Twilight squinted into the harsh sunlight of a brand new day.
Odd. Hadn't she closed the blinds? Twilight liked a sunny day as much as the next person, but she found early morning sunshine too chipper. She needed at least a coffee and a shower before she let the sun show its cheerful face.
She rolled over and reached, uselessly swatting at a cord two feet away. Her brain was still rebooting after a long night of broken sleep.
Abruptly—like magic—the sun's overwhelming light went away.
“Thank you,” Twilight mumbled into her pillow.
She raised her hand and gave a thumbs-up to her unseen roommate. But she stopped, thumb half-extended. Something was amiss. In her half-awake state, it took Twilight a moment to get it.
She didn't have a roommate. Twilight lived in a single.
Twilight scrambled into a sitting position, her messy hair falling all over her face. She quickly brushed away some particularly intrusive strands. Twilight snatched her glasses from the nightstand and jammed them on her face. Her heart pounding, she hurriedly scanned the room.
She saw the intruder within seconds. A pink-haired girl with stunning blue eyes. She was wearing the biggest grin Twilight had ever seen on a human face. She was also wearing the weirdest outfit Twilight had ever seen on a human body. Was it even safe to have that much glitter and plastic cupcakes on a skirt?
“Goood morning,” said the girl.
The girl didn't look real. Everything from her hair to her smile could have been manufactured. For a second, Twilight thought she was having an early morning hallucination. Seeing as her clothes seemed to be dessert-based, maybe she was a manifestation of Twilight's hunger. She had skipped dinner after all.
But the rational explanation didn't satisfy Twilight. Despite her weirdly fake appearance, Twilight couldn't believe she was just a hallucination.
“Who the heck are you?” she said.
The girl gave a dramatic bow at the question. Her poofy pink hair moved like it was bowing as well, even though that was physically impossible.
“Pinkamena Diane Pie!” she introduced herself. “You can call me Pinkie Pie.”
Twilight went through her mental list of students at the school she knew. The list wasn't very long and Pinkie certainly wasn't on it.
“How did you get in here?” she said. “The door's locked.”
Pinkie giggled. She waved her hand, as if Twilight was being ridiculous.
“Silly Twi,”she said. “Locks only keep people out. I'm not a people. I'm a Pinkie.”
She did a little pirouette, then spun to face Twilight again. Pinkie spread her arms, her grin widening. Again Twilight wondered if she was hallucinating. But what candy-fueled nightmare could have created something like that?
“I'm your fairy godmother,” said Pinkie.
Twilight blinked. She looked from the candy-shaped barrettes in Pinkie's hair to the obscene amount of motivational pins on her blouse. She stared at the puffy, glittery skirt and the bright pink sneaker boots—coated with glitter--that belonged on a doll. It was partly the glitter that helped Twilight fully awaken.
“I'm calling security,” she said.
She reached for her phone, but it wasn't in its place. Twilight frowned. She always put her phone on the nightstand before bed, right next to her glasses.
Pinkie reached into some hidden pocket of her skirt and pulled out a familiar phone. She shook it, upsetting the dangling phone charm. The phone charm had been a gift from a very close friend. It was an anatomically correct heart with an arrow through it.
Twilight eyed the charm.
“Give that back,” she said.
Pinkie held the phone above her head and shook it again. The unwavering cheerfulness in her voice was starting to get on Twilight's nerves, as was that indomitable smile.
“Nope,” she said. “Not until you stop being a grumpy Gilda.”
Twilight rubbed her messy hair. It was too early for this.
“You are not my fairy godmother,” she said.
Pinkie put the phone back in her pocket. She leaned forward, hands on her hips. She was a head shorter than Twilight. Twilight wondered if Pinkie was even old enough to be attending Canterlot Academy. Maybe she was some crazy girl who'd wandered in during the night.
“Then how'd I get into your room, silly billy?” she said.
The smugness in her voice made Twilight forget that her visitor might be unhinged. She didn't appreciate being treated like a toddler.
“Picked the lock, stole a spare key,” she said. “There are at least seven ways you could have gotten in. That doesn't prove you're a fairy godmother, which don't even exist.”
Pinkie straightened up with a flourish.
“Okay, smartypants,” she said. “If I'm not your fairy godmother, how do I know your full name is Twilight Sparkle?”
Twilight brushed that away.
“It's not a secret...,” she started.
But Pinkie triumphantly cut across her.
“Your favorite dessert is blackberry pie,” she said. “You're mildly allergic to most dairy products. You still haven't had your first kiss. You secretly love reading cheesy romance novels about hot vampires. But you don't read them for the story as much as you read them for a glimpse into the mechanics of forbidden love and primal desire. Also you love tearing them apart on the blog that no one knows you have. You also think fingerless gloves are the coolest thing ever and you wish you were confident enough to wear them in public.”
She tapped her chin.
“Oh, and you're really afraid of quesadillas for some reason,” she said.
Twilight sat on her bed, staring at Pinkie as if she was some kind of anomaly. Maybe she was. Maybe Twilight was witnessing a distortion of space and time far beyond her relatively meager comprehension of science. If that was the case, she definitely needed her morning coffee.
“Fairies aren't real,” she said.
She said it more to herself than to Pinkie. She was still trying to process what was going on. If it was a dream, it was too real. If it was real life, Twilight might have finally lost her mind after all those midnight study sessions.
Pinkie poked her own cheek. Her skin looked unnaturally soft, like there was marshmallow and frosting underneath the flesh instead of muscle and bone. She even smelled like she had taken a bath in cake batter.
“I dunno,” she said. “Feels pretty real to me.”
Twilight massaged her temples. It was too early and she was too sane for this nonsense.
“Okay, let's say you are my fairy godmother,” she said. “What do you want? To give me a brand new dress so I can impress my Prince Charming?”
Pinkie jumped up and down, clapping her hands. The noise made Twilight grimace. She couldn't tell if the headache was from lack of sleep or from staring directly at Pinkie's glittery skirt.
“Oooh, so close!” she said. “But it's not a Prince Charming you're after, Twilight. It's a Princess Charming!”
Twilight tried to look confused or disbelieving, but her face had other plans. She instantly felt her cheeks heating up. When she spoke, her voice shook in a way that made her words less than convincing.
“I don't know what you mean,” she said.
Pinkie rolled her eyes.
“Silly!” she said. “I'm talking about Sunset Shimmer. You know, the girl you have a crush on. You're always helping each other out on projects and she walks you to class and...”
Twilight interrupted, her face burning with embarrassment.
“I don't have a crush on her,” she said. “We're...we're...friends. Study buddies. Comrades in calculus.”
Pinkie crossed her arms, tapping her foot impatiently.
“Really, Twilight?” she said. “Really?”
Twilight nervously played with her glasses. It was true she felt warmly towards Sunset in a way that slightly surpassed platonic, but how was that Pinkie's business? It wasn't like she constantly daydreamed about Sunset and her going on a romantic honeymoon. It wasn't like she cherished every photo they took together, looking at them all multiple times before bed. It wasn't like Twilight noticed little details about Sunset's body that made her swoon, like the elegant curves of her beautiful shoulders.
She put her head in her hands for a moment, then looked at Pinkie.
“Let's say I do have a crush on Sunset,” she said. “What of it?”
Pinkie spun around again. Twilight slid backward on the bed a little, wary of being hit with a cloud of glitter and confetti.
“Leave all of that to me!” she said.
Twilight stood up. She decided she'd had enough of this. Hallucination, lapse of sanity, dream. It didn't matter. Twilight had classes to attend, people to talk to, books to return. She couldn't get distracted by her delusions.
“So you're just going to be here all day?” she said.
Pinkie nodded energetically.
“You catch on fast!” she said.
Twilight sighed. Great. Just fucking great.
After a long contemplative shower, Twilight returned to her room and got dressed.
Nothing special. Plain purple hoodie, T-shirt, jeans. The usual. Twilight was glad the academy didn't have a dress code.
Pinkie turned away when Twilight disrobed, distracting herself with a shelf of photos above the bed. Most of them were of Twilight and her family, all of them smiling and looking very professional. There were a lot of framed pictures of Sunset and Twilight together. At the beach, outside a haunted house, hiking. They'd had a lot of adventures in the year they'd known each other.
There were also some candid shots of Sunset sitting at her desk or sitting on the stairs with a book.
“Wow Twilight, I didn't know you were so creepy,” said Pinkie.
Noticing what Pinkie was referring to, Twilight blushed. She grabbed a hair tie from the shelf of her closet and started to tie her hair back.
“Sunset asked me to take those shots,” she said. “It was for a photography assignment.”
That was actually true. The assignment had instructed them to “sum up their daily lives with a collection of photographs”. But Twilight couldn't honestly say she hadn't been thrilled to be paired with Sunset. Nor had she objected too much about taking those pictures.
“Do you decorate all of your assignments with plastic hearts?” said Pinkie.
Twilight hastily changed the subject.
“I need to get to class,” she said.
She grabbed her book bag from the door handle. Twilight reached for the handle, eager to get out of her room. Surely the moment she slid into her daily routine, this delusion or whatever it was would go away.
Pinkie appeared beside Twilight, causing her to jump and clutch at her heart. How the hell did she move so damn fast?
“Not so fast!” said Pinkie.
She pointed an accusing finger at the book bag.
“You're not going to class,” she said. “You're going to return a book to Sunset Shimmer!”
Twilight played with the strap of her book bag. She would have lied, but Pinkie probably wouldn't have fallen for it. The look on Twilight's face was enough to give everything away. A combination of anxiety and unexplained embarrassment.
“Maybe I am,” she said.
Moving at a speed impossible to most living creatures, Pinkie sprinted to the closet. She started going through Twilight's rather mundane wardrobe. It was mostly hoodies and T-shirts with the occasional fashionable blouse thrown in. Pinkie eventually found what she wanted: a purple halter top with a bespectacled panda on the front. She tossed the top at Twilight, who almost didn't catch it.
“Wear this,” said Pinkie.
Twilight stared at the top, blushing deeply.
“This isn't really my style,” she said.
Pinkie waved her hand dismissively.
“Sure it is!” she said. “Trust me.”
Twilight gave another heavy sigh. She realized this would all be over sooner if she just went along with it. Twilight seldom took fashion advice, but she hardly had a choice. Begrudgingly, she changed into the halter top.
She assessed herself in the mirror. Twilight wasn't sure if she looked good or bad.
Pinkie grabbed Twilight's shoulders and began steering her towards the door. Her hands were even softer than they looked. Everything about her was soft, like she was made of cookie dough instead of flesh. It didn't help that she smelled like a walking cake.
“Now go return that book,” she said. “Do it for your heart!”
She shoved Twilight out into the hallway. When Twilight turned to look at her, Pinkie gave a thumbs-up and a bright smile. She spoke in a sing-song voice, bouncing from foot to foot with excitement.
“I'll be listening,” she said.
She slammed the door in Twilight's face.
Twilight stared at the closed door, blinking. Suddenly she didn't want to return the book to Sunset. She wanted to dive back into bed and sleep until this craziness went away. But a promise was a promise, especially one made to Sunset Shimmer.
She went across the hall and knocked on Sunset's door. Twilight looked back towards her own door. She saw it open a crack, one familiar blue eye peeking out into the hallway.
The door of Sunset's room opened. Sunset was standing there, looking remarkably put together for so early in the morning. Her hair was still a mess from sleep, a hairbrush in her hand. But she had changed out of her pajamas and into her usual T-shirt, jeans, and jacket combo that Twilight loved.
“Hi Twilight,” said Sunset.
She stared past Twilight for a minute, her eyebrow raised.
“What are you looking at?” she said.
The eye had disappeared from the crack in the door. Twilight turned quickly to face Sunset, her cheeks heating up. She didn't want to tell Sunset what was going on. Not because Twilight believed Sunset might think she was crazy, but because Twilight herself thought she was crazy.
“Nothing important,” said Twilight.
Avoiding Sunset's gaze, she reached into her book bag. Mornings with Sunset were always a little awkward. Maybe it was because the sight of Sunset's messy bed hair sent Twilight's heart fluttering in ways she didn't like to think about.
“Um, your book...,” said Twilight.
But Sunset was looking at Twilight's halter top, an amused smile on her face. Her cheeks had reddened a little.
“Wow,” she said. “You're actually wearing the top I bought you?”
Still not looking at Sunset, Twilight fumbled through her bag in search of the book. She had been trying not to think of the top. She already thought about that fateful shopping trip far too much. It was the first and so far only time Twilight had agreed to go shopping with Sunset. She wouldn't dare say it out loud, but it was one of the best days she'd ever had since coming to Canterlot Academy.
“Oh, you know,” said Twilight. “It was a gift, so I thought...I mean...it doesn't look too bad, does it? I mean, it doesn't look awful on me or anything, right?”
Sunset laughed and shook her head, arms crossed.
“No, you look good,” she said.
Twilight paused, hand buried in her book bag. She slowly turned her head to face Sunset. She wished she could stop blushing. Twilight could feel the heat in her face rising as she looked directly at Sunset for one of the few times since the start of their exchange.
“You don't think it's too...not me?” she said.
Sunset grinned in a way that almost made Twilight's knees weak.
“Nah, it's cute,” she said.
Relieved, Twilight actually smiled. She reached into her book bag again and dug around for a moment. She managed to find the book she needed in a few seconds. Her heart soaring, Twilight handed over the used paperback.
Sunset took the book, her fingers brushing Twilight's for a split second. Twilight's mind froze in that split second, savoring the feeling. Her brain lingered in that lovely moment of physical contact. But then Sunset's touch was gone and she was casually holding the book against her chest.
“You're the best,” said Sunset.
She winked.
“See you in class,” she said.
She turned and went back into her room, shutting the door behind her.
Twilight started to wave at the closed door, then sheepishly dropped her hand. Her heart was racing and she couldn't stop smiling. This was often the case after speaking to Sunset about almost anything, but that day it was especially invigorating. She felt like she had the energy to do anything, be it speeding through class or finishing her latest assignment.
Then it hit Twilight, freezing the smile on her face. She hadn't entirely processed it when Sunset first said it, but suddenly it was like she was reliving that moment from outside her body. Cute. Sunset had said “cute”. Sunset Shimmer thought Twilight was cute.
“Told you.”
Pinkie had appeared at Twilight's side, a triumphant smile on her face. Twilight was too caught up in Sunset's words to be startled.
“I'm ignoring you,” said Twilight.
Pinkie crossed her arms and pouted.
“Come on, I helped you!” she said. “Don't I at least get a high five?”
Twilight started down the hallway. She walked swiftly, not looking at Pinkie. Now that her bliss had passed, she remembered that Pinkie was most likely a figment of her tired imagination.
“I don't need your help,” she said. “I didn't even ask for it. What gives you the right to interfere in my life?”
Pinkie skipped next to Twilight, the smile on her face unchanged.
“I told you, I'm your fairy godmother!” she said. “It's my job.”
Twilight stopped in the middle of the hallway. She turned to face Pinkie, her eyebrows raised in skepticism.
“Okay, it's your job,” she said. “Why now? Why have you only just now decided to step in and start giving me advice?”
Pinkie shrugged.
“I don't make the rules,” she said.
Twilight wanted to ask who or what did make the rules, but she knew she wouldn't get a straight answer. She was better off not asking questions. After all, Pinkie had kind of helped her. Even if this was probably some kind of hallucination, Twilight had to appreciate the solid advice.
“Thanks,” she said.
Pinkie bounced up and down excitedly.
“Pinkamena Diane Pie, at your service!” she said.
Twilight smiled a little. Pinkie was either the best or worst wingman she would ever have.
Pinkie was mysteriously absent from Twilight's day for a while. As Twilight attended classes and studied in the library, she began to wonder if maybe Pinkie was indeed just a weird creation of her overworked brain. She had been pulling an excessive number of all-nighters lately. Twilight was surprised she hadn't started hallucinating weeks ago.
But just as Twilight had comfortably settled herself in this state of mind, Pinkie popped up again. Literally popped up, almost giving Twilight a heart attack.
She was standing in line at one of the campus food trucks. As per tradition, Twilight was preparing to have a pleasant lunch with Sunset. She was scanning the menu, trying to figure out what Sunset would like best.
Pinkie popped up beside Twilight, a big grin on her face.
“Hey there!” she said.
Twilight gasped and almost fell backward. She stumbled on her feet for a second, struggling to regain her balance. Twilight stood upright, looking around to make sure no one had seen that. But everyone was either on their phones or straining to see what was going on at the front of the line.
“What are you doing here?” Twilight said.
Pinkie grabbed Twilight's shoulders. Somehow the aroma of frosting had intensified.
“Helping you, you silly,” she said. “You're about to eat with Sunset, right?”
Twilight grabbed Pinkie's wrists and lifted her hands off her shoulders. She stepped backward, still holding Pinkie's wrists.
“Yes, I am,” she said. “What does that have to do with you?”
Pinkie looked over Twilight's shoulder at the menu.
“You're not going to buy two salads again, are you?” she said.
Twilight sighed in frustration. Apparently she couldn't even order lunch without being judged.
“That's my business, not yours,” she said.
Pinkie groaned, expressing her own frustration at Twilight's failure to get it.
“You always do this,” she said. “You want to order Sunset something new and exciting that you think she'll love, but you're too afraid she'll hate it. “I'll do it next time” you always say to yourself. But then you just get two salads!”
Twilight crossed her arms and opened her mouth to say that was silly. But when she looked at the menu again, her heart sank a little. She'd been thinking about getting Sunset a meatball sub for once. Sunset had remarked that she hadn't had one of those in a long time. But what if Sunset didn't like the particular kind of meatball sub this food cart made? What if she thought the bread tasted funny or she had some kind of obscure allergy?
Pinkie nodded, as if she could read Twilight's mind.
“See?” she said. “You're being a silly billy again.”
Pinkie pressed a few dollars into Twilight's hand. Enough money to buy a meatball sub and a salad.
“Listen to your heart,” she said.
She grabbed Twilight's shoulders and pulled her closer, until they were almost nose to nose. Her breath smelled like cotton candy.
“Your heart, Twilight,” she whispered. “Your heeeeart.”
She let go of Twilight and backed away.
Twilight looked at the money in her hand. Since when did fairies carry cash? Then again, Twilight was no expert on fairies, magic, or the multitude of other things she didn't believe in. Maybe some research was in order.
She looked up, but Pinkie had vanished. Whether she'd disappeared into the crowd or poofed out of existence Twilight didn't know.
When she reached the front of the line, Twilight started to order the usual. Why should she pay any attention to some hallucination? She might tolerate it, but she didn't have to follow its advice.
However, hallucination or not, Pinkie had been a huge help that morning. Twilight liked to think she could have done all that herself, but a part of her knew she would have never been that bold if it wasn't for Pinkie's guidance.
“One salad and one meatball sub please,” said Twilight.
Her heart pounded as she took the food. Her legs shook as she turned and made her way back to where Sunset was sitting. Twilight almost wanted to veer off in another direction and dump the food into the nearest trash can. It wasn't too late. Twilight could always make up some excuse. But she was still walking, rapidly approaching the point of no return.
Sunset looked up from her phone, a big smile on her face.
“What took you so long?” she said. “Did they overcook the lettuce?”
Twilight forced out a laugh. She slid into the seat across from Sunset, placing the food on the table.
Sunset eyed the food, mild surprise on her face. She tucked her phone away, staring at the meatball sub. Twilight couldn't read what lay beyond the surprise. Was Sunset angry? Disappointed? Sad?
But then Sunset smiled. A huge and very much genuine smile that struck Twilight straight through the heart.
“Man, I haven't had one of these in months,” said Sunset. “Thanks, Twi. You're awesome.”
She gave Twilight a thumbs-up, then grabbed the sub and raised it to her mouth.
“How'd you know?” she said.
Twilight smiled and brushed a wandering hair from the side of her face. She stared into her lap so Sunset didn't see that she was blushing again.
“You were raving about them after that trip with your parents,” she said. “You said they were the best thing ever and you couldn't wait to have another one. I-I thought you'd appreciate this more than a salad. I know how much you loved that trip.”
Sunset appeared incredulous, although not unhappy.
“You remember that?” she said. “Geez, Twi. I talked to you for hours about a dozen different things.”
Twilight didn't admit that she played that conversation over and over again in her head a lot. It had been the happiest she'd ever seen Sunset. That look of childish delight as she described the food she'd eaten had stuck with Twilight.
“Well, I have a good memory,” said Twilight.
She looked up and gave Sunset a brief smile, then dropped her eyes to her lap again.
“By the way, thanks for the phone charm,” she said. “I'm sorry I didn't say anything about it at the time. I was kind of surprised that you actually bought me something while you were away.”
Sunset grinned.
“Of course I bought you something,” she said. “How could I not?”
She finally took a big bite of the sandwich. Twilight watched Sunset's face as she chewed, searching for signs of an allergic reaction.
Sunset frowned.
“Huh,” she said.
Twilight's heart sank into her stomach. She mentally kicked herself. Why had she listened to Pinkie? Why did she believe for even a second that just because Pinkie was right about one thing, she had to be right about everything else?
“I'm sorry,” Twilight blurted. “That was really dumb of me. I should have asked you what you wanted. Are you okay? You're not allergic to the bread, are you? I'll get the nurse if you...”
Sunset swallowed the mouthful of sandwich.
“Calm down, Twi,” she said. “It's not bad.”
She smiled reassuringly.
“It's just not as good as I remember,” she said. “No big deal. Everything is better in hindsight, right? The sandwich is fine.”
Sunset offered the meatball sub to Twilight.
“Try it,” she said.
Twilight reluctantly took the offered sandwich from Sunset. She hardly strayed from her usual diet of coffee, salads, and the occasional bag of potato chips. But she couldn't say no to Sunset. The sandwich actually smelled pretty good.
She took a hesitant bite. She was taken aback by how good it tasted. Sunset had made it sound like it was nothing special, but it dazzled Twilight's senses for a moment. She felt like she had discovered a whole new universe of flavor.
“It's amazing,” said Twilight.
Sunset took the sandwich back and took a bite herself. She contemplated for a second before swallowing.
“You know, it is pretty rad,” she said.
They passed the meatball sub back and forth, the salad completely forgotten.
Twilight laughed. Maybe it wasn't the sandwich at all. Maybe it was simply the joy of being together.
“How was your lunch?”
Pinkie was waiting for Twilight in her dorm room. They hadn't seen each other since lunch, although Twilight swore she'd caught glimpses of Pinkie throughout the day. Truth be told, she'd been slightly disappointed. With how Pinkie had helped her, Twilight was sad that she seemed to have disappeared for good.
Twilight threw her book bag onto the bed. She looked at herself in the mirror. Was she glowing? She felt like she was glowing.
“It was okay,” she said.
Pinkie came up behind Twilight. As usual, she wore the biggest grin.
“Don't lie to me,” she said. “So, what happened? Did the two of you smooooch?”
Twilight's cheeks reddened. She busied herself with her bag, even though she didn't need anything from it. She hadn't thought about kissing Sunset. The very thought of Sunset's soft lips made Twilight quiver.
“Of course not,” she said.
Pinkie pouted.
“Aw man,” she said. “I was sure the two of you were gonna smooch. Did you at least hold hands?”
Her eyes widened.
“Oooh, did you ask her out?” she said.
Twilight threw her book bag onto the floor. She sat down on her bed, trying to roll her eyes and look fed up.
“No, I didn't,” she said.
She continued on hurriedly.
“Shouldn't you be going?” she said.
Pinkie shook her head firmly, her arms crossed. She wore a serious expression.
“Nopey-dopey,” she said. “My work here isn't done. You still haven't asked out Sunset.”
Her eyes lit up as an idea came to her. Twilight didn't like that look. Whatever it meant, it spelled trouble for her and possibly for Sunset.
“Maybe I can do it for you!” said Pinkie.
She shoved her hand into a hidden pocket of her skirt and pulled out a familiar phone.
Her mouth agape, Twilight grabbed the book bag and started going through it. No phone. She was sure it had been in there when she left her last class. Her book bag hadn't been out of her sight all day.
“Where did you get that?” said Twilight.
Ignoring the question, Pinkie turned her attention to the phone. She started typing something.
Twilight immediately knew what Pinkie was doing. Panicking, she jumped off her bed and lunged at Pinkie. She cried out in frustration as Pinkie easily sidestepped her clumsy attempt.
“Give that back!” she said.
Pinkie backed against the wall, phone in hand.
“No way,” she said. “If you won't listen to your heart, I guess I'll have to do it.”
Twilight held out a shaking hand. She wore a look of desperation.
“Fine,” she said. “I'll ask her out right now. Just give me my phone, okay?”
Pinkie looked suspicious, but she passed Twilight the phone. She grinned encouragingly.
“That's the spirit,” she said. “You can do it!”
Twilight swallowed hard, her hands quivering as she looked at the phone screen. Pinkie had been halfway through typing something that began with “Hey cutie”. Twilight didn't dare read the rest of the message before discarding it. She somewhat wished she hadn't. What in the world was she supposed to say? Twilight had never so much as entertained the idea of asking someone out.
“You should start by telling her how pretty she is,” said Pinkie.
Her fingers were trembling so badly she was afraid she might drop the phone, but Twilight managed to type and send an opening message.
Hi Sunset, it read.
Her nervousness rose. Twilight was afraid Sunset might somehow read into that casual greeting. Would she figure out what Twilight intended to do and reject her before she could even ask? What if Sunset had known all along and was just waiting for a chance to say “no”?
Twilight jumped as a reply appeared on the screen. She almost didn't want to read it, fearing it would be something discouraging.
Hey Twilight. What's up?
Twilight released a breath she didn't know she was holding. But she wasn't out of the woods yet. Sunset was probably wondering why Twilight was texting her out of the blue. It was far too early for one of their late night texting sessions. They'd found texting each other to be an easy way to break up the monotony of their frequent all-nighters.
I was wondering if you'd like to have dinner with me.
Twilight erased that and started again.
Hey, wanna grab some grub, Sunny?
Twilight deleted that immediately. She'd never called Sunset “Sunny” before. It sounded a lot better in her head than it did in text format.
Would you like to grab some dinner off campus? Maybe that new place by the docks?
Did Sunset even like fish? Twilight realized that Sunset might be allergic to them. Now that she thought about it, she wasn't a big fan of fish herself. Sighing, Twilight erased the last sentence and retyped it.
Would you like to grab some dinner off campus? Maybe that new pizza place?
Twilight's hands started to shake again. Was she taking too long to reply? Why hadn't Sunset said anything? Was Sunset typing a long message about how she just wanted to be friends and nothing more?
Pinkie leaned in close and whispered in Twilight's ear.
“Your heart, Twilight,” she said.
Twilight closed her eyes, letting out a long slow breath. Without looking at her screen, she hit Send. Well, there it was. Her first step into dangerous territory.
She already has plans, Twilight thought. I bet someone else already asked her out. No, they didn't just ask her out. They asked her to marry them and she said “yes”. She's leaving Canterlot Academy forever and I'll never see her again.
After a moment, Sunset's reply appeared on the screen.
Sure. That sounds great.
Twilight fell back against her bed. She felt like she'd run a thousand miles. This couldn't be real. She'd asked Sunset to have dinner with her and she'd said yes? Was the whole day some kind of dream that just felt like real life?
Then another message from Sunset appeared.
I'll ask Rainbow Dash if she wants to come.
Twilight's heart deflated like a popped balloon. She sat down on her bed, hardly able to look at the screen. Of course Sunset had taken the invitation for something casual. They had dinner together all the time. But it was never just the two of them.
Her fingers trembling again, Twilight typed out another message.
No, I mean just the two of us.
She paused, only half-believing her own bravery. She couldn't understand what had happened to her. Something about that day had simply destroyed Twilight's restraint. She was tired of not being honest with Sunset. She was tired of not being honest with herself.
Like a date, she typed.
She sent the text before she could stop herself. The second she did, all of Twilight's courage seemed to drain out of her. Twilight suddenly wanted to toss the phone into a corner and never look at it again. She wanted to pretend she hadn't just made the biggest mistake of her life.
I ruined it, Twilight thought.
There was no way to sugarcoat it. Twilight knew she'd ruined one of the best friendships she'd ever had. She'd destroyed her relationship with Sunset in less than four words. All because some hallucination convinced her that she could have something more if she just reached for it.
“I don't suppose fairy godmothers can rewind time?” said Twilight.
Pinkie shrugged apologetically.
“Sorry,” she said. “We mostly give advice and stuff.”
Twilight closed her eyes. Well, that was it then. Sunset was never going to speak to her again. She supposed she should just stay in her dorm room for the rest of the semester and wither away from shame.
The phone buzzed as Sunset's reply finally came. Even though she expected the worst, Twilight couldn't stop herself from looking. She needed to know exactly how badly she'd messed up her relationship with Sunset. She wanted that message burned onto the inside of her eyelids for all eternity.
Even better. I'll swing by your room in about an hour, okay? Promise I'll wear something nice.
Twilight stared at the message, disbelieving. There was no way Sunset had really sent that. She must have misunderstood somehow. But there it was, as real as anything else Twilight had seen in her life. She had asked Sunset on a date and Sunset had given her the most casual reply she could have imagined, as if Sunset had been patiently expecting this.
She was so shocked that she almost forgot to respond. Before she could lose her nerve, Twilight typed out and sent a quick reply.
Great. It's a date then.
She waited, still not really believing what was happening. She expected Sunset to tell her that it actually wasn't a date. Twilight expected to learn that Sunset had misread her previous message.
But Sunset's response was precise and candid.
Yep. Can't wait. See you soon.
Twilight typed a goodbye, then carefully placed her phone on the bed. She jumped up and started pacing around the room.
“But this is impossible,” she said. “In all of my scenarios, Sunset said she'd much rather be friends. I accounted for every variable. How could my calculations be so wildly off?”
She sat back down and put her head in her hands. Twilight felt tired, and it wasn't just because she'd been up late the previous night.
“But of course,” she said. “People aren't math equations. It's not a matter of numbers and letters. It's a matter of feelings.”
Twilight's heart rate increased. Feelings. Sunset felt the same way about Twilight as Twilight did about her. No amount of adding up numbers could have predicted that.
Pinkie sat down beside Twilight. She placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Told you,” she said gently.
Twilight couldn't disagree with that. She felt bad about being so angry at Pinkie. It was a natural response, but she felt guilty now that everything had worked out.
She also felt incredibly dense for the first time in her life. Of course Sunset had feelings for her. The signs had been there for months, but Twilight had turned a blind eye because she didn't dare let herself believe.
“I guess you have to go away now,” said Twilight.
Pinkie nodded sadly.
“My work here is done,” she said. “You can take it from here.”
She gently tapped Twilight's nose and smiled reassuringly.
“You'll do fine,” she said.
She got up and started to leave the room.
Twilight felt she should say something. Something that meant more than a simple “thank you”. But she couldn't think of anything. It had been such a crazy day. However, she did have one lingering question that desperately needed an answer.
“Was this a one time thing?” she said. “I mean, do fairy godmothers ever come back?”
Pinkie paused with her hand on the door handle. She turned to Twilight and shrugged.
“Oh, I have no idea,” she said.
She opened the door and took one step into the hallway, still looking at Twilight.
“I'm not actually a fairy godmother,” she said. “I'm pretty sure those don't exist.”
Twilight stared. It definitely had been a long day, because Pinkie's words didn't evoke the type of reaction she expected. It was more of a mild astonishment than complete shock.
“Then who are you?” she said.
Pinkie shrugged again.
“Oh, I'm just a student,” she said. “I'm surprised you haven't noticed me before.”
Halfway out the door, she waved at Twilight.
“Have fun on your date,” she said.
She disappeared into the hallway, shutting the door behind her. Pinkie took with her the strong aroma of cake batter that had seemingly settled over the room. Twilight was left alone in a dorm room that smelled like brand new books and her chemistry set. With how long Pinkie had been in there, Twilight had forgotten all about that smell.
Twilight eyed the closed door.
“I really need to get some sleep for once,” she said to herself.
After her date with Sunset, Twilight was going to finally get a good night's sleep. Her first in weeks. After everything that had happened in less than twenty four hours, she needed it.
“And maybe stop drinking so much coffee,” she added.
Okay, maybe not that. But the sleep thing was definitely going to happen.