The days flew by until the anticipated second date with Maestro. In the afternoon before, Twilight was questioning the implications this event. Why’d he single out her and Trixie for a second go? Sure, Trixie was likely more his type; at least according to Twilight. But herself? What could possibly draw him to her a second time? She had some hypotheses, but none made much sense to her. Could he be still weighing his options between them? Possibly, but Twilight still thought he’d ultimately go for Trixie. That thought deflated her mood slightly, but she decided to not dwell much. After all, there was still something that she could feasibly do about his ultimate decision.
Regardless of what Maestro’s reason was, Twilight couldn’t worry about it forever. Tonight, it would all become at least more clear. So she instead tried to focus on other matters, such as stopping the changelings at her brother’s wedding. She knew that his invitation should be arriving soon, but wasn’t exactly sure when it would. The question was, how were they supposed to stop Chrysalis’ escape without inviting any undue attention? Sure, preventing the Tantabus altogether was one thing, and lessening the chance of Discord siding with Tirek when he escaped was another. But Chrysalis played a key part in the return of Grogar in the future. Was it foolish to try and change that? She’d have to ask Maestro’s opinion on that front.
She gave a sigh. Even when she tried to think on other matters, it always came back to him. She didn’t quite fully understand why this time was different. Was she falling for him because he decided to bring her into the knowledge of the cycles? Because she knew that she hadn’t thought of him much at all last time. It also only really kicked off when she saw him on that particular night when he was in his Gala suit in the moonlight. It was the first time that she had seen him like that, and she remembered that it was like she was seeing him for the first time. It wasn’t exactly fair. He kept his reactions close to his chest, aside from the basic complements. But he could practically read her like a book, because he’d been around her before he decided to bring her along.
She was brought out of her musings when she heard a knock at the door. She looked out the window, and it was already dark. Had she really zoned out that much so that the afternoon had just passed her by? She was hardly ready to go out now, but she hung her head with a sigh. She headed to the door and opened it, revealing Maestro. He was dressed casually, so Twilight inwardly sighed with relief. “Maestro! So, where are we off to?”
He gave a sly smirk, and jerked his head. “Come and see.”
Curiosity compelled her, as her excitement grew. She followed him through the town, until they reached Whitetail Woods. She looked around. “Is this where? No offense, but I’ve seen Whitetail before.”
He chuckled and shook his head. “Not like this, you haven’t.” He lit his horn, and then Twilight gasped as the area changed. Strewn elegantly across the branches of the trees in the clearing were small lights that glowed subtly in a variety of colors, giving the Whitetail Woods a more enchanting look. At Twilight’s wide eyes, Maestro’s smirk grew. “Do you like what I’ve done with the place? I made them myself.”
Twilight caught her breath as she looked towards Maestro. “This is incredible! But why go to all this effort?”
He gave a sigh, and looked away. "Listen… before this goes any further, I have to clear something up.” Twilight gave a confused look, and motioned for him to continue. “Twilight, I... haven't exactly told you everything. I’ve had my reasons, mostly because the memories are painful and that a pony rightfully shouldn't have this much knowledge crammed into their head. But... You deserve more than I've given you so far."
He paused, and braced himself for what he was about to say as he raised the silence field. “I haven’t told you the full truth about the cycles. I’ve omitted quite a bit, due to what I’ve mentioned before. But… I’ve decided to let you in on the truth.” He looked at her, eyes full of sorrow. “I’m sorry. For what it’s worth… I’m sorry.” He looked away as her confusion brimmed, then he explained. “The truth is, We’ve… done this all before. Not in the sense that you know, but in another. This is my sixth attempt to bring somebody else into awareness of the cycles.”
Twilight stepped back, shocked. “Wait, didn’t you say that you could only bring one? Did you lie to me?”
He shook his head. “I didn’t. I just failed to mention that you weren’t the first that I tried to bring in. It was after trying and failing with all five of our friends that I finally settled on you- my best shot. I’m… sorry. I know that you must hate me now, but please, understand. I had to be sure. We’ve gotten further this time than the other attempts, and with astronomically better results. But it’s not about just that anymore.”
Twilight had to calm herself down a bit. He had failed to mention that detail, but he had his reasons. She still had questions, though. “Why? Why now, of all times? Was I just a tool for you then, from the start?”
Maestro shook his head. “No. You always have been my friend. I had to try the others first, to see if it worked, but you were my last resort. I didn’t want you hurt by this mess, but I had no choice in the end. So here you are, by my side. As for why I’m telling you now…” He turned to face her. “I felt that if this were to continue, you deserved that much. You’re special, Twilight. I care about you more than virtually anyone else.”
Twilight was a bit stunned. Did this mean what she thought it meant? She decided to ask. “What are you saying? That.. you’ve chosen me?”
Maestro blinked, then chuckled. “Yeah. Let’s go steady.”
Twilight fainted, and Maestro ran to catch her. He shook his head. “Guess it was a bit much, huh? Ah, well. Let’s get you home.” He then carried her back to her house, and made sure she was secured in her bed before he left her a note and teleported away.