"I'm doin' great. How are you?"

"I'm wonderful."

Fluttershy squealed in delight.

The door to Sugarcube Corner opened, slowly and silently, and filling the room with an unnatural amount of sunshine. The ponies stared at the open door in surprise, and it was a few seconds before Princess Celestia appeared and stepped into the shop.

"Greetings," she said. "I spotted this beautiful and idyllic scene through the window, and I was almost tempted to leave and come back later so I wouldn't interrupt it. But no… with a heavy heart, I must speak now." She sighed sadly and closed her eyes. "I have need of you all. Twilight, can we talk?"

"Yes, Princess," Twilight said hurriedly, trotting forward with her eyes wide in surprise. "Right away…"