"So, Apple Bloom.  What exactly did you want to talk about?"  Cheerilee slowly trots along toward Sweet Apple Acres with Apple Bloom beside her.  

"Well...  Is it okay for two mares to love each other?"  The filly doesn't hold back at all, choosing to throw the question out in the open and see what Cheerilee has to say.  

"Uhm... Hmm...  I-I really don't..."  The school teacher knows exactly what she wants to say, but doesn't know exactly how to answer.  "This is what's been bothering you all day?"

"Yeah...  All week actually...  Applejack and Rainbow Dash ended up bein' together, and they say it's okay, Big Macintosh doesn't really say much one way or the other 'bout it, but Granny Smith says it's not right...  I just dunno who else to ask."

"Well...  Anything I tell you out here I can't tell you as a teacher, you understand?"  Cheerilee takes the situation to heart and does her best to help the filly, just making sure she can cover her own flank as well.

"What do you mean?"

"Well...  In school I'm your teacher, because it's my job to teach you things and it's your job to sit there and listen.  Out here I'm just like any other pony, so you should treat everything I say like you heard it from any other pony, even if you do know me better."

"Why's that?"

"Because things like this are controversial enough to spark family involvement more often than not, and if I told you anything one way or the other as your teacher instead of just as your friend, then... well... I could lose my job."

"Wull I don't want you to lose your job, miss Cheerilee.  You're the best teacher I've ever had!"  This comment gives the schoolteacher a little warmth in her heart.  She loves hearing things like that from a student, especially when she's trying to help out with something personal.

"Alright, Apple Bloom.  Just don't tell anypony we talked about this, okay?"  

"Okay, Miss Cheerilee. I promise."

"Just call me Cheerilee out of school."

"Alright, Cheerilee...  Gawsh, that's gonna take some gettin' used to."

"Oh I'm sure you'll get the hang of it.  Anyway: personally, I think anypony should be allowed to be together regardless of who they like, what color their coat is, or anything else that makes them different, and it's not anypony's business but their own.  That being said:  I don't think you should go around asking everypony in town about this sort of thing."

"Alright, Miss... Uhm.  Alright, Cheerilee...  But why not?"

"Everypony has their own opinion on the matter, and it's just going to be frustrating to you if you walk around getting so many different things told to you all the time.  These kinds of things are frustrating even to me, and part of the reason it's a problem that hasn't been solved yet is simply because it's such a difficult thing to solve while making everypony happy."

"But how do I know who's right?"

"Well...  Nopony's really right or wrong.  Matters of love and life aren't like math problems, they can't be solved by plugging all of the variables into a formula; there are just far too many variables to keep track of.  It's entirely up to you to decide what's right or wrong for yourself.  You have to ask yourself whether it would make you happier to let Applejack and Rainbow Dash be together, or to try and convince them that being together isn't quite right.  Some ponies, like me for instance, might think it's better to let them be as they are.  Others, however, might think that it's important to uphold traditions and family values that have been passed down for generations, like your granny.  What you think about this isn't up to me, your granny, your sister, your brother, or anypony else you know (or even the ones you don't know) to decide.  That responsibility is entirely up to you."

"I guess that makes sense...  Thank you, Miss Cheerilee."

"Just Cheerilee!  And you're very welcome."  Cheerilee continues to walk toward Sweet Apple Acres with Apple Bloom, keeping her promise to walk her home all the way and watching the sundown on the horizon.  "Just remember, you didn't hear it from me."

"Who'd I hear it from then?"

"You're a smart filly, maybe you just came up with it yourself."

"If'n you say so, ma'am."

"Now go on home, I gotta get back and start grading your homework for the day."

"Just between us, could I maybe get an 'A' on this one?"

"That depends on how much you deserve an 'A' on this one."

The filly shrugs and giggles as she steps up to her front door.  "It was worth a try ah suppose."

"You look great in this, Rarity!"  Sweetie Belle chimes as she stands on a stool, helping her sister fit the dress for herself.  The lavender colored garment fits almost perfectly, but seems to have been made for a mare at least two inches taller than herself, leaving a small drag behind as she walks.  

"Thank you, Sweetie Belle, now could you hold the hem up just a little bit higher, I need to pin it."  Rarity keeps her focus as best as she can, continuously letting her mind wander back and forth between lucidity and daydreaming about Noteworthy.  She slips a few pins into the dress to hem it up, looking at herself in the mirror as Sweetie Belle silently begs to let the fabric go.  "There, that does look pretty good on me doesn't it?"

"Sure does.  Thank you for letting me help, Rarity."

"Oh you did great, Sweetie Belle.  Thank you for helping, now do you promise to behave yourself tonight?"

"Of course I do, what kind of trouble could I possibly get in?"

"I've learned to stop asking that question myself..."

"Okay, maybe that wasn't the right choice of words...  But really I'll just stay home and figure out something to do, I won't make a mess or break something or anything like that...  I can take care of myself."

"Yes, I guess you can.  Just remember though, if anything does happen, I want you to run down the street and try to get Pinkie Pie's help, okay?"

"Yes, Rarity."

"I won't be mad at you, I just want you to be safe.  So don't try to cover it up yourself if you really can't handle it, okay?"

"Okay, Rarity, I promise if it's something serious I'll go down and get Pinkie's help."

Rarity leans down and gives Sweetie Belle a big, warm hug.  "You're a good filly, Sweetie Belle.  Don't let me down."

"I won't, sis."

Rarity pulls away and glances at herself once more in the mirror, posing a bit for the imaginary cameras flashing away in her mind.  After a flick of the mane, the unicorn trots downstairs and waits behind her front desk, making sure everything is in perfect order.  She goes about rearranging some small rolls of fabric, only to be interrupted by the familiar tingling of the bell above her door.  She slowly turns her head, thinking of just how captivating she would look on camera with some twinkling lights behind her, and only being brought out of this thought by the sight of her 'prince charming' stepping across the threshold.  Noteworthy isn't dressed too fancily, but he does show at least a little effort to look nice; and once Rarity gets a good first impression of a guy, it's relatively difficult for her to revert away from that, even in events of fashion detriment.  

"Oh my goodness, Miss Rarity, that's just adding insult to injury."  Noteworthy makes a comment on the unicorn's attire as he steps in, smirking a little while he silently admires her poise.

"I hope I'm not offending!  I only figured you bought this dress for a special someone so I thought it might be, uhm..."  Rarity doesn't quite know what to say; she doesn't pick up on the lighthearted tone that Noteworthy had given her.

"Oh relax, Rarity, I'm just giving you a hard time.  Honestly I think it looks a whole lot better on you than it ever would on her.  Speakin' of which, maybe if we get lucky we'll see her tonight and have the opportunity to rub it in her face."

"That's awfully... passive aggressive, don't you think?"

"Well..."

"I just love it!"

Pinkie Pie and Soarin' sit across from each other, gently sipping "classy" coffee drinks that neither of them could pronounce (or identify for that matter) to save their lives.  Somewhere off in a distant corner of this particular "Barstucks" establishment is a pony wearing square-rimmed glasses and a scarf, trying furiously to write some hopeless manuscript, and even though the scratching and scribbling of a pen on paper is annoying, it doesn't interest the couple in the slightest.  

"Remind me why we're here again, Soarin'?"  Pinkie tries to keep her fidgety self still as she looks around the dimly lit,  bare brick interior.

"Just kinda one of those things that couples do...  It's called a date."  Soarin' smirks and takes a slightly larger gulp from his mug now that it's cooled down a little bit.

"I know what a date is."  Pinkie replies with a chuckle and lightly nudges Soarin' under the table with her back hoof.  "It's just that this place is expensive...  I've got coffee back at the bakery that's not 5 bits for a cup..."

"Oh I know, but it's not about that.  It's about coming out here and watching all of the other ponies who come into places like this and feel all full of themselves.  It's about being out of familiar territory and exploring, spending a ridiculous amount of money for a cup of coffee and then getting an experience from it.  It's fun, plus we're supposed to go out for coffee; staying inside at your place isn't going out."

Pinkie turns her head as Soarin' finishes his sentence, glancing over the dingy little cafe and absolutely missing whatever beauty the stallion tried to plant into her mind for her.  Regardless, she tries to feign interest, knowing that the semi-sophisticated and high-class athlete will be having his own reservations about society, but retains her general desire for being a homebody.  "Let's go for a walk after this."

"A walk?"

"Yeah, a walk.  Just around town, maybe outside of it.  You said you wanted to go out didn't you?"

"Well, yeah but--"

"So let's go for a walk when we're done.  Walking is out."

"True..."  Soarin' doesn't want to argue with Pinkie, knowing she's on a very quick road to recovery from her previously lethargic, hungover state.  "Alright, deal.  We'll go for a walk after this."

"Hooray!"  Pinkie throws her arms out and grins big, never having gone for a walk around town with a stallion before.  She'd always had a destination whenever she was walking with anypony else, and doing so alone just wasn't quite the same.  Soarin' finishes up his mug and stands to leave.  He holds the door for Pinkie, who gladly hops out in her usual fashion, and follows alongside her.  The stallion still doesn't quite know what he finds so intriguing about the pink earth pony, but even the way she bounces along the ground captivates him.

"So where did you want to go?"

"Nowhere."  Pinkie doesn't even turn her head to address Soarin', keeping her eyes focused ahead only enough to avoid the various obstacles in her path, but otherwise observing the natural scene even in the midst of a suburban section of Ponyville.

"Nowhere?"

"Nowhere."

"So...  We're just walking then?"

"Yuppers!"

"Okay then..."  The gray pegasus has to fight every fiber of his being not to ask 'well where the hay are we going then?' but manages to do so.  He's nothing if not open minded.  To say the walk progresses in silence would be slightly incorrect; Pinkie's various repertoire of noises and comments whenever something interesting passes by keeps anything akin to silence at bay.  However not much discourse goes on between the couple; Pinkie simply steps through the various slices of nature and absorbs the balanced beauty.  Soarin' really does feel a special moment here, though he wouldn't admit it if asked.  He'd never taken the time until now to really walk around in a natural place; it's always been speed above all else.  He trots alongside the bouncing mare, noticing through the fading light of sunset the leafless trees and dried grass in place of the homogenous brown blur that would be in their place had he been flying overhead.  Somewhere in the distance a bird chirps, bringing a small moment of beautiful sound to his usually wind-buffeted ears.  "This is pretty nice, Pinkie."

"Isn't it?"  Pinkie pulls herself away from a snowdrop flower as Soarin's voice cuts into her chaotic mind.

"It really is...  Thank you."

"N'aww, you don't have to thank me silly-willy.  Just enjoy it!"

Soarin' smirks and steps over to Pinkie Pie, giving her a gentle hug with his wing as he begins to walk alongside her.  "Now that I can do."

Twilight and Fluttershy keep their hooves entwined with each other, swaying gently through the dimly lit bedroom in Fluttershy's cottage.  A single ray of orange light juts in through the window, lighting up a small area in the center of the floor almost like a spotlight and giving the couple the perfect spot for a late-afternoon dance.  Twilight moves through a complex set of moves with almost no coordination whatsoever, clearly having gathered knowledge without any practice.  Fluttershy, however, performs in exactly the opposite way; her every step is met with grace and poise, but with no real knowledge of any traditional dances or patterns, so she simply allows Twilight to lead.  In all, the move-set is awkward and goofy, prompting many instances of red-tinted cheeks and nervous giggles from the mares, but never setting them back at all.  They love each other very deeply, and are more than willing to do something just for the fun of it, even if it does make them both look like dorks (which this undoubtedly does).

The ray of light splitting the room slowly shrinks as the couple dances, casting smaller and smaller rays across the faces and bodies of the mares whenever they pass through its beam.  Twilight lifts her left hoof up while Fluttershy keeps hers connected, twirling beneath the arch and ending with her back pressed against Twilight's chest.  The unicorn's arms wrap around her waist and she is completely unable to stop herself from squeaking happily.  Twilight hears this and giggles a little herself, quietly smooching the pegasus on the back of her neck and holding her there for a few wonderful seconds.  Fluttershy's breathing takes a slight spike as the unicorn's lips brush against her neck, sending a small shiver down her back and almost making her melt.  Every single moment like this is one that they both treasure, especially as the day quietly comes to a close.  

Twilight backs up to the bed, Fluttershy still in her grip, and plops down on her back.  She brings the pegasus with her and prompts a soft laugh from the two of them; Fluttershy rolls onto her side and gazes into Twilight's eyes.  The two have only to offer a warm smile to each other, eventually letting the moment draw them into a kiss, undisturbed by anything at all.  Well, that is except one thing: a familiar voice in the very back of Fluttershy's mind; one whose inflection betrays almost as  much anguish as it does anger.

Well aren't you cute, Co-pilot?