Author's Notes:

This idea was suggested by nfreak on my Patreon page. If you have any ideas you wanna submit for this series, or just want to help keep me in a good financial state, then be sure to visit my page and consider contributing.

Also, the reason for this chapter's length is because I never got around to his prompt last month, so I'm adding it to this month's out of fairness.

For several days following Sunburst’s ‘incident’ in the surveillance room, neither Twilight or Starlight could bring themselves to go back into that room to do any further research. Despite how thoroughly he cleaned the room from top to bottom, Sunburst quickly left back to the Crystal Empire after his countless apologies. Twilight may have accepted the stallion’s remorse about such a shameful moment, but it was obvious that she needed some time away from him and that room to settle herself down. Fortunately, only she and Starlight were fully aware of what Sunburst was looking at when he was caught polishing his spear; and regardless of how shocking the content he was pleasuring himself to may have been, neither the Princess nor her student saw any reason to further humiliate him by mentioning his actions to anyone.

Luckily for Twilight and her protègè, the dinner party that Pinkie Pie was arranging at the castle was a good enough distraction to place their focus. Even though it was slated to be a more “regal” and “elegant” gathering of friends and fine dining, not a single friend of Pinkie’s expected it to be any less fun or bubbly than her usual shindigz or hootenannys. Nevertheless, that didn’t stop the Element of Laughter from trying to make the dinner party something more appropriate for the situation. Upon Rarity’s request, Pinkie not only restrained herself to more contemporary decor and dining for the night, but also limited the guest list to the Elements and their Plus-Ones.

Twilight had originally invited Sunburst to join the event, but he understandably declined for obvious reasons. Starlight invited Trixie for the festivities, but only if she promised not to stash her hat with plastic baggies to sneak out food again. Rarity may have not had a special somepony, but she was generous enough to offer Sassy Saddles the opportunity to attend. Applejack invited Granny Smith, which wasn’t too surprising since Big Mac and Apple Bloom already had their own plans that night; what was surprising was her disappointment when she learned Sunburst wouldn’t be there (which made Twilight and Starlight a bit unnerved). Fluttershy and Pinkie didn’t have any specific choices themselves, so they decided to invite Mr. and Mrs. Cake to join the event together. As for Rainbow Dash, they said they were considering inviting a stallion to appear at the dinner party; however, that was all the pegasus was willing to reveal for some reason.

Spike, who had already planned his reveal for a while, surprised a good portion of the attendees by inviting General Pharynx of the Changeling Kingdom to be his Plus One. Fortunately, not a single pony seemed uncomfortable about the changeling attending their social as a friend. While some brows were raised about why Pharynx was asked to attend and not Thorax, nopony said a thing about the matter by the time the party began. In fact, Rarity seemed downright delighted with his presence, and made sure to include him in a lot of the evening’s conversation.

For the most part, Pinkie Pie’s attempt at a dinner social was quite a success, albeit an odd one. While many of the ponies in attendance wore more high-brow attire like suits and dresses, Pinkie’s interpretation of a “High Social” outfit was a lime-green dress lined with black licorice. Of course, it seemed that Rainbow Dash was secretly grateful for such an eye-catching outfit, since it distracted ponies from the tailored suit they wore to the event. Pharynx was likely happy for such an eye-catching appearance as well, but more due to him standing out as the only changeling in the room; fortunately, the only awkwardness that was sent his way were a couple slightly intrusive questions by Granny Smith.

Nevertheless, it seemed that by the time the dinner was reaching its natural conclusion, the most surprising event to occur was how pleasantly everything went. Even with such a varied plethora of ponies and creatures alike, which included both heroes and former villains, nothing tremendously awkward or inappropriate occurred to ruin the mood of the event. Heck, the dinner wasn’t even interrupted when Trixie attempted to “spice up the festivities” with one of her trademark magic tricks. Although, given that Starlight was right beside her with her skilled magic and impeccable timing, the magician’s attempt to pull a few wine bottles out of her hat turned out to be a success. Even Pharynx applauded such a simple trick alongside the others.

Of course, just before Pinkie could unveil for dessert cart (which many of the guests were predicting would be more lavish and over-the-top then the dinner itself), Spike and the changeling excused themselves from their seats to freshen up. Rainbow Dash, who had been contently silent during a good portion of the evening, decided to do the same for their own reasons. With a new bottle of Zecora’s potion stashed in the inside of their suit jacket, Rainbow was hopeful that their idea was more bold than it was foolish. Regardless, most of the other guests didn’t say much as the pegasus left their seat, and went towards the bathroom to get ready.

As they walked down the lavish hallway of Twilight’s castle, Rainbow exhaled shakily as they tried to get any last-minute jitters out of their system. Due to the rapid thoughts and feelings coursing through the Wonderbolt’s system, it shouldn’t have been surprising that Dash was too lost in their own mind to overhear anything around them. Because of that, the pegasus was too preoccupied to realize Spike and Pharynx were still in the bathroom together. Fortunately for the secret couple, both of them still had their clothes on while they got prepared for their own reveal.

“Mnnngh… Dude, you seriously need to stop fidgeting!” muttered Spike in annoyance as he tried to re-tie his boyfriend’s necktie. Unfortunately, the olive-green changeling couldn’t stop squirming while in such a confined space. Even though Spike could understand Pharynx’s paranoia a little, he was growing agitated after needing to re-start his work a second time. “Ugh! Pharynx, come on! How could you get this anxious so quickly?! I thought soldiers were trained to stand in one place for hours on end.”

The changeling shot a rather peeved-looking glare back at him after that remark, which he hoped could cover the slight skew his muzzle made due to that point. “Well, excuse me for not feeling comfortable in a small space with only one exit point!” he replied with a roll of his pale-purple eyes. After taking a quick breath, Pharynx tried his hardest to stand still so the dragon could use his claws diligently. “You’d be surprised how often changelings get caught in dangerous scenarios because of being cornered in rooms like this.”

“Well, I’m not denying that,” said Spike with a shrug of his shoulders. As soon as he got the tie through that ever-important loop, his tone turned less frustrated as he finally got the final steps corrected for Pharynx. “But just so you know, you kinda have to get used to the fact that a lot of Equestrian bathrooms don’t have a window. It’s kinda awkward doing your business when you worry whether or not somepony could peek in, you know?”

Pharynx scoffed at that hypothetical, and shook his head while carrying an uneasy expression. “Honestly, you Equestrians worry about the weirdest things. You walk around without clothing, but get defensive if your genitals are seen in certain circumstances. You prefer private stalls for adults to defecate without being seen, but change the diapers of infants out in the open where they’re the most exposed! Movies involving sexual content are hidden lock-and-key and seen as “smut”, but books with those same themes are perfectly fine for mares to read in public. And I don’t even want to begin going into the hypocrocies I noticed from ponies before the first invasion on Canterlot.”

Spike sighed after finishing his work on Pharynx’s tie, and shot him a tired stare while his claws were still at the base. “Yes, I’m very aware of your opinions regarding how Equestria could be safer. But can we please focus on our current situation right now?” As he pulled the knot up to get that tie nice and snug around the changeling’s neck (which made Pharynx writhe with a groan like a picky child avoiding a spoonful of broccoli), Spike huffed as he added with a light smirk and a shake of his head, “Honestly, I’m still kinda surprised you’re willing to date a full-blown Equestrian if you’re this fickle about them~”

“I’m not fickle, Spike,” retorted Pharynx as he maintained a firmer stare back at the coy-looking drake. “I just keep a high priority on self-preservation and protecting others. Especially when I’m on a higher level of alertness at a social function, where an assassination could easily take place.”

“Well, at least you didn’t insist on taste-testing all the food to check for poison.” Spike made sure to smile gratefully after that comment, and pulled his claws away to see how Pharynx’s tie looked on him. The changeling still appeared slightly uncomfortable in his fancy suit, but didn’t try to rip it off for Spike’s sake. Instead, ke kept any opinions locked behind his closed muzzle while listening to the dragon continuing to speak. “But seriously though, I do appreciate how protective you can get sometimes. I just wanted to remind you that I’m perfectly capable of defending myself most of the time.”

“Hey, you don’t need to say that twice,” replied Pharynx with a rarely-seen smirk of his own. “That fireball you displayed for Thorax at our military training was pretty impressive for a dragon your size.”

“Thank you,” said Spike with a gracious nod. He then shrugged his shoulders a bit, and decided to add with a more sympathetic tone. “However, it is nice knowing you’re usually thinking a few steps ahead. It’s not often I get to meet someone as studious about those things as Twilight.”

That was when Pharynx decided to respond with an especially cheeky statement. “Well, hopefully that’s the only thing that makes you think of her alongside myself~”

Spike gave a bitter pout back to the smirking changeling, but it was clear he was only doing so to keep himself from giggling. “Pharynx, if you even think of bringing up that time you shape-shifted into--”

“I won’t, I won’t,” he replied assuredly with a wave of his hoof in dismissal. However, he did chuckle a little upon thinking back to that day; while he knew that turning into Spike’s guardian at that moment was uncalled for, the dragon’s reaction was beyond priceless. Nevertheless, Pharynx took a quick breath to settle himself down, and decided to change the subject for Spike’s sake. “But anyway, I was thinking back to what you were saying earlier. You know… regarding to how I usually think ‘a few steps ahead’...”

Pharynx seemed a little hesitant to continue, but he was able to reach into the inside of his jacket for something he had stashed into his pocket. Spike’s eyes widened with a very concerned look on his face, hopeful that the changeling wasn’t using this as the moment to lay down a proposal. Fortunately, the dragon sighed in relief the instant Pharynx pulled his hoof out to reveal two matching yellow flowers. Spike may have not been a flower expert by any means, but he quickly smiled with a blush as he realized those were Yellow Daffodils.

“... Well, ummm… Rarity told me that these were meant to signify, ummm… ‘New Beginnings and Future Success,’ I think…” As he held the two flowers in his hoof, Pharynx gave them a quick sniff to try and analyze them from a non-changeling perspective. The scent was fairly pleasant, but it was obvious Pharynx didn’t care much as he shrugged a little. “Anyway, she kinda gave these to me, and suggested we wear them as a way to, uhh… ‘Come out,’ I think? That’s the term, right?”

“Yeah, that’s right,” said the dragon with a confirming nod before taking one of the flowers from his mate’s hoof. Pharynx saw that Spike placed his stem inside the pocket of his jacket, with the flower itself sticking out rather noticeably. As the changeling did the same with his own flower, Spike said with a touched-looking smile on his face. “Wow~ I… I gotta say, I wouldn’t have expected you to be the one to suggest something so ‘emotionally-driven’ for this.”

“What? I can’t be a romantic from time to time?~” As the flower stuck out of Pharynx’s jacket pocket, clearly the most vibrant color throughout his whole body, the changeling didn’t seem too deterred by its presence as he smiled warmly back at the drake. “I thought I already showed I have a softer side by asking you out~”

“Yeah, I know that,” replied Spike with an apprehensive nod, “but it’s still kinda unexpected to see you go this far…”

Before Pharynx could even scoff to say something in his defense, Spike kept his smile as he leaned up towards him with a half-lidded stare. “But… It really does mean a lot to know I have someone like that…”

Pharynx quickly huffed with an enamored smile of his own, and leaned in while saying, “Well, that makes two of us, little dragon…”

The two then bent in with their lips pursed, and gave each other a sweet and sensual kiss while in the confines of that secluded space. Despite how drastically different the two may have been in multiple ways, the identical hues of blush on their cheeks made it clear that the drake and changeling really were sweet on each other. Neither of them were sure how long that kiss lasted, but it was long enough to make Spike hum contently and lift back one of his feet. As for General Pharynx, he held the back of the dragon’s head softly with his hoof, ensuring that they would be safely in place during their impromptu moment.

Unfortunately, that stance also made their relationship crystal clear to Rainbow Dash when they walked in unexpectedly.

“Oh! Sorry SpiiiIIIIIIIIII AIIIEEEE, WOW!!!” Spike and Pharynx quickly pulled away and gasped upon hearing the door open, but it wasn’t quick enough to keep Rainbow from making such a shocked reaction. As soon as they saw the two kissing, Dash reeled back with a tremendous blush and slammed the door shut. The pegasus covered their muzzle tightly with both hooves, and had their back turned to the doorway while reeling in stunned silence. After taking several seconds process what they just saw, Rainbow put their hooves down to reveal a dropped jaw. “Hole… Lee… Shi--MMMPHHH!!!”

Before the Wonderbolt could finish that expletive, Pharynx was quick to burst the door open and pull them inside the bathroom. Due to the changeling’s military training, he was able to restrain the pegasus with a simple head-lock without making much noise, and pull them out of sight with one flawless motion. Of course, as soon as the door was shut and locked behind them, Pharynx pulled away from Rainbow and gave them the chance to stand on their own. Meanwhile, Spike’s face was as red as a cherry as he covered it with his claws in shame.

“Oh no…” The dragon may have been planning to come out that evening, but being caught in such a clichèd way just minutes beforehand was enough to make him sink into himself while his back was braced against the tiled wall. “Oh no… oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no, oh no….”

“Spike, it’s okay!” barked Pharynx in a stern tone of voice, while also keeping a hoof pointed towards Dash warningly. Fortunately, the Wonderbolt stayed frozen at the spot while standing silently, their eyes darting between Pharynx and the freaked-out dragon beside him. Meanwhile, Spike began to hyperventilate a little while keeping his face covered, making it sound like he was seconds away from crying out of panic. “Spike, listen to me! It’s just Rainbow Dash, alright?! She’s not going to tell anyone before we do!”

The changeling then glanced back at Rainbow with the firmest, most foreboding stare imaginable. “RIGHT?”

Rainbow may have still been confused as to what was going on between them, but they quickly put their hooves up in innocence and nodded immediately to that question. “R-Right, right!” the pegasus said in a split-second blurb, hopeful that it sounded genuine enough to settle down Spike a tiny bit. “I… I won’t say anything, okay?! I… I don’t even know what I saw specifically, but… but I’m not one to just narc on my friends! As long as I know what’s going on, I won’t blab about it!”

It took Spike a long and pregnant bout of silence to register those words his friend said, and nod very feebly after collecting his breath. As his claws shakily came down from his face, the look on his petrified expression made Rainbow wince in genuine regret. Spike wasn’t crying, but he looked overwhelmingly close to that breaking point from his way his lips trembled between his feeble breaths. “You… Y-You promise you won’t say anything before us?”

Without skipping a beat, the pegasus put their Element to use as they brought up their hoof instantly. “Dude, I’ll Pinky Promise that right now.” The Wonderbolt then did the practiced motions with their hoof as they said with utmost conviction, “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye! I am NOT going to out you, I swear!”

Even though Spike would’ve likely believed that statement regardless of a Pinkie Promise, it was still more than enough to make him sigh in sweet relief while holding a claw to his chest. “Oh, sweet Celestia,” he muttered with a strong exhale while his eyes were closed tightly. “Okay, I… I think I’ll be fine. I just… I need another minute, alright?”

Rainbow Dash nodded in complete understanding, not even trying to question such a request. Meanwhile, Pharynx kept his muzzle tightly closed as he looked between Dash and Spike with a concerned expression. Of course, it was clear that he was more worried about Spike as opposed to himself. Upon seeing that studious and darting gaze, Rainbow could tell that this was likely a bit more significant than just some unexpected fling in the castle’s bathroom.

After he finally settled down enough to breathe regularly, Spike was still flustered enough to carry a fretful blush as he looked back at Rainbow. “Ummm… So, uhhhh… you saw us, didn’t you?”

Dash nodded with their muzzle tightly pursed, not wanting to give any indication they were trying to hide anything to the duo. “Mmhmm,” they replied with a brief hum, before sighing to reluctantly open their muzzle. “Yeah, I… I saw the kiss, at least.”

Spike cringed with his eyes closed, and tried to pinch his temple with a claw to keep himself from growing too anxiety-ridden. Pharynx didn’t say much in response to Rainbow’s statement, but it was clear he looked a little uncomfortable as well. The pegasus waited a moment before asking with a curious shrug. “So… Okay, I’m not judging at all, but…”

During that brief pause, Dash decided that the best way to ask would be by raising up a hoof, and motioning between the two while pointing at them. “Are… are you two, like… boyfriends?”

Pharynx clenched his muzzle a little, almost as if he wanted to answer but stopped himself preemptively. He then glanced over at Spike, and carried a more sympathetic expression while studying the dragon’s face. Spike looked back at him with a heavy blush, and exhaled strongly as he put his claw back down. While he may have been glad the changeling was letting him say it first, Spike seemed more than a little reluctant as he looked back at Dash. “Well, umm…”

After another pert sigh, the dragon decided to just lean in close to Pharynx, and wrap an arm around one of the changeling’s forelegs. “Yeah, I… Pharynx and I have been together for a couple months now…”

Rainbow Dash’s brow were raised up in genuine surprise, not having expected Spike to be with anyone aside from Rarity. Not to mention, the fact that it was a guy threw the Wonderbolt through a particularly large loop. Fortunately, they were able to keep from laughing, or even cracking a smile in response to such an unexpected admission. Instead, Dash took a moment to let that statement sink in before huffing with an impressed smirk. “Ummm… W-Wow, I… I honestly can’t say I expected this...”

Spike bit his lip with a light wince, looking like he was expecting his friend to start cracking up. Pharynx pulled the dragon in a little closer against his side, and kept his expression blank in anticipation for how the pegasus would respond next. Rainbow’s smile then turned more genuine after that first remark, and they leaned in to wrap their hooves around Spike. Pharynx flinched for a second,almost like he was about to get into a combative stance against the Element of Loyalty. Luckily though, he was able to see that the pony was just giving Spike a much-needed hug.

“Hey, it’s alright, dude,” Rainbow assured in a warm and supportive voice as they hugged the dragon tightly. Spike was frozen for a second with his eyes widened, but they quickly began to well up as he heard his friend add, “Everything’s gonna be just fine, okay? I’m really happy for you, Spike…”

Spike’s lips trembled as he smiled at such a touching response, and he was quick to squeeze Dash for all they were worth with a hug of his own. Fortunately, the dragon’s strength wasn’t enough to hurt the Wonderbolt in that moment, so Rainbow was happy to accept the gesture while holding him close. Pharynx stepped back silently from the two, and carried a faint smile as he saw how relieved his boyfriend looked from Dash’s acceptance. About another minute passed as those two hugged it out, with Spike struggling not to sob into their shoulder; while he didn’t bawl out like a baby, his eyes were still a little reddened by the time he pulled back from Dash.

“Th… Thanks, Rainbow,” he said in a timid-sounding creak. He kept a faint, but very grateful-looking smile on his face as he wiped his cheeks with a claw. “You… You have no idea how much it means to hear that.”

“What?” they responded with a raised brow and a snarkier tone alongside their smirk. “You really think I’m gonna give you crap for finding someone special? I know I can be a jerk sometimes, but I’m the furthest thing possible from a homophobe, dude.”

Spike sighed and nodded in agreement to that remark, still too relieved to let that smile dissipate from his face. Pharynx shrugged his shoulders, and finally spoke up to give his input towards Dash. “Well, I kinda figured you’d be alright with it. I mean, I wouldn’t expect the pony with a rainbow mullet to be against a gay relationship.”

Despite their approval of Spike having a boyfriend, Rainbow shot an annoyed glare towards Pharynx. “Dude, this is not a mullet,” they said warningly while pointing to their masculinely prismatic manestyle. “If I kept it short around the sides, then it would be a mullet.”

“Right, my apologies,” he said with a light nod back at the pony. Pharynx then put his hoof out politely, and said with a respectful smile on his muzzle. “Still though, it is nice to know that you’re okay with this. I know that there are a lot of other ponies who don’t know yet, but seeing how happy you made Spike puts you on good terms with me.”

Rainbow tried not to scoff at how poorly-worded that last sentence came out, but still kept their smile while shaking the changeling’s hoof out of respect. “Well, I suppose the same could be said the other way around, I guess.”

Pharynx looked happy to hear such a reply, and nodded out of mutual respect. After that hoofshake, Rainbow couldn’t help looking between them with a more light-hearted smirk. “I gotta say though,” they said with a small shake of their head in disbelief, “even if I knew you swung that way before tonight, I would not have expected you to hook up with Pharynx.”
Dash then added insistently towards the changeling, “No offense, dude.”

“None taken,” he replied with an understanding raise of his hoof. “Rarity herself said she would’ve put money on my brother asking Spike out first.”

“Yeah, exactly!” Dash exclaimed in response, not immediately catching the first part of that comment. “I mean, I’m sure you’re a great match for him too, but I would’ve guessed that Thorax had the histo--WAIT, WHAT?!?”

Rainbow’s head quickly whipped back towards Spike while carrying a shocked look on their face. “RARITY knows about this?!?”

Spike cringed hard as he looked between Dash and the door, hopeful that nopony overheard that overzealous statement. Fortunately, it seemed that they were still alone as he said with a sigh, “Well, ummm… it seemed like the right thing to come out to her first, you know…”

Despite their genuine surprise, it didn’t take long for Rainbow to pause and shrug understandably. The pegasus then said with a confirming nod, “Alright, yeah. I guess I can understand that. And I’m guessing the whole… yellow flower thing was her idea?”

“Yeah,” stated Pharynx with a firm nod. “She figured it would be a good symbolic gesture.”

“Yeah, thanks,” he replied with a shaky breath as he scratched the back of his neck and spoke bashfully. “H-Honestly, ummm… she’s kinda the only one besides you to know right now…”

That made Dash’s eyes widen especially quick. “Whoa! So… So Twilight doesn’t know?!”

Spike tried to chuckle nervously, but all that came out was a hiccuped exhale as his smile turned more skewed. “W-Weeeeeelllllllll, ummmm… Technically, she’ll know by the end of the party...”

While Spike struggled to give a cheeky grin to hide his nervousness, Dash covered their muzzle with a hoof in shock. “... Oh. So… So you two are…”

Rainbow didn’t need to say anything else, and the couple nodded back at them with equally skewed expression on their faces. “Like I said,” repeated Phrynx as he pointed to his and Spike’s floral accessories to their suits. “Symbolic gestures.”

Rainbow blinked a couple times, their face frozen to conceal the twinge of disappointment they felt in that moment. Even though the pegasus was undeniably happy for the two, the smile they made after that first breath was rather strained as they nodded their head. “... Okay. Ummm… Wow, I… I wouldn’t have expected you two to come out like this…”

Spike tilted his head a little, seemingly confused to how weirded-out Dash was looking. Meanwhile, Pharynx scoffed to that response as he replied coyly, “Seriously? You are aware this is the same guy who saved my brother from being banished from the Crystal Empire with a musical number, right?”

“Right, right, right…” Rainbow quickly nodded with closed eyes as they waved their hoof towards him. “Yeah, I get it, I get it. I just… I just, uhhhhh…”

Rainbow kept their eyes closed while pulling away from the confused couple, unable to efficiently hide how upsetting that info sounded to them. The pony let out a brief, exasperated huff while their eyes were still clenched shut. While Spike and Pharynx stood with looks of growing concern, they watched as Dash turned around towards the wall and rested their head against the linoleum. “Uggghhhhh… Buck,” they muttered with a deep and bummed-out exhale.

Before the pegasus could pull themself together, Spike was quick to ask worriedly, “R-Rainbow, what’s wrong?”

“Nothing, nothing…” Despite their own feelings about someone else having the moment to be themselves that night, the last thing Rainbow wanted was to intervene on their friend’s chance to come out first. So with a strained sigh, Dash made sure to keep an insistent tone as they turned back around and said sincerely, “It’s nothing, you guys. Honestly, I’ll be fine. I, ummm…”

The Wonderbolt’s muzzle skewed uncomfortably, and stayed closed as they tried to think over what they were wanting to say. A plethora of different responses ran through the pony’s mind, but they weren’t sure which thing was the best to say in that situation. But at the end, Rainbow knew better than to interfere with their planned moment. So after breathing out calmly, the pegasus tried to keep their own disappointment unseen while finishing their genuine statement. “I… I won’t mess with you two coming out, okay? I swear that on my Element.”

Spike looked like he wanted to ask something out of concern, but his mouth stayed shut while studying his friend’s uncomfortable expression. Meanwhile, Pharynx was able to sense enough conflicting emotions from the pony to ask, “Ummm… Rainbow Dash? Is… Is there something you were planning to do?”

“W-What?!” they exclaimed with a look of surprise and worry splashed across their cyan face. As the pony stepped back, a light blush began to hue across their cheeks as they responded, “I, uhh… I don’t know what you’re talking about, dude.”

Pharynx quickly huffed as his stare turned firmer. “Don’t give me that, Rainbow. I’ve tasted enough emotions from Equestrians to tell something’s up.”

Spike turned towards his boyfriend with an even more confused glance. “Wait, what do you mean by that?”

“Nothing!” blurted Dash as they tried to keep the discussion withheld and discrete. “It’s nothing, alright?! I promised I won’t say anything to interfere with you two, and I mean that! The last thing I would ever do is try to steal someone’s thunder.”

Rainbow instantly winced after hearing that last sentence said out loud from their mouth. The pony covered their face with a hoof, leaving them unable to see the couple’s brows raise immensely from catching that last part. “Crap,” they muttered under their breath.

“Wait, what was that?” asked the dragon with a newfound look of surprise on his face. Pharynx’s eyes were a little widened as well, but he didn’t say anything while his boyfriend was talking. “Wh… What were you planning to do?”

“N-Nothing!” lied the Wonderbolt while trying to avoid the couple’s curious stares on them. “I-I’m not gonna do anything, alright?! This is your night! I’m not gonna impose on that!”

“Yeah, but what was your thing going to be?” asked Pharynx as he tried to speak with a more curious tone. “I mean, is it about that guy you said was gonna be your Plus One?”

“Dude, shut up!” they exclaimed with a more unbridled grimace in their tone. “It’s not like that, okay!? It’s really not a big deal. You guys clearly had this planned before me.”

“Wait a minute!” Spike put his claw up with an insistent look, and eyed the pony as he saw how distraught they were getting. Even though he didn’t want to make his friend feel more overwhelmed than they were already getting, the dragon took a breath before speaking in an unwavering tone of voice. “Rainbow… You know we won’t say anything if you tell us, right?”

Even though they knew their friend was ultimately right, all that Rainbow could do was turn their face away from Spike as their muzzle wrinkled a little. Upon seeing that, the dragon doubled-down on his statement as he said with the utmost truth, “Dash, come on! If there’s something you were planning to say tonight, you still can. Neither of us will be upset.”

“Dude, no!” Despite appreciating that kind of gesture, Rainbow remained adamant when they turned back towards Spike and said, “Spike, it’s really not a huge deal to bring up right now! Heck, I… I’m not even a hundred percent certain on my thing myself! If anything, it’s probably a good thing I found out about you and Pharynx early. That way, I can think over things a little better for myself, and… I dunno…”

Rainbow wanted to feel confident about making that sort of claim, but their expression turned wary as their words began to trail off into uncertainty. While Spike and Pharynx grew more hesitant to believe what the pony had to say, Dash looked down to the floor while struggling to speak to themself somewhat coherently. “Like… Maybe, ummm… I mean, there’s a lot that, ummm… hmmmm…”

Spike and Pharynx looked back at each other worriedly, neither of them sure what they could say while the Wonderbolt seemed so confused themself. The changeling motioned back towards Rainbow, prompting his boyfriend to handle the matter himself. Even though the dragon was fully aware he was better suited, he still shot a discomforted grimace back at him. Regardless, the dragon still sighed before going up to his friend, and placing a claw on their shoulder.

“Rainbow, I… I don’t know what it is that’s going on, and… and I know better than to make any stupid assumptions or guesses. And I’m not gonna try and pressure you to talk if you don’t want to. I just want you to know that… that no matter what it is, you’ll always be my friend, alright? After all you’ve done for me, it wouldn’t be a problem at all to return that favor in some way. And I can promise you right now, with a Dragon Code or Pinkie Promise, or whatever... that whatever you tell me will stay in this room. I won’t say a thing, and neither will Pharynx. I promise.”

Only a couple seconds of silence passed before Rainbow looked back up at Spike, their expression seeming rather hopeful behind that apprehensive smile. Even though they felt like they were being a burden for bothering the couple this much, Dash wanted to stay optimistic as they asked softly, “You… You mean that, dude?”

Spike just smiled back at the pony, and hugged them tightly for a last-minute assurance. “Absolutely,” he replied with a kind and caring voice, and a warm smirk to match when he pulled back and nodded. He motioned his head towards Pharynx, who sighed impatiently before nodding himself.

“Yeah, ummm… Cross my heart, and uhhh… Hope to die? Oh, you know the thing!” The changeling only did one motion of the Pinkie Promise before waving his hoof in dismissal, and huffed as he said, “Listen, changelings are sworn into secrecy and tight bonds since birth! I have hundreds of secrets from others I’m carrying to my grave, and yours wouldn’t be any different. Whatever it is you’re willing to tell us, we won’t say.”

Despite how bluntly Pharynx made that statement, Rainbow could tell he meant it rather sincerely. The idea of actually telling these two still felt unbelievably taxing, but they were willing to do the same just a few minutes ago for an entire dinner party. And given Spike’s level of trust and loyalty towards them, it was only fair to show the same in return as the Element themself. So after a pert breath, the pony bit their lip for a moment before nodding in understanding. “Well, ummm… Since I was planning to tell someone, then… it might as well be you two for now…”

Spike smiled thankfully to such a response, and stepped back to give his friend some space. “No pressure,” he assured them while standing beside Pharynx in wait. “Even if we’re the only ones you talk to tonight, we’ll totally respect that choice.”

Pharynx nodded in agreement with Spike while forcing a small smile of his own. Rainbow closed their eyes to take another breath, and stepped back from the couple as they tried to get themself in the right mindset. “Well… I’m not sure how to accurately say this, uhhhh…”

After thinking it over briefly, Dash glanced back at the two and asked, “Soooo… I know I mentioned that I… I was planning to introduce someone tonight, right?”

“Ummm, yeah,” nodded Spike alongside his partner. “I think you said something about a stallion.”

“Aaaaaaannnnnnd I’m guessing that guy didn’t show up for a reason?” added Pharynx with a raised brow.

Rainbow Dash nodded their head, and kept their muzzle clenched briefly as they tried to maintain their courage. Despite how hard their heart was thundering, they knew it wouldn’t be right to stop now. And when they saw that supportive expression on Spike’s face, their cheeks blushed with a small smile of their own. The pegasus may have had no idea how they would react, but they were willing to find out as they took one last breath:

“Well, I… Yeah, I… I do have a reason for why… why that stallion isn’t here yet. But… I do want you to know that it’s somepony you know very well…”

Dash’s pause lasted for only a second or two, but that statement proved to be too cryptic for Spike to let linger. “So… who is it then?” asked the dragon with a mixture of curiosity and slight confusion in his voice.

Rainbow Dash almost felt like backing out at the last minute, or even lying to avoid what was said next. However, the Wonderbolt’s bravery was intent to shine through as they exhaled strongly, and spoke with the most conviction they could muster through a fairly weak tone of voice:

“Well, ummm… You’re…

“Y-You’re looking at him.”

Spike and Pharanx’s eyes both widened significantly after hearing that statement said out-loud. Meanwhile, Rainbow couldn’t help smiling a little wider upon hearing themself say such a thing. Like a boulder being lifted off their back, the level of relief the pegasus felt caused them to feel almost lightless after their confession. There may have still been some lingering bouts of confusion within, but the release of such a burden was indescribable as Rainbow brought a hoof up to press against their chest. And with a second, much shakier breath, the pony found it hard to keep from tearing up as they tried to keep speaking clearly.

“I… I’ve thought about it a lot, and… I’m pretty sure that I… I’m…”

Just as Spike grew a touched smile on his face, a couple stray tears came down Rainbow’s face as they did the same.

“I’m… I’m a stallion.”

Spike started to cry as well, and he instantly lunged in to give his friend a well-deserved hug. “Oh, Rainbow!” The dragon clutched himself around Rainbow’s shoulders as tightly as he could, and held the pony in loving embrace while speaking genuinely. “Rainbow, you don’t have to hide that fact from anyone! Oh my gosh, I… I’m so proud of you, dude!”

It may have been a stupid thing to get hung up on, but hearing Spike use the term “Dude” was the piece that made the floodgates open for Rainbow Dash. While Pharynx stayed near the sidelines out of respect, the pegasus and their friend cried it out while hugging with pure love and devotion. Rainbow may have been able to keep from downright bawling like a foal, but their face was still matted with tears while sobbing contently with the dragon in their forelegs. “Spike! I… I love you so much…”

“I love you too, Rainbow~” creaked Spike as he savored the emotional moment with his friend. “And… And no matter what, you’ll always be my friend, okay? We… We’re Bros for Life.”

Rainbow pulled their head away after that response and openly scoffed. “Oh, don’t be saying stuff like that, dude!” they said with a roll of their eyes, even though their smile was as wide as could be. “I’m still kinda processing everything!”

“Well, a bro is still a bro,” replied Spike with a cheeky smirk, even though his teary cheeks made his expression appear less confident than usual. “And no matter what you decide, you’ll always be my bro~”

Dash just rolled their eyes again, and pulled Spike in for another long hug. During that moment, Pharynx waited until the two were contently silent to speak up. “Just so you know,” replied the changeling with a shrug of his shoulders, “I kinda had a hunch you were a guy, but I didn’t wanna say anything about it.”

Not realizing he potentially ruined a really sweet moment between the friends, Pharynx assumed their joint glances back at him was an invitation to continue. While Rainbow tried to keep from gawking, the changeling explained by saying, “I mean, we might not depend on love to survive anymore, but we’re still able to consume and sense the emotions you ponies give off. And emotions tend to taste differently between mares and stallions. Ssssoooooo… when I first met you, I kinda noticed you tasted waaaayyy more like a stallion than you did a mare--”

“Pharynx,” Spike said with a much colder tone than Rainbow would’ve expected to hear from him. “Remember what we talked about on our way to the castle?”

“Ummmm… Right…” Rainbow may have not known what Spike was referring to, but they could tell it was enough to make Pharynx nod his head and shut himself up. “Uhhh, sorry for the intrusion , Rainbow.”

“Uhhh… it’s alright,” replied Rainbow with a weak nod of their own. “You’re cool.”

Just as Spike sighed and turned his head away from his boyfriend, the changeling quickly added, “Oh! Just so you know, the Changeling Kingdom is working on a lot of hormone advancements! So if you’re ever wanting to transition for real--”

“PHARYNX!!”