//------------------------------//
// Duet 
// Story: A Study In Nonsense 
// by Professor Piggy 
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All around her there was laughter. Wherever she looked, the sound of it echoed in her ears, hastening her heartbeats and shaking her to her very core. Before her, around her, there was nothing but a swarm of smiling, swaying ponies all waiting for one thing. All eyes were fixed on her, anticipating that moment just as she herself was; the moment she had been planning for, practising for, preparing for in every second she could spare for the last week. 

It had to be perfect. It would be perfect. Because she was perfect - that paradoxical pink pony, planner of parties and stealer of hearts. The mare who had begged her, pleaded with her for so long to give it just one chance. Who had whispered words and spun stories, and convinced her that she would love this feeling – did love this feeling – and just hadn’t realised it yet. Her perfect Pinkie, who had once again proven herself so very, very right.

All around her there was laughter. But nowhere more than at her side, silent and swaying – drinking in the happiness radiating from the ponies all around them. Happiness she had given to them, just as she had worked so hard to bring it to the one she loved – even before she had. Slowly – too slowly – those bright blue eyes fluttered open, finally sensing her gaze, and her mind went blank. For just that moment, there was only the sparkle in those eyes and the smile on the perfect pink face.

And then she began to sing. Her voice carried through the air as though she was born for it, but as those eyes – enchanting, excited, exquisite – stared into her own she had no doubt who they were meant for. What they were meant for.


~ In a world so full of beautiful places
Happy friends and smiling faces 
All I ever wanted to do
Was make it a little brighter~


Pinkie’s smile grew wider, her voice louder, with every note. It was beautiful. It was breathtaking. It was like nothing she had ever heard, and she had heard more of Pinkie’s lovely, lilting voice than anypony – she couldn’t move. Couldn’t think. Couldn’t look away. She didn’t ever want to.


~I didn’t really care who
As long as I could make their hearts lighter
And maybe once in a while
I could make the whole world smile~


Her heart raced, and she could feel her cheeks burning. Her smile grew wider, forcing itself to stay fixed on her face. She stood frozen. Fearful. Pinkie Pie was improvising. In their duet. She couldn’t improvise – she had never been able to improvise.


~But what I didn’t see
Was that I had forgotten me
I was breaking apart
Think I had been from the start~


Any minute now. Any minute now Pinkie Pie would stop singing and it would be her turn. They’d all be looking at her, expecting her to follow this treacherous pink angel and she would have nothing. She was going to fail. She was going to be a laughing stock. They would shun her, like they always had. Nopony would want anything to do with a pony who couldn’t perform impromptu musical numbers – she’d be an outcast.


~ I could be happy it’s true
But I was never whole ‘til I met you
You gave me reason to care
And you are my bestest mare ~


A hiss of irritation from behind the stage, followed by somepony – Rainbow Dash – snarling. “Shut up! It’s not her fault you made it hard to remember!”

And then she realised. This wasn’t a duet. It never had been. This was a serenade. She was being serenaded. She had read about this, and very few days went by that she didn’t experience it at least once. But those were spontaneous, unplanned, chaotic – this was practised, planned, perfect and for her. Pinkie was serenading her. And suddenly the moment was perfect again. Even if Pinkie really was improvising now.


~ You make the world shine
I hope that you will see
It might be a teensy bit selfish of me
But I need you to be mine! ~


And then Pinkie wasn’t singing, anymore. She wasn’t smiling. She was just staring at Twilight, expression intent. Her voice, when she spoke, was a whisper.


“Twilight Sparkle, will you marry me?”