Rarity's heart pounded in her chest as she burst through Ponyville, both due to the exhaustion from all of the running and from the fear that she had just lost one of her best friends in the world. Her eyes darted from building to building frantically as she attempted to spot that familiar pink mane, those adorable constantly-worried eyes or that butterfly cutie mark, but to her despair, Fluttershy was nowhere to be seen.

It wasn't very hard for the fashionista to deduct why in fact her yellow pegasus friend was nowhere to be seen. The unicorn mare stopped and leaned on a gazebo. The same exact gazebo that had sheltered her from the storm the previous night. Rarity almost laughed at the cruel irony. The hazy, cloudy late afternoon did nothing to lift her spirits, which were already horribly low to begin with. She breathed heavily, looking around as she steadied herself on the gazebo for any inkling of a clue as to where Fluttershy was. Rarity's eyes fell upon Applejack and Rainbow Dash, who were walking together closely, large, beaming smiles on their faces. They seemed to be chatting giddily about something. Their eyes met Rarity's and the unicorn tried desperately to make herself look presentable for the two. She failed miserably.

"Hey there, Rarity." Applejack said, almost immediately noticing Rarity's chaotic and disheveled look. She raised an eyebrow. "Are you...okay?"

"Oh, I'm fine, darling." Rarity replied almost instantly, attempting to brighten up.

"Are you sure?" Rainbow Dash asked. "You look a little...peaked."

"I'm alright, I assure you. It's just..." Rarity began before sighing heavily. "Have you seen...Fluttershy today?"

"Fluttershy?" Rainbow asked, looking at Applejack, who mutely shook her head. "No, I haven't seen her today. Why?"

"Oh, no reason!" Rarity said with a small, airy giggle. "Just...Um..."

"Did you check her cottage?" Rainbow interjected, causing Rarity to raise an eyebrow at her.

"What?" The Pegasus asked raising an eyebrow of her own.

"Your business is your business, Rarity." Applejack said. "We just wanted to ask you if you could come to Sugarcube Corner tomorrow night at around eight o' clock. We haven't really had a hang out session in a while, you know?"

"Consider me there, my dear." Rarity said. "Now...if you'll excuse me...I need to go..." Rarity sped off with those words, leaving Rainbow Dash and Applejack more confused than when they had first seen her. The unicorn, not seeing any more use in running herself ragged, walked briskly around Ponyville, her eyes once more darting back and forth for some sign of her presence.

"Hello, Rarity!" Roseluck said sweetly from behind the counter of her flower stand.

"Roseluck!" Rarity spouted. "Hello! Have you seen Fluttershy anywhere?"

"Why yes, she's a little ways outside the nearest exit." Roseluck replied, her eyes widening slightly as Rarity sped past her. The unicorn finally had found her, after nearly a whole day of searching. After a short time, Rarity finally saw Fluttershy, sitting on a small rock outcropping, merely staring ahead at the beautiful setting sun. Rarity walked slowly over to the hurt Pegasus.

"Fluttershy?" She said timidly. Fluttershy jumped and shot her eyes toward Rarity, who stood there with a small smile on her face. She immediately began to unfurl her wings to fly away, prompting Rarity to envelop them in magic, gently preventing their movement.

"Fluttershy...please." Rarity said through strain. She was not accustomed to using magic like this. "Please talk to me." Fluttershy, recognizing Rarity's desire to speak with her to be sufficient enough to undergo the strain of the magic, nodded as a heavy blush overtook her face. Rarity put Fluttershy down on the ground before her, the pegasus not making eye contact with her.

"Where have you been?" Rarity asked. "I've been worried sick about you."

"...Why?..." Fluttershy asked, already struggling not to cry.

"What kind of ridiculous question is that?" Rarity asked, approaching her friend. "Because you're my friend and I care about you."

"It's only been one day." Fluttershy stated, still not looking into Rarity's eyes.

"Well yes, but you weren't at your cabin and you weren't at Sugarcube Corner or anywhere else you can usually be found, so naturally I panicked a bit, my dear." Rarity explained, feeling a peculiar sensation in her chest. It was small and nipping, but significant enough for the Unicorn to notice. She'd never felt it around Fluttershy before. Neither of the mares said anything for about a minute before Rarity piped up once again. "It's impolite to not look at a pony you're having a conversation with." Fluttershy's blush intensified as she still did not look at Rarity.

"I'm sorry." Fluttershy offered in a small voice.

"Fluttershy, about last night..."

"I'd rather not-"

"We're going to talk about it. You know me, Fluttershy, and so you know that I am a pony who values her friendships more than anything, so we're going to get to the bottom of this." Rarity stated sternly. Fluttershy, slightly startled at Rarity's sudden change of tone, looked at her...right in the eyes. It was Rarity's turn to be nervous.

"O-Okay..." Fluttershy said quietly.

"Uhm...I, um...Well..." Rarity attempted to fashion a sentence together from the strange, garbled syllables she produced, but she failed. Taking a moment to compose herself with a deep breath, Rarity began. "Last night, when you...well, when you opened up to me, it startled me so much that all I could think about was telling you how I really feel. It jarred me, to be more truthful, and I acted completely strange and I was not myself in that moment. I'm sorry I was so cold. I...I should have been more supportive. What I did...it was inexcusable and it is not what friends do."

Fluttershy said nothing. Rarity's heart raced as she desperately looked for some form of reaction.

"I'm sorry." Was all that came from Fluttershy's mouth. Her head was hung, so it was a little hard for Rarity to understand her. Though it sounded as if her friend was crying.

"Oh, no...No, Fluttershy, you don't have anything to apologize for." Rarity responded. "Please, can we go get a cup of coffee and talk some-"

"I'm sorry." The words came mixed with a sob as Fluttershy leapt into the air and flew away at a speed that even Rainbow Dash would notice. Rarity's heart skipped at beat at the surprise, but she quickly ran after her.

"Fluttershy!" Rarity called, getting no response, as if she expected one. Fluttershy was long gone before Rarity even ran out of breath. Heartbroken and exhausted, Rarity resigned herself to go about her business...if she had any. She hadn't gotten any new clients for the past few days, and it was a Sunday. Letting out an exasperated sigh, Rarity turned back to walk through Ponyville. Her mind began drifting to possibilities for the future. She was sure that Fluttershy would be fine, that she'd get over it...But there was also the possibility that Fluttershy wouldn't ever want to speak to Rarity again. The unicorn had heard of friendships ending over much less. The very thought of that possibility made tears brew in her eyes. Rarity made sure to take the back ways back to the boutique. She had to keep up appearances and no good would come of anyone seeing her cry.

Fluttershy felt a few stray tears hit her ears which laid back as she flew faster than she ever had. She had to get out of there. Away from her. Away from that mare that she just couldn't stop thinking about. Her heart had been broken, but it still lingered on the source of that heartbreak...And it wouldn't let her rest. Fluttershy had to land at some point. Her wings hurt, her chest hurt, her head hurt...her surprisingly fast burst of flying had taken a lot out of her. Fluttershy looked around and finally settled on a clearing among some large trees. She knew the location and it was a short walk from her house. She landed very ungracefully and heaved for breath for minutes before her lungs finally began to stop burning. She wiped her tears as she sat down, looking around at the beautiful wilderness around her. Normally, such an environment would be Fluttershy's natural habitat...a place where she could feel completely serene and at peace. It wasn't that for her on this day. She silently cried as she sat in the grass, wiping her tears as they came down from her eyes.

She hated crying so much...It made her feel weaker than she usually thought herself to be. Rainbow Dash wouldn't be crying like this if she had simply been rebuffed by someone. She'd shrug it off and keep moving. Thoughts of that night Rainbow came to her cottage, completely drunk and sobbing about Applejack...but that was after they had cultivated a relationship, really developed feelings for each other. No longer finding peace in the beautiful clearing, the mare stood and slowly walked back toward her cottage.

The timid mare was happy that Rarity had apologized. She knew they'd get past that moment in the gazebo soon enough. But at that moment, Fluttershy couldn't lay her eyes on Rarity without feeling that pain in her chest. That pain accompanied with the realization that she could never be with the mare that she loved. Rarity had always been there for her, with the exception of that kiss. Their spa dates were almost always the highlight of her week, and she was always so kind and generous. True to her element. Fluttershy supposed that she had always loved Rarity, but the night of Rainbow Dash and Applejack's wedding, when the unbelievably beautiful white unicorn pulled her onto the dance floor and helped her to come out of her shell, she realized it for herself.

Angel was waiting for her on the front porch. Seeing her tears and hearing her sniffles, he immediately rushed to her aid, attempting to find a way to make her feel better. He wrapped his arms around her neck and hugged her lovingly, rubbing his puffy cheek against hers.

"Hi, Angel..." She said quietly as she continued to walk. Normally Fluttershy would giggle, or hug Angel back...The Rabbit knew something was wrong. He squeaked in a concerned tone, Fluttershy's laid back ears perking up as she heard him, but quickly laid back once more. "I'm okay...I just need to take a nap, and I'll be fine." He squeaked again.

"Please, Angel..." She said as she shut the door behind her. "I just...need some time alone." He squeaked defiantly, insisting on helping her in any way he could.

"Angel." Fluttershy snarled, furrowing her eyebrows. Angel shrunk back, his feelings hurt. Immediately realizing what she had done, she wrapped him into a hug. "I'm so sorry...I didn't mean to snap at you. I know you're just trying to help." He smiled and hugged her back, before squeaking out a question.

"Well...I suppose it might make me feel better if I tell someone." The yellow mare sighed, looking at her rabbit, then up at the ceiling as she sat on her couch. "I...I think I'm in l-" She was interrupted by a knocking at her door.

"Oh...I wonder who that could be..." Fluttershy muttered as she stood to move to the door. She opened it to reveal Rainbow Dash and Applejack standing on her front porch, sweet smiles on their faces. "Oh. Rainbow Dash, Applejack. Come in."

"How're you doing today, Flutters?" Rainbow asked, giving Fluttershy a quick hug. The timid mare didn't say anything but the hug meant so much to her at that moment. Applejack followed suit, fully putting a smile on Fluttershy's face for the first time that day.

"Tea?" Fluttershy asked.

"Oh, we can't stay for long, Sugarcube." Applejack asked.

"We were just wondering if you could swing by Sugarcube Corner at around eight tomorrow night." Rainbow added.

"Oh, absolutely." Fluttershy said, the smile once again flitting across her face. "What's the occasion?" Rainbow looked at Applejack and smirked.

"Do we need an occasion to get everyone together?" Rainbow asked. "It's been a while, you know."

"Oh...Right." Fluttershy replied, rubbing the back of her head nervously. "I can't wait."

"Hey there, Angel." Applejack said, giving Angel a scratch on the head.

"Looks like he's been more well-behaved." Rainbow said, patting Fluttershy's shoulder lightly.

"He's been great." Fluttershy smiled, looking at her Rabbit being petted by a giggling Applejack. "That advice you gave me was just what the doctor ordered."

"Well, I think its about time we headed out." Rainbow said as she stretched. "It was good to see you, Flutters."

"Bye, sugar." Applejack said, standing and following Rainbow.

"Um...Wait!" Fluttershy spouted before squeaking and covering her mouth with both hooves, a heavy blush coming up on her face. Rainbow and Applejack turned confused looks on both of their faces. They looked at each other momentarily.

"Uh yeah, Fluttershy?" Rainbow asked.

"Would, um...I was just...Maybe..." Fluttershy struggled to get the words out, but her mind was racing too fast. She took a deep breath to compose herself. "Are you...sure you don't want some tea? I have this nice ginseng that would be really good with..."

"Flutters, are you okay?" Applejack asked.

"Sure, I'm okay. Why wouldn't I be okay? Why do you ask?" Fluttershy spouted before she stopped herself.

"You know you can tell us anything." Rainbow said, moving toward her.

"I'm fine." Fluttershy said quickly.

"You sure?" Applejack asked.

"I'm perfectly alright." Fluttershy said. "Just a little tired is all."

"Well...try to get a nap or something, okay?" Rainbow said, putting a hoof on Fluttershy's shoulder before heading back toward the door. Applejack smiled at her sweetly, giving Fluttershy a temporary feeling of peace. The yellow mare watched them leave the cottage. Before leaving completely, Applejack turned once more.

"We're here for ya, Fluttershy." Applejack said comfortingly. "Remember that."

Fluttershy briefly considered going after them, bringing them back into the cottage and giving them the entire story of the past couple days. But it would be selfish of her to bring them into her problems just for her own self-gratification. It would certainly make her feel better, but it would bring drama into the lives of two mares who already had too much.

"Well...I suppose I'd better go make that tea..." Fluttershy said to Angel, who looked up at her quizzically. "If I'm going to tell you everything, it's going to be a long night..."

Rarity fell onto her bed backward and sighed heavily, running a hoof through her disheveled mane. Her mind raced...mostly with thoughts of Fluttershy. Opalescence jumped onto the bed and rubbed her body on Rarity's leg, purring sweetly. Rarity looked down at her pet cat and giggled, stroking the pearl white fur steadily, causing Opal to dip her back as the unicorn stroked it.

"Oh, Opal..." Rarity said, her voice sounding tired, even to her.

"Rarity?" Sweetie Belle's voice sounded from her bedroom doorway. Rarity looked up and smiled.

"Sweetie Belle, my dear sister...What do you need?" Rarity asked.

"I just wanted to check on you." The filly said, a concerned tone in her voice. "You've got bags under your eyes."

"Well, it has been a rather long day." Rarity said with a small chuckle, looking at Sweetie Belle.

"Yeah, I can tell. You just kinda walked inside right past me. I even said 'Hi'." The young unicorn said, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh, Goddesses, Sweetie Belle, I am so sorry!" Rarity nearly cried as she got out of bed. She moved toward her sister and wrapped her into a loving hug. "I really have had...a..." Sweetie Belle became even more confused as she felt her sister's body seize up slightly as she began to cry. Sweetie Belle, in an effort to be the most supportive sister she could, hugged her older sister just as tightly. It wasn't like Rarity to just lose her composure like this, though to be fair the usually stunningly gorgeous mare looked absolutely horrible.

"I'm sorry." Rarity said, putting Sweetie Belle down onto the bed.

"Geez, Rarity, what happened to you?" Sweetie Belle asked, her eyes still wide.

"It's a bit personal..." Rarity sighed, wiping her tears with a tissue enveloped in her blue magic. "I'd rather not bore you with the details." The unicorn looked over to see her sister, her eyebrows furrowed in a completely unamused stare.

"Rarity."

"Sweetie Belle, please you don't-"

"Rarity." The filly repeated.

"I-"

"Rarity. I am your sister and I love you." Sweetie Belle said intensely. "If you have a secret, you can tell me and I will take it to my grave."

"Sweetie..."

"You can trust me." Sweetie Belle said, taking Rarity's left forehoof in both of hers. "I promise." Tears fell from Rarity's eyes as she smiled, a warm feeling flowing through her. She took a deep, calming breath before beginning her emotional anecdote.

"Well...Fluttershy and I went to dinner and the spa last night..." Sweetie Belle gasped, cutting her sister off.

"Did you guys get into a fight?" She said, her eyes widening.

"I'm getting to it...We had a lot of fun and it was a great time for the both of us...We even played tag in the rain..." Rarity chuckled.

"Did you accidentally say something that hurt her feelings?" Sweetie Belle interrupted her sister again, earning furrowed brows from Rarity. The filly chuckled and rubbed the back of her head. "Heh...Sorry. Go on."

"We ended up taking shelter underneath a gazebo, and...Well...Fluttershy kissed me." Rarity finished her sentence and looked for some sort of reaction from Sweetie Belle. Her sister was stunned, with widened eyes and a large blush on her face. "Sweetie Belle? Are you alright?" Sweetie Belle snapped out of her stupor and cleared her throat.

"Oh, yeah...Yeah...Sorry." She replied. "Just really wasn't expecting that. Go on."

"Well...I honestly was so shaken by it that I basically alienated the poor mare...She opened herself to me in the most personal way...She took such a brave risk and I repaid it with coldness. I left her there underneath the gazebo...I didn't even care that my mane got wet. I simply had to get out of here." Rarity finished, fresh tears brimming in her eyes. "I left my best friend in the cold rain."

"Oh..." Sweetie Belle said quietly. "Well...What about today?"

"I spent this morning and afternoon searching for Fluttershy. I wanted to apologize, try to make things right...But I couldn't find her until late this afternoon." Rarity explained. "We were able to talk for a bit, and I think she will eventually be alright, but...at this point, she just doesn't want to be around me...And I hate it. I mean...it's Fluttershy...She'll...She'll be alright...won't she?" Rarity looked at her sister hopefully, who's heart was breaking for her. Sweetie Belle was at a loss for words. She'd never been a part of a situation like this before. She didn't know what to say.

"I'm sorry." Rarity said. "It was selfish of me to bring you into this. You're still just a filly..."

"I guess my only question for you at this point is..." Sweetie Belle began. "Do you like Fluttershy...you know...like that?" Rarity hesitated for a moment, for reasons unknown to her.

"No...Not like that." Rarity said quietly. She had no idea why she had hesitated when asked the question. "I've never...I've never had feelings for another mare in my life."

"Well, then there's your answer." Sweetie Belle said, a small smile coming on her face. "Fluttershy will come around, I know it." She spoke in a comforting tone that frankly, wasn't doing anything to improve Rarity's mood. But the white unicorn smiled all the same.

"I don't know about you, but I am feeling a bit peckish. How about some dinner?" Rarity asked, hugging her sister.

"Sounds great!" Sweetie Belle exclaimed excitedly. "I'm so hungry!"

It was true, of course. Rarity had never developed feelings for a mare before. And she didn't see why she would start now...

Twenty-Four Hours Later

Applejack and Rainbow Dash walked together happily as the sun finished setting, giving way to Luna's beautiful moon. It illuminated the town brightly, supplying vision for any of the other ponies out at this hour. The nightlife in Ponyville was almost non-existent, save for the few restaurants, the nearby movie theater and Swingin' Manes, so most of the townsfolk were getting ready to bed down for the night.

"Oohhh, I'm so excited!" Rainbow said, hopping into the air, a huge smile on her face. "We're finally telling them! Pinkie Pie will probably explode." Applejack chuckled.

"Well if that were the case, Ah'd hope that the Cakes wouldn't fine us for the damage." Applejack mused.

"Puh-lease, we saved their lives." Rainbow scoffed.

"A little more humility there would behoove ya, sweetheart." Applejack said, earning a kiss on the cheek from Rainbow.

"Applejack, are you asking me to change who I am?" The Pegasus asked. "I thought marriage was about being yourself. I don't do humility."

"Ah've seen it." Applejack said, nuzzling her wife. "You, the wonderful and amazing Rainbow Dash, have shown humility before, and don't try to deny it. But Ah wouldn't ask you to change who you are. Ah love ya too much for that."

"Well, I kinda hope that you love me." Rainbow said with a smirk. "We are having a baby together."

"It's still kinda hard for me to believe..." Applejack said, pure happiness in her voice.

"Me neither." Rainbow replied before leaning down toward Applejack's belly. "But you're gonna be the most awesome foal in Equestria, aren't you?"

"Uh, Dash, Ah doubt the foal can hear anything you're saying at this point." Applejack said, smiling down at her wife with adoration, her heart melting.

"I don't care." Rainbow replied. "As soon as the baby can hear something, I will be there, talking its ear off!" Applejack laughed and kissed her wife on the lips as they continued to walk. The farm mare looked up at the sky and sighed in a satisfied manner.

"Gah, look at those beautiful stars." Applejack said, looking at her wife momentarily and nodding to the sky.

"They are beautiful." Rainbow agreed as they stopped walking to take in the sight of the beautiful night sky. "But honestly they don't even compare to you." Applejack looked at her wife and smiled, her eyelids lowering.

"Rainbow Dash, you are too much." The orange mare said as a blush appeared on her face.

"Seriously, I mean it." Rainbow continued. "I could look at the stars all night, that's for sure...but you...I dunno, I just love you so much. No matter what it is that I do, I would always rather be doing it with you."

"Aww..." Applejack said in utter adoration for her wife, her blush intensifying.

"Speaking of doing it with you..." Rainbow said saucily, giving her wife a devilish look and pressing their bodies together, wrapping a wing around the farm mare's body. Applejack laughed and gave her wife a quick nuzzle.

"Later on, baby." Applejack replied with a wink as they approached Sugarcube Corner. It had a moderate number of ponies inside, enjoying the food and atmosphere. Both mares let out a quiet sigh of relief. Sugarcube Corner was always a little droll when it was deserted. Using newly accrued finances, the cakes added an outside area to their restaurant, lit pleasantly with warm, hung lights and decorated with beautiful plants.

"Dashie! AJ!" They heard screech from within the restaurant.

"Get ready." Rainbow said to Applejack with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.

"Rainbow, baby, I'm always-" The farm mare was interrupted by Pinkie Pie swiping the both of them up off the ground with seemingly unnatural strength and hugging them tight enough to where it felt as if their ribs would break under the pressure. "ready." She squeaked out. If Rainbow Dash could laugh, she'd be on the ground. Finally the notoriously hard hugger let them down to the ground.

"I'm so happy to see you!!!" She squealed.

"It's good to see you too, Pinkie." Rainbow said with a smile.

"Fancy seeing this lovely couple here!" Twilight Sparkle said happily as she landed next to them. "Don't worry, I won't break your ribs."

"For your information, Twilight, their ribs almost broke." Pinkie corrected the alicorn.

"Oh, excuse me." Twilight smiled and raised an eyebrow.

"Fluttershy is already inside! Let's go!" Pinkie cheered, bouncing her way into the building, followed closely by their friends.

"Are you sure there's no occasion for tonight?" Twilight asked the married mares. "The last time you guys organized something like this was when you two announced you were getting married." Rainbow scoffed way too hard.

"What? We can't just want to hang out with our friends at a super cool place?" The Pegasus said, half fake-laughing. After noticing the suspicious look she was receiving from Twilight, cleared her throat. "Let's just go...eat or something. Yeah." Twilight rolled her eyes and smirked. The couple let Pinkie and Twilight walk ahead of them a bit before following.

"Nice job, smooth operator." Applejack whispered. "Now she knows."

"You're forgetting that she's the one who did the spell." Rainbow replied. "Of course she knows." The four mares entered the pretty patio area of Sugarcube Corner to find Fluttershy waiting for them. Hugs were exchanged before the friends sat down for some conversation.

"How are you, Fluttershy?" Rainbow asked.

"Oh, I'm great." Fluttershy replied with a smile. "I saved a bobcat caught in a trap today. The poor critter was just making his way through the forest when some mean pony's trap caught him."

"I didn't know ponies trapped wildlife anymore." Twilight said, taking a sip of the water she had ordered earlier.

"Oh, it still happens. Not nearly as much as in the old days, but I suppose it might have been some recluse...Maybe the bobcat was eating his food or something..." Fluttershy trailed off a bit before reeling herself back in again.

"Well look at you, Fluttershy, forest warrior." Rainbow said with a smirk, making everyone at the table laugh.

"A fitting title, if I do say so myself." Rarity said as she entered the patio area, immediately being greeted happily by everyone present, save for Fluttershy, who merely smiled nervously. Upon greeting all the others, Rarity looked at Fluttershy and smiled kindly. The smile gave Fluttershy a fleeting sense of comfort as she was able to smile back. She could not stop thinking about how beautiful the unicorn was and how badly she wanted to be with her...She caught herself staring and immediately looked away, nervousness once again becoming the dominant expression on her face.

"So how is everypony tonight?" Rarity asked as she sat down. "Oh, just a sparkling water, Mrs. Cake." She said, intercepting Mrs. Cake before she could ask what she wanted to drink. The mare simply nodded and smiled.

"We're doin' fantastic." Applejack said, putting a foreleg around Rainbow Dash's shoulders.

"Well, Princess Celestia decided to alleviate my workload today so I've gotten some much needed R and R." Twilight said with a smile.

"And IIIIII......" Pinkie Pie began. "I worked here today!"

"Sounds enthralling, Pinkie." Rainbow Dash said sarcastically.

"Oh, it was amazing!" Pinkie squealed. "A stallion came in today and ordered five. whole. candy bars!" Pinkie let out a small squee as she finished her sentence.

"Wild." Rarity giggled.

"I wonder if he was going to eat them all by himself?" Pinkie thought out loud, earning the giggles of her friends, again with the exception of Fluttershy, who didn't seem to make any sounds whatsoever. Rarity was fully aware of the fact that the timid Pegasus was avoiding her at this point. "Maybe they were for his family."

As the friends began to talk about different interactions they had had recently, Rainbow Dash had been tapping her hoof on the ground nervously, her gaze shifting back and forth between whatever mare was speaking and Applejack, who shook her head every time Rainbow looked at her. The anticipation of the moment was driving the Pegasus insane.

"Guys, we have an announcement!" Rainbow spouted, causing all others to go silent. Twilight Sparkle looked at her with a knowing, raised eyebrow. Applejack merely sighed and placed her forehead into her hoof momentarily. "AJ, you wanna tell them or-"

"You have the floor, sweetie." Applejack said in a slightly exasperated manner.

"Applejack is pregnant!" Rainbow cried, elation overflowing from her voice. "We're gonna have a baby!"

Save for Twilight, who merely nodded happily, every mare at the table either squealed in happiness or immediately began to frantically ask questions about the pregnancy. Even Fluttershy was snapped out of her wilted state of mind by the wonderful news. Rarity took a moment to notice and breathed a small sigh of relief.

"Ohmygoddessesisitaboyoragirlwhatareyougonnanameityoujusthavetotelluseverythiiiiing!!!" Pinkie screamed.

"Easy, Pinkie Pie." Twilight said soothingly to the pink party pony, who was breathing extremely deeply, her eyes nearly the size of dinner plates as she bounced at an unnatural speed.

"How did you do it?!" Rarity asked, her wide smile not leaving her face.

"We went and got it done at a clinic." Applejack explained. "It was a little weird, but...we're both so happy now...We're finally opening the next chapter of our lives."

"My goodness, I'm so happy for the two of you!" Fluttershy said, tears coming to her eyes.

"What will you do when you can't buck apples?" Rarity asked.

"Well, my darlin' wife is gonna pick up the slack." Applejack said, giving Rainbow a quick nuzzle.

"But what about weather patrol?" Pinkie Pie asked.

"Still gotta do that too." Rainbow quipped with a small nod. "I am the captain after all. I can't just leave them. I know, I'm pretty awesome."

"Wow. You've found a keeper, Applejack." Twilight said.

"Ah'm reminded of it every day." Applejack mused. Rainbow blushed and threw a casual hoof toward Applejack.

"Ah, shucks, baby." Rainbow sighed. "Happy to do it. You're going through the worst of it in eleven months."

"Ah dunno. Eleven months of workin' all day every day versus ten hours of the intense pain of foalbirth?" Applejack asked. "Seems like the trade is a little one-sided to me." Rainbow put an arm around her wife and kissed her on the cheek, causing the farm mare to blush and giggle.

"Well, I have a proposition, given this new announcement." Twilight said, standing before everyone. "We should all take a weekend and go to my beach house in Baltimare, on Horseshoe Bay. There's always great performers and the beaches are gorgeous."

"That actually sounds awesome!" Rainbow cried happily. "How about it, AJ? One last chance to rock that amazing beach bod before you blow up like a balloon!" Applejack raised an eyebrow at her wife, who giggled nervously. "What? I said you look amazing." Applejack laughed and nodded.

"Sure. Sounds like a lot of fun!" Applejack agreed.

"I can bring my floaties!" Pinkie added.

"I certainly can't see why not!" Rarity nearly cried in happiness. "Ah, Baltimare. I've only been there once before. It will be a real treat to go again." Every mare at the table looked at Fluttershy who, if she had a shell, would have recoiled into it.

"Yes. I'd love to." She said with her trademark timid smile. Everypony cheered.

"Then its settled. I will contact Princess Celestia tomorrow and let her know so she can make the proper arrangements." Twilight stated in a satisfied tone.

"So you can just drop everything for a weekend?" Rainbow asked.

"The elements of Loyalty and Honesty, who are married, are having a child together. Princess Celestia would be happy to take over my duties for a few days." Twilight replied. "She did it for thousands of years before I came into the picture."

"I guess you've got a point." Rainbow said with a small laugh before raising an eyebrow. "By the way, where'd you get a beach house all of a...You're a princess. You got the beach house because you're a princess."

"It does have its perks." Twilight said with a small smile. "So, the beach house has three bedrooms and they're all massive. So two for each would be perfect. The married couple will obviously have one." Rainbow pumped a hoof in the air.

"Hay yeah, we will." Rainbow quickly nipped the tip of Applejack's ear.

"Rainbow!" The farm mare said quietly, unable to keep a smile and a blush from her face as she pushed her wife away, who smirked at her through a raised eyebrow and half-lidded eyes.

"Pinkie and I will take another, while Rarity and Fluttershy will take the third." Twilight said, earning a cheer from Pinkie. Rarity looked over at Fluttershy and smiled sweetly. The yellow mare returned the smile courteously before Twilight once again earned her attention.

"I'll talk to Mr. Storm, but it won't be a problem, cuz I'm his favorite and all." Rainbow quipped.

"And the Cakes will be fine with it so...yay!" Pinkie squealed.

"Let's meet back here Friday morning. It'll take us all day to get to Baltimare." Twilight said with a smile. "Let's get through this week. Because this weekend is going to be the weekend of your lives."

Fluttershy walked quietly by herself back toward her cabin. She was immensely excited about the trip, but an undeniable clawing of nervousness resounded within her. She'd be sharing a room with Rarity. And Rarity made her extremely nervous these days. The Pegasus looked up at the sky and sighed, seeing her breath fog in front of her face as the chilly wind wisped past her.

"It is a beautiful night." Rarity said from beside her, causing her to nearly jump out of her skin.

"Rarity!" Fluttershy cried, her eyes widened. "Where did you come from?"

"I've been walking beside you for the last ten minutes." Rarity said with a smile before it was replaced with a more serious look. "Fluttershy, you have to have this talk with me at some point. Especially considering this weekend."

"We don't have to talk." Fluttershy said quickly. "Really. I'm fine." As she unfurled her wings to fly away, Rarity immediately coated them in firm magic. They couldn't move an inch and Rarity didn't even seem to be straining.

"No, Fluttershy." The unicorn said almost angrily. "I am your best friend, damn it. And we are going to talk like responsible, adult mares." Fluttershy, utterly taken aback by this sudden and distinct urgency in Rarity's voice, nodded subtly as Rarity let her wings go.

"Okay. We can talk." Fluttershy said.

"Thank you." Rarity said, breathing in and composing herself. "Fluttershy, I love you and I can't stand for our friendship to be strained like this. Just because I don't want to be with you doesn't mean that we can't be friends. Yes, it was awkward at the beginning, but I would have thought that our friendship was...no, is stronger than this. I've known you for many years and you are one of the most important things in this world to me. I would do absolutely anything for you." Rarity choked back tears before she continued. "But I am giving you the choice here. Right now. You can throw away our long and beautiful friendship right now and fly away. I won't stop you. I won't make any more efforts to rekindle it. Or, you can come here to me right now and give me a hug. Now choose."

Fluttershy broke into a wonderful fury of sobs and tears as she embraced her friend.

Her best friend.