Rarity looked outside the small hole in their tent taking note of the storm beginning to die down and gave a sigh of relief. “I hope Cheerilee comes to soon, I want to find Scootaloo as soon as possible.” Rarity remarked quietly to herself as she looked over at the sleeping filly whom was no longer shivering uncontrollably.

At this exact moment however, Cheerilee's eyes fluttered open drowsily. “Wh-Where am I?” Cheerilee asked as she stood up to all fours only to stumble slightly still taking in her surroundings.

“Don't try to push yourself too much, or you'll end up passing out again.” Rarity replied with a smile to which Cheerilee's gaze snapped to Rarity.

“R-Rarity? You saved me?” The dark purple filly asked looking at the unicorn in disbelief.

“Don't look so surprised. If I let you freeze to death, Sweetie Belle would never forgive me.” Rarity replied giving the filly an indifferent expression as she spoke and turned to look outside again.

“Is that the only reason?” Cheerilee replied looking unconvinced of the unicorn's reasoning behind saving her life.

Rarity then turned to look at Cheerilee taking note of her unconvinced expression. “Oh come on, what kind of mare do you take me for? Do you really think I would let somepony freeze to death? I'm not heartless you know!” Rarity exclaimed defensively and quickly turned to look outside again in an effort to hide the fact she was blushing now.

Upon hearing this Cheerilee gave a light laugh. “A few months ago, I really wouldn't be sure about that. But that was then and this is now.”

“We're not so different you and I. You know this, don't you?” Rarity asked solemnly though she didn't turn to look at Cheerilee this time around.

“You're still scared of what may come of this, aren't you?” Cheerilee asked with a note of concern in her voice as she spoke now.

“Weren't you? After all, you remember how I reacted when I first found out. Looking back, I don't know what I would have done if not for Twilight. How do you manage to keep it together?” Rarity replied and sighed heavily.

“The fear of being found out never really goes away. You just get better at suppressing that fear.” Cheerilee replied as she sat down and wrapped her tail around her front hooves as she looked at the ground. “The most we can do is continue to love them the way we do and do our best to keep our relationships a secret until they are old enough. Speaking of which, where is Rainbow Dash?”

“She went home. Said something about not wanting to freeze to death for Scootaloo.” The unicorn replied though her tone of voice as she said this sounded resentful as she spoke.

“I see...” Cheerilee replied with a frown. It was then the filly noticed that Rarity's normally well-kept mane was a complete mess and yet the unicorn was not freaking out over this. She wondered if she should say anything.

Rarity turned to look at Cheerilee at the point however and took note of what she was staring at. “If it's about my mane, yes I am well aware it is simply atrocious at the present time, but I have something far more important than my looks to worry about now.” Rarity replied annoyed.

“Scootaloo?” Cheerilee asked curiously to which Rarity nodded silently, her eyes glistening as she nodded.

“Something more important to you than your looks? By Celestia, you're head over hooves for that filly aren't you?” Cheerilee joked with a grin which was met with a glare at first from the unicorn but turned into a smile followed by the two breaking into spontaneous laughter.

“Speaking of which, the storm has died down some, are you feeling well enough to walk? The house should be a day's hike from here.” Rarity said a few minutes later.

“Yes, I should be fine.” Cheerilee replied as she looked outside.

“Then let us be on our way, we'll take rest stops along the way however. Your still in a filly's body so you can't handle the cold as well as I can.” Rarity replied as she edged open the make-shift door and walked out of it followed closely by Cheerilee.

----------------------------------------------

(Play Love Me now)

“It must seem so unfair to you... Being forced to watch from the sidelines all this time.” Scootaloo remarked solemnly breaking the silence that seemed to have lasted for so long after the two had managed to stop crying still within the farm pony's tight embrace.

“What? Oh, that...” Applebloom replied sounding confused at first until she caught on to what the Pegasus was getting at and sighed. “It was hard at first, but ah got used it after a while. Ah thought ah could keep mah feelins hidden, keep mahself from sayin those three words. But ah guess it's out in the open now.”

“How long have you felt this way towards me? How long were you holding it in?” Scootaloo asked as she turned to face her friend now so that their faces were mere inches from one another which caused the farm pony to blush.

Applebloom shuffled uncomfortably where she lay now as she retracted her hooves and curled up slightly now with her earns flattened. “A year at least ah think.”

“So it was then...” Scootaloo remarked thoughtfully as she recalled the events with Cheerilee and Sweetie Belle.

“Ah thought ah could keep mah feelins under control. But the more ah hung out with ya the worse they became until that day when ah became so desperate to show ya how much ah cared without sayin anythin that ah...” Applebloom began to say only to trail off as she bit her lower lip guiltily.

“You tried to blackmail me, yeah I remember.” The Pegasus replied finishing Applebloom's sentence for her.

“The part bout mah family not takin kindly to mares who go after the cherry bush instead of the carrot stick is still true though. That's kind of why ah went off the deep end for a little while thar.”

“The combination of fear and feelings towards me became too much to hold in. Yeah, I've been there. But I handled it differently, if you can call the stupid load of horseapples things I did handling it.” Scootaloo replied and sighed heavily.

“No one blames ya Scootaloo. After all, we're only fillies. Then again, ah'm not so sure even an adult mare could handle what you had to deal with and still remain sane.” Applebloom replied ending her statement on a thoughtful note.

“Teh, Rarity didn't. She turned to drinking.” The Pegasus remarked sourly.

“Ah guess... Ah guess we all handle our problems in our own ways.” Applebloom replied trailing off at first in an attempt to collect her thoughts and placed a hoof on Scootaloo's cheek as she spoke.

Scootaloo placed a hoof on Applebloom's and closed her eyes as if to take in her touch. “Applebloom... You're my best friend and I know you care about me but...”

“Ah know... it wouldn't be right of meh to take you away from Rarity.” Applebloom replied as her eyes glistened while she looked at her friend.

Scootaloo then opened her eyes and stared into the farm pony's taking note of the tears she was fighting back. “If things don't work out, I promise you'll be next in line. I can promise that much at least.”

“Ah'll be waitin.” Applebloom replied though this was in a hoarse whisper as her voice cracked slightly before she turned to face away from the Pegasus allowing the tears she was holding in to stream down her cheeks now.

What should I do?

Applebloom gave a startled gasp as she felt Scootaloo's lips gently kiss the back of her neck as her right hoof wrapped around the farm pony and trailed down her underside. “Sc-Scootaloo? What are you doin?” Applebloom asked but made no motion to resist her friend's advances as her eyes darted down to where the Pegasus's hoof was going towards until she let out another sharp gasp as it rested on her mound and began to massage it.

“Helping a friend in need.” Scootaloo whispered softly into the farm pony's ear before she nibbled on it gently causing Applebloom to give yet another startled gasp as a wave of pleasure surged though her body.

Forgive me Rarity, but I’m going to have to hurt you one last time, Applebloom needs this...

Applebloom seemed to be unable to move now as she watched her friend roll her onto her back and began to kiss her underside as she made her way down. “But, But-” Applebloom replied before she gave a sudden sharp moan as Scootaloo's mouth connected with her clit and began to suckle it which caused her to blush furiously and moan out as she stared at Scootaloo continue her mouth-work until her face glided slightly lower and her tongue slipped between the farm pony's glistening folds earning a loud high-pitched pleasured cry from Applebloom.

Applebloom put a hoof to her mouth and hit hard on it as she continued to squirm and writhe under the Pegasus's pleasurable assault to her yellow flower watching Scootaloo's mouth the entire time. “Ah-Ah shouldn't be letting her do this, but mah body won't listen to meh. Is she doin this out of pity? Because she feels sorry for meh? Mah mind is becomin foggy, ah can't keep thinkin strait...” Applebloom thought to herself as she moaned aloud feeling her pleasure mount more and more.

“If-If we're really doin this, then at least let meh return the favor.” Applebloom managed to say between moans.

Without saying a word, Scootaloo repositioned herself on top of the farm pony so that her own orange puffy slit was hovering just above Applebloom's mouth and resumed her pleasurable assault on the farm pony's flower which was leaking her sweet nectar now while her tail swished back and forth so quickly now that it seemed as if it had a mind of its own.

Applebloom quickly dove into the source of her fantasies and desires taking in the Pegasus's unique taste as her tongue danced inside of Scootaloo's folds which earned rapid moans from the Pegasus as her tongue ran along her inner walls. “This may be the only time I get to be with my love. So ah plan to make the most of it...” Applebloom thought to herself as she suckled Scootaloo's clit before diving her tongue back between Scootaloo's folds.

Even though she may never know, even though I may never tell her, before Rainbow Dash, before Rarity, there was her. It was brief, but there was a time I did care about her the way she cared about me now... Those old feelings seemed to be resurfacing now.

Maybe that's where the source of my fantasies derived from. These forgotten feelings of love for her.

-------------------------------------------------------

“Just our luck! We get a mile down the road and the storm picks up again!” Rarity exasperated with a glare at the clouds before she glanced back to Cheerilee whom was shivering from head to hooves though she continued to push forward despite this. “I'm going to make another tent.”

Cheerilee looked at Rarity knowing why she said this and shook her head. “No, I'm fine. Lets keep going! Sweetie Belle is waiting for us and so is Scootaloo!” Cheerilee exclaimed as she pushed herself forward.

“You can't be serious! You look like you're ready to collapse again darling!” Rarity exclaimed over the roaring winds that were now picking up and looked to the skies at which point she noticed a blue blur jetting amongst the snow. “It can't be her... can it?”

The unicorn's question was answered as the blue blur came hurtling towards the ground and hit the snow. “Rainbow Dash? Why in Equestria are you out in this Luna forsaken storm?!” Rarity asked as she ran over to the cyan blue Pegasus and helped her to her hooves.

“I could ask you the same question.” Rainbow Dash replied with a weary smirk.

“But I thought you went home?” Cheerilee asked as she walked over stumbling slightly as she stood next to Rarity.

“I did and I did some thinking while I was at it.” Rainbow Dash replied as she looked at the two taking note of Cheerilee's condition.

“This storm is going to be a reoccurring problem for us.” Cheerilee remarked as she looked skyward.

“That's why I came out here.” The cyan blue Pegasus replied as she looked skyward as well.

Rarity's expression became worried upon hearing this as she looked at Rainbow Dash. “What are you saying?”

“Listen, You and Scootaloo are meant for each other. It took you to help this featherbrain to realize this. So the best I can do is clear the way for you two.” Rainbow Dash replied as she took her take off position.

“That's suicide! If it's cold down here, then I can only imagine how cold it might be up there! You'd freeze to death in minutes!” Rarity exclaimed as she placed her hooves on the cyan blue Pegasus in an attempt to halt her take-off.

“You insult me Rarity. Who in Equestria do you think you're talking to?” Rainbow Dash replied with a cocky smile as she placed a hoof on her chest.

“This is no time to play hero!” Cheerilee chimed in catching onto what the cyan blue Pegasus was planning now.

“You think this is a game to me? You think I want to risk my flank for nothing more than fame?! Look around yourselves! We have no idea if Scootaloo even made it to that place Skydancer told you about! Nor do we have any idea if Sweetie Belle and Applebloom made it! What matters now is finding them and bringing them home to a warm house with food and shelter! So get your hooves off me and let me get rid of this bucking storm!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed as she rocketed off the ground knocking Rarity onto her rump as she did so and took off towards the skies.

Rarity quickly got back to all fours and looked up at Rainbow Dash as she continued her vertical climb. “You better come back, do you hear me Rainbow Dash?!” Rarity shouted at the top of her lungs in hopes that the cyan blue Pegasus would hear her.

----------------------------------------------------------

Scootaloo and Applebloom laid still in their afterglow, neither one saying a word. That is, until Applebloom spoke up.

“Why'd ya do it? Was it because you felt sorry for meh?” Applebloom asked softly as she ran her hoof through Scootaloo's mane gently.

“No...” Scootaloo replied quietly as she looked at the farm pony though she smiled as she spoke.

“Then why?”

Scootaloo sighed as she collected her thoughts before she spoke. “Because I wanted you to feel special. I wanted you to feel the same way I felt when I made love to Rarity. Even if it was just this one time. I wanted you to know how it felt to be with the pony you love.”

Applebloom wrapped her arms around her friend and held her tight as her head rested on Scootaloo's shoulder.

She whispered these two words to me and I knew she meant them with all her heart. I gave her the one thing she longed for. To feel my intimate embrace. I would be lying if I didn't yearn for the same till now. But that wasn't why I did this. I did for her, not for myself. The fact that my own hidden fantasies were fulfilled was just a perk of giving a friend something she always wanted...