To Rainbow Dash, the approach to her home was anything but soothing right now. To her, it felt like she was stepping into the gates of Tartarus and all she had to defend herself was a single, fresh-baked pastry and a lame apology.

Her visit to the bakery had cleared up so many things: the townsfolk's reaction to her arrival, the coldness she had noticed from Soarin lately, and that one reporter's odd questions at the last team press conference. It even explained why Fluttershy's letters of late had been rather brief and impersonal.

Rainbow had just assumed it was because she'd barely had any time to sleep, let alone respond to a letter.

As she made her way to the front door, a feeling of trepidation began to build within her. What if Fluttershy didn't believe her? What if she really thought she was cheating? What if she threw her out? What if -

Rainbow shook her head wildly, trying to dislodge all of the nerve-shattering thoughts. Fluttershy wouldn't do anything like that. Not the very embodiment of kindness. Fluttershy wouldn't throw her out. Rainbow would just have to sleep on the couch, that's all. That was all. It wasn't like the normally demure pegasus could be incredibly scary on the rare occasions she was angry, and despite the fact that she generally shied away from any confrontation didn't mean that she wasn't a force to be reckoned with.

She slowly reached for the door handle, her uncertainty returning full force and causing her to hesitate. Come on, Rainbow Dash, she berated herself. Fluttershy's the shy one, not you. A problem like this, you just take life by the horns and go with it!

Still she stood there, hoof on the handle, bag in her mouth, not moving an inch. Despite the fact that she knew the truth, talking to Fluttershy about it was going to be the hard part. Rainbow Dash, to put it bluntly, was horrible at relationship stuff, and frequently ended up putting her hoof in her mouth during arguments.

As she stood there, trying to convince herself to open the door and walk into her own home, her problem was solved for her as the door opened on its own. Caught unawares, all Rainbow could do was stare blankly as Fluttershy herself appeared in the doorway before letting out a squeak of surprise and slamming the door in Rainbow's face. Her heart sank like a rock for a brief moment before the door opened again, albeit much more slowly.

Fluttershy stood there, carefully looking out, her full expression hidden by her curtain of a mane. Rainbow's heart, momentarily buoyed by the door reopening, resumed its sudden descent as she saw the smile on Fluttershy's face. It wasn't the smile Rainbow was used to seeing whenever she showed up, that smile of happiness and joy that was unmatched by anypony else. No, this was the smile of greeting a friend that Fluttershy gave to nearly everypony that showed up to her door.

Absently scratching the back of her head, she tried to smile at Fluttershy, a gesture hampered somewhat by the bag still in her mouth. "Uh... Hey shere, Fluttersh," she said lamely, her greeting slightly muffled. "Shuprishe..."

The two of them stared at each other for a moment before Fluttershy stepped back from the door. "H-hi there, Rainbow," she stammered softly. "I-it's good to s-see you again." Inwardly, Rainbow cursed. There was that greeting. Like she was a friend who had just stopped by for a chat. She slowly followed Fluttershy into the cottage, the familiar, comforting scent of their home tickling her nostrils around the slight sweetness of the pastry in the bag.

Rainbow carefully sat the bag down on the nearby table before turning to study her wife. Fluttershy was watching her carefully, as if she were a dangerous animal ready to pounce and the yellow pegasus was trying to decide whether to run and hide or stay and try to calm her. After a long, awkward silence, during which Fluttershy continued to hide behind her mane, Rainbow finally spoke. "So... how's it hanging?' she asked lamely, causing Fluttershy to squeak in surprise.

"Fine..." Fluttershy replied in barely a whisper. "Um... How are you, Rainbow?"

"Well, you know, just my normal awesome self," Rainbow replied with a forced smile.

"That's good," Fluttershy replied. "I-I haven't seen or heard from you in a long time, so I was curious..." As she trailed off inaudibly, Rainbow winced inwardly. "Um... would you like some tea?" Fluttershy asked, averting her gaze. "I was just making myself a pot. I-If you don't mind, that is..."

"Sure, that sounds fine..." Rainbow replied, her mind racing as she stared at Fluttershy. What should she do? Should she just come out and say it or should she talk about something else and hope it came up so she could just laugh it off and say it was nothing and they could go back to being normal and happy and in love and oh Celestia what should she do?

She realized that her inner monologue had been going on too long when she saw Fluttershy's expression change from hesitant to slightly fearful, and she shook her head to clear her mind. "Sorry, you say something?" she asked, and Fluttershy's expression softened. Just a little bit.

"I-I asked if you wanted one lump of sugar or two," came the quiet reply.

That stung a little. Fluttershy hadn't asked that question for a few years now. "Um, two, please," Rainbow replied. Fluttershy disappeared into the kitchen, returning a few minutes later carrying a tray with a teapot and two cups, which she placed on the table. The two of them made themselves comfortable on the couch, though they carefully avoided touching each other as if an invisible wall had sprung up between them.

In a sense, one had. Fluttershy sat quietly, staring into her teacup, her shyness and uncertainty keeping her quiet and reserved, while Rainbow's mind was still racing a mile a minute trying to figure out what to do. Finally, after nearly half an hour of awkward silence punctuated only by the occasional sips of tea, Rainbow opened her mouth to get it over with. "Hey, Flutters, about that article..." she began, at the same time Fluttershy opened her mouth to whisper, "It's ok, Rainbow, you can leave if you want to."

Rainbow paused mid-sentence. Caught completely off-guard for the second time that day, she slowly turned her head to gape at Fluttershy, who had immediately buried her face in her teacup while shading her eyes with her mane. Finally, she managed a response. "...What did you say?" she said slowly, uncertain that she had heard right.

Fluttershy turned her head slightly, and Rainbow could see the resolve on her face, as hesitant as it was. "Y-you can leave if you want to, Rainbow," she said, slightly louder than before. "Y-You can l-leave me if I-I'm holding y-you back." She smiled at Rainbow, a sickly yet brave smile. "I'll be ok, h-honest." As Rainbow stared, Fluttershy slowly reached up to her mane, hesitating for a long moment before sliding the jeweled butterfly clip out and placing it on the couch between them. "H-Here, I-I know how much y-you liked t-this," she said, her voice trembling as much as the teacup in her hooves, "s-so I thought y-you could take it f-for your next s-special s-s-somepony..."

As soon as she finished what she was saying, Fluttershy quickly placed her teacup down on the table and promptly bolted up the stairs and into their room, slamming the door behind her. Rainbow could hear the soft sounds of sobbing drifting down the stairs as she stared down at the clip lying next to her. Ever so slowly, as if she were in a trance, she reached down and picked up the clip, turning it this way and that in her hooves as she tried to process what Fluttershy had just said.

A dark, sneaky little voice in the back of her mind encouraged her to take the chance she'd been given. That voice taunted her with images of flying high and free, all by herself with nopony holding her back. Tempted her with the thought of cutting loose from the ground and soaring to new heights, showing all of those doubters who the champ was. Offered her a future without that weak ground-bound pegasus that couldn't handle her lifestyle, and that was probably jealous of her success and her fame.

No more arguments over how much free flying she was doing during her breaks home. No more disappointed looks when she took off, leaving Fluttershy behind on the ground to take care of the cottage or yet another animal patient. No more having to deal with yet another one of Fluttershy's anxiety attacks whenever something went wrong. It wouldn't be a betrayal, no. It would just be a shifting of loyalties.

Fortunately, Rainbow knew how to deal with that voice. She balled it up, stomped it down, and kicked it away as she tightened her grip on the clip in her hooves. There was no way she was going to abandon anypony, let alone the love of her life.

Launching herself from the couch, she quickly flew up the stairs to the door leading to their room, determined to fight for their friendship and their marriage.
Hey sorry if it took so long but here it is please fav and follow me for more chapters and books