Off to the Forest

Rarity slammed the door and pulled all the curtains, leaving her alone in the dark. At least nopony would be able to see her face. Her boutique was silent and she liked it that way. Her memories kept flashing back to that dreadful exchange only moments before. She could barely remember the moans she made, but she could still  hear her darling's voice waver as she called her name in confusion. Every time that track played through head she wanted to dig a hole and crawl into it.

Her face was still blazing scarlet, if she hadn't dashed home so fast, somepony probably would have stopped her and laughed at her miserable, horrible, failed attempt at seducing that wonderful mare. She could hardly believe she just did that. She wished all the blood in her face would just make her explode. She smacked her head against the wall in humiliation.

She just let a water jet do that to her...

The plan was fool-proof. She was this close, this close to having Fluttershy. She was exactly where she wanted her, in a comfortable, lonely hot tub with only each other to pass them time with. She could have had that pegasus all day long. If she hadn't messed up they'd probably be fulfilling each other's loving fantasies right now. But instead she was probably sitting in that tub wondering what the hay just happened, and Rarity was at home having an emotional breakdown. It wasn't her fault though.

As soon as Fluttershy entered the room, her heart began to thump in her chest and her mind was blurred by passion. There was just so much sensation in that tub, the bubbles and pressure, the warm feelings and the fire she felt. It was like Fluttershy had already taken her and was running her delicate touch and tender love all across Rarity. She almost felt her lips now...

Her blush lightened and she let a content smile spread across her face as she remembered the 'slightly-fabricated' moment. Her passion hadn't quelled, but this was a major setback.

Then those water jets just had to hit her in the perfect place and Fluttershy just had to touch her.

She didn't even want to think about it.

She stomped into the kitchen, entering with a loud and frustrated pout. Sweetie Belle was busy colouring at the table when she noticed her sister. Rarity pulled her chaise longue out from somewhere and buried her face into it, crying obnoxiously. Sweetie Belle didn't seem to notice her, so Rarity moved the it slightly closer and more centered to her field of vision before resuming, crying even louder. Sweetie Belle's expression didn't change as she struggled to remain focused on her drawing.

Rarity continued to cry louder and louder, challenging the temper of her sister. As she did, it was clear that Sweetie Belle wasn't going to budge. Hmph!

"Well aren't you going to ask me what's wrong?!" Rarity nearly yelling at her after finally giving up.

"What's wrong?" Sweetie Belle replied flatly after spitting her crayon out. Her eye never left her paper.

"I don't... want to talk about it..." Rarity dramatically explained, holding her hoof up to her forehead. Rarity fell back over on her couch, posing more like she was taking a tragic photo-shoot.

"Ok."

Rarity gave Sweetie Belle a stern look that she didn't even notice. Sweetie Belle picked up another crayon and resumed colouring.

"Fine since you insist on knowing! My spa day with Fluttershy ended absoulutely dreadfully. She looked stunning and I thought I had her, but those blasted water jets in the expensive tub..." She dropped her sentence and looked at Sweetie Belle stupidly. Right, Sweetie Belle was still a little filly.

"Uh huh..."

"They were uhh, really nice! You should uhh...try them...  sometime..." Rarity let out the awkwardest laugh. The image of her sister trying that hot tub was going to burned into her mind for awhile now.

"Okahy..."

Rarity's eye twitched slightly as she stared up at the ceiling. She couldn't take it anymore, she had to tell somepony, anypony. She had harbored these feelings for so long that now they were eating away at her. The passion had taken her and if she could release any of her pent up frustration, she'd explode. Never did she expect it to come to this, but alas it has. She unleashed herself on her kindergarten sister.

"Oh Sweetie Belle! I just can't get through to that darling Fluttershy! Every time I try and court her, something goes horribly wrong! She's just the shyest little pony. If only I could make her see I'm nothing to fear." Rarity flailed psychotically.

"You anhd whaht now...?" She tore her fixation away to watch her sister nearly tip the couch over, her crayon still in her mouth.

"If only there was a way to turn her shyness to my advantage..." She scratched her chin. Rarity was naturally an artiste and needed to approach her desired mare as a work of art, waiting to be painted. She'd need to weave and manipulate complex emotions in unconventional ways to show poor Fluttershy her beautiful heart. Her beautiful heart of pure loving.

"I need her to come to me when she's afraid. Once she associates me in such a way, I am certain she will open up to me! But how..."

"A-are we t-talking about Fluttershy...?" Sweetie Belle asked with wide, innocent eyes.

Genius stuck her.

"Ideeeeuhhhh!!"

*

Rarity rushed back to the spa with haste, her galloping breaking the quiet words and dealings of the establishment. The clerks gave her a friendly nod and she went to the back. She still had bought an entire day's worth of luxury and as far as she knew, she had only been gone a few minutes. She knew many confused eyes were upon her but she hurried to that regretful room and ripped the curtains open.

"Do you mind?!" shouted a great and powerful mare as a certain lavender unicorn suckled her neck. Twilight blushed and fanned herself as she spotted her friend. It was just as cute as it sounds.

"Oh... I'm sorry... wrong room..." Rarity lingered there for a moment with judging eyes. Twilight giggled nervously before Rarity gave her an approving wink.

She just blushed more and hid her face under Trixie's hat.

"Rarity? Is that you?" Fluttershy called out from down the hall.

Before she could even finish the sentence, Rarity was already in the room, panting lightly with a crazed look in her eye. Fluttershy quietly soaking in the hot tub. It had probably only been five minutes. Laps were short when one lived next door to the spa.

"I'm sure glad you're back, I thought I scare--" Fluttershy began.

"Quick! There's no time! Come with me to the Everfree Forest!"

*

All in the name of love, Rarity had torn an unsuspecting Fluttershy from her relaxation and thrust her straight into one of her worst nightmares. The dark forest breathed down their necks like a haunting shadow and where ever they went they had a feeling that there hoofsteps were being swept away. Always out of the corner of her eye she thought she saw a pair of eyes. Eyes that didn't want to hurt or harm, but stalked them, deciding if they would. Every single creaking tree and wild call found their way into Fluttershy's shivering heart.

"R-r-rarity... W-what are w-we doing here?" she stammered.

"We are..." Rarity racked her mind. She probably should have given this more thought. "Searching!... For the thing...!"

Fluttershy winced and latched onto Rarity as a deep rumble came from beyond the thicket. Maybe this wasn't her best idea, but she couldn't help but squee a little as Fluttershy huddled up close to her. Operation 'Take-Fluttershy-Out-to-the-Forest-so-She'd-get-Scared-and-Cuddle-Rarity was showing promise. It ended quickly as the forest seemed to close in on them, swallowing them with darker forms of life. It might not be best to be out in the open. Privacy was preferred anyways. Rarity spotted a nearby cave.

"There! In there is the thing we're looking for!"

Fluttershy wasted no time dashing to it's safety. Rarity pleasantly trotted in after her. It wasn't the most graceful solution, but maybe grace wasn't the way to Fluttershy's heart. She applauded herself for her quick thinking. Fluttershy was busy, trembling her coat off in the darkness of the cave when she entered. Rarity lit her horn. The darkness didn't end and only expanded into a non-reacting void.

"Oh Fluttershy! Don't be afraid." Rarity said compassionately. She put her arm around her.

Fluttershy freed a fret of frustrated fear for she was far from her frolicking fields of furry friends, forever finding feeze in the foolhardy filly.

She went to squeeze her confident friend. "Oh Rarity! Can we just get the thing and leave!?" she asked desperately.

Fluttershy didn't seem to be showing the response Rarity had hoped for. She had imagined a scared mare who she'd sweep off her hooves and then take her hard-earned first kiss from. Then they'd proceed to get away from all this icky dirt and go back to the spa and hopefully make as much progress as Twilight did.

But instead, Fluttershy was just hyperventilating in the feeble position on the ground and this air was going to do ruin on her expertly styled mane. it was rather pathetic. Rarity trotted over to a musty old pedestal at the edge of the darkness and without thinking, she took a dusty orb from the top of it.

"Look, I found the thing," Rarity said flatly. She had never seen such a relieved face on Fluttershy, thus far yet. "Let's just go try the spa again. And this time no water jets."

Fluttershy gingerly smiled at her.

Suddenly, a thick stone wall rose from the ground at the entrance, picking up dirt and plant life with it. It rose until it completely covered the entrance and then locked into place with a thundering rumble. They watched with mouths agape and eyes pealed wide open as their fates were figuratively and literally sealed.

The moment of terror forgot itself and become wonder. Behind them, deeper into the cave, a single glowing mushroom slowly sprung to life from it's unknowing slumber. It shone like a faint, lonely star in the abyss. Then it's closest friend burst to life, triggering a massive chain reaction. green and violet hues that spread across the walls and ceilings like a wildfire igniting an ancient forest.

The cool fire raced across the massive cave, reaching a ceiling high above their little heads. Almost as though it were a gigantic web, lines of mushrooms peppered the distance and outlined the lumpy black landscape The end product was complex network that covered the walls with light that seemed to pulse as some grew brighter or dimmed. There were high mounds on both sides of a cleanly illuminated path, winding further and deeper into the cave.

Cool-coloured fireflies unlike anything Fluttershy had ever seen, floated close enough to shine their faint light over her glistening eyes. The worry had fallen from Fluttershy's face and now she was smiling brightly. Rarity was still trying to put it all together in her mind. She felt a special connection seeing this fantastic display with her Fluttershy.

She looked turned the orb over several time. There was writing on it.

Dreams await

She smiled. That's more like it.

For a lack of better direction they followed the path to the unknown. Next Chapter: Back from the Forest Estimated time remaining: 3 Hours, 6 Minutes