Chapter 132

To anyone who didn’t know Rarity, they would assume that this was just an ordinary Tuesday afternoon—Tuesday, February the 21st, to be exact. The fashionista was making her way through the winding streets of a residential area in Canterlot, on her way to deliver a gown to a client. The garment in question was hanging in the back seat, wrapped in clear plastic that bore the Carousel Boutique’s watermark.

This was the final job of yet another busy day at the shop, but the fashionista’s mind was nowhere near the task at hand; it was elsewhere, partly on the story told by her friend the day before, but more so on the evening ahead.

Sunset’s story had taken everyone by surprise, to say the least, and much of the remainder of the evening was spent asking questions about her abilities to the point where she was practically pulling her hair out—or trying, at least.

The news made Rarity wonder —or fantasize, rather— about her own capabilities if she were to pony-up. Even in her current form, she was an extremely dangerous individual, but if her counterpart was a unicorn like Sunset, would she have the same abilities? Just imagine, she thought, having the power of telekinesis, teleportation, force fields, beams and more, on top of Golds’ physical strength and the endless array of weaponry she could create out of thin air.

She was wary, however, of what it took to achieve the pony-up state. Both Sunset and Fluttershy had to hit an extreme emotional state in order to trigger it: Fluttershy, hit by some space ray nonsense while fighting for her freedom, and Sunset, forced to witness the murder of Pinkie Pie’s family so vividly that she felt like she’d committed the act herself.

As tempting as it was to want such power, Rarity was forced to tell herself that her magic and her training were sufficient, and the emotional impact needed to achieve such power overkill wasn’t worth enduring.

She needed to focus her attention on the night ahead. By dawn, the objective was to infiltrate the hotel owned by this drug organization, find out who was at the top, and most importantly, exact revenge on Gage: the young woman who destroyed the Pie family.

But first, a personal delivery had to be made, and she was anxious to have it finished before the ominous clouds and rising winds settled in. It’d been an unusually warm winter thus far, and a rainstorm happening within the next hour was a very real possibility.

She pulled into the driveway of a fairly large and well-kept house, located on a crescent lined with many homes just like it. After studying the invoice to confirm the address, Rarity exited the car and retrieved the goods from the back seat before heading to the front door.

She rang the doorbell, cleared her throat, and waited. Alerted to the sound of the deadbolt sliding back, Rarity straightened up and added a smile, ready to greet her customer cheerfully and professionally.

When the door opened, however, the fashionista’s smile wavered, and she hesitated to introduce herself after being met with a fair visage and a head of two-toned hair: blue on one side, pink on the other.

“Ah, Rarity. You made it,” she said, snapping the fashionista out of her trance.

After a few blinks and a quick shake of her head, Rarity smiled. “Bonbon, hello! My apologies, darling, I wasn’t expecting…” She glanced at the invoice. “The invoice I have here is for a ‘Sweetie Drops;’ is that correct?” she asked, meeting eyes with her customer again.

Bonbon nodded. “Sweetie Drops is my given name, but a lot of people don’t know that because I’ve been going by Bonbon for... pretty much as long as I can remember.”

“Ah. Myself included, it seems,” Rarity replied with a forced chuckle, followed by a quiet cough. “Er… so, anyway, here is your gown, all pressed and ready to wear,” she continued, holding the item up for Bonbon to see.

“Oh yes, thank you. It looks great!” Bonbon replied as she took it by the hanger and studied it through the clear wrapping.

“It should fit, so long as the measurements you posted in your online order are correct,” Rarity explained. “It’s not how I prefer to do things, but with the advent of online shopping I’ve had to accept the fact that I can’t always give the ‘in person’ experience to everyone anymore.” She paused and held the paperwork out to her customer. “And here is your invoice; paid in full by credit card at the time of purchase.”

“Thanks,” Bonbon replied as she took the paper and gave it a quick scan. Then she hung the package over her shoulder and looked at Rarity. “Would you… like to come in? Maybe have some tea?”

Rarity’s eyes widened. “Oh… I, uh…” She glanced over her shoulder at her car. “I’m afraid I have prior engagements this evening, perhaps another ti—“

“It doesn’t have to be long,” Bonbon insisted. “Just a quick chat to catch up. Whaddaya say?”

Not wanting to disappoint, Rarity chewed her lip. “Well…” she began, just as a quiet pitter-patter began to surround them, which quickly progressed into a full-on downpour. “Ooh!” Rarity squealed, stepping inside to avoid getting her hair wet. “Well then... it appears the decision has been made for me,” she quipped as her host closed the door behind her.

Chuckling, Bonbon slid the front closet open to hang the dress up. “Don’t worry, I won’t hold you up all night. Follow me.” She closed the door and waved Rarity along, prompting her to follow her host into a rather large and well-designed kitchen, decorated in a modern white and dark brown motif.

Following a gesture to sit, Rarity pulled a chair out from the table while Bonbon went to the counter to start the kettle.

“Which tea do you like?”

Rarity drew a breath. “Oh, er… whatever you have is fine. I’m not picky.”

Bonbon looked back with a smirk. “Not picky? Who are you and what have you done with Rarity?”

A short pause later, Rarity let out a reserved laugh. “Oh! Haha! Yes, I suppose that was a bit rich, coming from me. ” She gave her hand a quick wave. “In all seriousness though, whatever you have is perfectly fine.”

Bonbon turned back to the counter. “OK. Let’s see what I’ve got.”

Rarity sat quietly, watching as her host set a pair of mugs on the counter with a tea bag in each. Waiting for the kettle, Bonbon turned and leaned on the counter, arms folded. After a short, but awkward pause, during which the only sound was the rain outside, Bonbon glanced over at the far doorway and her eyes immediately lit up.

“Hey, big guy!” she said, squatting down with her arms outstretched, making Rarity lean over to see who Bonbon was addressing.

It was a young boy, unmistakably Bonbon’s child.

He tromped ungracefully along the tile floor like all toddlers do, and was promptly scooped up by his mother, who carried him to the table.

“I want to you meet, Miss Rarity,” she said, keeping her mouth close to his ear. “She went to high school with mommy, and now she runs the nice dress store uptown.”

Rarity smiled nervously as the kid stared her down suspiciously.

“Say hi,” Bonbon said.

He didn’t.

The fashionista sat up and licked her lip, forcing a reply. “My goodness, he sure has grown; it seems like only yesterday you were posting his newborn photos on Facebook.”

“Tshh… I know!” Bonbon rolled her eyes and sat across from her guest, setting her son on her lap. “It all goes by so fast.”

“Indeed it does,” Rarity agreed.

Just then, a flash could be seen through the windows, followed by the rumble of thunder. Surprised, both women’s eyes travelled to the ceiling, noting the oddity of witnessing lightning in the month of February.

Pointing past his mother to the window, young boy finally spoke. “The whitning’s taking pictures, mama!” he exclaimed quietly, but excitedly.

“Yes, it is!” Bonbon played along, smiling as she leaned down to face him.

Rarity cocked her head. “Taking pictures?”

“The lightning looks like a camera flash to him,” Bonbon explained.

Brows raised, Rarity drew a quick breath and placed her fingertips over her mouth. “Oh! Oh my, that is so adorable; what a sweetheart!”

“He sure is,” Bonbon replied before looking over her shoulder at the kettle, which was starting to boil. Needing to tend to her guest, she set her son on the floor and stood. “OK buddy, why don’t you go find daddy so you two can get some pictures together?”

Excitement filled the boy’s pudgy features, and he took off running, his feet tromping along the tile as he went.

“Say buh-bye to Rari—” Bonbon began, but stopped when the kid left the room before she could finish. “—ty.” She looked at the fashionista and smiled. “Sorry.”

Rarity closed her eyes and waved it off. “Not to worry, darling,” she chuckled.

After filling the mugs, Bonbon brought them to the table and set them down before returning to her chair. “We’ll just let those steep for a few minutes.”

“Perfect. Thank you,” Rarity said, watching the steam rise from within the cup. Then she looked at Bonbon again and smiled. “He certainly is lovely, your son,” she complimented, to which Bonbon smiled. “I dare say he’s going to grow into a handsome man someday—and a well mannered one, too.”

Bonbon chuckled softly. “Well, he can be a bit of a bugger some days, but still…” She paused and drew a breath. “We do our best to raise him right.”

Rarity reached out to trace the rim of her mug. “I’m sure you’ll do just fine. He’s lucky to have a mother like you,” she said as she looped her finger around the handle and lifted it to smell the tea.

“Mm.” Bonbon sat with her arms folded, staring down at the table. “He’s lucky to have a mother at all, to be honest.”

The fashionista paused with the rim touching her lips when she heard this, her eyes staring over the cup. Then she quickly forced herself to take a sip, rubbing her lips together as she set the cup down. “Oh?” she replied, feigning ignorance.

Bonbon reached out and wrapped her hands around her cup to feel its heat, shrugging her shoulders uneasily as she chewed her lip.

This did little to lower Rarity’s stress level.

After drawing a breath, Bonbon cleared her throat and spoke again. “Look, I, uh… I have a confession to make.”

Rarity listened, eyes wide.

“I… didn’t order a dress from you because I needed one,” Bonbon explained as she stared down at her tea. She pursed her lips for a moment before continuing. “I did it because I wanted to see you… to say thanks, for what you did.”

What little colour Rarity had in her face quickly drained away; her heart thumped heavily, and she tried to hide it with a shaky smile. “I’m afraid I don’t understand, darling.”

Bonbon smiled. “It’s OK, Rarity. I know it was you that night; in the black suit, when me and Ly were trapped in that alley.” She kept her eyes locked on the indigo-haired girl. “You saved us... from them. Ly and I, we knew it was you. We recognised your voice, and… we recognised your magic when you made that… that sword out of diamond.”

Rarity had sunk down in her chair by then, her eyes darting around the table as she listened.

“I remembered that from the camp, when Gloriosa was possessed by that magic. You could make those big diamonds out of thin air.” She paused and looked down at the tabletop, brows furrowed. “But they were just simple shapes back then, like shields,” she continued, meeting eyes with Rarity again. “It looks like you’ve been practicing.”

Rarity sighed and then swallowed, accepting that her secret was out. “You could say that.”

Bonbon reached across the table, placing her hand next to her guest’s cup. “Don’t worry. Your secret’s safe with us, Rarity. We don’t wanna mess this up for you; what you’re doing is a good thing. Every time I see the Dark Mistress on the news, or hear a story about her at work, I can’t help but smile because I know I can feel safe, and I know my family will be safe as long as you’re watching over our town.”

“Hm,” Rarity murmured, looking down at her cup. “Not all families are safe, unfortunately.”

Bonbon paused, taken aback by the statement. Then she retreated to her side of the table, rubbing the back of her neck. “You’re talking about Pinkie Pie’s family, aren’t you?”

The fashionista brought her chin up to face her host. “Heard about that, did you?”

Bonbon sighed. “It was on the news.” She shook her head. “Terrible. And shocking. I can’t even imagine what that must be like. I feel so bad for Pinkie.”

“It… has been rather difficult for her. And Maud, I’m afraid.”

“Do they have a suspect yet?”

Rarity sat up in her chair, pausing. “The police don’t—but we do.”

“You’re going after him yourselves?”

“It’s a ‘her,’ actually; and yes, we are. Tonight, in fact.”

Bonbon cocked her head. “A woman did this?”

Rarity nodded. “A very stupid one.”

The other girl sat back, exhaling through pursed lips. “Wow.” Then she looked up at the fashionista. “So… wait, those ‘prior engagements’ you spoke of: did you mean…?”

The fashionista gave a single nod. “Yes.”

Bonbon paused for a moment, trying to grasp exactly what those engagements would involve. After a taking a moment to glance around the kitchen, she brought her sights back to Rarity. “Do me a favour?”

“Of course.”

“Tell Pinkie Pie that Ly and I are thinking of her, that our hearts go out to her and her sister.”

After a quick smile, Rarity lifted her cup and downed the hot tea. Then she set the empty mug down with a clunk, leaving Bonbon wide-eyed. “I will be sure to relay your message to her, darling. I promise it will not go unappreciated.”

Bonbon nodded and smiled, but then her face turned grim once again. “And, um… do you think you could do me one other favour?”

Rarity cocked her head. “I suppose.”

“Whoever she is, the person who destroyed Pinkie’s family…” —she nodded, her stare sharpening— “give her hell.”

Rarity smirked. “Not to worry, darling. Hell will be a relief next what I have planned,” she replied as she stood from the table and pushed her chair in, leaving her hands on the backrest. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I have preparations to make.”

Bonbon stood. “Absolutely, go. Yes,” she replied, waving Rarity along. Before Rarity could turn to leave, however, Bonbon reached a hand out to stop her. “Wait; just one more thing.”

Rarity stopped to look back at her.

The other girl retracted her arm slowly, appearing to consider what she was going to say and how to say it. “Um… I didn’t just bring you here tonight to thank you. I also wanted to point out that… if I was able to figure out who you were, then maybe… I’m not the only one.”

Rarity paused, her eyes dropping to the floor.

“I just… wanted to you be aware of that,” Bonbon continued. “And to consider that possibility.”

Rarity, feeling a bit less cunning now that she knew her disguise hadn’t quite fooled everyone, met eyes with her host and forced a shaky smile. “Thank you, darling… for the insight.” She gave a small bow and then turned to head for the door. “I shall bear that in mind.”

*****

It was just after 6:00pm, and I was in the process of grabbing my wallet and putting my jacket on to head to town to meet the girls.

“OK, I’m heading out, Flutters,” I announced, directing my voice down the hall to her room.

With a soft murmur came the light pitter-patter of bare feet making their way down the hall. She emerged just as I turned for the door, wearing nothing but a tiny pair of plain, white panties.

I paused, my eyes shifting to the side and then back onto her, noting how her bare breasts had been strategically hidden behind her hair, which hung down both sides of her face and in front of her shoulders. That, and her big, sparkling eyes of teal were just about the most inviting thing one could imagine.

It was rare for Fluttershy to hang around the house like this—and I knew exactly why she was doing it.

I shook my head, sighing. “Listen, Flutters… I know you want me to stick around tonight —and believe me, I’d like to when you look like that— but you know I have to go with the others.”

“Oh, well…” She used her fingers to sweep one side of her hair back to hook it behind her ear, revealing one of those luscious breasts, hanging from her chest like a cantaloupe. “Do you really have to go, though? I mean, you’re just monitoring them over the app, aren’t you? You could do that from here, couldn’t you?”

After a moment of staring at that peach-coloured nipple, I bit my lip and turned away to slip my boots on. “Yeah, Flutters, but I want to be close by, just in case something goes wrong and they need my help. This is Twi and AJ’s first mission, remember.”

Fluttershy cocked her head. “It’s not Twilight’s first mission.”

I rolled my eyes. “You know that I mean. Her first real mission.”

The shy girl’s shoulders dropped. “Oh... um, OK then,” She turned and leaned against the table with her back. “I guess I forgot about that. I just thought maybe we could… I don’t know… spend time together and watch them on the app.” She looked at me and gave an innocent shrug. “I thought maybe we could do another twelve hour challenge, too.”

I paused for a second and then exhaled loudly, rubbing my face. “God.” I looked at her again, hand raised. “OK, as much as I’d like that, we couldn’t do it tonight anyway; it’s kinda hard to pay attention to what’s going on on the app when I’ve got my dick in you the whole time.”

She gazed longingly for a moment and then sighed, looking down at the floor.

As important as tonight was, I couldn’t stand to see Fluttershy looking so rejected. I hung my head and stared at the floor, rubbing my temple. Then I looked up at her. “Look, Flutters: as much as I love spending time with you, I need to be there for them. They’re our friends, and plus… I mean, this is Pinks’ family we’re talking about here.”

She shot me a look when I said this, making me put my hands up in defense.

“Hey, I’m not trying to guilt you or make you feel bad for not wanting to go. I totally understand you reasoning for wanting to stay here; Cody put you through a lot of bullshit, so of course you’ve had your fill. You deserve to feel the way you do, and I both respect and love you for it, but me?” —I put my fingertips to my chest— “I have to go. They asked for my help; they wanted me to be there as a safety net. And as much as I’d love to stay here and see how loud I can make you scream, making those fuckers pay for what they did to Pinks’ family is more important.”

Her eyes sank to the floor again as I spoke, and she continued to stare aimlessly into space even after I’d finished. Finally, she let out a despondent sigh. “You’re right, Goldie. I’m sorry I tried to talk you into staying.”

“Hey,” I spread my arms wide. “Come here.”

Fluttershy quickly left the table and shuffled toward me, hands folded in front of her lap, which had the effect of squeezing those lovely breasts together. When she came against me, I wrapped my arms around her and hugged her slender frame tightly, feeling her soft, warm skin under my hands as she slid her arms around the small of my back.

After holding the embrace for a moment or two, she pulled her head back to look at me.

I kissed her forehead and then brought my hands up to cup her cheeks in my palms, kissing her lips several times.

This made her smile, and she brought her hands up to place them on my chest. “I love you.”

“I love you, too,” I said, giving her another kiss.

She sighed, looking down at my chest as she wriggled her fingers in my shirt. “Go get ‘em. After what they did to the Pies, they deserve whatever you give them. I-I know that’s not a very nice thing to say, but—“

“Nice doesn’t have anything to do with it,” I cut in. “They made their bed. It’s time to make them lay in it.”

With one more kiss and a quick whiff of her wonderful scent, I turned and headed for the door, stopping one more time to look back before finally leaving.

Fluttershy stood there, mostly naked, alone in her house, hands folded loosely as she listened to that noisy truck start up and then fade away into silence. With a sigh, she looked around the empty room and eventually locked eyes with Link, who sat on the couch and watched her, cocking those pointy ears.

Fluttershy smiled. “You wanna go outside, big guy?”

He immediately hopped over the back of the couch with a thud and then trotted to the door.

“Oh my, wait a minute, silly!” she giggled. “I can’t go outside like this.”

Link watched her for a moment and then sat, waiting patiently.

Moments later, they were in the backyard. Link was sniffing around the tree line and Angel was huddled next to the shy girl, nibbling on a piece of carrot. Fluttershy herself was wearing little more than what she had on inside; in her haste, the only piece of clothing she’d added was a plaid pyjama shirt—which she hadn’t even buttoned up, leaving the inner curves of her breasts visible.

It was cold out, but it didn’t bother her. Despite it being harmless, the other girls still preferred to be comfortably warm, but ever since she’d been locked in a frozen chamber for hours on end, standing outside in an open shirt and bare legs didn’t faze her in the least—in fact, she rather enjoyed the feel of her rock-hard nipples raking the inside of that shirt.

Plenty of other critters had joined the visit as well: squirrels, birds, a fox, two raccoons, and dozens more. She decided to make a circle around the fire pit, giggling and chatting with the furry crowd as the light continued to fail, the sun well below the tree line by then.

As she looped around the fire pit once more, watching Angel turn his attention to a stick of celery, the raucous screech of a cardinal sounded from behind, prompting Fluttershy to turn and look up into the trees.

“Oh! Hello, Mr. Do-Right,” she greeted after spotting the bird perched in a nearby maple. “How are you toda—“

The cardinal sounded off again, silencing the shy girl.

“Goldie? He, um, went to go help my friends.”

More chirping.

“Well… um, yes, it has to do with Pinkie’s family,” she replied.

The bird made some more noise, hopping closer to the end of the branch.

“Why didn’t I go?” Her eyes darted around as she thought about her answer. “I just… I didn’t want to.“

The cardinal flared its wings and chirped louder.

“I know they’re my friends,” Fluttershy replied, “but they’ll be fine on their own. Rare’s gonna be there, too; between her and Goldie, I know they’ll be in good hands.”

The bird was clearly not happy with the answer. It began squawking and flapping its wings, causing a cluster of little red feathers to shed and flutter down from the tree.

Fluttershy shrank back, placing her fingertips to her chest as she watched the bird spazz out. “Are you… chirpin’ me?” she asked, appalled by the bird’s behavior.

Again, the bird scolded ferociously, flailing about in a storm of wings and feathers.

She spread her hand out to lay it flat on her chest. “Well… I’m sorry you feel that way, Mr. Do-Right, but it’s… um, my decision to make. They’re my friends, and I care about them a lot, and they understand my reasons for not going.”

The cardinal folded its wings and watched her for a moment. Then it turned and took flight, circling the yard once before disappearing over the trees.

Fluttershy sighed and looked down toward the edge of the yard at Link, who’d been watching the conversation rather intently. She pursed her lips and scowled. “Am I a bad friend, Linkie?”

The cat twitched an ear, then it lowered its head to resume sniffing.

“Hm,” the shy girl mumbled, folding her arms as the rumble of an aggressive-sounding V-8 began to echo from the front yard. Some of the animals fled, while others stopped what they were doing to stare curiously in the direction of the sound. Some didn’t even seem to notice. “Don’t worry, everyone,” Fluttershy said sweetly, putting her hands out to settle their nerves. “It’s just my friend, Rainbow Dash.”

She made her way around the house to meet the other girl, who had parked her supercharged Diplomat next to the little SUV and shut the engine off. The door opened and the rainbow-haired girl stepped out, brushing her bangs aside as Fluttershy stopped in front of the car, smiling.

“Hi, Rainbow Dash.”

“Oh hey, Flutt—GAH!” Dash recoiled, grimacing at her friend. “The hell are you wearing!?”

Fluttershy looked down at herself. “Oh…” She quickly brought her knees together, looking up at Dash again with glowing cheeks. “I just… I was just visiting the woodland creatures out back for a minute; I was gonna get dressed when I went inside. …Sorry.“

Rainbow Dash relaxed a bit. “Oh… OK, well... I mean, it’s fine. You look good. Er...” She paused, chewing the inside of her cheek as she stared dubiously at the shy girl, noting her hair, make-up and choice of panties. “Wait a minute…” She narrowed her eyes at her friend. “How long ago did Golds leave?”

“About twenty minutes ago. Why?”

A grimace slowly re-emerged on Dash’s face. “You guys didn’t just have a ‘going away fuck,’ did you?”

Fluttershy shook her head. “No.”

Dash pointed a finger at her. “I ain’t messing with you, Flutters; I’m not gonna sit on your couch and end up with a cum stain on my ass, am I?”

Fluttershy crinkled her nose. “Ew, no! We didn’t do it, Dashie, OK?”

Dash took notice of the sharp response, and it piqued her interest; that tone used by the shy girl, that telltale sign of sexual frustration, was always the same, no matter who it belonged to. Dash could spot it from a mile away. She lowered her hand slowly, looking the shy girl over once again. “Wait a minute… is that why you’re dressed like that? Were you trying to get him to stay home tonight?”

Fluttershy froze, brandishing a ‘deer in the headlights’ look. “Um… u-um—“

“That’s it! That’s totally it, isn’t it? You were trying to get Golds to stay home tonight for…” Dash stopped suddenly. “Wait a minute…” She raised a suspicious brow. “You… knew I was coming tonight, right?”

Fluttershy nodded.

Dash sneered, shaking her head. “So… what, you were planning on banging him while I was here!?”

The shy girl shrugged. “I don’t know. We didn’t have to do it tonight if it was going to bother you. Or we could… ... well, um, actually, nevermind.“

“Hey, whoa, whoa!” Dash grimaced and brought her hands up, waving them at the shy girl. “Just… stop there! That’s never gonna happen.”

“Oh.” Fluttershy cleared her throat softly. “OK.”

Placing her hands on her hips, Rainbow Dash chewed her bottom lip and studied the shy girl for a moment. “Fluttershy? You… knew that Golds was gonna go help them tonight, right?”

Fluttershy locked a pair of shrunken pupils on her friend. “Um… I-I kn— … I mean, yeah.” She looked down at the ground, fidgeting her toes in the gravel. “It’s just that… I-I didn’t wanna be… um…”

Dash raised a brow as she watched her friend stammer incoherently. “Hey…” she finally cut in, gently. “Do you feel bad for not going?”

Fluttershy froze.

Dash took a step closer. “That’s it, isn’t it? You’re the only one not going—who chose not to go, anyway.”

Fluttershy scowled and drew a breath. “I… I thought that if Goldie stayed home, then I wouldn’t be the only one.” She met eyes with Dash, looking slightly ashamed of herself. “Am I a bad friend, Dashie?”

Rainbow Dash sneered. “Ppfft! No. Why would you think that?”

Fluttershy scratched her ear, letting her eyes shift to the side. “Um… a little birdie told me I was.”

Dash furrowed her brows and gave her head a quick shake. “What birdie?”

“A cardinal. In, um… in the backyard.”

“Oh, pffft!” Dash waved her off. “Don’t listen to him. Cardinals are assholes; you know that! Listen…” Rainbow Dash rounded the front bumper to approach the shy girl, offering a reassuring bump on the arm. “If anyone has the right to chose to sit this out, it’s you. You’ve been through a lot, and I know it was hard—especially for someone like you. I honestly don’t know how you did it, but you proved to me, and the rest of us, that you can be totally awesome in the face of disaster. You took down an international syndicate; it’s time to pass the reins to the others and let them take care of this!”

A smile slowly grew on Fluttershy’s lips as she listened. “Thanks, Dashie. You always knew how to give a good pep talk.”

“Eh… it’s a sports thing,” Dash shrugged smartly. “Besides, if you weren’t around, I’d have no one to hang out with tonight.”

Fluttershy giggled as she brought a hand up to sweep her hair from her face. Just as she was about to reply, however, a cool breeze swept through the yard and peeled one side of the shy girl’s pyjama shirt aside, exposing her bare breast to the athlete.

“GAH!” Dash closed her eyes and turned away. “Dammit, Flutters! Button your shirt!”

Blushing, Fluttershy pulled her top together and folded her arms over it. “Sorry, Dashie. W-we should probably go inside anyway.”

“Yeah.” Dash craned her neck to look up at the deep, purple sky. “It’s starting to get pretty dark.”

After turning to call for Link and Angel, Fluttershy led the way to the front door.

*****

Roughly an hour later, the childhood friends had perched themselves on the couch to watch a movie. Fluttershy was now wearing the complete pyjama set, which included matching plaid pants —plus, the shirt was now buttoned up— and Rainbow Dash was wearing a dark padded vest over a long-sleeved white T-shirt with dark blue tights covered in multi-coloured slashes.

Link was curled up on the end of the lounge between Fluttershy’s feet, which sported a pair of pink bunny slippers. Angel, as usual, had gone into hiding.

Rainbow Dash, keeping her eyes on the TV, tilted her head toward the shy girl. “D’you uh… d’you think they’re there yet?”

After a short pause, Fluttershy shook her head absentmindedly. “I don’t think so. The city is a few hours away. And if I know Rare, she probably held them up getting ready.”

“Hm.” Dash nodded slowly. “Do you wanna check the app to see if anything’s happening?”

Fluttershy turned to face the rainbow-haired girl with one eye, the other concealed by her hair. “Yeah.”

Both of them drew their phones like they were in a shootout, their faces aglow as the screens came to life. After a quick perusal, Dash sighed and shook her head, disappointed.

“Nothing.”

Fluttershy nodded, still looking down at her phone. “I figured that. They must still be driving.”

“You wanna send them a text to see where they are?” Dash offered, after a glance at her friend.

The shy girl shook her head. “No. Texting’s not secure; if you’re gonna talk to them, do it through the app.”

“Oh, right.” Dash let her head fall to the side as she stared at the screen. “What do you think I should say?”

As she said this, Fluttershy looked up from her phone suddenly, listening. “Shh.”

Dash glanced over at her. “What?”

Fluttershy waited a moment, eyes darting around. “Someone’s here,” she finally said. “Put your phone away.”

“Oh.” Rainbow Dash leaned over to stuff the device in her pocket. “It is so weird that you can do that.”

Sure enough, the front door opened. “Is anyone here?” a familiar, but unexpected voice called out.

Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy quickly glanced at each other.

“Sonata!” Dash whispered. She then raised her hand so it would be visible over the back of the couch to answer casually. “Hey. It’s just me and Flutters.”

“Oh, hey.” The siren kicked her boots off and approached the couch. “Thank frick. I thought everybody disappeared or something; no one was home at the farmhouse,” she said, leaning on the backrest to look down at them.

“Oh… weird,” Dash replied flatly, looking ahead.

Sonata chewed her tongue for a moment. “Howcome you’re out here on a weeknight, Dashie?”

Dash shrugged. “I dunno.”

The siren’s brow furrowed slightly at the response. Then she shifted her attention to Fluttershy. “Where’s Gold Boy?”

“Um…” It took the shy girl a few seconds to peel her eyes from the TV. “He’s just… he had to go to town for something.”

“Oh.” Sonata’s eyes drifted along the couch and then rose to the TV to see what was playing.

”...cats rule, and dogs drool!”

After blinking several times, she frowned and looked at Fluttershy. “You’re watching this again?”

“Mm-hm.”

“Yeah… it’s uh… awesome,” Dash added, keeping her eyes on the screen.

Sonata was quiet. She studied the pair for a moment, noting their behaviour as being a little off. She couldn’t quite put her finger on why, though; all she knew was that she was a little weirded-out by it. “O… K?” She stood and wrung her hands together. “Well… I think I’m gonna head out then,” she announced as she slowly turned away, wondering if they were even listening.

“OK.” Dash tossed a quick wave over the back of the couch.

Fluttershy tilted her head to speak over the backrest. “Where are you going?”

Sonata stopped and looked back. “I’ll probably go catch a movie, maybe check out that ‘Last Jedi’ remake; see if it’s any good.”

“Oh… OK, well, have fun,” Fluttershy replied.

The siren stood for a moment, ruminating on the strange reception she’d gotten. Then she shrugged and went to put her boots on. As soon as they heard the door close, Fluttershy and Rainbow Dash relaxed, looking over at each other as a long exhale escaped their lips.

“Whew,” Dash said. “Thank god she left—not that I have anything against her; I just didn’t wanna have to deal with keeping the mission a secret all night.”

Fluttershy nodded. “Same here. I wanna be able to keep an eye on what’s going on. If it wasn’t for that, I wouldn’t mind if she stayed. I kinda like Sonata, actually.” She paused for a moment to scratch her earlobe. “I mean, even though it’s, um, kinda awkward when she says things that… don’t really make sense.”

Dash chuckled. “Yeah, she comes out with some next-level shit, that’s for sure.”

*****

After parking in the guest spot, I exited my truck and headed for Rarity’s front door, passing under a row of pole-mounted lights that bathed the sidewalk in overlapped circles of cold, buzzing light. After using the spare key she’d given me a few weeks back, I stepped inside and slipped my boots off, closing the door behind me.

I called her name when I emerged from the front hall to her living room, and was answered by a distant murmur from one of the back rooms. Following the sound, I made my way up the stairs and rounded the corner to head to her bedroom. As I passed the dining area, however, I spotted a pale figure in my peripheries and stopped.

Backtracking a few steps, I found Rarity standing in front of the kitchen counter, leaned forward slightly to let the crumbs of the pastry she was biting into fall into the sink. Her hair had already been tied into a violet bun, but she was dressed only in a lacy black thong; her milky curves practically glowed in the soft light, including that round little derrière, divided down the center by a narrow, black strip. Above that was the enticing side-view of her breasts, pointing out over the sink as it rang with the dull, metallic thuds of falling pastry flakes.

I shook my head, smirking. “I take it you’re not quite ready yet?”

She huddled down slightly and froze, then she slowly turned to face me.

“Mmm,” she mumbled, placing the tip of her index finger to her pursed lips. She raised her other finger, signalling me to wait while she chewed the mouthful and then swallowed it. “I beg your pardon, my love. I was simply indulging in a little treat before the festivities.”

“Over the sink in your underwear?” I asked as I approached the counter and leaned against it with my hip, next to her. “What’re you, in college?”

“Mm. It’s the only way to enjoy a Passion Flakie,” she replied, winking as she brushed the corner of her mouth with her thumb.

I shook my head as I watched her lean forward for another bite. “What is it with you two tonight?”

Rarity looked at me as she chewed, brow cocked.

“Flutters,” I clarified. “When I left, she was wearing literally the same thing as you—except her underwear was white. And her hair was down.”

Rarity swallowed and then let her eyes roll back in their sockets. “Mmmm… those little white cotton panties? Oh my goodness, I love, love, love those. They look so cute on her; I could just pinch those cheeks all night long!”

“Which ones?” I asked, to which she turned and leaned over the sink for another bite, but pausing to speak first. “Take your pick, darling.”

I folded my arms and waited for her to finish the last two bites as I stared at the far side of her kitchen. When she was finished, she brushed her hands together, drawing my attention back to her; I studied the back of that slender, white neck—something I didn’t have the luxury of seeing very often, which was a shame because it was exquisitely beautiful, like the rest of her.

“Are you ready for tonight?” I asked, prompting her to look up at me, licking her lips one last time.

She looked unsure for a moment. Then, with a sigh, she stepped in front of me and reached around the back of my neck, pressing her naked breasts against my clothes as she let her head rest on my shoulder. “I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t a bit apprehensive of what I might have to do; taking someone’s life, for instance,” she said, tickling my throat with her breath.

I reached down to rest my hands on her hips, enjoying their soft, smooth warmth while I ruminated on her confession. Then I bent to plant a kiss on her forehead. “You’ve done that before, Rare. I’m sure you can handle it.”

“It’s not so such a question of ‘if I could,’ but whether I should.”

I furrowed my brows slightly. “What do you mean?”

She nuzzled her face into my neck, stroking my skin with her nose. “I don’t… er, what if what we’re doing isn’t right? I mean —even though I feel justified in not trusting her— perhaps I was crossing the line when I advocated for Sonata’s execution? In the past, we always overcame adversity using the power of friendship; we didn’t kill someone simply because they did bad things, and often times we found that that person was misguided, and needed help… or just a friend.”

I let my eyes drift around the room while she spoke, considering her perspective on the matter. When she was finished, I drew a breath to speak. “Did any of those people destroy one of your families to protect a business that destroys countless other lives?”

Rarity paused for a moment; I could feel her eyelashes brushing my neck as she thought about it, her thumb slowly sweeping back and forth through my hair. “No. I suppose not.”

I wrapped my arms around the small of her back and gave her a squeeze. “Listen, Rare, I understand where you guys are coming from with the whole ’if we kill them, then we’re no better than they are’ sentiment, but the problem with that is… not everyone is misguided, or lonely, or misunderstood. Some people are just bad. They’ll never change, and trying to reason with them will only lead to more innocent deaths.”

I paused to draw a deep breath.

“Some people just need to go—and I say this from direct experience,” I continued. “They don’t care about anyone but themselves. They can’t be beaten by your virtues; they see it as a weakness, and they will use it against you.”

Rarity sighed, blowing air from her nostrils down my collar.

“Look, I don’t see your methods as being naïve or anything like that; in fact, I admire them in a way, as long as it’s applied in the right situation. I think that what you guys did for Sonata was a fine thing —even though you didn’t think so— but it’s very important to see the distinction between someone like Sonata and someone like Agent Cody, or Gage. Taking the moral high ground can’t save lives sometimes; giving credence to the wrong enemy can get people killed, and then you’ll truly be no better than they are, which negates everything you were trying to achieve by not killing them in the first place.”

Rarity leaned back to gaze into my eyes, keeping her hands on my shoulders. “Have you ever seen that happen?”

I nodded. “Firsthand. Young, naïve leaders —usually Monarchs who were put in power too early because their parents were dead. They were notorious for this, and they learned the hard way that not everyone thinks like they do. And it changes them forever.”

Her eyes drifted downward, watching my lips.

My hands returned to her hips and gave a gentle squeeze. “Don’t worry, Rare. I won’t think any less of you if you skewer every one of those bastards tonight.”

Those sapphire eyes shot up to lock with mine again, and a little smirk found itself in the corner of her mouth. “I know you wouldn’t, darling.” She leaned up to plant a kiss on my lips and then backed away afterward, her hands fidgeting with my shirt.

Rarity still looked troubled. She seemed absent.

I cocked my head suspiciously, looking into her eyes. “Is there something else bothering you?”

She snapped out of the daze and stared wide-eyed for a moment, then she shook her head and looked to the side. “Nothing.” She paused, sighing. “Well… not nothing, per se; it’s just…”

I watched for a moment after she trailed off. “Juuuuust…?”

Rarity cleared her throat. “It’s come to my— … er, I-I’ve been wondering lately: what if my disguise hasn’t fooled everyone?”

I shrugged and shook my head. “Why wouldn’t it?”

“I don’t know,” she muttered as she brought her hands in to adjust my collar. “It’s just that… if anyone knew who the Dark Mistress really was —someone bad, I mean— then they might go after someone close to me, or my boutique.” She paused to look upward, scanning the ceiling above us. “Or my home. The thought of it frightens me, but not only that, I feel foolish, like I’ve been walking around with a false sense of security this whole time.”

I raised a brow. “What’s got you thinking about this all the sudden? You don’t think what happened to the Pies is because of you, do you? Cuz I seriously doubt it. I mean, Sunny said that Gage had no idea who she was when she found her at the bar.”

“I know, I know,” Rarity pressed her fingers to her temple. “It’s just that… it worries me, and I feel helpless about it.”

I shook my head. “There’s really not much you can do about it, frankly. You’ve already put yourself out there, and you can’t take it back now. We’ll take it as it comes—if it comes. No sense fretting about it.”

She scrunched her chin. “I suppose so.”

I gave her a smile. “Don’t worry about it right now. Focus on tonight,” I said, to which she forced a smile and nodded. I then let my eyes drop past her chin to study her nude figure, where I spotted a small bit of pastry sitting on her right breast, giving me an idea to cheer her up. “Oh hey, you got a crumb there,” I said as I bent down to suck the flake from her skin.

Rarity wrapped her arms around my head, nails dug into my scalp as she threw her head back and giggled playfully. She closed her eyes and took a moment to savour the feel of my mouth on her skin, looking at me again when I pulled back and licked my lips.

I shifted my eyes onto her other breast, noticing that lonely, pink nipple as it pointed forward in search of attention. “Whoop, there’s another one,” I said before closing in to seal my lips around the warm little nub to give it a firm suck.

“EEK!” she squealed, two octaves higher than normal. “That stays, darling! Hehehe! That stays!”

She bit her lip and drew a deep breath through her nose, her skin becoming riddled with goosebumps. A soft moan escaped her throat, relishing the sensation of my tongue as it swirled around that sensitive bud, tracing the perimeter of her areola.

After parting my lips and drawing her breast deeper into my mouth with a firm suction, I let it withdraw slowly until the only thing left hidden was the tip of her nipple, hugged tightly between my lips.

It popped free with a quiet little squip, and after planting a kiss on the underside of her breast, I stood upright again to look down at her. She shook her head and smirked, gazing into my eyes with those sparkling sapphires.

“My goodness, darling, you certainly can play me like a fiddle, can’t you?”

I shrugged and gave a little smirk.

She giggled softly, tousling my hair with her fingers as she kept her eyes locked on mine; her smile began to fade, however, and her eyes drifted closed as she leaned in, tilting her head so our noses would miss, her lips parting when they closed the gap between hers and mine. The kiss was unexpectedly warm and passionate; her arms tightened their grip around me as her tongue invaded my mouth with aggression, her bare skin pressed against my clothes, breasts squashed flat to my chest.

“Mmmmm…” Her breathing elevated quickly, blowing from her nostrils as the sweet flavour of icing and fruity jam filled my taste buds, which, although delicious, failed to distract me from her hips when they began to thrust forward, grinding her mound against the bulge in my pants.

She broke the kiss with a hot exhale and then proceeded to plant several firm, wet kisses on my lips before merging our mouths once again for another round. This time, when her tongue slipped in, her left hand slipped down; her fingers raked the front of my pants to explore the landscape, including the peak that protruded forward, which she was quick to close her fingers around and squeeze tightly.

My hands had become busy as well. With one planted on the small of her back, the other slipped from her shoulder to her breast, which I cupped and lifted slightly, massaging that soft, warm mass while I enjoyed the tight, massaging grip on my erection. Separated by clothing, her strokes were firm, and the pleasure it created buzzed through me like an alarm, making me want to return the favour.

After rolling her moist nipple between my thumb and forefinger, I let my hand slip away from her breast, raking her skin with my nails as they trailed down her belly to the waistline of her panties. With my palm facing her navel, I slipped my fingers inside that lacy, black fabric; my middle finger traced that strip of coarse hair as I traveled down her otherwise smooth mound, eventually reaching the cleft at the top of her slit.

We continued to kiss. Our tongues mingled freely, pleasure racking my brain as my index and ring fingers traced a soft pair of labia, my middle finger riding in the groove between them. Reaching under her, I cupped her crotch and squeezed gently, a move that elicited an excited yelp that reverberated in my mouth. Encouraged by this, I drew my hand to the top of her slit again while letting my middle finger dip a little deeper—and I was rewarded with a coating of warm, slick moisture when my fingertip grazed that soft, delicate hood.

Her grip on my length tightened in response, her strokes more vigorous.

I took this as an invitation to go deeper. I slid my hand under her again, using my outer fingers to separate her lips to let my middle finger slip into her. She was hot as ever inside, and absolutely dripping with desire; it was astounding, quite frankly, that she could be this wet without having it leak out and soak her panties—though I’m sure that would have been the case within the next minute or so.

Lips still locked, our tongues danced together in a flood of sweet and fruity saliva while I sank deeper into Rarity’s hot interior, pressing my palm against her hood to tease her clit as I stroked her deeply. Her body shivered with delight each time I withdrew from that velvety warmth, only to thrust back inside to tease her with even more pleasure, making her break the seal between our lips to pant hot breaths into my mouth.

“Ooohh god, darling,” she gasped, once again squeezing my manhood through my pants. “I… mmmmm, I fucking want you.”

“Yeah?” I replied, swirling my finger inside her while I ground her clit with the heel of my hand. “How bad?”

Her eyes widened, and she gritted her teeth. “Nnnnghh! SO bad! I want your cock inside me so much, it aches.”

“Good!” I said rather abruptly, withdrawing my hand from her panties to lick her juices from my finger. “Let’s go.” I turned to head for the door, leaving the fashionista in a wide-eyed, frazzled, horny fuck of a mess.

“What!?” she panted as she watched me walk away, utterly bemused. “Where are you going!?”

I stopped and turned back at face her. “I can’t have you all satisfied and mellow tonight; I need you pissed off.”

“But—”

I held a hand out. “You said so yourself: you were having reservations about killing people tonight. Well, now you can!”

Rarity blinked and then shook her head. “Wait a minute… darling, that’s why you got me aroused like that just now? To FRUSTRATE ME INTO A MURDEROUS RAMPAGE!?”

“Well, yeah…” I shrugged. “There’s no time to fuck right now; we gotta get going. You’re not even dressed yet,” I said as I gestured to her bust.

She glanced down at her breasts, and then quickly folded her arms to hide them. Then she looked at me again, scowling. “You… that’s… AAAAUUGGH! You’re cruel, Golds!”

I sighed, understanding exactly how she felt. I was pretty aroused myself, and would have loved nothing more than to bend her over that counter and pump her full.

But we had important business, and she needed to go in with a deadly mindset to do her job.

“I know, Rare.” I rubbed my hands together. “Tell you what: when this whole thing is all said and done, I’ll meet you back here and we can finish what we started. Sound good?”

*****

“Well you’re mighty quiet there, Rarity,” Applejack announced as the hard-faced fashionista climbed into the back of the rental van and sat on the bench opposite her.

I leaned on the rear door with my forearm, facing the blonde girl. “She ‘s just… she’s ready to throw down, you know? Can’t wait to show these bastards that they’ve fucked with the wrong crowd; right Rare?”

Rarity smacked her lips and raised a set of splayed fingers to inspect her nails. “Hm.”

An elbow suddenly jabbed my ribs from the side, and I quickly turned to face its owner. “What’d you do to her, Golds?” Sunset asked with a smirk.

“Nothing!” I shrugged innocently, but then shifted gears rather quickly by scratching my ear, frowning. “Well… maybe not nothing; I just gave her some, uh…” —I waved my hand in a circle, facing the sky— “let’s call it… motivation. Yeah, that works.”

Rarity rolled her eyes.

“Yeah, I’ve seen how you motivate people,” Sunset replied dubiously.

I faced her and smiled. Then I looked past her at my truck, which was parked in the next row. Beyond that was Sunset’s apartment building, the parking lot of which was our chosen meeting place once the red-head and Twilight had rented the nondescript white van.

After a reflective sigh, I peered inside once again, this time past the farm girl to Twilight, who was seated quietly and looking down at her laptop. “How’re you doing, Twi?”

Oblivious to the question, she continued to stare at the display, her face illuminated by the pale light.

AJ looked over at her, then she reached to give the lavender girl a nudge. “’Ey,” she muttered, prompting Twilight to look away from the screen, eyes wide.

“Huh?”

Applejack pointed at me. Twilight’s eyes followed, locking with mine.

“Sorry, Golds. What’d you say?”

“I asked how you’re doing,” I said. “You feeling up to it tonight?”

She paused, and then nodded confidently. “Absolutely. I was just re-checking the hotel’s blueprints to confirm their type of video surveillance and security system, particularly how their electronic locks are configured.”

I nodded, pretending to know exactly what that meant. “Sounds good. Are all your little ‘tech tricks’ gonna work for us tonight?”

“A hundred percent,” she replied quickly, patting the laptop’s display. “And the reason for that is attributed to what I’m doing right now, which is triple checking their software.”

Applejack turned away from Twilight to face me, grinning confidently. “That’s how we do things ‘round here, partner. We check everythin triplicate.”

I chuckled at the farm girl. “How about you? You excited for your debut in the suit?”

She nodded enthusiastically. “Hell yeah! I even came up with a name fer myself.”

I raised a brow. “A name?”

“You know,” —she gestured at Rarity— “like how she’s the ‘Dark Mistress,’ and Sunset is ‘Knight Mare’—which I think is kinda lame, but whatever…”

The red-head took a glance around and then faced AJ again, scowling. “Watch what you’re saying out here!” she whispered loudly. “And it’s not lame, it’s badass!”

I patted Sunset on the shoulder. “Sure it is, Sunny. It’s super badass.”

“Hey, fuck you!” She swatted my hand away. “It IS super badass. I don’t see your cool-ass suit, Golds. Where is it, huh?” She gave the tail of my coat a tug. “Oh, you’re just gonna wear this crap again? That’s too bad.”

Applejack jabbed a finger at me, eyes wide. “We oughta get ya suit, sugarcube; then ya can come out and whoop some ass with us! We can even give ya a name, like ‘The Human Combine’ er somethin like that—cuz that’s purty much what ya are.”

Sunset and I laughed out loud.

“I’ll think about it, AJ,“ I chuckled. “So what’s this name you chose?”

The blonde puffed her chest up with pride. “’Alphajack.’ Ya know, cuz I’m the big strong one a’ the group. I’m the doggone ALPHA!”

I scrunched my chin and nodded. “I like it.”

Sunset, meanwhile, scowled and shrugged with irritation. “Wh— … w-wh… How is that better than Knight Mare!?”

“It just is, Sunny! OK? Take notes from AJ; she knows what she’s doing,” I teased, making Sunset give a sharp kick to my ankle—which I ignored. “How about you, Twi?” I asked, cocking my head to see past AJ.

She looked up from the screen again. “I’m sorry?”

“Did you come up with a name for your alter ego yet?” I asked.

“Uh, no… I haven’t.” She scowled and gestured to the laptop. “I’ve been kinda busy, actually.”

I put my hands up. “OK, fair enough. You want me to think of one for you?”

Twilight shrugged and shook her head, returning her eyes to the computer. “If you really feel like it—though I don’t see the use.”

“OK, I’ll mull it over and then I’ll get back to you.” I brought my hands together and rubbed them. “Well, that’s enough chit-chat for now, ladies. We’ve got a job to do.”

“Let’s git on it,” Applejack agreed, slapping her knee before settling back into her seat.

I climbed in and leaned on the bench next to Rarity, bringing my mouth close to her ear. “Make ‘em sorry, Rare,” I said softly.

She turned to face me with a blank stare.

“Love you,” I said.

“Love you, too,” she replied. Then she closed her eyes and puckered her lips.

After a little smirk, I leaned in for the kiss. At the last second, though, she turned away, and the smooch landed on her cheek instead.

“Ooooh…” AJ grimaced. “Snubbed.”

I huffed, giving my girlfriend a stern look, which she returned in kind. “I’ll remember that later,” I said ominously.

Even through that diamond-hard stare, the fashionista was unable to hide the desire in her eyes. She knew this, apparently, and she quickly turned away to hide it.

As I backed out, I gave the others a nod. “OK. Time to go. I’ll be close by at all times; you won’t see me, but I’ll see you—and if you need help, I’ll be there quicker than you can say ‘oh my god, Golds, you’re so big.’”

AJ burst out laughing as I shut the doors one at a time and then gave them a send-off pat, leaving just Sunset and myself standing outside.

“Well, Sunny…” I said, facing her. “It all goes down tonight.”

She drew a breath as she fished the keys out of her pocket and then studied them. “Yeah,” she replied quietly, looking up at me.

“You’ll do great,” I said with a reassuring smile.

She smiled back. “Thanks.”

Then she stepped past me to head around the driver’s side for the door.

I turned to watch her go, holding my hands out and shrugging. “Sunny… aren’t you forgetting something?”

She stopped and looked back, confused, then she chuckled and rolled her eyes. “Oh yeah. How could I forget?” she said as she made her way back to wrap her arms around my shoulders, planting her lips on mine.

After a kiss that seemed a tad longer than necessary, she pulled back just enough to look me in the eyes while chewing her lip somewhat tentatively.

I rubbed the small of her back and sighed, followed by a smile. “Good lu—“

“I love you.”

She said it so quickly and unexpectedly it almost didn’t register. I stared at her for a moment, feeling dazed, like I wasn’t quite standing on solid ground. Those big, turquoise eyes of hers snapped me out of it soon enough, however, and I gave my head a quick shake.

“I love you too, Sunny.”