“I’m astonished she just passed out like that!” Fluttershy exclaimed from the backseat of Rainbow’s car. Rarity’s head was lying in her lap as they made the long drive back through city traffic. They had the top of the convertible up to help keep the road noise out.

Rainbow Dash grinned at Fluttershy in the rearview mirror. “I told you it would work,” She said with a hint of pride as her eyes returned to the road. “She practically keeled over!”

The shopping bags were in the trunk of the car. Fluttershy already intended on returning everything on another day; one where she wasn’t completely exhausted, and her friend wasn’t in immediate need of her attention. She hated to return gifts, but Rarity had spent an exceptional amount of money on credit—almost three hundred dollars worth. The fashionista hadn’t been in her right mind at the time. It would be selfish to keep the clothes under such circumstances.

Fluttershy frowned down at the sleeping girl in her lap, her hand carefully brushing back a lock of indigo hair. “I wish I knew what was going on with her. I thought I knew when we talked this morning…but she must have been holding something back.”

Rainbow shrugged, the grin gone from her face. “Who knows? Sometimes people just want to keep secrets.”

Fluttershy shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “True.”

Silence fell between them. Fluttershy bit her lip as she snuck a look at Rainbow Dash. From where she sat on the right side of the back seat, she could see the side of Rainbow’s face, but not much of it. The other girl was focused on driving, the traffic stopping and going. She tapped the steering wheel impatiently to the beat of an anthemic rock song playing low over the front speakers.

Fluttershy touched the tri-color lightning bolt pendant on her chest, her fingers tracing the edge of the metal. Rainbow’s voice stirred in her head:

You look awesome. All of you.

The girl shivered and let her hand drop, her gaze turning to the window.

When they arrived at the Delta Alpha Kappa house, Rainbow parked the car as close as she could on the packed street, then she started the process of retracting the convertible’s top. While they waited for the car to convert, Rainbow turned in her seat and asked, “So you think maybe Rares and Pinks had a fight?”

Fluttershy’s brow tensed at the idea. “It seems unlikely. Rarity seems genuinely confused, and it’s not like Pinkie to hold a grudge against anyone!”

“She might be at the sorority house. It’d be nice to ask her what’s up,” Rainbow muttered. “If she’s not there, Rarity might just snap again.”

“I should have asked if Rarity wanted to stay at my house tonight,” Fluttershy lamented. “Now that I think about it, she kept saying over and over, ‘I don’t want to go back to the sorority house right now.’ Maybe she just doesn’t want to go back because she knows Pinkie isn’t there?”

Rainbow made a face. “Why would that keep her from wanting to sleep, though?”

Fluttershy shrugged helplessly.

The car’s top finished retracting. Rainbow Dash rose from her place and folded both the front seats over. When she was finished, she knelt down in the rear floor space and raised her eyebrows at the animal lover.

“Ready?” she asked.

Fluttershy nodded. “Yes.”

“Cool.” Rainbow took a breath and gestured at Rarity’s head. “Lift her a little so that I can get my arm underneath.”

After a minute of coordinated effort, they were out of the car, and Rarity was in Rainbow’s arms. They positioned her head on the athlete’s shoulder, her body curled up like a child. Rainbow Dash, meanwhile, seemed unfazed by the task of carrying her slim friend, likely considering it as light exercise.

She walked steadily and confidently with her head raised, striking quite the heroic figure as they proceeded up the path to the double doors of the Victorian sorority house. The windows were dark and the building devoid of sound.

“Looks like no one is here,” Rainbow commented on the porch.

Fluttershy rubbed one arm. “Someone might still be up in their room?”

“Guess we’ll see…”

They rang the doorbell and waited. Shy stole sidelong glances at her companions. Rarity’s purse was on her shoulder.

That unpleasant, worm-like feeling had returned in her gut, and she tried her best to ignore it. Fluttershy knew Rarity was asleep, and the other girl certainly had no interest in being carried around by the soccer player, but in a way, that made the feeling worse.

Maybe there’s something to be said of the ‘damsel in distress’ approach? Rarity earned plenty of dates that way… Then she grimaced. What am I thinking? I’m a horrible actress. I’d just make a fool of myself!

Her thoughts were interrupted when, through the glass panes of the double doors, she could see movement in the darkness. Within the next instant, the lights for the foyer blinked on, and Fluttershy saw it was Junebug in her pajamas.

The sorority sister opened the left-most door, her eyes landing on Rarity.

Instead of the surprise Fluttershy expected, Junebug just rolled her eyes. “Geez. Again?” She stepped aside, pulling the door open wider. “All right. Bring in the sleeping beauty.”

Rainbow and Fluttershy looked at each other in surprise. Neither took a step forward.

“Um. Pardon my asking but…is it normal for Rarity to come in like this?” Shy asked.

Junebug put her hand on her hip and snorted. “Is it normal? No way! But is it frequent? For the last two months it sure has been! It happens at least once a week and it drives us nuts. She falls asleep somewhere weird on campus, then we get a call to go get her. Though Pinkie is the one who usually does it.”

“What the what?” Rainbow sputtered. “Rarity’s been doing this for two months?” Her expression tightened. “She’s been doing this for two months and nobody has tried to get her to stop? Don’t you people pledge to take care of each other?”

Fluttershy’s eyes went wide. “Rainbow Dash—!”

“Hey!” Junebug angrily spat. She stepped into the doorway and jabbed a finger into Rainbow’s face, making the tomboy scowl. “We tried talking to her, all right? Even Pinkie tried, and they’re supposed to be close friends! She won’t listen to anybody. Right now, we’re the only reason she hasn’t gotten in trouble with the chapter president.”

Junebug shook her head and crossed her arms, worry twisting her features for the first time. “But I don’t think we can keep it up much longer. Eventually, she’s going to get called into a disciplinary meeting. We’re probably even going to get assigned a house director. We haven’t had one of those since the 60s.”

The girl gave Rainbow a dirty look. “So don’t act like we don’t care. We have plenty to lose, and we’re still doing our best, okay? That’s hard when someone doesn’t want to be helped. And don’t even get me started on the nightmares!”

Fluttershy wrung her hands. “Nightmares?” she asked, concern dripping from her voice.

Junebug nodded, her mouth a grim line. “Yeah.” She stepped aside again. “Bring her inside. I’ll explain.”

They crossed the threshold and the sorority sister shut the door behind them.

She led them up the stairs, glancing back as she talked all the while: “Rarity doesn’t have nightmares every night, but when she does…hoo boy!” Junebug sighed as they came to their friends' door. “Pinkie is quick to calm her down, but she’s still not back from wherever she’s gone to…”

“That’s why she didn’t want to come back and sleep,” Fluttershy said with a sad look at Rarity’s sleeping face. “She’s scared!”

“But of what?” Rainbow said with a look of impatience. “Did Rarity ever say what she was having nightmares about?”

Junebug shrugged, making the athlete groan at the dead end.

“Sorry,” the sorority sister said. “All I usually hear is her shouting and crying. I think Pinkie is the only one who got anywhere in figuring out the ‘why’ of it, but when we asked her, she said she had to keep it a secret.”

“Of course she did,” Rainbow muttered, knowing full well she’d have a better chance moving a mountain than getting Pinkie to break a promise.

Junebug just shrugged again and opened the bedroom door. She turned on the light and moved aside to let Rainbow Dash carry Rarity inside. Fluttershy started to follow, but Junebug touched her arm, making her pause.

“Hey,” the other girl said. “Thanks for bringing her in. Sorry for being sarcastic earlier. It’s just frustrating, y’know? I consider Rarity a friend, but she doesn’t open up to me. I just kind of deal with the aftermath all the time.”

She grimaced and looked down at her bare feet. “It gets hard not feeling bitter about that.”

Fluttershy stole a glance at Rainbow Dash, who was waiting for her next to Rarity’s bed to pull back the covers. She held up a finger to the athlete and mouthed, one sec.

Then she turned, and without hesitation, she hugged Junebug. The sorority girl stiffened under her embrace, but in the next instant, she relaxed and returned it.

“It’s okay,” Fluttershy murmured. “I think I know how that feels.” She pulled away and smiled reassuringly. “I’ve been trying to deal with Rarity all day, and I felt out of my depth. It worries me, because she never had a problem talking to me in the past. I can only think that whatever she’s going through must be very difficult for her to talk about if she can only share with certain people.”

Junebug nodded, a grateful smile on her lips. She gestured at Rainbow Dash. “Look, I don’t mean to keep you guys. I’ll keep an eye on Rarity, okay? So don’t worry.” She turned to leave, but paused and looked at Fluttershy. “Oh. Yeah. And I still didn’t forget about this morning. You have my number right?”

Shy blinked. “Um, yes?”

“Cool. Text me your address. I’ll send flowers, like I promised.” Junebug winked and returned to her room, further down the hall.

Fluttershy opened her mouth to say that was unnecessary, but when Rainbow cleared her throat behind her, she refrained and went to her friend.

It’ll be nice to have something brighten up the house, I suppose, she thought to herself as she pulled back Rarity’s bed covers.

Rainbow Dash carefully set the fashionista down. Fluttershy removed Rarity’s heels, then pulled the covers over her, making sure to tuck the blanket in just how she liked it.

With their friend returned safely to her bed, the other girls stepped back and gazed down at her thoughtfully.

“She’ll be okay… Right?” Rainbow asked with squinted eyes.

“Junebug said she’d keep an eye on her,” Fluttershy said, though her brow was still wrinkled with worry.

Rainbow Dash pulled out her phone. “I’m going to try and call Pinkie Pie.”

“I should have asked if she wanted to spend the night,” Fluttershy murmured again with a frown.

Rainbow pressed the phone to her ear and motioned to head for the door. “Don’t beat yourself up, Shy. There’s no telling if Rarity would have accepted your offer. After all, she didn’t even tell you what was really going on, right?”

Shy’s shoulders sagged as they left the room. “That’s true.”

Rainbow put an arm over Fluttershy’s shoulders, and they descended down the stairs to the foyer. “Hey. You can’t fix everything. It’s like Junebug said. It’s hard to help someone who doesn’t want… Damn!” She scowled at her phone as she hit END on her touchscreen. “Voicemail.”

“Maybe a text would work better?” Fluttershy suggested. “If Pinkie is dealing with something, she might not be free to talk.”

“Good idea,” Rainbow said as she opened up her texting app.

---

They left the sorority house and returned to the car. The entire way, the athlete was working on a message to the absent party planner:

>R: Hey Pinkie. Heard u were MIA. U ok? Rarity wuz up 30 hrs… She had a nervous breakdown this morning and dragged FS around all day shopping @ the mall. Just dropped her off @ the sorority house. Junebug’s there. Can u call or txt bak? Me and FS are worried bout both of u…

“Aaand…sent.” Rainbow paused on the sidewalk just as they arrived at her car. She put her phone into her pocket and took a deep breath. “Well!” she said on the exhale. “She better respond soon. I need some answers.”

“Me too,” Fluttershy agreed.

Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her neck. “So… It’s like, almost nine. I know you’ve been on your feet all day, so I’d understand if you’re too tired to work on my project tonight.”

Fluttershy let out a little gasp, her hands flying to her mouth. “Goodness! It completely slipped my mind! Oh, Rainbow Dash, I’m sorry—!”

Rainbow chuckled in exasperation. “Flutters, you can be such a basket case sometimes! Chillax, will ya? You’re tired! It’s cool.”

“But we can still do something tonight. I don’t have to be on my feet for that,” Fluttershy insisted.

The other girl raised an eyebrow. “Are you sure?”

“Yes! In fact, if you have your things, we can even work at my house. It’s very close to here. It’d be quicker than going all the way back to campus.” Her eyes lit up. “Oh! I can even make us dinner! Ice cream is hardly a replacement for a decent meal.”

Rainbow Dash hesitated. It was true that she hadn’t finished her ice cream, but she’d only stopped eating because she was tired of it, not because her hunger had been satisfied. Still, she felt bad at the prospect of putting Fluttershy in the position of cooking when the other girl was already tired from the long day.

“Look, you don’t need to cook,” she said. She stiffened as something occurred to her. “I mean, if you are hungry, then I don’t mind waiting for you to cook. Then if there’s extra food, I’ll like…uh… I’ll have some?” Rainbow Dash scratched her head, her face screwing up.

GOD! I hate sounding like a dumb jock!

Fluttershy giggled. She opened the passenger door and put the seat back up. “It’s okay. I’m not a good cook like Applejack, so I cheat all the time.”

She sat down in the passenger seat and grinned. “I’ve got pre-made ravioli from the grocery store, and the sauce is from a jar. It just takes fifteen minutes to prepare and it’s very filling!”

Rainbow smiled as the tension eased from her shoulders. “All right! That sounds really cool, actually.” She went around to the driver’s side, put her seat back up, and sat down. “Let’s go!”

When she started the car up, she paused to turn and ask, “Oh. You want the top back up?”

Fluttershy shook her head. “No.” She bit her lip and twirled a lock of hair around her finger. “Though, I did kind of want to ask…”

Rainbow blinked at her, as she shifted into drive. “Yeah?”

“Were you listening to one of our old Rainboom CDs?”

The athlete grinned and turned up the volume on the radio before pulling out into the street. Sunset Shimmer and Twilight Sparkle’s voices poured out of the speakers as they started the trip to Fluttershy’s house.

“We’re here to let you know

That we won’t let it go

Our music is a bomb and it’s about to blow

And you can try to fight

But we have got the light of

Friendship on our side

Got the music in our hearts—”

“We’re here to blow this thing apart,” Rainbow sang, nudging her passenger with a jaunty grin.

Fluttershy blushed and joined in, her hair blowing back with the wind, and a shy smile blossoming on her lips: “And together, we will never be afraid of the dark!”

Their voices mingled as they carried on singing the rest of the song. Rainbow Dash’s raspy vocals was a strong undercurrent to Fluttershy’s soft angelic voice.

But while on a four-lane main street, a car changed lanes suddenly, cutting them off. It forced Rainbow to stop singing to focus on braking safely.

Idiot! She thought with a snarl. The frustration was short-lived.

There was a small flash of light. Rainbow’s head snapped to the side to see Fluttershy had her head tilted back, her eyes closed as her magical aura started to appear, making the pony ears sprout from the top of her hair.

Fluttershy’s voice sang out clear and radiant: “Here to sing our song out loud! Get you dancing with the crowd. As the music of our friendship. Survives… Survives… Survives!”

Rainbow Dash’s hand grabbed Fluttershy’s arm, her eyes flashing back onto the road. “Fluttershy, pony ears!” she exclaimed. A stoplight was coming up and she started to brake—harder than necessary.

---

When Rainbow Dash grabbed her by the arm, that had been startling enough for Fluttershy. But when her friend then informed her that she had sprouted pony ears, that managed to knock her right off her happy cloud.

It surprised her the degree to which hearing an old recording from their time as the Sonic Rainbooms had an effect on her. Add on the fact that this particular song had been the one they had sung to defeat the Sirens during the Battle of the Bands in high school, and Fluttershy had felt almost euphoric.

It brought back so many happy memories, one of the happiest being the fact that Rainbow Dash had finally validated her lyric writing skills.

Though now brought back to reality, the shy girl felt embarrassed that her nostalgia resulted in such an undisciplined slip of magic.

She squeezed her eyes shut as the car jerked to a hard stop. She willed the Equestrian power away. The aura faded. She could feel her human ears return with a burning tingle.

When she opened her eyes, the light was green and Rainbow Dash was accelerating again.

The athlete looked at her with concern. “You okay?” she asked as she turned down the radio volume.

Fluttershy took a shaky breath. “Yes!” She looked sadly down at her lap. “Sorry I ruined such a nice moment. I didn’t mean to sprout pony ears.” She glanced nervously back at the cars they had passed. “You don’t think anyone saw anything…do you?”

Then Rainbow did something she hadn’t expected. She grabbed Fluttershy by the shoulder and squeezed. “You’ve been holding out on me!” She exclaimed with a laugh. “Fluttershy, I don’t think I’ve ever heard you sing like that! You should have been a lead vocalist, not a back up one!”

Seemingly forgetting her previous concern, Fluttershy’s chin tucked in, her eyes widening just at the thought. “Me? Oh no! I couldn’t possibly do that.”

“But you’ve got such a great voice! It’s like,” Rainbow snapped her fingers, her eyes squinting as she tried to come up with something. “It’s like honey dripping down from heaven onto a giggling baby.”

Fluttershy’s eyes batted rapidly. “That’s…” her nose wrinkled. “I’m not entirely sure what to make of that image. Do you know how hot honey has to be to drip like liquid?” She shivered. “I’d be worried for the baby!”

Rainbow gave her an irritated look. “So my analogy sucked. The point is, you’re a really good singer.”

Fluttershy blushed. “Thank you.”

“Could I ever convince you to do vocals on a song?” Rainbow asked. They were entering Fluttershy’s neighborhood now.

The shy girl tugged on a lock of her hair, her face tense. “I thought the Sonic Rainbooms were on hiatus?”

“Well, yeah. But what about just you and me?”

Fluttershy sat up straight at that. “Y-you and me?”

Rainbow smirked at her, one eyebrow raised. “Uh huh. That’s what I just said.”

“You have a song?” Was the tentative reply.

“No. But just now, I felt… I dunno. I guess I miss it. Music. It’d be cool to write some new material and lay down some new tracks, even if it wasn’t with the whole gang.” Rainbow shrugged as she pulled to a stop in front of Fluttershy’s home. “I’d love it if the band got together again. Too bad we’re all too busy now.”

Shy rubbed her arms, her anxious gaze boring into the dashboard. Her companion, meanwhile, unbuckled and exited the car.

“I…might have a new song,” Fluttershy said with uncertainty. She lifted her head up as Rainbow Dash stopped to look at her. The athlete’s expression lit up with excitement.

“Really?” she asked eagerly.

Fluttershy grinned nervously. “Yes?”

“Oh man, I gotta see it!”

“I-it’s not finished—”

“So? We shared rough drafts all the time. Yours were always better than mine, remember?”

Fluttershy shook her head as she exited the car. “Rainbow Dash, that’s not true! We just had different styles.”

Rainbow smirked as she opened the trunk and started retrieving the shopping bags. “Yeah. I wrote all the kick-butt rock anthems, and you did all the sappy, melodic pop stuff.”

Fluttershy frowned as Rainbow shut the trunk and approached her. “I did more than sappy songs… The song we just listened to, for instance! That’s not sappy!”

Rainbow chuckled as Shy opened the front gate and led the way to the front door. “That song is totally sappy.”

“How so?” The shy girl asked with surprise. She fished her key from her jacket pocket and fumbled trying to get it into the lock in the dark.

“Flutters…really?” Rainbow deadpanned. “‘Got the music in our hearts’ isn’t sappy to you?”

Fluttershy pouted. “It was supposed to be uplifting,” she mumbled, unable to argue with her friend’s assessment.

She froze when Rainbow Dash hugged her around the shoulders from behind. “Don’t get all glum, dude!” the athlete snickered close to her ear. “I liked the song then, and I like it now. It’s…y’know. It’s you.” Her embrace tightened. “I can’t wait to see the new stuff you’ve got!”

Fluttershy opened her mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

She recalled the feeling of the athlete’s lips on her hands: how soft and warm they had felt; how they had quivered, for the briefest second, when Rainbow realized just what she had done. Those lips were so close now.

The ability to function seemed to flee Fluttershy as she stood, arrested by a swell of conflicting feelings. Rainbow’s body felt good against hers. Strangely, it was also harrowing—an embrace that suggested things were changing on an unspoken level. Her skin tingled with anticipation.

Then the door ripped open and the girl locked eyes with her glaring brother.

---

Star Weld stood in the doorway, his face a tight scowl like he was going to shout a pesky salesman off his porch. He was dressed in a white t-shirt and baggy sweats, his blue hair damp and combed back.

“Star!” Fluttershy squeaked. She tried to take a step back only to press further into Rainbow Dash’s body, her shoe stepping on the athlete’s sneaker. She jumped and moved to the side, out of Rainbow’s embrace. “Oh, Rainbow, I apologize, I didn’t mean to step on you!”

Rainbow Dash felt a sting of disappointment at the premature ending to their hug, but she covered it with a smirk. “No biggie.” She tilted her chin up at the man. “Hey there, Star Weld.”

Star Weld’s expression softened, but the frown remained. “Rainbow Dash?”

Rainbow grinned and spread her arms. “In the flesh!”

His face suddenly broke into a smile. “Oh, hey! It’s great to see you! C’mere!”

Star Weld stepped forward and grabbed her in a strong hug, one which she returned.

When they stepped away from each other, Star laughed and clapped her on the shoulder. “Man! I’m glad it’s just you.”

Rainbow’s smile became bemused. “Who were you expecting instead?”

Star scratched his head, his chin tucking in a fashion reminiscent of his sister. “I heard Flutters talking to someone with a deep voice.”

Rainbow squinted her eyes. “Hey! My voice isn’t that deep!”

“Don’t take it personal,” he said with a chuckle. “I couldn’t hear too well inside. I wanted to see what jerk Flutters would have brought at this hour, and why.”

“Star Weld!” Fluttershy exclaimed, her voice strained with scandal.

He shrugged at her. “What? Can you blame me after the last boy you brought home?”

Rainbow looked at Fluttershy sharply, making the other girl shrink. “You brought a boy home? When the heck did that happen?”

“The summer after she graduated,” Star said with pursed lips.

“He was a volunteer from the shelter,” the girl sputtered, trying to play damage control. “He just wanted to borrow a book on dog grooming!”

“Uh-huh.” Star Weld rolled his eyes and nudged Rainbow Dash. “I guess that’s why he followed you into your room, then?”

Rainbow’s mouth dropped and she stared at Fluttershy.

Even in the dark, it was evident that her friend was blushing a bright red. But, with visible effort, she straightened her back and lifted her chin.

“Rainbow is here for me to help her with schoolwork, and I would very much like to rest my feet.” She made a flustered gesture at the door. “Would you please let us come inside?”

Star blinked at her, then gave a start, finally noticing the bags she was carrying. He hopped to the side. “Whoops! Uh, sorry. Go right ahead.”

When they entered, Rainbow turned and asked him, “So what happened with the guy?”

He smirked, one eyebrow raising. “What do you think? I threw him out on his butt and threatened to beat him with the book he claimed to want so bad.”

“It was unnecessary and very unkind,” Fluttershy said with a look of disapproval. “He stopped coming to the shelter after that.”

“Gee, I wonder why,” Star muttered as he flopped down onto the couch and turned on the television. Rainbow Dash snickered.

Fluttershy looked at her brother with hands on her hips. “We shouldn’t treat guests that way! Do you know how hard it was to find volunteers for the shelter? I was happy to encourage his interest!”

“No offense, but it doesn’t sound like you and him had the same ‘interests’.” Rainbow made air quotes.

Star Weld smirked and held up a hand for a high five, and the athlete obliged him without hesitation.

Fluttershy shook her head at them both. With a prim expression, she asked Rainbow Dash, “Could you excuse me for a moment while I change out of this?” She gestured at her ice-cream-stained skirt. “I’ll be quick. Then I’ll make the food.”

Rainbow nodded. “Sure! Go ahead.”

Fluttershy smiled her thanks and proceeded down the back hallway to her room. Star Weld patted the seat next to him. A kung fu movie was on the TV screen. Rainbow sat down with a groan of relief.

“So how ya been? How’s work at the auto shop?” she asked, her gaze focusing on the acrobatic action playing in front of her.

Star waved a hand, his eyes also on the television. “Work is work. We haven’t had any interesting cars to fix in a while.” He sighed. “I miss doing custom jobs.”

She nodded. “Yeah, I remember the rides you tricked out. They were pretty sweet! Why’d you stop?”

The man thumbed over his shoulder to the hallway. “For her. Trust me, I wouldn’t have given up my passion unless it was important. Not that custom jobs didn’t pay well, but they just weren’t steady enough.”

“That’s pretty noble, dude.”

His mouth screwed up. “It’s not noble. It’s parenting,” he griped.

Rainbow Dash punched him lightly on the shoulder. “It’s cool is what it is. Don’t be so darn modest, Star Weld. I know Fluttershy appreciates you!”

The man cleared his throat, his cheeks coloring. He sank a little lower in his seat and asked, “So what about you? My lil’ sister mentioned this project she’s helping you with?”

Rainbow grimaced. “Yeaaah… It’s a thing for psychology. We’re in the same class. It’s really important, otherwise I wouldn’t be bothering you guys at all this late.”

Star Weld snorted. “Rainbow Dash, come on. You’ve been her friend for years. You’re welcome here any time!” He grinned. “I’m telling you, I was really glad to see it was you.” He gestured at the door. “I even pulled that thing out, just in case.”

She looked, and her eyes widened at what was propped next to the door. “You pulled out a metal bat?”

“Yeah. Ever since that punk came around, I’ve kept it handy.”

Rainbow fidgeted. Suddenly, she wasn’t feeling so relaxed. “You don’t want your sister to date? Anybody?” her voice cracked a little, making her wince.

Star snarled. “Are you kidding? I sat down with Flutters and her counselor. The guy showed me her education plan. She’s in it for eight years. I’m not going to let some jerk screw that up for her by getting her distracted or worse!”

His grip on the remote control tightened, making the plastic creak in his fist. Rainbow glanced at it and swallowed. “Especially not when I’m busting my ass trying to help her make it,” Star continued.

“I’d just as soon do that—” he jabbed a finger at the television screen, where one of the characters had punched a fist into another man’s chest and ripped out his heart, “—then allow that to happen. Shy will have plenty of time to find a nice guy later. This is her future we’re talking about.”

“Fair enough,” Rainbow Dash managed to rasp. Note to self, don’t piss off Star.

“Well I don’t think it’s fair…” Fluttershy said behind them.

The pair looked up to see the girl in soft green pajama pants and a button-up shirt. She rubbed one arm, her hair covering one eye as she gazed at her brother with an unreadable expression.

“I’m nineteen years old,” she said, with just the hint of a quiver in her voice. “If I want to be with someone, then I…I will.” Fluttershy slouched as Star sat up and twisted in his seat to scowl at her.

“N-not that I would do so just to disrespect you, Star,” she elaborated with a nervous duck of her head. “But I think it’s a little unfair for you to ask me to grow up, then turn around and treat me like a child.”

Rainbow Dash’s eyebrows rose. Her eyes ticked back and forth between brother and sister, and she wondered with some discomfort if it was necessary to leave so they could talk.

The seconds ticked by. Literally. There was a wooden cuckoo clock on the wall amidst the collection of curios that was ticking almost obnoxiously.

Star Weld was the first to break the silence. “You know what?” He threw up his hand. “That’s pretty fair, sis. Okay. You can date.”

Rainbow Dash’s mouth dropped.

“Really?” she exclaimed. The brother and sister stared at her, and she blushed. “Uh… Sorry. It’s just…” She rubbed the back of her neck, one eye squinting. “I wish my dad was that easy to beat in an argument!”

Fluttershy’s eyes widened. “Oh! But I wasn’t trying to argue!” She wrung her hands and looked anxiously at her brother. “Star, were we arguing? I didn’t mean to! I just wanted you to know how I felt!”

“Relax, Shy,” Star Weld laughed. “I didn’t think we were. You made a good point.” He winked. “Besides, I need you to treat me nice when I get old!”

Fluttershy’s brow wrinkled. “I don’t understand. Why wouldn’t I treat you nice?”

Rainbow Dash snorted out a laugh. She’s too cute!

Star Weld grinned wryly and made a pacifying gesture with his hand. “Never mind, sis. I want you to be happy. Don’t think too much on it.”

He turned forward in his seat, his eyes fixing on the television again before he raised a finger. “But! I reserve the right to demand that anyone you get serious with be brought to meet me so that I can have a chance to play scary big brother. This is non-negotiable.”

Rainbow tugged at her ear, a nervous grin on her lips. Out of the corner of her eye, she thought she saw Fluttershy look at her, but when she glanced her friend’s way, the girl was looking at her brother.

“So long as you don’t threaten violence,” Shy said reluctantly.

Star squinted at her over his shoulder. “How am I supposed to be scary if I can’t threaten violence?”

Fluttershy shrugged as she went to the kitchen, a teasing smile on her lips. “I suppose you’ll have to get creative, won’t you?” She went around the island counter and opened the fridge. “Dinner is in fifteen, by the way. I know you haven’t eaten yet, Star.”

“Oh yeah? And how do you know that? It’s past nine already,” he returned, his attention back on the TV.

Fluttershy raised an eyebrow, two packages of ravioli in her hands as she shut the fridge. “Because there isn’t a cereal bowl in the sink and you didn’t order pizza.”

Star Weld smirked. “You caught me. I’m trying to watch my figure.”

His sister giggled, which he returned with a good-hearted chuckle.

Rainbow Dash leaned on the back of the couch, smiling absently at the lighthearted exchange. She watched as her friend began to cook, a soft sigh escaping her.

Fluttershy isn’t just cute. She’s classy without being stuck up. That’s… Her smile widened. That’s pretty awesome.

Next Chapter: Chapter 11 (2023 3rd Draft Edit) Estimated time remaining: 12 Hours, 30 Minutes