With a heavy sigh, you lean on the adjacent wall and stare at the door.
“I was kidding yesterday when I asked if you needed help, but I had no idea you’d actually need it.”
“It’s not my fault I keep dropping the stupid thing in the toilet!” Twilight yells from the other side of the door.
“Why can’t you just levitate it while you p-”
“Because!” she hisses “I…I can’t focus on my magic and do…that…at the same time. It’s embarrassing.”
“Alright, alright…” you say as you begin to pace back and forth “But you really need to hurry up. We hafta leave in like ten minutes.”
“Don’t rush me! Doing this stupid test is embarrassing enough.”
“Oh come on… How are you embarrassed when you’re talking to me through the door?” you ask with a chuckle. From inside the bathroom, you hear a high pitched squeak, followed by a loud clatter.
“W-Why don’t you go find something else to do? I-I’m fine!”
With a heavy sigh, you run a hoof down your face. “Great. Now you decide to get stage fright… Fine, I’ll go be over there somewhere.”
Heading back down the hallway, you try to find something to keep yourself occupied. Nudging at one of the books on the shelves, you shake your head. “Don’t feel like reading…”
After wandering around the library for a few moments, you find your hooves taking you down the stairs and into the basement.
“Damn, I still can’t get over this set up…” you say aloud as you inspect the tables. “Alembics, flasks, test tu-Hey!”
Running over to one of the tables, you find yourself grinning ear to ear at the device before you. “No way! An audio-video projector!”
“She’s even got movies!” you exclaim as you grab the stack of tapes. Your excitement is dashed, however, when you find that most of the movies were documentaries or lectures by ponies you’ve never heard of.
“Wow Twi’, you’ve got something as awesome as this and you don’t even have-Hello!”
At the bottom of the pile, you find a movie entitled ‘The Cutie Marx Brothers: At the Circus’ with a folded note tapped to the back of it. Curious, you open and read it under your breath.
“To my most faithful student: may you enjoy this as much as I did. And remember, life isn’t just studying. Sometimes you need to laugh. Signed P.C.”
“Are you down there?” you hear Twilight call from the top of the stairs.
“Yeah, I’m here! Gimmie a second!” Putting the videos back the way you found them, you trot up the stairs towards Twilight.
“When were you going to tell me that you had an AV projector?” you ask as you get to the top.
Twilight gives you a tired look. “Oh, that old thing? Yeah, it was a gift, actually. But I don’t use it as much as I’d like,” she says as she leads you to the front door of the library. “Now come on, let’s get this appointment over with.”
Before she can go any further, you reach out and stop her. “Wh…What did the test say?” you ask nervously.
Twilight turns to face you with a soft smile on her face.
“Negative.” She says with a level of relief. “Come on, we need to hurry.”
“Alright, I’m coming.” You say as you follow her out the door.
As you make your way into the streets of Ponyville, the gears begin to turn as you think about the AV Projector again. “Hm… Maybe we should have a movie night or something.” You suggest aloud.
“Movie night?” Twilight mimics “Why would anyone want to watch one of my boring old documentaries on magical theory?” she asks with a sarcastic laugh.
“Well, maybe if they needed a sleep-aid,” you respond jokingly “but I was talking about that Cutie Marx Brothers video you’ve got.”
“Oh! I totally forgot about that! I’ve been meaning to watch it… But I don’t know. Are they any good?”
You gasp in surprise and stop in your tracks. “Are the Cutie Marx Brothers any good? That’s like asking if cupcakes are tasty or am I good looking. Of course they’re good; they’re the best comedians ever!”
Twilight snickers at your outburst. “Oh calm down. I believe you and now see the error of my ways. I’ll talk to the girls and see if we can something set up.”
Her eyes light up and a smile creeps across her face “We could have a date night!” she exclaims happily.
“Oh really? Who are you taking?” you ask nonchalantly “I think there’s a little unicorn at the café who has a crush on me, so I might ask her.”
Twilight’s jaw slacks a bit and she looks to you in confusion. “B…But I was going…To, you k-know, ask y-”
You can’t keep a straight face anymore and start snickering. “Oh, you’re cute when you’re like that.” You say teasingly.
Twilight gives you a strained look. “Don’t scare me like that…” she says under her breath. “Now come on, you’ve wasted enough time as it is.”
“Hey, I wasn’t the one dropping the test in the toilet this morning.”
“S-Shut up!” Twilight says with increasing blush. Her tone lowers as she stares daggers at you “You try peeing on a stick and not drop it.”
“Done. I don’t have to sit down when I pee, so I can actually aim.” You say with no modesty.
Her blush grows slightly. “Quiet, you…”
You laugh aloud as Twilight grows more and more awkward by the second and decide it’s best if you keep quiet until she regains her composure.
* * * * * * * * *
You do your best to stifle a yawn as you gaze up at the clock on the wall.
It’s already been half an hour… What’s taking him so long?
Turning to Twilight, you watch as she flips idly through a fashion magazine.
“Looking for some sexy lingerie for a birthday occasion?” you ask with a grin. Twilight’s face goes blush and the magic she was using to hold the magazine up falters for a bit, causing it to drop a bit before she catches it.
“No I am not looking up lingerie. And besides, I doubt I would wear it for your birthday.”
“Oh, I didn’t mean my birthday, I meant yours,” you say with a sly grin. “Don’t tell me you wouldn’t like to see me dance around in a speedo to ‘I’m too sexy’.”
Twilight’s cheeks go even redder as she buries her face into the magazine in a vain attempt to hide it.
“Come on, you know I’m just teasing,” you say as you scoot closer to her.
“What’s going on with you?” she asks as she brings her face out of the magazine. “I mean, before we were all awkward and dancing around each other and now you’re talking about lingerie and speedos and… and… It’s weird.”
You blink a few times and give her a puzzled look. “I’m sorry, it’s just I’m usually this playful. I’m just well… Awkward at first. It made things a whole lot easier when I said I loved you last night.”
Twilight’s face softens a bit and she leans into you. “M… Maybe I should say it, then. If we’re going to be a… a thing.”
You find yourself drawn in as well and getting closer and closer to her. You watch as she licks her lips in anticipation and opens her mouth to say those three little words.
“I-”
“Am I interrupting something?” a voice says from behind you.
Both you and Twilight jump in surprise and bashfully get to your hooves and face Nurse Redheart, who had a little blush in your cheeks. “I’m sorry for surprising you like that, it’s just there was a little accident and the doctor had to attend to some urgent matters.”
“What happened?” you ask curiously.
Nurse Redheart sighs heavily and shakes her head. “Rainbow Dash hit her head on a tree branch and needed a few stitches. It wasn’t anything serious, but it gave her husband quite the scare.”
“I hope she’s alright…” Twilight says nervously. “Is she here in the hospital?”
Nurse Redheart shakes her head as she leads you and Twilight into the long hallway. “No, the doctor took her home and put her to bed and should be back shortly. Until then, Twilight, I need you to go to room 112. It’s at the end of the hallway and all the way to the right. And you,” she says as she turns to face you “come with me to room 103. I’m going to need a urine sample.”
Sighing heavily, you follow Nurse Redheart and give Twilight a half smile. “See you in a bit…”
* * * * * * * * *
The motivational posters and clean, white atmosphere of the exam room did little to quell your fears. You could feel your stomach flip flop as you watched your blood go into the long glass tube connected to the needle in your arm. Closing your eyes, you take a deep breath and count the seconds.
One… Two… Three…Fourhowlongisthisgoingtotake…Five…S-
“Aaaaand there we go. You’re done.” Nurse Redheart says as she pulls the needle out. “Lemme just put a bandage on this and you’re all set.”
Pushing the piece of cotton into your foreleg, she grabs a small bandage with her free hoof and sticks it down with little effort.
“Thanks…” you say as you rub at the brightly colored band-aid.
“The doctor and Twilight are waiting for you in his office, you shouldn’t keep them waiting.” Nurse Redheart says as she opens up the door for you.
“Alright, I will. Thanks again.”
Walking out into the hallway, you follow it to the office you and Twilight had visited yesterday. Walking up to the door, you knock on it quickly.
From behind the door, you hear a familiar voice. “Enter.”
Walking into the doctor’s office, you find Twilight and the white unicorn from yesterday staring at you expectantly. “Please, sit down.” He says as he opens the folder on his desk “And close the door.”
Taking a seat down next to Twilight, you clear your throat. “Did the drug test come up with anything?”
“Well… Yes and no.” he says as he looks to the open folder on his desk. “There was LSD in both of your systems, but it wouldn’t cause the memory loss or the blackout you experienced” He says as he flips through the files “So I’m thinking you’re quote unquote ‘friend’, slipped you a cocktail of sorts.”
Sighing heavily, you run a hoof down your face. “Figures. And there’s no telling what he mixed up with that chemistry set of his…”
“Yes, well, I figured we’d run into something like this, so that blood we drew from earlier will be sent to a lab in Manehattan. And by Twilight’s request, under a false name.”
“Wh-”
“I… I really don’t want to turn this into a scandal, I’m sorry.” Twilight says as you begin to question her motives “I… I didn’t want my teacher to find out what happened and I’d rather she never find out. I hope you’re not mad.”
You shrug. “No, not really. What names did you use, anyway?”
“Dusk and Dawn Shine.” He says with a half smirk.
“Oh, alright then. But hey, next time you need a fake ID, lemme dig up my old one.” You say jokingly “I’m sure Rusty Shackleherd wouldn’t mind a few more drug tests.”
The doctor coughs into his hoof at your joke. “Well, yes… Moving on, there’s the matter of the memory loss.”
“Didn’t you say you had something to help with that?”
“Yes, Twilight and I were just discussing that,” the doctor says as he turns to the bookshelf behind him. “Memory spells can be a bit tricky, but I’m sure she can pull it off.”
“In theory, it should give us bits and pieces of what we lost over time.” She adds.
“Why can’t we just get it all back at once and be done?” you ask curiously.
“Not advisable.” The doc says as he pulls books out of the shelf “Memory spells reconnect neurons to form those lost memories and if too many neurons are reconnected at once, it could cause brain damage.”
You gulp audibly at the words ‘brain damage’.
Oh dear Celestia, what did I get myself into? You think with increasing worry.
“I know the prospect of brain damage can be scary, but it’s a one in a million chance to cause any permanent damage.” He says as he starts pulling out books faster “Oh come on, I just had it he-Aha! Here we are.” He exclaims as he pulls out a large, purple book.
As he puts it on the table, you glance at the title. “Memory Magic: An In-depth Look”
“Now, Twilight, it’s best if you try the smaller spells in that book first. It won’t be as precise as the more advanced spells, but you need to pace something like this.”
“Of course doctor,” Twilight says as she picks up the book. “Is there anything else we should know?”
“Nope, not that I can think of,” he says as he shakes his head. “Just keep testing yourself and avoid anything that could hurt the potential fetus. Alcohol, tobacco, drugs, the like.”
Mental note, make sure not to smoke around Twilight if I want to win father if the year…
“Then if it’s alright with you, I think we should we head back to the library and get right to work.” Twilight says as she gets up from the chair.
“Yeah, we’ll see you later doc.” You saw as you follow her out the door. As soon as you’re out of earshot, you give Twilight an odd look. “We? How am I supposed to help with this memory spell…thingy?”
“Oh don’t worry, I can think of some things for you to do.” Twilight says with a soft smile.
“Uh… Twi? Last time I checked, I don’t have a horn or magic wand. Well I do, but last time I tried to cast a spell with it, I got arrested for flashing,” you say jokingly.
Twilight does her best to stifle her laughter, but it comes out as a snort, making her laugh even harder. “You can’t be serious…” she says as she tries to catch her breath.
You give her a playful nudge. “Of course not, but you get the point. What am I supposed to do? Round up supplies and books? Isn’t that Spike’s job?”
At the mention of his name, Twilight sighs heavily. “It’s supposed to be, but he’s been shirking his duties lately. He’s been raiding the fridge every afternoon and disappearing to Celestia knows where. Not like he’d tell me.” She explains with a haggard sigh. “All he says is ‘guy stuff’ and runs off.”
You can’t help but laugh aloud. “It sounds like he’s turning into a teenager. Just wait until he starts bringing home strange girls.”
Twilight turns to you in wide eyed horror. “Don’t even joke about that. There’s no way I could deal with the emotional equivalence of a teenager and a possible infant at the same time.”
“Hey, I was just kidding,” you say with a comforting smile. “I can talk to him, if you want. He might open up to another guy.”
“Yeah… That could work…” She says with a nod. “But maybe I’m over reacting. I mean, he’s getting older. He doesn’t need me holding his hand the entire time.”
“Whatever you think is right, Twi’. You know what’s best.”
“And don’t you forget it,” she says with a self satisfied grin.
“Better not get too smug or that big head of yours will have trouble fitting through the door,” you say teasingly.
“It’s not from being smug,” Twilight says as she bats you with her tail. “It’s from being so much smarter.”
“Well, if you’re so smart, then we should have no problem getting our memories of that night back.” you say as you open the front door to the library.
“None at all,” she says calmly.
Holding the door open, you wait for Twilight to go through first. “After you.”
“Now, let’s get to work.” You say as you close the door behind you.
“Yeah, let’s get our memories back!” Twilight exclaims happily.
“What do we need to make this happen?”
Twilight levitates the book in front of her and flips through it before starring at a page in confusion. “Eww…”
You walk up to her side and give her a funny look. “Eww? Eww what?”
“Well… Most of these spells require a poultice as a material foci and the ingredients sound… well… Disgusting.”
“Oh come on, it can’t be that bad,” you says as you glance over the ingredients. Immediately, you feel yourself gag at the mere thought of smelling a concoction like that, let alone drinking it. Taking a deep breath, you turn to Twilight and force a smile. “I’ll start rounding up the chicken feathers and snake eggs if you start boiling the vinegar.”
At the mere mention of snakes, Twilight visibly shudders. “…Deal,” she says as she extends a hoof, which you quickly shake.
“Any idea where to start looking?” you ask as you motion for the door.
Twilight thinks for a second and then smiles. “Fluttershy might be able to help you in that department. She has a cottage on the outskirts of Ponyville where she takes care of all sorts of creatures.”
“Alright, thanks. I’ll be back in a bit!” you call out as you make your way into the streets and towards Fluttershy’s cottage.
* * * * * * * * *
You gingerly take the bag from the yellow pegasus and give her a smile once you place it safely around your neck. “Thanks again for getting these, Fluttershy. You have no idea how much this help.”
“Umm… Well, you’re kind of right… I don’t know how much this helps. Why do you need this? That is, if you don’t mind me asking.” She says sheepishly.
“Uh, well… I hate keeping secrets, but once we get things sorted out, I’m sure Twilight and I will be more than happy to-”
Fluttershy’s eyes go wide at the mention of her friend’s name. “Twilight? What’s wrong with Twilight? Is it something bad?” she asks worriedly.
You put your hooves up in defense. “No! No! It’s just… complicated right now. Once we get all of our ducks in a row-”
Fluttershy gasps aloud and puts her hooves to her mouth in shock.“Oh no, the baby ducks!” she cries “I was so busy helping you I forgot to pick them up at the pond! Oh, their mother is probably so worried! I gotta go!”
“Wait! How much do I owe you?!?” you shout as she begins to take off.
“Don’t worry about it!”
Without another word, she flies off, leaving you with a couple of unfertilized snake eggs and enough chicken feathers to make a pillow.
“I really hope this memory spell works…” you think aloud. With a worried sigh, you start walking back towards the library and hope that Twilight had finished her part of the potion.
* * * * * * * * *
“Okay, now just throw in the eggs.” Twilight orders as she reads over the instructions in the book.
You look at the eggs in your hooves, a little unsure of yourself. “Whole?”
Twilight pries herself from the book and nods. “Yes, whole. The poultice should dissolve them quickly.”
The fact that the brew you were supposed to drink could dissolve an egg, even a snake egg, ‘quickly’ made you quite nervous.
“We actually have to drink this?” you ask as you drop the eggs in unceremoniously.
“Actually, no. We just have to breathe in the vapors after I cast the spell on it. The fumes act as a medium for the spell and travel into the bloodstream, where it goes to the brain. It’s rather quite simple. Now wad up a ball of feathers and toss them in.”
Right. Simple. You think as you start to ball up a hoof-full of feathers.
Twilight watches your work as you do your best to clump the feathers together into something that resembled a ball. After a few failed attempts, you finally get it and set it in the red-ish brew and watch as they sink in and dissolve.
“Okay… Now what?”
Twilight didn’t answer. Instead, she closes her eyes tightly and you watch as her horn begins to light up. A trail of light coils off of her horn and into the potion before disappearing into it completely, as if the magic had been dissolved, along with the rest of the ingredients.
“Alright…” Twilight panted “We’re good. Now all we need is to take a deep breath of the poultice and we should remember the events from last night. Just focus on what’s missing and the spell will do the rest. Are you ready?”
You give her a shrug and scoot closer to the brew. “Sure, why not?”
“Okay. I gotta warn you, the book said that when you start to remember, it’ll feel like your reliving the entire event. Everything you said, tasted, and… felt.” She says, sounding rather embarrassed about that last part.
Looking at the brew again, you sigh heavily. “Let’s do this.”
Both you and Twilight lean forward and put your face just above the vile brew and take a deep breath of the vapors coming off from it.
Reeling back, you cough violently into your hoof and watch the walls melt around you and disappear as the events from last night trickle back into your mind.
* * * * * * * * *
“Okay!” you cry “We gotta… We gotta…”
You find yourself drawing a blank as you stare into Twilight’s eyes. Those giant, purple eyes seemed to stare into your very soul. “Y…You’re beautiful…” you say as you climb onto the bed with her.
“You too…” she says breathlessly.
In all of a sudden, you find her lips on yours, kissing you hungrily and desperately, as if it was the last thing she was ever going to do. You kiss her back and find your tongue moving on its own accord into her mouth, only to be greeted by her own.
Twilight pulls back from the kiss out of an urgent need to breath and takes a deep breath. “You’re wonderful…” she says with a dreamy smile.
Before you can get another word in, she tackles you and pins you to the bed with a sly grin on her face.
“Now.”
“Now wha-” Your eyes widen as you begin to understand what she was after. “Whoa, wait, whoa, whoa… Wait. I mean, do you really want-”
Twilight leans in and brings her face just a few inches from your own. “I need it.”
She buries her face in yours again for a passionate kiss and trails a hoof down your chest going lower and lower until…
The world goes dark.
* * * * * * * * *
You blink a few times as your vision returns and the world starts to make a little more sense. You realize that your face was bright red and there was lingering heat somewhere down below. Shifting on your haunches, you look to Twilight and hope she hasn’t noticed.
“Uh, you okay?”
She doesn’t even notice you as she stares off in space, panting ever so slightly as a blush crept up her face and she squirmed in her seat.
“Twi’?”
Finally, she snaps out of her trance and looks around the room slowly before turning to you and gasping aloud.
“SNACKS!” she cries out.
“W-What?” you ask, horribly confused.
“IF WE’RE GOING TO HAVE MOVIE NIGHT, WE’RE GOING TO NEED SNACKS!” she yells as she bolts for the basement. “I’LL GET THE PROJECTOR, YOU GET THE FOOD! MONEY IS IN THE COOKIE JAR ON THE FRIDGE!”
Getting to your hooves, you race to the stairs and call out to her. “Twi, are you okay?”
At the bottom of the stairs, she sticks her head around the corner and gives you a plastic fine. “YUP, RIGHT AS RAIN! COULDN’T BE BETTER! SO YOU CAN GO NOW, I’LL SEE YOU TONIGHT!”
“Uh… Okay… If I run into any of your friends, I’ll let know what’s going on,” you say as you make your way to the kitchen.
“GREAT! SEE YOU THEN!”
Entering the kitchen, you find two cookie jars on the fridge, one shaped to look like a cow and the other looking quite plain. Grabbing a nearby chair, you climb onto it and lifting the head off of the cow, making it moo aloud like a real cow. Looking into the jar, you don’t find money, only cookies.
“Huh.”
Turning to the other jar, you reach over to life the top off, but as you do, you hear the backdoor open and watch as a purple dragon walks in, carrying a plate of scraps that obscured his view.
“You better watch how many of those cookies you eat, Twilight or you’ll start to get a little pudgy,” he says with a chuckle. You remain silent as he takes the plates over to the sink and sets them in before running the water.
“Gee Twi, you don’t have to ignore me if you can’t take a joke…”
“Oh no, I thought it was funny. It’s just I’m not Twilight.”
As soon as you speak up, Spike jumps into the air and screams before turning to you in wide eyed horror.
“Who’re you?!?” he cries as he takes an aggressive stance.
You jump down from the chair as you realize that Twilight hadn’t introduced you to Spike yet and to him, you were an intruder in his home. “Easy, easy! I’m a friend of Twilight’s!”
He gives you an odd look before nodding. “Oh right… You’re Smokey. Twilight was talking about you all last night.”
“Yeah, yeah,” you say bashfully. “That’s me alright.”
“So, uh…. What’re you doing?” he asks curiously.
“Well, Twilight told me to get some money and buy some snacks for movie night.”
Spike’s eyes go wide at the word ‘movie’.
“Wait, Twilight’s digging out her old projector?!?” he asks ecstatically. “Oh wow, I haven’t seen those old movies forever!”
“Yeah, we’re thinking about watching The Cutie Marx Brothers and having a sort of date night for the ponies around here,” you explain as you grab a hoof-full of bits out of the right cookie jar this time. “You’re more than welcome to join us and bring that special someone.”
Spike’s smile disappears for a moment and shifts to a more perplexed look. “I don’t know… She doesn’t seem to get comedy. All of my jokes just sort of go right over her head.”
“Oh, give her time; I’m sure she’ll get them eventually. And you can’t go wrong with The Cutie Marx Brothers.”
“Yeah, ya got a point,” he says with a chuckle. “Alright! I’ll go ask her.”
“What’s her name?”
“What’s who’s name?” he asks as he makes his way towards the back door.
“The special lady you’re bringing.”
“Oh! Yeah, her name’s Ruby!” he says happily. “She’s a d-”
Spike gasps aloud as he brings his hands up to his face to stop himself from saying anymore. “YOU CAN’T TELL TWILIGHT!” he yells.
“Hey, calm down buddy. If it’s such a big secret, I won’t make you tell,” you say as you make your way out the door. “I won’t even ask anything else. Well, actually, no. I gotta ask you one thing.”
“…What?” he asks cautiously.
“Did you know you’re worrying Twilight?”
Spike’s face droops slightly at the revelation. “What?”
“She’s worried about you. Running off every afternoon, not telling her where; it’s no wonder she’s worried.”
“Well… She doesn’t need to be worried. I can take care of myself,” he says as he pushes pass you.
“She knows that.”
Your words stop Spike dead in his tracks.
“Just because she’s worried about you, doesn’t mean she thinks you can’t take care of yourself. She just doesn’t want to see you get hurt.”
Spike keeps his back to you for a few moments before walking off again, mumbling something under his breath.
He’ll come around… you think as you make your way into the streets of Ponyville and towards the supermarket.
* * * * * * * * *
Glancing over the items in your cart, you do a quick checklist for anything your missing. “Okay… Let’s see… Fruit punch, ginger ale, orange sherbert, malted milk balls, licorice… What am I missing?”
“Popcorn.”
You smack your forehead for almost forgetting the key part to any good movie. “Popcorn! Yes! Thanks.” Turning to the pony who had reminded you, you smile and extend a hoof. “Thanks! A movie isn’t right without popcorn.”
The rainbow colored pegasus with the bandage on her head smiled. “Totally.”
Something in your head clicks and you suddenly realize you were talking to one of Twilight’s friend; the one who hit her head. “Oh, you’re Rainbow Dash!” you say excitedly. “I was hoping to run into you.”
“Why? Do you want an autograph?” she asks shamelessly.
“Autograph? No, uh, there’s going to be a movie night over at the library and-”
“You wanted to know if I can make it?” she finishes for you.
“Yeah. How’d you know?”
“I just saw Twi’ not too long ago in the market. She was picking up big enough sheets for a backdrop and she told me all about it! I figured I’d stop by the store and grab some snacks to bring, but it looks like you got that covered,” she says with a nod towards your cart.
“Yeah… Well, actually, I could use a bottle of vodka, tomato juice, and some horseradish for the more adult drinks.”
Rainbow Dash tilts her head to the side as you name off the ingredients before shrugging. “I have no idea what you’d need tomato juice and horseradish for, but alright. Anything else?”
“Nah, I think I got it covered. But if you see anyone else who wants to come, just let ‘em know.”
“Oh, I will! I’m sure Fluttershy would be up for a movie with her new boyfriend. And I don’t think Cheerilee is doing anything tonight… Welp, I’ll see you then!” she says before trotting off.
“See ya!”
Turning back to your cart you grab it and start to drag it over to the aisle that you think has the popcorn and trot off.
“Hmm… I wonder if Twilight likes caramel on her popcorn.” You wonder aloud.
* * * * * * * * *
“Alright Dash, just splash a bit of that vodka in the punch while I get the sherbert out of the freezer.”
“On it!”
Reaching into the freezer, you pull out the container of orange flavored sherbert you bought earlier in the afternoon and grab the ice cream scoop you left out earlier.
“What do you call this concoction, anyway?” Dash asks as she pours in about a fourth of the vodka in the punch.
“I call it… fruit punch mixed with ginger-ale, sherbert, and vodka.”
“Really?” she asks as she stops pouring. “Nothing fancy like ‘Fizzy Drunk Time’ or something?”
You shrug. “Not really, it’s just something some friends and I used to mix together at parties.”
“Huh… What about that other bowl? Should I throw some vodka in that too?” she asks as she hovers over it with the bottle.
“Oh no! That’s the non-alcoholic version. I don’t think everyone wants to get drunk tonight…”
“Well that’s boring.” She says as she sets the bottle down. “Why wouldn’t someone want to drink? Well, unless they’re pregnant or something.” She says with a laugh. “And no one here’s pregnant.”
You chuckle nervously as you throw some sherbert into the other bowl. “Y-yeah… Hey Dash, why don’t you go see if Twilight and the doc need any help getting the projector set up? I got this.”
“Ya sure you don’t need any more help?”
“Yeah, I’m sure. All I gotta do us pop some popcorn and we’re golden.” You say as you grab the bag of ‘Easy-Pop’ popcorn.
“Alright, I’ll leave ya be. Just shout if anything starts to burn…” she says as she makes her way into the main foyer. “I’d rather not have another visit from the fire department.”
“No problem, I’ve only burned down like two kitchens,” you say jokingly.
“That’s one more than me,” Dash says as she takes her leave.
You turn to the microwave and wonder just how such a simple device could burn anything. Tossing in the bag, you set it to ‘popcorn’ and leave it cook. Walking out into the main foyer, you decide to check how things are going.
“Hmm… A little to your left Fluttershy,” Twilight said as she framed the backdrop with her hooves. “And just a little bit higher on your end, Rainbow.”
The two pegasi comply and follow Twilight’s directions, only to get a haggard sigh from the unicorn. “Now it’s too low on your end, Fluttershy. Maybe you-”
“Oh come on, it’s not like it’s gotta be perfect!” Dash protests,
“You don’t want the movie to be crooked, do you?” she asks.
“Uh, Twilight? The only way the movie will be crooked is if you tilt the projector around, not the backdrop.” You say with half smile.
Twilight gives you a puzzled look before turning to her friends. “Really? Oh. Well… I guess that’s okay then.”
Rainbow Dash lets out a sigh of relief before sticking the tack into the wall and landing in front of you. “Jeez, it was all ‘up, down, left, right, left, right’.”
“Heh, sorry…” Twilight says sheepishly.
“Oh, it’s alright, my little taskmaster,” you say before giving her a quick peck on the cheek.
“Ooooh! What’s this now?!?” Dash yells out excitedly. “Did our little bookworm finally find herself a stallion?”
Twilight’s face starts to turn bright as she kicks at the ground bashfully. “…Yes…”
In one swift motion, Rainbow Dash grabs both you and Twilight in for a tight hug. “I’m happy for ya. It seems everypony is finding the love of their life. I mean, look at those two over there,” she says as she points to Fluttershy and her date.
“…I can’t see it, where is it?” the orange stallion asks aloud.
“It’s um… right there. On your nose.” Fluttershy says as she points to the glob of sherbert on the end of the stallion’s nose. Sticking his tongue out, he tries in vain to lick it off, only to have Fluttershy lean forward and get it in one lick. She swallows it silently before blushing heavily.
“Sorry…”
The stallion simply looks at Fluttershy with a growing smile before putting a hoof around her shoulder. “You are just too cute…”
“Huh, I guess you’re right…” you say as you watch the two curl up on the couch. A sudden knock on the door causes Rainbow Dash to let go of you and rush over to the door.
“I got it!” she yells as she flings the door open.
“Oh my!” the fuchsia colored mare cries as the door bangs against the wall.
“Hello Cheerilee,” Fluttershy says as she walks up to the startled earth pony. “Where’s...”
“Oh he’ll be around. He should be getting out of work soon.” she says as she steps into the library. “But in the meantime, is there anything I can do to help prepare for the movie?”
“Think you can make some Bloody Marys?” you ask with a smirk.
“She’s a school teacher,” Twilight says with a ragged sigh. “I don’t think-”
“Of course, no problem!” Cheerilee declares as she bounces off to the kitchen. “My sister Berry taught me how to mix drinks not too long ago.”
Twilight’s stunned face was enough to make you giggle. “Never judge a book by it’s cover, Twi’.”
“I know that,” she says defensively. “But I always figured Cheerilee for a pretty tame pony.”
“It’s in my experience that the ponies that enjoy drinking have to deal with children in one form or another,” you say jokingly.
In all of a sudden, there’s another knock, prompting everypony in the room to turn to the door. “I got it,” you say as you grab a hold of the doorknob.
Opening the door, you feel your heart skip a beat as you find yourself eye to eye with a pure white, armored stallion; one of the Princess’ very own royal guard.
“C-Can I help you?” you ask shakily.
“Good evening, I’ve received a complaint about the noise level and was wondering if you could keep it down,” he says as he eyes the inside of the building.
“Oh! Uh, so sorry, we had no idea we were being loud. We’ll make sure to be extra quiet from now on.” Just as you try to close the door, he keeps it open with one of his hooves.
“There’s one more thing.”
Oh crap...
“As part of a new initiative, we’re asking residents in the area to allow a routine search of the premises. This is just to ensure your safety of those within.”
“Is there, uh, anything you’re looking for specifically?” you ask with hint of nervousness.
“Fire hazards, gas leaks, prohibited substances, the like.” He explains as he lets himself in.
Oh crap oh crap...
The royal guard looks around the library as everypony in the room watches him in silence. It doesn’t take long for him to zero in on the pile of saddlebags lying in the corner of the room.
Please don’t look in mine, please don’t look in mine...
Of course, your pleas go unanswered and he starts rooting around in your saddlebag and finds what you were dreading.
“You do know this is an illegal substance?” he says as he holds up your bag of clover.
“Uh... Technically, not in Ponyville yet.”
“While it’s not illegal to have it, it is illegal to posses it with the intention to sell,” he says as he places the clover in his own bag. "I'm placing you under arrest for possession with intent to supply a class B substance,” he says as he closes in on you “as defined by the prohibited substances act.” In one swift motion, he produces a pair of manacles and places them around your hooves, causing your heart to race wildly. “You have the right to remain silent. Anything you say, can and will be used against you in the court of law.” Turning to your friends, you watch as they look in horror as you’re read your rights. “You have the right to speak to an attorney, and to have an attorney present during any questioning. If you cannot afford a lawyer, one will be provided for you at government expense.”
Grabbing a hold of the chain, the royal guard starts pulling it and dragging you out the door. “TWILIGHT! GO TO MY HOUSE! THERE’S A CARD ON THE TABLE WITH MY LAWYER’S NUMBER!” you scream “TELL HIM ALPHA SIGMA! ALPHA SIGMA!”
Just as all hope seemed lost, you watch as Cheerilee rushes up to the guard and grabs a hold of him. “Okay, now that’s going too far. You’re going to give the poor guy a heart attack!”
The royal guard stops dragging you and turns to Cheerilee with a wide grin. “Oh, I couldn’t help it!”
Chuckling to himself, the guard leans down and removes the chains from your forelegs. Glancing back, you now notice that Dash has fallen over laughing, holding her sides. Free again, you turn to Twilight, still confused whilst the clang of amour hitting floorboards is heard. You whip your head back in his direction, to see a different and incredibly familiar stallion kissing Cheerilee, one of her magenta hooves running through his cropped-short off-white mane.
“This... this is Cheerilee’s husband, Snapshot.” Twilight explains, “He’s a captain of Princess Celestia’s royal bodyguard.”
“No... no way, Snaps?”
“That’s right, Smokey, it’s me.” the rusty, tall and gruff looking stallion replies, “Still on the clover, I see?”
“Yeah, that I am.”
Turning to Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, and her date, you give them a weak smile. “You guys cool with that?”
Dash simply shrugs at the question. “Yeah, I’m cool.”
“Umm... I’m fine with it...”
“Ditto.”
“Alright, cool,” you say as you turn back to Snapshot. “Hey, you up for a quick toke?” you ask as you trot over to your saddlebag. “I got a few joints here, somewhere...”
“I thought you’d never ask,” Snapshot says as you pull out a silver container.
“Come on, let’s catch up. I haven’t seen you in forever.”
“Cheri, is that alright with you?”
“I don’t see why not, we can have a little girl talk in here whilst we finish setting up.” she says, making Fluttershy’s date squirm slightly where he stands.
Just as you and Snapshot depart, the door opens and a white unicorn walks in with a half smile. “I hope I’m not too late,” he says as he sets a plastic bag down at his feet. “I was running a little late at work and decided to pick up some cotton candy Dashie and I made last night.”
“Oh, hey doc!” you say as you walk past him. “Didn’t know you were coming. Well, Snappy and I were about to go out for a smoke. Wanna join us?”
“No thank you, I could never touch the stuff.” He says as he wipes his feet off on the rug. “But don’t let me stop you.”
“Alright then, the popcorn should be ready in a bit. Just mingle until then.”
Leaving the group, you take Snapshot outside, where he removes a pipe from his saddlebag. He brings out your bag of clover and tosses it back to you, after pouring a small amount of the fragrant herb into his pipe. Somehow, the earth pony lights the pipe, and sucks on it, thoughtfully, occasionally blowing the smoke out through his nose.
“Long time, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“So what have you been up to? You just kind of dropped off the grid one day, and nopony knew where you’d gone.”
“I joined the military. Started off in the castle guard, and now I’m a bodyguard for the Princesses.”
“Wow, that sounds awesome! What are they like?”
“The Princesses? I’m sure you’ll meet them one day. Luna’s still a little weird, but it’ll be a few more years before she’s back to whatever normal counts as for an immortal these days. Princess Celestia is a bit of a mischief maker though, we’ve got this initiation rite for the new guards that join the protectorate, that, well, I shouldn’t really talk about.”
“Wait, does Celestia know that you’re still on the four-leaf?”
“She knows, yes. I’ve been allowed to bend the rules a little.”
“Still got the memory thing, huh?”
“Yeah.”
“Okay,” you say, raising an eyebrow, “So you knew Twi in Canterlot too?”
“Yeah, I’ve known her for years. Practically watched her grow up. She never really bothered with any of the guards aside of this one jackass who eventually left, named Shimmer,” Snapshot replies, sucking once more on his pipe before offering it to you, “His brother, Giggles, was a good friend of mine though... he was the father of Ditzy’s kid, Dinky.”
“No way, Ditzy’s in Ponyville too?”
“She sure is. She runs the post office; you two should catch up some time.”
“Definitely, I bet she’s an awesome mom.”
“What about you? Are you still in touch with Tokey? What’s he been up to recently?”
“Oh boy... It’s a long story. One I’d rather not get into right now. All you need to know is that he pulled a dick move and we’re not friends anymore.”
“Sounds familiar. Pierce was arrested about a month ago.”
You gasp, dropping the half-joint into the wet grass and frantically trying to pick it up again.
“He gave Cheerilee’s sister a beating, and probably would have done worse if the landlord of this bar nearby hadn’t stepped in and put him on his plot.”
“Damn, poor Berry.”
“She’s got a kid too now, y’know? Little Ruby is the spitting image of her mo-”
“Wait, wait, Ruby?” you ask, thinking back to what Spike had said, “Say, have you noticed her hanging around with Spike a lot?”
“No. Cheri mentioned that Berry’s not much of a fan of the little guy, I don’t think she’d let her daughter anywhere near him.”
“Huh, must be a different Ruby.” Taking a glance inside, you notice everyone sitting down in front of the screen and getting ready to start the movie.
“Hey, come on, we’re gonna miss the show!” you say as you tug at Snappy.
“You’re right! Come on!”
Rushing inside, you and Snappy take a seat, you next to Twilight and Cheerilee next to him. “I thought you’d never get finish,” Twilight says as she takes a sip of punch.
“Sorry, we- Twilight?”
“Yes?”
“That’s... That’s non-alcoholic, right?” you ask, lowering your voice to a whisper.
Twilight’s eyes go wide and she looks to her cup. “I-I don’t know.”
“Here, let me taste.” Grabbing a hold of her cup, you take a sip and swish it around in your mouth before swallowing. “You’re good.”
Twilight lets out a sigh of relief. “Great. Now, let’s start the movie!” she says aloud as her horn grows brighter and the room grows dimmer. An audible click signals the start up of the projector and soon a beam of light shoots out of it and hits the screen. The light dims and turns black before the face of lion appears on the screen and roars loudly, startling not just you, but a few of the other viewers. Soon, a ring forms around the lion with the words ‘ars gratis artis’ above it and flanked on both sides with ‘trade mark’ and underneath ‘Metro Goldwyn Mare’.
“Oh, this is going to be good...” you say aloud as the lion disappears. Soon, the title screen appears with cartoonish versions of the Cutie Marx Brothers posed around the words ‘At the Circus’ on the side of an elephant.
“Pass the popcorn,” you hear somepony say behind you.
* * * * * * * * *
Ah, this meeting brings back memories... Childhood days, lemonade, romance! My life was wrapped around the circus... Her name was Lydia. Met her at The World’s Fair in 900 and walked out 940...
Ah Lydia....
She was the moooooost gloooooorious creature~
Under the sun...
“Hey Twi’, where’s the bathroom?”
Both you and Twilight turn to see Rainbow Dash with a strained look on her face.
“It’s where it usually is, Rainbow. Upstairs, second door on the right.” Twilight says as she turns back to the movie. “Now please, be quiet.”
“Thanks!” she says before bolting upstairs.
Oh Lydia oh Lydia, say have you met Lydia? Lydia the Tattooooed Griffon~
She has eyes that folks adore so,
and a torso even more so,
Lydia oh Lydia, that enyclopedia, oh Lydia the Queen of Tattooooo~!
On her back is the battle of Poniloo,
Beside it the wreck of the Kesley Blue,
And proudly above stands Celesta too!
You can learn a lot from Lydia!
You hear Rainbow Dash thunder down the stairs and run up to you and Twilight with a determined look on her face. “Twilight. We need to talk.”
“Rainbow, can it wait? I’m really enjoying the movie.” Twilight says as she grabs a hoof-full of popcorn.
Your breath catches in your throat as Rainbow Dash shoves the box of pregnancy tests in Twilight’s face. “No. It can’t.”
Twilight’s mouth goes slack as she looks to the box and to her friend. “Rainbow-”
“Twilight. Now.”
Rainbow Dash wasn’t going to take no for an answer and grabs a hold of Twilight before dragging her into the kitchen.
“What’s going on?” you hear Cheerilee ask as you get to your hooves.
Oh this can’t be good... you think grimly.
By the time you maneuver through the rest of the ponies, Rainbow Dash was yelling in shock.
“Wait, what?!? ARE YOU SERIOUS?!?”
You pick up the pace and make your way into the kitchen where you find a furious Rainbow and a skittish Twilight.
“Just calm down!” Twilight yells “There’s still the chance that I’m not!”
“It doesn’t matter!” she screams as she turns to face you. “YOU knocked her up! When the hell did this happen, anyway?!?”
Twilight looks to the ground bashfully. “Uhm... Well...”
“When we, uh... Met at the Harvest Moon Festival.” You say, rather embarrassed.
Rainbow’s jaw drops at the news. “So what? You guys got it on and bucked when you first met?!?
“Dashie, there’s more to it than that,” the doctor says as he walks up next to you. “There were... circumstances beyond their control.”
Rainbow’s eyes widen as she looks to him. “You knew about this? And you didn’t tell me?!?”
“Doctor-patient confidentiality!” he cries “And what was I supposed to say? Your best friend might be pregnant because of drug u-”
He puts his hooves up to his mouth as he realizes his folly and looks to Rainbow Dash, who’s face was a mix of horror and revulsion before turning back to you. “YOU SON OF A BITCH!” she cries as she takes an aggressive stance. “I’LL-”
“You’ll what?” Snappy asks as he steps in-between you and Rainbow Dash. “I don’t know what’s going on, but if you start anything, those manacles will be coming back out, and I’LL finish it.”
“Oh come on! You’re gonna defend this guy? She’s pregnant and this clown could’ve drugged her and told her anything he wanted!”
“You have no proof!” he replies.
It was Cheerilee’s turn to get mixed in with all of this “Oh no, please don’t fight!”
“Please everyone, just calm down!” the doctor cries.
“DON’T TELL ME TO CALM DOWN!” Dash cries as she rears back. “How do you know this isn’t all a game to him he-”
“It isn’t!” You protest “It’s... It’s-”
“It’s what, huh? You don’t even know! What are you, some predator out there trolling bars for an easy score? Why would she even care for somepony like you-”
“QUIET!”
Everyone in the room turns to the source of cry and find Twilight shaking in fury. “I do care for him! I love him, damnit! I haven’t said it, but I do! That night was probably the best night of my life! I forced him into it and all the while, he kept asking if I was okay or how I felt while I was riding him like a mare in heat, screaming I love you, over and over and! And...”
Twilight goes very quiet as she notices that the entire room, including you, were starring at her in wide eyed shock.
“And... And.... Oh dear Celestia...” she said as she slumped down on her haunches. “I... I need a minute...”
Rainbow Dash looks on, her jaw slightly agape and cheeks a rosy shade of red at the outburst. “Whoa...”
Taking this opportunity, you take a deep breath and walk up to Rainbow. “Listen, I didn’t drug her, a former friend did. He pulled a dick move and spiked Twilight’s drink. I took a swig of the same stuff and we’re both still fuzzy on all the details of that night. Well... At least I’m fuzzy about the details,” you say as you feel your cheeks go warm.
Wow, is that really what happened? you think in disbelief.
“Oh...” Dash says meekly. “Listen, I’m sorry about the whole... you know. I lost my head, I’m sorry.”
“It’s alright, you didn’t know.”
“Hey, guys?” Twilight finally says “Can... Can we do this another night? I kinda want to be alone.”
“Of course,” Snapshot says, awkwardly, his eyes trying to avoid looking at you or Twilight, “Smokey, do you have any of that four-leaf left?”
“Sorry, I think we got through it all...”
“I’ve got some at home, sweetheart,” Cheerilee replies, before looking at the others, “For... emergencies?”
You blink, and see the stallion already wearing his armour, once again white coated and blue-maned, still avoiding looking at Twilight.
Walking over to the door, you hold it open for everypony and watch them depart into the streets of Ponyville.
“ ‘Riding him like a mare in heat, screaming I love you.’ Brilliant, another memory and mental picture that I really, really don’t want to remember.” Snapshot grumbles as he makes his way out of the library. “I remember when she was just this sweet little kid...” Seeing him upset, Cheerilee nudges him and whispers into the armoured stallion’s ear; he stops, dead on the spot, and then leans in to kiss her, before the two of them dash off at a gallop into the night.
“Uhm, well, we’ll see you later Twilight...” Fluttershy says awkwardly as her face seems to grow redder.
“Yeah, later.”
“Hey, just in case I wasn’t clear the first time, I’m sorry, really.” Rainbow Dash says as she leaves with a rather down looking doctor.
“So much drama going on... I should have grabbed a drink when I could.”
“Hey, sorry for everything guys. We can watch the rest of the movie some other time.” As the last pony leaves, you look into the kitchen and call out to Twilight. “I guess I’ll be heading home, too.”
As you take your leave, you hear a heavy gallop behind you. “I didn’t mean you!” she calls out from the doorway.
Turning around, you walk back towards her. “Then what do you mean?”
Slowly, she moves closer to you before planting a short, but sweet kiss right on your lips. “I want you to stay.”
“Why?” you ask dumbly “Because of me, you’re in this whole mess. I feel like I’m the last person you want to see right now.”
Twilight laughs under her breath before grabbing a hold of you and leading you back inside. “You were right. It makes things a whole lot easier to say ‘I love you’.” she says as she leads you upstairs. “I was so embarrassed before about well... everything... but it doesn’t seem to matter anymore.”
Twilight leads you to her room and flings open the door before leading you straight into bed.
“Why?”
“Because no matter what happens or what the world throws at us, you love me and I love you and I’ll know everything’s all right with the world when I wake up next to you in the morning. Now get some sleep.”
You feel a goofy smile spread across your face as you wrap a hoof around Twilight and bring her in for a warm embrace. “Love ya.”
“Love you too.”