Twilight paced back and forth on the floor of the lobby, frantically writing notes upon notes upon notes upon notes with several quills on several sheets of parchment that all floated around her.
How could Twilight let Rarity fix things with Spike? She didn’t know Spike that well, and more importantly, this was Twilight’s mistake, she’s the one who needed to fix it! But she had no idea how to fix it!
There just wasn’t enough time in the day for everyone Twilight wanted to spend time with, and heaven forbid she meet even more amazing ponies she wants to talk to! Applejack and Pinkie Pie were coming to the library tomorrow, what if Twilight hit it off really well with them? Then that’d be five ponies Twilight would want to talk to and be with all the time, plus take time for herself!
The only thing she could think to do was scratch down some makeshift schedules, but she didn’t know any of the others’ routines, and they probably weren’t half as organized as Twilight anyway so could their routines even be counted on not to fluctuate? There were just too many variables to consider!
The important thing to note though was that Twilight definitely was not freaking out!
“Twilight!”
All of Twilight’s pens and papers fell to the floor as she turned to see Spike calling to her as he ran to her from the stairwell, arms open. Twilight rushed to him and picked him up into a hug, holding him tightly to her as his tiny arms tried to wrap all the way around her.
“I’m sorry, Spike,” Twilight said, trying to stifle her tears, “for making you feel like you weren’t important to me.”
“I’m sorry for making you freak out,” Spike replied, puffing up his cheeks to try and look brave even as tears rolled down his face.
“You should never have to apologize to me, Spike,” Twilight pressed her forehead against Spike’s. “And I’m sorry for th—”
“I think there’s been quite enough apologies today,” Rarity chimed in as she leaned against the reception desk, “wouldn’t you agree, dear?”
Twilight looked at Rarity, then back at Spike who nodded with a bright smile on his face. Twilight turned back to Rarity and nodded, both in confirmation and in deep appreciation of what Rarity had done for her.
“I never meant to make you feel like you were losing me, Spike,” Twilight said as she put her son back on the ground, crouching down to meet his eye level. “And if you’ll let me, I think I know how to make things right.”
Spike’s eyes glanced over at the assorted quills and parchments scattered across the floor and grimaced.
“I sure hope your plan wasn’t to relentlessly schedule every second of your day to make everyone happy,” Spike said drolly, crossing his arms and looking up at Twilight with an expression that was far too stern for him to be giving his mother… or at least it would’ve been, if he wasn’t right. Which he wasn’t!
“N-no!” Twilight stood up tall and teleported the parchments and such away, coughing into her hand and hoping no one could see her blush, which only got brighter as Rarity and Spike giggled at her reaction.
“See? I told’ja,” Spike pointed at Twilight while giving a snide grin to Rarity.
“Never doubted you for a second, darling,” Rarity replied with a grand smile that almost made Twilight forget her embarrassment. “Nopony knows her better than you, after all.”
“That’s right!” Spike said proudly, puffing up his chest.
“Hey, you don’t know everything about me!” Twilight said indignantly, crossing her arms and puffing up her cheeks.
“So,” Rarity said as she walked over to Twilight and Spike, gently placing her fingers upon the former’s shoulder, “you weren’t planning on making ridiculously detailed schedules for every waking moment of your life to make sure that everypony got to spend an equal amount of time with you?”
“Nooo…” Twilight whined. Rarity arched an eyebrow, that same winning smile still on her face, and Spike choked back a laugh. Twilight sighed and hung her head. “I couldn’t fit everybody in.”
“Of course you couldn’t, darling,” Rarity brushed back Twilight’s bangs as Twilight rose her head to look at Rarity, who was looking really pretty this morning. Her makeup was a little uneven though, around her eyes; wait, had she been crying? “Have you ever stopped to consider what you want, Twilight?”
“Eh?” Twilight quacked.
“That’d be a ‘no’,” Spike said casually.
“What I want,” Twilight said confidently, “is for you and Spike to be happy. Rainbow too, and even Pinkie Pie and Applejack when they come over.”
“Yes, but what about you, Twilight?” Rarity placed her hand on Twilight’s cheek and caressed her face with her thumb, and Twilight did her best not to purr in contentment. “What do you want for your life?”
“I want—”
Twilight hadn’t considered that before.
“Umm…”
She hadn’t taken the time to think about what ‘she’ wanted, because her first priority was Spike, and then she started prioritizing the visitors of the library, because they came to her and it wouldn’t be right to put her own wants above theirs, they were her guests!
And also, she didn’t want them to leave her.
“I enjoy our late nights,” Twilight said to Rarity, choking the words out through a smothering web of anxiety, “but I also really enjoy our early mornings,” Twilight looked toward Spike, who nodded his approval and that made Twilight smile. “But I don’t know how to keep doing both.”
“You could close the library a tad earlier,” Rarity suggested.
“But then ponies who want to visit might be disappointed,” Twilight immediately shot back.
“We could open up a little bit later instead?” Spike added.
“But—”
“Or we could close up early a couple days a week?” Spike said.
“Weekends perhaps?” Rarity said.
“Eh, umm—” Twilight backed away from Rarity and Spike and bit down on her thumbnail, tugging on her hair with her other hand.
“We don’t have to decide anything right now, Twilight,” Rarity grabbed hold of Twilight’s hands and lowered them in front of her, squeezing them softly, and Twilight bit her lip to keep from squeaking in delight. “There may be some growing pains, but I think the three of us can work together to find a balance that works for all of us, so we can all get what we need from these burgeoning relationships.”
“That’s right!” Spike said cheerfully. “And maybe we could even have some of those conversations over ice cream!”
“I—” Twilight smiled at Spike and the big goofy grin he sported—that he always sported when he talked about ice cream—and then looked at Rarity and the much more reserved, but still calming and beautiful, smile that Rarity wore as she lifted her hand to brush Twilight’s bangs again.
“I’d really like that,” Twilight gave a weary smile, and for the first time today—for the first time since she could even remember—she felt for just one moment that she could breathe easily.