Twilight's P.O.V.
“Thank you so much for your help, girls.” My friends were kind enough to help me to set up my lab this weekend. Applejack, Sunset and Pinkie Pie moved the heavy stuff, Rainbow Dash the smaller ones, Rarity helped me to organize my equipment and Fluttershy was sitting on a chair, petting Spike who was on her lap. My father wasn’t able to help us due to him having been called from work.
“It’s no problem, Twilight.” Sunset said as she placed one of my desks on the floor.
“Yes! We love to help!” Pinkie Pie said with a grin.
“But I must say, darling, you could have eluded going to that hideous place yesterday.” Rarity commented in a worried tone. “Why did you return to the Crystal Preparatory Academy?”
“Yeah, why didn’t you tell us?” Rainbow Dash sat on one of my chairs. “We would have supported you in case those jerks tried to be clever.”
“I know, and I should probably have told you, but another friend of mine insisted on come with me.”
Sunset gasped dramatically. “Another friend? Are you cheating on us?” She joked before chuckling. Some of my friends giggled at the joke.
“We could have gone with you anyway. The more the merrier.” Applejack commented.
“Wait…” Rainbow Dash smirked. “Was it your ex?”
“Ex? Oh, poor dear! What happened?” Rarity covered her mouth with both of her hands. She looked sad.
“I-I don’t have an ex! I never dated anyone in my life!” I got nervous. Aria is no ex. Why would she be? She’s caring and nice, we have some interests in common. Why would we ever break up? What am I saying? We’re not even dating! She’s my friend! But what if… W-what’s going on in my head!
“She’s blushing! So, you like this friend of yours!” Pinkie Pie grinned. I touched my cheek. She was right, I was all red.
“Ha! I knew there was something going on!” Rainbow Dash stood up, triumphantly pointing at me.
“If you have told us you wanted to be alone with yer crush, we would have understood, sugarcube.” Applejack smirked.
“Or, we could have helped you to confess your feelings!” Rarity grabbed me by my arms. This whole misunderstanding is driving me crazy. “Tell us more, dear!”
“I-It’s nothing like that!” I was starting to shake. “She’s not a people’s person, so we went alone.”
“Oh! We have a gender!” Pinkie Pie smiled brightly. I felt like about to pass out. Please, somebody help me!
“Alright, everyone, give her space.” Sunset separated Rarity from me. “Don’t you see she’s getting anxious?” Thank you, Sunset. Thank you so much!
“S-Sorry, Twilight. Ah guess we got a little carried away.” Applejack looked ashamed. Everyone else nodded to Applejack’s statement.
“It’s okay. I forgive you.” I sighed in relief and smiled at my friends. “My friend was a big help to me. We were able to take what I wanted and left.”
“Can’t we at least have a name?” Rainbow Dash crossed her arms and frowned.
“I-I’m sorry, but I would rather not.” I didn’t lose my smile. My athletic friend groaned.
“Does Spike know? Spike! Please tell us!” Pinkie Pie ran towards Spike.
“I can’t if Twilight doesn’t feel comfortable doing it. Sorry.” Spike is as loyal as ever. I love you, boy!
“Aww!” Everyone but Sunset exhaled.
“So, moving on, what if we continue-” Sunset was cut short by Rarity.
“Wait!” Rarity laughed a little manically, which scared me a bit. “We might not be able to get information on Twilight’s friend, but we can talk about Sunset and her date two days ago!”
“Wh-what?!” Sunset’s face turned completely red in an instant.
“That’s right!” Pinkie Pie grinned and glanced at Sunset. “You haven’t told us a thing yet!”
“U-Umm…” Sunset couldn’t stop blushing. “I’m not sure how you’re going to take the news…”
“Can we please change the subject? I don’t want to hear about those corny letters.” Rainbow Dash said, crossing her arms.
“You started it, Rainbow.” Applejack said with a smirk. “You joked about Twilight and her nonexistent ex.”
“And I’m starting to regret it.” Rainbow Dash looked away.
“Well, too bad, because you gave us the perfect conversation topic. Sunset, details, please!” Rarity smirked as she spoke. Rainbow Dash groaned and covered her ears. Just as Sunset was about to say something, the door leading to my basement opened and my mother walked down a few steps.
“How’s everything going? Woah! I didn’t know this room could look so nice." My mother said as she scanned the room. "You girls must be thirsty. What do you say if I prepare some lemonade for you?”
“Thank you, mom. That would be nice.” I said before smiling. My mother smiled back but then got startled by my athletic friend’s suddenly started to run up the stairs.
“Let me help you with that, ma’am!” My friend left the basement as my mother glanced from the door back to us. She was dumbfounded.
“Is there something I should know?” My mother inquired.
“I’m afraid our dear friend is allergic to girl talk.” Rarity said, before she and some of our friends giggled. I smiled at what she said. I loved being around my friends. How they joke and mess around with each other in a friendly way. They bring joy to my life. I didn’t know I could be this happy.
“Ah, I see.” My mother smiled again. “We’ll be back with the lemonade soon.” My mom walked up the stairs and we continued where we left off.
“So…” Rarity turned her head towards Sunset and smirked. “We’re all ears”
Sunset sighed. “Alright. I’ll speak. To be honest, I want to tell you all about it.” My tough friend smiled. She was flushing again. Whoever her admirer is, she must really like them. “Who asked me out was…” Sunset took her time to answer. She glanced from each to us to see our reactions. Fluttershy was patient, Pinkie Pie was smiling wider every second, and I think she was leaning closer to Sunset each passing moment, Applejack was just smirking, I waited patiently as well, but Rarity was about to pull her hair off. She had a weird expression and one of her eyes were twitching.
“COULD YOU PLEASE JUST TELL US ALREADY?” The fashionista lost the little patience she had.
Sunset chuckled before speaking again. “Okay, yes. I won’t prolong it any longer. I had a date with… Trixie.”
“T-Trixie?” Rarity’s impatience turned into confusion. “Are you serious?”
“But... She was really mean to us ever since we met.” Fluttershy said hiding behind her hair. .
“She was kind to me. At least she didn’t push me away.” I joined the conversation.
“She was?” Sunset glanced at me.
I nodded. “The weekend before my transfer to Canterlot High we had a small conversation, and on my first day, she did tell me where the Principal’s office was before all of you welcomed me.”
“So she did?” The equestrian girl smiled. “Thank you for telling me, Twilight.”
“Yer goin’ to keep datin’ her?” Applejack was curious. I think she was still processing it.
“Yes. But I won't lie, I had my doubts at first, but after our first date? Turns out Trixie is a lot nicer than we thought... And, I also kind of started to like her.” Sunset kept blushing and smiling. I wonder what it is to be in love.
“How do you feel?” Sunset glanced at me when I spoke. She looked a little confused, but then smiled again.
“I feel... Happy. There's this warmth within me whenever I think of Trixie, that I am pretty sure wasn't there before our date. Speaking on which, she was just so nervous during the whole thing, it was just so darn cute!” Sunset giggled and our friends exchanged confused looks. The equestrian girl blushed more, but this time of embarrassment. “S-Sorry... Anyways, I don't know if she's ready to approach me when I am with you, girls. Or approach you guys in general. Despite how Trixie acts, she's actually pretty self-conscious, so... It might take awhile before she’s ready to meet you all properly, so please, give her more time, okay?” Sunset turned her head towards Pinkie Pie. “That goes double for you, Pinkie.”
“Aww, but I wanted to throw you two a surprise 'congratulations-for-becoming-a-couple' party! I was even planning to invite her to our next slumber party.”
“I'm sorry, Pinkie. But for now, let her do things at her own pace, please?”
“Okay…” Pinkie Pie kept pouting. “But you have to pinky promise me that you will let me throw you two a party on the day Trixie is finally ready to be one of our bestest friends as well.”
Sunset smiled brightly. “I pinky promise.” Pinkie Pie grinned as she clasped her hands together while our friends exchanged looks again. Then, Rarity smiled at the fiery girl.
“Well, Sunset, darling, if you say you’re happy, then we’re happy for you. Right, girls?” Rarity turned her head towards the rest of our friends.
“Ah support you, Sunset. If you say Trixie isn’t as bad, ah believe you.” Applejack smiled as she spoke.
“I’ll support you too.” Fluttershy said.
“Oh, me too, me too!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed excitedly.
“Trixie looks like a good person, Sunset. You should definitely keep dating her.” I said as I placed a hand on my friend’s shoulder. I don’t know the history between Trixie and my friends, but I don’t see her like a bad person.
Sunset’s eyes got wet. She got emotional. “Thank you… all of you…”
“Group hug!” Pinkie Pie shouted before she pulled the equestrian girl into a tight hug. Soon, all of my friends embraced her. I decided to join in as well. We hugged until the door of my basement opened and Rainbow Dash started to walk down the staircase. She was carrying a tray with glasses full of lemonade.
“Alright, I’m back with the juice! Is the cheesy mood gone already?” Our athletic friend asked as she stood before us.
“Come on, Rainbow, don’t be like that. Don’t you at least want to know who I’m dating? I swear, we’ll say no more.” It looks like Sunset got a little hurt by Rainbow Dash’s behavior. Rainbow glanced to each of our friends, including me, then groaned.
“Fine. I suppose learning the name won’t kill me.” Rainbow Dash placed the tray with lemonades on a nearby table. “Hit me.” She said after taking a glass and starting to drink from it.
“Okay…” The fiery girl took a deep breath and released it shortly afterwards. “Rainbow, my secret admirer was… Trixie.”
Rainbow spat the juice she was drinking on me. “TRIXIE?!” Rainbow Dash’s eyes widened as she yelled. She glanced at me after realizing what she did. “Oh, sorry, Twilight.”
“It’s okay…” I said as I took off my glasses to clean them.
“How inconsiderate of you, Rainbow Dash!” Rarity scolded our friend as she took a napkin and helped me to clean my face.
“Thank you.” I said. Rarity smiled at me as in saying ‘You’re welcome.’
“What were you expecting? I can barely tolerate that girl!” Rainbow Dash replied back.
“Rainbow-” Sunset frowned at the rainbow-haired girl. “I know the news isn’t easy to swallow, but please, be careful with what you say. This is my girlfriend you’re talking about.”
“G-Girlfriend?” Rainbow Dash blinked in confusion. “Are you serious?”
The fiery girl nodded. “She’s not as bad as you think. You should give her a chance.”
“Are you asking me to become her friend?” Rainbow Dash’s face showed signs of disgust.
“No.” Sunset shook her head. “But when and if she wants to talk to you, don’t dismiss her right away.”
Our athletic friend glanced to each of us. After realizing she wouldn’t find support, she sighed in defeat. “Fine. I’ll be… n-nice to her.”
“That’s all I ask, thank you.” Sunset smiled as she placed a hand on her shoulder.
“Yeah, well…” Rainbow Dash smirked. “You’re my friend, Sunset. I might not be able to stand Trixie, but if you like her and you’re going to see her often. I suppose I should give it a try, right? Wait… are you crying…?”
I glanced at Sunset. She, indeed, had her eyes wet. “Oh, Rainbow… that’s so mature of you!” The fiery girl hugged Rainbow Dash tightly.
“Yay, another group hug!” Pinkie Pie exclaimed before she and the rest of my friends hugged Rainbow Dash and Sunset. I sighed and smiled as I joined the hug. I honestly don't know how I could've lived this long without friends.
My friends left hours later after they helped me to set up my lab. While Spike took a nap, I decided that the first thing to do was to place all my research of magic inside a safe. My findings caused too much harm to me, my friends and my school. It’s dangerous to continue with further investigations. At least for now.
I should probably destroy everything; however, it would be a crime against science to do so. Maybe, one day, I’ll be able to keep with this research, taking the necessary precautions, of course.
When I was organizing my files, I came across the blueprint for my spectrometer, alongside the remains of the device itself after Sunset destroyed it. I decided to keep the fragments so it didn’t fall into the wrong hands. This invention of mine was responsible of everything. It turned me into that… monster. Everything I despise about myself came to the surface. I forgot who I was. My only concern was gathering more magic and power. But Spike, Sunset and my friends helped me to wake up. They gave me a new life and I’m able to distract myself from the Midnight incident. I hope I never have to deal with her again.
After placing my research in the safe and closing it, I moved on to my next task. We recently replaced our DVD players and I asked my parents to keep one of the old devices to study it. I’ll see if a local electronics shop has a VCR later to compare the technology. It’s so exciting! Spike woke up after I unscrewed the electronic device.
“Looks like you didn’t take long to get back to business.” My pet commented after yawning.
“Oh, hi, Spike. How did you sleep?” I smiled at Spike before continuing with my work.
“I slept just fine.” Spike said as he stretched. “Fluttershy really made me relax.”
“Yeah, taking care of animals seems to be her thing.” I glanced at my pet again, still smiling. “Are you hungry? Thirsty?”
“I need to use a tree.” The small dog sat, wagging his tail in happiness.
“I’ll open the door for you, then.” I said as I placed my tools aside. I walked up the stairs with Spike behind me and opened the basement’s door.
“Thank you!” Spike rushed outside. I giggled. He must've really wanted to go. I walked back downstairs and took my screwdriver. However, just as I was about to continue where I left off, my cell phone started to ring. I took it from my lab coat’s pocket and a smile instantly appeared on my face upon seeing the caller.
“Hello, Aria! I’m glad you called.”
“Really? Why is that?” My friend asked curiously.
“Just because. I’m happy when my friends call me.”
“I see.” I could feel my friend was smiling. She sounds friendlier than the last time she called me. “How are you?”
“I’m… fine. Better than fine, actually. My lab’s is all settled and I’m using it!”
“Are you plotting to bring the dead back to life? Because that would be cool.” Was she serious? She can’t be… right?
“U-Umm… no…” My smile faded.
“I’m just joking, Twilight. Have you ever heard of Dr. Junkensteen? That mad scientist from that old novel? There’s even movies and lots of references in T.V. shows.”
Of course, she was joking. How stupid of me… “I-I’m sorry.. I do love literature, but I usually avoid horror.”
“You don’t know what you’re missing. I have a movie I wanted to show you. It’s about an aggressive extraterrestrial life form who hunts seven defenseless people in space. It’s one of the best movies I have ever watched.”
“I-I don’t know… sounds horrifying.”
“We’ll watch it during the day and I won’t raise the volume all the way up. Plus, I’ll be there to warn you of the jump scares.”
My heart skipped a beat. I also had a warm feeling which I have had before. What’s triggering it? I have to get to the bottom of this. I’ll add it to my mental list. “Is that extraterrestrial… scary looking?” I can’t let Aria know I’m feeling weird. It mostly happens when I’m talking to her.
“It does, but it’s also messy. It looks like an anthropomorphic black cockroach and is constantly drooling. But… if you really don’t want to watch it…”
“N-No, it’s okay. It’s just a movie after all.” All my life I have avoided scary movies. I know I won’t like this one much. Why am I saying yes?
“Are you sure? Because I have other movies to watch. Not all of them are thriller or horror.”
“And we’ll watch them too! Eventually. Horror movie or not, I can’t let pass the opportunity to watch more VHS tapes.”
“If you’re really okay with it, I’ll keep it in mind for after our second movie gathering. I did promise to rent Wraithbusters 2, after all.”
“Oh, right!” I giggled. “I’m looking forward to it.”
“Just wait until we watch it and you’ll regret doing so.”
“I’ll be the one to judge that.” I started to play with my screwdriver while I was speaking to my friend.
“Be my guest.” Aria seemed to be in a great mood, which gave me confidence. It was my turn to ask her to do something with me. My friends are always inviting me to join them in different activities. I have the opportunity to do it myself this time. I better speak now before the silence prolongs too much.
“So… Aria…”
“Yes?”
This is it. Come on, Twilight, you can do it! It’s just a friendly activity. Nothing to be afraid of. “I-I want to ask you… If it’s okay with you, that is, do you want to join me in one of my hobbies?”
“Umm… sure? Yeah, why not? What’s this mysterious hobby of yours?”
“It’s… astronomy. I love stargazing. The stars are so beautiful, and the cosmos… breathtaking. Have you ever watched the night sky with a telescope?”
“I never owned a telescope. They’re too expensive.” I think I just blew it. I should have known. She barely has resources to afford a place to live. Is this how you intend to keep your friends, Twilight?! “But… I also have never thought on stargazing. It might be… interesting. I’m in.”
“You’re in?” I… didn’t ruin anything? “You want to… watch the stars with me?”
“Yeah, why not? It might be fun. When do you want to do it?”
“U-Umm… is tonight, after nightfall, too soon? I can’t tomorrow since I must go to school on Monday. Otherwise we’ll have to wait for next week.”
“Tonight’s good.”
I grinned. This is going to be so exciting! I must get ready at once. “I can’t wait for tonight, then! We’re going to have so much fun! I’ll take my portable telescope to the park in which we met to read for the first time. Do you remember where it is?”
“I do.” My friend chuckled. “Wow, Twilight. You’re just as excited as when you saw my VCR. I suppose it wouldn’t be your hobby if you didn’t love doing it.”
My cheeks got warm. “Y-Yeah… that’s true.” I placed a hand to my chest. I could feel my heart beating faster than normal. Was it because of how nervous I was to ask Aria to stargaze with me tonight? It had to be. I only felt this warmth after asking her. “I’ll teach you about the constellations we spot. That is, if you don’t mind…”
“I don’t-” Aria wasn’t able to finish her sentence. I heard the sound of someone taking the phone from her. The next thing I knew is that a different voice spoke to me over the phone. A familiar one.
“Hello, Twilight! It’s Sonata! Do you remember me?”
“H-Hi. Yes, I remember you. How are you?”
“I’m doing great! Oh! Since we last saw each other, I got a job! It’s amazing! I’m-”
“Sonata, give me back the phone. I’m using it!” I heard Aria trying to grab the phone from Sonata.
“But I want to talk to her! Why are you the only one who can?!”
“You’ll see her again another time, but you can’t take the phone from me while I’m still talking!”
“Give the phone back to Aria, Sonata. She’s right.” I heard a third voice I didn’t recognize. Whoever it was, she convinced Sonata. She moaned sadly and then I heard Aria speak again.
“Sorry about that. My younger sister tends to get in my business.”
“I’m only three minutes younger than you!” I heard Sonata complain at the background.
“It still counts!” Aria’s voice wasn’t completely clear. She must have turned her head to yell at her sister.
“Don’t worry, I know how’s that’s like. I used to be like her with my brother.” I smiled as I sat on my chair.
“Used to?”
“Shining Armor moved to live on his own a couple of years ago. He works as a police officer and I don’t see him as much as before.” My smile faded just as quickly as it appeared. My brother and I were very close. After he became an officer he got so busy and I can only hear his voice when he calls me once in a while. I miss him…
“I’m… sorry to hear that, Twilight.”
It’s okay.” I smiled faintly. “I’m going to hang up. It has been a while since I used my portable telescope and I need to check if it’s in one piece.”
“Alright. I’ll see you tonight, then. Later.”
“Bye.” I hung up and placed the phone on the table before standing up. I think the telescope is at the attic. I climbed the staircase and opened the door. Spike was on the other side.
“Hi, Twilight! I heard you talking. Who was it?”
“It was Aria.” I smiled at my pet. “We’re going to meet tonight at the Greystone Park to stargaze. I must prepare everything.”
“Sounds like fun! Can I join?” Spike waved his tail in happiness.
“I don’t know, Spike. You’re always tired by nightfall.”
“But I want to be with you!” Spike dropped his head in sadness. I smiled more as I picked him up.
“I know, Spike. Hmm… how about this? If you’re awake before I leave, you’ll come with me.”
“Deal!” Spike started to lick me all over my face, making me giggle.
“Alright, boy, that’s enough.” My pet stopped, but he kept waving his tail. I hugged him before walking towards the attic. “Will you help me to find my old telescope?”
“Sure thing, Twilight!”
In the end, Spike fell asleep before I left my house to meet with Aria. He looked so cute and peaceful sleeping on my bed that it would have been a pity waking him up. I put a blanket on him before leaving. I’ll make sure to get him a treat tomorrow.
With my portable telescope in my bag, I headed towards Greystone Park to meet with Aria. I realized that I forgot to tell her where exactly to meet. Fortunately, she was expecting me on the same picnic table I waited for her the last time we met here.
“Well, well. Look who decided to finally show up.” My friend said as she stood up, crossing her arms.
“Oh, I’m sorry. Were you waiting for long?”
“Nah, not really.” Aria smirked. She then glanced at my backpack. “Your telescope is in there? I thought they were supposed to be bigger.”
“Yes, but I brought a smaller and more practical one. I leave the big one at the balcony of my room.” I explained as I placed my bag on the table and opened it.
“That’s… understandable.” I smiled at my friend before starting to assemble the telescope. “Do you need help?”
“Yes, actually. I’m about to finish with the mount. Would you be so kind to pass me the optical tube?”
“The what?” Aria raised an eyebrow, confused. I smiled at her.
“The body. That big tube over there?”
“Oh…” Aria facepalmed. “Tube, right. Yes, I’m going.” My friend gave me what I requested and I adjusted the optical tube on its place.
“Great, now I need the finderscope.”
“What again?”
I giggled before pointing at the object. “The smaller tube over there.”
“Alright.” Aria assisted me during the entire process of setting up the telescope. After we finished, I took the astronomy book I always use for stargazing. “What’s that?”
“You said you were okay with me teaching you a little about astronomy.”
“Ah, yes. Okay.” My friend glanced at the sky. “Shall we get started? I see some stars already.”
“Sure! Just let me take this to the floor.” I said before taking hold of my telescope. Aria placed her hands on it as well to help me. “Thank you, Aria, but it’s not really that heavy.”
“Just let me. I’ll feel useful that way.” My friend smirked.
I smiled at her. “If you insist.” After placing the telescope on the floor and taking the book from the picnic table. Then I realized I forgot something. “Oh, no… I didn’t bring a blanket.”
“A blanket? What for?”
“To sit on it. I have one, but I used it to cover my dog, Spike, with it. My skirt will get dirty with the grass.”
“So?” Aria said before sitting on the ground. “It’s no big deal. You can wash it afterwards. Don’t you have other clothes to use?”
“Y-Yes, but…” I placed a hand on my other arm. I didn’t like getting my clothes dirty if I could avoid it. But Aria reached a hand at me. She was smiling slightly.
“Come on, join me. It’s not the end of the world.” I felt my cheeks warm by her request. When I touched her hand, my entire body felt hotter. My heart pounded faster as I held Aria’s hand. It kept beating even after I released her hand when I sat down. “See? Just clean your butt when you stand up and you’re all set.”
“I-I guess…” I accommodated my glasses with my index finger before opening the astronomy book. I cleared my throat before speaking again. “Alright, just let me find the page about the constellations… here it is.” I gazed upon the stars to find any star formation. “We’re lucky. The night sky is beautiful today. Look at all those stars. There are a few clouds, but they won’t be spoiling our night.”
“Enlighten me, cub.” When Aria called me by that nickname, I glanced at her. I could feel my blush. It was like if my entire face was on fire. Why? I-I can’t think on that now. I must focus on the stars.
“R-Right…” I'll get to the bottom of this later. “Let me see. Umm… oh! Look over there! See?” I pointed at the sky. “That’s Virgo, or The Maiden. This constellation represents almost every powerful woman of the Greek mythology, including Athena, Artemis, Persephone and Demeter. She’s usually carrying a grain of wheat and a staff. Can you see it?”
“I-I think so… it requires a lot of imagination.”
“Not really. See the brightest star of the constellation? That’s Spica. It’s the grain of wheat. In Latin, Spica means ‘ear of wheat’.”
“You didn’t even look at the book…” My friend commented. I smiled at her.
“It’s one of my passions. For me, this is a perfect night.” My gaze turned to the sky again. “Over there? That’s Draco. It can be seen all year round. Draco is only present in the Northern Hemisphere, so those living in the Southern Hemisphere will never see this long constellation. Unless they come here.”
“Ha! We got all the constellations with amazing backstories!” Aria said with a smirk.
“Not really. The south has constellations which we can’t appreciate. Like Mensa. Its name is Latin for table, though it originally commemorated Table Mountain and was known as Mons Mensae. It’s one of the faintest constellations in the night sky, Mensa contains no apparent bright stars. The brightest, Alpha Mensae, is barely visible in suburban skies. Photopollution can destroy the view sometimes. Light is no issue away from the city, however.”
“By photopollution you mean the lights of the city?” Aria glanced at me.
I nodded. “Don’t get me wrong, I love technology and what it’s capable of, but sometimes I wish everyone turned off the lights for an hour. Watching the night sky with nothing blocking it is a breathtaking experience.”
“I have to admit, gazing at the stars makes me feel… peaceful. There's always something in my mind bugging me. But now? Now I have no worries.” My friend laid on the grass, using her arms to support the back of her head. “I wish I've tried this earlier.” While I watched my friend, a cloud which was blocking the moon moved. The moonlight hit Aria. She looked… beautiful.
She doesn’t seem to care about her personal appearance, but even with her natural look, she was… radiant. Her smirk, her eyes, her hair… wh-what am I saying? I feel warmth within me again. Why does this happen whenever I’m with Aria? W-Wait… what did Sunset say about what she feels when she’s with Trixie? Warmth. Happiness. It’s like what I feel with Aria. Could it be possible…? N-No! It can’t be, can it? I-I’m not sure! This isn’t of my expertise. It’s too soon to jump to conclusions. I need to ask questions. But if I go to Sunset, she’ll ask me about Aria. I need someone who I can trust and knows about Aria. Like Cadence! Yes, she’ll help me.
“Is something up?”
“Wh-What?” Aria woke me up from my thoughts. I shook my head. I think I have been staring at my friend for too long. My body was boiling! But it could be because of the embarrassment. That would also explain the ridiculous speed of my heart rate.
“Are you okay?” Aria sat up. Her expression had signs of worry. She’s definitely the protective type. This was evident by how she stood up for me yesterday. I still think she went too far, but she stopped when I called her. That’s why I’m still comfortable of having her as a friend. She has a short temper, but her fury doesn’t fully blind her.
“Y-Yes, I’m fine.” I smiled at her before quickly glancing at the moon. I hope it doesn’t give away my red face. “With the moon no longer obstructed, we can take a closer look with it with the telescope.”
“So, we actually get to use that thing?” Aria chuckled. “I was starting to think you brought it just for decoration.”
I smiled before placing my eye on the finderscope. “Just let me adjust it and… done! Here, take a look.” Aria moved closer to me and placed her eye on the optical tube. She was so close to me that if I moved an inch, I would touch her. That was causing my undefined feelings to get even worse... And yet, a part of me wants to get even closer to Aria
“Woah! It's almost like I could stretch my hand and touch it! This is amazing!”
“You can borrow the book I brought if you want. I think you’ll enjoy it.”
“I can’t say no to that.” My friend didn’t move her eye from the telescope. I felt free to look at Aria without her noticing. The lights from the stars and the moon did wonders with her. Whatever is going on with me, I don’t really mind it. I’m starting to enjoy this.