Fluttershy split with Rainbow in the foyer and exited out the front door. When she crossed the front lawn and arrived at the sidewalk, she could already see the taxi slowly cruising down the street. The car came to a stop in front of Sass’ house. After paying her fare, Twilight emerged from the taxi and blinked at her friend.

“Hey, Fluttershy,” Twilight said with a bemused smile as she stepped onto the sidewalk. She looked around at the car-packed street, to the group of people milling on the porch. Her eyebrows rose. Even from the sidewalk, the din of the party could be heard. “‘Small party’, huh?”

“It started small.” Fluttershy was back to wringing her hands.

Twilight’s brow creased with worry. “What happened?”

Shy took a deep breath and started. By the time she finished, they had migrated to the front door, only to have to jump away in time to avoid a boy and girl running past them in their underwear.

“Oh boy,” Twilight muttered. “We better find Pinkie quick!”

Fluttershy put a hand to her head, feeling herself go a little faint. Twilight gazed at her with concern.

“You all right?”

“Yes.” Fluttershy flashed a chagrined smile. “I drank a glass of wine a little too fast earlier. I should be all right.” She led the way inside. “I’m sorry you aren’t getting a chance to enjoy yourself, Twilight. It was quite nice before--” she broke off with a visible look of discomfort. How to put it…?

“Before some party crashers ruined it?” Twilight said loudly over the pulsing music.

Fluttershy flinched, but gave a little nod. She wouldn’t have worded it that way, but there was no denying-- the new guests hadn’t been invited and they were being quite inconsiderate.

“It’s all right. I’m happy to help.” Twilight shrugged. “It was either this or re-reading my quantum physics textbook a fifth time.”

The two girls first checked all the available rooms downstairs, then checked upstairs. Fluttershy took a moment to rescue Tank from the vomit-smelling bathroom (she was dismayed to find that some people had put crude genitalia stickers on his shell). But Rainbow Dash, Rarity, and Pinkie were nowhere to be found. It wasn’t until they descended the stairs that Fluttershy was hit with an idea.

“Let’s check the backyard!” she said.

Together, they slowly navigated the sea of people to reach the sliding glass doors that led to the backyard at the rear of the family room. It took nearly three minutes to achieve this as Fluttershy wasn’t willing to shove or bump anyone. If any more people show up, we might not be able to contain this! she thought with a low whimper as they slipped outside.

The backyard was large and as well-cared for as the front yard. Considerable investment had gone into beautiful flower beds along the fence perimeter. But at the rear, was the real spectacle. A small crowd that had peeled off from the main activities inside were already gathering around. Pinkie Pie was with their old high school acquaintance, Vinyl Scratch, and together they worked on the final touches of what looked like a DJ set up.

Rarity and Rainbow were there, and they appeared to be taking turns trying to talk Pinkie out of it. Judging from Rainbow’s angry gesticulations and Pinkie’s lack of attentiveness, it was clear they weren’t getting through to her.

“Oh my goodness!” Fluttershy exclaimed. “We just saw Pinkie ten minutes ago! How did she do this so fast?”

“How does Pinkie do half the things she does?” Twilight responded wryly. “Though it’s possible that she had contacted Vinyl ahead of time. Or maybe Vinyl was already here? She always travels around with her DJ gear.”

“However she did it, she really must undo it,” Fluttershy said. She hugged Tank and looked down to see the tortoise was poking its head out of its shell just enough to blink up at her. “Tank, I am so very sorry! You’re sick. You shouldn’t be around all this trouble!”

“We can worry about him later. Come on!” Twilight said, hurrying forward.

“Pinkie this is crazy! You and Vinyl can’t do this right now!” Rainbow shouted as Twilight and Fluttershy neared. “Did you even ask Sassaflash if this was okay?!”

“Mic check! One, two, one, two!” Pinkie said cheerily into a microphone. Her voice came through deafeningly loud on the speakers, making everyone wince. “Needs a bit more tweaking, Scratch-a-Datch!”

“This needs to be removed, Pinkie Pie!” Rarity said shrilly. “Darling, I don’t know what’s gotten into you, but this is unacceptable behavior! Think of the consequences!”

Pinkie waved the thought away. “You guys worry too much! Everyone’s gonna love it!” Her smile shone radiantly, but her eyes…

They’re not sparkling.

“That’s just it, Pinks. They’ll like it too much!” Rainbow Dash pointed at Vinyl Scratch. The young DJ gazed back at her placidly from behind her dark glasses. “And you! Aren’t you worried about what this will do? If the cops get called because of your racket, how are you gonna get your gear out in time?”

Vinyl just shrugged and threw up a hand signal--thumb and pinky out.

“Oh I know that one!” Twilight mimicked the hand sign. “It’s called the shaka! In the islands it has a very deep meaning, but given the context here, I think Vinyl’s just saying, ‘hang loose’.”

“Hang loose?” Fluttershy asked.

Twilight pushed her glasses up her nose and grinned. No matter the situation, she was always happy to share knowledge. “It means she’s not worried.”

Vinyl smiled and nodded.

Fluttershy held out Tank, his shell facing out to Pinkie so the crude stickers were easy to see. Rainbow and Rarity both made faces. “Pinkie, there are a lot of people here who were not invited and aren’t behaving very well! Look what they did to poor Tank!” Fluttershy pursed her lips. Few things stirred her like an animal being neglected or abused. “I am sorry to say this, but this is very inappropriate! We cannot ‘hang loose’ with this!”

“Cool parties are always gonna have people you weren’t expecting dropping in,” Pinkie replied with a wink. “People act naughty when they’re bored. If you give them something to do, they won’t act up!”

“That isn’t very sound logic, Pinkie Pie,” Twilight pointed out with a frown. “Occupation doesn’t always produce good behavior! Depending on the activity, it can even exacerbate bad behavior!”

“Not if I can get these guys good and tired!” Pinkie sing-songed. To Fluttershy, she stage-whispered, “I’ll take the stickers off myself after this first set, okay?”

“But what about Sassaflash?” Rainbow Dash said. “Is this fair to her? Any second she could come out here and--”

“Check, check,” Pinkie was back to holding the mic up. “One, two, one, two-- Hey that’s better Vinyl, thanks!” Her voice was now coming through at less ear-splitting volumes, but no doubt still loud enough to be heard clear down the block.

Fluttershy and the others all started to say something simultaneously, but they were drowned out by a sudden stream of Vinyl Scratch’s special brand of EDM.

Pinkie resumed speaking into the mic, one hand waving up over her head. “Helloooo you beautiful people! Get up, get out, and come join us for the main attraction! For those of you who don’t know me, my name’s Pinkie Pie and I’m from Delta Alpha Kappa! This is just a small preview of the kind of awesome fun you can expect from our upcoming event, The 80s Bash Party! Tickets can be purchased off our sorority website, and all proceeds go toward sorority activities and future events! So what are you waiting for? Go get ‘em! Now without further ado, I bring you… D… J… PON… 3!!”

Cheers erupted as Vinyl Scratch dropped the beat.

Fluttershy flinched and looked to the others. “What now?” she shouted over the noise. People jostled past her to get closer up to the DJ table and the speakers.

“We pull the plug! Literally!” Rainbow Dash shouted before she vanished amidst the sea of partiers.

---

Rainbow Dash grabbed Rarity before she could be lost in the chaos. “Rares!” she shouted. “Help me find the plug!”

Rarity was smiling. “To be fair to her, Pinkie did a wonderful job of promoting our 80s party!” Rainbow glared at her, and the fashionista pouted. “Well, pardon me for trying to find a silver lining to this mess!”

The tomboy pushed her way through to the front, past the speakers. She had to catch Rarity, whose wedge shoes caught on the dizzying array of wires snaking from one device to another.

“Which of these cuts the juice?” Rainbow Dash asked.

Rarity only held up her hands. Groaning, Rainbow circled to the back of the DJ setup. Neither Vinyl nor Pinkie paid them any attention. The DJ was engrossed in her music, and Rainbow’s friend was too busy hyping the crowd up. Rainbow glanced over the fence at the neighboring house and saw a man glaring at them from what looked like his upstairs bedroom.

Uh, oh. We may already be too late! If they called the cops--

But Rainbow was unwilling to give up just yet. She searched the grass frantically until she found a blue tarp laid out where an outdoor multiplug extension cord was plugged into by a large orange outdoor cord. This cord snaked its way across the backyard along the perimeter of the flower beds. Gesturing for Rarity to follow, Rainbow Dash went around the edges of the crowd, and near the patio on the corner of the house, she found the outdoor plug.

Just as she went to pull it, she heard mic feedback cut through the music, then:

“What the crap is this? Are you out of your mind!?” It was Sassaflash. Rainbow Dash flinched. This wasn’t going to be pretty. The vice captain’s voice barrelled over a muted Pinkie Pie’s, “You know what? Save it. This party’s over. Everybody fuck off. And you. I dare you to shoot cake batter at me right now!”

Rainbow pulled the plug. The music and the mic cut off. With a heavy sigh, she looked at a grim-faced Rarity. “Let’s go help Sass clear this place out.”

“Yes.” Rarity fell into step with Rainbow Dash as they started back. “Dashie, dear… If what you’ve told me is true about this Party Favor, then I think we must tread carefully.”

“Tread carefully?” Rainbow slowed to a stop and gestured at the crowd. Some people were arguing with Sassaflash at the front, and others were grumbling. Only a few actually turned and started walking toward the house and side gate, as if to leave. “Pinkie Pie basically steamrolled every possible etiquette I can think of with this crap! Why do we need to handle her with kid gloves? The last time she did something remotely like this was before senior year of high school! Remember when she made us dance and sing at the outdoor mall? That was almost three years ago! She’s old enough to know now this isn’t cool!”

Rarity’s eyes tensed and she folded her hands in front of her. “The same way I knew that wandering the streets at night in dangerous parts of town, almost hoping someone would attack me again, was ‘not cool’? Make no mistake, Rainbow. My insomnia and sleepwalking may have been involuntary, but not all of my nightly outings were.”

Rainbow Dash stared at her.

She… what?

Then the tomboy remembered the look of annoyance that had crossed Rarity’s face when she had offered to drive the fashionista home on the way to Sugarcube Corner Friday night. And what about the things Junebug had told them when they brought Rarity home from the mall?

“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.”

“You didn’t just go out from sleepwalking last night? You were out there on purpose?” Dash asked slowly.

“I remember now,” Rarity murmured, looking down at her hands. “I had been out wandering when I fell asleep on a bus bench. The aftermath you know.”

That night when Fluttershy and I went out on our date… Rarity was going out trying to find the people that hurt her, wasn’t she?

“That was so stupid of you! How could you do that!” Rainbow snarled at her. Her entire back and shoulders coiled. “You could’ve gotten yourself killed!” she yelled, her voice cracking. The tomboy started to pace, her hands clenching and unclenching.

Moron! Stupid idiot! What would she have done if she got in over her head and died? What would we have done? Fluttershy would have cried for days!

She felt a pang in her heart. She would have cried for days. She’d try to burn away the hurt at the gym, then after lying awake in bed with tears streaming from her eyes, she’d go out. She’d look for whoever hurt Rarity, sprout wings, grab them and fly up high, then drop them into a deep canyon.

But none of that did happen because they found Rarity. They were going to fix her sleep problems. Sunset was back. She’d have answers, she always did. Take a breath, hot head. Don’t lose your cool.

Rainbow Dash could still feel the anger burning her nostrils, her breath coming in hot short bursts as her lizard brain still pulsed at the idea of danger.

She stopped her pacing to hiss at Rarity, “Promise me you won’t do that anymore.”

“Rainbow--”

“Promise.”

“Fine. I promise. Not that I intended on carrying on, anyway.” Rarity snapped, her hands crossing defiantly. “I must remind you of your own actions as of late if we’re going to be pointing fingers. What did you really hope to achieve on that street last night? If I recall correctly, Applejack mentioned you were there to ‘spy’ on Sunset Shimmer!”

“It was for her own good! And besides, I had enough sense to bring back up!”

“My point, Rainbow Dash, is that people make foolish decisions. I apologize for my poor choices. Truly, I do! But I will not suffer your superior attitude, do you hear me? You are no more immune to stupidity than the rest of us, and that includes Pinkie Pie. If I could do something so foolish because of something I’d suffered in silence… what thing could have made Pinkie Pie overstep her bounds tonight? It’s clearly more than just immaturity.” Rarity shook her head, her expression panged. “I’d wager it’s more than just a lover’s spat, too. I can only think that she must really be hurting to have so stubbornly tried to run from it.”

Rainbow Dash felt her ire cool as this thought sunk in. As long as she had known Pinkie Pie, the party planner had always placed others' happiness as her top priority. It was true that sometimes she could get overzealous, but never this far. Never this bad. Fluttershy was saying we gotta take it easy too. Maybe… it’d be smart to let the others take point on this. I’m no good with this touchy-feely stuff. I might just start yelling again.

Okay, no, I’d totally start yelling again.

As they had been talking, more people had started to turn and go. Cars could be heard starting in the street. There were some angry shouts and honking as some no doubt argued about right-of-way. At the DJ stand, Rainbow and Rarity found Vinyl carefully packing her things. Sassaflash was giving Pinkie Pie a good dressing down. Though she was taller than the soccer VC by at least two inches, Pinkie still managed to look very small thanks to how her shoulders slumped, head bowed, and pink hair went limp.

Twilight and Fluttershy were helping Vinyl pack up. Rainbow Dash whispered to them from the other side of the DJ table: “Pretty bad, huh?” She thumbed over at Sass and Pinkie.

“Yeah,” Twilight said with a wince as she coiled an audio cord. “We tried to calm Sassaflash down, but she’s in a fine froth right now. She just got through chewing out Vinyl Scratch.”

A glance at the quiet DJ informed Rainbow of just how long that probably lasted. Vinyl’s ability to shrug things off was almost legendary. Pinkie would have made a more satisfying target for the vice captain’s ire.

“Thanks for helping Vinyl pack.” Rainbow Dash looked at Rarity. “Rares, can you look around for Spitfire? Ask her to check with the soccer team. I wanna know who’s still around and needing a designated driver.” The tomboy took a deep breath. “Wish me luck guys, I’m going in to save Pinks.”

Rainbow circled the DJ table, a grimace on her face as she approached behind Sassaflash.

“If there’s any damage out here to the garden, I’m going to fucking send you the bill!” Sass barked. “My mom wins gardening competitions! If your bullshit led to any of her prized tulips getting wrecked--!”

“I’ll pay for it,” Rainbow said, her hand finding its place on Sassaflash’s shoulder.

The vice-captain turned, her amber eyes smoldering with anger. “Why should you do it? She’s the one who--”

“Pinkie was just doing what Pinkie does, Sass. She likes to see people having fun. It’s not her fault Alpha Epsilon showed up.”

Sassaflash’s mouth became a long thin line and her nostrils flared. “Yeah. I know whose fault that was.” Her gaze narrowed as she looked at Pinkie, “That doesn’t make what she did okay.”

“You’re right,” Rainbow agreed quietly. “It was dumb. But look at her. She’s sorry. Right, Pinkie?”

Pinkie nodded jerkingly, her eyes wide.

Dash held up a hand. “See? Why don’t you let her help with cleanup? You go ahead and kick out the last of these bums. Maybe kick your bum if you find him.”

“Fine.” Sassaflash shot Pinkie one last glare before stalking away.

Rainbow Dash sighed and shoved her hands deep in her pockets. “You okay, Pinkie?”

Pinkie Pie smiled, but it was small and shaky. “I should have listened to you and the others. I’m sorry, Dashie.”

The tomboy bobbed her head. “That apology will go a lot farther after you pick up the mess these people made.”

Pinkie winced and looked down at her fidgeting sneakers. “I’ll get started.”

When she started to walk away. Rainbow Dash caught her by the arm, her eyes falling shut. “Stick around after you’re done, Pinks.” She looked at her seriously. “The others and I wanna talk about what’s really going on with you.”

Pinkie paled but nodded.

As Rainbow went off to start helping with crowd control, she saw a familiar head of red and yellow hair through the open sliding glass doors. Sunset Shimmer. She was looking around the family room with a bemused expression, her motorcycle helmet gripped in one gloved hand.

“Sunset!” Rainbow exclaimed, running to her roommate and trapping her in a bear hug. “Dude! You had me worried sick!” Heck, all of my friends are worrying me sick.

“Woah! Uh, hey Rainbow.” Sunset chuckled. When the tomboy released her, she let out a little relieved breath. “Looks like I’m late to the party, huh?”

Dash winced. “You could say that.” She apprised the other girl of what had happened so far.

Sunset Shimmer tsked and shook her head. “That’s pretty unfortunate.” She shrugged. “But hey! I’m here. I may as well help.”

“That’s great, cuz I might be playing DD for a little while. The others are in the backyard. Sassaflash is the girl with blonde hair in the Cleopatra costume. She’s… a little tilted right now, so I’d wait to talk to her.”

“Understandable,” Sun said bobbing her head lightly. She clapped Rainbow’s shoulder on the way out the sliding glass doors. “Don’t worry, I’ll find something to help with. Go do your thing.”

After a while of herding stragglers out the doors, Rarity came back to Rainbow with Spitfire and three soccer team members. It seemed most of the team had the good sense to bail when Alpha Epsilon had arrived. She was annoyed these three had stayed to get drunk when the party had clearly become an imposition on Sassaflash, but college kids were gonna do what college kids did, she supposed.

She drove her teammates back to campus and returned to find the house finally cleared out. Now it was just her friends and Sassaflash left. The house was in disarray. A vase, lamp, and picture frame had been broken. The kitchen had been a nightmare, and while it still looked messy, thanks to Rarity’s efforts it was looking much better by far. The bathrooms were in a similar state. Fluttershy and Twilight were still working on cleaning them. Tank had been relocated to Sassaflash’s bedroom, the crude stickers carefully removed from his shell. Pinkie Pie had been given the unenviable task of scrubbing vomit out of the hallway carpet upstairs. The four garbage bags Sunset Shimmer and Spitfire gathered in the kitchen earned a whistle from Rainbow.

“A real mess,” she said.

Spitfire quirked an eyebrow and thumbed outside. “Still got one more bag I’m finishing up. At some point, someone ordered five boxes of pizza. I’m still finding paper plates and pizza slices in weird places. One slice was underneath the kitchen sink for some reason.”

“It was revolting,” Rarity said from the sink. She had on dish gloves and an apron.

“Has Sassaflash calmed down some?” Rainbow asked.

Sunset squinted one eye, “Well when the cops showed up--”

Rainbow’s stomach lurched. “Cops?”

“Yeah. One of the neighbors had called. But by then most everyone was gone already. They let Sass off with a warning.”

“Where is she?”

“In the backyard. She’s trying to save some of her mom’s garden.”

Rainbow Dash stayed a moment to help Spitfire finish the last trash bag. Then she went out to the backyard. Sassaflash was kneeling by a flower bed, trying to replant some bent flowers. She had changed out of the Cleopatra costume and now wore a plain t-shirt and sweatpants. There were a few flowers (Tulips, maybe?) with snapped stems and torn petals she’d all but ripped out and left on the grass. She lifted her head upon hearing Rainbow approach.

“I’m really sorry, Sass,” Rainbow said.

Sassaflash clicked her tongue as she patted the dirt around a freshly replanted flower. “Shut up, it’s not your fault. It was my dumb idea to have this party.”

“Yeah, but--”

“When the cops came, I knew then that there was no way I’d be able to keep this under wraps. My parents will find out, and when they do, they are going to turn me into a paste.” Sass groaned as she rolled off her knees to sit on her bottom, legs half-bent so that she could put her arms on her elbows. Her hands were in dirty gardening gloves. Her mouth screwed to one side and she shrugged. “So screw it, I’m just going to tell ‘em. First thing tomorrow.”

Rainbow rubbed her neck as she crouched down and balanced on the balls of her feet. “What do you think they’ll do?”

“Take away my car? Cancel my credit card? Send me to China? Heck if I know.” Sassaflash blew a stray lock of hair out of her eyes. “Y’know, I’m not even that mad anymore.”

This made Rainbow’s eyebrows rise. “You’re not?”

“Naw. As I said, it was my dumb idea. Even with just our team here, more people were showing up. Caramel just accelerated the process, and Pinkie was caught up in the moment when she did what she did, I guess. ‘If it looks like a rager, and sounds like a rager, then it’s probably a rager!’ She really thought she was helping me.”

“She still should’ve asked first.”

“Yeah. Believe me, that was annoying, but… it wasn’t the problem, y’know?” Sassaflash bit her lip. Quietly, she said, “I broke up with him, Dashie.”

Rainbow pursed her lips.

“I know what you’re thinking.” Sass wagged a finger and said with a half-smile, “‘They’re always breaking up.’ But I really mean it this time. Tonight I realized I’ve let myself get stuck. I gave you so much crap about maintaining the status quo with Fluttershy, and there I was trapped in a loop with an insensitive jerk. I knew I should have told Caramel and his frat brothers to leave, but I didn’t want to make him upset because we’d only just gotten back together.” She shook her head. “I don’t want to deal with that anymore.” Then Sass snickered. “The sex isn’t worth it!”

Dash snorted into a laugh. “About time you saw that!”

Sassaflash smiled wide, her tongue caught between her teeth, but when her eyes fell on the ruined flowers on the grass, her smile faded. Rainbow sobered at this change in her friend.

“You’ll find someone new, Sass,” she said.

“I’m not sure that’s what I really need, Rainbow Dash,” Sass murmured. “Seeing that video tape tonight reminded me that I used to dream bigger. I just don’t know how to get back to that spark, y’know? Growing up, I did so many different things. Too many. I never stuck with anything. Maybe I got burned out along the way?”

Rainbow Dash nodded slowly, more to show that she was listening than to convey she fully understood. Sassaflash was the vice captain of one of the best college soccer teams in the state, and she had a higher grade point average than anyone else on the team. How was she lacking spark? I guess she just wants to challenge herself more?

“I told your friends that they could use the family room to talk to Pinkie,” Sassaflash said. Her brow furrowed. “Did something happen to her?”

“You mean aside from you reaming her?”

Sass rolled her eyes. “Yes. She begged the others to put off your pow-wow while you were gone, but Rarity pulled her aside and talked to her. Is she using? Are you guys doing some kind of intervention?”

Rainbow was already shaking her head. “No way. Pinkie Pie doesn’t like drugs. Heck, she’s barely ever had a drink.” She pushed her fingers into her eyes. She could feel a headache coming on. “Pinkie’s been acting weird for the last few days. I’m telling you, she doesn’t normally go around doing stuff like this. We think it has something to do with Party Favor, her boyfriend. We just don’t know what, exactly.”

Sassaflash nodded. “Boyfriend probz. I know that feel, man.” She sighed and rolled over again, turning back to the flower bed. “Well, you guys are free to stay as long as you want. I trust you, and you trust your friends, so that’s good enough for me. But I’m not gonna go tip-toeing around my own house, so if there’s something touchy-feely going on, I might walk in on it. Sorry, not sorry. I’m too tired to creep and I’m not driving all the way back to campus tonight.”

“Understood,” Rainbow said, rising.

“If you need me, I’ll be here trying to work miracles,” Sass said wryly as she picked up a trowel.

“Good luck, dude,” Dash said as she turned and went back into the house.

Upon entering, it was to find that Fluttershy and Twilight were resting on the couch. The room had just one small table lamp on (since the other was broken) and it struggled to fill the room in its warm yellow glow. More light flooded in from the kitchen doorway, but there was still a swath of darkness that cut over the love seat and the two hallway entrances.

“Are we just about done?” Rainbow asked.

Fluttershy nodded. “Sunset and Spitfire were taking out the last of the garbage. Rarity is finishing up with the dishes.”

The front door opened. The three girls looked, but it wasn’t Sunset or Spitfire who emerged from the hallway--it was Applejack.

She looked weary, the top two buttons of her green plaid shirt unbuttoned. She held her hat in her hands and turned it nervously. Rainbow stiffened a little, her stomach doing an unpleasant flip, before she willed herself to relax. Her eyes darted from Applejack to Fluttershy, and she was uncomfortable to discover that the cowgirl was doing something similar, looking from Dash to Shy and back.

She tried not to react at how AJ’s eyes lingered on Fluttershy.

“Hey ya’ll,” Applejack said, raising a hand. “I, uh, wasn’t really planning on coming after Rainbow mentioned the party--I was workin’. Then Twi and Sun texted me too, saying something ‘bout Pinkie Pie getting Vinyl Scratch here and causing a ruckus?”

“I think we have a few things we’re going to talk about, but that was the catalyst for tonight’s meeting, yes,” Twilight said, adjusting her glasses.

Applejack took a deep breath like she was preparing to jump into a cold swimming pool. “Welp. Alrighty then.” She went slowly to the loveseat and sat down, her hat still turning in her hands as she gazed determinedly at the carpet.

Rainbow Dash sat down next to Fluttershy, but instead of sitting close and maybe putting an arm over her girlfriend like she wanted to, she sat a little apart and fidgeted with her hands--cracking knuckles, kneading her palms. She tried to ignore Fluttershy’s curious glance and quelled the rising sense of guilt in her stomach. Damn it! This is just going to stay weird until AJ gets over her. Almost desperately she ran through possible girls she could hook her country friend up with.

As she reached the end of her rather shortlist, Rarity entered the room. She paused, seeing everyone seated. “Hello, Applejack,” she said. She spoke slowly. Rainbow supposed she understood her hesitation. This sit-down was likely going to touch on her problems too. Rarity sat next to AJ.

The front door could be heard opening and closing, then Sunset and Spitfire came in from the hallway. Spitfire halted at the doorway, her head turning as she took in the room. She took a step back and cleared her throat. “I’m just gonna…” She took another step. “Yeeeeah. I’ll see you guys later.”

“See you, Spitfire,” Rainbow said.

Sunset crossed her arms. She looked about as tired as Applejack, but her gaze was focused. “Where’s Pinkie?” she asked.

Fluttershy stood. “I’ll get her.”

---

Shrinking under everyone’s gaze, Fluttershy went upstairs. She found Pinkie Pie sitting against the wall, staring into space. The spot on the carpet next to her was wet and still a little sudsy, but it looked free of vomit. Shy paused at the top of the stairs, one hand still on the banister.

“Pinkie,” she said. “Everyone’s here.”

Pinkie looked at her, her big blue eyes blinking slowly. “Everyone?”

Fluttershy nodded. “Applejack just got here. I think they’d like to start talking now.”

Pinkie gave a pursed smile, then stood. “Okie dokie,” she murmured.

Fluttershy hugged her when she reached the stairs, and Pinkie returned it. Together they descended, holding hands. Pinkie’s palm was sweaty.

When they found their seats (Pinkie elected to sit next to Fluttershy, and the shy girl rubbed her back affectionately) Sunset clapped her hands.

“Well, girls. It’s not good news that brings us together, is it? So let’s just get to it.” She held up a hand. “Does anyone wanna start?”

“I think we oughta talk about last night first,” Applejack said without hesitation. She looked at Rainbow. “It’s probably the most pressing matter to discuss.”

Rainbow Dash sucked at her teeth loudly. “Um.” She started to bounce her knees. Fluttershy put a hand on her lap, and they stilled. “Last night me, Twilight, and Applejack sat outside this pub called Tambelon downtown,” Rainbow said with a little wince.

Sunset’s arms fell at her sides. Fluttershy could actually see her pupils shrink. “What?” she asked flatly.

“We were worried about you,” Twilight said next. She looked at Fluttershy and Rarity. “You see, a few days ago, Sunset was taken away by a rude man named Bray. We could see she didn’t want to go with him, but she did it anyway.”

“I looked around our dorm room,” Rainbow continued, her arms crossed as she slouched in her seat. “I found a business card from Tambelon with a time written on it. Like it was an appointment.”

The pair finished explaining the rest of the observations that led to their stakeout--including the mysteriously timed absences, and the supposed Equestrian gold Spike had seen.

“Twilight made the guess that you were laundering it,” Rainbow said to Sunset. “So like I said, we were worried about you. We wanted to make sure you weren’t in over your head.”

Fluttershy watched as the former Equestrian started to pace along the carpet, her jaw muscles flexing as she ground her teeth.

“Of all the stupid things!” Sunset finally burst out, her cheeks turning red to match her hair. “That is my personal business! You had no right! I mean seriously, what did you expect to see? A guy walking out in a t-shirt that says, ‘Hi, I’m in a gang and I’m doing illegal business! Ask me anything?’ You didn’t actually go inside, did you?”

“We thought about it,” Rainbow grumbled.

“But we didn’t,” Twilight said pointedly.

Sunset let loose a sarcastic laugh. She was still pacing. Fluttershy was vaguely reminded of an anxious tiger at a zoo. “Well thank heavens for small favors! That bar isn’t just seedy, it’s a hive of trouble! It’s also members only, so you wouldn’t have gotten far, but it still would have put you on the radar of some very bad people! That is, if you aren’t already on their radar.”

“You’re right,” Applejack said. She had stopped twirling her hat and was now gripping it tight. “We shouldn’ta done that. What we shoulda done was wait to talk to you. But if you’re saying it’s not our place to worry, then I’m afraid that’s where our agreement ends.” She touched her chest. “We’re sorry we did that.” She looked at Rainbow and Twilight who both nodded. “But I agree with ‘em, Sun. It sounds like you’re takin’ a big risk on your own.”

A snort. “I am not.”

Then Fluttershy cleared her throat. “Um, excuse me?” Everyone looked at her, and she shrank in her seat a little. “Sunset, I’m sorry. But… Twilight was right, wasn’t she? Why else would you be going to a members only pub with ‘bad people’?”

Sunset stopped pacing abruptly, her eyes fluttering as she realized her mistake.

She exhaled hard through her nose. “Fine. Twi’s right. I’m using less savory sources to launder my Equestrian gold. Happy?”

“No,” Fluttershy said gently. She tilted her head to the side, a small wrinkle appearing in her brow. “Sunset, why didn’t you tell any of us? We’re your friends. We care about you more than anything.”

Shimmer ran a hand through her hair and squeezed her eyes shut. Teardrops could be seen glinting at the corners. “Because I didn’t want you guys thinking I was backsliding.”

“Why would we think that?” Twilight said with a scowl. “You have a real logistical problem! Your solution wasn’t ideal, but it was perfectly understandable!”

“Yeah, dude,” Rainbow Dash said next. “You’d have to like, murder someone for us to think you were really backsliding.”

“I do not judge you in the slightest Sunset Shimmer,” Rarity said, nose up in the air.

“We weren’t tryin’ta judge,” Applejack said sourly. “We just wanna remind ‘er that she can tell us anything.”

“This might be a good chance to mention what happened next,” Twilight pointed out.

Rainbow sighed roughly. “Right.” Fluttershy held her hand, and the tomboy squeezed it. “Applejack and I…” she faltered, looking at AJ. “We had a disagreement, and left her truck. We’d been sitting outside of the pub for a long while and nothing had happened, so things were a little tense. While we were out on the sidewalk, Twilight saw Rarity across the street with some guy. When we got closer, we saw that she’d magicked him.”

“He was in a stupor,” Twilight chimed in.

“Yeah. So we all start freaking out when the guy’s friend finds him all doped out on the sidewalk.”

“Things escalated pretty quick,” Applejack said with a shake of her head. “Guns got pulled out. They shot at us.”

“We barely got away,” Twilight said with a shudder.

The silence that followed rang loudly in Fluttershy’s ears.

“What in the world were you thinking!?” Sunset exclaimed, looking at Rarity as if she’d just flashed her chest on national television.

“Wait,” Pinkie said. Her voice was quiet, but it was the first time she’d spoken since they’d all sat down, and everyone turned to look at her. She gazed at Rarity with what looked like sadness. “You were out doing it again weren’t you? Trying to find him.”

Rarity’s eyes widened. “You knew?”

Pinkie Pie shrugged. “I guessed. Why else were you staying out so late?”

“Knew what?” Applejack asked, looking between them.

Rarity swallowed audibly. “I may as well tell you the whole story.” And she did.

There was another long silence.

Sunset Shimmer spoke first. “But why use your magic? Did you know that man you were speaking to was the one who mugged you?”

Rarity shook her head. “No. I was sleepwalking.”

Sunset’s mouth fell open. “You were walking around casting magic in your sleep?”

“Yeah,” Rainbow Dash said with a grimace. “After we found that out, we knew it was serious. Do you have any idea what would make her do that, Sunset?”

“The insomnia,” Sunset said without hesitation. “Back in Equestria, extreme sleep deprivation leads to magic acting funny. It invades the subconscious and can make sleep even more difficult. It’s a vicious cycle that only gets worse overtime. Think of it like magic poisoning.” She rubbed her right temple and closed her eyes. “There’s a way to reset the balance, but I’ll have to get in touch with the princess for help. This is out of my area of expertise.”

“So we do that then, pronto,” Applejack said, taking hold of Rarity’s shoulder and squeezing it. “In the meantime, how ‘bout we hang up the superhero cape and not go looking for trouble anymore?”

Rarity blushed. “As much as I enjoy capes, I have never worn any on my nightly jaunts!”

“Rarity, please listen to Applejack. Pretty please?” Fluttershy looked at Rarity with earnest concern. “I’d hate for you to get hurt.”

“I’ve already promised Rainbow Dash not to do it anymore.” Rarity looked at her nails at arms length, and Fluttershy recognized it for the nervous reflex that it was. “But if it would make you all feel better, then I assure you, I have no intention of resuming my quest for vigilante justice.” She looked at the nails on her other hand, her eyes flickering around the room once. “I am… sorry for the worry I’ve caused. Truly.”

“Do you think the guy Rarity crossed was part of the group you launder through?” Twilight asked Sunset.

Sunset shrugged. “Without an accurate description of him, I couldn’t say. And it’s not like I know all of Bray’s gang.”

Twilight blushed and slouched. “Right! Sorry. I didn’t mean to suggest you would.”

“It’s all right, Twi. I’m not offended.”

But she does sound hurt, Fluttershy observed with a little frown.

Shimmer looked at them all. “You guys should know that… This gang I meet, I only launder gold through them. I don’t do any illegal work. But they’ve been getting greedy and taking more off the top, so it’s forced me to find more funds in Equestria so that I can keep myself afloat out here. That’s why I vanish for a while every few months.”

“They’re bleedin’ ya dry,” Applejack said with a curl of her lip.

“We can help you figure something else out, Sunset,” Twilight said with a firm nod. “I don’t know what just yet, but there must be a more sustainable solution!”

“Well for the time being, if I want to retain their services, I have to jump when they tell me to jump.” Sunset rubbed at her face wearily. “Actually, it’s kind of a relief you guys know now. Keeping it a secret was exhausting on its own!”

“I’m glad we had this talk!” Pinkie chirped suddenly, jumping to her feet. She went and put her arm around Sunset and looked between her and Rarity. “Don’t worry girls! We’ll be there for you!”

“Nice try, Pinkie,” Rainbow Dash said. The tomboy sat up and pointed a finger. “We still haven’t gotten to what’s going on with you.”

“Is there more than just what I’ve been told?” Sunset asked, looking at Pinkie quizzically.

“I’m afraid so, yes,” Rarity said with a sigh. “Pinkie Pie vanished for several days when she knew I needed her help for our upcoming sorority party,”

“I apologized for that, Rarity!” Pinkie whined.

“And I accepted your apology. That doesn’t hide the fact that it was highly out of character for you,” Rarity said firmly.

“When I found her later, she’d told me she’d gone to the doctor and gotten bad news,” Rainbow Dash said. At Pinkie’s glare, she held up her hands. “Hey! You didn’t Pinkie Promise me into silence!”

Fluttershy cleared her throat. “Um… I’m so very sorry to say this, but tonight, Rainbow and I stumbled onto Pinkie having a fight with her boyfriend, Party Favor.”

“You were super upset,” Rainbow added. “We could tell even though you were trying to hide it.”

“Shortly after that, she pulled the mischief we informed you about.”

Sunset Shimmer frowned and crossed her arms. After a long pause, she looked up at everyone. “Guys, it’s good that we care. But we have to remember that we can’t make Pinkie share personal stuff with us if she doesn’t want to. She apologized for the inconvenience she caused. That doesn’t give us a blank check to know all her problems. So long as she’s not in danger, there’s no cause for us to pry.”

Rainbow Dash clenched a fist. “But--!”

Fluttershy squeezed her hand. “I agree with her.” Rainbow looked at her, clearly pained. The animal lover turned her gaze to Pinkie and continued, “It’s true that her behavior has caused some… um… setbacks. But rather than pressure her into telling us her business, I just want Pinkie Pie to remember that everything we said to Sunset Shimmer and Rarity applies to her, too. We care. And we don’t want to judge.” She offered a small smile, “So if it would make you feel better, you can share it with us. But we can’t help you unless you tell us what is wrong.”

Pinkie Pie’s eyes started to fill with tears. Fluttershy felt her heart wrench as these tears quickly spilled down Pinkie’s cheeks in little glittering trails.

“I didn’t want to think about it,” Pinkie said. Her voice was tight with emotion. “B-But that isn’t working… is it?”

Fluttershy gently shook her head. “I’m afraid it doesn’t appear that way, Pinkie.”

The party girl bounced a little on her feet, like she could rev the engines of her frivolity. She stopped almost immediately. “In life we have these super duper special ‘firsts’,” she began quietly, slowly. Her eyes focused on no one, their gaze ticking nervously around the room. “Your first rollercoaster ride. Your first kiss. Your first scoop of triple fudge ice cream.” She pulled out her pigtails, her curly hair falling limp around her shoulders. Her big blue eyes blinked down at the hair ties in her hand. “You… You can’t lose these things.” She turned her hand, letting the hair ties fall to the carpet, where in the dim lighting they vanished from sight.

Fluttershy blinked. Lose?

Pinkie continued, her words falling quieter as she stared through the floor. “I always thought life was all about enjoying the firsts. Then the seconds. Then the thirds. Maybe you have to have do-overs, and maybe not all the firsts are good, but I was great at finding things to smile about. Every day is this totally swell new beginning, and there could be a great new ‘first’ right around the corner. But then this week I went to the doctor for some yearly tests, and that’s when I learned you could lose a first. A good first. I… I lost my first ‘good first’ you guys.” Her words became choked as tears fell in fat drops to the floor. “And that isn’t something I want to do over. Not at all.”

Fluttershy started to feel cold. She hugged herself but the trembles still came. Please no… She can’t mean…?

“Pinkie, I’m sorry, but I’m getting confused here. You lost your first ‘good first’?” Rainbow squinted her eyes. “I’m just not getting it!”

Pinkie’s face almost had a glow to it, the way her skin was turning red and the tears made her skin damp and glistening. She chanced a shaky smile. A single sob broke through before she spoke. “The doctor said I wasn’t far along. That’s why I wasn’t showing.”

Sunset’s face grew long. She hugged Pinkie silently.

Fluttershy jumped when Rarity started crying, her breath coming in wet wrenching gasps. The fashionista rose to her feet and went to Pinkie Pie, arms outstretched. “Oh my dear,” she said. “Oh my darling, I am so sorry!”

Tears had also started to cloud Fluttershy’s eyes.

“I don’t understand,” Rainbow said quietly. But when Fluttershy looked at her girlfriend’s numb expression, it was clear that she did.

“I thought I was being safe,” Pinkie sniffled over Rarity and Sunset’s shoulders. The three of them swayed gently on the spot. “The IUD was supposed to make it less than a one percent chance. The doctor said they thought it was because it moved a few inches that it happened.”

Applejack held her hat limply with one hand, as she leaned forward on her knees. Her other hand covered her mouth loosely. From behind her palm, she spoke, “But how?” Her free hand turned into a fist against her dry lips. “If there’s less than a one percent chance of it happening, how could the IUD just screw up all cuz the damn thing moved a little?” Fluttershy could see the tears misting her eyes, but the cowgirl wiped these away forcefully with the edge of her fist.

“IUDs are little t-shaped devices that are supposed to go into your uterus,” Twilight said. Upon looking at the bookish girl, it was clear that she was in a numb state similar to Rainbow Dash. When Twi spoke, her words were stilted. Robotic. “It releases hormones that makes it so that your egg can’t be fertilized. It’s supposed to be very effective. Like Pinkie said, there’s less than a one percent chance of getting pregnant. Zero point eight percent to be exact. That’s… that’s not zero. It’s extremely rare to get pregnant with an IUD, but still possible. The doctors must be correct in thinking the device drifted out of place. The only other way it would have failed was if it was past its expiration date?” Her eyes drifted to Pinkie, who shook her head. Twilight’s lips pursed. “I didn’t think so.” She folded her hands in her lap with an almost exaggerated slowness, her eyes falling on them. “If a pregnancy takes place while an IUD is in, even one that is out of position, it can lead to… loss.” Her voice broke on the last word. She cleared her throat and said in a low murmur, “I’m… I’m really sorry, Pinkie Pie. The odds were--”

“Eight out of a thousand,” Pinkie said. Sunset and Rarity released her from their hug and she smiled sadly at them. “Or one out of a hundred twenty-five. That’s like spending a million on a European lottery and winning. I looked it up.” She sniffled and tapped her hands anxiously on her thighs. “Isn’t that super nutty? Think about it. The only similar odds I could find in this world was for a gamble you had to try really hard at. It’s like I won an impossible game with a terrible prize.”

“Please don’t say that,” Fluttershy said. Her trembles intensified, as if the words coming out of her mouth were rattling her apart. “I beg you. Don’t think of it that way. This wasn’t destiny!” She felt Rainbow’s hand on her shoulder and her face crumpled, her tears racing hot down her cheeks.

“Maybe it wasn’t destiny, Flutters,” Pinkie said, returning her gaze to the floor. Her voice had levelled to an even, but muted hurt. “But it sure feels like I was on the wrong end of a bad cosmic joke.” Her brow furrowed. “I always thought I’d make an awesome mom. I’ve been thinking about it all week, all the different things we would’ve done. I’d play peek-a-boo, and make them massive cakes for their birthdays. I’d sing the Smile song, and teach them how to do cartwheels.” Her brow tensed. “I don’t even know if it was a boy or a girl.”

“You’ll drive yourself crazy with questions like that, Pinkie,” Applejack said quietly.

“Party Favor thought so too.” Pinkie scowled now. “He didn’t see why I was upset.”

“Well then he’s an idiot,” Rainbow Dash said suddenly. Fluttershy turned to see her girlfriend’s jaw flex as she clenched her teeth.

“Is he?” Pinkie asked with a little tilt of her head. “I wondered that too. Can I get upset about losing something that barely even started?”

“Of course you can,” Sunset said.

Rarity, who had quieted her crying down to small sniffles stroked Pinkie’s hair. “Dearest it is a serious thing you’re going through! Just because Party Favor fails to see its significance doesn’t make it trivial!”

“He even suggested it was a good thing,” Pinkie said. “‘This way, you can finish college and start your career instead of worrying about some kid,’ he’d said.”

“Bastard,” Rainbow snarled.

“Language.” Pinkie’s admonishment lacked enthusiasm. She rubbed one arm. “I took some time to go home. Be with my sisters. I didn’t tell them or my parents why I was there. They knew something was wrong, but I guess they were giving me space. While I was working at the quarry, I kept trying to cheer myself up. ‘Yeah, Pinkie. This way, you can finish school.’ But I didn’t feel better. In fact, I started wondering what I was even doing at school.” Her forehead wrinkled and she looked at Rarity. “Rares, I didn’t mean to leave you alone the way I did. I had no intention of leaving you alone to do the sorority party. But after my doctor visit, I just… didn’t see what was so important about going back to classes like ‘Culinary Theory’.” She gestured around them. “I like parties. I like seeing people laugh and have fun. But are ragers what I really wanna do? Or even fancy banquets?” She shook her head. “I miss the small parties I’d throw for people at Canterlot High. For you guys. I miss the parties I threw for the little kids in my neighborhood. Those are the smiles I remember best.”

“What are you saying, Pinkie?” Rarity asked, one hand finding her throat.

Pinkie took a deep shuddering breath. “I’m saying, after the sorority party, I’m going to drop out of Everfree University. The Cakes at Sugarcube Corner have offered to take me on as an apprentice baker.” She fidgeted her feet. “I’m sorry, Rarity. I wasn’t sure how to tell you without bringing up everything else. I haven’t even told my parents yet. It’s just… after what happened, I--”

“Hush,” Rarity said, her voice choking anew. “Just hush, I completely understand.” She hugged Pinkie Pie again. “You have absolutely nothing to apologize for. Helping me with this silly party seems so inconsequential in comparison.”

“There is no comparison!” Pinkie Pie said firmly. She held the fashionista at arms length, her expression solemn. “I’m helping you, Rarity! And this 80s party is going to be the bee’s knees!”

Fluttershy couldn’t stand it anymore. She stood to her feet, her hands wringing themselves so tightly, her skin stung. “Pinkie, I must tell you-- you’re so very brave and strong! I would be honored if you’d let me help you and Rarity with this party!”

“Yeah,” Applejack said standing. She put her hat firmly on her head, then hooked her thumbs into her jean’s belt loops. “Me and my family would be happy to join in too, cousin. The Apple Family Farm is at yer service!”

“And me!” Twilight chirped, popping up from the couch with her hand raised. “I’d like to help too!”

“Me too.” Rainbow stood next, her hands on her hips. “If this is gonna be the last thing you do at Everfree, then it’s gotta be awesome. I can’t let you leave without anything short of a bang!”

“We’d all like to help,” Sunset said, smiling at Pinkie. “We’re in this together, okay?”

Pinkie Pie’s lip trembled as she looked around at them all. “You guys…” The girl’s spine curled as fresh sobs escaped her.

Fluttershy wept, her trembles replaced with a warm wave of bittersweet release. She practically ran to Pinkie, who caught her in a strong hug. Fluttershy felt Rarity embrace them from one side, then Sunset. Within moments, their whole group was standing in the middle of the family room together in a single massive hug. In the center, all the shy girl could feel was warm and secure.

“You see?” Fluttershy whispered to Pinkie with a little sniffle. “We’ll be here for you. No matter what.”

“Um--” The girls pulled apart just enough to look toward the sliding glass doors. Sassaflash was there, her eyes wet and her arms limp at her sides. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to overhear. I was going to try and wait for you guys to finish, but then I needed to use the bathroom real bad, and when I came to the door that’s… that’s when I heard.” Her amber eyes found Pinkie. “I am so sorry.” A single tear fell, and she wiped this away.

Pinkie shook her head. “I’m sorry again for what I did. That didn’t give me the right--”

“It’s water under the bridge,” Sass said, waving the words away. “Please. Let’s just forget about it.” She scratched at her cheek. “Actually, I’d be really happy if we could be friends and hang out more? You’re a cool person.”

Pinkie Pie giggled and gestured for Sassaflash to come over. “Get in on this hug action, you!”

And Sassaflash did.

---

“I’ll let you all know when Princess Twilight gets back to me,” Sunset said. “Then let’s try super hard to meet again soon. I know it’ll be hard, what with how busy we’ll be in the next week or two, but curing Rarity of her magic poisoning is high priority. Agreed?”

The others murmured their agreement. As everyone prepared to leave, Sunset pulled Applejack aside to the living room.

“How are you doing, AJ?” she asked quietly.

Applejack gazed back at her stoically. “Not sure what ya mean?”

“You can play dumb all you want, Applejack. I know you’re feeling way more than you’re letting on.”

The cowgirl made an annoyed face and turned away. “Aw shucks, Sun. I ain’t dealing with this right now! Not after what we learned tonight!”

“AJ, if tonight’s any indication, I think it just shows that maybe we’ve all drifted a little too far apart. I want you to know if you need to, you can talk to me. That’s all I wanna say.” Sunset rubbed Applejack’s back. “Your feelings matter too, y’know.”

“Yeah. They just don’t matter enough to get me what I want,” Applejack said quietly. She sighed and glanced at Sunset, and the former Equestrian felt her heart sting at the look in her friend’s green eyes.

Even the saddest country song wouldn’t do it justice.

“Just call me. For whatever. Don’t worry about the hour,” Sunset said, taking a smell step closer.

“I’ll be fine.”

“Just call. Please. I want you to.”

This made Applejack’s brow furrow, turning her green gaze a darker emerald. Sunset crossed her arms under this calculating stare.

“And what about you, huh? You gonna call for backup next time them crooks snap their fingers and say ‘jump’?”

Sunset’s jaw shifted to the side with her vexation.

Stubborn. Like a wild horse.

“I can handle them,” Sun said.

Lucky for you, I can be stubborn too.

Applejack arched an eyebrow. “Sure you can handle ‘em. You just don’t gotta do that alone anymore. Tell you what,” she gestured between them. “You promise to tell me next time ya gotta run errands for that gang, and I’ll promise to bother you the next time I get dust in my eye. Deal?”

Sunset smirked. “Deal.” She held up a finger. “But I reserve the right to check up on you.”

Applejack returned the smirk, tipped her hat, then left without another word, her boots clicking on the hardwood floor.

Sunset shut her eyes as she listened to the door open and close. Her hand still tingled from where she’d rubbed AJ’s back. She clenched it.

“Hey, Sunset?”

She looked to see Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy at the doorway.

Rainbow thumbed over her shoulder. “I was gonna take Twilight and Fluttershy home. Sassaflash insisted on taking Pinkie and Rarity back to their sorority house.” She paused. “You all right? You look like your brain was on another planet.”

Sunset could feel heat crawl up her neck and into her cheeks. She shook her head quickly. “Nope! I’m fine. Sorry. I guess I’m tired.” She waved a hand. “I just gotta get my helmet and riding jacket, then I’ll be on the way to our dorm.”

Rainbow nodded as she and Fluttershy moved toward the door. “Sounds good. See ya.”

“Oh, and Rainbow!”

The tomboy stopped and looked back at her.

Sunset opened her mouth, then faltered. Trust Fluttershy. Talk to her. Believe that everything we said tonight applies to you too! But she just shook her head. “Sorry, never mind. I’ll see you later.”

I missed my moment. If I’d pulled her aside, she’d see it as pushy and would probably ignore my advice. Better if she does it on her own. It’s probably better that way. It gives her a chance to believe she’s not like her father. That not everything she does is because someone pushed her into it. Rainbow Dash needs to believe she’s not a bad person and she’s capable of doing the right thing on her own.

That was the hope, anyway.

Rainbow Dash waved, and then she and Fluttershy were gone. Sunset Shimmer crossed her arms and went to the window, gazing out at the street. Twilight was already waiting by Rainbow’s car. She could still hear Rarity and Pinkie’s voices floating down the hallway as they waited for Sassaflash to get her shoes and car keys.

Sunset’s eyes found Applejack sitting in her truck. She sat there a moment, staring at the steering wheel before turning her engine on and pulling out into the street.

Shimmer watched her go with a little sigh.

There were other hopes she didn’t quite know what to do with, and she was perfectly aware this probably made her a hypocrite.

---

Rainbow Dash had dropped Twilight off and was on the way to Fluttershy’s house. The ride so far had been quiet, but now that it was just her and Fluttershy, Rainbow felt a need to say something. Her mouth practically tingled with the words.

When Pinkie Pie had revealed what had happened to her, the tomboy’s gut had dropped out. It didn’t feel like something that should have happened to their group, least of all, Pinkie. It was almost more unbearable because her friend hadn’t been reckless. The miscarriage had just… happened. Though Rainbow couldn’t quite articulate it, she had a glimmer of understanding of the sort of cosmic dysphoria this caused in Pinkie Pie. She’d probably vanish for a while and re-evaluate her life too if it had happened to her.

The meeting had been a sobering reminder of what was important. How powerful her friendship was with her friends.

In light of that, Rainbow’s secrets suddenly felt so crude.

She could feel them circling on her tongue like a caged lion, ready to pounce.

“Rainbow, I want to tell Star Weld about us. If possible, tomorrow,” Fluttershy said.

Rainbow Dash looked at her in surprise, her mouth falling open. “Really?” Her girlfriend nodded meekly.

“I’m nervous but…” she twirled a lock of hair around her finger and looked down at her lap. “It seems like the right thing to do, after tonight.” She smiled sweetly. “I don’t want to hide my feelings for you.” Rainbow’s face fell. This clearly wasn’t the reaction Fluttershy had been expecting, and her eyes grew wide with alarm. “Are you having second thoughts?”

Rainbow Dash reached over and put a hand on Fluttershy’s lap. “No! No way, babe. It’s just… Aw geez. Aw man!” She pulled over the car. Her heart was beating so hard she could practically feel it in her toes. Her breathing quickened. Sweat broke out all over her skin.

“Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy’s voice trembled a little.

“Fluttershy, I have to tell you something,” Rainbow’s voice cracked, and she winced. She tapped anxiously on the steering wheel. “I have to do it.” She was almost speaking to herself. “I have to do this.”

“Rainbow, you’re scaring me.”

“I don’t mean to,” Rainbow looked at Fluttershy, her breathing was growing more ragged as each inhale sliced into her aching lungs, and then rushed hot out of her mouth. “I just… if we’re really gonna tell Star Weld tomorrow, then there’s something you should know. Something… something that might change your mind. A secret that I’d hoped to never have to tell you, but after tonight--”

“What could you possibly need to tell me that would change my mind, Dashie?” Fluttershy asked. She was sounding breathless now too. “I’ve wanted to be with you for so long!”

“I realize that, Flutters. But this isn’t a small thing. This matters. Like, a lot.” Rainbow started to bounce her knees. “It has to do with my dad.”

“Your dad?”

“Yeah.” Rainbow grimaced. Was she really about to do this? “Please. Please don’t hate him. Please don’t hate me. My dad is in a tight spot, and when he gets desperate he can be kinda crazy. Ruthless, even. I guess some of that rubbed off on me, because it was my idea in the first place. Not his. But he kept pushing me to do it, and I went along because I thought I was being a good daughter. He’s the only family I’ve got left, Shy. I just--”

“Rainbow, I’m getting really confused.”

“Sorry, sorry. Damn! This is so freaking hard to say!” Rainbow Dash struck the steering wheel once, hard. Her palm stung, but the pain anchored her. She focused on it, then said more slowly, “My dad’s training facility is on the skids. His subscriptions are down. Right now, I’m his star. The one best example he’s got that his facility produces champions. When I got stuck with this psych project, that put everything on the line. Everything, Flutters. People really think there’s this big divide in sports between the winner and the loser. I’m telling you, half the time that isn’t the case. Raw talent can be a big factor, but what’s even more important is the training leading up to an event. This psych project was gonna cut into my training.”

“And if the team you’re leading loses out on the championships, then that could be very bad for your father’s business,” Fluttershy said. Her expression had smoothed into something neutral. Almost icy. Had she already figured out what Rainbow was trying to say?

Dash swallowed hard. “You’ve got the highest score in the class. And I knew… I knew that you had feelings for me.” Her eyes started to burn. Don’t cry. Don’t you dare. You had dry eyes through Pinkie’s confession, crying now just makes you a self-pitying jerk. Toughen up. Finish what you started. With a steadying breath, Rainbow said next, quieter. “I told my dad I’d get you to do my project for me.” Her eyes fell shut, and she could feel the tears clinging to her eyelashes. “It’s why I kept acting weird with you. Touching you more than I needed to. Saying things I knew would get you going. I was setting you up.”

“So our date on Friday?” Fluttershy asked slowly.

“No!” Rainbow Dash looked at her girlfriend (Friend? Person who used to be my friend?) She clasped her hands. “Please, Shy, no. That wasn’t a trick! You gotta know, it didn’t take long for me to fall for you! For real!”

“But when was it real for you, Rainbow Dash?” Fluttershy’s eyes filled with tears.

Applejack’s words sounded in Rainbow’s head, burning like fire:

Dash, I bet you make her cry a’fore the week is through.

A lump formed in the tomboy’s throat as she willed AJ’s voice into silence. “After you said that you liked Bulk Biceps,” Rainbow murmured. She turned her eyes out the windshield, unable to watch Fluttershy cry. “It had been building, Fluttershy. I tried to ignore it. I thought everything I was doing was for my dad. I know that’s not true, now. I liked it. I loved getting closer to you. But I was so confused. I am confused. My dad doesn’t know I’ve abandoned the idea. He still thinks I’m trying to manipulate you. But I’m so happy with you, it’s like… it’s like how can that be bad? He’s just so stubborn and melodramatic, I have no idea how to tell him! He’ll think I’m stabbing him in the back!” Rainbow dared a glance. “I care about you. I didn’t want to hurt you. But I’ve already done that. I’d understand if you changed your mind about being with me.” There. It’s all out now. But Rainbow Dash didn’t feel unburdened the way that Sunset and Pinkie had felt after revealing their secrets. She felt crushed. I’ve ruined it. I must have. I’ll be lucky if she even wants to stay friends.

They sat in silence for a long time. It was torturous and thick. Rainbow almost wanted to jump out of the car and run down the block. She managed to stay in her seat because she desperately wanted to hear what Fluttershy had to say.

The moments stretched on. A car passed them by, highlighting their faces in the pale glow of headlights. Then--

“If I’m being honest,” Fluttershy started, her voice tinny. “I feel hurt. I do.”

Rainbow nodded her head jerkily, her throat clenching again. Don’t cry. Don’t cry--

“But as I sit here thinking… I can’t help but imagine what a difficult position you found yourself in. Your father can be so demanding. It’s hard to resist loved ones, even when they’re wrong.”

Rainbow remained quiet, unsure of what to say. Better keep my mouth shut. I’m almost sick of hearing my own voice saying all those awful things.

Fluttershy shifted in her seat, her hands toying with a lock of hair. “The thought had crossed my mind, you know. That maybe you had ulterior motives for asking my help.”

A week ago, this would have surprised Rainbow. But after having spent so much time with the shy girl in the last week, she could believe it. Fluttershy was observant and smart. Of course she picked up on Rainbow’s plan.

“I told myself you wouldn’t possibly do that. And in a way, I suppose you didn’t.” She sighed heavily. “It just stings that you were so close to doing it at all.”

“I’m sorry,” Rainbow Dash said.

“I know you are. I believe it. But…” Fluttershy trailed off, her hands now wringing in her lap.

Rainbow looked at her, her heart skipping a beat. “Fluttershy?” Is this it, then? Is this when she breaks up with me?

Every tingling inch of her recoiled at the thought. She’d be hollowed out. A ghost.

Please, no. No, no, no--!

Fluttershy chewed her lip a moment, then said, “Rainbow Dash I wasn’t completely honest either. I had ulterior motives of my own.”

This made Rainbow’s eyes go wide. “Uh, wh-what?”

---

Fluttershy’s heart ached. So much had been revealed tonight. She thought Rainbow’s confession was brave. How hard was that to say? Though it pained her, Fluttershy knew she couldn’t hold on to the hurt. She had no right to. Not when I had a secret of my own.

“I’ve been lying to you,” Fluttershy whispered, letting her hair curtain forward to hide her face. “All this time.”

“How were you lying to me? Fluttershy, I’m the one that--”

“Rainbow Dash, I’ve been stalling.”

“Stalling?”

Fluttershy felt her tears land onto her wringing hands. They felt warm. “Yes.”

“Stalling what?”

“The work on your project. Rainbow, the truth is, we should have been much farther along by now. You’ve been relying on me to help you, and all I’ve done is waste your time. I’m so sorry!”

“But why would you do that?” Rainbow asked hoarsely.

Fluttershy peeked through her hair to see the other girl gazing at her in disbelief.

“Because I wanted to spend more time with you. I thought that maybe, if we could get closer, I could get you to like me the way that I like you.” She squeezed her eyes shut. “I used your misfortune to my advantage. That wasn’t right!”

“I don’t care about that.”

Fluttershy lifted her head in surprise. Rainbow Dash was gazing at her steadily. Tears were gleaming in her gaze like little jewels, but she held her head high. “I don’t care about any of that, Fluttershy. Are you kidding? I want to be with you. I’ll tell Star Weld. I’ll tell my dad. Heck, I’d stand in the quad and sing it if I had to.”

Fluttershy let this sink in. A smile crept slowly across her face. She giggled. “Rainbow, you already did sing it.”

Rainbow Dash grinned. “Yeah. I guess I did.”

Their eyes held each other, their faces lit with the dim glow of Rainbow’s dashboard.

“I want you, Fluttershy,” Rainbow murmured. “I want to fight for you. Please say you’ll stay with me.”

Fluttershy’s heart was in her throat, pulsing almost achingly. She reached a hand up to stroke Rainbow’s cheek, and her eyes turned lidded when she saw her girlfriend’s eyes fall shut and she leaned into her touch.

“Oh, Rainbow.” Taking hold of the other girl’s face, Fluttershy kissed her. It was a soft, but electrifying contact that instantly changed the energy between them. Rainbow gripped Shy’s wrists tightly and kissed her back, her lips moving deftly and sensuously. Thoughts became harder to form, but Fluttershy had enough presence of mind to pull back once, then again when Rainbow tried to recapture her lips.

Panting, Fluttershy rubbed her nose gently against Rainbow Dash’s.

She knew, at this point, it wasn’t necessary to say it, but she wanted to do it. To put the words forever in Rainbow’s mind and dispel any doubts.

“My heart is yours, Rainbow Dash,” Fluttershy said. Then her mouth found her girlfriend’s again in another hungry kiss.

They didn’t start driving again for a long while. By the time they had gathered themselves and restarted the car, the windows had all fogged up.

Next Chapter: Chapter 26 Estimated time remaining: 6 Hours, 34 Minutes