Twilight readjusted the plate for what seemed like the millionth time that evening, making sure that the pattern around the edge aligned with that of its counterpart on the opposite side of the table. Her tongue poked out of her mouth as she manoeuvred the crockery a touch this way, a smidge that way, until – finally – she seemed happy with its position and relinquished her aura's hold on it. She let out a small sigh of satisfaction, and then proceeded to repeat the entire process with the cutlery.
As she made sure the prongs of the fork were perpendicular to the pattern on the tablecloth, she thought about the reason she was doing this — a reason which had four legs, wings, a loyal and dependable nature, and wonderful rainbow-coloured hair.
She had always kept her feelings for Rainbow Dash a secret, but the time had come to finally get everything out in the open. Giddy with excitement, Twilight began making sure the cider tankards were parallel to the salad bowl as she thought about the events which had led to her preparing for a very important evening.
***
What had started out as a sunny morning had changed over time to become grey and cloudy, as the Ponyville weather team positioned several ominous-looking clouds over the town. Twilight watched them working for a moment, then turned her attention to the podium where Rainbow Dash stood, addressing the small crowd of townsponies who had gathered, although most of them were only there because a podium had been set up.
"As you know, Ponyville has been enjoying constant sunshine for a whole week," Rainbow Dash said. "However, as awesome as that is, our farmers can't exactly grow food without water. So, to make up for that, we're setting up a small storm to provide the water needed to keep the crops alive. It'll last throughout the night, and – heads up – there will be lightning, so you might wanna take care."
A few of the ponies in the crowd swallowed nervously at the mention of lightning, but Twilight was only focused on watching Dash. She sighed wistfully as the pegasus continued speaking, marvelling at the way she kept the audience's attention and addressed them in her usual confident manner. It was this mix of confidence and respect that had drawn Twilight to her in the first place; that, and her sparkling magenta eyes.
"So, in closing: we're sorry to do this, but you've gotta admit that getting wet is a heck of a lot better than starving, right?" Dash asked, to which the crowd nodded. "Right." She opened her wings and hovered a little. "The storm starts at nine this evening, so make sure you get everything you need done before then; if you have any questions, please direct them to the Weather Office."
The crowd nodded and parted ways, with a few ponies mumbling to themselves about stocking up on snacks and hot chocolate to get them through the night ahead. As Twilight turned to leave, Rainbow Dash called out to her; she stopped, allowing the pegasus to drop down in front and strike a pose, as was her forte.
"Hey, Twi, I'm glad I caught you," she said. "Listen, I need to talk to you about something important, but I need to do it before the storm starts; mind if I come by your place later?"
Twilight's heart skipped a beat. "Why not talk about it now?" she asked. "If it's as important as you say, it would surely be best to get it out of the way as soon as possible, right?"
"Nah, I can't." Dash shook her head. "I need to bring something with me, but it's not ready yet; I'm picking it up soon, and I'll bring it round with me when I come see you."
Oh, sweet Celestia, Twilight thought. She wants to talk to me about 'something important,' but she also needs to get something first? Could... could it be that she feels for me the same way I do about her, and that she's picking up a gift? She scrunched her face up. Wait, do I need to get her a gift as well? Her eyes widened. Oh no!
Dash chuckled at the look on Twilight's face. "You're still a laugh, Twilight Sparkle," she said. "Anyway, I've gotta go and get this thing I mentioned, so I'll see you at, say... eight?"
Twilight nodded eagerly. "Yes!" she half-shouted. "Eight o' clock this evening would be perfect!" She started slowly walking backwards. "You get what you need and I'll... I'll go and finish clearing up!"
"Sure thing, Twi." Dash shot off like a rocket, her rainbow trail fading as she called back over her shoulder, "I'll see you at eight!"
As soon as she was out of sight, Twilight's slow walking turned into a frantic gallop back home, a checklist of preparations already being checked and double checked in her mind.
***
Upon hearing the knocking on her door, Twilight looked up from her meticulous positioning of the candles – which were standing exactly fifteen point five inches away from each end of the table – and glanced at the clock, which told her it was dead on eight. She smoothed her frazzled mane down with a forehoof then crossed over to the door, lighting the candles as she went.
She opened the door to reveal – as expected – Rainbow Dash, who was carrying a small satchel which bulged under the weight of its contents. Twilight smiled and stepped aside to let her in; Rainbow put the bag down on the couch and cleared her throat.
"Hey, Twi, thanks for letting me come here at such short notice," she said. "I'm gonna get right to the point, I need to— hey, wait a minute, is that cider I can see on the table?"
"Mm-hmm." Twilight nodded. "I've been saving it for a special occasion, and... well, I think tonight qualifies as one of those."
Dash thought for a moment. "I'd better make this quick then," she said. "I don't want to interrupt your date any more than I already have." She opened the bag she'd brought. "Anyway, the reason—"
"But, Rainbow Dash..." Twilight waved a forehoof across the room, showing off the table and the food. "All of this is for you."
Rainbow looked perplexed. "Me?" she asked. "Um, as much as I appreciate a good meal, I have to ask... why?"
"Because..." Twilight sighed. "Because this is my way of trying to tell you that I have a crush on you." Her horn lit up, and a small box floated across the room. "I read that pegasi present somepony they love with one of their feathers; since I don't have those, I've decided to present you with this instead."
She presented the box to Rainbow Dash, who stood rooted to the spot; after some trepidation, she took it from the air and opened it to reveal a necklace containing a lock of Twilight's mane.
"Twilight, I..." Rainbow's eyes filled with tears. "Why? Why do you feel this way for me, and why did you never tell me before?"
Twilight giggled. "Because, Rainbow, since the day I first set hoof in Ponyville, you have proven yourself to be as loyal, dependable, strong and – of course – awesome as you were when we met. I know I can always rely on you; no matter what, you will go out of your way to help your friends." She blushed. "As for why I never told you... well, since I've never felt this way about anypony before, I had to do some research to find out how to go about telling you."
Dash chuckled. "Typical Twilight," she said. "I really like that about you; you always think about everything, and bend over backwards to ensure that you do things properly." She looked around the room. "And I gotta say, you've done this perfectly... I'm just sorry that I never told you how I felt before." She opened one of her wings and gave Twilight a tender look. "But I can show you."
Twilight beamed from ear to ear as Rainbow Dash gently plucked out a feather; holding it gently between her teeth, she walked over to Twilight and gingerly slipped the feather into her mane.
"Oh, Rainbow..." Twilight's eyes filled with tears. "I-I love you."
Now it was Rainbow's turn to blush. "I love you too, Twi," she said. "The reason I never said anything before was because, well... you know what I'm like when it comes to this sort of thing. Maybe I should have read some of Rarity's trashy romance novels, huh?"
Twilight giggled. "Neither of us is a rich and well-endowed stallion, though," she replied. "So it wouldn't be very accurate."
Rainbow Dash wrapped a wing around Twilight, and the two of them snuggled into each other. "Yeah, that's true..." she paused for a moment, and then gasped. "Oh, shoot, I forgot why I came here!"
Twilight let out a small whine as Rainbow pulled herself away from their embrace and went over to the bag she'd brought, which still sat half-open on the couch. She opened it and reached inside, eventually bringing out a lightning rod. Twilight looked at her with a blank expression, at which she chuckled.
"The 'something important' was to tell you that the lighting rod on top of this library was very old and needed replaced; the 'thing I needed to get' was, as you can see, this new one."
Twilight thought for a moment, then laughed heartily. "Oh, wow," she said. "Yeah, I guess that is rather important!"
Dash put the rod down and went back over to Twilight; after looking into her eyes for a moment, she leaned in and planted a small kiss on her lips, a gesture Twilight returned as a single tear made its way down her face and fell to the floor.
As they separated, Rainbow placed a forehoof on Twilight's cheek. "It is important," she said. "But, honestly, I think I've found something – or rather, I've found somepony – who is more important." Twilight moved in to nuzzle her, only for Dash to move backwards. "Seriously, though, I need to get this thing installed; you dish out the food, and I'll be right back."
She picked up the rod and left, leaving Twilight free to let out a squeal of glee that everything had turned out perfectly.