//------------------------------// // The Date // Story: Derpy's Reward // by Kevinltk //------------------------------// Should I do it? I don’t think that she would mind, and lots of ponies do it when they go out, right? Would she expect me to do it, or am I actually rushing things? Ohh… what should I do? A swarm of questions went through Derpy’s head while she trotted through Ponyville’s streets, and it was all because of the pony walking right beside her. I still can’t believe I’m actually on a date with Twilight, Derpy thought. She checked on the Princess, and her heart fluttered when Twilight happened to glance right back at her. Their gazes meeting, Twilight gave a quick smile, and Derpy could not help but return it with a wide smile of her own. She’s just gorgeous. I just want to lean in and… Derpy blushed and swiftly shifted her eyes forward, trying to block out the images in her mind, and focus her attention back on their walk. Despite both of them having wings, the two of them had elected to stick to walking for their date, a decision that Derpy was secretly grateful for. It not only made it easier for them to enjoy each other’s company, but given her penchant for crashes, Derpy was more than happy to avoid any sort of flying to reduce the chances of an accident during this momentous night. While her worries about messing up had been quelled back at the castle, there was still a lingering fear dwelling in the back of her mind. Not flying also gave Derpy plenty of opportunities to admire her long-time crush, and the little exchange earlier had been one of many such delightful moments. It was hard not to keep adoring Twilight, and soon, one of Derpy’s eyes went back to stealing glances at the alicorn, shortly followed by the other. She just could not help it. To her, Twilight had always been a beautiful sight. Tonight, however, as Twilight walked by her side, Derpy thought that the alicorn looked positively radiant. Oh Celestia, I want to nuzzle her so bad. “Derpy, is everything alright?” Twilight asked, turning her head to give the pegasus her full attention. Derpy blinked, broken out of her admiration. “Oh, um, yes. Of course it is. Why do you ask?” “You’ve kind of been staring at me for the past few minutes.” Twilight frowned slightly. “Is there something on my face, or did my mane get messed up?” “No, no, you’re good. Perfect, even,” Derpy said, smiling sheepishly. “Sorry, about staring. You‘re just…” She tried to think of the right word to say, but after a few moments, she lamely uttered, “pretty.” To Derpy’s relief, not only was Twilight not put off by the plain compliment, she actually grinned, and as Twilight turned her attention back to the road, Derpy saw a light blush on the princess’s cheeks. Not wanting to be rude and return to blatant staring, Derpy tried to keep the conversation rolling and said, “So, um, I know that we’re headed to dinner now, but you didn’t mention where exactly we are going to.” “It’s a nice, little cafe just a few more blocks away,” Twilight informed. “That sounds nice,” Derpy commented, smiling in satisfaction, but that smile slowly faded when a concern came to mind. “Um, just curious. Is this place really fancy or anything like that?” “F-fancy?” Twilight audibly gulped. “N-no… No, it isn’t.” Hearing her companion’s trembling voice, Derpy turned to find that Twilight had stopped walking with her eyes wide with fear. “Twilight, is something wrong?” Derpy asked with a worried frown. “Wrong? No, nothing is wrong,” Twilight blurted out, grinning uneasily. Several strands of her mane suddenly popped out of place. “I was just kidding about going to the cafe. Good joke, right? Haha. We’re actually going to a really nice restaurant. Rarity told me all about it, and it’s really fancy. I just need a moment to make sure our seats are still reserved, which I totally did and don’t have to pull a few strings for. Everything is going to be just—” “Twilight!” Derpy interrupted in a raised voice as she clamped the alicorn’s mouth shut with her forehooves. As the alicorn stared at her with worried eyes, Derpy took a deep breath, put on a warm smile, and in an assuring tone, she stated, “The cafe sounds delightful. I would love to go there.” As soon as Derpy’s hooves slipped away, Twilight uttered, “But I thought…” She stopped to bite her lip as her brow furrowed with uncertainty. “Are you sure, Derpy? You were asking if we were going to someplace fancy, and I thought…” Derpy sighed as she gently raised a forehoof to Twilight’s mane and begin smoothing out the errant strands. “I’m sorry that I made it sound like I didn’t like your idea. I was just asking if the cafe was fancy so that I could try to prepare myself for it. I’m not that good with the high society stuff, and I don’t want to accidentally do something embarrassing.” “That’s…” Twilight laughed softly, and as she relaxed, she let out a huge sigh of relief. “That’s actually the main reason I picked the cafe. I didn’t peg you as somepony who is into fine dining, and to be honest, neither am I. I figured that we could go someplace more simple and laid back, where we don’t have to worry about all of those stuffy rules.” “And I am glad that you made that choice,” Derpy confirmed, smiling as she managed to restore Twilight’s mane back to perfection. “If we had gone to someplace really fancy, I probably would have spent the entire night trying to mind my manners or figure out why a pony would need so many different forks for one meal.” “Actually, the answer to the fork thing is pretty simple,” Twilight remarked, perking right back up. “While one of the primary reasons for the myriad of utensils in formal dining is merely a display of wealth, we have to consider the fact that…” Of all of the things Derpy had thought was going to happen on this date, she never would have imagined that she would be receiving a lecture on the history of eating utensils. And yet here she was, listening to Twilight drone on about the difference between a salad fork and a dessert fork. However, despite the mundane subject, Derpy had little issue with letting Twilight speak, especially since she saw how the studious pony was now speaking with confidence and a smile on her face. “And that’s why silversmiths owe a great deal to the popularity of dinnerware,” Twilight eventually concluded, finishing her lecture with her chin held up and chest puffed out in pride. She held the position for a moment but blinked when Derpy giggled at the pose. “Um, how long was I talking?” Twilight asked warily. “About ten to fifteen minutes,” Derpy answered. “What?! Why didn’t you say anything?” “I didn’t want to interrupt you.” “That’s really sweet of you, Derpy, but next time, feel free to stop me if I go into, as Rainbow calls it, lecture mode. I know that I can get carried with my explanations, and I don’t mind when my friends have to tell me to stop… usually.” “I’ll keep that in mind, but really, Twilight, it was no trouble. I admit that I didn’t get everything, but you looked so happy and relaxed while you were lecturing. I couldn’t cut that short.” Twilight smiled. “That’s very thoughtful of you, Derpy, and I really do appreciate it. Still, we’re on a date, and all of my talking has put us behind schedule. Come on. We need to get a move on if we want to make our reservation.” Traveling the rest of the way in a brisk trot, the two of them arrived at the cafe in a matter of minutes. The cafe itself was a simple wooden building with a straw-thatched roof, much like most of Ponyville, but an orange-striped awning and large windows lining the front wall differentiated it from the other buildings. Most of the seating area consisted of tables, each covered with a light-yellow tablecloth, and short, cushioned stools set up right outside of the structure. “Ah, Princess Twilight. Always a pleasure to see you,” a pale-yellow stallion with a slight Prench accent greeted as he emerged from the cafe’s entrance. He had a slicked-back dark-blue mane and wore a white dress shirt, complete with a red bowtie and pristine white cuffs around his hooves. “Nice to see you too, Savoir Fare,” Twilight greeted back. “And I’ve told you before that you don’t have to call me Princess.” “My apologies, Twilight,” Savoir said with a slight bow. “It’s just a habit, even when you’ve reminded me time and time again.” “I hope that it’s alright that we’re a few minutes late for the reservation that I made.” “Not at all, Twilight,” Savoir assured, waving a hoof across the dining area with just a few other ponies eating. “As you can see, there’s plenty of room for you and your companion. Speaking of, good evening, Derpy,” he added, giving the pegasus a bow. “Hello there,” Derpy replied, along with a small bow of her own. “I am pleased to serve the both of you for the evening. If you don’t mind me asking, is there a special occasion tonight? This is the first time that I’ve seen you two come here together.” “Actually, yes, it is a special occasion,” Twilight informed, a slight blush showing on her cheeks. “Derpy and I, well, we are actually having our first date together.” “Oh, ho, ho,” Savoir uttered with a grin. “I am honored that the both of you chose to come here for such a momentous event. I shall endeavor to make this a memorable night for you two. Please, let me show you to your table.” Savoir promptly led Twilight and Derpy to the opposite side of the dining area, placing them at a table away from the other customers. Once they were seated, Savoir gave them their menus and asked, “Is there anything I can get for you two while you make your selections?” “We’ll be fine, Savoir. Thank you,” Twilight replied. “Very good, Twilight.” Savoir turned to walk away, but he stopped and looked back at the alicorn. “But might I suggest that you try something else besides your usual daisy sandwich for once?” Twilight rolled her eyes in amusement. “I’ll keep that in mind.” Derpy chuckled as Savoir shot the alicorn a cheeky grin before he left. “I take it that you order daisy sandwiches here pretty often.” “That’s an understatement,” Twilight admitted. “I’ve been a regular customer since I moved to Ponyville, and yet, I have never tried anything else except for the daisy sandwich.” “If you like it that much, then you should order it. Savoir was just teasing you, and I’m sure that he wouldn’t actually mind that much.” “Teasing or not, he does make a good point. Tonight is about trying new things, just like I’m doing now as I go out on a date with a really special pony.” Derpy barely suppressed a squee of delight. “I’m really glad that I get to spend time with you too, Twilight. Even though it’s still early in our date, I’m having a lovely time.” “Then I hope that I can make the rest of the night just as enjoyable.” Twilight then raised the menu up in her magic. “Anyway, I don’t know about you, but I’m starved. We should hurry up and order.” Derpy nodded and picked up her own menu in her hooves. Now that Twilight had mentioned it, she could not recall if she had eaten lunch or breakfast today amidst all of her nervousness. Judging by the pangs in her stomach, she had most definitely not. Combing through the menu, one of Derpy’s eyes glossed over the price tags of each item, noting that most selections were reasonably priced. It still compelled her to ask, “I know that you wanted to pay for dinner when we planned this date, but are you sure that you don’t want me to pay instead, or at the very least, let me pay for my half? I was the one to ask you out, after all.” “Like I said before, Derpy, I want to treat you as thanks for saving me,” Twilight stated. “Don’t worry about bits. I have more than enough saved up, and that’s before I even became a princess, so please, just pick whatever looks good to you.” Twilight set down her menu and looked directly into Derpy’s eyes. “Oh, and if you try and pick the cheapest thing here, you and I are going to have words.” Despite the playful tone of Twilight’s warning, Derpy could tell that her date was serious. “Thanks, Twilight. Sorry if I overstepped a boundary.” “Not at all, Derpy, and it was thoughtful for you to ask. That thoughtfulness is one of the many reasons that I agreed to go out with you.” Derpy quickly raised her menu, not just to finish deciding her order, but to also hide her blush. After a few moments of silence went by as they chose their orders, Savoir came back to their table and asked, “Have you lovely ladies decided what to get?” “Yes. Could I please get the pasta?” Twilight replied. “Praise Celestia, Twilight has actually ordered something besides a daisy sandwich for once,” Savoir stated in mock wonder, earning him another playful eye roll from the pony in question. “And what about you, Derpy?” “I think that I’ll try the vegetable lasagna,” said Derpy. “Excellent choice. One of my favorites actually. Can I get you two anything to drink while you wait?” “Cider for me, please,” Twilight requested. “I think that I’ll just stick to a water—” Derpy stopped when Twilight raised her eyebrow. Clearing her throat, she amended, “Um, actually, cider for me too, please.” “Very good, mademoiselles. I shall have those out for you two right away.” “So, how’s the post office doing?” Twilight asked as soon as Savoir took their menus and left. Despite being a bit surprised by the sudden question, Derpy was more than happy to continue talking with her date. “It’s still busier than usual, but compared to what it was like right after the Storm King’s invasion, things have definitely calmed down a lot. We even hired three new pegasi onto the team, which is nice. I don’t have to do as many deliveries so that means I get to foalsit Dinky more often.” “Speaking of Dinky, I was actually surprised when I found out that she wasn’t actually your daughter, given how often I see the two of you together.” Derpy chuckled. “I can see why ponies would think that. Dinky does live right next door, and I’m always more than happy to watch her whenever her sister Amethyst gets caught up with work.” Twilight’s smile faded slightly. “Ah right, Amethyst. How, um, how is she?” “Twilight, I already told you that she doesn’t have any grudges against you.” “I know it’s just…” Twilight sighed. “I just feel guilty that I pretty much took the title of Ponyville’s best organizer from her.” “It’s true that Amethyst was a bit miffed that you took over some of her duties, but she got over it after she saw all of the improvements that you made, especially for Winter Wrap Up.  Besides, she has plenty of other things to keep her busy at Town Hall. If anything, you’re actually lightening her workload.” “If you say so.” Twilight still sounded a bit unsure about stepping on Amethyst’s hooves, but at least her posture seemed to have relaxed. Before they could say anything else, Savoir came back to the table with a tray floating beside him in his magic, bearing their ordered cider. The cafe had opted to serve their drinks with a bit of class by pouring them into tall, narrow glasses with a thin apple slice wedged into the rim. Derpy could not help but lick her lips at the sight of the beverages. Now that she thought about it, her throat was parched with all of the talking that she had been doing today. As soon as Savoir placed her drink in front of her, Derpy swiftly grabbed the cider in her hooves to chug it down, but she froze with the glass about to touch her lips when she saw Twilight raise her own in her magic. “Um, do you think that we could maybe do a quick toast?” Twilight requested. “Oh, of course!” Derpy hastily fumbled with the glass in her hooves, even almost dropping it, and raised it up toward her date. “So, uh, to us?” Twilight smiled gleefully and clinked their glasses together. “To us.” In an attempt to maintain her poise because of their toast, Derpy restrained herself to taking a dainty sip. However, the sweetness of the cider, undoubtedly made from Sweet Apple Acres, and her dry throat prompted her to guzzle more of the refreshing beverage. In a few seconds, she managed to chug more than half of her glass before she set it back down with a satisfied sigh. Her look of contentment did not last long as Derpy felt some pressure coming from her stomach, and her eyes widened when that feeling swiftly traveled up her throat. She hurriedly slapped a hoof over her mouth, and although she managed to muffle it, an audible burp still escaped her. “S-sorry,” Derpy squeaked after she dropped her hoof, revealing her bright-red cheeks. Fortunately, Twilight merely giggled and said, “I guess that you were pretty thirsty.” Derpy chuckled nervously. “Yeah. I spent the whole day getting ready and panicking for this date, and I hardly had anything all day.” “Then it’s a good thing that we’re here to fix that,” Twilight remarked. “Feel free to get as many refills as you need, and if you’re really hungry, I’m sure that Savoir can whip something up for you really quick.” “I can wait for our orders, although I might have to take you up on the cider refill, if that’s alright.” “I wouldn’t have offered if it wasn’t,” Twilight replied, earning her a grateful smile from Derpy. “Anyway, I asked you about the post office, so it’s your turn to ask something about me.” “Oh, um, alright. Let me see…” Derpy tapped a forehoof on her chin in thought. It did not take long for her to think of the perfect subject that she wanted to know more about. “Well, if you don’t mind, I would love to hear about the adventure that you went on during the Storm King’s invasion.” “Ah, yes. I guess that I haven’t told many ponies about everything we’ve been through yet.” Twilight took a quick sip of her cider and then cleared her throat. “As you already know, it’s a pretty long story. It all started when my friends and I escaped Canterlot. We only had one lead, and that was to find the Queen of the Hippos somewhere to the south…” Derpy had read in the newspaper what went on during Twilight’s journey, but it was only a woefully short summary that hardly did justice to the accomplishments of Twilight and her friends. Hearing the full story from the Princess of Friendship herself had Derpy on the edge of the seat as she learned about all of the wondrous places and strange characters that Twilight met on her journey. She was so captivated by Twilight’s words that Derpy almost forgot about the gnawing hunger that she was feeling. Almost. Fortunately for Derpy’s empty stomach, by the time Twilight had wrapped up the story, Savoir returned, this time bearing the food that they ordered. Twilight was served first, her pasta almost looking too pretty to eat. Covered with white alfredo sauce, a medley of diced vegetables including bell peppers, carrots, onions, and tomatoes were mixed in with the noodles, creating a colorful palette. Impressed by the presentation of Twilight’s dish, Derpy could hardly wait to dig into hers as it was placed in front of her. The lasagna that she ordered stood tall, each layer holding a generous amount of either vegetables or cheese and all topped with tomato sauce. The sight of the delicious meal alone made Derpy’s mouth, but when the savory aroma hit her nose, it took all of her willpower to not just faceplant into her dinner. She was pretty much starving at this point, but the need to mind her manners in front of Twilight won out. “Well, let’s dig in,” Twilight proclaimed after Savoir left them. Derpy was more than happy to oblige, and she quickly cut off a piece of her lasagna and shoved it into her mouth. It felt like pure bliss when the delectable food hit her taste buds, and she could not help but moan… loudly. When she came down from her food high, Derpy blinked when she saw that Twilight was staring at her with a fork-full of pasta in front of her open mouth. A quick glance around showed that the eyes of the other ponies in the dining area were also on her. “Um, the lasagna was really good?” Derpy sheepishly offered to her audience, trying to salvage her dignity. Luckily, the other ponies shrugged off her faux pas and returned to their own meals. Letting out a heavy sigh, Derpy turned back to her date and apologized, “I’m so sorry for that, Twilight.” “It’s alright, Derpy,” Twilight assured with a comforting smile. “You mentioned that you hardly had anything today, and I’m guessing that your hunger made your food even tastier than normal. It’s a natural reaction that your body does to let you know that you need to eat more because you need more sustenance. That or the lasagna here is, and I quote, really good.” The small joke was enough to get Derpy to chuckle softly, easing her tension. After taking a calming breath, she said, “Thank you for being so understanding, Twilight.” “It’s no problem at all, Derpy. Now, let’s get back to our meal. I’m sure that you’re still hungry after only one bite.” Derpy nodded and promptly returned to her lasagna. The second bite was just as enjoyable as the first one, but thankfully, there was not another loud moan to interrupt everypony. With their dinner regaining a sense of normalcy, Derpy relaxed to enjoy the good food, and more importantly, the good company. Small bits of conversation were exchanged between the two of them while they continued their meal, but when they were both about halfway through their entrees, Twilight said, “You know, this pasta is delicious. Would you like to try some?” “Oh, um, sure,” Derpy replied, looking up from her own food. With a broad smile, Twilight quickly used her magic to pick up a spare fork and gather a sizeable portion of pasta. She then floated the ladened fork across the table, which Derpy reached for with a hoof. To Derpy’s surprise, the offered food veered around her hoof and went on to stop in front of her mouth. “Uhh,” was all she could say as one of her eyes glanced up at Twilight while the other kept on staring at the floating food. Noting Derpy’s hesitation, Twilight’s smile faded. “Sorry, I just thought that I could feed you and… and I’m making this weird, aren’t I? “No, not at all,” Derpy hastily assured, now that she understood what was going on. Twilight shook her head and returned the fork to her plate. “It’s alright, Derpy. I can tell that I was making things awkward. It’s just a silly idea that I saw in some books anyway.” “What kind of books suggested that?” Derpy asked curiously. “Um, dating guides and maybe a romance novel or two,” Twilight admitted sheepishly. “I wanted to be well-prepared for our date, so I’ve been reading every book on romance that I could find. I even compiled a huge list of things to do so that I would know how to act on our date.” “Wait, so you’ve just been following a list this whole time?” Derpy was not sure how she felt about this piece of news, but it definitely did make her insides twist uncomfortably. “Not exactly. You see, soon after I finished that list, Spike took it from me and dragonfired it to Cadance.” “Cadance? As in Princess Cadance all the way up in the Crystal Empire?” Derpy asked, her eyes widening. “Why would he do that?” Twilight sighed. “Because I was getting all worked up about making this the perfect date. In short, I was driving everypony in the castle crazy as I literally planned everything for our date down to the second. Spike knew that it was a bad idea, so that’s why he sent the list, along with an explanation, to Cadance. When she replied, we ended up sending a few letters back and forth, and she managed to talk some sense into me. “She made me realize that there are no set rules when it comes to love and that there was no way a list could account for everything that could happen on a date, not to mention distracting me from paying proper attention to you. Still, while I’m not relying on my list tonight, I can’t help but fall back to some of the things I wrote on it, such as trying to keep the conversation going, making a toast, or feeding each other. In a way, it helps keep my nerves in check.” Derpy frowned. “Wow, you told me that you were fretting over our date, but I didn’t realize you went through so much trouble. I really do appreciate you putting so much time and effort on this date, but I don’t want you to go through all of that stress. In truth, I don’t need any grand gesture or for you to do something fancy to impress me. I just want to spend time with you.” Twilight chuckled softly. “Cadance actually said the exact same thing when I told her about you. In hindsight, I really should have asked her for advice in the first place since she’s such an expert on matters of the heart. It would have saved me a lot of stress, especially since the books I read often contradicted each other. “I really should thank Spike as well for reaching out to her, not to mention getting rid of that list. During my, uh, episode, I wasn’t exactly thinking clearly, so quite a lot of the things that I put on there were…” She paused to clear her throat as her cheeks reddened. “Um, let’s just say that they were a bit much for a first date.” “Much? What do you…” Derpy stopped when she realized what Twilight was talking about, and a blush of her own grew on her cheeks. “Oh.” “Yeah…” Twilight smiled sheepishly as her gaze fell back onto her pasta. “A-anyway, I interrupted our dinner for long enough. Let’s get back to eating before our food gets cold.” “Um, before we do that, do you maybe still want to try that feeding each other thing?” “What?” Twilight uttered, blinking several times in surprise. “Derpy, I told you that it was just a silly thing from my ridiculous list.” “True, but it must have been something that you wanted to do because I saw how eager you were when I first agreed to it.” “Only because you weren’t aware I was going to feed you like a foal. I’ll admit that I thought it was a fun and cute thing that we could try, but it’s not worth it if it makes you uncomfortable.” “I was just caught off guard with what you were trying to do. Now that I know the full story, I am more than fine with it.” Derpy smiled, making sure that it was warm and reassuring. “Really, Twilight, it’s just a little harmless fun, and you even got me wanting to try it. Also, I really do want to try some of your pasta.” That got a small chuckle from Twilight. “Alright then, if you’re really sure…” Derpy watched as Twilight, once again, picked up a generous serving of her pasta with a fork. This time, Derpy leaned forward, her mouth opened wide, and the beautiful sound of Twilight’s giggling filled her ears as the offered pasta went into her mouth. Humming in satisfaction, Derpy found the pasta quite delicious, but she still preferred her own lasagna. Twilight’s giggling turned into snorts of laughter when she withdrew the now empty fork. “Oh my gosh. That was so corny. I can’t believe we just did that.” “But did you have fun with it?” Derpy asked after she was done chewing. “Yes, even if it was very silly,” Twilight answered. “Well good, because now it’s your turn.” Twilight’s eyebrow went up as Derpy quickly cut off a piece of lasagna and held it up with a fork of her own. Grinning in amusement, she conceded, “I suppose that fair is fair, not to mention that I’m curious about your lasagna after that display you put on earlier.” Resisting the urge to roll her eyes, Derpy focused on keeping her hooves steady as she reached over the table to feed the princess. Just as she was about to put the offered food into Twilight’s mouth, Derpy’s eyes acted up, blurring her vision. It was just for a moment, but it was enough to throw off her aim, causing her to smoosh the lasagna into her date’s cheek instead. Derpy froze, her mouth agape and her eyes wide with fear as she stared at the splotch of cheese and tomato sauce she had sullied Twilight’s cheek with. “Oh my gosh, Twilight! I’m so sorry!” Derpy apologized as she quickly grabbed a napkin. In her haste to reach over and wipe off her mess, her hoof slammed down on the edge of the table, causing it to tip over from her weight. Derpy yelped when she and the table fell sideways, and her eyes clenched shut as she braced for impact. However, after a few seconds of not hitting the ground nor hearing anything break, she slowly opened her eyes to find her vision being bathed in a familiar magenta tinge. Glancing over at her date, Derpy saw Twilight’s horn alight with magic, confirming that she had indeed been saved by the alicorn. Not only that, but the alicorn had also managed to catch the tossed contents from their table, suspending them in the air. Looking around, Derpy saw that the whole dining area and even a few ponies passing by the cafe were all staring at her. With a whimper, she bowed her head in both shame and embarrassment, keeping it like that while Twilight gently reseated her, as well as neatly placing their dinner back on the table. Other than their food being jostled around a bit, it hardly looked like that they had just narrowly avoided disaster. Too bad that Derpy could not say the same for herself. “Guess all those times I’ve had to stop Rainbow or Pinkie from crashing into me has paid off,” Twilight muttered, followed by a sigh of relief. “Are you alright, Derpy?” “I… No, not really,” Derpy mumbled while she sank into her seat, trying to make herself as small as possible. With a burst of magenta light, Twilight teleported to Derpy’s side and promptly began examining the pegasus with a worried frown. “Oh my goodness. Did you get injured? Where does it hurt? Do we need to go to the hospital?” “No, it’s not that.” Derpy kept her head bowed, unable to bring herself to meet the alicorn’s eyes. “I… I screwed up.” “Oh, Derpy…” Twilight placed a hoof on the despairing Derpy’s shoulder. “It’s alright. It was just an accident, and there’s no mess to clean up.” “Only because of you.” Derpy groaned and buried her face into her forehooves. “First the cider burp, then the food moan, and now this. I was afraid that I would do something stupid on our date that would embarrass you in front of everypony and that is exactly what I’ve been doing since we got here.” “Derpy, look at me. Please,” Twilight coaxed gently, getting the distraught pegasus to lower her forehooves and glance up at her. “It’s going to be alright. You did nothing wrong.” “B-but I screwed up,” Derpy repeated, trying hard to fight back tears. The last thing that she wanted to do was cry and cause an even bigger scene for Twilight to sit through. “It was an accident,” Twilight reaffirmed. “Everypony gets into them.” “Not as often as me though…” “True, but you’re looking at it all wrong. Yes, you might be a bit more accident-prone than the average pony, but that’s what makes you so wonderful, Derpy. No matter how many times you mess up, you always get back on your hooves. Well, excluding right now of course, but this whole date thing has been making both of us act a bit weird. Point is, I actually envy you.” “Y-you envy me?” Derpy repeated, hardly able to believe what she heard. Twilight nodded. “I do. I’m sure that you know that when something doesn’t go as planned, I tend to panic, sometimes with spectacular results. Need I remind you of the Want it, Need it spell that I put on my Smarty Pants doll many seasons ago?” Derpy slowly nodded. “That was certainly an interesting day.” “That’s an understatement… Anyway, what I’m trying to say is that despite your hardships, you always remain positive, upbeat, calm, and caring. Do you think that I’m going to pass up on dating such a wonderful pony just because of one little accident, especially one that I don’t find the least bit embarrassing?” “Twilight…” All Derpy could do was stare at her date in wonder as she processed the alicorn’s words. A pony clearing their throat made them turn to find Savoir standing nearby. “Is everything alright, mademoiselles?” Savoir asked, concern in his voice. Twilight looked back to Derpy with uncertainty. “Um…” “We’re fine, Savoir. Thank you,” Derpy stated with a soft smile. “There was a little incident, but it’s all cleared up now.” Savoir smiled back and bowed. “I am happy to hear that, Derpy. Please don’t hesitate to call me if you do need anything.” “So I take it that you’re feeling better now?” Twilight asked after Savoir left. “Much better,” Derpy replied. “All of those kind words you said about me… How can I stay sad when you make me feel so special? It just means the world to me that you think so highly of me. I’ll do my best to not let you down. Thank you, Twilight.” Twilight smiled and wrapped her hooves around the pegasus in a hug. “Anytime, Derpy.” Derpy and Twilight finished the rest of their dinner without any further incidents, and their empty plates were soon whisked away by Savoir. To their surprise, the waiter came back a moment later and placed a tall glass of strawberry milkshake between them. “Um, I don’t think that we ordered this, Savoir,” Twilight informed. “Compliments of the establishment for two lovely mares,” Savoir explained. “I do apologize that I can only give you one though. Unfortunately, all of our other glasses are being used.” Derpy and Twilight glanced over the rest of the dining area, noting that only a few customers were left, none of which were drinking milkshakes. They then looked back at the stallion with raised eyebrows. “Yes, very unfortunate,” Savoir restated unabashed, who then quickly inserted two straws into the milkshake. “I suppose that you two will have to make do and share. Enjoy.” “That was… subtle,” Derpy remarked when the waiter beat a hasty retreat. “As subtle as Pinkie Pie,” Twilight agreed. Derpy chuckled. “So, um, yeah… Pretty obvious what Savoir is aiming for.” “We could just take turns if you’re uncomfortable with drinking at the same time.” “No, I’m fine with sharing it. We did the whole feeding each other thing after all... mostly. Besides, this seems like just the sort of thing that would be on your list.” When she saw Twilight glance away and nervously cough, Derpy could not help but grin. “It is, isn’t it?” “I told you that I wasn’t thinking clearly when I made that list!” Twilight protested. She tried to pout, but she was not doing a good job since her mouth kept twitching into a grin. Derpy giggled and then gestured to the awaiting dessert. “Shall we then?” Receiving a nod from her date, Derpy leaned toward the milkshake, only to yelp and reel away when her muzzle bumped into Twilight’s. “Oops, my bad!” “Sorry!” The two mares stared at each other after their hasty apologies for a second before bursting into laughter. As Derpy sat back into her seat and rubbed her muzzle with a hoof, she remarked in an amused tone, “Well, that didn’t quite go as planned.” “No, it didn’t,” Twilight agreed with a chuckle. Her horn glowed as her magic readjusted the straws so that they were further apart and sticking out of the glass more. “Shall we try again?” Derpy nodded, and both of them inched forward slowly, careful to not bump muzzles again. After some careful maneuvering, Derpy was able to get a straw into her mouth at the same time Twilight got the other into her mouth, and the both of them giggled over their little victory before they started drinking the milkshake. A mix of strawberry and a splash of vanilla danced on Derpy’s taste buds while she sipped on the milkshake, and yet, despite the delicious dessert, her attention was quickly grabbed by something else. With them both drinking from the same glass, their faces were only a few inches away from each other, allowing Derpy to gaze into Twilight’s beautiful violet eyes. What’s more, Twilight was staring right back with a smile, causing Derpy’s heart to flutter with joy. Derpy was so lost in their reciprocal admiration that she hardly remembered that she was drinking the milkshake until the noise of the last drops being slurped up startled her out of her trance. “Ah, that was an excellent way to end our meal,” Twilight stated. “I’m stuffed.” “Yeah, me too,” Derpy agreed. As she sat back, she noticed that the cafe’s dining area was empty. “Oh wow, we’ve been here longer than I thought.” “Well, time does fly when you’ve got good company,” Twilight remarked. “But we should get going. It’s getting late.” After Twilight paid for their meal, along with a generous tip to Savoir, the two of them started making their way back to the castle. “Thank you for dinner, Twilight,” Derpy said as they trotted down the streets, happily noting that the alicorn was walking much closer to her side compared to the beginning of their date. “You’re welcome, Derpy,” Twilight replied. “I pretty much already know the answer, but just to be sure, did you enjoy the meal?” “Absolutely. The food was delicious, and I’m certainly going to go back there to try other stuff.” “I’ll be doing the same. Savoir was right about me trying something else besides the daisy sandwich.” Derpy giggled. “But really, the food is only a small part of what made tonight so magnificent. The best part was being able to spend time with a wonderful pony who looked past my clumsiness and kept picking me back up every time I made a fool of myself.” “You’re never a fool, Derpy,” Twilight stated, draping a wing over her companion’s back. “I meant every word that I said earlier. You’re a special pony, and I’m glad that I got to spend tonight with you.” Derpy blushed when Twilight’s wing dragged her closer to the alicorn, embracing her in a wing hug. She’s holding me so close and not letting go! Does that mean I can do it? She must like me, right? We did so much tonight after all. That means I should be able to do it. You know what? I’m doing it. I’m so totally doing it! Taking a deep breath, Derpy moved her head into the crook of Twilight’s neck, and she silently cheered to herself when she did not feel the princess move away. Derpy then proceeded to bury her nose into Twilight’s neck, relishing the warmth and soft fur as she rubbed into it. Much to Derpy’s delight, Twilight’s wing hug squeezed tighter as the alicorn returned the affection by brushing her own muzzle into Derpy’s mane. I just nuzzled with Twilight Sparkle. Best night ever! Derpy was in heaven as the rest of the world melted away. All that mattered was the pony she shared her nuzzling embrace with. Sadly, despite wanting to spend the rest of her life in this perfect moment, they eventually reached the castle, and Derpy had to try hard to hide her disappointment since their date was essentially over. It was a small consolation that Twilight took her time, almost reluctantly, to leave Derpy’s side. “So, uh, here we are,” Twilight muttered, lazily waving at the castle door with a wing. “Here we are,” Derpy repeated quietly. A silence then followed as both mares found more interest in everything except each other. Not wanting to let things end with just a simple ‘good night', Derpy took a deep breath and said, “Twilight, I just want to say that tonight was the best time I’ve ever had. This date was everything that I dreamed of, and then some. Even if things don’t go any further and that we decide to stop here, I will treasure this night for the rest of my life.” Taking another deep breath, Derpy continued, “But, um, I also have to say that this date has only added to my respect and fondness of you. I know that I’m probably getting ahead of myself, but it looked like you had a great time with me, so I, uh, I was wondering if you would maybe be interested in going out with me again sometime in the future?” During Derpy’s talking, Twilight had been listening attentively with a smile on her face. “Derpy… I…” Twilight trailed off, and with a frown, she turned around to face the castle door. “Oh…” Derpy felt her heart sink at the silent rejection. “I thought that we…” She stopped and shook her head, doing her best to ignore the hollow feeling in her chest. “I-it’s fine, Twilight. Thank you for at least giving me a chance.” “What?” Twilight quickly looked back toward Derpy, and her eyes widened. “Oh, no, no, no, I didn’t mean to imply that I’m turning you down. It’s just that…” She growled in frustration and glared at the door for a second before turning back to Derpy and asking, “Could you, uh, just give me a moment?” “Uh, sure?” Derpy tilted her head in confusion. “Actually, could you step over here for a moment with me?” Twilight requested, taking a few steps away from the door. “This will only take a second.” Despite still being unsure what was going on, Derpy followed after the alicorn without protest. Twilight’s horn suddenly lit up, and the front doors were flung wide open as Spike and Starlight tumbled onto the ground, while Tempest stood a few steps away from the entrance. “Um, hey, guys,” Spike greeted sheepishly, despite being upside down as his back rested on Starlight’s splayed out form. “How was the date?” Starlight asked, wearing a nervous smile. “Why were you eavesdropping on us?” Twilight demanded, sternly frowning at her castlemates. “What? Eavesdropping? Us?” Spike asked, trying to sound nonchalant. “Pffft, no. Why would you say that?” “So you two just happened to be leaning on the door when I opened it?” “Yes. That’s exactly what happened,” Starlight hastily answered. “Uh huh…” Twilight narrowed her eyes at Starlight. “Then can you explain why I sensed a listening spell on the door with your magic signature a few moments ago?” “Oh…” Starlight looked to Spike, who ended up frantically shaking his head, before turning back to the peeved Twilight. “You see, there’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for that.” “Which is?” “Um…” “The jig is up! Run!” Spike suddenly shouted as he scrambled to his feet and rushed out of sight. “Uh, what he said,” Starlight said before she disappeared in a flash of turquoise light. Twilight rolled her eyes and focused her attention on the remaining eavesdropper. “And what about you, Tempest?” “I was merely keeping an eye on those two,” Tempest stated calmly. “Really?” Twilight asked, sounding unconvinced. Tempest coughed lightly and glanced away. “And perhaps I was interested in how the date of two of my friends fared.” “This is great!” Twilight suddenly cheered, much to Derpy and Tempest’s surprise. “Derpy told me that you two had a nice talk earlier, and it’s wonderful to hear that you accepted her friendship!” Gleefully smiling, Twilight sat down on her haunches to clap her forehooves in excitement, but she soon stopped when she noticed the amused stare that Derpy was giving her. Blushing lightly, she got back up and cleared her throat. “Um, sorry about that. You know me, Princess of Friendship and all that. Anyway, Tempest, it’s great to hear that you’re making friends, but would you mind leaving us be? I promise to tell you about our date later, but for now, Derpy and I would like some privacy.” Tempest nodded. “Of course. Sorry for disturbing you two. Good night.” “Good night, Tempest,” Twilight and Derpy both bade as the tall unicorn made her exit. With them being alone again, Twilight turned back to Derpy and sighed in both relief and exasperation. “Sorry about them.” Derpy giggled. “It’s alright. You do know that they eavesdropped because they care about you, right?” “I know, but I'd still rather enjoy these last few moments with you without any prying eyes. Anyway, you were asking me something before we were rudely interrupted?” “Oh, right. So, yeah…” Derpy cleared her throat and then took a deep breath. “Twilight Sparkle, would you be interested in going out with me again?” Twilight walked up to Derpy and threw her forehooves around the mare’s neck. “I would love to go out with you again, Derpy.” Derpy squeed in delight as she returned the hug. This time, when Twilight pulled away from their embrace, Derpy did not feel disappointed because now there was a promise of more bonding moments like this in the near future. “Good night, Derpy,” Twilight said as she slowly walked into the castle, all while smiling back at the pegasus. “Good night, Twilight.” Derpy smiled back, keeping her gaze on the princess. Even after the castle doors closed, she continued watching where her date had been, sighing wistfully as she recalled the wonderful night that she had. Eventually, Derpy regained her wits to begin heading home, but just as she turned to leave, her ears flicked up when she heard the castle doors open again. Looking back, she saw Twilight standing in the doorway. “Um, Derpy?” Twilight muttered, keeping her eyes focused on the ground. “Yes, Twilight? Is something wrong?” “No, it’s actually… Um, there’s one last, quick thing from my silly list that I want to do before you leave,” Twilight confessed, her cheeks blushing brightly. “Sure, what is it?” Twilight took a deep breath and slowly walked right up to Derpy. “I just want to…” Before Derpy could react, Twilight suddenly looked up and pushed forward, planting her lips on Derpy’s cheek. Twilight pulled away only a second later, but in that second, Derpy’s wings had popped wide open. Her eyes were also bulging, and her mouth was locked in forming a tiny ‘O’ as heat flooded her face. “G-good night, Derpy,” Twilight said, a smile gracing her now bright-red face, before she quickly trotted into the castle, closing the door behind her. Derpy stood frozen in front of the castle for a few moments, still processing what had just happened. Eventually, her brain started working again, and she slowly raised a forehoof to her cheek. The spot where Twilight had kissed her still felt pleasantly warm, and Derpy could not help but break out the widest grin that she had ever used. So much better than a nuzzle! Best. Night. Ever!