EVERYPONY

Pinkie Pie was sure she ran the gambit of emotions more than most ponies, but these picnic dates with Fluttershy threw even her for a loop.

Baking never usually stressed her out, especially baking cupcakes. She'd been making them by heart for years, but today she'd found herself dusting off the recipe, reading it time and time again, checking each step and rechecking as the tiny cakes baked, worrying she wouldn't have the right amount of Strawberry slices, worrying the cream icing wouldn't be creamy enough.

Was this the anxiety her girlfriend felt about every little thing? And yet she contended with the world anyway? The thought left her in awe, and it made her want to provide the perfect picnic pastries all the more.

Eventually, she settled on as close to perfect as she was going to get, and of course Fluttershy loved them and rewarded Pinkie with one of her favorite things in the world: A relaxed, unhampered smile from the most anxious (and beautiful) pony she knew.

"I should have been there for you back then."

Fluttershy looked up from her teacup and saw Rainbow Dash glaring daggers at the last macaroon on her plate, the pastry taking on anger with nowhere else to go. "Back when?"

"Back when we were kids." Rainbow scoffed before Fluttershy could protest. "I know, I know, ancient history, but ever since we started going out I've been thinking about how I used to think you were... well... kind of pathetic?"

Fluttershy wanted to argue that she did used to be a bit pathetic as a matter of fact, so that didn't upset her, but if she cut Rainbow off now it'd no doubt be at least a few solid months before the brash pegasus opened up about feelings again; as it was, she was avoiding Fluttershy's gaze and tracing the rim of her teacup with a nervous feather.

"I was so caught up in my own thing that I just thought being a good friend to you would slow me down. Sure, I stood up for you here and there, but that was more me trying to show off than really caring about you." Rainbow sighed. "I barely talked to you after you left Cloudsdale until Twilight showed up." Her eyes lingered lower and lower until she was staring under the table. "I uh... I'm sorry, okay?"

Fluttershy beamed and hopped her chair closer to Rainbow's, reaching out and pushing her girlfriend's bangs out of her face. The tender gesture earned her the rarest of bashful blushes from Rainbow Dash— a look Fluttershy knew only she and maybe Spitfire had seen. She kissed Rainbow's cheek and made the red in her cheeks bloom."Thank you, Dashie. That means a lot, but… from now on, let's not worry about the past, okay? I like who we are now, don't you?"Rainbow's eyes bounced around Fluttershy and the lovely picnic they were enjoying together for a moment, and then she smiled. "Yeah, who we are now is pretty great."

"Rainbow, we are not having Rarity design the new soccer uniforms."

"Wha- Why not?! Wait, first off, I'm the captain so it's my call, but just out of curiosity, what's wrong with Rarity?"

"She's your girlfriend."

"So? Applejack, you know I wouldn't do bad by my team - I want Rarity to design them because she's genuinely the best in school at it."

"Oh, she's not the problem here."

"...What's that supposed to mean?"

"The problem is she'll show you some pretty but impractical design, ask for your feedback while batting her big ol' eyelashes, and instead of telling her what she needs to hear you'll crumble like a blighted apple tree in a windstorm."

Discord was used to being jealous when it came to Fluttershy, and for the most part they'd learned how to wrangle it in, but time brought with it an entirely new type of jealousy that they knew their wife would never understand.

He watched as Fluttershy developed bags under her eyes, a slight gait when she walked, the cutest little wrinkles on her cheeks when she laughed... and she'd sit at a table with her friends and they'd all match. And the happy little group of ponies would talk about it so casually - the strands of gray in their manes, the increasing exhaustion a walk to the market left behind, the many new ways their wings would lock up after a long night's sleep.

And Discord knew he'd never get to be part of those talks. They'd grow together, but not old. Fluttershy would have a mismatched shoulder to lean on until the very end, but not one who truly understood.