>So, it all started Halloween night.
>I'm a bit of a hooligan.
>No sense denying it.
>Even have a bit of a reputation in certain circles.
>So here I am, crawling around in the bushes.
>Sneaky sneaky.
>Black pants, black tee, black Vans, black hoody... And a cute lil' red Oni mask to scare the shit out of anyone that comes across me.
>Sneaky sneaky, though. No need to use it yet.
>Rustling through my backpack, I pulled out a couple cans of spray paint and shoved them in my back pocket, feeling the waist of my pants dig into my hips.
>We all suffer for our art.
>I pulled the jury-rigged Wiimote out of the bag and chuckled.
>You could do anything with these suckers.
>Like clone garage door opener signals.
>Which I'd been doing for the last couple months to a few special houses.
>Target one was out, street was clear, and I was geared up and ready to go.
>I left my backpack in the bushes, darted across the street and leapt over the hedge, rolling into the shadows next to the garage.
>Pressing a button on the stick produced the desired results, and I rolled under the edge of the door.
>I didn't lack for confidence. I'd already done a dry run earlier in the week.
>This time I brought the party favors.
>It took less than two minutes to rig everything to my satisfaction, and another couple clicks left me two cans lighter and huddled next to the garage again.
>One more flick of my little baby and the remote was set.
>So, I might have been a little giddy when I rolled back over the hedge.
>Maybe a little edge of worry was niggling at me, too.
>This was going to be EPIC if it worked out as planned, but there was a... A SMALL chance something could go wrong.
>So, I hope I can be excused for being a little distracted when I hit the sidewalk and bowled someone over I hadn't even seen.
>We went sprawling, high pitched cursing mingling with my own as I watched my Wiimote skitter across the concrete and into the road.

"Fuck! Watch where you're going, bitch!
>I tried to lower my voice as much as I could, knowing the mask would help to muffle it but not wanting to take any chances.
>Scrabbling forward on hands and knees, I could feel the cold bite into my palms and my knees start to dampen from the melting snow.
>Did I mention it was snowing?
>No?
>Well, that's probably because it hadn't been three fucking minutes ago when I was in the garage.
>I snatched up the Wiimote from the road, hoping the snow hadn't gotten it wet.
>That would have put a serious damper on the rest of my plans for the night.
>"Hey! Watch where you're going, yourself!"
>I flinched, straightening up and turning toward the girl I'd knocked down and getting my first real look at her.
"Yeah, that's right- W-what the hell?!?"
>I smirked, knowing a garish demon mask in red and black wasn't what the tallish girl had expected when I turned around.
>Not to mention my hood had fallen back in the tumble, framing it in my bushy white hair.
>I backed up slowly, watching her shrink back and pull her leather jacket closer around herself.
'Huh, She goes to my school, right?'
>The idle thought slipped through my head as I made the opposite curb.
>Red and yellow hair lightly dusted with snow framed a pretty face, although the fear and uncertainty twisting it wasn't doing her any favors in the looks department.
>There was also something real funny going on with her forehead.
>And the top of her head.
>And something kept swishing back and forth behind her.
>Huh.
>Mystery for another day.
>I sketched a Japanese style bow to her from across the street, grinning behind my mask, and dove back into the bushes, snatching up my bag and booking it like my ass was on fire. 
>Throwing a glance back, I saw eerie lights flickering over the bushes between me and her.
>"Get back here!" My eyes widened as a voice that sounded like it was coming through a megaphone blasted in my direction.

>I could almost swear they swayed a bit from the force of the shout.
>Nope.
>I had things to do, and this was too much weird.
>No room on my agenda for it.
>I had four more houses to do up tonight.

>So, next day at school was a blast.
>Morning announcements informed the student body that several members of the faculty were enjoying new paint jobs on their cars.
>I didn't think I'd be lucky enough for them to mention whether THEY had gotten new paint jobs, but I figured good enough.
>My worries that the paint bombs wouldn't go off as planned assuaged, I basked in the glory of a prank well pulled.
>Well, mostly.
>That shit with the funky lights and personal amp was still tickling at the back of my mind.
>It WAS Halloween, though.
>Maybe it was all part of her costume.
>Classes were boring and I kept to myself as usual, making as small of a presence as I could, turning in my homework on time and mumbling.
>Most people gave up trying to talk to me if I talked so low they couldn't understand me.
>And the frustration on their faces as they had to ask "What?" for the third time was... Slightly delicious.
>Low profile was my game, mostly because I couldn't be assed about 99% of my fellow students.
>I did my thing, cruised along and tried to leave as little of a footprint as possible on that shitty school.
>Sitting at a table by myself was a matter of course.
>Besides, if anyone had chummed up to me and spilled food on my laptop, I'd have to kill them.
>I mean, not literally.
>But still, no sense taking chances, so I'd worked hard to establish lunch time as ME time.
>Even so, there were a few die hards that apparently thought a little interest would make me blossom like a beautiful flower finally seeing the sun.
>As it happened, this was NOT why one of those tryhards plopped themselves down next to me on that particular day.
>I wish it had been.

>"A Demon, Sunny?" Applejack quirked an eyebrow, smirking at the fuming girl.

"Damn right! I looked it up and everything! It looked just like a Demon from Japan!"
>Sunset wasn't quite shouting, but from the screeching of chair legs against the linoleum floor as students subtly shifted away from their table, it was probably close enough.
>"Uh, just a thought here, but, you don't think it coulda just been, you know, a costume?" Rainbow Dash asked, her smirk mirroring AJ's as they shared a glance.
"It waaaaaas Halloween, Sunny bunny." Pinkie Pie piped in, not really paying too much attention as her eyes dritfed from the slice of cake in her left hand to the slice of pie in her right.
>Sunset crossed her arms and let out a disgruntled "Hmmph!", flouncing back into her chair.
"I know what I saw."
>Rarity cleared her throat politely, catching the girl's attention.
>"I'm sure you saw something disturbing, dear, but what are the chances?"
>She looked down into her lap, playing with the hem of her skirt for a moment before looking back up at Sunset cautiously.
"We all understand if, considering your history, the, um, subject might be a bit sensitive. Still..."
>Fluttershy seemed to squirm in her seat. She obviously wasn't comfortable with this conversation at all.
>A hand on her shoulder forced a strangled 'eep!' from her lips, but she turned to see Rainbow sharing a companionable smile with her and returned it slowly.
"Oh, sure, throw that in my face again."
>Sunset sulked, glancing at her friends faces and seeing little support in their faces.
>She knew even in the best case, they'd only be humoring her.
>Sunset had to convince them.
"I know it was probably just a mask and a wig. I'd even agree with you if it weren't for the eyes. This creep's eyes were GLOWING. Like fire."
>The girls glanced at each other, finally settling on Twilight Sparkle, their newest member.
>She wasn't the most outspoken of the group, but she was probably the most rational.
>Sunset knew the level of support she was going to get hinged on the girl's next words.

>"Trick of the light?" She asked, grinning nervously. "You did say you ponied up when you saw the demon. Maybe it was a reflection on the lenses in the mask?"
>Sunset growled. So much for that.
"I ponied up because I SAW the eyes, not... You know what? Forget it. I'll look into it myself."
>Sunset pushed her chair back and hopped up to her feet, lunch forgotten as she stormed off.
>"Welp. She's all fired up and ready to come out swingin'". AJ remarked, rubbing her neck as she watched Sunset depart.
>"Well, come on. It's a bit much, wouldn't you say?" Rarity replied, but her eyes followed Sunset as well with a hint of worry in them.
>Rainbow shrugged.
>"I dunno about you guys, but I'm gonna keep my eyes peeled anyway. Sunny doesn't just blow up over nothing."
>Fluttershy shared a small smile with her and nodded. Even if she didn't really think there was anything to Sunset's midnight adventure, she was willing to give the girl the benefit of the doubt.
>She made a promise to herself that she'd find her later and offer whatever help she could.
>Even if it might be... Scary.
>Twilight rubbed her chin in thought.
>"She DOES know the most out of any of us about magic. It lends a bit of credence to her story."
>All eyes turned to Pinkie.
>She looked up at them, Sunset's abandoned lunch half eaten in front of her. She swallowed loudly and gave them all a guilty smile.
>"What?"

>Someone sat down across from me at my table.
>Loudly.
'Ignore it and it'll go away.'
>Hopefully my usual tactic would work.
>I didn't even glance up from my laptop screen, idly munching at a carrot stick as I scanned an article.
>So far so good, as the presence across from me seemed to be content grumbling to herself.
>"Just ignore me. I know you don't like to be bothered, but this was as close to an empty table as I could find."
>Oh. An enlightened being.
>I did as I was instructed. Not that I wouldn't have done it anyway.
>"They're just so... Ugh!"
>I groaned quietly.

>That had lasted about thirty seconds.
>I could hear whoever it was shifting, but I soldiered on through my reading, determined not to engage.
>"I mean, come on! You'd think they'd trust me by now, right?"
>I grit my teeth, closing a tab and scanning the next slowly, but the distraction of this girl's diatribe was eating away at my concentration.
"You can go away, now."
>I said it in my usual manner, just above a whisper, snatching up another carrot stick and taking my frustration at the girl out on it as I chewed noisily.
>"Um, what was that?"
"Go away now, please."
>"Uh, one more time?"
"Stop talking to me God dammit!"
>I slammed down my screen, closing my laptop a bit less gently than I'd meant to and looked up into...
>Fuck.
>Of course.
>It was the girl from last night. She was glowering at me. Hopefully not in recognition.
>"Watch your tone, yeah? I'm not in the mood to get cussed out." She frowned again, looking at me closely.
>Just a loner sitting here. No need to notice my hair and put two and two together.
>Maybe they didn't teach arithmetic wherever this girl came from. She was a transfer student, right?
"Then leave me alone. You said yourself you know I don't like to be bothered."
>Her mouth opened to retort, but it slowly closed before she let out a sigh.
>"I know. Sorry. I just... I needed to vent and I hoped it wouldn't bother you."
>I lifted an eyebrow incredulously.
"It bothered me. Please go away, or at least be quiet."
>"Yeah. Yeah, I can do that. Sorry, Fem."
>Huh. She actually knew my name.
"Yeah, whatever."
>I opened my laptop again, sighing in relief when I saw I hadn't cracked the screen or anything.
>"I'm Sunset Shimmer, by the way. Really, though, I'm sorry I bothered you."
>I leaned to the side, around my laptop. Right, that was her name.
"Yeah, okay, just... Simmer down, Shimmer."
>She gave me a look, then burst into giggles.
>Lord save me from high school bitches.
>Anyway, that was the start of my little game with Sunset Shimmer.

>Sunset was on a mission.
>Ever since that day, she'd made a point to find me at least once. She didn't stay mad at her other friends for very long, but more often than not I had a lunch buddy for some of the period.
>She even ran me down at my locker or the school entrance for a quick 'hi-bye'.
>She was relentless.
>After the first week she tried hauling a friend or two over with her at lunch.
>At least I could tolerate Fluttershy.
>Anyone else came over with her and I just left.
>Fluttershy was quiet at least, mostly for the reasons that I'd pretended made me like I was.
>Introverted, sure, but there was a whole person in there.
>She didn't need other people the way other people seemed to. Sure, she liked having friends, but she didn't NEED them the way Rainbow needed her cheering section, or AJ needed her family.
>Fluttershy was a closed system. Independently functioning.
>I respected that.
>Bleh, look at me, extolling her virtues.
>Suffice it to say, despite my best efforts, I made a friend.
>Two I guess, if you counted Sunset.
>Honestly? I wasn't sure if I did.
>I can say we got along, but...
>It was a very strange dynamic.
>I won't get into that right now beyond saying that no matter how much we argued, no matter how much we hissed and clawed at each other, I always looked forward to the next opportunity I'd get to lace into her.
>I still knew there was something weird going on with her, though. I hadn't forgotten about her little light show on Halloween.
>Seems she didn't let go of her 'Demon', either. Thankfully, I seemed to be her springboard for any ideas on the matter.
>Well, me and Fluttershy, I guess.
>Mostly because we were the only ones that would give her the time of day about it.
>This afforded me an excellent opportunity to stay the hell off her radar in relation to said 'Demon'.


>Even if she still managed to give me a mild heart attack every time she dropped a comment about me and the 'Demon' apparently having the same stylist.
>I mean, really?
>Anyway, my saving grace was probably that she still thought the 'Demon' was a guy.
>Strong enough to knock her over, rough gravelly voice, no real way to tell how bit he was in the dark.
>She topped me by a good eight inches and thirty pounds, but I guess fear makes giants of our memories.
>So, we mostly talked tech.
>Not to put too fine a point on it, but I was a code monkey, and she was...
>Aw hell, no reason to be politically correct.
>Sunset was technologically retarded. Barely knew how to use her phone, and facebook and twitter might as well have been Babylonian texts to her. I had to give it to her, though.
>She was a quick study.
>By the end of the first week she was plugged in nice and snug, watching TED Talks and passing me tidbits from tech blogs that caught her eye.
>Nothing to write home about, but she was building a foundation in my little corner of the world.
>it was... Nice.
>Having someone to nerd out with about the latest crack or hotfix on a network was honestly intoxicating, even if it was mostly all over her head.
>I could see a time where it wouldn't be.
>She was also slowly changing my view on the potential of the people all around me.
>It was dangerous.
>I'd built my box, lived in it for years, but now the walls were coming down.
>My life felt... Fuller. Unfortunately some of the empty places that were opening up inside me were filling with regret.
>I could have lived my life without knowing what I was missing, but Sunset helped me realize I didn't really want to.
>That bitch.
>I both loved and hated her for it.
>I mean, uh...
>Moving on. Introspection is bullshit.

>About two weeks after Halloween, I had another urge to sew some mayhem. Nothing too ambitious.
>I felt like our school was lacking in a little bit of spirit.
>So I decided to pop some fun little dye packs in the school colors in all the shower heads in the locker rooms.
>I know it seems like I'm going with a theme, here. Maybe it's just my own bland color scheme of white and gray made me feel like there should be a little more color in the world.
>I mean, I guess Principal Celestia actually had her car repainted the shade of pink I picked out for her, so I wasn't completely in the wrong here, right?
>So anyway, there I was, middle of the night, sneaking around inside the school.
>With a certain amount of perverse glee I had slipped back into my 'Halloween costume' for the outing.
>The locks in this school were a joke. I'd palmed the master key from one of the janitors and taken an imprint the first week of school with no one the wiser.
>In nearly four years they hadn't changed it. 
>I mean, I never stole anything, so I hadn't exactly given them a reason to, but, come on. I'd definitely used it for similar purposes as tonight's little venture.
>Get a clue, your security's compromised.
>I guess most people were just as clueless in the real world as they were online.
>These little jaunts were kind of my statement that I wasn't like that. The physical world was as much my playground as the silicon one.
>... I just had to prove it to myself every once in a while.
>So, boy's locker room was all done up with a bow on top.
>I'll admit, I hit it up first just to see how the other half lived.
>Meh, It stank.
>No amount of janitorial skill was going to get that musk out of the air. I mean, it was just a little overwhelming.
>Not that the girl's room didn't have it's own fair share of... Aromas. But it was comfortable to me. Familiar.
>I actually thought about having a little fun while I had the place all to myself. Pop a few lockers, see if I could find anything juicy or... Useful.
>In the end I shook the thoughts from my head and got down to business, though. Work before play after all.
...
>God I'm so fucking boring.
>I rigged up all the shower heads except the last stall. Who knows? I might need it before I left.
>Come on, I'm not exactly the most licentious person, but... This was a rare opportunity.
>My own spacious locker was practically empty, a spare set of clothes and some feminine necessities all I had in there. Same for the rest, mostly.
>I wasn't surprised to find a couple massagers and vibes stashed away, but I did get a bit of a shock in the locker right next to mine.
>A certain overly loud and rambunctious jock had an uncharacteristic bit of wardrobe in there.
>Smoking hot, spicy bits of lace and silk were lovingly tucked away in a case at the bottom of the locker, under a pile of dirty uniforms.
>Rainbow Dash had, to my inexpert eye, more than a thousand dollars worth of fancy lingerie in her locker.
>Huh.
>Oh course, my first thought was to try it all on. Rainbow was taller than me, sure, but we were probably close in sizes, right?
>Of course not.
>No, I'm not going into details.
>I'm busy getting my steps in.
>Anyway, I mournfully packed away the little hot tamales, doing my best to leave them as I'd found them.
>Dammit, Why did I promise myself I wouldn't steal?
>So...
>Had my fun.
>My bland, grade school level fun.
>I was still shaking my head at my own childishness, coming back from rigging the last shower, when the lights came on.
>I panicked.
>In hindsight, I understand this.
>Nothing like this had ever happened.
>I had no contingencies.
>So I jumped in the open locker next to me.
>MY open locker.
>Thank god I'm small.
>So, guess who it was? Why yes, of course it was fucking Rainbow Dash.
>I watched her shuffle nervously into my view through the slits in the locker door, glancing around.
'No, fuck you Rainbow getoutofheredieeee...'
>My internal monologue of vitriol was cut short as she shuffled her way toward the shower stalls and out of my field of view.
>Fuck. I was screwed if she, for some incomprehensible reason, had snuck into the school in the middle of the night to take a shower of all things.
>Thankfully I didn't hear the water start, and a much more confident Rainbow sauntered back into my sight a few seconds later. Guess she must have been checking to make sure no one was here.
'Why are YOU here, bitch? Leave!'
>My psychic suggestions seemed to have failed as Rainbow started walking toward my locker.
>She wore an anticipatory grin, swaggering closer and closer. I didn't like the look in her eyes.
>Did she know I was here? Was the gig up?
>I knew in my heart of hearts that if Rainbow caught me here, it would take a lot of luck for me to get out of it. She was strong, fast, and had a will of iron.
>Still, I readied myself to do... Something, anyway.
>Thankfully, it soon became apparent that she was heading for the locker to the left of the one I was in.
>Oh. Right. Duh. That was her locker.
>I lost my view of her as she opened her locker with a clank.
'Just have to keep quiet until she finishes her business, then I can be on my way.'
>Of course, when I could see her again, she was holding the one thing I'd been dreading she would be. She set the case down on the bench running the length of this side of the locker room.
'Oh, Rainbow, you garbage-monster... Now I'm gonna have to watch you prance around in your... Your sexy things.'
>The locker I was in was starting to get a bit hot. Hot and uncomfortable.
>No, seriously. I had like three layers on and the stupid mask was stuffy as hell.
>But... I had to admit the idea of Rainbow exposing her athletic body to me wasn't helping.
>Almost without thought I carefully pulled my phone out, set the camera against the slit in the locker door and started recording.
>I told myself it was for blackmail purposes if she caught me. Plus, I knew a few people that'd pay a lot of money for something like this.
>The excuse of money for new hardware was easier than admitting that I wanted a record of this little striptease for myself.
'J-jesus, Rainbow...'
>Seriously, though. Rainbow really was putting on a show.
>She slipped out or her windbreaker slowly, arching her back and letting it fall off her shoulders, rolling them sensuously as the jacket slid down her arms to puddle on the floor.
>Bending over at the waist, one knee straight and the other slightly bent, she picked slowly at her shoelaces.
>A demure look cast over her shoulder almost pulled a shocked eep from me, but she wasn't quite looking at ME.
>Whoever she was doing this for, in her head they must have stood right in front of her locker.
>It was, however, close enough to give me a front row seat while she finished with one shoe, switching knees as I watched the taut muscles in her ass flex while she finished the other.
'Gooood damn, Rainbow.'
>She kicked her shoes off lightly, crossing her arms in front of her before slowly running them up the outside of her calves, thighs, and finally her buns.
>Her fingers paused there, kneading the flesh for a few moments before moving up to her waist.
>Catching the edge of her tee, her hands continued their journey upward, slowly exposing the skin of her back to me.
>I saw a hint of ribs before the placid blue expanse was interrupted by a serviceable looking white sports bra.
>With one smooth motion she pulled her shirt over her head, letting go of the garment with one hand to snatch the tie out of her ponytail and shaking her hair out as she let both items drop.
>I wish I was kidding when I say this, but she actually lifted a leg, head thrown back and arms flung wide.
>She was striking a pose.
>With a little dip and shimmy, she turned to face the locker next to mine again, eyes cast to the side and the tip of a thumb between her teeth.
>This was getting surreal.
>I couldn't help biting my lip in response to that coquettish little glance, but...
>This wasn't Rainbow. I mean, I didn't know her that well, but this was just so deeply uncharacteristic of any understanding I had of the girl.
>My thoughts were interrupted as her hands slithered down her sides to her waist, thumbs hooking in the band of her yoga pants and pulling upward.
>The stretchy fabric pulled tight against her, her mons and labia clearly outlined through the thinning cloth.
>Heat blossomed. Inside me this time. Like you all thought I meant earlier.
>It blew across my cheeks and roiled deep inside me as Rainbow shifted her weight from foot to foot, eyes cast to the ceiling and small sounds I never thought I'd hear from her escaping her throat.
>Eventually she relented, her fingers picking out a staccato beat against her flat tummy before hooking into the band of her pants again. With a flushed wink, Rainbow slowly turned her back to me and her imagined audience. 
>I expected to see a flash of color as she slowly bent over, hands rolling the fabric down off her hips. The blue expanse of skin just kept coming, though.
>Rainbow was going soldier, and I swear to god I almost fainted when the fabric rolled far enough over her derriere to afford me a flash of pink.
>It was really starting to get a bit sweltering in that locker.
>I carefully pushed up my mask to the top of my head, knocking the hood back onto my shoulders.
>I could breath again.
>My hand strayed to the top of the zipper on my hoodie, but I knew there was no way I could pull it down without alerting Rainbow.
>I felt like my breathing must already sound like a bellows, but she must have been too distracted by her fun to notice.
>Speaking of distractions...
>Rainbow finally reached her ankles, lifting a foot to slip one sock and the leg of her pants over it, then doing the same on the other side.
>Her pouty lips were on full display to me because of her position, and I bit back a mewl as I gazed at the slow gradation of color from light blue to coral, and coral to a deep, glistening pink.
>But the heavenly view was taken from me too soon as she straightened up, casting another look over her shoulder and winking.
>Turning toward me, I noticed her mound was bare except for a small, multi-hued lightning bolt of thatched pubic hair.
>It was WAY too cute, and it gave me an inkling that this wasn't some spur of the moment thing.
>That kind of barbering wasn't done on impulse.
>I idly wondered if I was the first one to see this side of Rainbow as she settled a hand on her hip, the other roaming tantalizingly over her lower belly.
>For all the showmanship she'd shown so far, the way she took off her bra was actually a bit disappointing.
>Her hands suddenly up, a look of nervous defiance crossing her features as her fingers slid under the tight material and she practically ripped it off and over her head.
>She turned away from me and the phantom audience in her head, arms crossed over her chest and shoulders slightly hunched to apparently hide herself from us.
>Personally, I didn't think she had anything to complain about. The hand not holding my phone crept up to my own meager chest as I ran the image of the perky blue B-cups I'd seen through my head.
>She must wear sports bras most of the time, because I'd have guessed she was an A like me from seeing her around.
>... At least, until I'd run across her racy little stash of lace.
>The thought that Rainbow might be intentionally toning down her looks idly ran through my head, and I wondered why. the thought was interrupted, however, when Rainbow slowly straightened up, arms going over her head as she slowly stretched out her shoulders and lower back.
>"Man, feels so good to get out of that thing." Rainbow murmured to herself, clasping her hands behind her head and turning back toward me with a cocky grin.
>The position of her arms did even more to accentuate the perky mounds on display, nickel sized areola tipped by stiff blue nubs dancing in the air as she idly twisted her hips back and forth.
>The departure from her silent striptease to a more usual stance and demeanor sent a confused shudder through me.
>Having seen the full package, I couldn't deny that Rainbow's body... Stunning. Athletic and toned, while not too bulky except perhaps in the thighs.
>She had runner's legs, but it worked quite nicely for her.
>My thoughts suddenly strayed to and image of Rainbow splayed out in front of me, her legs spread and lower lips inches from my mouth as I looked up the smooth length of her body to eyes I now knew could SMOLDER...
'Ah, no! Not the time, Fem!'
>My brain frantically tried to inform my body to knock it off, but by now it was too late.
>Heat raced through me as I felt my knees weaken, dampness encroaching as imaginary fingers drew across my flushed labia.
>I bit back another moan as teeth nipped at a puffy nipple. 
>Strangely the sensation persisted, and I slowly realized that my free hand had rucked up my hoodie and tee, twisting my nipple gently as it palmed my breast.
>This was bad.
>I needed to get out of here before I really lost control.
>My eyes lifted from my unruly body to see Rainbow happily humming as she lifted one piece of gaudy lingerie out of the case after another. She smiled at them like old friends, shivering in delight before placing them back and moving on to the next.
'No, not that one. Nope, not that one either. Maybe... Oh, yeeeees... That's the one.'
>She settled on a matching set of black and gold, waistband style thong snugging high on her hips and paired with an understated underwire push-up. 
>The cup was nothing but sheer black silk, molding and accentuating her already fine bosoms into heavenly globes and leaving nothing to the imagination.
>I didn't know if it was better or worse to see her in them as I tried to rein in my libido.
>That lingerie made Rainbow beautiful, and she knew it very well.
>She even did a few turns, runway walking down the aisle of the locker room and then back, hand on hip left bare by the hi-cut pantie and chin in the air.
>As she strutted before me my hand strayed slowly south, traveling over my not quite flat stomach to slip under the waistband of my jeans.
>I'd lost the battle.
>Closing my eyes, I pictured a light blue hand stretching over my vulva, slowly closing to clench me in a steely vice. Strong fingers flexed, tracing then slowly parting my lips, exposing my damp-
>"Well, guess I might as well take a shower while I'm here."
>My eyes snapped open.
>I saw Rainbow walk toward the shower stalls and out of my view, still in her finery.
>If she turned on the shower now...
>Those dye packs were made to disperse.
>The paint might even reach all the way out here. My eyes flashed to the still open case on the bench. If it got out here, it could...
>It would ruin everything.
...
>I burst out of the locker, shoving my phone in my pocket and yanking my hand out of my pants to pull the mask down over my face.
>Sweet relief!
>Maybe not exactly the kind I'd been craving, but beggars couldn't be choosers.
"Stop!"
>Internally I cursed myself for not pulling my hood up and letting another person see my hair. Hopefully the strangeness of a black-clad red Demon, legs set in a martial arts-esque and hand outstretched would be enough to make her brush off the similarities.
>I watched Rainbow's eyes widen in disbelief before narrowing in fury, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E1wcuoxs4mU echoing in the back of my brain. Blanching behind the mask, I took a hesitant step back and banged into the open door of Rainbow's locker.
>"Were you... Watching me, you little creep?" Rainbow ground out through clenched teeth.
'Oh God...'
>She was less than ten feet away from me, growling as she stalked toward me, cracking her knuckles.
>She was going to destroy me.
>My eyes darted around frantically before focusing on my possible salvation.
>Slowly leaning to the side, I snatched up two handfuls of her dirty laundry from the bottom of her locker and threw it in her face.
"Catch me if you can!"
>All I had to do was get one door between us.
>That was my only thought as I ducked out of the locker room, leaving the temporarily blind and squawking Rainbow behind
>I fumbled the copy of the school master key out of my pocket, racing toward the double doors of the cafeteria.
>Slamming them behind me, I turned the key just in time to see a blue blur bash into them. Rainbow's livid face looked into the mask for a few moments, then she was just... Gone.
>I mean, I knew she was supposed to be fast, but this was like, preternatural.
>Thankfully the cafeteria had a door that led outside.
>I slipped through it into a swirl of white.
>Snowing again.
>Well, it WAS the middle of November. Rubbing my shoulders, I noted the temperature must have dropped well below freezing while I was inside, though.
>I needed a place to hide. I didn't have any illusions that if Rainbow saw me she'd run me down like a dog.
>Crouching down, I crept my way through the slowly accumulating snow and over to the soccer field.
>Flashes of blue streaked across my vision from time to time, but I just kept moving from shadow to shadow until I made it to the bleachers.
>"W-where are you, y-y-you f-freak?!?" I spun around to see Rainbow standing in the center of the pitch. She was still wearing that fancy lingerie, and panted heavily.
>She was also glowing.
>From the top of her head, out of her back...
>Even a flickering band of light whisking back and forth from her, well, basically from her ass.
>Actually, it was ALL flickering now as she sank down to her knees in the snow.
>Squinting at Rainbow, I couldn't help but notice there was something else off about her appearance beyond that.
>She looked almost like she was a deeper shade of blue than normal.
>Her dazed eyes roved over my position and I couldn't hold back a gasp of shock. Her lips were almost black!
'Fuck all this.'
>I'd take my licks. Rainbow needed help.
>I wasn't sure how, but she already looked hypothermic after only a few minutes in the snow.
>... Well, she WAS basically naked.
"Rainbow, we need to get you inside."
>I'd dropped my 'Demon' voice as I hesitantly walked up to her. No point in subterfuge now.
>Her head slowly turned to look in my direction and she reeled back in shock when she saw me, falling onto her side in the snow.
>"G-get aw-way f-f-from meooengg..."
>Shit.
...
...
...
"Rainbow, tell me you did NOT just faint."
>Rainbow did not tell me she hadn't fainted.
>Because she was unconscious.
...
...
...
"Fuck a fucking duck."
>I ran over to her and tried to sit her up, smacking her cheeks a bit to try to rouse her.
>No response.
>This... This was bad.
>Like, 9-1-1 bad.
>Shrugging out of my hoodie I draped it over her shoulders. She was ice cold. I could tell from the slow rise and fall of her chest that she was still breathing, though.
"Okay, Fem. Options,"
>I could just call the 9-1-1, but with the ambulances came cops. I looked around and grimaced.
>Slipping my hands under Rainbow's arms, I started dragging her toward the school. I had to get her out of the wind and snow.
...
>So, I don't like cops.
>I actually do a fair amount of illegal things, and the idea of them taking a closer look at me is not something I enjoy the thought of.
>The idea of waiting for an ambulance and the eventual police that followed them around like mangy dogs yipping at their feet, and then having to explain this whole thing to them, filled me with a sense of dread.
>On the OTHER hand, the idea of calling 9-1-1 and leaving Rainbow to them left me feeling sick to my stomach.
>She was hurt and vulnerable and it was my fault and if they did something to her or took pictures or couldn't find her or...
>It was my fault.
>I really didn't know what to do.
>My thoughts were running around inside my brain like a berserk hamster as I made it to the school and shoved the door open, pulling her inside.
>If Sunset were here, maybe she'd...
'Wait. Wait wait wait.'
>I could call Sunset.
>I had a bit of fluff on my phone for masking. She didn't even have to know it was me.
>After I called her I could hide and make sure she found Rainbow and she'd call an ambulance and it'd all be fine.
>Everybody wins.
>I propped Rainbow up against the wall and draped my hoodie over her, making sure it covered all the important bits and then taking a picture.
>I needed something to convince Sunset if she thought I was just pulling her leg.
>Did a hack job of pulling the location data and identifiers out of the picture and then spoofed my phone.
>Nervously tapped my foot as the phone rang.
>"Hello? I think you might have a wrong number. I don't know any 'no one''s." Sunset's cautious voice on the other end calmed me down immeasurably.
"True. And false. Your friend Rainbow Dash needs your help at the school. She's passed out in the cafeteria. Bring clothes that will fit her if you want to save her some embarrassment."
'I'm such a DORK!'
>"What?!? Who the hell is this?" Guess the mask was doing it's job. She didn't seem to recognize my voice.
"No one. Check your inbox if you doubt my sincerity."
'Doooooooork!'
>I hung up and sent the picture I'd taken, then unspoofed my phone on the off chance someone called me.
>Right.
>This was a good plan.
>I sat down next to Rainbow and pulled her against me, wrapping my arms around her to try to keep her warm until Sunset could get here.
"You'll be just fine, Rainbow. Just need to sit tight for a few minutes."
>This was the smart play.
>So...
>Why did it feel so stupid?
>After a couple minutes light flashed across the windows of the cafeteria and I could hear the whine of Sunset's engine before in burbled and cut off.
'Shit, she must have rode like a bat out of hell to get here so fast!'
>I laid Rainbow gently down on the ground and scampered off into the kitchen, leaving my hoodie behind.
>What were they going to do, test fibers and run DNA scans?
>Shit, maybe they would.
>Well, not like I was gonna run and grab it.
>The doors burst open and Sunset ran inside, a backpack over her shoulder. She quickly found Rainbow.
>"Oh shit, Rainbow, are you okay?" She tried to shake some life into her, but the girl was still out cold, no pun intended.
>I quietly moved from the kitchen to the door into the hallway while Sunset pulled out her phone, tapping her foot nervously. She must have called 9-1-1. Like I should have done.
>"Hello? I'm at Canterlot High. Something's wrong with my friend. She won't wake up!" I carefully closed the door to the hallway as Sunset talked to the 9-1-1 operator, watching from the window.
>After about a minute she put her phone away. Pulling the backpack off, she dressed Rainbow and laid my hoodie back over her, sitting against the wall like I had not too long ago and pulling Rainbow against her.
>I struggled against the urge to just go out there and, I don't know, be there for her. For them both. Sunset looked worried and scared and I didn't like that at all.
>How exactly was I supposed to explain myself, though? 'Oh, you know, I was just prowling around the school in the wee hours of the morning and saw you two there. Sup?'
>Yeah, not happening.
>Suddenly, Sunset's head snapped up and she locked eyes with me. She was fucking glowing again like a freaky candle and her eyes were solid white.
>How could she see me in the dark?
>I inched back, eventually breaking line of sight with her, but she glared at me defiantly the whole time.
>Rushing back to the girl's locker room, I put everything back the best I could and hurriedly pulled all the paint bombs while sirens echoed in my ears. Suddenly, the prank didn't seem like any fun at all.
>Sneaking out of the school was pretty easy since everyone was gathered around the cafeteria entrance. I just stuffed my mask in the backpack I'd left in the locker room and froze my way home.
>I had to take the long way around, though, because my house was on the way to the hospital from the school.
>But the time I snuck back into my house and made it to my room I felt like a Popsicle.
'I'm sure I feel a hell of a lot better than Rainbow does right now.'
>I set my backpack down at the foot of my bed and grabbed a towel and my PJ's. I needed a hot shower like I needed air to breathe.
>A couple minutes later I stood under the shower, my clothes in a wet pile on the bathroom floor.
>Leaning into the spray, I winced as the hot water hit my cold skin. I turned the heat down a bit, hands against the shower wall as I let the warm water flow over my bowed head.
>I didn't even really like Rainbow that much. To be honest, she annoyed the hell out of me more often than not. So, why was this bothering me?
>She'd done it to herself, right? She was the one that decided to run around practically naked in the snow. I mean, she wouldn't have done it if it wasn't for me, but...
>I grabbed some body wash and started washing myself briskly, hoping the actions would distract me a bit from my chain of thought.
>Yeah, that didn't work. It was obviously my fault and I should feel just as guilty as I did.
>Even if she wasn't really my friend, she was Fluttershy and Sunset's. They were going to be so worried... 
>My breath caught in my throat. Rainbow was... She was going to be okay, right?
>I didn't really know anything about hypothermia. People... People died from that, right?
>A shaky hand grabbed my shampoo and started washing my hair hurriedly.
>I tried not to let it get to me, but it was a useless effort. I HAD to know if Rainbow was okay.
>How was I supposed to do that, though? Call the hospital? How was I supposed to explain to them that I knew she was there in the first part? How would I explain it to anyone?
>I could... I could hurt myself. Then I'd have to go to the hospital. I'm sure I'd run into one of Rainbow's friends in the lobby or something, then I could ask them why they were there and find out what they knew.
>It showed just how desperate I was getting that this seemed like a good plan the entire time I washed my hair.
>The time it took to dry it, while I thought about the best way to hurt myself without seriously fucking myself up, was time enough to firmly establish it as plan B.
>I was smarter than that. I could figure out a better way to handle this.
>Slipping into my pajamas and grabbing everything out of my wet clothes' pockets, I stepped out of the bathroom to see my Dad leaning against the hallway wall between me and my room.
>"Fem, you remember what we talked about, right?" He asked casually, taking a lazy sip of beer from the bottle in his hand.
>Fuck. I did NOT have time for this.
"Enlighten me, Dad. We talk about a lot of stuff."
>Not really true anymore, but I felt like ruffling his feathers. He just turned his head to center me in his view and frowned.
>"I don't really know or care what you get up to in the wee hours of the night, Darlin', but I ain't bailing you out again."
>Oh, right, the 'you're a grown woman now and you can fix your own messes' speech.
"I haven't gotten arrested in years, Dad."
>Honestly more due to me getting better at not getting caught than me doing less arrest-worthy things, but I wasn't going to tell HIM that.
>"You sure haven't. Means you're probably about due. Look, I don't wanna sit up nights-" He cut himself off and rubbed his forehead for a few seconds, then looked back at me. "Look, I got work and you got school in the morning. Get to bed. Try to keep out of trouble."
>He sighed and finished the beer in his hand, pushing off the wall and walking past me down the hall to his bedroom door and closing it behind him.
'Sure. Be the Dad now. You don't have to deal with me that much longer.'
>I forced down the surge of bitterness that came roaring to the surface seemingly every time I talked to him and walked back into my room.
>Bigger fish to fry.
>Closing the door behind me, I grabbed my backpack and set it on my bed. Flopping onto it, I rolled over on my back and stared at the ceiling.
>My phone was in one hand, and after a minute or two I reached into my bag and pulled out my mask.
>I held them up at arms length, looking from one to the other and trying to figure out what to do.
>Calling Sunset was an option. It was appealing and terrifying at the same time.
>I'd find out how Rainbow was doing right away, but the possible consequences were Sunset putting everything together and hating me until the sun turned into a red giant and swallowed the earth.
>I could come up with some excuse to call or text her if I put my mind to it, even if it was... Checking my phone told me it was 3:08 AM.
>All I really knew was, I couldn't wait till morning to find out. I was going to figure out something smart, bite the bullet, or go with plan B. Soon.
>Try as I might though, nothing came to mind in the next ten minutes. I was completely wrapped up in weighing the pros and cons of calling Sunset and various injuries, so it's excusable that when my phone chimed I was so surprised I dropped my mask.
>Rubbing my nose and groaning slightly, I looked through eyes watering with pain at the phone screen.
>*U up?* It was a text from Sunset. I couldn't believe it. I literally sobbed in relief.
*Ya. Sup?*
>*At hospital. Come?* I grimaced. I wasn't sure how I should react to this, so I settled for naivete.
*U OK? Wut happnd?*
>*Rainbow got hurt. Come pls?* Okay, going to the hospital now.
*BRT ten minutes.*
>I could walk there in ten minutes easy. I grabbed some socks and slipped my shoes on, grabbing a jacket and throwing it on as I whipped down the hallway and down the stairs to the front door.
>I heard muffled thumping and a swear or two as I yanked the door open and stepped out into the cold. I shivered, noting the snow was done and everything was coated in a couple inches of powder.
>"Where the HELL d'you think you're goin', Missy?" God, not now Dad. I turned around and glared at him.
"Someone I know's in the hospital. I have to go down there."
>My Dad blinked, setting a hand on his hip and scratching his head through his short clipped hair. He hiked his thumb toward his truck.
>"Get in there, I'll drive ya down."
'Oh.'
>I walked around to the passenger door and pulled it open as my Dad turned the truck over. He waited until I got in and had my seat belt on before he whipped the truck out of our driveway and sped down the road toward Canterlot General.
>It wouldn't be a stretch of the imagination to say that my Dad hated hospitals. I wasn't a fan of them either, but it was honestly more of a phobia for him.
>He got us there in two minutes, and I thanked God we didn't run across any cops on the way.
>Turning to me, he reached over me and opened the door.
>"You need anything, need me to call you out of school, whatever, jus' lemme know."
>This was kind of surreal for me. Dad was kind of, like, being a Dad right now.
"Yeah, I will Dad. I'll call you when I know what I'm doing."
>Before I could think better of it I turned to my Dad and wrapped my arms around him. He just, kind of froze, but slowly he wrapped me up in one of those big Dad hugs I could just barely remember.
>I hadn't hugged my him in... A long time. We had issues.
"Dad, I have to go."
>He started a little and let me back out of the hug and hop out of the car.
>"Yeah, you go see your friend. Jus', lemme know if you need anything. Yeah." I rolled my eyes and waved him off as I walked into the hospital.
>The man was seriously emotionally retarded. Not that I could say much. Like Father like Daughter. Well, that might be going a bit far.

>I pulled out my phone as I stepped through the doors, sending a text to Sunset.
*Here. Wut floor?*
>Depending on where she was, I was considering having a mental breakdown.
>I NEEDED to know if Rainbow was okay, and depending on where she was it would be pretty clear. 
>As I walked to the elevators, I silently prayed that she was on the fourth floor instead of the second.
>Fourth was recovery, second was ICU. I'd spent enough time in here to have a pretty good idea of the layout of the hospital.
>A few years doesn't change something like that.
>My phone chirped and I looked down at it.
>*4. See you soon.*
>I blew out the breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding in a relieved sigh and tapped the button for the elevator.
>Rainbow was out of danger, at least.
>As the doors slid open and I stepped inside, a thought occurred to me.
>Hitting the four button, I slumped back against the wall as the elevator started to rise.
>I could just dip. I knew what I needed to and the sense of urgency that'd been driving to this point was fading.
>As I watched the numbers slowly climb on the strip above the door I sighed again.
>Sunset knew I was here. How was I supposed to explain that? 
'Oh, I got all the way here, but then I kinda didn't feel like it.'
>Yeah, no.
>Running fingers through my bushy hair absently, I nervously accepted the fact that I wasn't getting out of this.
>I mean, Sunset knew I wasn't friends with Rainbow. I tolerated her up to a point and that was it.
>Sunset had asked me to come because SHE needed me. Right? Well, maybe Fluttershy needed some support. Rainbow was like, her best friend.
>Groaning, I hung my head and then whipped it up lightly to smack into the wall of the elevator.
>Fucking Sunset.
>This was what I'd been trying to avoid for four years.
>But no. She had to come along and pester me into caring about her, and dragging Fluttershy along for the ride.
>Now look at me. Backing off on a prank because of my 'feelings'.
>Visiting friends in the middle of the night to support them.
>I just didn't have it in me anymore.
>And yet here I was, apparently going through with it.
>And at the end of the year?
>I shook my head as the elevator door opened and walked out, making my way to the nurses station.
>Behind sliding glass windows a few nurses stood gossiping by the back wall while one sat at the desk, quietly speaking into a phone.
>Before I could say anything the one at the desk glance up at me, rolled her eyes and waved back at the others.
>One of them broke off and walked over to the window, giving me a smile.
>"Here for Rainbow Dash?" She asked, causing me to blink at her stupidly.
"Uh, yeah. How did you know?"
>She rolled her eyes and laughed before leaning closer to me through the window.
>"Well, when about ten other girls your age barge into the hospital yelling about 'Rainbow Dash' this and 'Dashy' that, I figured it was a good guess."
>She straightened up and pulled a clipboard from the counter she'd been leaning on.
>"You're certainly the quietest one we've gotten in so far. Name?"
>Huh. Well, I guess that made sense.
"Um, Femanon Mystery."
>I braced for the eventual comments with a cringe. Instead of a smirk, though, the nurse smiled sadly at me.
>"I thought it might be you. We never do seem to meet under very good circumstances.
'Well, that makes sense when you work in a hospital.'
>I tried to place her for a few moments, but apparently my blank stare was enough to clue her in that I didn't recognize her.
>"Oh, sorry. I'm Joystitch. I was doing a hospice tour a few years ago? We talked a few times..."
>She trailed off as my expression darkened. I really didn't need this right now.
"Not to be rude, but I don't really want to take a trip down memory lane right now. Can I see Rainbow?"
>It wasn't really fair to treat her like this. She'd been nice. Those talks had helped make a terrible time bearable.
>I watched her expression falter before a more practiced smile slid over her face. 
"Oh. I can understand why you wouldn't want to dwell. Ahem. Rainbow Dash IS taking visitors right now, *for some reason*..."
>I barely picked out the murmured comment at the end of her sentence. Honestly it surprised me, too.
>I knew it wasn't hospital policy to allow visitors this late.
>"Anyway, you're on the list, but she's only allowed two visitors at a time. We've got the rest of her visitors in the counseling room right across the hall from her."
>Huh. I was on a list. All kinds of hospital policies were getting broken.
>Something weird was going on here. Either that or someone with some serious pull was exerting some pressure.
>I wondered who it could be as Joystitch walked over to the side door to the nurse's station and opened it.
>Walking around the corner to meet her, she pointed down a hall.
>"I'll bring you down to the counseling room. Try to keep it down while you're all here, though. Most of the patients in the ward are asleep right now, and they need their rest."
>I followed her silently down the hall, trying to run some scenarios through my head.
>There was no way I was going to be able to get out of doing some serious truth stretching here.
>I couldn't let on that I knew anything more than that Rainbow was here until they filled in the details.
>Not knowing most of them well would give me an advantage, since they wouldn't know if I was acting differently than I usually did.
>I'd have to be careful around Sunset, and especially Fluttershy, though.
>The idea of lying to Fluttershy wasn't giving me happy bubbly fun-time feelings.
>Pretty much the opposite, really. And Sunset... No, I could lie to Sunset. I could if I had to. I'd been doing it long enough already, right?
>My thoughts were interrupted when I almost walked straight into Joystitch, who'd stopped in front of a door on our left.
>"Here we are. Now, please, try to keep it down. We're already stretching the rules for all of you, and if we get complaints from patients we're going to have to ask everyone to leave and come back during normal hours."
>I nodded, stepping into the room when she opened the door for me and looking around.
>A couch against the wall directly across from us held who I could only assume were Rainbow's parents.
>Burly and purple with Dash's distinctive hair cut in a buzz, a man held a small blue woman against him, hand stroking her short red hair as he talked quietly.
>Another couch, a few chairs and a nondescript desk with a rolling office chair pushed under it were the only other furniture besides a few potted plants.
>Rainbow's parents were the only occupants.
>"Mr. Hothoof, Ms. Whistles, I've got one more here for..."
>Joystitch cut herself off as she slowly looked around the room before her gaze fell back on the two.
>"They're all in there again, aren't they?" Her eye seemed to twitch as the man gave her a nervous smile, the woman starting to stir against his chest.
>"Well, we already had our turn, and, you know, we didn't feel like it was fair to make them wait..."
>Joystitch pinched the bridge of her nose while I sidled slowly over to a chair and sat. She looked like she was about to pop a blood vessel.
>"Mr. Hothoof, you understand these are unusual circumstances, yes? You recall that the conditions for Rainbow's friends being here was that you would supervise them?"
>Rainbow's father nodded, looking even more nervous.
>"Well, yes, but..."
>"An where exactly are the girls under your supervision? Don't answer that." Joystitch sighed and looked at him, her expression softening. "Look, we don't want Rainbow getting overexcited, and we don't want to have to kick you all out of here over all the noise those girls are probably making. I'm going to go in there and send everyone but two of them back in here, and I expect for everyone's sakes that you can keep them on a short leash, okay?"
>Without waiting for a reply, Joystitch turned around and walked out the door, closing it behind her.
>Well. I didn't remember her being such a hard-ass. Nursing must be a stressful job.
>"Honey? Is something wrong? Is it... Is it Rainbow?" A scratchy voice quietly broke through my thoughts and I turned back to see Rainbow's mom rubbing a red eye, looking up at her husband.
>"No, nothing's wrong. Another friend of Rainbow's showed up and the nurse noticed we were a few birds short of a flock."
>He smiled down at her reassuringly, stroking her hair gently.
>Rainbow's mom nodded slowly, eyes scanning the room before they landed on me.
>"Oh, hello dear. You're a friend of Rainbow's? I don't think we've met. I'm Windy Whistles and this is my husband Bow Hothoof."
>She patted the couch next to her as she pulled away from Bow. I could clearly see that she wasn't taking the whole situation very well, but she seemed to be putting on a brave front.
>The red eyes, scratchy voice and running mascara were pretty dead giveaways, though.
>I gingerly got up and took the seat next to her.
>What was I supposed to say, here?
'Oh, I'm not really your daughters friend. More of a friend of a friend thing, you know.'
>Ugh.
"Femanon. I haven't known Rainbow long, so I'm not surprised we haven't met."
>I took the hands they offered gently. That was innocuous enough, right?
"Sorry we had to meet under these kind of circumstances. Is Rainbow going to be all right?"
>I didn't have to fake the concern in my voice. Even if I didn't care for Rainbow that much, I didn't want to be responsible for her being hurt. I didn't know what kind of complications Hypothermia could have.
>"Oh, she's a trooper." Bow said, a small smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. "A little chill isn't going to keep her down."
>Windy turned to him with a frown and smacked his shoulder lightly.
>"Bow, be serious! Rainbow could have... She could have..."
>She cut herself off as Bow's arm settled over her shoulders, breathing heavily and staring into her lap until a gentle hand tilted her chin up and Bow caught her eyes.
>"I know, hun. But she didn't, and she's going to be fine."
>Watching them share this little moment was twisting tiny thorns in uncomfortable places inside me, but it was hard to think of a good reason to interrupt them.
>I wasn't really sure I wanted to, either. I felt kind of like a voyeur, watching something I wasn't suppose to see anymore.
"What happened, anyway?"
>I couldn't help saying something. It felt wrong just sitting there and sharing that moment I had no pert of, even if I wanted to.
>Bow turned to me with a sympathetic smile. He could probably tell they were making me uncomfortable, even if he might be misunderstanding exactly how.
>"Well, we're not exactly sure on the details. Rainbow went out for a run around midnight. She does that every once in a while. Very dedicated to her training. You know how she is."
>I nodded wordlessly. Sure. Rainbow went out for a run in the middle of the night in the freezing cold. Sounds legit.
>"A couple hours later we got a call from Sunset. She found Rainbow at the school. They were already in the ambulance when she called. We came down and they told us they were treating her for moderate hypothermia."
>Nodding slowly, I shivered. Moderate didn't sound so bad, right?
"So, she's going to be okay?"
>I jumped slightly when I felt someone take my hand and squeeze it gently. Looking down, I saw that Rainbow's mom's hands were clutching mine lightly. I looked back up to see a fierce smile.
>"Oh, our Rainbow's a tough one. No signs of frostbite and she woke up about five minutes after they started her on warm IV fluids. She's young, so they don't expect any circulation issues. They're just going to keep her here for a day or two to make sure there's no chance of pneumonia."
>Windy said all this like she was reciting someone else's speech. I felt like she hadn't really processed everything that was going on here. Not that I could really blame her.
>One way or another, her words did wonders for the weight bearing down on me. I squeezed her hands back and gave her a small smile, hoping the relief I was feeling would show.
"That's really good to hear, Ms. Whistles. You're right, she's really tough. I'm sure she'll get over this in no time."
>I really hoped so, too.
>It was in this position, Rainbow's parents smiling at me while I held her mother's hand, that the rest of her friends walked in on.
>My face started to flush as I took in the varying looks I was getting.
>Rarity looked back and forth between me and them, first looking shocked but slowly letting a strangely pleased smile settle over her.
>Pinkie seemed strangely subdued, not that I was surprised. She gave us a small wave before moving over to the desk and sitting in the office chair, slowly spinning in it and looking up at the ceiling.
>Applejack took a look at me and cocked her head. "Huh." She tipped her hat and moved over to the other couch, flopping onto it and clasping her hands in her lap, staring down at them.
>Twilight and Sunset were... Nowhere to be found. I guess they must have been the ones to stay with Rainbow. That just left...
>Fluttershy. Shit.
>I must have been really desperate for human interaction. I'd only known these girls for a couple weeks, but the expression on Fluttershy's face was crushing me.
>I waved her over, not really sure what to do or say. Me and Fluttershy had developed something of a quiet companionship. I wasn't prepared for the emotions behind that look.
>How was I supposed to make her feel better?
>Hadn't I been doing my best for the past four years to never have to?
>Not for the first time I felt the urge to strangle Sunset for complicating my life so completely.
>Fluttershy slid onto the couch next to me, sneaking glances at me but mostly keeping her gaze in her lap.
>I really, REALLY didn't know what to say.
>Motion out of the corner of my eye drew it to Bow, who's arms were out wide around his wife. When he saw I was looking he wrapped them around Windy, who smiled back at him before looking at me and winking.
'Oh, right. I can... I can hug her. Hugs worth a thousand words. Isn't that how it goes?'
>Windy gave my hands a reassuring squeeze and let them go, patting my thigh gently before leaning back into Bow's chest.
>I'll admit, Rainbow's parents taking the time out of their worry to help me was... Really too nice of them.
>Turning to Fluttershy, I just kinda went for it.
>My arms slipped under hers, pulling the taller girl against me and resting my chin on her shoulder.
"Good to see you, Flutters."
>Her arms weakly circled me as her head settled against mine. I wasn't shocked to feel her trembling against me.
>"Fem, she..."
>I cut her off, rubbing her back as I felt moisture on my cheek.
"She's gonna be fine, Flutters. You don't have to worry. Everyone's here for her and she's gonna be fine."
>Fresh quakes rocked Fluttershy's body and I held her through them, droplets of her fear and grief staining my neck.
>The antiseptic smell of the hospital I'd been so used to at one time I didn't even notice it surrounding me was pushed back by jasmine and pine.
>We stayed like that for a while. I don't know how long. It felt good to hold her. Good enough that I didn't care.
>Two hugs in one day.
>I wasn't even sure if I'd had two hugs in the last two YEARS.
>And one of them was my DAD?
>These girls were doing something to me, and I was getting the impression it might be worth the pain later.
>It was a little late to go back to the way I was before anyway.
>Hushed words made me open eyes I hadn't even realized I'd closed.
>Rarity sat next to Applejack on the other couch, speaking softly to her and motioning with her head toward me and Fluttershy.
>AJ just rolled her eyes and leaned back further into the couch, tilting her hat down. I caught a glimpse of the worry in them before they were eclipsed by the brim, though.
>Noticing I was looking, Rarity leaned forward and mouthed the words 'Thank you'.
'Thank you? For hugging Flutters? The hell?'
>What was going on here? Weren't these girls all her best friends? Couldn't one of them have done this for her?
>I'd known her for a couple of weeks. What was so special about me?
>My thoughts were interrupted by the door to the room opening and a subdued looking Sunset and Twilight walking in.
>Sunset was looking down at her phone, her thumbs poking at it quickly.
>I almost jumped out of my skin when my phone chirped at me in my pocket and a strangled 'Eep!' was ripped from Fluttershy's throat.
>"Oh, Fem, you're here!" Sunset gave me a tired smile and walked over, a slightly lost looking Twilight following a couple steps behind.
"Yeah, I got here a bit ago but you were all in with Rainbow."
>Sunset's expression fell a bit, but she nodded.
>"Speaking of, who wants to go in and see her next?" Sunset looked around, eyes settling on Rainbow's parents but being waved off by Bow who was still cradling a sleeping Windy.
>"Oh, me! Mememe!" Pinkie popped up from behind the arm of the couch waving her arms.
>I swear to god if I hadn't been wrapped up in Fluttershy I would have been crawling in Windy's lap.
>"Pinkie! Quiet down! We need to be mindful of the other patients." Rarity scolded in a whisper shout. She popped up off the other couch and walked over to Pinkie, cocking a hip and shaking her finger at the girl. "These walls aren't exactly soundproof, you know. Besides, I think it would be a good idea for Femanon and Fluttershy to go in next. She hasn't had a chance to see Rainbow at all."
>"Oh..." Pinkie slowly settled in place, looking to Rarity who raised an eyebrow at her, then back to me and Fluttershy before a wide grin engulfed her face. "Oh! That's a great idea! I vote for this!"
>Rarity shushed Pinkie again, pulling a playfully rueful expression from her.
>"Sounds fine to me." AJ said, tipping her hat back and looking at the rest of us. "Might head back soon anyway. Already said my piece and I got chores in the mornin'."
>She grinned a little sadly and flicked the brim of her hat.
>"Sides, can't rightly wallop the girl for bein' an idjit when she's layin' all tired and pathetic in her bed."
>A scattering of chuckles brightened the mood in the room slightly as Sunset looked around before focusing back on me and Fluttershy.
>"But..." Sunset said before cutting herself off with a sigh. "Okay, that's fair. Fem, Flutters, I need to talk to both of you when you come back, okay?"
"Uh, yeah, whatever you need Sunset. Let's go, Flutters, okay?"
>She shifted against me, her arms tightening before letting me go. Her hands sought one of mine out and she got up stiffly off the couch, pulling me with her.
>I was surprised that those spindly limbs had so much strength in them as I stood beside her. One of her hands let go while the other squeezed mine tighter, but she wasn't meeting my eyes when I looked at her.
>"Okay, Fem. Let's go." Her whisper-quiet voice found me through the curtain of her hair, and suddenly I was being pulled to the door and through it.
>I couldn't see her face as she pulled me along, but I could tell there was something going on from the expressions on her friend's faces. Surprise and subdued smugness followed us out the door.
>I swear to god I heard squeeing when the door closed behind us, but I was too busy being pulled through the one against the hall and into Rainbow's room.
>The first thing I saw was Rainbow lying in the bed, swaddled in blankets and looking...
>Well, she looked like shit. 
>Black circles ringed her eyes and a palpable air of lethargy surrounded her.
>She looked like she was fighting off sleep by inches, but she smiled when she saw Fluttershy walking through the door.
>Honestly, I was kind of surprised when she didn't scowl upon noticing me. Her eyes just widened to match my own, then rolled heavenward for a moment before moving back to glance between Fluttershy and me.
>Said girl pulled me along to two chairs beside Dash's bed before taking the other one for herself and grabbing my hand again to pull it into her lap.
>Rainbow watched all this with a neutral expression before chuckling.
>Honestly, I was too distracted by my reactions to seeing her to deal with all the other weird stuff going on tonight.
>I'd sort it all out some other time.
"You look..."
>"Like hell? Yeah, I know. My captors at least let me see a mirror after they shoved me in a bed and started pumping lukewarm piss into my veins." She hiked a thumb at the little box I'd noticed earlier.
>I was just glad she'd cut me off, since I was going to say 'better'. How was I supposed to explain what I meant by that? I couldn't exactly say she looked better than when she'd been passed out and the wrong color.
"Pretty slick little gadget there."
>She chuckled softly before shifting slightly under her blankets, looking from me to Fluttershy.
>"Yeah, I guess so. You... Feeling better, 'Shy?"
>I felt fingers tighten around my hand before they relaxed again. 
>Fluttershy still wasn't looking at me though and it was starting to freak me out a little.
>"... Yes. What about you, Rainbow? How are you doing?" Her soft voice seemed to cut through some of Rainbow's anxiety.
>"I'm fine, Flutters. Like I kept telling you before. Just need a little R&R and I'm back in action." Her little speech would have been more convincing if she wasn't obviously fighting off exhaustion. Even I knew Rainbow was the type of girl to tell you she was fine while nursing a broken leg.
"Does it hurt?"
>I clapped my free hand over my mouth. What the hell was I doing? Rainbow just shrugged, her blankets shifting again.
>"Not really anymore. When I woke up it hurt like someone was dipping my fingers and toes in molten lava, but it's not that bad now."
She hiked her chin toward her IV bag and grinned. "Plus they've got me on some of the good stuff. That helps, but it's making me feel like my brain's wrapped in a wet towel."
>I heard Fluttershy sigh and hoped it was with relief, instead of exasperation with me. Come on, insensitive much?
>"So, Sunny get hold of you yet, Fem?" Rainbow asked offhandedly, to which I shook my head.
"Not yet. She said she wanted to talk to me and Flutters after we got done visiting you, though."
>She rolled her eyes.
>"Well, get ready to humor her little personal obsession. She's on about that 'Demon' again." I saw Fluttershy's shoulders slump as my heart-rate picked up.
"O-oh, that again? Doesn't she have something more important to worry about?"
>I forced out a chuckle as Rainbow looked at me calmly. Her eyes wandered to the top of my head before meeting my eyes again.
>"Well, no need to worry about me, so she can focus as much energy as she needs on our little 'Demon' problem."
>Why was she looking at me like that?
"Come on. I know me and Flutters humor her about all that, but do you actually believe her?"
>Rainbow smiled slowly at me in such a way that I was suddenly a lot more nervous. She looked like a cat sizing up a caged canary and trying to figure out how much work it would take to bust it out.
>"Well, of course I believe her, Fem. After all, I saw it just a few hours ago."

>My chest tightened. My spine stiffened and my grip on Fluttershy's hand clamped down.
>I shouldn't have been surprised. Dash saw me in the locker room. She saw me out in the snow.
>Even if I knew that in my head, the vision of Dash in front of me confirming it unnerved me.
>She'd convince the rest of them.
>Sunset alone was a theory, but now she had corroboration.
>NOW one of them had suffered at the 'Demon's hands. They wouldn't let it go anymore.
>Staring into Dash's determined face, I thought about just coming clean right there.
>Maybe they'd forgive me, let me explain what happened.
>I mean, I was trying to SAVE Dash, right?
>Even if it was my fault she needed saving.
>Not to mention how far I'd invaded Dash's privacy.
>I didn't know if Dash's friends knew about her little midnight forays, but I kind of doubted it.
>That would all come out if I had to explain myself.
>Right now it was Dash's word as to why she'd been there, and only Sunset to wonder why she'd been dressed like that.
>I snapped back to reality with a hand gently shaking my shoulder, Fluttershy's face inches from mine and etched with concern.
>"Fem? Are you okay? You look upset." Her soft words cut into me.
>Would Fluttershy forgive me? She and Dash and were as close as two friends could get. Would my reasons matter to her, as opposed to the results?
"Yeah, Flutters. I'm just, uh, surprised."
>Her eyes didn't leave my face as mine furtively slid over to meet Dash's.
"So, you really saw it? What, at the school?"
>I tried to keep it innocuous. It'd be weird if I DIDN'T ask questions, right?
>"Yeah. It was watching me in the locker room, then it disappeared outside. I looked all over outside the school for it, and just when I realized I might be in a bit of trouble it showed up again walking toward me. It looked different out there in the snow..."
>Rainbow broke eye contact with me, her covers shifting again as she moved around under them.
>"... Kinda scary, actually." She looked up at the two of us and cracked a weak smile. "Enough about all that for now, though. When I get out of here we can over it with everyone. What I~ want to know is, what's up with all THIS?"
>Her chin jutted out between me and Fluttershy, a wicked grin on her face.
>I looked down to my hand, still clasped in Fluttershy's.
'Huh, right.'
>I shrugged. What, was I supposed to gasp and yank my hand back?
>Fluttershy seemed to shrink into her chair a bit, looking back and forth between our hands and me.
"Flutters needed a hand."
>Dash gave me a foul look.
>"Come on. That is just, BAD. I didn't know you had such a shitty sense of humor, Fem. Guess I better get used to it, though."
'What's that supposed to mean?'
>"Rainbow..." Fluttershy muttered, fixing her with a look. Dash immediately looked abashed, chuckling nervously.
>"Yeah, yeah, I'll be good Flutters. Look," She said, rustling under her covers again, "Why don't you two send my next batch of admirers in. You both look like you could use some rest, and I wanna make sure I see everybody before I pass out again."
>Fluttershy got up from her seat, leaning over Dash and reaching out a hand to brush her cheek. She sighed while Rainbow's face scrunched up in embarrassment.
>"Okay, Rainbow. You need to rest, too, so don't stay up just to prove you're a tough girl. When you're feeling better we're going to have a talk about how you keep managing to do this kind of thing to yourself."
>I reached out and awkwardly patted where I figured Rainbow's hand was. We shared a sickly grin.
>Fluttershy wasn't the kind of girl I'd want to be on the receiving end of a lecture from. I hadn't known her for very long, but I knew that much.
>My thoughts were with Rainbow as we got up, wishing her a swift recovery and moving to the door.
>"Come on, I'm not gonna let a little thing like this keep me down. I'll be running wind sprints and shooting goals in a couple days. Just you wait!" Rainbow's confidant grin couldn't hide her battle with exhaustion, though.
"We know, Rainbow. Captain of the Wonderbolts, rarara. Get well soon."
>Fluttershy looked back at her with a smile as I opened the door.
>"I'm not worried. I'll see you tomorrow, Rainbow. You just get some rest." Fluttershy turned away from Rainbow and I caught the edges of her warm smile, her soft voice clear as a bell in the silent hospital.
>The second the door closed behind us her face crumpled.
>She slumped against me, causing me to stagger across the hall under her weight.
>Fluttershy might have been a twig, but she still probably had about twenty pounds on me.
>We thumped into the opposite wall of the hallway as I struggled to keep us upright, eventually failing as my back slid down the wall.
>Fluttershy clung to me like a rock in stormy seas, her sobbing renewed from earlier.
>I was shocked by how terrible Rainbow looked, but I guess it had hit Fluttershy harder.
>Not surprising, really.
>I tried to console her as best I could, but it's not exactly my forte. Haven't had a lot of practice dealing with people's emotions.
>Whispering assurances as she practically curled up in my lap, her head pressed into my chest, I tried not to think about how absurd we must look.
>What was this, anyway?
>My thoughts spiraled back to earlier in the night, trying to make sense of how Fluttershy was acting toward me.
>I couldn't deny that we'd clicked right from the start. She was shy and I was, I guess taciturn was a good word.
>We didn't push each other, and when she actually talked I didn't mind listening.
>I honest to god think tonight was the first time we'd physically touched, though.
>It was like flicking on a light bulb.
>The second we made contact she never let go.
>I'm not stupid. I understand she needed comfort, and the touch of a friend did that for most people.
>This felt like a little much, though.
>All the while, a little voice in the back of my head was telling me not to think about it too much.
>Oh course, that just made it impossible to NOT think about.
>A larger voice was telling me not to think too much about the willowy girl crawling in my lap and snuffling into my chest.
>It felt way too much like taking advantage of this strange circumstance I was wrapped up in.
>In essence, I was overthinking this and reading too much into it and needed to stop and just be here for Fluttershy and stop thinking about that aroma of jasmine and pine that still smelled really nice and I hoped that I smelled nice too but I figured I did because I'd just taken a shower hadn't I and I was kind of wondering which body wash I'd grabbed but I didn't want to sniff myself because she might think I was sniffing her and that would be weird but her scent was overpowering my own and it was hard to smell yourself anyway right I swore I'd read that somewhere before but you could never be sure so I was really considering taking a little sniff but I was a little busy trying to keep Fluttershy's outer thigh from getting REALLY intimate with certain parts of me since I was just wearing pajamas like an idiot and I didn't think about it that much usually but they didn't really fit that well anymore and Fluttershy's constant shimmying and fidgeting seemed to be pulling them in weird directions and I thought I might need an adult or a shallow grave soon because I was getting close to a really embarrassing situation and I might die.
>And that is how I felt.
>I think I was on the verge of tears when the door popped open and Sunset stuck her head out the door.
>She must have been wondering where me and Fluttershy had gotten off to.
>My quiet sounds of desperation must have alerted her to our presence, since Fluttershy had long since muted herself in my damp chest.
>I mouthed a silent 'Help me' to the wide-eyed girl as Fluttershy's clutching fingers pulled the fabric of my blouse too tight and the top button popped off to ping off the wall opposite us.
'This isn't how I wanted to die, God. Don't strike me down in my prime. I have so much to accomplish!'
>Sunset seemed frozen in place as our eyes locked, my vision blurring slightly as I felt Fluttershy's nose and most intoxicatingly her lips settle into the valley of bare skin that the popped button had afforded her.
'No... Not like this...'
>I'm sure this was the point where Sunset watched my eyes glaze over and wander aimlessly toward the ceiling.
>That's how she told it later, anyway.
>"Sunset, dear, are they out there? I imagine they might want some time alone but... Oh. Oh my."
>My eyes refocused in time to see Rarity stride past Sunset's paralyzed form and step behind Fluttershy.
>She gently disentangled my hand from Fluttershy's hair. I honestly have no memory of doing it, but I'd apparently grabbed the back of her head.
>Don't ask me whether I was trying to pull her away or push her closer.
>Even if I knew I wouldn't tell you.
>"Fluttershy, perhaps you'd like to get up? There's a lovely couch just in the other room to rest on. Femanon can join us in a moment."
>Without waiting for a response Rarity tugged gently at her shoulders, and despite quiet mews of protest Fluttershy released me, letting herself be pulled up and away to be led through the open door.
>My head lolled listlessly to follow them, meeting Sunset's eyes as she walked over to me, apparently free from her earlier paralysis.
>I call it this because if she was just watching to see how far it would go I'd have to kill her and bury her in a convenient woodlot across town.
>"You look like..."
"Yeah, shut up Sunny."
>I'd regained enough of a sense of composure to wipe a shaking hand down my face, my other one pinching my pajama top closed.
>My hand came away wet. 
'Oh God I was fucking drooling. Kill me. Strike me down.'
>I could FEEL the heat in my cheeks, a mixture of embarrassment, shame and... Yeah.
>Sunset glanced down and leaned over to snatch my button off the floor, inspecting it incredulously.
>"Wow. Never seen that before. Let's give them a couple minutes to settle Fluttershy, then we can go in and get you fixed up. I'm sure Rarity has some thread to fix this up."
>I nodded shakily, watching Sunset slump down next to me and bump my shoulder with hers companionably.
>"Sooooo..."
>She obviously wanted me to enlighten her on what she'd just seen. I felt like she had a better idea than I did at this point.
"Sooooo... What? You think I have any idea what just happened? I know you haven't known me that long, but I'm not exactly adept at social cues."
>Sunset fidgeted with my button.
>The one from the shirt you pervs.
>"Well, you two seemed to hit it off so well. I guess I could tell there was something going on there. I think Fluttershy is gonna have a hard time dealing with this." She looked at the ceiling and sighed before turning her head toward me and rubbing her neck.
>"I think she took some advice she was given a bit too literally."
>Oh, I didn't like the sound of this at all.
"Wait. Wait a Goddamn second. She was asking... WHO was she asking?"
>I knew the fucking answer already.
>I'd seen all the looks I got when everyone saw me here tonight.
>Suddenly Rarity's earlier words took on a new meaning.
"She fucking set me up..."
>Sunset chuckled nervously.
>"Yeah, she does that. You're talking about Rarity, right? She was a bit intent on the whole scenario."
>I couldn't deal with this right now.
>Putting the decision of whether to strangle Rarity or hug her on hold for the moment, I levered myself up using the wall at my back.
>Fuck, this was really confusing.
>I massaged my temples as I tried to work out a few things in my head.
>Sure, I liked girls. I liked guys, too. Not that I had any actual experience in the field, but if my own body was any indication I was as omnivorous as they came.
>Did I like Fluttershy? I mean, sure. She was great.
>This wasn't quite the same thing and I knew it well enough to be disgusted at myself for even following that line of reasoning.
>"Hey, Fem, are you..." I stuck a hand out to silence her.
"Shut up, I'm trying to proselytize myself."
>Okay, obviously I wasn't trying to get away from Fluttershy that hard. Did that mean I wanted it? Did I want her to slowly but inevitably strip me down, her hands roaming over my supple flesh as her lips traced lines of fire across my shuddering body, bodies pressed together and twining our legs as...
>Yeah, that was probably a yes. I let a heavy breath out and pressed my hand to my far more bare than I preferred chest. On the other hand, what did I care if Sunset got an eyeful? Maybe it would help to balance the scales of embarrassment.
>No. I was at the bottom of a well, looking up to see her face looking down at me from the lip above.
>She'd have to run through the cafeteria naked in the middle of lunch to get on my level.
>Distracting myself with humorous scenarios wasn't getting me any closer to fixing my problems, though.
>So, I was probably okay with this development, just surprised by it suddenly coming at me out of left field.
>Was fluttershy?
>Her actions seemed to indicate very yes, but was there intent behind it?
>Did she mean to press herself against me, her hot breath against my bare skin as intoxicating as her heady scent, her thighs pushing mine insistently wider and...
'Fuck, brain, task at hand. Just, memorize it like my multiplication tables so I can treasure it for years and years.'
>I was going to mark that down as a solid probably. I could be mistaken. She might have just been overwhelmed and seeking comfort.
>Seeking comfort it my warm body.
>My warm body and the heady release it offered if she just...
>...
>Maybe I needed a cold shower. That was supposed to help with stuff like this, right? It wouldn't be such a prevalent anecdote if it wasn't partially grounded in fact.
"Do cold showers work?"
>Yes, I asked Sunset. Why not? I was already soiled in her eyes.
>She just shrugged helplessly. I think she was struggling to hold back laughter. Bitch.
"Sure, laugh it up. This is all your fault, anyway. If you hadn't pulled me into your little magical friendship world I wouldn't be in this position."
>I saw her face slowly fall, a slow unconscious step away from me, the slight raise of a hand toward me before it fell back to her side.
"Sunset, I'm just freaking out a little. I didn't mean that. I don't regret being friends with you."
>That might have been a little dishonest, but it was what she needed to hear.
>I meant it at least a little bit. 
"Let's just go in so Pinkie and Rarity can visit Rainbow. I'm sure she's wondering where everyone is by now, if she hasn't fallen asleep already."
>Sunset's eyes widened. She held out her hand, offering me my button. When I took it she turned around and popped into Rainbow's room, motioning for me to go back into the room with the others.
>Taking a deep breath, I pushed the door open and stepped inside, but not before I heard Rainbow's weak laughter from her still open door.
>Suffice it to say my thunderous expression wasn't the best thing to walk into the room with.
>Rainbow's parents were both asleep on the couch now, so they were spared my visage.
>I didn't see Applejack, so she must have made good on her promise and left for home already.
>It would have been nice to have her level head around right now.
>Twilight was ignoring me a little too obviously from her seat next to Dash's parents, darting glances at me over the top of her ridiculously large cellphone. Was it just a tablet at that point? Where did she even keep it? She didn't have a bag...
>That left...
>I turned to the other couch to see Pinkie and Rarity on either side of Fluttershy, the tall girl still a shuddering mess as her two friends tried to comfort her.
>When she saw me she seemed to collapse in on herself, surprising the two that had been trying to console her.
"Hey, would you two mind going over to see Rainbow now? I have to talk to Flutters."
>Pinkie and Rarity jerked at the sound of my voice, Pinkie fixing me with a nervous grin while Rarity eyed me more coolly.
>"Oh, darling, we're in no hurry. Why don't you have your chat right now? I'm sure Rainbow can wait a few minutes."
>Pinkie just giggled, gaze darting back and forth between me and Rarity while she slowly stroked Fluttershy's back.
"Yeah, I don't think she can. She was practically passing out while we were in there." 
>I took a step forward and grimaced at Rarity. It probably wasn't very intimidating, but I hoped it got my point across.
"Besides, this is private."
>Pinkie let out another nervous giggle.
>"Come on now, Femmy Wemmy, we're all friends here, right?" She gave me a grin and I sighed minutely.
>God, was that true? Was it just a thing, now? Was I just part of the crew because I was friends with Sunset and Fluttershy? I didn't want to just come out and say I didn't agree. 
>That would be kind of... Kind of a shitty thing to say. Ignoring that whole aspect of the conversation might be my best best right now.
"I need to talk to Fluttershy in private. Is that too much to ask?"
>Pinkie and Rarity exchanged slightly pained glances before facing me again. Fluttershy didn't say a word.
>"Well, no, of course it's not. Fluttershy is in a bit of a fragile state right now, though..."
>"It's okay. I need to talk to Femanon." Fluttershy said quietly, lifting her head. She focused on me with an unreadable expression. "We should... We should talk."
>I nodded, watching as Pinkie and Rarity exchanged glances again before slowly getting up. A thought occurred to me and I gave Rarity a grim little smile.
"Sunset mentioned you might be able to fix this?"
>I held up my button and tugged the shoulder of my pajama top. Rarity perked up and nodded at once.
>"Oh, yes of course, dear. Just let me get my needle and thread from my bag and I'll have that fixed up in a trice!" She leaned forward to tug at the hem of my top. I managed to step back in time that they only got a view of my tummy before the fabric was snatched from her fingers. Rarity pursed her lips and gave me a nonplussed look.
>"Whatever is the problem?" I rolled my eyes and tugged the top off my shoulder, showing the distinct lack of a bra strap.
"I don't wear bras all that often. I don't really, um, need them so much."
>Rarity flinched slightly at my pause, and we shared an understanding look as Pinkie cocked her head at me. Suddenly her expression brightened and she snapped her fingers.
>"Oh, is it be-mrph!" A lily-white hand muffled Pinkie's exuberance, and I gave her a grateful look.
>"Ahem, well, that does leave us in a pickle. I know it must be a bit of a shock, but I simply don't have anything for you to borrow. We were in such a rush to get here that I couldn't bring along my usual accoutrements." She gave me a sorrowful look, but salvation came in the form of a quiet cough.
>I turned to see Fluttershy raising a hand timidly.
>"I can fix it while we talk if Rarity will let me borrow a needle and thread." Rarity beamed at the girl.
>"Well, there you have it! A solution presents itself. Now, just let me find my travel kit..." Rarity glanced at the strangely quiet Pinkie and slowly lifted her hand from the girl's mouth.
"...-cause she has sma-mrgle!" Rarity glared at the pink menace, only to have her wiggle her eyebrows outrageously.
>"Oh, for the love of..." Dragging the girl with her to a tote hanging from a chair-back, she rummaged in it one-handed for a moment before pulling out a small zippered case. "Here we are, more than everything you'll need for such a simple fix."
>She trotted back to Fluttershy and presented her the case with a smile, still dragging Pinkie along by the mouth.
>Was this the kind of thing I'd missed by skipping out on them when Sunset tried to fix us up for lunch?
>I mentally patted myself on the back.
>Turning right around, Rarity moved over to Twilight and poked her in the side.
>"Come on now, up up up! Fluttershy and Femanon need a moment. Let's all go see Rainbow before her stubbornness runs out and she gets the rest she actually needs." Twilight started at the poke, glancing furtively at me and Fluttershy before looking up at Rarity.
>"But, um, we aren't supposed to all go in there at once. My parents could get in tr-" Rarity tsked, dragging the girl up by the arm.
>"Oh, come now. What are they going to do, ask us to leave an hour before regular visiting hours start? We'll simply be very quiet and they'll never know the difference." Rarity pushed Twilight along with one hand while she dragged Pinkie along with the other, making for the door.
>"But, I wanted to watch..." Twilight said quietly to herself. Not quietly enough that everyone currently awake in the room didn't hear her, but still, quietly. 
>Rarity's hand wasn't quite enough to stifle Pinkie's giggles as she pushed a morose looking Twilight out into the hall. 
>The girl's eyes followed me the whole time.
>Shuddering, I turned back to Fluttershy, who'd spent that little exchange pulling open the sewing kit and securing a needle and thread.
>"-all sweater muffins?"
>"Pinkie!"
>I turned my head slowly to watch the door click shut on the hallway. I couldn't tell how badly my eye was twitching. That was probably a bad sign, right?
>"D-do you want to sit down, Fem? It would be easier for me to fix your pajamas if y-you were sitting."
>Turning my head back to look at Fluttershy, I noted she was still trembling slightly.
>I walked to the couch and took a seat next to her, turning so she'd have easy access to my top. Shaky hands reached out slowly to grasp the abused fabric.
>Honestly, I'm surprised she didn't just immediately stab me with the needle, but when her eyes focused on her work her hands steadied.
"Shy."
>The girl's eyes flicked up to meet mine for a moment before going back to sewing my button back.
>"Y-yes, Fem? I mean, Femanon. I guess you probably don't want me calling you F-fem anymore." She stiffened as my hand fell on her thigh, patting it lightly.
"You can still call me Fem, Shy. As long as you don't mind me calling you Shy, that is."
>She looked up at me again to see my wry smile, and she met it with a timid one of her own.
>I could feel the tremors that had been wracking her slowly subside under my palm, and her fingers fairly flew as they stitched.
"So... In the hallway. What exactly was that about?"
>I thought I might be going at it a bit too directly, but Fluttershy just furrowed her brow.
>"Oh, I don't know. I asked everyone how they thought I could get your attention. They all seemed to think t-touching you whenever I had an excuse would, would do something anyway. But it just made everything harder."
>I looked down at the girl, her face less than a foot from mine as she leaned in to work on my top. Her mouth was a little bow of frustration, forehead crinkled cutely. 
>"You hugged me, but then I didn't want to let go. Rainbow looked so terrible and you felt so g-good... It just seemed, I mean, you didn't seem to mind. I didn't want to look at you because I was blushing so hard and, and... Smiling! Even though Rainbow was right across the hall in that bed looking so, just so wrong! It FELT so wrong..."
>Finished with the button, Fluttershy slid the needle back into the case and set it next to her on the couch. She still hunched over in front of me, still staring at my repaired button instead of looking me in the eyes.
>"Rainbow asked why you were holding my hand and you... You made it sound like a joke, or even like you were doing me a favor. I thought... Maybe you were doing it because you wanted to, but that's silly. I'm just silly."
"Hey."
>Oh boy, here goes. I reached up and tentatively laid two fingers under her chin. She started at my touch, but I was happy to see that she didn't pull away. Pulling her chin up, I smiled at her forlorn expression.
>"I WAS doing it because I wanted to. I'll admit I was a little surprised when you basically tackled me into a wall. Okay, I was really surprised. Not thinking straight levels of surprised, actually. But, did I ever tell you to stop?"
>Fluttershy blinked, staring at me. She didn't even seem confused, just, blank.
"I might have needed a few minutes to think about it and get my head on straight, but I think I already knew deep down what I wanted. I like to think I would have caught up pretty quick if we hadn't been interrupted...~"
>I leaned forward, face inches away from Fluttershy's as I licked suddenly dry lips. Her eyes grew wide in my vision, the pert bow of her mouth slightly parted and her cheeks flaring red.
"You paralyzed me, Shy, but I'm not confused anymore. I think I know exactly what we both want."
>With barely an inch between us, I suddenly turned my head to look at the door, expecting it to burst wide and have everyone pile in to interrupt this private moment. I gave it a beat, then sighed in relief.
>Turning back to Fluttershy, I slipped a hand behind her neck and drew her slowly down toward me.
>When our lips touched it was warm and gentle. There was none of the frantic energy Fluttershy seemed to have been possessed by earlier. Soft touches, the light lick of her tongue against mine, a timid bite to her lower lip. My fingers caressed the back of her neck while my hand dug lightly into thigh, pulling a needy mewl from her throat.
>Fluttershy's hand twined in mine on her thigh, delicate digits rolling over my own before adding her own pressure to my grip. Her other hand was more daring, trailing across the open expanse of skin I'd left exposed even after my top was repaired. With another gentle caress against my lips, she pulled back and smiled mischievously.
"Mmmmm... What's that look for?"
>Fluttershy moved in again and kissed my cheek, then my jaw, proceeding ever southward as she murmured heated wards against my skin.
>"You smell *smic* delicious, Fem. *smic* Kiwi and *smic* strawberries... *smic* I just want *smic* to eat you *smic* all up..."
'Oh, that was the body wash I grabbed. Guess I need to buy more.'
>My mind wandered through sensations and inanities as she trailed kisses down the side of my neck before nibbling on my collarbone. A few warning signals started flashing in my mind, and were immediately ignored. I felt the fingers caressing the valley between my breasts slip down to the next button on my top, flicking it open.
>Two more followed suit and my top was open to the waist, Fluttershy's fingers trailing up my tummy before detouring under my top to pass over my small mound, finding my nipples already stiff. Her other hand pulled mine down her thigh to the hem of her skirt, leading me in ever so slowly rucking up the fabric.
>Oh, this was getting intense. Yes. Had Fluttershy done this before?
>I moaned softly as Fluttershy's hand flicked my top open, pinching my nipple lightly as her head bent down, forging a new trail of kisses down the valley of my breasts before faring toward my bared breast.
>"You taste so good, Fem..." Fluttershy murmured, lapping at the sensitive skin around my nipple as she gently tugged it. My fingers moved up from the back of her neck to her head and I suddenly knew exactly what I'd been doing in the Hall earlier.
>Through a haze of unfamiliar feelings a thought pushed itself forward, twisting my lips into a frown.
'I'm not exactly showing Flutters a good time...'
>Filled with new purpose, my fingers that had been tentatively inching up Fluttershy's thigh slip quickly upward, finding the slick cloth of her panties and stroking her folds through them. A wide damp patch showed me just how much Fluttershy was already getting out of this, but I didn't want her to feel good.
>I wanted her to feel AMAZING.
>I could do that. I'd gotten myself off countless times. It couldn't be much different than that, right?
>Palming her mons, my fingers slid up and down her outer lips a few times before pressing firmly into her entrance through the cloth, sliding up the length of her slit before my fingertips settled on her button. I stroked firm circles around it as I felt the hand that had joined me on the journey up Fluttershy's thigh land om my tummy, slipping under the waistband of my pajama's to seek out her own prize.
>"Mmmm, that f-feels nice, Fem. Don't worry, I'll make you feel nice too~." I could feel Fluttershy's hot breaths coming faster against my breast as she suited words to actions, leaning down to take my nipple in her mouth.
>My breath caught in my chest as her tongue swirled around the sensitive little nub, and blew out of me explosively when her fingers slid over my plump lips.
>Fluttershy cooed into my breast as she found no barrier between her fingers and their intended goal. My own hooked into the edge of her panties and pulled them aside a little roughly, impatient to feel her slick flesh.
>A pool of heat and sensation that I'd been growing steadily more aware of suddenly surged, waves of heady pleasure rolling out from my core to slowly suffuse my body, my skin coming alive behind every crashing breaker against the shore as the tide slowly mounted.
>Almost in concert we plunged into each other, stroking, swirling and pressing here and there, exploring each other exhaustively.
>My mouth worked soundlessly, shoulders hunched inward over Fluttershy as our sticky fingers played havoc with each other's senses.
>Pressing my thumb firmly into Fluttershy's button, I was treated in kind. A sharper wash of heat rippled through me as I rolled my neck and reveled in it.
>I was distracted by a sound, but to my mortification I realized what I had thought were merely workings of my jaw were a litany of breathless moans.
"Oh, oh, oh, OH, ohohoh..."
>I couldn't stop myself if I'd tried as lightning built in my center, sharp and urgent but not unpleasant. Anything but unpleasant. My limbs were becoming listless with it as all my muscles seemed to be storing up a pool of energy for some great effort.
>It was similar to any other time I'd felt the need for release, but it was so much more at the same time. Heady concepts of pleasure multiplied in the sharing flitted through my mind, but the heavy fog of sensation kept anything but my twin goals from crystallizing.
>All I wanted was to watch Fluttershy groan out her ecstasy into my body before I surrendered to my own. 
>Deciding to go for quantity instead of quality since my fingers were getting more than a bit clumsy at this point, I slipped a third one into Fluttershy's tight tunnel, feeling her walls stretch to accommodate the new intruder as I thumbed her clit. 
>Her hips seemed to quake and I hoped I was close to tipping her over the edge into an ocean of pleasure.
>The sudden urge to look into her eyes overtook me, the fingers twined in her hair tightening and tugging her gently up.
>Her lips slipped off my nipple with a lewd 'pop', such a distinctive sound amid my constant moans and the noise of two hands busy in slick flesh.
>Fluttershy's glassy eyes stared up into my face as I leaned in to crush my mouth against hers, quieting me as our tongues swirled in a complicated dance.
>I stared into the turquoise depths as my pointer finger pulled out of Fluttershy to join my thumb at her clit. I watched those eyes widen as I pinched her slick little bud before losing focus entirely. Her hips bucked into my hand as her dam broke, unformed words muffled by my mouth as I moaned into hers as well.
>I pulled my hand out of her hair and stoked her cheek, peppering her face with kisses while her body shook against mine. My palm settled over her button and ground down gently while my hand waggled back and forth over her drenched folds, stimulating her through her peak in an effort to draw it out.
>Her flushed cheeks felt so hot against my lips, the salty tang of sweat still tasting sweet to my tongue... She was radiant in afterglow, and I resolved to bring out this primal beauty as often as I could manage.
>Soft sounds of satisfaction emanated from Fluttershy as her moment passed, her dreamy eyes focusing on me again and grinning goofily.
>"That was so... So nice, Fem. Are you... Did you...?" She seemed to have trouble forcing the words out, but I knew what she meant and gave her a strained smile.
"Not yet, no. I'm just happy I got to make you feel so good, Shy. You look so beautiful when you're all gooey and satisfied."
>She giggled happily, but I gasped as her fingers renewed their efforts in my snatch, her thumb rubbing insistently against my nub.
>"Well, that's not fair at all. I'll just have to work extra hard. I can tell how much you want it." A hot wind blew across my cheeks as her surprisingly sultry words registered. I didn't expect that kind of... Eagerness out of Flutters.
>I was even more surprised when her palm pressed into the center of my chest, pushing me gently backwards until my back hit the couch cushions.
>She loomed over me with a pleasant smile, but there was an edge of hunger in it as she flicked my top fully open, licking her lips as I was fully exposed to her.
>I had a sudden urge to flinch away from that gaze. 
>My body wasn't anything that special in my estimation. Small breasts, a not-quite-flat little tummy and a thinnish waist a little too doughy for my liking. I always thought of myself as a bit unfinished, like I'd never gotten that last growth spurt that pushed a girl from budding into full womanhood.
>I squirmed under Fluttershy's gaze as she seemed to drink me in. Well, the squirming might have been from her continued attention to my nethers, I guess.
>Her free hand reached out to stroke my cheek before it trailed down my neck and chest to cup my breast, tweaking the nipple and grinning at the yip this pulled from me.
>"Oh, you're so CUTE~... I could just eat you up..." 
>Oh. Oh Lord. 
>Her hand moved to the cushion beside my head as she leaned down, kissing me firmly as the hand so busily working inside me retreated for a moment, wrapping around the waist of my pajamas and tugging at them insistently.
>I couldn't help myself. I shifted on the couch, raising my hips so she could pull them down and over my knees, leaving them around my ankles and pulling my legs up onto the couch so that I was fully laid out beneath her.
>My hands roamed over her shoulders and back as her fingers renewed their assault on my slit, drawing another moan out of me. Fluttershy backed out of the kiss and looked down at me, biting her lip in anticipation.
>She trailed kissed down my neck again, pausing on her journey down my torso to capture a nipple again for a quick nip. My eyes rolled up to the ceiling in a mix of pleasure, pain, and anticipation.
>This was heading to places I hadn't yet journeyed to. I couldn't believe how confident Fluttershy was in all this, and had the flitting feeling once again that it wasn't exactly her first time.
>My eyes wandered from her lips against my skin to her slowly waving rear, bobbing back and forth as she shimmied back on the couch to match her movements down my body.
>Almost ticklish shudders ran through my body as she nipped at my tummy, the rest of the sensations she was pulling out of me fading to a wash of pleasure as I focused on every little lick and suckle her mouth was giving me, and my hips bucking when she lapped across my mons.
>I was building again. My left hand slipped to my breast and clutched as my right reached out and smoothed Fluttershy's hair behind her ear, pulling buck the curtain to see her eye flick up to meet mine and crinkle in delight.
>Her hands grasped my thighs, one dry and silky against the flesh while the other slicked it with moisture. I had no time to process the strange dichotomy of sensations before a wide tongue lapped my slit from top to bottom, flicking my nub at the end.
>My mouth stretched wide as I threw my head back against the couch, hips tensing as she wiggled her hot little muscle against my hood.
Fireworks fired off across my body, my skin slashed with heat and sensation.
>This was a different level of sensation than I'd ever experienced. It felt like she was diving into the pool of heat deep inside me and whipping it up into a whirlpool.
>Skirls of sensation rose in my mind as her tongue lapped at my folds, ululating through my body as her tongue plunged into my tunnel.
>It was like nothing I'd ever felt. A living thing writhed inside me, more intimate than any plastic or rubber that'd plumbed those depths. 
>I was close to the edge. I wanted to spill over. I was going to break. Fluttershy was breaking me and I didn't want her to ever stop.
>My fingers clenched in her hair just like they clenched against my breast, nails adding sharp staccato notes to the symphony that was building to a crescendo inside of me.
>Hips bucking and grinding, Fluttershy rode through it, never ceasing in her quest for my release. Her hand slipped from my thigh to plunge inside me, lips suckling on my bud for all they were worth.
>The dam broke, and I drowned in it.
>Legs kicking out to either side of Fluttershy, my head whipped from side to side as the hand on my breast flew to my mouth to muffle my cries of ecstasy, a last conscious action before I slipped into the kaleidoscope of sensation blasting up my spine to strangle my mind.
>I felt Fluttershy's hand move up to splay over my clenching tummy, drawing my shattered focus to the seizing muscles. My legs shook out of my control.
>It was the best orgasm I ever had, as much thanks to the skill of the girl giving it to me as that it WAS her giving it to me. Fluttershy could have been a rank beginner in the arts of coitus (like me), and she still would have drawn ecstasy from my body.
>But she wasn't. She was beautiful and kind, attentive to my needs, and seemingly knew my body better than I did myself.
>I suppose I might have been making more out of it than it was, seeing events through the mushy lens of my orgasm.
>I didn't think so, though.
>Panting for breath, my hands slowly roaming over my chest and the back of Fluttershy's head, my head lolled to the side.
>To meet two pairs of wide eyes.

>My body stiffened as I took in the blank faces of Rainbow's parents.
>How long had they been awake? What had they seen?
>Why weren't they fucking saying anything?
>"Mmmm... Fem, was it good?" A soft voice asked, heavy with lust but still tinged with trepidation.
>I watched, still unable to do anything else, still frozen in that moment.
>Horror was close to what I felt. Shame was pulling for some attention as well, but I was paralyzed by those stares.
>I watched as two faces clearly told me without words that this wasn't the end of this before two sets of eyes closed and two bodies relaxed back into facsimiles of slumber.
>Oh, I was going to answer for this. Even if it had been more than mutual, I'd just made those two watch a girl they'd probably known since she'd been in diapers do... THINGS to me.
>A small part of my mind wondered if they'd been awake long enough to see her 'O' face.
>I promptly kicked that part of my mind to the floor and methodically beat it to death.
>"Fem?"
>My head snapped back down to look at Fluttershy's now nervous grin. Her cheeks glistened faintly from my viscous enthusiasm, sending a shame-filled shudder through my core.
>Conflicted was a good way to describe my feelings at seeing that beautiful face covered in my juices.
>I was still wearing the lens of Rainbow's parents seeing the same thing, and that sickening realization was battling with my own indescribable mix of emotions.
>How had I gotten here, basically stripped and basking in the slowly cooling ardor of afterglow?
"It was amazing, Flutters. Y-you were incredible..."
>Words slipped out of my mouth, and I watched Fluttershy's nervousness vanish, to be replaced with giddy satisfaction.
>I felt like I'd just given her a treat for performing a new trick to my satisfaction.
>Oh course, I meant exactly what I'd said. There was a lot of meaning packed into that short sentence.
>I wasn't thinking clearly. I hadn't meant for this to happen. So much had happened tonight. I felt like I couldn't catch up.
>Fluttershy slowly moved up my body, catching the hand that slipped loosely from her hair and kissing it. I could feel her warm lips, and the evidence of our activities still clinging to her sent a shudder through me again as it brushed against my palm.
>I hadn't been thinking clearly since Rainbow Dash's entrance to the locker room.
>How had things gotten so out of hand? I just wanted to pull a prank, and suddenly Rainbow was recovering from a brush with death and I was...
>I was wrapping my arms around a beautiful girl while her hand stroked my cheek and her lips slowly lowered down to mine.
>Kissing her was easy. It was something I guilelessly wanted. It was all I'd wanted.
>The sequence of events that had followed that kiss... I really needed some time to figure out how I felt about that.
>Time away from Fluttershy. I didn't want her to see the conflict swirling in my mind on my face.
>But I couldn't leave right now or she might think she'd done something wrong.
>No matter what I figured out for myself, I didn't want to hurt Fluttershy if I could avoid it.
>Our kiss was pretty involved, and my internal discourse broke down as I focused on this clean intimacy. The mess between my legs that was probably going to stain this fucking couch couldn't stain the feelings this kiss was invoking in me.
>Eventually, though, my pragmatic side won through enough that I was able to whisper out a request.
"Shy, let me get dressed? Everyone could come back any minute."
>I didn't mention Rainbow's parents maybe waking up. I was hoping she'd forgotten they were even there.
>Kind of like I had until my little rude awakening. 
'Ugh...'
>"Oh, you're... You're right. We should, we should get you... Yes, let's get you dressed." I could hear the regret in her voice. She liked having me naked under her. It was a little bit intoxicating, knowing that.
>She lifted herself off of me for a moment and I drew up my legs, snatching the waistband of my bottoms and pulling them up.
>The fabric squished between my legs, instantly darkening as the evidence of my pleasure suppurated it. 
'Well, that's gross. Hopefully it won't get noticed? Fuck, they're gonna be GLUED to me by the time I get out of here.'
>My cheeks glowed in embarrassment as I thought about the steps I was going to have to take to remove the garment later.
>Also, the fact that the wet fabric clung to every inch of my pubis, clearly outlining my puffy lips. Fluttershy's eyes followed mine and she cooed, a hand reaching down to stroke light fingers against them.
>My breath hitched in my throat, the soft touch against still sensitive flesh stirring something deep inside me. 
>Thankfully, she didn't go any further. I knew what would have happened if she did, and I still wanted it even knowing how terrible an idea it was.
>My hands busied themselves buttoning up my top, then reached around Fluttershy to pull her back down on me.
>She came with a happy sigh, snuggling against me. Her hand trailed lazily over my hip while her other one slipped under me to cradle my neck.
>Tilting to the side, she wedged herself between me and the back of the couch, half on and half off.
>"I wish we were... Somewhere more private, Fem. I'd rather not have so much, um, between us." God, Fluttershy was actually insinuating things. She was insinuating, right? Insinuating that she wished there weren't so many clothes in this equation?
>Insinuating that she wanted there to be nothing between us. Skin on skin...
'Nope! Seriously, calm the fuck down, this is already crazy!'
>Still...
>I had to calm down. Had to think about this. Suddenly I was in this intimate situation with this girl.
>Not going to plan. My plan was in shambles. Four years without a hitch and then blown out of the water in a matter of weeks.
>I'd worked really hard and done my best, but now it was all coming apart at the seams. Even with my dad...
>There was no going back to how I'd been now, and all my work had left me unprepared. I'd been going so long without worrying about what I'd do if things went off the rails that I had...
>... I had nothing. My mind grasped at nothing. That chill reasoning that I'd smothered myself in was hollow now, and I didn't think I could go through with it anymore.
>It wasn't just Fluttershy. 
>Sunset... And my dad, too. Even the other girls. I couldn't rationalize it anymore. I'd gone past the point of no return.
>Wait, it'd been a while since Fluttershy said something...
>"Fem... Are you okay?" Yup, too long.
"I'm... Yeah, I'm okay, Shy. This is just, well, I haven't really done much stuff like this before. Just, processing I guess."
>Fluttershy's eyes widened, her fingers stilling against my hip.
>"Was it...? It was too fast, wasn't it?" She leaned back from me, panic flitting across her face before it settled into resignation.
>God, keeping this girl from plunging into tears was a lot of work.
"It wasn't too fast. It was just unexpected, Shy. I just... Didn't think we'd be doing all that right off the bat, I guess."
>I couldn't help a sigh from escaping my lips. Even to me, that didn't sound all that reassuring.
>Fluttershy seemed to agree with me, her hand leaving my thigh and bunching up in her skirt as she looked away from me.
>"... I messed it all up again." She whispered. 
'God damn it, Flutters...'
>Snatching her hand up in mine, I pulled it to my mouth and kissed her palm lightly. Her eyes shifted back to me in surprise and met my smiling face, although I'm sure some of my frustration was apparent.
"No, Shy. You didn't mess it up. Unexpected isn't bad. I liked it. I fucking loved it, okay? I just need some time to process some things. Doesn't have to be now. I'm fine just like this." 
>When I got home tonight I was going to cry a little for the life I'd imagined I'd have. It was getting hard to keep it in already. I was becoming overwhelmed by a curious sort of grief, mourning an ideal I'd lost.
>Something like that.
>Fluttershy seemed to be calming down, at least. Her eyes were moist as she held my gaze, but a smile slowly grew as she accepted the honesty in my words.
>"I, um, That's very good to hear." She glanced away for a moment, sniffing loudly.
>God, it was so fucking cute.
>"I know I let my doubts get the b-better of me sometimes. I was really hoping I wasn't making another m-mistake." She sniffled lightly again, turning back to me with a bruised little smile.
>She was fucking killing me. It felt so good to make her smile. 
>I was so fucking weak. I had no resolve at all. Doomed from the start.
"Sorry. I know I'm acting weird about all this. I've got a lot of stuff going on and this just came out of nowhere, and... And you're the first person that..."
>Ugh. Why was it so easy to say things like 'suck my dick' or 'hoover my clam' on the internet, but when I was talking to Fluttershy it felt SO FUCKING WEIRD?
'Maybe because she actually just did it?'
>Shut the fuck up, brain. It was like this before the Time of Tongue.
>"Um... The first person that what, Fem?" Fluttershy asked, her eyes peering down at me. She was going to make me say it. Her innocent gaze bored into me.
>Wait. Wait a fucking second. Fluttershy had basically just proven to me this wasn't her first rodeo.
>...
>Was she fucking with me? Fluttershy?!? But, maybe she thought it was MY first rodeo...
>Shit, was I a bad lay? She came, right? W-was she faking it?
>No, she came. I'd definitely be able to tell. I was... I was fine in bed. Fluttershy was just messing with me. That was it.
>Well, two could play at that game.
"That... K-kissed me, Fluttershy."
>I watched her eye twitch once, then pulled my hand back to cup my own cheek, closing my eyes and leaning into it.
>"Oh. I was your... First kiss, Fem?" I nodded, eyes still closed, and slowly bit my lip.
"Yeah... And then, when your hands started moving over me... No one's ever touched me like that, Fluttershy. I... I liked it a lot. I've seen some stuff on the internet, Fluttershy. I know where ladies touch each other to feel good, even if daddy told me not to play with my no-no place."
>I giggled. It felt... unnatural. But it was for the lawls. Fluttershy had to understand who she was messing with.
"Everyone in class is so much bigger than me, I thought I should act tough and mature so they wouldn't pick on me. You're so nice, though, Shy. I feel like I can be myself around you. And now we played together like grownups. It was amazing..."
'Come on, Fluttershy, pick up on the subtext...' 
>I giggled again for good measure, putting on my most innocent expression. I'm small, Fluttershy. One might even say underdeveloped.  A loner. Really smart but socially awkward... 
>Fluttershy's face was becoming a rictus grin, panic clear behind her eyes. Oh, I had her. YES. Say it, Fluttershy. Say it!
>"F-fem... How old are you?" I cocked my head at her, giving her a quizzical expression.
"Oh, I didn't tell you? I could have sworn I did. I'm twelve." 
'... And what is this?'
>Fluttershy stared down at me, eyes wide and breath just short of hyperventilating. I looked up at her shyly, moving forward to seal her lips in a timid kiss before nuzzling her cheek. I could feel her shaking against me as I tightened my arms around her, pulling her paralyzed form down fully over me.
>Should I push it a bit further? Naw, Fluttershy was likely to have a stroke if I strung her along with this.
>My lips parted as I shifted enough to move them a hairsbreadth away from her ear, twisting in a savage grin.
"...Gotcha..."
>Strangled grunts met my ears and I pulled away to see Fluttershy's face purple with rage.
>Err, maybe I'd gone a bit too far.
>"That's not funny, Fem." The girl hissed out, trying to pull away from me, but my arms were wrapped tight around her and she'd have had to lift us both off the couch to move.
"Well, neither is trying to get me to admit I'm a kiss-less virgin. Which I wasn't, thank you very much. Don't mess with me, Shy, I'm better at it than you."
>I gave her another grin, but it was soft and apologetic as I slowly leaned up toward her.
>She huffed out her irritation, but eventually her expression softened to match mine.
>"Fine, Fem. I guess I deserved that. It was... Really mean, though. I really thought I'd done something, um, really bad." I laughed, softly and nervously. 
>Now I kinda felt like shit.
"My ID is in my jacket. I'll show it to you later. I promise you didn't do anything bad, Shy. But... Maybe I went a bit too far there. I'm sorry."
>Fluttershy huffed again, but finally moved down to meet me, our lips brushing lightly before I moved in deeper.
>I wasn't all that sure how I felt about this whole situation, but good lord, when my body took over it knew exactly what it wanted.
>Shouldn't be so surprised, I supposed. I'd been kind of starving myself as far as physical contact went for a while, now. Fluttershy felt so NICE, pressed against me, her hand slipping back to my hip and trailing fingers teasingly around.
>Maybe she was feeling the same way I was. Were we just two lost souls drifting in an ocean, clinging to the first piece of dry land we'd seen in ages?
>Maybe I was being over-dramatic about this and should focus on making out with the nice girl on top of me?
>Wait, wasn't I supposed to be calming this whole situation down? Wasn't I supposed to be getting presentable in case the rest of that gaggle of girls came busting in?
>Somehow I doubted they were going to knock.
>I broke off the kiss slowly, watching Fluttershy's slightly opened mouth and flushed cheeks pull away as I settled my back into the couch cushions.
"I wasn't, though, just so you know."
>Huh. Where did that come from? All of a sudden I had a need. 
>Fluttershy looked down on me before rolling into her earlier position, between me and the back of the couch. 
>She propped her head up on her palm, elbow digging into the cushion next to my shoulder as her free hand roamed over my hip.
>"Weren't what, Fem?" She asked with a sincere smile. I couldn't help snaking a hand down to mirror her movements, fingers splayed wide as they pressed into the fabric covering her thigh.
"You know. What I said before. A kiss-less v-virgin. I kissed some people before. Even got digits..."
>I wasn't sure why, but it was important that Fluttershy know I wasn't completely inexperienced. 
>My old friend paranoia was insisting that it was important she know she wasn't the first one to get up in me.
>"Well, I wouldn't have tried to make that joke if I thought it was TRUE, silly. That would be mean." 
>Oh. Yeah, that made sense. Flutters wasn't... Damnit, now I felt bad for defcon1ing her again.
>"Besides..." She husked out, leaning down to peck me on the lips with a half-lidded smile. "You proved you knew what you were doing pretty quickly."
>My fingers tightened on her thigh, drawing an appreciative murmur from her.
>Jesus Christ, Flutters... My cheeks burst into a rosy hue as I looked up at her coy expression.
>I might have a higher than average resistance to cute, and a modest one to sexy, but that was just...
"Ehehehe, yeah. I, um, guess I did."
>My nervous giggle pulled a delighted squee from Fluttershy as she rolled to loom over me again, knees straddling my hips.
>"You are SO cute, Fem. You just, you have no idea. You're always so grumpy around everyone else..."
>She leaned down, eyes shimmering with heat, and captured my lips again.
>I'd be a liar if I didn't admit I leaned up to meet her.
>My hand cupped her cheek as our tongues danced, so sensuously, so gently. 
>After a few moments Fluttershy broke away. She left me panting for more. My body was a fucking traitor.
>"... You always smile for me though, Fem."
>She was right, of course.
>Even the first time Sunset had brought her over to my table, sitting across from me and nervously fidgeting.
>It'd been so easy to let my mask slip enough to give her a reassuring smile, rewarding me with a shy quirk of her lips as her hands stilled in her lap.
>I really had a terrible handle on my own emotions. Why hadn't I noticed that?
"I can't help it, I guess. You just make me want to smile..."
>Cutting myself off was there was a good idea. I didn't know what my traitorous mouth would do if I continued.
>Fluttershy was drawing things out of me that I'd been unable to admit to myself.
>It was scary how she kept saying these things about me, only for me to realize how true they were.
>What had I been doing?
>Had I just been ignoring what I wanted instead of controlling my life like I'd thought?
>I knew it, to a point. I had to do it, to make the plan work.
>But the shallow pool I'd seen in myself, not letting anyone disturb the glassy surface by dipping a toe in, was a deep dark well.
>Fluttershy had dove right in, and she was coming up for air with a new artifact to dazzle us with every time.
>"I... I want to... I NEED you to know how special that makes me feel, Fem. I'm not scared at all. Isn't that amazing?"
>Her eyes were wide, filled with wonder.
>She wasn't scared of me.
>But she was, too.
>I could still see the terror behind her eyes, like a looming shadow, waiting for me to reject her.
>It was a flicker of darkness now, not like it'd been when we first sat down on this couch.
>What was going to happen if she found me out?
>It churned in my guts, the thought that she might find out I was behind Rainbow's accident, even if it hadn't been my intention.
>I reached up and pulled her against me, as much to hide my face from her as to feel her pressed against me.
>Her arms slowly wrapped around me, legs stretching out until we were pressed against each other from head to toe, her face pressed into her crossed arms as my head was pillowed in them.
>I rubbed my cheek against hers slowly, content to let my worries trickle out of me and focus on the positives.
>Fluttershy cared about me. A bit more than I'd thought she did.
>Her friends seemed to accept me. None of them were punishing me for snubbing them the past few weeks, and I'd actually found their presence tolerable tonight.
>I even seemed to have hit it off with Rainbow, someone I was sure I'd hate if I ever got to know her.
>Not so sure, anymore. She might be a bit abrasive, but so was I, right? I even thought I saw a slightly similar sense of humor lurking under her swagger and brashness.
>Her comment from earlier bubbled up to the top of my thoughts as well.
>'Guess I better get used to it...'
>She wasn't dumb. She knew what was going on long before I did. It made me wonder again who exactly had suggested Fluttershy cling to me like a limpet.
>Speaking of, the girl in question shifted, her head turning to place a kiss on my cheek.
>I turned my head to face her, our tired smiles matching.
>It had been a long, draining night for both of us.
>I wondered if she'd been woken from a peaceful sleep into all this chaos.
>She didn't seem like the type for long nights.
"Are you tired, Shy? We can get some rest, if you want."
>Her eyes crinkled and she nodded, moving in to brush her lips against mine.
>"J-just for a few minutes. The girls should be back soon. I don't know what we're going to do today, but we should make some kind of plans, right?"
>She still seemed to stumble over a few of the intimate ideas.
>I wondered if she'd ever fallen asleep in someone's arms, or had someone fall asleep in hers.
>She must have, right? The only people whose arms I'd ever fell asleep in were my parents, but I just couldn't picture Fluttershy never sharing that with someone.
>After a few moments of shifting around I found myself in the strangely unembarrassing position of little spoon, facing into the room with Fluttershy's warm presence pressing into me from behind.
"You're sure you don't mind, Shy? They're GOING to see us like this."
>Fluttershy's hot breath bathed the back of my neck as she giggled softly.
>I wondered what kind of expression was on her face right then.
>"They know this is what I wanted, Fem. I think they'll be happy."
>Shrugging, I closed my eyes. I hadn't been embarrassed in front of Rainbow. I didn't really feel like I'd be embarrassed in front of any of them.
>I didn't have any illusions that it would take them long to figure out what had happened.
>Beyond our surely disheveled appearances, we probably smelled like a brothel.
>It wasn't hard to drift off in Fluttershy's arms, the rise and fall of her chest against my back slowing and evening as mine did.
>I thought I should say something, but goodnight sounded ridiculous in my head, and it didn't feel right to say something more profound.
>So I finally let myself relax, let sleep claim me until the world intruded again.

>It didn't take long.
>"... We wake them? It's already nine."
>"What's a little longer, Sunset? We've already missed first period, no one here is in any condition to attend school. Once Applejack gets here to hold down the fort, as it were, we can all get some rest."
>Seems plans had been formed in my absence. 
>"Besides, they're so CUTE!"
>"Pinkie, please try to be quiet. We're still here on the hospital's sufferance. I don't even want to know what kind of favors my parents are going to owe for all this."
>I decided to crack my eyelids open, trying not to wince at the bright hospital lights.
>Pinkie, Rarity, Twilight and Sunset were all crammed on the other couch. Rainbow's parents were nowhere to be seen.
>Probably in with Rainbow again.
>That brought a twinge to my chest, picturing them sitting side by side, watching their daughter sleep.
>"Erm... Speaking of your parents, Twilight, are you sure they'd be unable to procure a few doctor's notes for us? What with their seemingly deep connections to this lovely establishment...."
>Twilight turned a long-suffering glance to Rarity before huffing and crossing her arms over her chest.
>"You're just going to have to get your notes from your parents like everyone else, Rarity. I think my parents have already stretched the hospital's good will to it's limits. Believe me, I'm not looking forward to an absence on my record, either."
>Her last sentence dissolved into an annoyed grumble as she sank deeper into the couch, clearly sulking.
>Sunset, caught between the two girls and looking back and forth between them, reached out hands to comfort them both.
>"I can talk to principal Celestia. I'm sure she'll understand, and maybe she'll even excuse us."
>Pinkie bounced excitedly on the other side of Rarity, fixing Sunset with a wide smile.
>"Bring cake! Celly loves cake. Not that everybody doesn't love cake, but Celly REALLY loves cake. She must have an even better metabolism than me, because she keeps up that rockin' bod even though she eats like, a whole cake. Every day."
>The girls stared at Pinkie for a few seconds before bursting out into giggles. Sunset nodded, wiping tears of mirth from her eyes.
>"G-good idea, Pinkie. I'll even let you bake it."
>Their banter was pretty entertaining, but I didn't want to join in. If I drew their attention, it might wake Fluttershy up.
>She needed rest. I'd gotten about two hours of sleep, so I was good for a while. I didn't need much sleep.
>Of course, the kiss against the back of my neck and the tightening of the arms around me notified me that it was a moot point.
>I waited for her to say something, but it seemed she was as content as I was to keep up the illusion of sleep.
>"So, Applejack plans to stay here and keep Rainbow's parents company, and we've tentatively decided to go to Twilight's for some rest, yes? Do you think Femanon will join us?"
>Huh. Nice of Rarity to catch me up. I looked over to her with slitted eyes to see her smiling back at me. Once she'd caught my glance, she gave me an exaggerated wink.
>She knew I was up. Probably Fluttershy, too. She was pretty observant.
>"I don't have any problems with that, if she wants to. We have plenty of room. Although~, I doubt she'd be taking up any extra room, regardless."
>I almost gaped at her. This was the shy nerd, right? The shy nerd was making innuendos about me.
>"She doesn't take up much space, does she? Especially when she's practically being absorbed by Flutters." Sunset remarked with a chuckle.
>Et tu, Sunset? Traitor...
>Fluttershy squirmed against me and I could imagine her blushing cheeks, didn't have to imagine them press into the back of my neck as if I could hide her.
>"I know, right? She's all cute and tiny and scowly. Do you think she knows her scowls are super cute? I mean, look! She's even scowling away in her sleep, like a cute little caterpillar in her Fluttershy cocoon!"
>Err...
>Fuck, my resting bitch face had given me away.
>And I was NOT cute when I scowled.
>Just for the record. It was intimidating. Very intimidating.
"Fine, I'm up. We're up. Stop needling us with your groundless accusations."
>I opened my eyes, glared at the four conspirators, then promptly turned my back on them.
>Their giggles sloughed off of me as I rolled awkwardly in Fluttershy's arms to face her. Her sheepish smile regarded me, cheeks as red as I'd imagined. 
>Couldn't have that, now.
"Morning Shy, how did you sleep?"
>I was determined to make this easier for Fluttershy. Treat it like normal. Like people did this all the time.
>Of course, inside I was whirring like a blender with a broken off switch. Why had I thought I wasn't going to be embarrassed, again?
>She just smiled awkwardly and leaned in to kiss me briefly, pulling back and mouthing 'thank you'.
>That perked me right up.
>"Hardly groundless, dear."
>"We have some fairly good empirical evidence."
>"The proof's in the pudding!"
>I rolled my eyes at that, unable to keep a small grin off my face that Fluttershy mirrored.
>"Us?"
>Oh. THANKS, SUNSET. Thank you so much for putting me on the spot right here.
>Fluttershy's grin had become a brittle thing. She looked very fragile right then.
>Was there an 'us'? Of course there was. Did I know what that really meant?
>Fuck no I didn't.
>Sunset had set a timer on a fucking nuclear bomb with that innocuous little question.
"We'll talk about it later."
>My whisper didn't seem to console Fluttershy very well, but she seemed to accept it.
>A series of dull thumps broke the tension between us, Fluttershy poking her head up over mine to see what it was, then bite back a snicker.
"What's going on?"
>My dry tone seemed to trigger a few more giggles out of Fluttershy, and I couldn't help but snicker along.
>"Rarity is... Teaching Sunset a friendship lesson." Fluttershy eventually murmured, the corners of her mouth quirked up slightly.
>Oh, I had to see this.
>Craning my neck around, I could make out Rarity swatting at Sunset with open palms, the other girl having thrown her arms over her head to protect herself.
>"Okay! I get it, already! Bad Sunset, don't throw gas on a fire!" Sunset squawked out from under the dainty barrage.
>Rarity slowly ceased her blows, but not before aiming one last well-placed smack against the back of Sunset's hand.
>That looked like it had to smart a little.
>"Of all the... Sunset Shimmer, what on earth are you thinking?" Rarity screeched out quietly, hands bunched into fists under her chin in an impressive display of aggressive pleading.
>Sunset opened her mouth to respond, closed it, rubbed her chin for a moment, then spread her palms out and shrugged.
>Pinkie exploded into giggles while Rarity clutched at her hair, her face a mask of apoplexy.
>I turned back to Fluttershy to see her shaking her head in amusement. She was obviously used to her friend's antics at this point.
"Shy, your friends are all crazy. Let's go back to bed."
>Fluttershy smiled at me softly.
>"Come on, Fem, they're your friends, too." Her smile faltered slightly, but she plowed onward. "At least, at least a little bit, right?"
>It was pretty obviously important to Fluttershy that I get along with her friends.
"I don't know if I'd call them that, Shy, but I'm getting there."
>It was the best I could offer.
>Feeling like I'd gone for almost a month without really processing anything was starting to drive me a bit crazy.
>I mean, honestly it was probably a lot longer than that, but right now I felt like I was drowning in the significance of the last month's events without any context.
>Things in my life had been washing to either side of me like I was the prow of a huge ship, but I'd been ignoring the little chunks of ice for a while now, and suddenly there were icebergs looming all around me.
>"It's a start. Now, can... Can I be the little spoon this time?"
>This was... Enticing. 
>I'd thought the fervor I'd felt when I touched Fluttershy had died down a little with our nap, but thoughts of this pressing into that, these wrapped around those and so forth fanned the flame in my belly.
>That being said, I didn't really want to get frisky in front of a bunch of people again.
>Rainbow's parent's eyes still burned into my soul when I closed my eyes.
>God, when was that going to blow up in my face?
"As much as I'd love that, I think we better get up."
>Fluttershy pretended a pout at my words, but I just covered her pursed lips with my own.
>An appreciative murmur slipped out of her, followed by a polite cough behind us.
>I suddenly realized that the banter that I'd pushed into the background of my mind had stopped a bit ago.
>Rolling over again, I arched an eyebrow at the girls that were all in suspiciously casual poses.
"Pervs."
>Sunset just smirked back at me.
>"Get a room then, Fem."
>I was all set to make a witty retort when I felt Fluttershy's lips on my neck.
>Her hands also shifted.
>She was getting very handsy.
>My widened eyes matched the other girls as they stared at me, yellow hands roaming over my chest in plain view.
>This was backwards shit! Fluttershy was meek!
>MEEK!
>Fucking down, girl!
>Plaintive mewling was loud in my ear as I gaped like a landed fish. There was only one option.
>I swung my legs off the couch and practically leaped out of her arms. There was just one thing I hadn't factored into this plan.
>A sound almost like Velcro parting came to my ears as my crotch exploded in pain.
>I tumbled ungainly to the ground, hands in my lap, pressing against the stiff fabric.
"Oh God, it burns like FIRE!"
>It felt like I'd just gotten a waxing session packed into about .8 seconds.
>Through the pain, the inane thought that I could probably cancel that appointment next week bubbled up to the surface.
>Cackles of mirth mixed with sobs of pain as I rolled back and forth on the carpet.
>I felt hands clamp onto my shoulders rolling me over to see Fluttershy's concerned face.
>"Fem, are you okay? What's wrong?" How was I supposed to explain this? My chest heaved as the stinging subsided slightly.
>Other faces appeared in my blurry vision, looking down on me with concern.
>"What happened?" Sunset asked, real concern tinging her voice. I cringed internally.
>'Oh, you know, Fluttershy put me away wet and I just ripped all the hair off my pussy.' 
>Yeah, not happening.  
>"Did Fluttershy break your pussy, Fem? Fluttershy, you shouldn't break her pussy. She needs that."
>Okay, so admittedly, Pinkie's comment might be more embarrassing than the truth.
>Reactions to it were mixed.
>Rarity simply slapped a hand over Pinkie's mouth. I'd have to thank her for that later. Who knows what other horrors would have spilled from the eternally cheerful and boundary-less girl otherwise.
>Our eyes met and I gave her a thankful smile, which she acknowledged with a red-tinged nod, face caught somewhere between embarrassment and... Concern? 
>Probably that, but by the way she was sneaking glances behind me, that was more reserved for Flutters than me.
>Twilight just leaned down, scrutinizing me closely, her cellphone out and trained on me unwaveringly.
>Her curiosity was really slipping over the line into uncomfortable.
>Thirsty bitch...
>Sunset leered down at me, her earlier concern vanished. Like she knew things she couldn't possibly know. Her nostrils flared suddenly, and her grin deepened, teeth glinting in the fluorescent hospital lights.
>All joking aside, could she actually smell me?
>Was her nose telling her tales of dried sweat and stale excitement?
>"Oh, come on, I'm sure it's nothing like that, right Fem?"
>Why was I friends with her, again?
>Fucking awkward bullshit.
"Can I just say it's painful and embarrassing and leave it at that?"
>It was a small hope, but it was better than the alternative.
>Because if they didn't drop I was gonna start getting mad.
>And I wasn't any kind of nice when I was mad.
>Rarity already seemed to sense my changing mood, leaning back from me slightly.
>"Well, if you say you're alright, there's surely no need to go into the nitty gritty."
>Huh. Rarity was full of surprises. I'd have pegged her for the type to dive headfirst into the juicy details, but I found myself giving her a grateful smile for the second time in as many minutes.
>"That's fine, I suppose. Just don't be surprised if I inquire further later."
>Well, I could live with that. Twilight wasn't going to bury me in embarrassment yet. 
>Just leave her eventual inquiry hanging over my head like a guillotine blade.
>Sunset just huffed, pulling back and crossing her arms.
>"Don't get too comfortable, Fem. We have a lot to talk about, but I guess I can just add this to the list."
>She turned to Pinkie and extended a commanding finger.
>"That goes for you, too, Pinkie. If I can't badger Fem into a puddle neither can you."
>Pinkie pouted.
>It was hard to tell from behind Rarity's hand, but at the same time it was patently obvious.
>Suddenly, Rarity yelped and snatched her hand back, staring at Pinkie in horror.
>"You... You licked me!" Rarity sputtered out, but her mild protests were ignored by the pink menace.
>"Fine, I'll go easy on her. Just remember, Sunset, the longer I hold it in the worse it's gonna be when I UNLEASH THE BEAST!"

>I... Was she making some kind of reference?
>The rest of the girls gave Pinkie slightly sour looks while I leaned up to press my cheek against Fluttershy's.
"Help me up, yeah?"
>I felt the taller girl nod as her willowy arms wrapped tighter around me, still surprised by how easily she pulled me to my feet.
>Gingerly shifting my weight from one foot to the other, I decided my impromptu wax session hadn't crippled me, and leaned lightly into Fluttershy.
>Hands coming to rest over her hips, I came to the pleasant but slightly embarrassing realization that... Well, my eye level was basically tit-height on Fluttershy.
>I mean, in my head I'd known this.
>Flutters was almost six feet tall, and I didn't even top five.
>I really must look like a child standing next to her.
>it also didn't help my urge to just bury my face in between her soft pillows.
>I could still feel the sensation of her warm flesh against my cheeks...
>My tongue slid nervously across dry lips, and I could feel heat slowly bloom across my face.
>Jesus, I could still taste her...
>One of Fluttershy's hands slid slowly up my back to settle at the nape of my neck, and I tilted my head back, letting her cradle my head in her hand as we looked steadily into each other's eyes.
>"Do you want to come over to Twilight's with me? Um, I mean, with us?"
>Her eyes darted to the side, embarrassed by her forwardness I'd guess, but after a moment they slid back to lock with mine again.
>What I wanted right now was for her to lean down and kiss me.
>I was practically swooning in her arms, for fuck's sake.
>Honestly, I was a little bit alarmed by just how much I was craving feeling Flutters' bare skin pressed against me again.
>I'd starved myself.
>I was so unused to... Physical affection.
>It had gotten so bad, to the point that HUGS were unbalancing me.
>We were using each other.

>I mean, not in a bad way.
>She knew it as well as I did, I was sure.
>Fluttershy was distracting herself with me, focusing on me so she could stop worrying about Rainbow.
>I was going to accept that as the push she'd needed, and not the overarching reason behind her suddenly making a move.
>Me, on the other hand...
>I wasn't sure how pure my motives were.
>This was all still kind of coming out of left field, you know?
>I was definitely happy this was happening.
>Fluttershy was amazing, even if I'd never really thought of her in this light before today.
>Not, you know, seriously, anyway.
>Switching gears this hard was leaving me feeling a little lost.
>A little bit confused.
>I'd really settled on distancing myself from everyone around me, but, I'd caved so easily.
>First with Sunset, and now with Fluttershy.
>God...
>What was I gonna do when I saw dad again?
>That was just a WHOLE other mess I definitely couldn't wrap my head around right now.
>So... Distractions.
>My hand slipped behind Flutters' head as I pulled her down into a soft kiss, savoring the feeling of her soft lips brushing against mine as I sought out that taste I was becoming so addicted to.
>After a few long moments we broke away, matching flushes brightening our cheeks as I grinned, watching Flutters' eyes flash happily.
"Yeah, I'd love to come with you, Flutters."
>The instant the words left my mouth I knew I'd made a mistake.
>A huge in-drawn breath could be heard, and I internally braced myself for what I was sure was going to be a catastrophically embarrassing comment from Pinkie.
>... And waited.
>Huh.
>Furtive sounds of movement turned my head to the side, and I grinned thankfully.
>Rarity had come to the rescue again, a hand clamped over Pinkie's mouth as the two girls struggled quietly, Rarity whispering fiercely into the pink menace's ear.
>She was a saint.
>An honest to God saint.
>I was really going to have to think of something nice to do for her.

>Looking back up to Flutters, I was treated to a practically euphoric smile beaming down on me.
>She honestly looked a bit out of it.
>I got the feeling she was off in her own little Fluttershy world, and I felt a little twinge of happiness at the thought that I could do this to her.
>For her.
>At the same time, I felt a little sad that I couldn't imagine what kind of thoughts were swirling through the girl's mind.
>Happy cuddles?
>Enthusiastic cuddles?
>Earnest and intense cuddles?
>I was pretty sure it at least involved cuddles.
>Deciding to suit perceived thoughts to reality, I pulled her closer against me, settling me head against her chest.
>I felt a low, happy murmur in that chest as her arms tightened around me, her fingers sliding gently through my tousled hair as she stroked my head.
>I almost stiffened in her arms as an associated memory drifted it's way up to the surface of my mind, but I gently tucked it back down into the depths.
>This had nothing to do with that.
>Probably just because we were here.
>It was enough of a distraction to break me out of the moment, though, and I suddenly wondered why it was so quiet.
"Are they just... Staring at us, Flutters?"
>"Mmmhmm..."
>Groaning softly, I hugged her a little tighter.
>I knew better than to think that if I just ignored them they'd go away, but...
>Did I really have anything better to do?
>Confronting them was definitely less fulfilling than holding Flutters against me and letting her warmth spread through every inch of my body until I was just, SUFFUSED with her.
>This was nice.
>I wanted to do this.
>At least for a little while longer, okay?
>"We should head out pretty soon. I'll check in with Rainbow's parents if they're awake."
>Sunset's voice cut through the haze that was settling over me, and I swayed a bit in Flutter's arms.
>Damn, I was tired.
>Had the others gotten any sleep?

>"AJ's finished her chores. She's unsure if she'll take a nap at home and join us at Twilight's later, or head over now."
>Twilight's soft voice followed Rarity's, seeming a little demure for her.
>"There's plenty of room, if that's what she's worried about."
>A thought occurred to me, and I gently pulled back from Fluttershy and glanced over to Sunset.
"How are we getting over to Twilight's, anyway? Didn't you drive your bike here?"
>Sunset looked at me blankly for a few moments, then a horrified look passed over her face.
>"Oh fuck... I left my bike in front of the school!"
>Pulling her phone out, she dialed a number, arms crossed over her chest as her foot tapped nervously.
>"Principal Celestia? This is Sunset. Um, I kind of... Yeah. Oh, you did? You're a lifesaver, Miss. Sorry for... Yeah, I wasn't thinking too clearly, I guess. I'll pick it up soon. Yeah, the girls aren't gonna be in today. We're all kind of exhausted. Yeah, I'll tell her you're thinking of her. Thanks so much."
>Everyone looked on expectantly as Sunset hung up her phone and slid it back into her pocket.
>She grinned awkwardly, rubbing the back of her head.
>"Celestia saw my bike when she came in this morning and rolled it into the student parking lot. She's a lifesaver, seriously. She said we should all get some rest and asked if I could give Rainbow her best wishes. Seriously cool."
>I couldn't help but chuckle at Sunset's slightly fawning attitude.
>Sure, Celestia was a pretty great principal, but the girl had some kind of complex about the woman, or so it seemed to me anyway.
"I can have a car come around and drop you off at your bike if you want to pick it up, Sunset."
>Turning, I looked over to Twilight.
>Right.
>She was rich or something.
>Shouldn't surprise me that she had a car service or whatever.
>Catching my eye, she gave me a timid smile.
>"Did you drive here, Fem?"
>I shook my head and smiled nervously back.

"No, I don't have a car. I was gonna walk here, but my dad actually ended up giving me a ride."
>Fluttershy smiled down at me, the arm around my back tightening affectionately for a second.
>"That was nice of him."
>Yeah... It was.
>Gusty internal sigh.
>"So, that's me, Fem, and I assume Fluttershy taking a ride on the Twilight express. What about you girls?"
>My gaze swung back over to Rarity and Pinkie, the former glaring at the grinning latter as she seemed to be quietly lecturing her.
>Breaking off her glare and smiling at Sunset, she waved a hand airily.
>"Oh, I drove over with Pinkie. I'm sure we'll be fine with the same arrangements. We have a bit to discuss anyway, just the two of us."
>Pinkie opened her mouth to reply, but withered under another glare from Rarity, smiling nervously.
>"Yup yup, I can ride with Rarity. Discussing things, yup!"
>I couldn't help but notice that Rarity's hand was clamped down around one of Pinkie's, and winced in sympathy as the lily white knuckles whitened further.
>Pinkie's smile strained a bit more, and her eyes darted from one girl to the next, pleading for help.
>Meh. Served her right.
>"Sounds good. You want to call the car around while I check in with Rainbow's parents?"
>Twilight nodded and tapped at her phone/tablet monstrosity while Sunset slid out the door.
>Reluctantly, I slipped out of Fluttershy's arms and walked over to the couch I'd sat at originally with Rainbow's parents and snatched up my jacket.
>A hand on my shoulder turned me around to find Fluttershy offering me my shoes and socks.
>I didn't even remember taking them off...
>Christ.
"Thanks, Flutters."
>We sat down while I slipped my footwear on, absently wondering why I wasn't having a more averse reaction to Fluttershy's doting on me.
>Normally I'd be reeling back from all the attention she was lavishing on me.
>For better or worse, though, I didn't mind.

>There was one thing that I most definitely DID mind, though.
>I grimaced in embarrassment as stiff fabric rasped across some pretty sensitive places.
>Well, he did say if I needed anything...
"Hey Twilight, what's your address? I might have my dad swing by and drop off some clothes for me."
>My laptop would be pretty handy, too...
>Glancing up from her giant phone, Twilight tilted her head at me.
>"I'm sure I have something you could borrow, Fem."
>Sizing her up in my mind, I came to the conclusion that was highly doubtful.
"I kind of doubt we're the same size in... You know, anything."
>I had the awkward feeling that Twilight was scanning my dimensions on a laser grid as she looked me up and down calmly.
>"... True."
>She rattled off her address to the accompaniment of demure titters and outright snickers from the peanut gallery.
>I wasn't surprised that it was up in the hills.
>Probably the gated community up there, Canterlot Heights or whatever.
>Getting the feeling I might have seriously underestimated Twilight's bankroll, I decided to pop a quick look at the Sparkle family finances at some point.
>Maybe they had some research grants or something...
>"I'll let the Blazing know he'll be coming by later."
>I nodded, pulling my phone out while Fluttershy slipped into the seat beside me on the couch.
>She glanced at me, then down at her lap, her hands fidgeting there.
>Did she want something?
>There was probably something people did in these situations...
>Hell if I knew what the socially acceptable level of casual intimacy was, though.
>I was torn between something along the lines of awkwardly patting her thigh and slipping an arm around her back so I could get a nice handful of...
>"Uh, who's Blazing?"
>Twilight glanced up, giving me a guarded look from underneath her lashes.
>"Our security man. Or, the head of our security, I guess."
>Rarity smiled, nodding at me in reassurance.
>"He's really quite nice, if a little stiff, dear."

>Pinkie straightened up to what I thought was a pretty good imitation of Parade Rest, sizing Rarity up with a thousand-yard stare.
>"Ma'am."
>The word came out in a deep rumble, noncommittal and dismissive.
>Rarity's eyes narrowed, but a wicked little grin flashed over her mouth as she stepped into Pinkie's personal space, laying a light hand on the other girl's chest.
>"Oh, come now, Blazing. Surely we know each other well enough by know that you can simply call me Rarity."
>Pinkie's face flushed slightly but her expression didn't change, and the bass voice rumbled out again.
>"It'd be worth my job, Ma'am. Client's guest, full comportment."
>Leaning in a little closer, Rarity simpered, batting her lashes and dimpling at Pinkie.
>"No need to be so stiff, *Blazing*..."
>Her hand slowly trailed down Pinkie's chest, stopping somewhere hidden from me between their two bodies as she leaned in to murmur into the pink girl's ear.
>"... Although I suppose a certain stiffness has it's uses."
>I couldn't help but gape at Rarity.
>Was she... Like, insinuating she'd seduced Twilight's security guy? Or was this something aimed at Pinkie? 
>I was... seriously confused.
>Pinkie seemed to not be taking it so well, either.
>Her face was a red mask that I seriously doubted was simply part and parcel of the role she'd undertaken.
>She bit her lip, sweat dripping from her brow, and then leaned back away from Rarity.
>"Rarity, take me!"
>The alabaster girl only had a moment to blurt out a shocked "What?! Pinkie!" before she was tackled to the ground with a shriek.
>I almost jumped into Flutter's lap, it shocked me so much.
>About to get up and... Help? I wasn't sure exactly what I could accomplish in this situation, but two things settled me back in my seat.
>One was Fluttershy's restraining hand on my shoulder.
>The other was the smothered giggles and outraged snorts of laughter coming from the lady-pile on the floor in front of me.

>"You broke character too soon, Pinkie. Blazing's made of sterner stuff than that."
>Twilight hadn't even glanced up from her tablet thing.
>"Also, please stop playing with him like that Rarity. One of these days he really is going to lose it."
>"Even money on whether he asks your dad for permission to court you or just shoots you."
>Glancing up, I saw Sunset leaning against the door frame, arms crossed and a grin on her face.
>Sitting up from her prone position, Rarity smoothed down her blouse with one hand while her other barred Pinkie from slithering into her lap, accompanied by a puppies plaintive whine.
>"I'd have to decline I'm afraid, darling. Blazing is a fine, upstanding man, but there's very little joy in his soul."
>Not for the first time, I had the sinking feeling I was severely out of my depth with these girls.
>Were they like this all the time?
>Jesus...
>"Ooh! I've got lots of joy! Pick me, pick me!"
>Rarity rolled her eyes in such a put-upon manner that I couldn't help a snort of laughter from bubbling up out of me.
>I stiffened for a second as I felt Fluttershy lean into my side, soft but delighted laughter filling my ears.
>Our eyes met when I glanced at her, and her eyes crinkled up in happiness as we shared another bout of giggles.
>Fine.
>This was nice, and maybe these girls were more fun than I'd thought they'd be.
>That wasn't GOOD, though, right?
>I'd never been afraid friends would be boring...
>"ANYway, Rainbow's folks are staying here 'til she's released. I think it'd be nice if we could tag in every once in a while to give them a chance to, you know, keep up with everything."
>I'll admit, I kind of tuned Sunset out at this point.
>Rainbow wasn't really going to appreciate having a girl she barely knew keep her company.
>I wasn't exactly looking forward to the next time I saw her parents, either.
>Was never an option? I'd shoot for that.

>Instead, I enjoyed Fluttershy's warm presence against my side while I tried vainly to tackle how I was going to deal with all these changes in my life.
>My plan was in shambles, of course.
>Not that I knew what I had exactly with Flutters, but it wasn't something simple, and I doubted it'd be easy to let go of.
>I didn't WANT to.
>Even if I was vague on everything else, I could at least acknowledge... Admit to that.
>In the end, though, there wasn't really anything more formal between us than a mutual affection, right?
>Did she want to like, be my girlfriend?
>I wasn't regretting what had happened last night at all, but I could admit to myself that I was a little bit out of my depth.
>What were the rules here?
>I kind of felt like we'd skipped the while 'dating' phase somehow.
>Or, maybe all those lunches we'd spent together were some kind of low-key dates?
>Were there special rules for dating a girl?
>Ugh. I didn't even know the REGULAR rules.
>Maybe I could ask... Someone?
>Umm, not Pinkie. Not Rainbow. Not Applejack.
>Sunset? I shuddered at the thought.
>We didn't really have the kind of friendship where I was comfortable with letting her see me vulnerable.
>She might be chill about it, but she also might give me endless shit and never let me live it down.
>Twilight was right out.
>I doubted she had any better idea than me about any of this stuff.
>So... Rarity?
>I mean... She was honestly kind of the logical choice, right?
>Did I know her well enough to come to her with this sort of thing, though?
>The simple answer was no, even if I felt like she'd probably be overjoyed to offer me advice on the subject.
>Soooo... Get to know Rarity better, then have her fix my life.
>...
>Okay, so the plan was a work in progress.
>"Fem, is that okay?"
>I jerked against Fluttershy like a total spaz, slowly turning to look at her.
"Uh, what? Sorry, I was kind of zoning out."
>She smiled at me softly. If I didn't know her better, I'd call it condescendingly.

>But I did, so I grinned nervously back at her, glancing around to see everyone looking at me amusedly.
>"We wanted to know if you and Fluttershy would mind visiting Rainbow tomorrow afternoon. Around four, maybe?"
>Sunset was smiling one of her devious smiles at me.
>The 'I know I'm fucking with you, YOU know I'm fucking with you, do something about it or suffer' one, to be exact.
>It'd be awkward to get indignant, but if I just brushed it off I was letting her manipulate me.
>She had a way of trapping people into doing what she wanted.
>Of course, she was a lot more lighthearted about it than she had been a couple years ago.
>Her motives were probably better, too.
>That didn't mean that I didn't bristle at the thought that she could know what was good for me better than I did, myself.
>Recent developments aside, of course.
"That okay with you, Flutters?"
>Nodding, the taller girl leaned in and nuzzled her cheek against mine.
>"That sounds okay, if you want to Fem."
>She sounded pretty happy about it, so flushing aside I nodded my ascent.
>A giddy little voice inside me noted that it sounded like I was going to be spending a lot of time with Flutters for the foreseeable future.
"I don't mind, yeah. No homework or anything to catch up on."
>I'll admit, I just kind of lost myself for however long there.
>After a while, I realized it was probably a little awkward to just stare dreamily into Fluttershy's eyes.
>Cheeks getting a little darker, I held up my phone.
"I should... Um, probably call my dad now."
>A disappointed sigh gusted out, and I glanced around the room to see a bunch of hastily averted eyes.
>"Don't mind us, girls. We're not in a hurry or anything. Not like we've been up for about thirty-six hours or anything."
>Sunset wasn't being coy, of course.
>"Ahem. A girl does need her beauty rest, darlings. Could we perhaps move this along?"
>I saw Pinkie glance at Rarity, grinning savagely.

>"I'm not tired at all! Fem and Fluttershy's googly eyes have filled me with strength!"
>She threw her arms out to her sides and tilted her head up toward the ceiling, breathing raggedly.
>"Down, girl. You know you get even crazier when you go without sleep."
>Pinkie's head slowly tilted down to regard Sunset, her grin never faltering.
>"No I don't, silly! All those memories go in the vault!"
>Okay, then.
>Tearing my eyes away from what I could only describe as some kind of psychotic episode, I tapped my phone a few times and set it to my ear.
>"You okay, honey?"
>My breath caught in my chest.
>How long had it been since my dad called me that?
"Y-yeah, I'm okay. My friend's gonna be fine, too. I just, I'm going over to a friend's house to get some rest. I wanted to know if you'd mind, umm, grabbing some clothes and my laptop and running them over to me?"
>Fuck. That had really thrown me. 
>What... Was going on with him all of a sudden?
>Next thing I knew he was going to be calling me his little honey bee and asking if I wanted a shoulder ride...
>"Uh, sure thing. You... Want me to go in your room? And get some clothes and your laptop?"
>He sounded like he wasn't hearing me right, and it set off another twinge.
>I hadn't let my dad in my room for years.
>Before that fight was over, I'd all but threatened to disown him.
>I'd definitely threatened to move out, but even at our worst neither of us really wanted that. Yet.
>He'd relented and I'd gotten my privacy, and retreated further behind my walls.
"Yeah, dad. That's what I said."
>There was a long pause. My dad processed things a little on the slow side, sometimes.
>"... You want some... Unmentionables, too?"
>He cleared his throat uncomfortably as I burst out in an epic blush.
>Oh, jeez... My dad was gonna be pawing through my underwear drawer.
>He was... Definitely going to see things neither of us wanted him to see.
>I silently prayed to god that my monitor was asleep.
>My wallpaper on my desktop...

>... Was pretty explicit.
>Okay, very explicit.
>Extremely explicit.
>Fan art.
>That I'd commissioned.
>Stupid sexy Shiro...
>There weren't a lot of girls with white hair I could self-insert as, so I couldn't be too picky, but dang it all that crazy bitch was hot.
>"Honey, I don't know where anything is in your room no more."
>Ugh. That sounded kind of raw.
"My clothes are in the dresser on the back wall and in the closet, dad. My laptop's on the shelf next to my desk."
>A sudden thought occurred to me, my eyes darting to Flutters and then away quickly.
"There's a dry cleaner bag hanging in the closet. Bring that, too."
>The line was silent for a few moments except for the muted sound of my dad shuffling around. He must be in my room right now.
>"Found it. Um, Fem darlin', who did you say you were stayin' over with, again?"
>Well, it was a little too much to hope that my dad wasn't going to draw a few conclusions from the clothes in that bag.
"My friend Twilight, up in the hills, and a couple other friends."
>I rattled off the address to him. I wasn't too worried about him remembering it.
>He had a mind like a steel trap that I was pleased to say he'd passed on to me.
>"These other friends wouldn't happen to be... Boys, would they, Fem?"
>I almost burst out laughing at that, but managed to strangle down what I was sure would be a fairly wild bout of laughter.
>If you only knew...
"No boys, dad."
>After a few seconds he sighed softly.
>"You into girls, then? Least I don't gotta worry about you turnin' up pregnant, I guess."
>I swear to god I almost threw my phone across the room.
>As it was I held it out at arms length and stared at it like it'd grown a dozen writhing snake's heads.
>How the hell?
>How in Satan's fiery blowhole had my dad pieced that together?

>"Look, Fem, I don't care 'bout that. It ain't up to me what makes you happy, and I ain't gonna judge you just 'cause I'm a stupid redneck from the south."
>I'd yanked my phone back to my ear when my dad started talking again. but I still couldn't believe what I was hearing.
>How..? How did he know? Where was this attitude coming from?
>I would have sworn on my life he'd throw me out of his house himself if he ever found out.
>HIS dad was an old guard, 'south will rise again' bible thumping walking stereotype.
>I had the terrible feeling I'd been making a lot of assumptions for a long time.
>Come to think of it, we never saw my dad's family anymore. Not since my mom...
"Dad... I don't..."
>I couldn't get anything out past the lump in my throat.
>My chest felt so heavy. It was crushing me.
>Hot tears were scorching trails down my face.
>"Fem, are you okay? What's wrong?"
>I felt a gentle hand cup my cheek and was vaguely aware of faces crowded around me, but I just mutely shook my head.
>After a crazy day, this was just, really too much.
>"We can talk about this when ya get home, honey bee. I'll drop your things off on my way to work, okay?"
>I nodded slowly.
>"Honey? You there?"
>Right.
>Right, I was on the phone. He couldn't see me nod.
"Yeah, Dad. I... I love you, Dad."
>Fresh tears spilled out with the words as I tore them from my throat.
>It felt really good to say that again.
>"Love you, too, darlin'. I think... We got a lot to talk about, but we can take our time. See you soon."
>I ended the call, letting the phone slip out of numb fingers.
>"Fem, are you okay?"
>Sunset's face came slowly into focus in front of my blurry eyes, and I raised a hand to knuckle the tears out of them.
>Fluttershy stroked my cheek gently, helping to keep me in the here and now where these inexplicable girls were all so concerned about me.
>Swallowing the lump in my throat down noisily, I stared blankly at Sunset for a few moments.
"I think I just came out to my Dad."

>I'll admit I kind of drifted for a few minutes.
>Not really at my best.
>This had definitely caught me off guard.
>I mean, in my head, I'd kind of expected things like shouting on my doorstep while my Dad threw all my stuff onto the lawn.
>In less generous moments I'd thought about the look on his face when I told him, right before stepping on the plane that would fly me away to my new life.
>Maybe even imagining him pitching a fit and getting hauled away by the ungentle hands of the TSA to a bracing round of cavity searches.
>Made me kind of sick to myself that I'd thought that badly of him.
>That was just, how Dads were supposed to take it, right?
>At least, Dads like my Dad.
>Of course, it was dawning on me that maybe my Dad wasn't quite like the Dad I'd imagined him to be.
>Fuck.
>I'd really managed to fuck up pretty hard over the last few years.
>I absently allowed Flutters to pull me up off the couch, leaning on her as we walked out of the hospital.
>Made noncommittal sounds as the girls delicately bombarded me with questions.
>Pinkie was surprisingly quiet, but she DID tuck a folded up note into the waist of my pajama bottoms and wink salaciously.
>Ugh. Now was not any kind of time to be dealing with Pinkie.
>They all looked so CONCERNED...
>It was disconcerting.
>This was all very disconcerting.
>I wasn't used to this kind of attention.
>I kept to myself.
>I didn't have any friends.
>No one to tie me down.
>I was a loner who was estranged from my Dad and kept myself out of other people's business.
>Wasn't I?
>Hadn't I been making sure of that for the last few years?
>So what was I doing getting trundled into a (Of course) Limo by an unbelievably kind and beautiful girl?

>Why was I surrounded by these girls that I barely knew, looking and sounding so empathetic?
>I swear, I think Sunset was about to cry.
>She kept touching me.
>Patting me on the shoulder and rubbing my thigh.
>I suppose she was trying to comfort me or something.
>It was very distracting.
>I mean, come on. Give a girl a second to get her head on straight, right?
>"Are you alright, Fem?"
>The soft tones cut through my fog slightly, and I turned my head to look up into Fluttershy's wide, concerned eyes.
>She'd asked me that already, right?
>Did I ever answer her?
>It was hard to talk. I felt like I hadn't used my voice in years.
>I didn't like seeing her like this, though.
"I... Think so, Fluttershy. It's just, nothing seems to be going like I thought it would lately."
>She turned away from me for a second, drawing in a deep breath in what I assumed was an effort to calm down.
>I felt her hands gather mine up, pulling them gently into her lap while her thumbs stroked back and forth over the smooth skin and fine bones.
>"Is it that bad? I... Know you like to have things planned out. Plans are really important to you, right?"
>I almost laughed out loud.
>She was being so... Fluttershy.
>Leaning up, I kissed her lightly on the cheek.
>Her eyes popped wide and she turned to look at me, bringing her mouth in range.
>Just like I'd planned.
>Our eyes locked as my lips rasped gently over hers, pulling a shudder out of the girl.
>I watched heat shimmer over the concern in her eyes, pushing it down below her desire.
>Hopefully she was seeing the same thing as I tried to show her what was most important to me right now.
>God, that was a bit much.
"I don't think I've ever been so happy that nothing's going how I thought it would, Flutters."
>Okay, that was definitely a bit much.
>Fluttershy's fingers tightened over mine while she leaned slightly away from me, head tilted up toward the ceiling.

>I swear she was almost bouncing in place, and she was letting out a quiet hum as she rocked quickly back and forth, eyes shut tight.
>Was she holding herself back?
>Well, that wouldn't do at all.
>Pulling her hands toward me, I set them against my hips where they clamped down like a vice.
>Her breath hitched in her throat as I threw my legs over hers, slipping my arms around her waist and turning into her.
>I had my own little moment of surprise when Fluttershy's hands slid around my hips, cupping my buns and using that surprising strength of hers to hoist me into her lap.
>Murmuring happily, I nuzzled into her neck, letting my hot breath wash over the smooth expanse of skin before leaning in to nip lightly at it.
>I lathed the bite with my tongue as a shiver coursed through both of us.
>She always tasted so amazing.
>Quiet mews were wrenched from Fluttershy's lips as I kissed her from her collarbone up to her jawline, her hands roving slowly over my ass.
>"I want you so badly, Fem..."
>My heartbeat rocketed up as I heard her almost sub-vocal growl, almost feeling it more than hearing it.
>Embarrassing things were happening.
>I resigned myself to the possibility that I was going to have to pay to get Twilight's limo detailed.
>Feeling her hand abandon my bun, I bit my lip as it traveled over my hip and across my thigh, tugging ever so gently on the inside.
>"O-open up, Fem..."
>Fire burst through my veins at those words. 
>There'd been nothing about a lack of confidence in that stutter.
>It sounded more like she was struggling to rein back a wild beast.
>Her tone was intoxicating.
>How could I say no to that?
>My thighs inched slowly apart and Fluttershy's hand slipped eagerly between them.
>Her head leaned back as well, and as I tipped my head up to look at her, her lips crashed gently into mine.
>The kiss was as far apart from my earlier brush against her lips as possible.

>She battered down the gates of my mouth, her hot tongue plunging past my teeth to wrestle my tongue into submission.
>All I could manage was to quiver against her as her taste burst across my tongue, like nothing else I'd had before.
>Indescribable.
>I clung to her, fingers digging into her back as she caressed the fabric over my wetness.
>I didn't even grimace as her fingers slid from old stiffness to new moisture.
>I was so far from any kind of embarrassment right now.
>Me and Fluttershy were the only things in the whole world.
>I wanted to push her over.
>Wanted to ruck up her dress and dive into her most intimate place.
>Taste her essence on my tongue before I swallowed it all down.
>I wanted to devour her.
>Of course, that was easier said than done when she had her tongue halfway down my throat and her fingers...
"mnnnnNNNNGH!"
>My back arched as Fluttershy's fingers plunged inside of me.
>I supposed my fantasies had distracted me from her hand's progress inside my pajamas.
>Fluttershy might have had long, graceful digits, but they felt anything but.
>They filled me, stirred me with firm strokes against my walls, thrilled me with their surety.
>I whined into her mouth, one hand still clutching at her back while the other slipped around to nervously flutter over her heaving chest.
>Breaking off the kiss, Fluttershy pressed her forehead against mine as we both panted heavily.
>She noticed my hand, and grinned wolfishly.
>"Mmmmmm... Do it, Fem. I want to feel your hands on me."
>Her fingers wriggled a bit more vigorously inside of me and I crushed myself against her, fingers at her back digging in while the ones at her front clutching at her globe.
>They sank into pliant flesh while a stiff point dug into my palm, and my legs went weak at the evidence of her arousal.
>"Put that away, Twi."
>Annoying flies buzzed at the periphery of my awareness, but all I could think of was the soft flesh under my hands.

>"Quiet, Sunset. Knowing they're observed will affect the subject's behavior."
>The admittedly soft fabric of Fluttershy's dress was getting in the way.
>I wanted to feel her flesh.
>There wasn't a great way to get at it without just yanking down her dress, though.
>It was a really pretty dress.
>I didn't want to tear it.
>Groaning in frustration as I writhed in her lap, I leaned down to nip a little more insistently at her neck.
>Fluttershy bit her lip, head lolling back as a soft whimper squeaked past her lips.
>"You're so rough, my little bunny..."
>I grimaced, licking the spot to sooth it and tasting something new.
>It spread like fire in my mouth as I heard a sputter of choked laughter.
>"Oh, now THAT'S very interesting..."
>...
>...
"God DAMMIT!"
>My legs snapped shut on Fluttershy's hand as I turned further into her.
>Throwing my arms around her fully, I crushed my face into her chest.
>She'd done it to me AGAIN!
>One touch, one taste, and everything else in the world just kind of fell away.
>And now Sunset and Twilight had watched us... Doing stuff.
>"Oh my..."
>Fluttershy's weak exclamation brought me crashing further down to earth.
>What had Sunset been talking about?
>"Well, now it's ruined. I hope you're happy, Sunset. I could have gotten a lot of good data here."
>Slowly turning to look a Twilight, I saw her tucking away her enormous phone.
>no.
"Were you recording us, Twilight?"
>Fluttershy actually jerked against me, almost spilling me out of her lap.
>"Well, of course. How else would I get good analytics?"
>No.
>I could feel the hair stand up on the back of my neck as what felt like a cold wind blew through me.
"You need to delete that. Right now."
>Twilight frowned, looking a little worried.
>Good.
>"It's already backed up on my cloud storage, Fem. With redundant copies on my database at home."
>NO.
>Slipping out of Fluttershy's lap, I stalked over to and loomed down at Twilight. Thankfully she was sitting.

>I growled at her through gritted teeth.
"I will burn your Database down around your ears if you don't prove to me that video no longer exists, Twilight. I will FUCK your shit up, I swear to God."
>Twilight seemed a little taken aback, but she was ready to brush me off.
>"It's just research material, I'll blur out the faces if I end up using it."
>She said it so matter-of-factly...
>It was boiling my blood and making me sick to my stomach at the same time.
>Hadn't I done worse?
>Didn't I have some very elicit video of Rainbow I'd been thinking about selling?
>Making another mental note to destroy that video and anything like it I had on my computer, I swallowed down my gorge and focused back on Twilight.
"I don't care. I want it gone. Atomized. And it will be, one way or the other."
>Twilight smiled patronizingly at me, and any hesitation I'd felt was gone.
>I had the feeling there was one girl in this little troop I wouldn't be making friends with.
>"Come on, Fem. What are you going to do? Hack the cloud? Hack my database? I have VERY good security."
>Flushed with anger, I pointed at her, my finger inches from her nose.
"One way, or the other."
>Twilight flinched back from me, eyes glued to my face.
>Sunset, who'd glanced at Twilight when she was talking, snapped her eyes back toward me.
>I'd already turned and wobbled my way back over to my seat next to Fluttershy, who was nervously wiping her hands on the hem of her dress.
>"Could you, um, please not use that video, Twilight? You don't have to, um, destroy it, but... I don't mind if people see us, Fem, but... It's very private, and umm..."
>Fluttershy trailed off slowly, fingers bunched up in her dress while she glanced furtively between me and Twilight.
>A fresh spurt of anger roared through my brain, banked slightly by Twilight's guilty expression when she took in Fluttershy's flustered state.
>"Fem's a wiz with computers, Twi. I wouldn't put it past her. Why don't you just get rid of it, okay?"

>Sunset said all this to Twilight while she scrutinized me sharply.
>She was looking at me like I'd grown a set of horns.
>I felt strangely weak and shaky.
>All I wanted to do right now was collapse into Fluttershy's arms.
>Either that or run an industrial grade magnet across Twilight's database server.
>But that was maybe for later, and Fluttershy's arms were how we'd gotten here in the first place.
>Or maybe it was her hands.
>Said hands took the decision out of mine as she slipped one around my shoulders and pulled me against her.
>"I'm sorry, Fem. I just... Forgot they were here."
>Fluttershy let this out in an agonized whisper.
"It's okay, Flutters. Me, too."
>I gave her a crooked smile and she flushed, slowly returning it.
"We're really gonna have to work on that."
>She flushed, pulling closer to me and whispering.
>"I just can't help it. Oh... It's so frustrating being good when I just want to..."
>My grin was growing to swallow my whole face.
"... Be bad? The feeling's mutual, Flutters."
>I could hear Sunset and Twilight talking quietly across from us, but I couldn't focus on that when Fluttershy looked so flustered and demure.
>We both knew what was lurking under that sweet candy coating, and I wanted to crack it like an egg every chance I could get.
>She was fascinating to me.
>I wanted to explore every little delicious bit of her.
>Looking into her blushing face, I just wanted to see that fire in her eyes again.
"I'm sure Twilight has plenty of rooms we could share, Flutters."
>She darted a glance at Twilight furtively before turning back to me, nodding emphatically.
"With doors. That lock."
>A flicker passed behind her eyes and she bit her lip pensively, nodding again.
>My hand slipped down to span her thigh, fingers flexing gently while I leaned in next to her ear, whispering softly.
"And beds that I can lay you down on and..."
>Flicking my tongue out, I ran it across her earlobe, murmuring appreciatively.

>Her free hand clamped down on mine, clutching it almost painfully as she lurched forward.
>"Twilight, I'm SO tired! How much longer will it be before we get to your house? I REALLY need to lie down!"
>Jesus Christ, Flutters...
>Snickering softly, I turned to see Twilight's astonished face, and just barely caught Sunset's smirk.
>I tossed her one right back, interlacing my fingers with Fluttershy and leaning back against her.
>Twilight looked back and forth between the two of us pensively, then heaved a gusty sigh.
>"We're almost there, Fluttershy, and don't worry about the video. I'll get rid of it, even if it IS prime research material..."
>Right.
>I made another note to myself to see if I could do a little snooping around Twilight's network and make sure of that myself.
>"Oh, th-that's good. Thank you, Twilight."
>Fluttershy graced her friend with an angelic smile and I barely held back a grimace.
>What did Flutters see in this girl? 
>She seemed more than half a sociopath.
>Then again, considering the amount of times I'd idly wondered if I was actually a sociopath...
>I was so tired, now, and itching to get out of this car.
>Sunset was still giving me weird looks, and Twilight kept pouting at us.
>Her expression brightened after a moment, though, and she leaned forward in her chair.
>"You know, it wouldn't be as good since it wouldn't exactly be candid, but maybe you two wouldn't mind..."
>She trailed off as she took in my furious and Fluttershy's pained expressions.
>"Oh, fine. Just know that you're holding back the march of science with your recalcitrance."
>Sunset apparently lost her ability to keep her cool at this point, bursting out into a fit of giggles.
>I probably would have laughed too if the whole situation hadn't made Flutters so uncomfortable.
>Twilight was something else, alright.
>She crossed her arms and slumped back into her seat with a loud "Hmph!"

>If she didn't pout so much, I'd almost be inclined to say me and Twilight had a lot in common.
>It was almost getting me a little excited about taking a run at her network.
>Did she design the security herself?
>What kind of encryption did she use?
>How much of my farm would it take to crack it with a point?
>Did she air-gap her redundancies?
>She gave me an uncomfortable look and I realized I was leaning slowly toward her.
>Down, girl. 
>And yet... She was doing some kind of... Study.
>I kind of wondered what other little tidbits of 'research material' she had on that oh-so-secure network...
>No, okay, seriously. Down, girl.
>Sunset and Twilight fell into a quiet conversation together, but they both kept shooting me surreptitious glances.
>What'd set them so on edge?
>I didn't think I'd been all that scary, right?
>Talking to Fluttershy didn't seem quite as easy as it usually did, either.
>She was practically squirming in her seat, and sure it was flattering, but it was also a bit disconcerting.
>She must have caught something in my eye, because she seemed to make an effort to still herself.
>"S-sorry, Fem. Sorry I'm acting like this. Acting so... Eager. I just... You know I've liked you for a long time, right?"
>That caught me a little off guard.
"Um, no, honestly. What's a long time?"
>We'd only really been socializing for, what? A month or so? Beyond that I hadn't really thought she knew I existed. 
>"Oh... I don't know. I guess... A little while? Not, um, seriously or anything until last Easter?"
>She pulled our clasped hands into her lap, fingers fiddling absently and not quite looking at me.
>Had something happened last Easter?

>Of course, that meant she'd 'not seriously or anything' liked me almost a year ago, and who knew how long before then.
>Well, no reason not to ask, really.
"What changed?"
>Fluttershy seemed awfully nervous, all of a sudden.
>Seriously, what had I done last Easter?
>"Oh, you know. The thing with the posters? And the Twitter, um, thing?"
>My head jerked up, almost smacking her in the face.
>Not last Easter. The Easter before last.
"That was you?"
>I said it quietly, and she nodded slowly.
>Almost a year and a half ago someone had started posting a picture of a girl, naked and with the face blurred out, claiming it was a CHS student.
>It'd been classic cyber-bullying, unfuzzing the face a little more every time they posted it.
>I figured it must be blackmail, getting the girl to do something, and if she refused they'd post the un-blurred picture.
>Around Easter they'd started putting up posters on the bulletin boards, with the head of different animals pasted over the face and captions like 'Lost pet' or 'Have you seen this animal?'
>Pretty sick, honestly.
>So, as more of a challenge than anything, really, I tracked down the girl who was doing it.
>After I was assured anonymity, I spilled the beans to Principal Celestia.
>Then I sold all the nude selfies I'd found on the girl's phone.
"No one was supposed to know it was me."
>Fluttershy smiled awkwardly and shrugged.
>"Principle Celestia already knew the picture was of me. I told her. She thought I should know who stopped it I guess."
>Huh.
"So, why did she do it? I always kind of wondered."
>Fluttershy looked away for a few moments, rubbing her cheek.
>"We dated, and I broke up with her. She was... Really mean sometimes. She wanted me back, and I guess that was the only way she thought she could make it happen."
>Suddenly I felt a lot less guilty about selling those photos.
>I was still going to have to consider reporting a couple people to the FBI if I was sure it wouldn't get back to me.

>I'd have to take a closer look at the money and make sure it was as untraceable as I'd always thought it was.
>Fucking new moral compass I seemed to be developing didn't also mean I was going to jail, juvenile offender or not.
>I doubted I'd ever be THAT good. 
"So... That, um, that long, huh?"
>I had extremely mixed feelings about this.
>It was just like Fluttershy to hold that kind of stuff inside, no surprise there.
>The fact that she'd been holding on to some kind of on-and-off crush on me for years was a bit more surprising.
>But...
>I always had been nice to her.
>Maybe just instinctively.
>Never having a reason to be, I guess I'd just decided at some point there was no reason not to be, either. 
>She turned back to me, smiling awkwardly.
>"I guess so? I just felt really grateful, but I never knew how to thank you. It was, a little embarrassing, too. I didn't want you to know it was me."
>So.
>So, so, so... Fluttershy had a crush on me for-fucking-ever.
>Because of course she did.
>And I was such a self-centric jerk she'd never felt comfortable pursuing me.
>I supposed I'd already known this, if not the extent it had gone to.
>It was what I'd been shooting for.
>I just never expected the world I was building, or more to the point shutting out, was such a fragile construct.
>People still ended up caring, no matter what I did to discourage it.
>One act of kindness and here I was snuggling up to an amazing girl.
>I sort of wondered how much of Sunset's attempts to bring me into the fold were her idea, and how much had been Fluttershy's.
"Um, you're welcome, right? It doesn't make me think any less of you, if that's what you were worried about. It's not like you made that girl flip her shit."
>She nodded firmly. Must have a good therapist if she was that strongly affirmed on the idea.
>"I know that. She made her choices. But so did you, Fem. That's how I knew."
>It was nice, talking to her.

>I felt like I normally did again, listening to this kind, quiet girl's soft words.
"Knew what?"
>It was getting harder to keep up with the thread of the conversation.
>I nestled a little closer into her side and shut my eyes, just letting her presence wash over me.
>Why was I so tired all of a sudden?
>I'd gotten what passed for plenty of sleep for me.
>"I knew you were a good person, no matter what you wanted everyone else to believe."
>Letting out a soft laugh, I smiled up at Fluttershy.
'If you only knew, Flutters. If you only knew.'
>A confused look passed over her face.
>"If I only knew what, Fem?"
>Ope. Shit. Said that out loud.
>I struggled to get my brain to function on some level equal to the task of explaining that.
"You, uh, said it yourself. I didn't know it was you."
>Fluttershy rolled her eyes.
>"Doesn't that just prove it? You had no idea who was in that picture, but you helped them anyway."
>I was struggling to find a way to explain it wasn't exactly a selfless act without making myself look like a piece of shit.
>Or incriminate myself.
>I'd gotten my satisfaction out of slipping into that girl's sad little drama and unraveling it like a badly knit sweater.
>I hadn't done it to save anyone.
>Right?
>And then there were those pictures I'd sold.
>A good person wouldn't do that.
>I couldn't think my way out of this right now, even if it made me feel sick leaving Fluttershy with a false impression of me.
"Maybe you're right. I don't know. It just felt like the right thing to do."
>It had felt like a challenge.
>The people involved and the consequences to them had never even entered my head.
>"I know you're good, Fem. You don't have to pretend with me, and you're not going to push me away, okay?"
>I wasn't sure what I was going to say when I opened my mouth, but it didn't matter anyway.
>Fluttershy leaned down and covered it with her own, and what little focus I had was taken up by her soft lips.

>I drifted off in Fluttershy's arms, passing into a hazy half dream.
>My thoughts weren't exactly being straightforward with me, swimming through decisions I'd made and would have to make.
>I didn't want to give up the things I had, but this pleasant fantasy I seemed to be living in had a very definite snag.
>The more time I spent with these girls, the more likely it was I'd let something slip.
>Or maybe Sunset would finally realize my resemblance to her antagonist wasn't merely coincidence.
>Hell, any of these girls could put the pieces together and unmask me, so to speak.
>Every minute with Sunset, the girls, and especially Fluttershy was becoming strangely precious to me, but it was also dangerous.
>I knew that, and yet here I was heading over to Twilight's house for some kind of sleepover.
>That was a bit of a misnomer, but my brain insisted that the happening that was soon to be was titled 'The Sleepover'. 
>Anyway, anxious loops of Sunset and Fluttershy's betrayed looking faces kept swinging through my mind, with a smattering of the other girls and a healthy dose of Rainbow Dash for seasoning.
>Not that hard to interpret, that imagery.
>It was all going to come out eventually. 
>Whether I told them or they figured it out, it had to happen.
>I didn't know how to apologize, or make my case, or anything really.
>When was the last time I'd fought for anyone?
>For the longest time I'd just pushed people away, and before that I'd drifted out of the picture when things got difficult.
>I knew I didn't want that anymore, but I didn't know how to stop it.
>Sunset would hate me for lying to her for so long, for making a fool of her...
>... For putting Dash in danger.
>I didn't even want to think about how Fluttershy would feel.
>That was the problem, though. I HAD to.

>I had to understand how Fluttershy would feel, even if the thought of it almost caused me literal pain.
>If I didn't know what she felt, how would I know what to do to fix it?
>I had to know what to say to make it better.
>Planning my life had worked out until recently, right?
>Of course, here I was trying to make plans around the people who'd set off a bomb in the rickety foundations of my life.
>God fucking bless them.
>Even with all the anxiety I was feeling over this, I felt ALIVE.
>Things really mattered to me again, as opposed to the smug self assurance I'd coasted along on for the past few years.
>Maybe it was the stakes?
>I'd tricked myself into thinking that nothing really mattered, but now I had something to lose?
>A twinge in my chest reminded me how easily I'd lumped my Dad into that pile of doesn't matter.
>Another thing I couldn't get any kind of handle on.
>And then there was the fact that Sunset seemed to think I was some kind of literal mythical monster.
>Hell, she was CONVINCED that I was some kind of magical demon.
>All it had taken was a silly mask and a trick of the light and she was getting stalked by the forces of darkness.
>Then again... She HAD been at the center of some pretty weird stuff over the last few years.
>Maybe I shouldn't be writing her theory off quite so easily.
>There were things that had happened that, well, I really couldn't explain that well.
>"Don't worry, Honey. It won't matter that much longer, anyway..."
>My eyes snapped open and I let out a yelp.
>The warm voice had knifed through my thoughts like a scythe through wheat stalks, opening a wide swath of emptiness in front of me, leaving me shivering.
"W-what?"
>I couldn't help but blurt out my confusion, catching Twilight and Sunset's startled glances before Fluttershy's face eclipsed my vision.
>"I said we're here, Fem."
>She leaned closer, concern in her eyes as she got a good look at me.
>"Fem, are you alright? You look terrible!"

>Huh.
>Now that Fluttershy mentioned it...
>Sweating like I was in a sauna: Check.
>Shivering like I'd just taken an ice back: Check.
>Aching pain radiating out from my back and stomach, hunching me over suddenly with a dull groan: What the fuck was wrong with me?!?
>It felt like the mother of all flu's had hammered me flat into the seat of the car.
"I don't really... Feel so good, Fluttershy, no."
>My breath came short and raspy, and I felt like there just wasn't enough oxygen in the air to suit me.
>I know Twilight's house was up in the hills, but this was a little ridiculous.
>Fluttershy's hand swum into my sight, cupping my cheek and almost snatching it back in surprise before she laid it against my forehead.
>"Fem, you're burning up. I think you're really sick."
>Well, I could have told her that.
>I felt so cold I was surprised my teeth weren't chattering.
>Fluttershy's hand smoothed back my hair, her hand settling at the back of my neck.
>I was glad for the support, since the spreading lethargy had me doubtful I could have held my head up without it.
>"Should we go back to the hospital?"
>My eyes turned to see Sunset, much closer than I'd remembered her being.
>She'd crossed the open space in the back of the limo and was kneeling in front of me, looking almost as worried as Fluttershy.
>The thought of going back to the hospital roiled inside me. 
>I'd spent more than enough time there today, and the idea sat even worse with me now that I'd escaped once.
>Shaking my head loosely, I looked from Sunset to Fluttershy and grinned weakly.
>"I'd really rather not? I think maybe I just need to lie down for a while."
>Fluttershy nodded slowly, pulling me closer and letting me lean against her, which was a good thing since my stomach decided to cramp up especially fiercely just then.
>I missed the glance Sunset shared with Twilight, who gave an uncomfortable shrug.

>"We were planning on getting right to bed, anyway. I'm sure we can find some medicine around the house for Femanon."
>I relaxed a bit against Fluttershy, relieved at the idea I'd escaped another day of antiseptics and daytime cable.
"Honestly, I'd rather have you as my nurse than anyone at the hospital anyway, Flutters."
>Sunset arched her eyebrow, pinning me with an incredulous look while Fluttershy simpered.
>"I'm only really good at taking care of animals, though."
>Even in my reduced state, I couldn't keep myself from taking that bait.
>My hands raised to chest height and curled up into the facsimile of paws.
>It wasn't hard to pant, since it almost felt like all that my abused lungs were capable of.
"Arf!"
>It came out a bit weaker than I'd planned, but it seemed to be effective enough as Fluttershy threw her arms around me and let out a coo.
>A heavy sigh followed by low laughter drew my eyes to Sunset, who was giving me an aggrieved look.
>"Well, she can't be feeling that bad if she's still flirting up a storm."
>She was probably right.
>I was sure I'd felt worse than I did right now at some point or other, and I was still alive.
>Fluttershy stiffened slightly at Sunset's words, drawing back and letting me see the embarrassed blush spreading across her cheeks.
>Well, that wouldn't do.
>Leaning in slowly, I captured Fluttershy's lips with my own.
>Nothing too insistent, but not exactly chaste, either.
>I didn't want Flutters to feel embarrassed by me. Herself. Us.
>Of course, after a few moments a thought halted me.
>I didn't particularly regret where my hands were right now, squished warmly between us, but I slid them slowly around to circle Fluttershy's back and leaned back from her.
"Dammit. I didn't even thing about it... I don't wanna get you sick too, Flutters..."
>Fresh laughter bubbled up from Sunset as she rocked back on her heels, smirking at us.

>"I think it might be a bit late for that."
>I groaned softly.
>She was probably right.
>Twilight cleared her throat softly, and I had the terrible feeling I wasn't going to like what she had to say.
>As usual.
>Damn.
>Maybe I should ease up on Twilight. I really wasn't giving the girl much of a chance.
>"If it's the flu, you've probably been contagious for a while already. I'd be worried about Rainbow if I didn't know they already had her on a course of antibiotics."
>Welp.
>I'd been right.
>Hi, more guilt, party's pretty full but there's always room for one more.
>Of course, whatever this was I'd probably caught it last night.
>I'd technically been out in the cold longer than Dash had, although I hadn't been in my underwear, or seemingly zipping around at sixty miles per hour.
>Not that I could tell them that.
>"It's okay, Fem..."
>Strong arms pulled me back against Fluttershy, and I was grateful to have her to lean on as a fresh wave of pain and weakness washed over me.
>"We'll take care of each other, right?"
>I wish I could say that looking up into Fluttershy's calmly smiling face wiped my pains away, but it at least let me lean in and relax against her.
>Over her shoulder I could see Sunset giving us a tender look while Twilight seemed to fidget nervously.
>Were we actually embarrassing her?
>I mean, I guess we were acting a little sappy...
>"Come on, let's get Fem into bed. I know we could all use some rest right about now."
>Suiting actions to words, Sunset popped the door open and hopped out into the bright morning.
>She dodged the stoic driver who'd been waiting outside the door and circled around the back of the limo, opening the door on Fluttershy's side.
>Sliding out, She drew me behind her and slipped her ever-surprisingly strong arm around my back to support me.
>Twilight stepped out the opposite side and gave the driver a nod while I blinked away a swirl of snow.

>Fresh flurries were winding down, having settled another inch of sparkling white on the landscape.
>Honestly I didn't get too clear an impression of my surrounding besides a feeling of opulence.
>Fluttershy helped me shuffle my way up a short, wide set of stone steps that fronted the double doors of what I could only describe as a sprawling mansion.
>They swung open at our approach, Twilight slipping by us while Sunset brought up the rear.
>Fluttershy led me past an honestly breathtaking double staircase to a sort of lounge area, helping me sit down of a settee before she took a seat beside me.
>Sunset plopped down on another settee beside us and leaned against the arm, looking around with a strange expression of amused admiration on her face.
>Hanging back, Twilight spoke a few quiet words with two men that had been waiting beside the front doors.
>One of them was tall and gaunt, while the other was average height but build like a brick house.
>I idly wondered if one of them was Blazing, settling on the guess that he was the stocky one since he was in a blazer while the tall one was kitted out like a butler.
>"Ms. Mystery's father dropped off her sundries early, Ms. Sparkle. We set up the Rose room room for her."
>Twilight tapped her lip, glancing back at us for a moment.
>"The Lilac room, I think. Fluttershy will be joining her, Blazing."
>The result of my stunning deductive skills raised an eyebrow before nodding to the tall man, who strode off briskly while murmuring into his lapel.
>"Will the lady require assistance?"
>Uh... I wasn't sure I liked the sound of that.
>Twilight glanced at us again, a glimmer of a smirk dancing across her face as she nodded.
>"I think that would be best, yes."
>She sauntered over to the lounges we occupied, Blazing trailing behind her in a surprisingly graceful lope for someone of his dimensions.
>"Miss Shy, Miss Shimmer."
>His deep voice rolled out as he addressed the other two girls with a nod before turning to me.

>"Blazing Trail, at your service Ms. Mystery. Can I offer you assistance in getting to your room?"
>Well, shit.
>I didn't mind leaning on Fluttershy at all, but I didn't know how far away the room we were going to was.
>It could be a quarter mile from where we stood and up three sets of stairs for all I knew.
>Glancing at Fluttershy, I quirked an eyebrow in question to which she nodded slowly.
>She seemed as reluctant as I was to lose the close contact we'd been maintaining, but she was a practical girl, too.
"Yeah, I'd appreciate it." 
>With Fluttershy's help I stood up off the settee to find Blazing looming over me.
>He stooped down, and with a practiced motion swung me gently up into a princess carry.
>"Whoa! Uh, what?"
>Blazing's blunt features gazed down at me neutrally, his nostrils flaring momentarily.
>"No trouble, Ms. Mystery. You weigh less than my nieces."
>Nodding politely to Twilight and Sunset, he motioned with his head for Fluttershy to follow him and set off up the staircase.
>Apparently he wasn't kidding, because he acted for all the world like he was cradling a house cat instead of a grown god damn woman thank you very much.
>Up another staircase and down seemingly endless hallways, eventually he stopped at a pale purple door, helping me to realize that every door we'd passed was actually a different color.
>If it hadn't been a steady gradation it would have looked horrible, but as it was it was kind of soothing.
>Blazing set me gently on my feet with a hand on my shoulder to steady me as he opened the door.
>He glanced over to Fluttershy, who happily took over the job of supporting me, and stepped aside.
>I actually let out a breath of relief.
>For some reason I'd had a growing dread that Blazing was actually going to carry me over the threshold and lay me out on the bed.
"Thanks for the help, Blazing."
>I gave him an awkward smile, trying hot to acknowledge the warmth in my cheeks.
>It was obviously just the fever.

>I definitely hadn't enjoyed being carried around or anything.
>"My pleasure, Ma'am. Rest well."
>He started back down the hallway, and I turned back to Fluttershy to see her looking me up and down critically.
"Um, what's wrong Flutters-Woah!"
>Dipping down, Fluttershy picked me up with a grunt of effort.
>She wobbled for a few seconds, finding her balance.
>I caught a glimpse of Blazing at the end of the hallway, his face still expressionless beyond that slight flaring of his nostrils he'd done before, and then I was whisked into the suite.
>My cheeks burned, and this time I knew it had nothing to do with my fever.
>For some reason, the knowledge that Flutters could pick me up and carry me around stirred something deep and primal inside me.
>Sneaking a peek at her I could tell it was an effort, but she had an almost triumphant smile on her face.
>My arms snaked around her neck, something I definitely hadn't done with Blazing, and she glanced down at me with a grin.
>"Let's get you in bed, Fem. Ooh, I've been looking forward to this. You have no idea, Fem. Just, no idea."
>Actually, I felt like I had a pretty damn good idea.
>I'd been looking forward to getting some privacy with Fluttershy all day.
>Maybe even longer, considering how easily I'd given in to this insane chain of events.
>I felt like me being half dead was going to put a serious crimp in our style, though.
>Know how... Intense Flutters got, I felt like I was going to have to do the last thing I really wanted to and reign her in a little.
"I really have too, Flutters. I don't... Know if I'm up for that kind of thing just now, though."
>Fluttershy's face became a mask of red, her eyes widening as she took a misstep and almost dumped me onto the floor.
>"I meant... I just meant, um, cuddling with you, silly. In the bed. Of course! Of course you're not feeling up to anything s-strenuous. That's just silly. You're so silly, Fem."

>Refusing to meet my eyes, Fluttershy set me down on the edge of the bed. 
>She frantically looked around for anything to defuse the situation while I laid back gratefully onto the soft mattress.
>Her eyes caught sight of a glass of water and a couple pills set on the bedside table with a sheet of paper set next to it.
>She snatched it up while I idly looked around the room, noting the open door to what looked like an en suite bathroom and another that looked like a walk-in closet.
>The room was furnished in mostly polished teak furniture, a large television hanging from the wall, and a few still life paintings of lilacs.
>That color was obviously a theme, the plush carpet and walls all done up in the same soothing tones.
>At the same time, there was something a little off about the room that I couldn't quite put my finger on.
>I was interrupted in my thoughts by Fluttershy slowly sitting me back up, causing me to grumble in protest.
>She held out her hand, the blue gelcap's sharply contrasted against her skin.
>"There was a note. It's flu medication. You should probably take it."
>At this point I would have sucked down a glass full of raw eggs if someone told me it would help me feel better. 
>I snatched the pills out of Fluttershy's hand, swallowing them with the help of the glass of water she handed me, then let her ease me back onto the bed.
>"Do you want to take a shower, or want something to eat?"
>I blinked up into Fluttershy's face, so full of concern for me.
>It was as intoxicating as ever, watching her devote herself to me so thoroughly.
>A little scary, too.
>I shook my head slowly, working at the buttons on my pajama top lethargically.
"I just want to sleep, Shy. I'm really tired."
>She nodded, helping me out of my pajamas.

>I couldn't possibly miss the looks she gave me as more and more of my skin was exposed.
>Muzzily, I realized as she finished pulling my bottoms down that this was the first time she'd really seen me naked.
>I might have been apprehensive if I hadn't been staring into eyes practically dripping with desire.
>Not for the first time I wondered what the beautiful, willowy girl staring down at me so avidly could possibly see in me.
>Distractions quickly arrived as Fluttershy bent down and caught the hem of her dress in her hands.
>I could hardly deny that I'd been looking forward to this part as well.
>Regardless of how well my hands and, well, tongue had gotten to know Fluttershy's body, there was something special about seeing it for the first time.
>I silently cheered as she stripped the dress up over her head, letting it fall to the floor next to her.
>Almost expecting her to pose lasciviously, I was a little surprised when she gave me a demure smile, arms unconsciously crossing over her chest.
>That didn't last long, but it was long enough for me to drink in the smooth skin and clean lines of her body.
>Still the same slender limbs, flat tummy and thin waist, simple pink briefs with an off center yellow butterfly brocaded on them girding her hips.
>With a twinge, I recognized her body so easily from the pictures I'd seen a couple years ago.
>As she leaned over to slip out of her panties I had to admit she'd grown into it a bit since back then.
>Her perky breasts seemed to defy gravity, quarter sized nipples slightly upturned and stiff with what I hoped was arousal.
>I couldn't deny I was panting lightly, and I slid up the bed slowly until my head hit a pillow, shifting to prop my head up with it as Fluttershy straightened.
>She crawled onto the bed with an almost predatory smile, slowly making her way up my body on hands and knees until she was looking straight down into my eyes.

>My hands timidly lifted from the bed to stroke her sides, fingertips trailing up her ribs and pulling a soft gasp from her lips.
>Leaning down, those lips rasped lightly over mine before she slipped down to nuzzle her cheek against mine.
>I felt a hot breath bathe my ear before the soft words I'd more than expected.
>"I know you're not feeling well, Fem, but are you sure you don't want to... Play with me for a little while?"
>I bit my lip to save myself from blurting out the words I so wanted to say, but I couldn't help drawing in a sharp breath when Fluttershy nipped playfully at my earlobe.
>"... Or a long while?"
>She fell slowly to her left, settling on her side and pressing herself tightly against me.
>Snaking an arm under my neck, her free hand stroked slowly across the breadth of my body.
>Her smile widened as she threw a leg over my hips.
>I shivered under her touch, wracked with indecision.
"Shy, I want to so badly-"
>She cut me off with her lips, kissing me fiercely, and I tried my best to match her intensity.
>It just wasn't in me, though, and she broke off the kiss to leave me panting and lightheaded.
>"I know you do, Fem. But you need your rest, and we've got plenty of time. I just..."
>She sighed, looking troubled for a few seconds before a contented smile replaced her earlier fierceness.
>"... I just really,um, really needed to hear it, you know?"
>I really, really did.
>My arms wrapped around her as best they could, and we shared a slightly frustrated but heartfelt embrace.
>"Come on, let's get you under the covers. You need to get plenty of rest and feel all better tomorrow, okay?"
>I nodded, but that last burst of passion had really stripped me to the last shred of energy I had.
>Fluttershy had to do most of the work situating us under the covers, but eventually I was tucked in against her, reveling in the feeling of her warm body pressed against my back.

>Just before I nodded off I heard Fluttershy whisper softly into my ear.
>"You'd better be alright tomorrow, Fem. You'd just, better..."
>A smile crossed my lips as I shifted closer against her.
>'My sentiments exactly...'


>... Fever dreams.
>I could tell right away I was sleeping.
>It felt real, but everything looked washed out and hazy.
>What was everything?
>To be honest? Not much.
>A hill sloped down, it's short grass lengthening into long as a wide field seemed to stretch out away from me forever.
>Just dull green grass and slate gray skies.
>I tried to turn my head, but it was useless.
>My body wouldn't respond.
>Normally I think I would have panicked at that, but it wasn't important right now.
>I was waiting for someone.
>They were coming to get me, right on this hill.
>It felt like I'd been waiting forever.
>Or maybe they'd been waiting for me to get here?
>It didn't matter.
>I was here and they were coming.
>If I could have moved my mouth I would have smiled.
>It was nice to have such a good dream while my waking body writhed and sweated.
>To be perfectly honest, I wasn't looking forward to waking up to the awful things my body had been putting me through all of a sudden.
>Remembering the pain felt like it would bring an echo of it into this calm place I rested so peacefully in.
>I forgot all about it.
>Instead, I remembered the pretty dress someone had bought me.
>White and blue, with pretty flowers like the pretty flowers in my hair. Who put those there?
>The tree I sat against shifted slowly, petals drifting down through my vision.
>It would have been nice to look up and see the blossoms, but they were coming to me instead.
>The person who's back mine pressed against sighed.
>"How long?"
>The soft voice slithered past my ears, shockingly familiar.
"Soon?"
>My lips moved, the word I never meant to say came out.
>Why couldn't I control myself?
>I missed it.
>Control. The voice. My body.
>I missed it all.
>Was I going to wake up soon?
>I wasn't sure how much I liked this dream anymore.
>The girl whose back supported me moved to the side.

>I was falling backward, but the ground was soft.
>White hair mixed with black was my bed.
>The girl in the black dress.
>Her black hair obscured her face, but I knew she was pretty, just like me.
>Small, just like me.
>In the pretty black dress someone had bought her.
>Just like me.
>The petals fell lightly on my cheeks, but the girl didn't move and neither did I.
>The flower in my hair slid from behind my ear.
>Red, like the flowers on my dress.
>The slender horns parted the black curtain, and I could almost see her eyes.
>I didn't want to remember.
>The black curtain parted and she smiled.
>It was too hard to remember.
>Cracked lips dribbled blood, while teeth to sharp and white smeared pink.
>She was gone.
>"I'm almost home."
>The soft voice slithered out.
>I knew who it was.
"Hurry back."
>My lips moved, the things I'd never ever say crawling from between them.
>The treetop crackled, heat licking at my upturned face.
>Ashes blackened the tears and sweat on my cheeks.
>The rags I'd bound my wounds with shone crimson in the light of the fire.
>My tree was burning.
>I wanted to save it, because it was mine.
>My lips opened, for the first time because I wanted them to.
>Arms flung out to the sides, I took a deep breath.
>The girl never stirred, but the roaring flames danced in the wind of my breath.
>It came to me, the fire and smoke and ash.
>I swallowed it all, and it tasted sweet.
>The girl smiled, sharp and bright.
>I wanted to leave.
>Just because I'd waited, that didn't mean I had to stay.
"Let me go, Mom."
>Smiles like knives, in the dark.
>A drop a warm blood spattered against my cheek.
>My mother leaned down, light crazing behind her bright blue eyes as she lapped at my cheek.
>The blood smeared as more dripped out to join it.
>"Much better... Now, come on, hun. Don't you want to catch up?"
>I didn't want her to catch me.
"You're gone."
>Hot breath bathed my neck, warm blood pooled in the soil, I felt the prick of razors on my chin.

>"Hush, deary. We're together again. Finally."
>Knives tore at my throat, spilling the warmth on the grass.
>I felt the fire coil inside me, and turned to face her.
>It was burning me up.
"YOU'RE GONE."
>Hurricane winds traced with flame whipped back her hair, showing me the twisted grimace.
>Her hands dug into the soil as her body lifted from the earth.
>She flapped in the gale like a pennant, boneless and alien.
>Hands scrabbled at the grass before they lost their grip, but her strong jaw locked into my flesh.
>She growled, and I felt it shiver through my bones.
>My flesh tore, and she was gone into the distance in a crimson spray.
"You're... Gone."
>I choked out the words as the last wisps of flame caressed my lips.
>The plain was withered and gray, and the sky had blackened with ugly clouds.
>My eyes traveled back to my tree.
>Blackened by flame.
>Was it alive?
>It was mine.
>The first flakes of snow touched my bare skin, burning me with their chill before I fell into numbness.
>It was so cold now.
>I wanted to be warm.
>My tree was so close, but I knew it was too far.
>Even so, I could try.
>Flipping over on my stomach and reveling in my freedom, I crawled.
>Red stained the snow, and the few feet seemed like miles.
>Impossibly, my hand reached out inches away from my goal.
>Of course, instead of warm bark my hand passed through greasy smoke as I fell into blackness.

>And off the bed.
>I laid on the floor in a shivering heap, fingers hesitantly exploring my neck.
>Of course, it was fine.
>Just a fucked up dream because I was sick as hell.
>"...Fem...?"
>I know it's silly, but I don't think I'd ever been happier to hear Fluttershy's voice.
>Lifting an arm to wave lazily above the edge of the bed, I crossed the other one over my face.
>Even the meager light filtering in past the curtains on the window was like daggers in my eye sockets.
"Down here. M'okay."

>Fluttershy's mussy head popped over the edge of the bed and looked down at me, sleepy eyes widening in concern.
>"Are you okay, Fem? What happened?"
>Taking stock of myself for a moment, I came to the conclusion that I felt... Kind of weird.
>Not sick, but weak and... Light?
>My whole body felt like it had lost a little heft.
>But since Fluttershy was probably more concerned with whether I'd busted my skull open on the floor, I figured I could reassure her.
"I'm okay, Flutters. I think I just rolled off the bed."
>She blew out a sigh of relief, stretching out a hand.
>"Get back up here. You still need your rest, okay?"
>I rolled my eyes and shakily go to my hands and knees before accepting her help back into bed.
>Squinting at me, she ran her hands down my sides slowly.
>I couldn't help but squirm a bit at her cold hands, but at the same time my cheeks lit up as she scrutinized me so intently.
>"Fem, what's... can I turn on a light?"
>Grimacing, I flopped down on the bed lightly.
"Can you not? It's already too bright in here as it is."
>Fluttershy stared at me for a few moments, while I absorbed the fact that we were both very naked and on a bed together and she looked absolutely amazing in a way I hadn't really been able to appreciate when I'd felt like I was half dying.
>"Fem, It's really dark. There's almost no light at all. I can barely see you."
>My lips twisted up in a sardonic grin as I shuffled closer to her on my knees.
>Was she trying to mess with me again?
>She had a better sense of humor than I'd thought.
>Or, maybe a worse one since this wasn't much of a joke.
"I mean, maybe my eyes are just sensitive right now from being sick, but it seems pretty well lit to me. Are you messing around?"
>She reached out a hand, almost missing my cheek before she found her bearings and cupped it.
>"I promise I'm not. Are you really okay?"
>Moving closer, I pulled her into my arms and nuzzled against her neck.

>I could feel her shiver against me, but her warm flesh felt so good pressed against mine I couldn't help holding her tighter.
"I'm fine, but you're cold, right? Let's get back under the covers."
>She nodded slowly, settling onto her side and pulling me down with her as as she snatched up the edge of the blanket, pulling it over us.
>"Do you want to sleep longer? I don't think anyone else is going to be awake yet."
>I couldn't help being a little distracted, so it took me a few moments to really take in the question, and a few more to actually assess myself.
>Everything still felt very strange.
>Not bad, except for my head, but definitely strange.
>Tired was close enough to what I felt, I supposed.
"If you want to, sure. I still feel really out of it, honestly. My head's killing me, too."
>I couldn't help but melt against the taller girl as her hand slowly stroked my head, the flow rise and fall of her chest against mine both comforting and thrilling.
>The buttery softness of her skin drew me down into it in moments, and I could tell by her breathing that she'd already drifted back to sleep.
>Hopefully she wouldn't even remember my little pratfall.
>As we warmed up under the covers, my mind drifted back to the dream.
>It had felt so vivid, but it was already fading at the edges.
>The feeling of helplessness and dread it had inspired had bleached away to a dull wariness.
>I wasn't really the type to put much stock in dreams, either.
>The only thing that was hanging me up was...
>I never dreamed about her.
>Tried not to even think about her.
>She'd torn my world apart and I was finally in a place where I could see just how deep the damage went.
>But then, maybe that was why I'd had the dream in the first place.
>I couldn't deal with it right now.
>Maybe not ever.
>All I knew was that as I drifted off to slumber-land in Fluttershy's arms, I prayed I wouldn't see her again.

>When I woke again there were no dreams I could remember.
>Instead I felt like I'd gone from general drowsy contentment into a supernova.
>I mean, that's a bit of an exaggeration, but it was blindingly bright and my eyes seriously hated life right now.
>Letting out a strangled yelp, I screwed my eyes shut tightly and felt around for the covers before yanking them over my head.
>This was seriously not normal.
>The room plunged into blessed darkness... Well, not so much darkness as not eye-gouging brightness.
>"Fem! What's wrong?"
>I'm not too proud to admit I whimpered a bit as I felt the bed next to me give under Fluttershy's weight.
"Is this room lit with halogen flood lamps?"
>I was honestly surprised at how strained my own voice sounded.
>Had my fever cooked my eyeballs in their sockets or something?
>"Fem, it's just... Normal light bulbs. Lamps and a ceiling fan. Nothing like that."
>I shuddered.
>What was wrong with me?
"It's so bright I feel like my eyes are burning, Fluttershy. I don't know..."
>Trailing off miserably, I rubbed my eyes with the heels of my palms.
>I felt her weight leave the bed, followed by slow unsteady footfalls.
>"There's a dimmer switch. Tell me if it gets too bright, okay?"
>Pulling the covers off of my head, I looked over to see her standing next to the door, her hand on the wall switch.
>I nodded slowly, slitting my eyes against what I was sure would be terrible brightness.
>"Fem? Can you hear me?"
>I couldn't help but gape at her.
>She wasn't even quite looking in my direction.
>That must mean that it was pitch black to her, but to me it was like noon.
>I'd always had great night vision, but this was crazy.
"I can hear you, Shy. You really can't see right now?"
>Her head turned, tracking my voice to look fully at me.
>She had a worried expression on her face, but her voice was steady.
>"I really can't. Is it okay if I turn the lights on? Just a little bit?"
>Catching myself nodding, I grimaced and slit my eyes again.

"Yeah, I'll tell you if it's too bright."
>It was bright right from the start, but she slowly brought the lights up.
>I really had no reference, but after a few seconds I couldn't stand anymore.
"A little bit less, Shy? I think that's all I can take."
>I had to squint really hard to keep from being blinded again, but it wasn't getting any worse.
>From the way she carefully walked back to the bed, I could tell it still wasn't very bright to her.
>As she got closer, her eyes grew more and more worried, and by the time she sat on the bed her lip was trembling.
>"You look so thin. What happened to you? What..."
>She cut herself off with a soft gasp, her hand cupping my chin as she drew my face closer to hers.
"Fem... Open your eyes. Please? I'm sorry if it hurts, but can you do that for me?"
>Her voice was so soft it was scaring me, and her fingers shook against my skin.
>Clutching the blanket closer around me, I nodded shakily.
>I couldn't hide how much it hurt, but slowly but surely I widened my eyes while Fluttershy's face crumpled.
"Shy? Is it really bad? What's wrong with my eyes?"
>Her hand slipped from my chin while her eyes fell, to my lap.
>"I don't... I don't know. There's something wrong with them. I need to think."
>We sat there for what seemed like hours, Fluttershy wringing her hands in her lap and glancing up at me only to look away quickly.
>I pulled the blanket tighter around myself, not knowing what to do, or what to say.
>How was I supposed to comfort Fluttershy when I was even more confused than she was?
>The blanket stretched across my back so tightly I thought it would rip apart, so it shouldn't have come as such a surprise when it actually did.
>I let out a startled yip as my straining arms shot across my body to either side, feeling the fabric split from the back of my neck to my tailbone.
>Fluttershy's answering shriek might have been comical if I hadn't been able to see the edge of hysteria in her eyes as she jerked toward me.

>I felt like it should be telling me something that she leapt toward me instead of away, but I was still too shocked by the shoddy blanket.
>Looking speechlessly down at the fabric clutched in my hands, I started again when I felt hands on my shoulders.
>It took me a second to connect the hands to Fluttershy, but when I finally looked up she smiled at me encouragingly before pushing the blanket away from my shoulders.
>My hands relinquished the death grip they'd had on the blanket, letting it slip out of them as it pooled around me on the bed.
>"Oh..."
>Her soft exhalation of breath shook me.
>What I saw as the blanket slipped away rocked me to my core.
>It looked like I'd starved myself for a month.
>All that baby fat I'd always complained about seemed to have melted away, leaving behind nothing but whipcord and bone.
>I wouldn't have gone so far as to say I was emaciated, but I wasn't far from it. 
>Half dazed, my hand went to my chest to cup a meager breast.
>I felt a tear slide down my cheek as I looked up at Fluttershy and choked out a laugh.
"What was I ever complaining about?"
>Her arms slid around me and she pulled me against her, rubbing my back as strangled laughter bubbled up from me and tears rolled down my cheeks.
>Everything was wrong except the girl crushing me to her.
>"It's okay, Fem. W-we'll find out what happened and fix it. You'll be okay."
>This wasn't just wrong, this was impossible.
>My mind reeled, trying to rationalize something, anything about this.
>Was I dying?
>Would I just wither away to nothing until I fell apart?
>"We'll fix it, okay? We'll fix it and everything will be alright..."
>I don't know how long we stayed like that, but eventually Fluttershy led me to the shower, helping me wash away the dried sweat and evidence of our passion.
>We passed the bathroom mirror twice, but I couldn't bring myself to look at it.
>I didn't need to.

>My hands had told me everything it would, teaching me the new contours of this stranger's body I'd woken up in.
>I didn't have to look in the mirror just so I could not recognize myself.
>Half carrying me back to the bed, she disappeared for a few minutes before coming back with a familiar backpack.
>"Are these your clothes? You should get changed, okay? I need to get something, but I promise I'll be right back. Okay? You'll be alright for a few minutes?"
>I managed to nod mutely, but before she could turn turn away I surged off the bed and wrapped my arms around her.
"I'm sorry..."
>I wasn't even sure what I was apologizing for.
>Well, maybe I was.
>Maybe I was sorry I'd gotten her involved with me.
>She just shook her head and held me, but we both knew no matter how good it felt it wasn't solving anything.
>Eventually I settled back onto the bed, fingers brushing the lips Fluttershy had just kissed.
>It was impossible to think that she saw a stranger in this body.
>She still kissed me exactly the same.
>I pulled the backpack over, beginning to rummage through it to see what my Dad had packed for me.
>She'd find me lying back on the bed ten minutes later, my clothes strewn all over the floor as I chuckled brokenly.
"None of it fits, Shy. Isn't that funny?"
>A completely unexpected voice answered.
>"Well, if that isn't a fashion emergency I don't know what is!"
>I looked up, shocked, to see a beaming Rarity force her way past a quietly protesting Fluttershy.
>"She's, um, not decent right now Rarity. Please stop pushing! P-please!"
>I didn't even think to cover up or anything, just staring at Rarity as she came to a stuttering halt a few feet past the doorway.
>Fluttershy wrung her hands for a few moments, then closed the door and stood with her back to it.
>"We can't tell them, Rarity."
>The aforementioned fashionista spun around to face her, jaw hanging open.

>"But, we simply..."
>She saw the look in Fluttershy's eyes, turning to glance back at me for a beat before facing the taller girl again.
>Wiping a hand over her face slowly, she blew out a heavy sigh.
>"No, you're quite right. They'd never listen. At least I understand why you need them now. I was half afraid there'd been some kind of domestic situation."
>Turning back to me, she pulled a pair of tinted wraparound sunglasses out of a pocket in the rather chic jacket she was wearing and carefully slipped them onto me, smiling reassuringly.
>Straightening up, Rarity turned back to the door and walked up to Fluttershy.
>She put a comforting hand on the girl's shoulder, squeezing gently before moving her aside.
>The trembling girl let herself be moved, staring pleadingly at Rarity while her whitening fingers clutched at her dress.
>"I'll be back in a moment to see what we can salvage of Femanon's wardrobe. Lock the door behind me, hmm?"
>She swept out the door after tossing a strained smile in my direction, and once again I found myself thanking whatever higher powers were out there for sending that girl into my life.
>It might be a stupid move, but I trusted Rarity implicitly.
>Fluttershy shakily threw the lock on the door, then slowly slumped to the floor.
>It took me far longer than it should have to scooch to the edge of the bed.
>Stumbling on legs that didn't feel like my own, I skipped to me knees in front of Fluttershy, practically tackling her into the wall.
>Her arms wrapped around me mechanically, but the hands on my back stroked me gently.

"I don't like this, Shy."
>I knew I sounded like a fucking simpleton, but everything that was happening was so fucked up.
>Forming a more complicated thought was just beyond me right now.
>My thoughts swirled with ridiculous theories, tossing out standard diseases immediately and moving on to pseudoscientific theories I'd heard flung about the internet.
>I was pretty sure losing so much mass literally overnight should have killed me, beyond being something the human body just wasn't capable of.
>So of course, my mind wandered back to Sunset's constant diatribes about horse magic and her demonic research.
>No, research on demons.
>Her fucking obsession.
"How could I be a demon and not even know it?"
>That didn't make sense, right?
>And shouldn't I have some kind of demonic powers?
>Did I just have the stupendous magical ability to be a fucking twig?
>"You're not a demon, Fem."
>I started in Fluttershy's embrace, and it took me a few moments of internal screeching before I realized that the taller girl didn't have mind reading abilities, I'd just said that out loud.
>Pulling back from Fluttershy, I hugged my arms around myself and looked down at my lap, eventually coming to a decision.
"It was me on Halloween, Shy. And... And at the school. With Rainbow. Sunset was right about all of that. So why shouldn't she be right about what I am?"
>She didn't hesitate to reach out and gather my hands up in hers, bringing them up to clasp them over her heart.
>"I know, Fem. I know it was you, and I want to know what happened between you and Rainbow. But I also know you're a good person, and whatever you are, it's not that."
>My mouth dropped open and I slowly brought my eyes up to look at her face.
>The worry was still strongly in evidence in her eyes, but she smiled at me with more confidence than I'd have ever given her credit for.
"How do you... Know? How do you know that? Don't you care? I put Dash in the hospital God dammit!"

>I tried so damn hard, but my face was twisting up into a grimace of remorse despite my best efforts.
>Tears stung my cheeks, but through my blurred vision I could tell Fluttershy's smile never wavered.
>She levered herself upright using the wall at her back and pulling me up with her.
>"Come here, I'll show you."
>She pulled me along to the bathroom, speaking quietly as we went.
>"You didn't mean to do it, did you? Hurt Rainbow, I mean."
>Her hand tightened around mine.
>I knew how I answered her right now was really important, but my thoughts were still so jumbled I was sure I'd make a mess of it.
"No, of course not. She just wasn't dressed, and she was running around in the snow so fast... I just wanted to get away, but she kept chasing me..."
>She jerked to a halt and I almost walked right into her, but she shook her head lightly and started walking again.
>"We'll... Talk more about that later. You were the one that called Sunset, right? She showed me her phone. You did your hacking on it or something, right? Sunset was really mad when she couldn't, um, backtrace the, um, something or other."
>I couldn't help cracking a grin at Fluttershy's attempt at technobabble, but it was fleeting.
"Or something, sure, yeah."
>She pulled me forward to stand in front of the mirror and I cringed at what I saw.
>It was like looking at a completely different person.
>Her hands settled on my newly spare shoulders and she drew me back against her.
>"Would a demon do that? Wouldn't a demon have just let Rainbow d-die out there in the snow?"
>I couldn't help thinking back, and I realized it probably hadn't even been twenty-four hours since all this craziness had happened.
>"You helped her, and I bet you didn't even think twice about it."
>No, I supposed I hadn't.
>"You called Sunset, got her help, and stayed to make sure it came even though you could have been caught, right? She told me she saw you when she was waiting for the ambulance."

>Grimacing, my hands reached up to cover hers and squeeze them.
"Sunset... Knows it was me, too?"
>Fluttershy shook her head slowly, leaning down to kiss the hand covering hers.
>Her soft voice floated up to my ear, and her words lifted a huge weight off my shoulders but sank my heart into the pit of my stomach.
>"I think she suspects you, among others. I think she started being friendly with you to see if you'd let something slip. You can't deny you fit the description of her 'demon' pretty well."
>Of course, it came as no real surprise to me, but that didn't stop fresh tears from sliding down my cheeks.
>Sunset was never as stupid as I'd thought.
>She was just making friends to see if I'd clue her in to my true nature.
>Yeah, that made plenty of sense.
"Oh."
>I couldn't really think of anything else to say.
>"Fem, don't let that get to you. I said she STARTED being friendly because she suspected you. She also stayed your friend after she'd decided it wasn't you. Don't start thinking you aren't really friends because your friendship started out a little bit... Strangely."
>Letting her words sink in, I knew it wasn't going to be so easy.
>Still, it was something I just couldn't bring myself to think about right now on top of everything else, and I couldn't help blurting out the question that was burning in my mind.
"How do You know then, Shy? Sunset investigated me, but somehow you know when she doesn't? How do you explain that?"
>She sighed against my hand, pulling hers away.
>"Maybe it's because I'm always looking at you. I can't help it, you just always seem to catch my eye. I thought it was a trick of the light at first, but it's been happening more and more often."
>As she said this, she tilted my head up and to the side, kissing me gently as she pulled the borrowed glasses off.
>The brightness almost blinded me again, but it wasn't nearly as bad as it had been before.
>"Mmmnn... Your body isn't the only thing that's changed, Fem."

>Seeing the clear confusion in my eyes, she glanced at the mirror we stood in front of, nodding her head toward it slightly.
>It was harder to look directly at it without the sunglasses, the vanity bulbs surrounding it pushing my new sensitivity to the limit, but after a moment I had a clear view of exactly what she was talking about.
>Instead of the slate gray orbs I was used to, scarlet eyes stared back at me.
>The more pronounced cheekbones and slightly sunken cheeks lent an alien cast to the face that was still unmistakably my own, but these eyes...
>"If Sunset or Twilight see you like this... Well, we'll just have to hide it for now."
>Nodding woodenly, I watched Fluttershy brush back my hair and lean down to kiss my neck gently.
>Watching her kiss the neck of half a stranger was too much for me right now, and I spun around to bury my face in her chest.
"Ooooh, I don't like this. What's happening to me?"
>I sounded pathetic, I'm sure.
>That made sense, considering I felt pathetic right now.
>All I could do was cling to Fluttershy as she stroked my hair gently and murmured reassurances to me.
>"We'll find out, Fem, don't worry. We'll explain it all to Sunset and Twilight, and they can help us figure everything out, okay?"
>Her hand roamed slowly across my back as she pulled me hard against her, a kiss on my forehead drawing my eyes up to look at her.
>She smiled placidly down at me, but her fingers traced hungry patterns across my smooth skin.
>Leaning down, she kissed me softly, murmuring as I haltingly reciprocated.
>Even with everything else that was happening, I still couldn't fight the desire her touch brought boiling up inside me.
>"Fem, would it make you feel any better if I... If I showed you it doesn't matter how much you change?"
>My cheeks burst into flame, and apparently my changing body hadn't done anything to change the heady feelings Fluttershy's advances stirred in me.
"I don't know. It... It might."