Five's Company

Five's Company is a short story by Yanmato. It is a parody of shipping in general and the ubiquity of ships involving Rainbow Dash in particular.

Summary
Pinkie Pie has decided to throw a party with Rainbow Dash as a special guest, though she insists on keeping the reason for this a secret. It is a means to an end: Pinkie intends to use the situation to ask Rainbow Dash out. She is not the only one. Independently of each other, Twilight Sparkle, Rarity, Applejack and Fluttershy, all of whom have also developed feelings for Dash, want to confess them at the party. These feelings differ: Fluttershy's and Applejack's affections for her are more gentle, Rarity sees Dash as a conquest which has hitherto eluded her, Pinkie just wants to have fun in bed, and Twilight has made a number of calculations which "prove" Rainbow to the best match.

At the party, all five ponies take turns subtly suggesting to Rainbow Dash that they want to go out with her, not realizing the others' intentions and to no avail: Dash does not understand why she's suddenly the center of attention. In a moment reminiscent of The Ticket Master, the ponies all crowd around her, forcing Rainbow to shout to get them to stop. The sudden silence gives the timid Fluttershy the opportunity to get a word in edgewise, and she confesses her love. This prompts the other ponies to do so, too, and argue about who should get to bed Dash; Pinkie helpfully suggests she'd be willing to share.

Rainbow finally understands – a little –, but does not choose a mate. She disappoints all of her friends when she says that she's not attracted to mares. In fact, she hadn't even been aware that that was a possibility, so the ponies spend the next hour explaining the many shades of sexuality to her. Rarity is still skeptical, pointing out Rainbow's rainbow mane, but is told by the others not to pursue the topic. The story ends with Twilight dictating a letter to Spike: "Dear Princess Celestia, Love is complicated."

External link

 * The story on Equestria Daily