//------------------------------// // Chapter 65: Dinner Plans // Story: Green // by Steel Resolve //------------------------------// Luna sat and listened, trying to project calm and attentiveness while Rarity told her tale. Despite looking a little scuffed, Rarity seemed to be well and fully recovered from the spell-related issue, which pleased Luna greatly. But to have her come to Canterlot only to be accosted... Luna’s eyes narrowed for a moment before she made a conscious effort to adopt a less angry expression. What she was actually experiencing was something akin to blind fury, but she did not wish to trouble her friends further. They might do something foolish like attempt to dissuade her from enacting swift punishment. Of special concern was Fluttershy, who seemed to be withdrawing into herself. If Rarity was to be believed, Fluttershy had struck down all of their attackers with no aid whosoever. In her place, Luna would have been proud of that accomplishment, but Fluttershy seemed to be traumatized instead. Seeing her thus made Luna wish to hug her, and whisper soothing words. Perhaps encouragement, and expressions of admiration. It hurt her to know that if she attempted such, it might be rejected. Still, she could aid her friends in this matter quite easily. She stretched her neck, slowly swiveling it from one side to the other until she felt her neck bones pop. Rarity was looking up at her expectantly, having finished her portion of the tale. “We see. Thou wert struck a treacherous blow while thy attention was drawn away,” Luna said with as neutral a tone as she could manage. She congratulated herself that she only sounded slightly upset. “Well, yes. Honestly I... I was more than a little irritated with them. This is Canterlot. You’re not supposed to do things like that here.” Rarity frowned, then shook her head with a grimace. “Not exactly a phrase I want carved on my tombstone, though. I should have been more cautious.” Luna felt her own indignation building. She agreed with Rarity on both counts. Such things should not happen in the capital. Not anywhere, really, but least of all in her own home, the seat of her power... Middy said we shouldn’t flog the press ponies, but surely for actual criminals... “Officer Star,” she intoned. “Does this testimony match with your initial report?” “Yeah, for her part.” “And the criminals, are they fit to stand trial?” Officer Star rubbed the back of her neck, grimacing as she did so. “Actually, they’d probably better see a doctor. One of ‘em looked pretty rough, and the rest didn’t look so hot either.” Luna pursed her lips thoughtfully. “Very well. See to it that they are mended. I will not have them weakened when they are called to account for their crime.” “Beggin’ your pardon, Princess, but that’s a big group in my cell, and I don’t have the means to transport ‘em.” Luna raised a single eyebrow, and she motioned for one of the guards to come near. When he was close enough, she said: “We’re going to need to send a small unit with this officer to escort the prisoners to a secure hospital where they can be treated for their injuries. Instruct the staff there to mend them quickly, as I want them ready to see me on the morrow.” He snapped a quick salute, and she turned back to Officer Star. “Please accompany this guardspony to his unit commander. He will see to it that you have the means to transport them safely.” “Will do!” Officer Tin Star said, tipping her blue cap towards the princess. “What about these two? I don’t feel quite right leavin’ em after what happened.” “We shall tend to the victims’ needs, officer. If that is all, then you are dismissed.” The policemare shrugged, tipping her cap once more. “All right.” Once Tin Star had gone, Luna motioned for the remaining guardspony to guard the outside of the court, leaving the three of them in private. She stepped down from the dais, pulling up a chair on the other side of the table Rarity and Fluttershy were seated at. “Are you well, Rarity?” she asked in a very quiet tone. Rarity was busy comforting Fluttershy, but she looked up long enough to nod quickly, though Luna could make out a wince as she did so. “My head hurts, but I’m otherwise fine. To be frank, I’m more worried about how this affected her.” “I would like to hear Fluttershy’s portion of the tale when she is ready, but if she is not prepared to relive it, I can proceed without it.” Luna said, letting out a long held breath. “I... I am glad to see you both. But I wish the circumstances were better.” “This is hardly your fault, Princess.” Rarity said, not even looking Luna in the eye as she did so. “In fact, I think I am mostly to blame.” Fluttershy had been largely nonverbal until she heard those words, but hearing them seemed to serve as a catalyst for her. “Rarity, no! It wasn’t your fault at all!” “I agree,” Luna said firmly. “The fault lies with the stallions who committed the act, though it can be shared with the city to some extent. Canterlot has fallen low if we allow common brigands to roam free in this day and age. Rest assured, that will be dealt with sooner rather than later.” Fluttershy shook her head, looking Luna dead in the eye. “They don’t need to be ‘dealt with’. I already did that.” The look on Fluttershy’s face gave Luna pause, and she allowed her immediate response that justice must be delivered to die unspoken. Instead, she held Fluttershy’s gaze steadily, eventually asking: “Do you feel what they did does not deserve justice?” Fluttershy didn’t answer right away, her visage troubled and yet defiant in her resolve to speak her mind. “I... I don’t know,” she admitted at last. “I was very upset with them because the big one hit Rarity, but I... I worry maybe they were just desperate? They looked like nice enough stallions... Maybe they were a little prickly when Rarity talked about Manehatten, but none of them tried to hurt us until the big one got impatient. If they hadn’t gotten in the way—” “They threatened your safety, and tried to take your coin, Fluttershy,” Luna said, not breaking eye contact for an instant. As much as she wished to comfort her friend, she could not simply let criminals go with a slap on the hoof, even if it might help smooth things over between the three of them. “They deserved justice from the moment they blocked your path. Never doubt that.” “Yes, but they didn’t try to hurt us, just... to protect their leader.” Fluttershy said with a frown. “I... I don’t think what they did was right. But maybe what I did was enough.” Again, Luna hesitated, as this was far more discourse than she’d anticipated from Fluttershy and she did not wish to discourage it (especially since there was a legal decision to make), her personal feelings for the victims aside. Despite her misgivings, she found herself swayed, and though she recognized that it was less for the argument and more for the mare, she could not help but wish to grant Fluttershy’s request. “Perhaps. In your own words, could you tell the court what actions you took to defend yourself?” With much hesitation, and with prompting from both Rarity and Luna, Fluttershy managed to give an account of a truly impressive battle. Luna had previously admired Fluttershy’s great courage and resolve when she’d been defending ponies important to her, but besting several able-bodied stallions who had been attacking en masse was a feat worthy of respect greater still. She dearly wished she were able to express that, and would have done so in any other circumstance. She had a duty to perform, however, and neither of them were here for personal business. “I can understand your concern, Fluttershy, but despite their injuries, they took them in defense of their leader, who had already struck a blow against you. I will take the severity of their beating into account, however.” I suppose a public flogging would not actually teach them more than what she has already. Luna thought with a sigh of regret. No matter her resolve to set personal feelings aside, the idea that her punishment might further distress Fluttershy took all of the joy out of it. “I still worry that maybe they weren’t all bad. I mean, they did a very bad thing—” “Justice does not judge a pony’s character, Dear Fluttershy. It only punishes their actions.” Upon seeing Fluttershy’s stricken look, she amended: “We will take their statements, and allow for circumstances and remorse when We levy their punishment.” Fluttershy let out a little sigh of relief, nodding firmly. “Thank you.” “Do not thank Us. Say rather, let Us apologize for the state of affairs that allowed such events to transpire,” Luna said with a wince. “We will correct it, mark Our words.” “I thank you as well, Luna.” Rarity said with a smile. “This whole business has been dreadful. I trust that you’ll see to it that it’s put to an end.” “We shall, Rarity. We have all We need from the two of thee for this matter,” she looked up at her dais, taking the gavel in her magic, and tapped it gently on the surface. “We declare the court closed until We can hear from the criminals.” “Well, that wasn’t so bad.” Rarity said, giving Fluttershy a little squeeze. She turned back to Luna, smiling apologetically. “Sorry, Luna. This wasn’t how we planned to see you again.” Luna shook her head ruefully. “I am pleased you planned to see me at all. I... very much regret the tone of my departure.” Fluttershy opened her mouth briefly, then closed it again, looking crestfallen. “Yes, well... I think a different setting for this conversation, and a different time would suit better,” Rarity said, rubbing Fluttershy’s hoof soothingly. “Suffice to say, friends can have disagreements without everything being ruined forever, don’t you agree, Fluttershy?” There were still no words, but Fluttershy did nod, much to Luna’s relief. “We thought maybe we could meet for dinner, if that’s all right—” “Dinner it is!” Luna replied, with perhaps a touch more enthusiasm than she’d intended. “I shall alert the kitchen to prepare a feast in your honor!” Rarity blinked, then smiled. “Well, perhaps something a bit less showy, for this occasion. In any case, Fluttershy and I still have some shopping to do, and I need to talk to the bank here in Canterlot. That document you sent along couldn’t be honored in Ponyville—” “Not a feast, then.” Luna said quickly. “But certainly a fine repast. I am sorry for my excitement, my friends, but I too wish to talk with you. I must make amends for—” she stopped as she realized she was actively babbling, and only then did she realize the meaning of Rarity’s words. “The bank would not honor Our personal guarantee of funds?” she asked, her visage darkening. “Not so much would not as could not,” Rarity replied with a wince. “After the storm, they had a bit of a run on the bank for funds. Everypony needed repairs, you see. Liquid assets are a bit dry.” Luna’s frown remained, but it was less of anger and more of frustration. “I see. You could not obtain the funds you needed, and so were forced to come to Canterlot for that reason?” “Partially,” Rarity admitted. “We had planned to come anyway, since many of my perfumes and other sundries come from the shops here. And I do need to get those materials from the workroom. But likely not so soon as this.” Luna considered that for a long moment, her feelings warring between disappointment that they may have not come without the need of funds, relief that they had, and anger that if the bank hadn’t turned her away, Rarity may not have been attacked to begin with. She finally settled on relief, as they were here, and willing to talk, and neither seemed much the worse for wear for their experience. “Regardless, I am most happy you came. Please, join me for dinner when you have made your purchases. We...” Luna stopped herself, for at that moment she spoke as a mare to her friends, not as a Princess. “I will welcome you both, my friends.” “We’ll look forward to it. Now, if you’ll pardon us, I really need to go do some therapeutic shopping.” Rarity stood, taking a moment to help Fluttershy up. Luna stood as well, making ready to escort her friends from the courtroom. Fluttershy regarded Luna for a long moment, and Luna could not escape the idea that her measure was being taken. After a time, Fluttershy nodded, stepping closer to Luna and saying very quietly: “I’m sorry I thought you might be evil.” Luna simply stared at Fluttershy, utterly dumbfounded. She eventually found her voice once more, and replied: “Forgiven, Dear Fluttershy. I... apologize for giving you any reason to think so.” They held each other’s gaze for another long moment, then Fluttershy turned away, walking with Rarity out the door of the courtroom. Luna watched them go, letting out a long-held breath. She had a full day ahead of her tomorrow, and Night Court sooner than that. But that was for later. For now, her new friends were joining her for dinner, and she had a modest feast to plan. Twilight looked at the ceiling of Pinkie’s bedroom for a long time, trying to decide what to do. The revelation of what had been bothering Pinkie was not an easy one for her to accept, but it fit almost every strange conversation she’d had with Pinkie in recent weeks. It hurt, because she could not help but remember the last time they’d been together, and knowing what she did helped put everything in context. Pinkie had seemed cold, even more so than usual. There was always a certain reticence to ‘Mina’ when they played (it was part of her character), but while Twilight was playing out her role as the Captain during that particular session, Pinkie had just... been there. Apparently, she’d been tolerating the play for Twilight’s sake, when she’d really wanted a scene with just Twilight and Pinkie. Twilight got up, walking to the closet where Pinkie kept some of their props, and opened the door. Every costume had a memory, some of them awkward, some frustrating, some silly. Most of them good. But as she looked at the roguishly cut outfit that the Captain always wore, she felt only shame. For a moment, she almost pulled it from the closet and burned it in midair, but it wasn’t the costume’s fault that Twilight had been horrible at understanding something that seemed so simple now. She closed the door, turning the small latch to keep it locked safely away from curious little hooves. She wondered at it all, as Pinkie’s words had not been very obtuse in retrospect. Twilight could even understand the sentiment, as she’d always wished she was brave enough to not have needed that little mental separation. It certainly didn’t help her feel any more worthy of love that the only way she could bring herself to express— Use the words, Twilight. The first step to getting over a problem is admitting it’s a problem. The only way she could express lust and passion was to do so while pretending it wasn’t really her there. It was easier to just be somepony else, to throw herself into the play. Without that mental separation, there was always that little bitter voice in Twilight’s head. A younger voice, usually thick with tears, and it wailed that she wasn’t a pony good enough to love. Captain Sparkle didn’t worry about silly things like that. She was a brave pirate who saw a comely wench and kissed her. And Pinkie was very attractive, and energetic, and appreciative of every little bit of Twilight’s affection. In retrospect, that might have been why it had been so easy to fall for Pinkie, when she’d originally only wanted a sexual relationship with a good friend. She wondered what Pinkie was planning, and felt her heart race as her eyes fell on the bed. The dinner, the hoof-holding, the stargazing, those were all easy. They even sounded fun, but when they arrived here... that would be new. Almost like... being with Pinkie for the first time. It was scary, but not in a bad way. Sort of like telling ghost stories with the girls. She blushed as she realized it would still involve diving under the covers, hugging each other with hearts pounding in excitement, and squeals. It would be for different reasons, of course, but it could be scary and fun at the same time. It might be okay. It will be with Pinkie. It will be okay. She hugged herself, trying to slow her quickly-beating heart. Pinkie wanted to be with her, to kiss her and— “To make love with me.” Twilight whispered, scarcely believing it. She felt her eyes tearing up at the edges, and she wiped them away quickly. It felt... humbling, and wonderful, to be loved so much. She turned away from the bed before she actively broke down crying. Maybe later on, in Pinkie’s embrace, snuggled in close to her chest, it might be nice to cry then. Not as nice to cry alone, especially when these were happy tears. She wanted to share them. She still had some shopping to do. That would be more productive than emotional breakdowns. She checked the latch on the closet once more, making sure it was firmly closed, then walked out of Pinkie’s room and down the stairs. “Hey there!” Mr. Cake called out from the counter. “Everything okay? I mean, Pinkie was practically dancing down the stairs.” Twilight nodded absently. “Yes, sir. I think so. Is she in the kitchen again?” A muffled sound of a beater being turned on followed by a giggle answered that question for the both of them. “She’s making up some more pastries.” he replied, “Thank goodness she was in such high spirits today! I could have hardly kept up with the demand otherwise.” Mr. Cake smiled warmly at Twilight, sliding a cupcake across the counter. “Here, she made this for you.” Twilight looked at the pastry in surprise, ready to say that it was fine, but a loud rumble in her stomach reminded her that she’d been wandering fruitlessly for hours while she searched all of Ponyville’s shops for a tanning chair. She grinned a sheepish little grin, walking towards the counter to claim Pinkie’s gift. It was... larger than she’d expected. Roughly half the size of her head, in fact. The cake portion appeared to be chocolate, and it was iced with vanilla frosting, topped with sugar that had been dyed purple with food coloring. On top of the sugar was a simple message written in pink decorator’s icing which read ‘A sweet for my sweetie’. Twilight reached for her saddlebags for bits, but Mr. Cake shook his head. “On the house, Twilight.” “That’s... not a very sound business practice,” Twilight said, nevertheless taking the proffered plate from the patisserie’s proprietor. “We’ve made a lot of money today thanks to Pinkie being in top form. The bits will go a long way to help pay for the new oven Cup has her eye on.” “I can understand the sentiment, but Pinkie is the one who did the work—” He placed a single hoof on hers, “Call it a ‘thank you’ for making Pinkie happy, then. I know you two have been going through a rough patch and... well, Cup and I are hoping you’ll be okay.” She looked down at the hoof, and back to him, and felt the tears welling up again. “Sorry,” she said quietly. “Don’t be!” he said, gently rubbing her hoof with his. “My wife and I have been through a few spats over the years ourselves! Why, I had to chase her to Manehatten because she got cold feet just before the wedding!” “Really?” Twilight asked, her eyes wide. “Really,” he replied, his gaze never wavering from hers. “We got through it just fine, and all the other silly little fights and great big awful fights too. That’s normal, Twilight. We think you two are good for each other, you’ll get through this, too. You just need to talk a little more, and panic a little less.” Twilight nodded, placing her other hoof over his. “Thank you.” “You’re very welcome. Now, why don’t you sit down and eat? You look famished.” Twilight left Sugarcube Corner feeling much better than when she’d entered it. She felt lighter, almost giddy. It was actually difficult to stop smiling. She had no idea how her date with Pinkie was going to go tonight, but Pinkie seemed confident, and that was enough for her. It was actually really nice to just let go of the reins for a night, and while it did make her nervous, she was also excited and just plain happy. She reached into her saddlebags, pulling out a list of sundries that she needed for the kitchen. Tea and sugar were dangerously low, as Celestia was consuming her good stock at a rapid rate and Twilight didn’t want to serve her anything but the best. Food supplies were likewise getting scarce. Despite Pinkie’s regular deliveries of pastries, a pony needed fruits and vegetables to stay healthy. And... sometimes chocolate. Chocolate was important. Produce was higher on the list, however. Twilight did not have Pinkie’s metabolism, which she currently theorized as being some sort of direct calorie-to-energy conversion that had to be entirely magical in nature. It was that or question her basic understanding of physics and she was in too good of a mood to go down that rabbit hole again. She needed a balanced diet, which absolutely could not be obtained merely by taking donuts from the plate Pinkie carefully maintained on the tip of her nose no matter how good they looked. “Well, hey there, missy!” a distinctive voice called from across the marketplace. Twilight looked up from her list to find Applejack waving at her from her usual stall, and she waved back in turn. She’d really hoped Applejack would be here. Apples were at the top of her produce list, right above broccoli carrots and celery. She trotted over to the stall, bringing out her coin purse and fetching out the bits she’d need. “Two bushels, please. And could you possibly bring them by the library? I’m going to need a lot more produce, and the less I have to carry around the better.” “Sure thing, sug.” Applejack said, snapping up the coins in her teeth and tossing them into a bag of her own under the stall. “In fact, if ya like, just bring whatever else ya need by my cart and I’ll haul it for ya.” “Thank you!” Twilight replied, grabbing one of Applejack’s hooves and shaking it vigorously. “N-no problem, sug.” Applejack said as she reached up to resettle her hat. “Gotta say, s’nice to see ya smiling again. Things doing better with Pinkie?” “I have no idea!” Twilight replied with a laugh. “Pinkie wants to take me out tonight and I don’t know where but I have a working theory on why she’s been so moody lately and I’m really trying hard not to freak out right now!” Applejack gave her a long look, eventually shaking her head and smiling back. “Uh... good job, I guess?” “I know, right? I’d probably be in a little fetal ball crying my eyes out if I wasn’t so convinced that everything was going right for once! I have absolutely no control over what’s going to happen and it’s both nerve-wracking and wonderfully exciting!” Applejack just shook her head in bemusement. “Sug, you got a way with words, I’ll give ya that. Lil’ nervous?” “I’m terrified!” “But you’ll be okay?” Applejack pressed. “Not planning on any more sudden trips to Canterlot?” Twilight shook her head, leaning on the stall’s counter to get a little closer. “I’m pretty sure Pinkie wants to surprise me with... something intimate.” Applejack raised a single eyebrow, and nodded knowingly. “Gotcha. Letting her top for a bit?” Twilight opened her mouth, closed it, then opened it again. “I... I feel like that’s probably a colloquialism, or possibly a euphemism. Or maybe both?” “Ain’t important.” Applejack said, waving her hoof urgently as if to clear the air with it. “I’m just glad to hear you’re doing okay. That poor girl was plum miserable without ya.” “I... I was too.” Twilight replied, the smile falling from her face just as quickly as it had grown there earlier. “I just... I thought it was the only way she could be happy.” “Sug, I ain’t trying to upset ya or nothing.” Applejack said as she reached out to place a hoof over one of Twilight’s. “I mean, everypony messes up. I’m just glad ya ain’t running from yer problems anymore. They don’t go away, they just end up back here without ya crying their eyes out.” “Then they infiltrate a castle and throw you a surprise party,” Twilight said with a laugh that came out as more of a half-choked sob. “But Pinkie was never the problem. It was always me.” “Nah, it always takes two, sug.” Twilight shook her head. “No, I’m pretty sure it was all me. I didn’t listen hard enough. Or maybe I didn’t want to hear.” “Sug, Pinkie’s a big girl. She coulda tried a little harder to say what was bothering her.” Applejack tapped her other hoof to her mouth. “Actually, I dunno that she really knew herself. We sat her down and had a good long talk with her, after... well after ya poofed. She kinda had to hash it all out a little,” she rubbed a hoof on the back of her neck, grimacing. “Truth be told, we kinda had a bit of a mess on our hooves with Pinkie. I wanted to tell ya a few nights back but, ya know... Dashie was sick and Rarity had that weird magic thing going on and the Princess took off with Pinkie after ya saw us and poofed again—” “We had a lot happening at once.” Twilight said, nodding in understanding. “Yeah, things got weird.” Both of them were silent for a moment, Twilight was unsure if she wished to hear more, yet still curious as to what had actually been going on between Pinkie, Applejack and Rainbow Dash. She finally screwed up what little courage she had left and said: “Applejack—” “Twi—” They looked each other in the eyes and blinked as both realized the other had been about to speak. “You can go first, Twi—” “No, please, say what you were trying to say—” They were silent for a moment more, then both shared a nervous little laugh. Applejack cleared her throat, rubbing one forehoof against the other and looking extremely uncomfortable. “Twi... I gotta come clean with ya. Things got real weird real fast, and I tried to do the best I could, but... I’m not perfect either, ya know?” “None of us are perfect, Applejack.” “Yeah, well... I tried.” Applejack took her hat off, setting it down on the counter. “Look, all of this is past, okay? I don’t want ya to worry about any of it, but I still feel like ya oughta know, just so ya don’t freak out later. It’s just... Pinkie had a rough time when ya left, and Dash went to check on her—” “I just didn’t know what to do,” Applejack said, blushing furiously. “They kissed, an’ I wasn’t okay with that. I... I figured if I took the kiss back, it’d be okay, but I didn’t feel okay. I was kinda hurt, even if I knew—” “Even if you knew Dash still loved you, and never meant more than comfort.” Twilight finished, her eyes wide. “Well, no. Dashie... Dashie meant more than that.” Applejack replied, blushing even more. “She’s a horndog, Twi. She’s said it herself. Me and her got into a bit of a tiff over it, later on. But she never meant to do anything about it. An’... I don’t think Pinkie meant anything by it either. It was just fun to her. Well, would have been, ‘cept for the crying.” The world became a blur for Twilight as she thought of Pinkie crying. “Oh.” “I... I get how ya might be feeling, Twi, and I’m real sorry—” Twilight shook her head, wiping the tears from her eyes. “Applejack, it’s... it’s okay. Pinkie was distraught, and Rainbow provided physical comfort in a manner more intimate than intended. You were hurt by that, and attempted to take back what was rightfully yours, and only succeeded in further confusing Pinkie. She’s—” Twilight sniffled again, “She’s always had such charmingly foalish notions about intimacy. It’s part of why it’s so much fun to be with her—” “Don’t make it right, though!” Applejack said quickly. “I mean, for you and Pinkie maybe—” “No, I think you were right the first time. It wasn’t right to encourage her to think of it all as play. But it was... easier for me. Not healthy, but easier.” “Yeah... we got an earful about all that from Pinkie.” Applejack said, cringing a little. “Thought maybe she didn’t get what you two were up to, but yeah, she got it all right.” she sighed heavily, her shoulders slumping forward. “Look, I’m real sorry about what went down. Dashie was sick and Pinkie was holding her and I just got in with em, snug as a bug. Then you came in and... I could see that look, Twi. I felt the same when Dash told me she kissed Pinkie.” “Applejack, I know I misunderstood, now—” “Well, that time wasn’t really anything, but... ya know, before that, when we were trying to get her figured out... ” “When you were testing Pinkie’s understanding of our play,” Twilight supplied, nodding. “Yeah, it’s just... things could’a gone different. Like, Pinkie wouldn’a minded, and Dashie sure as hay wouldn’a minded—” “I understand. You were very conscientious, Applejack.” “Well, I tried my best, but you know, things got weird.” Applejack shrugged her shoulders uncomfortably. “So, you weren’t far off to be worried, maybe we should have had this talk back then instead of—” Applejack shrugged. “It’s not important. What happened happened. I guess what I want to know is, can ya forgive me for being a danged idiot?” “Of course!” Twilight said, coming around the counter to embrace Applejack. “But it wasn’t your fault, Applejack! If I hadn’t been so foolish and run off to begin with, none of that would have happened. I’m so glad you two were there to support her when I left.” “Awww, that wasn’t nothing. We’re always gonna be there for any of you girls.” Applejack replied, returning the hug. “I’m just sorry I let things get out of hoof as much as I did.” “I’m sorry too, Applejack. If I’d talked with Pinkie more frankly I’m sure I could have made her understand that the type of play we were doing wasn’t something casual... even if I did introduce it to her as less of a romance and more of a close friends sharing pleasure sort of way...” Twilight trailed off, shaking her head. “You see? I messed up there too. If... if I’d been less screwed up about all of this—” “Don’t worry none, sug.” Applejack gave her a final squeeze before letting her go. “Fact is, Dashie and I got through it just fine, and I feel better about us than I ever did,” she looked around, then dropped her voice to a whisper. “I... I dunno how she meant it, but I’m pretty sure she kinda sorta proposed. She wants me to meet her dad, and she gave me this little locket...” she held up the little silver chain, from which Twilight could see a small silver pendant swinging in the breeze. “Gosh, my poor heart... I didn’t know what to say!” The pendant flipped open, and Twilight could see a small picture of Rainbow Dash inside. “That’s... adorable...” Twilight said in a similarly quiet voice, being mindful of curious ears around them. “Should I start making preliminary plans? I’m fairly certain Princess Celestia would let us hold the ceremony in the castle. She’d probably insist, actually—” “Naw, haven’t even met her dad yet.” Applejack grinned, putting her hat back on. “Ain’t had somepony to call ‘dad’ in a long time. I hope he’s nice.” “That’s wonderful! When do you get to meet him?” “Well... That’s the thing. He’s working in Las Pegasus now. Think I could borrow yer balloon for the trip?” “Of course, of course. I’ll need some time to get it reinflated but that won’t be a problem!” Applejack reared up and kicked at the sky with a loud woop! “Thank ya, Twi! I’m really looking forward to this.” She came down once more, tipping her hat to Twilight. “Oh, one other thing. If ya don’t mind?” “Um, sure?” “Think I could get a set of those wings again? I kinda wanna surprise Dash.” “Celly! Cellycellycelly!” Celestia woke with a start, looking around for the sudden intrusion in her private chambers. It took her a moment or two to realize that she was not in her room, and that the pleasant-smelling pillow she’d been resting her head on was in fact Daring Do And The Search For The Guffin Of Maxwell. “Celly!” Pinkie said as she burst through the door to what Celestia now recognized as Twilight’s bedroom. “Errr, yes, Pinkie?” “She said yes, now I need to figure out where to take her, and what time of the night is best for star-gazing, and is it okay to kiss on the first date?” Celestia blinked slowly, waiting for the world to make just a little more sense. “I’m sorry, Pinkie. I feel like I’ve missed something. Can we try that all again?” Pinkie nodded quickly, whipping out a chalkboard from nowhere in particular. Celestia’s eyes bugged out for a moment, then she remembered that this was Twilight’s home, and she likely did have chalkboards around for just such an occasion. “Twilight,” Pinkie tapped on the hastily sketched drawing of Twilight, “—kissed Pinkie,” she tapped on another sketch. She then began tapping on a series of other sketches that had x’s drawn over them. “Not ‘Mina, or Princess Prissy, or Sir Laughsalot, or—” “Understood, Pinkie!” Celestia said quickly. “I saw her kiss you, but what does that have to do with—” Pinkie rushed over to Celestia, placing a single hoof gently over Celestia’s mouth. “Everything!” she said with a happy giggle. “Don’t you see? That was the most important kiss! The one Twi-twi couldn’t give me! It’s the first one, and the most important of any of them!” Pinkie removed her hoof from Celestia’s mouth and hugged herself. “It’s the ‘I love you’ kiss. And you helped her do it!” Pinkie stood up on the tips of her hooves, reaching up to kiss Celestia on her very surprised muzzle. “Thank you.” Pinkie said, her face flush with excitement. “Thankyouthankyouthankyou!” To Celestia’s credit, she managed not to flinch from Pinkie’s kiss, despite it coming so very unexpectedly. She still felt like she could use a large pot of coffee and at least an hour to wake up before being confronted with whatever was going on, but she congratulated herself on that much. She took a deep, cleansing breath, trying to shake loose the cobwebs of her mind. A nap had seemed like such a good idea a scant couple of hours ago. “Right... So... you invited Twilight on a date?” she asked hesitantly, hoping she’d understood that much correctly. PInkie nodded rapidly. “I need to take her to a nice place where they don’t set the food on fire. Then I want to take her stargazing but I dunno if it’s okay to kiss on the first date. Also, when is it okay to do other stuff? Should I wait for the second or third or fifth or tenth—” “Most couples wait for the third date, but you’ve already had your first kiss, even by your own accounting.” Celestia stood, slowly stretching out each leg and placing a bookmark in her book. She walked over to the chalkboard, slowly erasing the hastily drawn images that Pinkie had marked out with crosses and writing out ‘Twilight’s favorite foods’ in its place. “Is this what you wanted to know about?” “Well... kinda. I mean, I already know Twi likes soups and sandwiches and salads and pies and cakes.” Pinkie said, jotting down those names under the favorite foods. “I just mean... I wanna take her someplace fun, but I’m not sure where? I don’t usually do restaurants. Except I sort of live at one? I don’t think Sugarcube Corner is a great place for dates, though. We usually get ponies who wish they had dates,” she considered for a long moment. “Oh! And sometimes ponies who just had a date the night before and they’re all lovey-dovey the next morning! So... Sugarcube Corner is like the afterparty!” “Truthfully, Pinkie, I don’t think Twilight worries about fancy restaurants either.” “But that’s what you’re supposed to do!” Pinkie protested, tapping on the chalkboard where she’d drawn out two ponies (presumably Twilight and Pinkie) sitting at a table eating, followed by them holding hooves under the stars, followed by kissing, and the final image— Oh. I’m not entirely certain but I think those stick figures might be doing something obscene. Celestia averted her eyes, but not before distinctly hearing the sound of a low whistle of appreciation inside of her head. It’s either something obscene or Twilight and Pinkie playing Twister. Either way, Pinkie is apparently very flexible. Also, I think she is winning. “That is... certainly one way you could go.” Celestia said, keeping her eyes firmly on Pinkie and refusing to speculate about the intertwined stick-figures. I’ll speculate for the both of us. Do you think it would be cheating if we played Twister with them? You are quite tall, and you have more limbs than either of them. Pinkie looked back at her with wide eyes. “There are other ways?” With her mind filled with images of what could only be described as erotic Twister, Celestia shook her head, which made Pinkie cock her own sideways in confusion. “No, that’s not—” she stopped herself, smiling apologetically. “I mean, yes, there are innumerable ways to have a romantic evening. That is...” she hesitated as Pinkie whipped out a notepad. “Pinkie... I’m sorry, but I haven’t dated in several centuries. And even then it was less dating and more paying court.” Pinkie sat down, her notepad held in both hooves while she held a stub of pencil in her mouth. “Wha’s payin’ cours?” “It’s... courtship rituals.” Celestia replied. When Pinkie did not ask more, she went on, despite being unsure if she was helping or not. “When a Princess wishes to express their interest in somepony, they do so by sending gifts, at first. Tokens of affections like flowers, but sometimes paintings, jewelry... trifles, mostly.” “So... you sent things instead of going out to eat?” Pinkie asked, tucking the pencil into her mane for a moment. “Just at the beginning. Eventually, the one being courted is invited to dinner at the castle.” Pinkie raised a hoof, a question in her eyes. “Yes, Pinkie, I admit it is similar to inviting somepony to a restaurant.” she tapped the sketch of the ponies at the table meaningfully. “The whole point is to get to know the object of your affection, however. Surely you and Twilight know each other by now?” Pinkie shrugged, looking helpless for a brief moment. “Kinda? I know her favorite foods, and what kind of parties she likes, and I know she likes to read...” she looked at the blackboard, and drew a giant question mark in the empty space. “But I don’t know about the things she hides. And I want to know those things, so I can help her be happy,” she looked back to Celestia. “I think you might know some of those things, but I’d rather find out from her. Is that weird?” “I don’t think that’s odd at all, Pinkie.” Celestia said with a little chuckle. “And, to be honest, I think she might hide more from me than she does from you.” Pinkie stared at her for a long moment, her eyebrows scrunched up in confusion. “Huh? That can’t be right. You’re the Princess. Twi-twi is all about you.” Celestia nodded genially. “She admires me, that’s true. And I do know quite a few of her foibles. But like yourself, I only know what she’ll show me. I never knew I’d hurt her, for instance. Or that she had a playful side. She is guarded around me, because she doesn’t want to disappoint me.” Pinkie shook her head back and forth, making her mane swing in the resulting motion. “She’s happy when you’re around! I’ve seen it!” “Of course!” Celestia agreed. “We’ve always enjoyed each other’s company. But that’s not the same as being open with me. She tries to put on a brave face no matter what. It’s probably something I taught her without intending to.” Pinkie frowned as she thought, looking at the giant question mark on the chalkboard. “You bring the best smile out of her. No worry lines at all!” she said at last. “I can never, ever get her to smile like that!” “Worry lines?” Celestia asked, her eyebrows raised. “That’s interesting. In my experience, Twilight’s eyes are the most guarded part of her expression,” she let out a little sigh of regret. “Then again, she’s been guarded around me for... some time. She’d never show me she was worried unless everything had already gotten out of her control. And she’d certainly never smile then, not a real one anyway. If you can make her smile while she’s under stress, that’s quite impressive.” Pinkie’s mouth hung open as she stared at Celestia with wide eyes. “She... the lines... but—” “Pinkie?” Celestia asked quietly after an indeterminate amount of time had passed of Pinkie simply staring at her. “Are you all right?” Pinkie shook her head, breaking eye contact to look down at the floor. “I... I thought that around you, she was happier...” her fluffy pink ears wilted, and Celestia could see the beginnings of tears in her eyes. “Maybe... maybe she’s a really, really good faker and I just can’t read her? Is she ever really happy?” Celestia reached down to tilt Pinkie’s head back up. “Of course she is, Pinkie.” “How can you know?” Pinkie demanded. “If I can’t trust her smiles—” “She never learned how to fake a smile, Pinkie. You of all ponies should know that. It’s only her eyes.” Pinkie considered Celestia’s words for a long moment. “So... the crinkles are a good thing?” Celestia nodded. “It means she trusts you enough to show you she’s worried.” In a flurry of movement, Celestia found pink hooves wrapping around her neck in a strangle hold. “Thank you!” Pinkie cried out tearfully. “I... I always worried about those, then I worried because if Twi-twi knew she would worry more and then the crinkles would get worse and—” “Shhhh.” Celestia murmured into Pinkie’s ear as she gently returned the embrace, to hold Pinkie up if nothing else. “I know. You both overthink everything. It’s all right.” Eventually, Pinkie let her go, dropping back to the ground. She wiped her nose on the back of her hoof, then took a tissue that Celestia offered her to clean up properly. “Okay!” Pinkie said, smiling once again. “I... I still don’t know what to do, but I’m really, really happy right now!” “Right.” Celestia said with a warm little laugh. “Well, a restaurant sounds fine. Of course, we could just make her dinner as an alternative.” She began walking towards the door, intent on checking Twilight’s kitchen for supplies. “You know how to cook?” Pinkie asked, trotting along behind her. “It’s been some time, but I’ve been known to. I actually discovered some of the spices we use commonly today.” “Really? Which ones?” “Well, one in particular I think you’d be interested in hearing about, actually. Let me tell you a little story about a filly who saw a lightning strike and smelled something sweet...”