Sitting up in bed, Scootaloo yawned loudly as she stretched. It was the following Monday morning, her first day of school. In her new home, that is. While usually dreading Mondays, or even just school in general, today made her happy. She hopped out of bed, not bothering to make it for now, and went to grab some clothes.

Heading into the upstairs bathroom, Scootaloo showered and washed her hair, as per her mother’s advice. Back with her aunt and uncle, she could usually get away with not showering for a couple of days, considering that they tried to save water, what with it being quite a full house. Now that it wasn’t so much of an issue, with dual tanks and having only three people in the house, Scootaloo was eager to take advantage of that little factor.

Once cleaned and dressed, she grabbed her backpack and went downstairs. With a wide grin, she found Fluttershy at the stove, making some eggs and toast. Rainbow was at the table, sipping some coffee and reading the newspaper. It was almost similar to her old home, where one would be making breakfast and the other would be reading the paper.

“Morning Mom, Mommy!” She greeted happily, taking a seat at the table.

Rainbow looked up and smiled, pulling Scootaloo into a hug, “Morning, Scoots. How’d you sleep?’

“Pretty good!” Scootaloo hugged her back, “I love my room! Especially since it’s all unpacked!”

“That’s good to hear,” Fluttershy smiled at her over her shoulder.

“What was your room at your Aunt and Uncle’s place like?” Rainbow asked curiously.

“I had to share it with one of my cousins,” Scootaloo said, “It was kinda cool since we had bunk beds, but yeah. I wanted my own room!”

“Yeah, everyone wants their own room,” Rainbow laughed, “Until you get a girlfriend, then you hate sleeping alone. And you have two. Lucky.”

Fluttershy gave her a playful smack on the side with a spatula, while Scootaloo snickered.

“I guess so, I like having them in bed with me! But I’m gonna get used to sleeping alone for a bit,” Scootaloo grinned, leaning back in her chair.

“Yeah, I can see that,” Rainbow smirked, sipping her coffee.

“Here you go, sweeties,” Fluttershy smiled, setting plates down in front of the both of them.

“Awesome!” Scootaloo began to happily eat her breakfast, “Aw man, you can even make eggs taste the best ever!”

Rainbow chuckled, “Yeah, Fluttershy’s the whole package. Sexy, smart, and a good cook. If I was a guy in the 50’s, I’d be king of the world.”

“I’d be one lucky kid!” Scootaloo drank down some orange juice, “Man, this is awesome! This is the life! I could die happy! ...Actually, I take that back. I still got life to live!”

“Yeah. I’d hate to have gone to all that trouble just for you to get hit by a semi-trailer on your way to school,” Rainbow laughed.

“I know, right?” Scootaloo ate some more eggs, “Aw man, the irony of that!”

Rainbow chuckled, while Fluttershy looked uncomfortable.

“Rainbow… not that I don’t think you guys are funny… but could we not talk about the possibility of Scootaloo dying? It’s a little… unsettling,” she said softly.

“...Oh,” Rainbow then recalled the context of that and recoiled, “Yeah, sorry about that.”

“Me too,” Scootaloo murmured, “I guess it’s not that funny, is it? I mean, I could laugh at myself about that, but if I were to make that joke about my friends, I’d… feel pretty awful.”

“Thank you, girls,” Fluttershy smiled, sidling up to Rainbow and hugging her.

Scootaloo joined it, “You’re welcome, Mommy!”

Rainbow smiled and kissed both their foreheads, “Wow… big happy family, eh?”

“How lovely,” Fluttershy beamed, nuzzling them both before taking a place at the table.

“It’s nice being an only child for once!” Scootaloo finished her food, “But it’ll be cool to have a little brother or sister I can teach to be awesome!”

Rainbow smiled, then her smile slowly fell from her face as she started thinking hard about something, “Fluttershy… how long have we been together?”

“We’ve been.. sleeping together for nearly over two months, but we became lovers a couple weeks ago,” Fluttershy replied, “Why do you ask?”

Rainbow hesitated, then pushed away from the table, “Excuse me, I’ll be back in a minute,” she said, turning around and hurrying up the stairs.

“...What’s up with her?” Scootaloo asked, puzzled.

“I’m not sure…” Fluttershy bit her lip in worry.

After a few minutes, Rainbow came back down, taking a deep breath and sitting back down at the table.

“Okay… so, I know we’ve only been together a couple of months, and I’ll totally understand if you don’t think we’re ready but…” she bit her lip and withdrew a small loop of gold from her pocket. It was a gleaming ring, with several emeralds around the band, “Fluttershy… will you marry me?”

Wide-eyed, Fluttershy looked down at her in surprise, then at the ring. She knew about it, she knew Rainbow would eventually propose. Yet, strangely enough, she felt unprepared for it at all. Whether it would’ve been an elaborately planned moment or right out of nowhere. This being the latter definitely made it harder to expect.

Scootaloo’s jaw dropped as her fork fell onto her plate, even though she too had expectations of this happening sooner or later.

After a moment or two, Fluttershy gave a bright, loving smile and nodded, “Yes… Yes, I will! Of course I will!”

Rainbow’s face lit up and she threw her arms around Fluttershy’s shoulders, hugging her tightly as she felt her heart pounding in her chest. Laughing in joy, Fluttershy hugged her back, nuzzling her.

“Well, that was unexpected!” Scootaloo remarked, but grinned, “Awesome, though! Yeah! Sweet!” She got up and joined the hug, glad to be sharing the moment with them.

Rainbow laughed and ruffled her hair, “C’mon Scoots, you should get going.”

“Okay,” Scootaloo pouted, but smiled anyway.

Fluttershy went to retrieve a paper bag from the counter, handing it to the younger girl, “Here’s your lunch, sweetheart. Oh, and don’t forget to give me your game schedule, all right? I want to make sure I can bring you a hot lunch on game days.”

A grin spread on Scootaloo’s face, “All right, Mommy! I will!” She kissed her cheek, then hugged Rainbow tightly, “I’ll see you guys after school!”

“Cya!” Rainbow smiled, hugging her and waving as she ran out the door, “You know, Shy. Most couples get married before they have kids.”

“That’s true. Although, we aren’t exactly like most couples, are we?” Fluttershy giggled.

“Yeah,” Rainbow chuckled, “Speaking of which, did you ever get yourself tested for… you know?”

Fluttershy nodded, “I made an appointment for today, actually. I’m going to check for sure.”

Rainbow smiled and sipped her coffee, “That’s good… hoping for any particular result?”

“Well…” Fluttershy contemplated for a few moments, “I suppose I just told myself to wait and see. Yet, I also… thought of how nice it would be to have our own child,” she rubbed her stomach a little. “I mean, our lives are a lot more certain and comfortable now, it definitely wouldn’t be bad timing, not by much.”

“I was… kinda thinking about that too,” Rainbow admitted, “I always wanted to have kids but… I never thought I’d get the chance.”

Smiling more, Fluttershy held her hand and squeezed it, kissing her cheek, “Even if I’m not… we’ll just have to try again.”

Rainbow laughed, “Sounds fun, but not right now.”

Fluttershy leaned back, surprised, “That’s the first time I’ve heard that from you. You usually jump at even the slightest indication of getting my pants off.”

Rainbow laughed again, “Funny, Shy.”

“Who are you and what did you do with Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy teased, kissing her other cheek and handing her a bag, “Even if we were, you do have to leave in a couple of minutes, anyway. You start work in twenty-five minutes.”

“I’m not working today,” Rainbow said flatly, “The mayor’s given a bunch of us time off until Spring. Something about snowfall, I wasn’t really paying attention. I heard paid vacation and zoned out.”

“Of course you did,” Fluttershy laughed, “Sorry, I must have missed the schedule this time.”

“Are you working today?” Rainbow asked, kissing her cheek.

“Not until later, since I booked my appointment for late morning,” Fluttershy said, “Then I’ll go to my cottage afterward.”

Rainbow nodded, “Oh hey, did you hear that Twilight and Ascentia are doing a lot better?”

“I did,” Fluttershy said with amazement, “That’s pretty incredible.”

“I saw Ascentia the other day,” Rainbow said with a smile, “First time I’ve seen her without fresh wounds on her face. It’s nice to see.”

Fluttershy nodded with agreement, “That certainly is nice to see. Twilight came by after she said she went to see Doctor Firebrand, because she had to check up on her owl. She admitted to me that she wanted to turn herself around and not be abusive like she has been.”

“What about Ascentia? How much of a stink did she kick up about it?” Rainbow asked.

“She hadn’t been home yet and even said she didn’t tell her she’d gone, actually.”

“Hoo boy, I can imagine some arguments in that house,” Rainbow sighed, “I know Twilight wants to turn herself around, but the question is will Ascentia let her?”

Fluttershy drank the rest of her tea, “I couldn’t say for sure, so I guess we’ll have to see how they’re doing the next time we see either of them.”

“Well, there aren’t any new bruises the last time I saw her,” Rainbow said softly, “So I guess they’re making some progress.”

“It seems so,” Fluttershy remarked, “Well, I can say one thing. Ascentia truly is fiercely loyal to Twilight and takes their marriage seriously. I think she’ll do all she can to stick with her through thick and thin.”

“That I believe,” Rainbow remarked, “I don’t know how she does it. I don’t think I could ever stay with someone who raped me repeatedly. That takes… is it resilience, compassion, or a death wish that takes?”

“...I don’t know,” Fluttershy admitted. She looked down at the table, spotting the ring still in the box. With a smile, she took it and placed it onto the appropriate finger, which fit like a glove. “But I suppose she has her ways.”

“Maybe I’m just hung up on it, but how could she ever do something like that?” Rainbow asked, “I mean, I kinda buy the excuse that she has anger problems with the abuse but… how could she violate her wife like that?”

“I didn’t ask, but Twilight hinted that it may have been external issues of her stress and everything else that got to her. So, I couldn’t say for sure… I really would never know what drives her to do that,” Fluttershy bit her lip, “I only ever hope I never could be.”

“Did you ever think Ascentia was just pretending to like it?” Rainbow asked, “I saw the way she cowered when Twilight was hitting her in the living room… I’m starting to think the masochism thing was all a lie…”

“You know, I thought the same thing. I saw how scared she was and how she was defending herself. As much as she is much bigger and stronger than all of us, she’s still a person, there’s no reason she wouldn’t exactly take well to all that. I mean… a lot call me a doormat and I’m complacent, but I have my limits. I’m thinking… maybe she really does cover it up by calling herself a masochist. Maybe she likes it during sex, which is understandable, but… I think you might be right,” Fluttershy realized.

“How was she at the hospital?” Rainbow asked.

“Discouraged, but worried about Twilight and asking if she was okay,” Fluttershy said.

“Asking if Twilight was okay?!” Rainbow asked, bewildered, “She’d just had her nose shattered by the woman!”

Fluttershy nodded, “I even told her she could tell me the truth about things. She simply said that… well, it’s not as simple as we think it is. That she can’t just let Twilight not have an outlet for her stress. Especially since she’s pregnant, now, and needs a lot more help with keeping herself in check.”

“So… she’d just resigned herself to being Twilight’s punching bag?” Rainbow asked, “What did she do to that poor woman? We met Ascentia when she first came to town. She was a rough and tough woman. How’d Twilight make her into such a… slave?”

“I think she likes it, on some level. Maybe not the pain, but… as I said, she’s fiercely loyal to her. I even asked her, why doesn’t she just leave to protect each other? Well, she said she could never just leave. Not like that. The ring on her finger means so much to her, like you wouldn’t believe.”

“Could never just leave? That’s sounding an awful lot like every battered spouse I’ve ever heard of,” Rainbow said dismissively.

Fluttershy shook her head, clearing their plates, “Believe me, I didn’t think that was encouraging. I don’t doubt they love each other, but, wow. I even said that it’s not as if this was several decades ago, when divorce was not only frowned upon, but difficult. Marriage and its legal bindings should be taken seriously, but they also aren’t life sentences. I suppose she… well, I don’t know… She said she forgave Twilight after all that. I understand the power in forgiveness. It’s a powerful feeling. But with that, I have to admit it’s… interesting.”

“Interesting?” Rainbow asked, “How’s it interesting?”

“I don’t know,” Fluttershy murmured, placing the dishes in the sink and washing them, “It just… kind of is.”

“I still don’t know,” Rainbow admitted, downing the rest of her coffee, “The woman was raped by her wife multiple times. And she never considered leaving. Not only that, the very idea seems to offend her.”

Fluttershy nodded in agreement, washing the dishes, “I know. If you or anyone raped me or beat me, I… I wouldn’t stay. I suppose she… somehow puts up with it. I don’t want to say she’s blinded by love or looking at this through rose-coloured glasses, but… I don’t know. It almost seems like that.”

“We could ask her,” Rainbow shrugged, “Honestly, I’m not looking to break them up. I just… want to know.”

“Well, maybe we can find a way to approach it with her,” Fluttershy said.

As if summoned on cue by a god that had become bored with life, Ascentia knocked on their front door as she pushed it open, “Knock knock? Anybody home?”

Fluttershy stiffened, “How does she keep doing that?”

“Doing what?” Ascentia asked, stepping in and sitting down at the table with them.

“Never mind,” Fluttershy wiped her hands on a towel and sat down with her, “So, how are you doing?”

“Doin’ okay,” Ascentia smiled, “Twilight’s off at a session with her shrink, so I’ve got nothin’ to do today.”

“Same here!” Rainbow sat down as well, grinning, “Got some time off work. So, she’s seeing her shrink again, huh? How’s that been going?”

“It’s weird. She always says she feels better going to see her shrink, but she always comes home in tears,” Ascentia said, pursing her lips, “You’d think if it was making you feel better, you wouldn’t be bawling your eyes out.”

Fluttershy patted her hand, “I can’t speak for her, but maybe she… regrets everything and sees it differently.”

Ascentia growled a little, “You know what I think? I think that quack’s making her relive a bunch of memories that she hates. The first time she came home, she started asking about all the marks on my body. She’s never done that before. I heard her whispering that she’s ‘ruined me’ last week when we were in bed. I’m worried about her.”

Rainbow and Fluttershy exchanged glances for a moment, keeping silent.

“Well,” Rainbow spoke up after a moment or two, “thing is, that’s kinda what they do. When I go to see him, he tells me to talk about what I’m thinking. He says it’s to help really get answers about why you feel the way you do and also as an outlet to be able to talk about them. I don’t know, could just be me, but when I did… yeah, I felt like a louse. But then I felt a lot better, you know? Sure, it wasn’t pretty to talk about, but boy it felt like I was getting it off my chest. Maybe Twi’s getting that, too. She’s realizing that what she does is… well, something she doesn’t like doing, and kinda sees it another kinda way.”

“Well I don’t like it,” Ascentia said flatly, “The idea that some doctor is making Twilight so upset makes for an angry Kitten.”

Covering her mouth, Rainbow had to stifle her laughter at that.

“Well… it is Twilight’s choice,” Fluttershy offered, “and sometimes, even if someone we love is… doing something we may not agree with, the best you can do is support them. Help them if they want you to.”

“I guess,” Ascentia sighed, “I guess what I’m just tired of is now that it’s out and everyone knows, people keep hounding me about it. Trying to offer me faint sympathy, urging me to seek counselling. One woman at the supermarket said that her grandson was a well respected divorce lawyer. I was about ready to floor the bitch if Rarity hadn’t stopped me.”

Hesitating for a few moments, Fluttershy placed a hand on her shoulder, “Well, I see where they’re coming from. Domestic abuse is a very serious matter. Many men or women don’t exactly take action to help themselves out of it… So it’s no wonder that many would express concern. Especially since, like it or not, this kind of is abuse. But um… that also doesn’t mean you should be forced to make a decision you don’t want to make. It is still your life and your choice.”

“You know me, Fluttershy. You know I don’t adapt well to change,” Ascentia sighed, “And so much is happening so fast. Just last week me and Twilight were picking the color of the baby’s room. Now she’s going off to therapy, giving press conferences on her condition, trying to get me to put on some kind of scar concealer… it’s too much.”

“Hey, maybe it’s gotta slow down a little, but that’s kinda life sometimes. There are things that kinda take you by surprise and move too fast for ya,” Rainbow offered, “Sometimes you just gotta go with the flow.”

“I guess what I want is for people to leave me alone about it,” Ascentia said sadly, “I had to listen to a guard talk about how awful it was for someone like Princess Twilight to abuse and rape her wife for years. I know it was bad, asshole. You know how I know? Because I was there. Now can I just get past to see the aforementioned Princess before I bend that armor around your ears!”

Once more, Rainbow and Fluttershy exchanged uneasy glances, unsure how to respond to that.

“Well, you certainly can’t isolate yourself from it. But I suppose it shouldn’t be too much to ask for privacy…” Fluttershy said.

“Okay, I can tell from the way Rainbow’s shifting in her seat that the two of you are dying to ask me something,” Ascentia frowned, “What is it?”

“Nothing!” Rainbow waved her hands, “Nothing at all! Nope! You’ve heard it all and you don’t want to hear a thing, so we’ve got nothing! Zippo!”

“It doesn’t matter, anyway,” Fluttershy said quickly getting up, “You girls thirsty or something? I have a doctor’s appointment in an hour, so I should get going soon.”

“No, go ahead, Rainbow,” Ascentia nodded, “You’re not some Canterlot Noble looking to boost your ego by pretending to care. Go ahead.”

“Oh, fine,” Rainbow grumbled, leaning back a bit, “I gotta ask. How do you do that? How do you stay with a woman who, despite loving you and not being the slightest bit evil, beats you and rapes you on multiple occasions? No, I’m not saying that with any kinda mean streak, I really do want to know. We both do.”

Ascentia put both her hands to her chin and thought for a moment, “Do you two ever wonder why Twilight calls me Kitten?”

They both shrugged.

“I’ll admit, it’s an adorable pet name,” Fluttershy giggled, “Is it important?”

Ascentia nodded, “The first time she called me that, it was in a condescending and demeaning way. She kept calling me an uncooperative kitten during the first time she… raped me.”

Fluttershy put a hand to her mouth, “No…”

Ascentia nodded, “After it was all said and done, I was… cleaning myself up. I’d just considered sleeping on the sofa, but I heard Twilight upstairs. She was crying. I went to the door and I could hear her whispering apologies to me. She didn’t know I was there, but all the same she was begging me to forgive her. So… I did. I forgave her. After she fell asleep, I got in bed with her. Anyway, after a while, she just started calling me Kitten. I don’t think she remembers how it came to her, and I get the feeling if she did she’d stop calling me that. And yeah, she beat me and raped me dozens of times over after that. And she was always still calling me Kitten when we were getting along. Some people think it’s just a cute little nickname that sounds cuter because I’m so much bigger than she is. But to me… when she calls me Kitten, she’s asking me to forgive her for everything. And I do.”

Once again, the other two women had no idea how to respond to that. As endearing as it sounded, there was the clear discomfort from what she was saying.

“Well, why? Aside from the fact you love her and you’re taking your vows seriously,” Rainbow managed.

“Why do I keep forgiving her?” Ascentia asked, “I don’t know, really. What else can I do?”

“...I’m not gonna go there,” Rainbow groaned, “Look man, you’re one of the smartest girls I know. You talk a lot about things I never knew about and you know how to tell us what we need to hear even if we don’t want to hear it. Frankly I’d sure like to do that right now, but what’s that gonna do? But you’re one of the first people who always told us, flat out, that the more times someone does something, it becomes less of an accident and more deliberate.”

“I did,” Ascentia replied, “Go on.”

“For one thing, we don’t buy the masochist act. Admit it.”

“Honestly, I like the rough sex,” Ascentia admitted, looking down at the table, “But the bone breaking and the rape? No. I hated it. Who doesn’t? There were times I’d cry myself to sleep at night, praying for some answer as to why she was doing this to me. Yeah, I put up an act to keep her out of trouble and keep her with me, but at the same time I just wanted her to stop and just… snuggle with me.”

“And that’s what I’m talking about!” Rainbow slapped her fist onto the table and stood up, “Look at you! You’re a battered housewife! You’re no different than other men or women who cling to their partners despite the abuse! You hold on to the good things you both do as some kind of sign that it’s not all bad! And what you’re telling me here is ‘I hate this, I wish it would stop!’ Oh yeah, that’s encouraging! That’s great to hear! Happy happy joy joy! Golly gosh, this is so awesome, I can’t contain it! Wow! Are you listening to yourself?! Now I’m starting to see why Twi wants help! This is just crazy! And you’re just… gonna stop her from it? You want her to stop? Well, did you not hear yourself just now? You want to snuggle, right? Well, why don’t you help Twilight get AWAY from the abuse?! Nope! You just sit back and enable her! Oh, it’s fine, she needs to relieve stress!

“Relieve stress, my dick! That’s the biggest load of crap I think I ever heard! She rapes you! Beats you! And now she’s trying to get help, I say good for her! Frankly, I wouldn’t be surprised if she decided to leave you to protect you and herself! Oh, fuck no, don’t you give me that look! ‘She’s my wife, I’m not leaving her and nor is she!’, right? Well, lovely! That’s a nice thought! Quit the damn battered housewife whining and just look at yourself for a minute! You’re looking at her with rose-coloured glasses! Something you pretty much say is stupid for ANYONE to have!”

Panting heavily, Rainbow stood up straight, grabbed a water bottle, and drank it down. The room was silent for about a minute.

“But whatever. What good is what I say? I bet you heard that a million times by now.”

“No. I haven’t,” Ascentia replied, “I’ve heard ‘oh, that’s awful’ and ‘oh, you poor thing.’ I’ve never once heard anyone look at me making excuses for her and think that’s a bad thing. Why would they, right? What kind of loathsome troglodyte blames the victim?"

Rainbow looked down at the floor, feeling a little ashamed of herself.

"But that’s where your point ends in a screeching halt. I’m not looking at our relationship through rose-colored glasses. I know there’s a problem, Rainbow. I know this isn’t how a marriage is supposed to work. But I just don’t care. I just want my wife, and I’ll slog myself through whatever I have to for her. That might sound crazy to you. Fine, say whatever you like about me. But if you ever call my wife crazy again, you and I are going to have a problem. Understand?”

Fluttershy backed up in her chair a bit, wide-eyed with fright.

“I’m not calling Twilight crazy,” Rainbow managed, taking a breath, “If anything, I think she’s doing the right thing.”

“Good,” Ascentia said coldly, taking a breath and leaning back in her chair, “Because I think you’re the last person to talk to me about being fucked up in the head.”

“Hey! What’s that supposed to mean?! Oh, so because I’m a pedofork and am soooo messed up, I got no place to say anything?! Well, thanks a lot! Thanks for shutting down something I have to say just because I’m not exactly ‘normal’! May as well tell me it’s because I’m hormonal or on PMS! FYI, I never said Twilight was crazy just now! I said the situation was crazy! Well, fine! Go ahead! Boomerang this! Shut down what I have to say because you don’t like hearing it! Turn it riiiight back to me so that I can be ashamed! Gee, thanks! You know what, forget it! You do what you want! I don’t even care anymore! I’m going to work!”

She grabbed the paper bag and stormed out.

Then came back two seconds later, kissed Fluttershy on the cheek, and then left again. The front door slammed behind her.

“I wasn’t saying you’re fucked in the head, Rainbow!” Ascentia called out, “I’m saying if you were Twilight, this one would be me!”

“I don’t think she heard you….” Fluttershy mumbled. “...I’m sorry. I didn’t mean for this to get out of hand.”

“Don’t apologize,” Ascentia huffed, “You didn’t do anything.”

“No. We intruded in something and then spoke about something we don’t understand,” Fluttershy stood up, going to dry some dishes, “It becomes a dead-end conversation. We don’t really have any right to speak against it.”

“That’s not true, Fluttershy. You understand it more than anyone else I know,” Ascentia sighed.

“No, I don’t!” Fluttershy protested, “I’m about ready to tell you to leave her if she continues this! We both are! It was what we were thinking about the whole time! How is that understanding?! I don’t understand it, neither does she! We don’t know what you’re thinking or going through!”

“Of course you do, Fluttershy,” Ascentia retorted, “Why else would you be doing it?”

Fluttershy dried dishes faster, “If I was abused or raped, I would leave my partner. I would be terrified of them and leave them.”

“Maybe,” Ascentia shrugged, “But let’s be honest here, Shy. Neither you or I rolled a double-six for spouses. I got the abuser, you got the pedophile. So just tell me one thing. Why didn’t you turn tail and run for the hills when she told you that about herself? Most people would. Most people treat pedophiles like they’re irradiated and if you get too close you’ll catch radiation poisoning. So what stopped you? I’m not being accusatory, I have a point to make.”

“...First of all, this is not a fair comparison. Not at all,” Fluttershy muttered, not sure she liked where this was going, “Fine. I’ll humour you. I love her. I know she’s not an evil person. And she isn’t a pedophile. A pedophile is someone who truly believes that loving underaged people is a serious form of love, like homosexuality. She lusts for teenage girls, nothing further. She hasn’t tried to hurt anyone or would ever do so intentionally. It’s an unfortunate case of an overactive sex drive and messed up hormones. It’s not exactly her fault. She’s even getting help for it. I would never say Twilight is crazy or messed up, either. I don’t understand what’s wrong with her, but I know she wouldn’t intentionally hurt someone with any kind of malicious intent. But I see what you mean in that you do love her and you don’t think of her as a terrible person.”

“Honestly, Fluttershy… I just want my Twiley,” Ascentia said defeatedly, “Whether it’s the old Twiley or some new Twiley… I just want her. I want her to come home, stay home, and just hold me. And I don’t know why so many people want to take her from me…”

She sniffled roughly and rubbed her eyes.

“Everyone keeps saying I need a divorce or an annulment,” Ascentia said, her voice shaking a little, “Or they just assume I’m already pursuing one. I don’t really care what Rainbow Dash says, she’s closer to it all, she knows better. But… I feel like I’m reaching out for her, and someone keeps yanking her away…”

She wiped her eyes on her sleeve and took a quivering breath.

“No one’s taking her away,” Fluttershy said softly, “At least you can see why they would. But look. She’s getting help. I saw her the other day and she did express regret for what she did. She wants to just live her life with you, together. She just doesn’t want to hurt you anymore. You just need to let her become the Twilight you want and need.”

Ascentia nodded and reached out toward her. Hesitating a little, Fluttershy went over and draped an arm around her shoulders.

“It’ll be all right. I know this is not an easy time for you. But you know what? I think Twilight needs your support more than ever. This is going to be a tough journey for her, too. But if you’re right there with her, it should really help a lot.”

Ascentia sniffled and nodded, burying her face in Fluttershy’s shoulder as she broke down and started crying. Stiffening a bit, Fluttershy embraced her in a comforting manner.

‘This woman scares me… But that doesn’t mean I shouldn’t help her, either.’

Ascentia clung tightly to her, sobbing into her shoulder, “I… I’m sorry, Fluttershy.”

“Don’t worry about it. It’s all right,” Fluttershy assured.

“Can… can you tell Rainbow I’m sorry when she get’s home?” Ascentia asked, her voice quivering and her breath hitching.

“I will. She’s just worried about things, she just has a rougher way of expressing it because of how she hides it. You know how she is.”

Ascentia nodded as she pulled away from her, wiping her eyes on her sleeve, “Yeah…”

“Would you like something to drink?” Fluttershy asked.

Ascentia nodded, “Do you have any tea?”

Fluttershy nodded, getting up to go get some, “Absolutely.”

“Thanks Fluttershy,” Ascentia said, wiping her eyes, “I’m sorry… nobody’s really seen my cry before...”

“Oh, it’s okay. We all need a good cry sometimes.”

“Fluttershy… Apple Bloom told me I scared her. Am I scary?”

“Well… yes,” Fluttershy murmured honestly, not looking at her, “But it doesn’t mean you should be treated as such. I can understand why, she’s a young and small girl, she tries hard not to make people mad. So, in a sense, yes. But you’re not a monster, either.”

“Do… do I scare you?” Ascentia asked.

‘YES.’

“...At first,” Fluttershy admitted, “I remember when we were all in high school and you transferred. You were the tallest girl in our grade, very hard to approach, and so strong. You scared all of us. Me included. But then… Twilight just… went to you with such fascination and was asking you all kinds of things. Like you didn’t scare her a bit. And you didn’t. She thought you were an interesting and fascinating girl. After she befriended you, we came to see you were… well, nice.”

“Do I scare you now?” she asked.

“Not anymore, no.”

“...Thanks,” she said, her voice low as she accepted the cup of tea that Fluttershy offered her, “...Do you think I’ll be a good mother?”

Sitting back down, Fluttershy nodded, “Well, I think you will try your best. No one can ever truly tell if they’ll ever be a good parent until they try. It’s something you just have to experience first hand.”

“Maybe… oh god, I’m such a wreck,” Ascentia wiped her eyes again, trying to stop a second wave of tears as she took slow, deep breaths. Sipping her tea, she ran a finger over one of the scars on her arm, “...heh… you know, we were joking last week about being able to sell the film rights to our story and get rich off the wave of Oscars it’d bring in…”

Fluttershy hid her look of fright behind the newspaper as she picked it up to read it, “Is that so…” She then looked at the time, “Oh, shoot. I have to go see my doctor in twenty minutes. I’m sorry to have to cut this short, of course. I’m not even showered yet.”

“I take it you don’t like the idea?” she asked.

“Well, it’d be interesting,” Fluttershy said as she got up.

Ascentia nodded and downed her tea in one gulp, “...Thanks, Shy. I appreciate all of this. Really.”

“You’re welcome,” Fluttershy gave a smile, “It does help to let it out sometimes, doesn’t it?”

Ascentia nodded and made her way towards the door, “Yeah.”

“What are you going to do now?” Fluttershy asked.

“Twilight’s coming home soon,” Ascentia said, “I’m gonna go cuddle up with her. Oh, and please don’t tell her where she got my nickname from. I like being her Kitten.”

Fluttershy watched in horror as the woman left, unable to say a word. When she regained herself, she went upstairs to get cleaned up, shaking a bit.

“I think we were wrong… Twilight’s not crazy… she is…” She murmured to herself.

“And so that jerk was saying about how it was sooo unnatural for what we were doing! But oh boy, Apple Bloom just tore right into him about how he was being a moron about it! Pow! Without even hitting!” Scootaloo exclaimed excitedly.

Rainbow laughed as they entered the house, “That’s awesome, squirt! Verbal beatdowns, you just can’t top ‘em.”

“You said it!” Scootaloo said, “I’m gonna go do my homework and meet the girls at the arcade! See you, Mom!” She said, hurrying upstairs.

Rainbow smiled, “Mom… not sure if I’ll ever get used to that… yeah I probably will,” she kicked her shoes off and strode into the living room, finding Fluttershy sitting on the sofa, her face flitting back and forth between elated and worried like some bunghole was flicking a light switch back and forth in her brain.

“What’cha thinkin’ about so hard, Flutterbaby?” Rainbow asked.

A small smile formed at Fluttershy’s lips as she faced her, liking the nickname, “Hi, Rainbow. I… well, I’m glad you’re home. Please, come sit with me. I want to talk to you.”

Rainbow sat down, looking around the living room, “Am I in trouble?”

Fluttershy shook her head, “No. At least…. unless you want to see it that way. Um… so I did go to see the doctor today, getting tested and all. Well…” She gave a smile, taking Rainbow’s hand and placing it over her stomach, holding it there.

Rainbow’s eyes widened, “Shy… are you… did we really… is it…”

“Yes,” Fluttershy nodded, smiling, “I’m pregnant.”

Rainbow tackled her onto the sofa, holding her down against the cushions while she peppered her face with kisses, “Oh my god, this is AWESOME!”

“Hey….” Fluttershy laughed with delight, happily squirming, “Oh, Rainbow! I’m so glad you’re excited! So am I! Our own baby! Can you believe it?”

Rainbow grinned widely and kissed her deeply, pulling away to speak, “No, I can’t. But I’m going to anyway,” she smiled widely as she kissed her again.

Returning the kiss, Fluttershy ran her fingers through her hair, her body trembling with excitement. Curling her arms around her waist, Rainbow hugging her tightly as she bit down onto Fluttershy’s lip, stroking her stomach. The touch had Fluttershy cooing between kisses as she arched her back a bit, allowing more of a fill, placing her hand over hers.

Within a moment or two, Scootaloo came padding down the stairs, “Oh, hey! I just remembered! Fluttershy-I mean, Mom, did you go to the doctor? What’d she say? Huh? Tell me! I-oh, jeez!” She turned away, “Thanks for telling me you’re making out!”

The two pulled away, giggling, “Sweetheart, you never minded before.”

Scootaloo pouted, “That was before you were my Moms. We’re suppose to find our parents getting mushy to be weird.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes, “It’s like you read the big book of parent cliches before moving in.”

“Yeah, I did,” Scootaloo giggled, “So, what’s the verdict?”

“Yes, honey. I am pregnant,” Fluttershy smiled. “You’re going to have a brother or sister.”

“YES! Oh yeah, woohoo! Yeah! Big Sister Scootaloo is in the house!” Scootaloo danced about on the spot before doing the moonwalk. “That’s awesome!”

Rainbow grabbed her by the shirt, pulling her onto the couch so both Rainbow and Fluttershy could hug her, “Look at you, you’re just being silly now.”

Laughing, Scootaloo hugged them both, “Hey, it’s pretty awesome. It’s the kid of Rainbow Dash, no less! How is that NOT awesome? And I get to be that kid’s inspiring, awesome, cool older sibling!”

“Oh Scootaloo,” Fluttershy kissed her hair, “This is a good thing, you’ll be able to help us out with the baby, then.”

“You know it! I’ll teach her to walk, talk, all the awesome cool stuff… where’s my iPod? They say that having babies listen to music makes them smart!” Scootaloo wiggled with excitement, “...Oh, wait. You’re gonna make me change diapers, aren’t you?”

“Oh the evil and cruel things I’m going to do to you,” Rainbow grinned, to unnerved looks from both Scootaloo and Fluttershy, “Oh shut up, you know what I mean!”

“Yeah, sorry…” Scootaloo patted her arm, “Seriously though, yuck! I am not changing diapers!”

“You will if you have to, sweetheart,” Fluttershy said firmly, but smiled.

Scootaloo grumbled and extracted herself from the two, skulking back upstairs.

“That girl is just too cute,” Rainbow laughed.

Fluttershy giggled, “She reminds me of how I acted when I was younger. Whenever I had to go stay with relatives and they had a baby, they always had me helping with the baby. I hated changing diapers and eventually threw tantrums about it. I was nine and I didn’t like doing them. Oh, it was worse when it was a boy…” She chuckled at the memories.

“You throwing a tantrum?” Rainbow cocked an eyebrow, “What did you do, unshuffle some cards in mild discontent?”

Fluttershy blushed, “I… threw myself down onto the floor, whining and crying. They were surprised I didn’t do that when I was four or five.”

Rainbow looked surprised, “Wow. Flutterbaby having an outburst? Never thought I’d hear the day.”

“You… haven’t seen me angry very often, have you?” Fluttershy giggled.

“Nope,” Rainbow chuckled, “Hasn’t really been much opportunity.”

A sheepish smile overcame the pinkette’s face, “Um… let’s just say my family called me Flutterhulk for a long time because of it.”

Rainbow’s eyes widened as she got off her and sat back, “Wow.”

Giggling, Fluttershy patted her leg, “Anyway… So I was talking to the doctor when she told me the news. She said I was actually six weeks pregnant and that my early bird symptoms didn’t kick in until recently. So… It seems we conceived around or shortly after our weekend getaway…”

Rainbow’s eyes widened further, “You… you were pregnant this whole time?”

“Apparently, I was,” Fluttershy nodded, letting out a little whistle.

“Wow…” Rainbow sighed, smiling a little, “I… don’t know what to think of that…”

“I know… It really took me by surprise. But the doctor told me the fetus is healthy and there are no problems. Um, she also said Mac was a lucky guy…” Fluttershy shifted a bit, “I realized she had no idea what was going on. Not that it matters, I guess. I have to go see her again in about three weeks.”

Rainbow leaned back on her side of the sofa, sighing, “We’re gonna have a baby… say goodbye to the girls, sun, and sex I guess,” she laughed.

“You silly. She says that it’s okay to have sex until about the eighth month,” Fluttershy laughed. “All those stories about hitting the womb are myths.”

“I meant after it’s born,” Rainbow remarked, “All that time spent trying to sleep in between feeding and changing and working? We’re not gonna get a minute to ourselves.”

“No, that’s true,” Fluttershy agreed, “We are going to have our hands tied up by the time its born. At least Scootaloo will be able to help us a bit, but even that will only go so far.”

“Only one solution, I guess,” Rainbow smirked, “Rut your brains out until that eighth month comes around.”

“As long as you won’t mind my eventual pregnant belly,” Fluttershy cooed, nuzzling her nose.

“I think I’ll like that,” Rainbow smiled, picturing Fluttershy naked and with a round stomach as a bulge started rising in her shorts, “Yeah… I think I’ll like that a lot!”

Looking down, Fluttershy giggled, “Well, that’s wonderful! Oh, it’s too bad you can’t get pregnant. You would look amazing. I think pregnant women are beautiful…”

“Yeah… I think that’s something you need to have a vag for,” Rainbow chuckled, “Somehow a pregnant belly doesn’t look all that pretty with a dick hanging beneath it.”

‘Pregnant Dash?! Fuck yes! Someone get on that! I wanna see preggy belly Dash! ...Or should I do it? I don’t know!’

“Probably, but it’s a nice thought,” Fluttershy giggled.

Rainbow laughed and shifted as her shorts started constricting her growing erection, “Maybe. But I’m still looking forward to seeing you get bigger. You’ve got that motherly air about you.”

Blushing, Fluttershy kissed her cheek, “Thank you, that’s really sweet.”

“I’m serious. I think you’d be a great mother. A lot better than I’d be,” Rainbow smiled, kissing her cheek in return.

“Well, I couldn’t say for sure, but we’ll definitely do the best we can,” Fluttershy smiled brightly.

Rainbow grinned and nuzzled her, “So you gonna help me with this or not?”

“How shall I?” Fluttershy whispered seductively, bringing her hand over the bulge and stroking it.

“You know, I really liked that time you gave me a titjob,” Rainbow smiled, leaning her head back and groaning, “Why don’t you do that while we see how filthy your mouth can get?”

Giggling, Fluttershy nodded, grabbing her hand and pulling her up, “Sure thing, love. But if you want it… you’ll have to catch me, first.”

Winking, she let go and then ran away, hurrying upstairs.

Rainbow laughed and jumped up, darting up the stairs as she heard the door to the empty bedroom click shut. Darting down the hall, she pushed it open and looked around. The room was empty, save for the furniture.

“What the hell?” she asked, bewildered.

Hearing footsteps behind her, she saw Fluttershy running back down the stairs. Running after her, she caught up with her as she turned into the kitchen, grabbing her by the waist as the two of them fell against the counter.

“Ha, I got you!” she exclaimed.

“You did!” Fluttershy laughed, squirming playfully.

“Yeah, and you know what that means,” Rainbow smiled, kissing her hair.

Giggling, Fluttershy turned herself around and nuzzled her, “Why don’t you get comfortable and I shall give you that lovely titjob you wanted,” she purred.

Rainbow grabbed one of the kitchen chairs and spun it around, sitting down and widening her knees as she smiled at her fiancee. Crawling over on her knees, Fluttershy lifted her shirt around her neck and over her head, then removed her bra.

“Come to mommy…” She purred, pulling Rainbow’s shorts down to reveal her erect member, kissing it.

Rainbow sighed happily and ran her fingers through Fluttershy’s hair, “Mmmmm, yes Mommy.”

Positioning herself, Fluttershy took her breasts and clamped them around Rainbow’s shaft. She then bobbed them upward and downward, all the while occasionally nuzzling the tip with her nose. Rainbow moaned softly, Fluttershy’s soft and careful touch feeling like silk against her.

“Oh yeah… that’s good…” she whispered.

“Good… You like this, don’t you? You just love my tits against your dick…” Fluttershy whispered seductively, licking the tip as she went.

“Yes, I do,” Rainbow smiled, hanging her head back and moaning softly, “They’re so soft…”

“And all yours,” Fluttershy bobbed a little faster, nuzzling and licking the tip of her member on occasion.

Rainbow lowered her hands to rub Fluttershy’s shoulders, “Mmmm yes… it feels like a massage. So relaxing… you want a backrub when you’re done?”

Pausing a bit, Fluttershy cooed in pleasure, “Awww, that’d be lovely, thank you.”

Rainbow moaned, “Okay… please Shy, talk dirty for me?”

“Of course. Dashie, you’re such a little slut… you always want sex, you’re always horny… admit it, you’re the real nympho here… admit it…” Fluttershy squeezed her breasts against Rainbow’s member tighter, going up and down faster.

“Ooooh… I’m a slut,” she breathed, “You’re right, I’m the nympho. I’m such a nympho. I’m a filthy little slut!”

Giggling, Fluttershy licked the tip, “That’s it, that’s a good girl… You love yourself, don’t you? You literally fucked yourself… Isn’t that nice? Fucking your own self? Seeing yourself beg for you? Pervy was a great fuck… And you think Rainbowshy is the cutest thing… You love fucking yourself, don’t you?”

“Yes!” Rainbow groaned, her hips jerking upwards, “They were so good. I love it. I love fucking myself. I’d do it in a heartbeat!”

“You filthy little slut!” Fluttershy uttered, rubbing her faster, “I’m your little slut, too. I’m not gay, I’m Rainbow Dash-sexual… You like that, don’t you? Having a beautiful woman all over you, begging for you, giving you everything you want? You love to fuck and violate me all over! Tell me! Say it!”

“I love fucking you senseless!” Rainbow moaned, stroking her shoulders, “I love bending you over and pounding you. I love watching you suck my cock! I love covering you in my cum and feeding it to you! I love you Fluttershy!”

“And I love you!” Fluttershy yelled in pleasure, beaming, “I love it when you bend me over and fuck me, I love sucking your cock, I love it when you cover me in cum and feed it to me! All of it! I am your slut for life!”

“Oh god, Shy! I’m gonna cum!” Rainbow moaned.

“YES! Cum, my love! Cum all over my face!” Fluttershy encouraged, licking the tip again.

Rainbow moaned and released hard, spraying Fluttershy’s lips and chin with her seed. Taking it all in, Fluttershy licked around her mouth before wiping off the excess. Pulling away, she pulled her shirt back down, Rainbow’s shorts back up, then sat on her lap.

“Feel better?” She cooed, peppering her face with kisses.

“Oh yeah,” Rainbow smiled, hugging her close.

As if determined to never give them a moment’s peace, there was a rabid and powerful banging on the front door.

“Rainbow!” came Twilight’s voice, “Open up!”

The two looked at each other with surprise, but then got up and answered the door together, revealing Twilight.

“Twilight? What’s up?” Rainbow asked.

Twilight reached past the doorframe and pulled Ascentia into view, “Someone has something they want to say to you.”

Ascentia looked away from them, and Twilight bumped her with her hip.

“Say it!”

“I’m sorry I threatened you and called Fluttershy fucked up in the head,” Ascentia mumbled.

Rainbow blinked, unsure how to even take this.

Fluttershy, however, wasn’t buying it, “Are you really saying that or just because you were told to?”

“Well to be completely honest-” Ascentia seized up as Twilight pressed a finger against the back of her neck, “NYAH! I’m really saying it! I’m really saying it!”

Glaring at them, Fluttershy shut the door in their faces and locked it before walking off.

Rainbow stared after her, re-opened the door, and said, “Yeah, come back when you’re not forcing apologies and actually mean it.”

She slammed the door again and locked it, following after her.

Ascentia shrugged, “I told you it wouldn’t work. And what did I tell you about the neck?! That tickles!”

“Just get in the car,” Twilight glared, “I am so mad at you right now I could kick something!”

Looking all around, she kicked over a trash can.

“When we get home, you go to our room and stay there for a while! I’m going to need time to myself!” Twilight snarled, taking a few deep breaths, “And I mean it!”

Ascentia hung her head and got into the car, strapping her seat belt on, “Yes, sweetheart…”

Sitting in the driver’s seat, Twilight took a few deep breaths, one after another. Her aggression melted, her countenance softened, her grip on the wheel lessened.

“All right, I’m calm now. Let’s go home.” Next Chapter: Attached At The Hip Much? Estimated time remaining: 3 Hours, 13 Minutes