//------------------------------// // The talk // Story: Romantic Meetings // by TheHardie-Boy //------------------------------// I stared at everyone in the Map Room with disbelief, save for Rainbow Dash, who I looked at with anger. “W-We didn’t hear you, Jake. H-How’s your day?” Fluttershy asked, trying to change the subject. “Don’t,” I started angrily before calming down. “Don’t play coy with me. Tell me the truth, right now. Does. Twilight. Like me?” They all shared glances and slightly nodded. “Yes, Jake...she does. Twilight’s had feelings for you for a really long time now. When you came into my boutique yesterday for romance advice, I had assumed the mare you liked was her,” Rarity answered. I fell back against the wall as tears began to flow through my eyes. “How much of our conversation did ya’ hear, exactly?” asked Applejack. I glared at Rainbow. “Right after where Rainbow’s ideas all ended with me dumping Starlight to be with Twilight.” Rainbow sheepishly tried to hide behind her chair. I threw my head back and groaned. “What am I gonna do?” Everyone exchanged sympathetic looks as Spike approached me. He rested a claw on my shoulder. “We’re sorry, Jake. We shouldn’t have been trying to figure out how to solve your problems behind your back,” Spike said. I looked him in the eye. “Spike, all of you, none of you have anything to be sorry about. Well, except for Rainbow Dash, but everyone else is fine. This is my problem, and you were just trying to help. If anything, I’m the bad friend here.” “What in Equestria makes you think you’re a bad friend?” Rarity asked me. I sighed. “Twilight’s been my best friend since I got here. In fact, she was the first creature that wasn’t related to me to ever show me any form of kindness. And I couldn’t pay her back by noticing that she might want to be more than friends.” “Jake, it’s not yer fault fer fallin’ in love with somepony else,” reasoned Applejack. Well, great. I was only worried that I was a bad friend to Twilight. Now, I remembered that I have another mare to worry about hurting. “I don’t know what I’m gonna do,” I said. “I’m sure we can think of something. There has to be some way for everypony to be happy,” Fluttershy reasoned. “How? If I go with Twilight, Starlight will be hurt. If I stay with Starlight, Twilight will be hurt. I wouldn’t be able to live with myself if I hurt either one of them,” I countered. “There has to be another way. I’m sure if we think really hard, we can find it,” Pinkie said. “No, I don’t want any of you burdening yourself with this. I appreciate the effort to help, but this is my problem. Don’t...think about this any further, please,” I told them. With that, I began to make my way out of the Map Room. “Wait, what are you gonna do first?” asked Spike. “First, I’m gonna have a talk with both of them, Twilight and Starlight,” I answered. I finally left to gather my thoughts. As I wandered through the halls, trying to figure out who to talk to first, I heard crying coming from the library. I opened the door to see Starlight curled up like a ball on the couch, bawling her eyes out. “Guess that answers that question,” I said to myself as I walked over to her. I took a seat next to her and rested my hand on her head. She looked up to me and buried her head in my leg. “J-Jake, there’s something I need to tell you. Twilight...she-“ Starlight started. “I know. At least, I know now. She has feelings for me. But I never noticed,” I cut her off. She looked back up to me, her eyes still filled with tears. “I-I love you...but you should go with Twilight.” “Hold on. What about you?” I asked. “I-I’ll just have to find a way to be okay with it,” Starlight responded. “No, you say that to yourself, but I know it’ll never be true. I know that every time you see me with Twilight, you’ll be dying on the inside. And I love you too much to let that happen,” I countered. “B-But you and Twilight have history together. And I...I don’t deserve to be with you a-after everything I’ve done,” Starlight let out with a sob. I stared down at her with authority. “Don’t you think like that, you understand me? I don’t care what you did before; I love you now.” She sat up next to me. “But what about Twilight?” I thought about it for a second. “Honestly, after everything we’ve been through, I guess I could love her too, but...I just-“ “Then go be with her. I don’t want to stand in your way, especially not with everything Twilight’s done for me. I’m such a bad friend for doing this to her.” I leaned in and hugged her. “You listen to me. I don’t know how long it’ll take, or how I’ll even do it, but one way or another, I’m gonna find a way where no one is hurt. And even though I can’t promise much, I can promise you this. If, in the end, we aren’t together, I will always be your friend. And don’t you think otherwise. Okay?” Starlight nodded. “And in return, I want you to make me a promise. While all this is going on, I don’t want you thinking that you’re a bad friend to Twilight. You understand?” “Yes. But either way, I think we should at least...put our relationship...or, whatever it is now...on hold for, until this whole thing is solved,” Starlight told me. “I-I think that’s a good idea,” I agreed. “Now if you’ll excuse me, I need to go talk to Twilight.” I walked through the castle, trying to find Twilight’s room. Starlight was right. This castle is bigger on the inside than it is on the outside. After a while of searching, I heard someone following me. I stopped and turned around to see that Rainbow Dash was behind me with a sheepish smile on her face. “What do you want?” I deadpanned. “Look, I just wanted to apologize for what I said before,” she responded. “I don’t really wanna hear it right now,” I said back. “But I didn’t really mean-“ she started, but I wasn’t having it. “Let me ask you this. Would you say what you said again, knowing Starlight was listening?” “Umm, no.” “And would you say it, knowing I was listening?” “N-No,” she stuttered. “But you would say it in front of your friends,” I finished for her. “Y-Yeah,” she said, shrinking back. “Do you see where I’m going with this?” Her expression became confused. “N-No, I-I don’t.” “You would say it to your friends, but you wouldn’t say it in front of me. Connect the dots, Dash!” I nearly yelled. It took her a second, but her face became filled with shock and sadness. “A-Are you saying-?” “Say it,” I ordered. “Are you saying that...we a-aren’t friends anymore?” she asked, a tear forming in her eye. I calmed down just a little when I saw how sad she got. “No, I’m not saying that, but it will take a while for me to get over what you said in there and accept your apology. For now, I suggest you go find Starlight and apologize to her too,” I said firmly. With that, she flew away. I heard her sniffing as she flew. What was I doing? I can’t push my friends away at a time like this. “You didn’t have to be that harsh, you know,” I heard Spike say behind me. I looked down on him with remorse. “I know, but...I’m just so confused, and I just took it out on her.” “I know. I wish there was a way I could help you,” Spike said. “That’s really nice of you, but like I said, I don’t want you burdening yourself with my problem. But if you want to help, you can tell me where Twilight might be,” I offered. “She’s probably still in her room. Come on, I’ll take you to it.” Spike eventually brought me to two large doors that I could only assume were the doors to Twilight’s room. “If she’s anywhere, she’s in there. I’ll leave you two so you can talk this out,” said Spike. “Thanks, Spike. Oh, and can you give my apologies to Rainbow Dash?” I requested. “Sure. And just so you know, I’m not on either mare’s side here,” Spike assured. With that, he rounded a corner, leaving me to face the large doors to Twilight’s room. I felt like they were looming over me with judgement and hate. After a few seconds of silent hyperventilating, I knocked on Twilight’s door. “Go away,” Twilight said from inside. I could tell she had been crying. “I-It’s me. C-Can we talk?” I said. “I don’t feel like talking right now, Jake,” she responded. “Okay then, just listen.” I was silent in case she protested, which she didn’t. “I-I’m sorry I didn’t notice your feelings for me.” There was silence within the room once again. “I...You’ve been my best friend for years, and I just completely ignored you. I didn’t even think of the possibility of you having feelings for me. And to make things worse...I fell for your student instead.” I paused again as tears started forming in my eyes. Twilight stayed quiet. “Now...I don’t know what to do. Starlight thinks she’s a bad student, Spike and the others are arguing about how to solve this, and...I’ve pretty much treated you like dirt. I-I’m so sorry.” I paused one more time in case she wanted to say something. She didn’t. “I-I don’t know what’s gonna happen, but I promised Starlight I would find a way so no one gets hurt, and I want to extend that promise to you as well. No matter what happens, I hope we can still be friends.” She was still silent. “Oh, and so you know, you won’t have to feel weird around Starlight and me. We’ve put our relationship on hold until I figure this-“ The door suddenly opened to reveal Twilight. Her eyes were bloodshot, her wings were ruffled, and her mane was sticking out. “No,” she said. “No?” I repeated. “No, don’t be sorry. It’s not your fault for falling in love, even if it hurt me at first. You didn’t know about my feelings, and that’s not your fault. I just want you and Starlight to be happy. It’ll take me a while, but I promise to find a way to be alright with this. One way or another, I will be okay.” I shook my head. “No, I won’t stand for that. You’re my best friend. I’m know you. I’m not gonna let you sulk in here forever.” “It won’t be forever. And why? Why do you care that much? You love Starlight, don’t you?” Twilight said, pointing a hoof up at my chest. I sighed. “Yes, I do-“ “Then go be with her. She’s lucky to have you...any mare would be,” Twilight cut off. “But I....I love you too. You’ve always been there for me, I’ve always been able to come to you, and...I didn’t realize how much you really meant to me until very recently,” I finished quietly. “But you obviously love Starlight more. If that weren’t true, you wouldn’t be with her,” Twilight countered. “If that were true, I wouldn’t still be here, would I?” Twilight was silent for a moment. “You fell in love with Starlight first. That’s what matters most. I’ll be fine. Just go to her. I’ll be okay.” I stood up. “No, you won’t! Look at yourself, Twilight! When was the last time you actually talked with someone? When was the last time you came out of your room? When was the last time you even ate anything? You’re eyes are all red, you’re mane is sticking out, and no offense, but you stink!” I said with anger. Twilight looked down. She was dumbstruck. “I-I don’t know what to say.“ I took a deep breath. “Just...let me finish. I don’t know how all of this will end, but I don’t you think about that. Take care of yourself. Have something to eat, read a book, and seriously, take a shower. In the meantime, let me worry about all of this. I will figure this out. I don’t know how long it’ll take me, or even how I’ll do it...but I’ll find a way where no one gets hurt. I promise.” I could hear her starting to cry again. “Twilight, I’m sorry-“ She looked up at me with a teary smile, much to my surprise. “You’re a good friend. You know that?” “Really?” “Of course. That was exactly what I needed to hear. Thank you,” she said. I leaned down and wrapped my arms around her. In return, she wrapped her hooves and wings around me. “Don’t mention it.”