Rarity had never seen it coming. Then again, neither had Twilight. Not until those three words slipped between her lips. Here, alone with the ivory mare, she was deaf to all but the pounding in her chest, which may as well have been fireworks going off just above her head. Her eyes were locked on the ground. Had she just made a huge mistake? Had she just ruined their friendship with her careless outburst? She was too afraid to look Rarity in the eye. She was too afraid to feel the sting of rejection.
It didn’t come. Instead, she felt the warmth of Raritys’ body press against her, as she was enveloped in those delicate white hooves that had spent so many hours working on designs only a unicorn as talented as she could imagine. This wasn’t how she’d expected this night to go at all. What was meant to be a harmless slumber party had taken an abrupt turn in a mere matter of seconds. She was scared, there was no hiding it. What would happen next? Would she hear those words back? Would she be assured that all of her fears were merely illusions with no real threat? Perhaps it didn’t matter what happened. All that mattered was now. Now, she was leaning into the gorgeous ivory mare, burying her muzzle in Raritys’ violet curls.
“Rari-“
“Shh. Hush, dear.”
This was all she said. She leaned down, pressing her lips to Twilights’ as their horns touched, a faint spark erupting between them. Twilight was no expert on love. But was this it? This magical feeling, as if everything bad in the world were a mere dream, and this mare was here to make it all go away? All she could think of was how badly she wanted this golden moment to last forever. To be trapped in Raritys’ embrace with no hope of escape. It seemed a much better fate than whatever else the world could possibly offer her.
Twilight returned the kiss, melting into her best friends hooves. It reminded her much of when she was a filly. When she’d wake up in the middle of the night from a nightmare, she had one pony that would always be there to hold her, to make her feel safe. Shining Armor was miles away, asleep with the love of his life right now. Instead, Twilight had the embrace of a creature more magnificent than even the graceful phoenix. And to her, that was worth twenty Shining Armors.
The rain outside pattered against the window panes of the treebrary. It seemed as if nature itself were serenading the two mares, who were happily staring into each others eyes. What would the others think? Twilight could only imagine the look on Pinkie Pies face. It was only a matter of time before she threw a party, and all of Ponyville would know. Oddly, this didn’t seem to bother her one bit. Let the world know that she loved Rarity. It was nothing to be ashamed of. She’d give anything for this mare, and she wasn’t going to let the opinions of others ruin it for her.
Perhaps she was getting ahead of herself. Rarity had barely said two words to her. What if, come morning, this would all be seen as delusion? Would things go back to normal between the two of them? It was doubtful. The seed had been planted, and there was no going back. She didn’t care. Her love for Rarity would shine, even if it were unrequited. Her only regret was Spike.
How would he take it? To know that his best friend was in love with the very pony he loved? She couldn’t help but feel horrible deep down. But it didn’t matter. If he were a true friend, he’d understand…right?
“Twilight?” Rarity asked, pulling the younger mare closer. “How long have you known?”
How long had she known? The thought had never crossed her mind until just minutes ago. Or had it? Perhaps it had began quite some time ago, when an occasional light touch would send a cold shiver down her spine. She could vaguely remember their first meeting, when Twilight had first come to Ponyville. At the time, she’d merely thought of it as a cold chill. But had this been decided from the start? Had she known all along that one day she’d be cuddling with Rarity?
“I guess I’ve known for a while…” She gave her friend a sheepish grin, which was returned. This was another thing that always made her shiver with delight. That luminescent, perfect smile. How anypony could be unfazed by such a dazzling smile was beyond her. It was all that she could do to stop herself from reaching up and kissing Rarity.
She didn’t have to, as Rarity bridged the gap between them, connecting their lips once more. Again, she could feel her heart beat as fireworks roared in her ears. This was beyond any magic she’d experienced before. And she craved more.
The hours passed as the two lay in silence, locked in each others embrace, neither willing to let go. Twilight couldn’t suppress a small yawn, which was met with an adoring look from the deep blue eyes that now ensnared her.
“Did I ever tell you that you make the most adorable noises?” Rarity nuzzled Twilight softly, who was now blushing furiously.
As the rain died down, Twilight found herself having difficulty keeping her eyes open. The soft rhythm was hypnotic, and as comfortable as she was, she was willing to bet that this would be the best night of sleep she’d had in years. She snuggled closer to Rarity, listening to her heartbeat. It seemed as if it were in rhythm with her own, and she couldn’t help but smile. This was it. This was the happiness that she’d sought for her entire life. Who knew friendship could be so magical?
Finally, she drifted off into a sound sleep, confident that when she’d awaken, she’d still be held by the mare she adored most. Rarity stroked her mane softly, giving her horn the slightest kiss.
“I love you too.”