Aria’s P.O.V.
Several days have passed since my last date with Twilight. I’ve spent most of my free time reading when I can. Twilight is so smart, and I feel like I’m too stupid to be around her most of the time. When I was reading the descriptions at the museum on our last date, I found there was a lot I didn’t understand. Not to mention that Twilight is always using words I also didn’t understand. I could usually keep up with her, but sometimes I wish I was smarter so I could talk with her more about the things she liked.
So, I started my own personalized training. I would spend long hours at the library, reading until my eyes got sore. I even bought fake glasses from a costume shop because I felt like imitating my little cub. One day, when I returned home after a very long reading session, Adagio received me at the living room.
She was working on another one of her fancy dress sketches when I walked in. She eyed me as I walked by, still holding that sketchbook in her hands as I passed.
“My, you sure spend a lot of time reading these days.” She said, from the couch.
“No more than I usually do.” I said, while I walked into the kitchen to serve myself a glass of orange juice. Adagio followed me and stood by the kitchen’s door.
“Twilight’s used to it Aria, and she understands what she’s reading. You just started reading a few weeks ago. Do you even understand half of what you read, and why in heaven's name are you still wearing those silly things?” She pointed at my fake glasses.
“Hey! I can’t stay this way forever! The more I read the smarter I become, advanced books means advanced words!” I said, before taking a sip of my juice. “Sometimes I’m reading the same line over and over, but I think it’s worth it. Oh, and smart people use glasses, so I’m going to keep using them.”
My sister facepalmed groaning. “You’re pushing yourself too hard. You’re fine with what you usually read.”
“It’s not enough!” I glared at my sister. “I need to learn more! Today, I learned the word ‘Contentment’! I would probably have taken me years to learn otherwise!“
My sister sighed. “Why do you even want to know that word? How would you use it on a daily basis?”
I was at a loss for words. I never gave much thought on how I’d use the word. I just wanted to learn it so I could sound smarter.
“I don’t know. I haven’t started to think about how to fit them in phrases.” I admitted looking away from my sister.
My sister facepalmed again, this time with enough force I heard her hand hitting her head. You’re a brainless idiot, you’re all brute force. The words rang true in my head again and again, a sore reminder of what I went through, though I knew my sister didn’t have ill will towards me, it still upset me to hear those words inside my head.
“Aria… I have said it before, and I’ll say it again.” She looked at me with a serious expression. “Twilight is already crazy about you. You don’t need to do this. All she wants is for you to be nicer to her friends. She doesn’t want you to be a brainiac. She wants you to be you. Tell me, what word was it you said you learned the other day?”
“Umm…” I tried to focus on what I read yesterday, but Adagio interrupted me before I could even remember what it was.
“See what I mean?” Adagio placed her hands on her hips, she leaned forward into my face. “If you keep this up, you’ll forget the words you already know. You’ll never learn anything at this rate either.”
She walked up to me and placed her hands on my shoulders. She looked at me directly in the eyes, and I felt compelled to look my sister so close and all I could see was concern in her eyes.
“I want you to learn one word today, retain. You always try to learn new words, new ideas, new concepts. Not everything is like astronomy. You gained a passion for it so it's easier for you to retain. You can learn as long as you do it right, Aria, heck you teaching yourself basic astronomy shows growth and its good, but if you keep forcing yourself to learn something new every single day, you'll never learn anything-”
“You’re exaggerating.” I interrupted with a hint of sass before pushing away and walking out of the kitchen.
“Where are you going?” My sister asked, following me to the threshold of the kitchen.
“To my room to read! What do you think?!” I yelled as I put my glasses back on.
“Did you even hear what I just said!?” She reached out to grab hold of me. “Aria, please I’m trying to help you-”
“I don’t want your help! I can do this on my own!” I looked back to yell at Adagio, but then when I looked ahead again, I saw the wall right in front of me. The next thing I knew, I felt an intense pain as I walked right into it smashing my nose between me and the wall.
“Damn it!” I exclaimed as I massaged my aching nose.
“Wooooow, you really should watch where you’re going, Aria.” I heard Sonata say beside me.
I turned around to find her near me, with her usual goofy smile that made my blood boil. I really wanted to punch her right now. “I watched you go straight into the wall! Why did you do that?” She said, giggling like an idiot.
Now my temper had reached the breaking point. Between Adagio’s harassment and now Sonata’s idiocy I was reaching my limit. I stepped forward pushing my face into hers pointing at her angrily. “You mean that you knew that I was going to walk into the wall and you didn’t stop me?!”
“Uhh…” Sonata lost her smile, stepping back as I moved with her to keep her in arms reach. She then gasped when I groaned in frustration and bolted in the opposite direction. I ran after her, but she escaped my grasp and ran into her room, locking herself in. I started to pound on her door. Not too strong though since Adagio won’t be happy if I break it, even though it would have been easy to rip it off its hinges.
“Sonata, open the door!” Even though I’m trying to be nicer to her, sometimes she still gets on my nerves!
“No!” My little sister cried from the other side.
“Sonata open this door or I swear, I’ll punch you in the face next time I see you!”
I kept pounding on the door until I felt Adagio grabbing my arm. I turned my head to see Adagio glaring down at me. The moment I saw her, she reached out and grabbed me by my ear and lifted it. She pulled me away from the door and with my ear hostage, I had no choice but to follow her hands lead.
“Ouch, ouch, ouch! Adagio what the heck!?” I cried while trying to free my sensitive ear.
“Now, Aria, that’s not a nice way to talk to your little sister-”
Sonata’s door opened and my younger sister popped out her head, grinning. “Thank you, Dagi! She-” As quick as lightning Adagio grabbed Sonata by her ear dragging her out of her room too.
“Ouch, ouch, ouch! What did I dooooo!?” Sonata cried in pain as well when Adagio squeezed her ear.
“And you, missy, should have warned Aria instead of staring as if it was a joke. She could have injured herself. You two are destroying the harmony in this house, and I will not tolerate it.” She lectured us in her motherly tone, calm soothing, but dominating and intimidating all the same.
“I’m sorry, Dagi! Please, let me go! I won’t do it again I promise!” Sonata pleaded, trying to get Adagio to release her.
“Yeah, let us go!” I didn’t enjoy begging, but the pain in my ear was almost unbearable. Adagio released us, but she kept glaring at us with an angry frown.
“Don’t apologize to me. Apologize to each other.” Our sister commanded.
I let her know my unhappiness with a groan and I barely made eye contact with Sonata while crossing my arms and looking away with an angry glare.
“I-I’m s-sorry…” I said as I rubbed my ear.
“Sonata…” Adagio focused her eyes on our younger sister.
The little guppy flinched but stepped closer to me rubbing her arm. “I’m sorry, Aria. I thought you would turn around sooner. I don’t want you to get hurt.”
“Good.” Adagio smiled. “Now, a hug.”
“What?!” I glared at my older sister. “No way, I’m still mad-!”
Adagio groaned and pulled both Sonata and I together. I reluctantly obeyed while Sonata didn’t hesitate. “Very good. See? Friendship is Magic.” Adagio smiled again. I couldn’t believe she just said that… “Now, no more fights. I need to concentrate on this new design. Shoo, shoo!”
Both Sonata and I nodded. My little sister walked back into her room and I turned around, intending to walk into mine and catch up on some reading, but Adagio cleared her throat. “Hold on a moment, Aria.”
I sighed, stomping the ground with impatience and turned my head just enough to make eye contact with her. “What?”
Adagio sighed, walking next to me to hug me. I heard her sigh as she petted the back of my head while I stood stunned. “D-Dagio? H-Hey what gives?” I asked shaken by the sudden show of affection.
She pulled me away holding me by the shoulders with a worried look in her eyes.
“Aria, you know I just want to help you be happy right?” She asked very softly to me. I nodded in return and she smiled rubbing my shoulders with her hands. “Good, I don’t want you to think I’m against you. If anything, I am amazed you are eager to learn, just try to take it easy okay? You can’t learn everything overnight. That’s what schools are for.”
I nodded, feeling slightly foolish for my behavior. I should have known better, Adagio wasn’t my old pack leader. No, she was a real leader. Someone who cared about me and Sonata. I know that even if we weren’t sisters she’d still care for us, if her friendship with the Rainbooms was an indication, so why did I get so offended by what she told me? It seemed so insignificant now I don’t know why I got mad.
I looked back at her lowering my head in shame, but her hand guided my gaze to meet hers. She smiled at me and that made me feel better. I hugged her without thinking. All I could hear was her gasp and then she embraced me back.
“You’ll do fine, Aria. Just be yourself and Twilight will love you for that.” She said patting my back.
“Thanks Adagio, I’ll remember that next time.” I said, rubbing her back.
My sister and I separated and both of us looked away awkwardly before she cleared her throat.
“So, about Twilight,” She started to say, crossed her arms before speaking onward. “It’s been quite a while since you last saw each other. When are you going to see her again?”
I turned the rest of my body around to face Adagio. “I still don’t know where to take her. We encountered her annoying pink friend two times in a row now. I don’t want that to happen again.”
She sighed patting my shoulder. Adagio had a weird look on her face, somewhere between frustrated or annoyed. “Well, think fast. Are you forgetting what happens in three days?”
I raised an eyebrow, confused. “What am I forgetting? It’s just another Monday in three days, right?”
Adagio groaned impatiently and massaged her forehead with her hand. “I don’t believe you, Aria,” She sounded disappointed looking at me. “Spring Break comes to an end next Monday. Twilight’s going back to school, which will limit her free time.”
My eyes widened in shock. “What?!” How could I forget?! I should have written it in my calendar! Wait a moment. I don’t have a calendar! “Why didn’t you say something sooner?!”
“I’m not the one dating her.” Adagio frowned. “Aria, you have to take this seriously. Girlfriend or not, this is important. If you lost interest in doing it, just tell her instead of-”
“I haven’t lost interest. I just forgot, okay?!” I placed both of my hands on my head in frustration. “I-I’m going to call her now.” I started to head into my room.
“Where will you take her?” My sister asked.
“I don’t know, I’ll improvise!” I replied without turning back. “It worked fine the first time! Mostly…” I entered my room and closed the door behind me before quickly grabbing my phone. I dialed Twilight’s number and waited… and waited… and waited…
“Hello, Aria!” I smiled the moment she answered, as it has been usual lately. “Sorry for not answering fast. I’m with some volatile chemicals in my lab.”
“It’s fine. I don’t want to be the reason of any potential explosion.”
She giggled, making my smile wider. “How are you, Aria? I haven’t heard from you in a while.”
“Yeah, about that…” I sighed. “Sorry. I was trying to think where to go on our next date and I forgot that you go back to school next Monday. Adagio just told me.”
“Yes. I’m already busy.” There was a short pause. I heard the sound of a chair, so I think that she sat down. “I’m organizing my school supplies, and I have also been doing some favors to my friends. In just an hour, I’m meeting with Rainbow Dash to help her with something.”
“Oh…” I dropped on my bed. “So… you’re completely busy this weekend?”
“I’m afraid so…” I felt as if my insides sank. Oh, no. Why did I take so long?! I really am too stupid to be around her. I laid on my bed, hitting my forehead with the palm of my hand. Then... Twilight spoke again. “Unless…” My eyes shut open and I listened to her words closely. “If I talk to my friends and reorganize my schedule now, I think I can make some room on Sunday.”
“Really?” I sat up on my bed again.
“Yes.” Twilight continued. “I’ll make sure to organize my stuff before Sunday, and maybe I can help some of my friends earlier or the days before. Aria, do you mind if I hang up so I can call my friends? I’ll call you back.”
“Sure thing, cub. Do what you have to do.”
“Thank you!” She sounded excited, which made me happy. “I won’t take long. Stay close to your phone.”
“I will. Bye.”
“Talk to you really soon!” With that excitement, she hung up the phone and I felt slightly more relaxed. I chuckled and shook my head before laying on my bed putting my phone on my chest so I could answer quickly. I tried to think of where I could take her and jotted down a few ideas. After a few minutes of waiting I downloaded some apps on my phone, so I played with them to kill time.
I think thirty minutes had passed when Twilight called me. I didn’t let the ringing last long. I was as impatient as her. “Hello again, Sparks. Do you have good news?”
“I sure do!” She didn’t lose her good mood. “I talked to my friends. After I explained to them the situation, they all agreed to help us!”
“What do you mean?” I sat on the bed, starting to get worried.
“I had my whole weekend busy, but when I told them about our date, they agreed to help. I was going to meet with Pinkie, Rarity and Trixie on Sunday. Rainbow offered to help Pinkie instead while Fluttershy helps Rarity. I only have to meet with Trixie and I’ll be free!”
I chuckled. Her excitement was just so amusing. “Wow, look at you little miss schedule girl. But can’t Trixie’s girlfriend help her?”
“I’m afraid not. I accompanied Sunset to buy a Blintendo 3DS and she got hooked. That’s okay, though! We’ll have most of the afternoon for us, Aria.”
“Great!” I jumped off my bed. “Can we meet at 3PM?!”
“Yes we can!” I bet her smile was a wide as mine. “Where?”
“I don’t know!” I knelt and let myself fall to the floor. I sighed and placed the palm of my free hand on my forehead, frustrated. “Sorry, Twilight. I was so focused on setting the date before you went back to school, that I forgot to think of a place.”
“Don’t worry, Aria. We can think of something.” Twilight sounded calm. She tried to ease my frustration, and to be honest, it was working. At least a bit. I really appreciate her for that.
“I have been so busy doing other things, that I-” I stopped talking without a warning, which worried Twilight.
“Aria, what happened? Aria?”
I was busy at the library… We could go there! We both love books, it’s perfect! “Let’s meet at the library!”
“The library?” There was a short pause. “Of course! Why didn’t I think about that before?”
“It’s settled, then?” I asked, grinning.
“Yes, it’s settled!”
“Alright! I can’t wait! I’ll let you return to your chemicals now. I’ll never forgive myself if you blow up your house because of me.”
Twilight giggled. “Don’t worry, Aria, I have everything under control. I know how to handle my science experiments. I always make sure my lab is a safe environment, especially with Spike around.”
“Then… do you think I could join you one day? Maybe be your assistant?”
“Of course! I would be happy to have you help me in my lab.”
“Really? You think I can do it?”
“As long as you follow my instructions, you will be fine.”
“I always listen to what you say.” I smiled but got confused when my friend started to stutter.
“Uh-umm… w-well… y-yeah. I-I have to go. See you on Sunday!”
“See you.” I was barely able to say goodbye when she hung up. I stared at my phone, still dumbfounded. “What was that about?”
I decided to shrug it off. Usually when she behaves like that is because of her strong feelings for me. I wouldn’t be surprised if that’s what happened. I was just glad we were able to come up with something to do in the end. I shook my head, smirking and thinking about how adorable she gets around me. “Oh, Sparks…” I said, before placing my phone on my bed and taking off my fake glasses. “I hope you never change.”
When Sunday arrived, I made sure to not be late. I went to the library with fifteen minutes to spare. I was in the sitting area within the main hall, watching the door, waiting for Twilight to show up. When she finally did, she stood in the middle of the hall, watching the many bookshelves from upstairs. Smirking, I snuck up behind her and placed my hands on her shoulders shaking her. “Hey there, Sparks!”
“Gah!” Startled, my friend gasped and jumped away from me like she was hopping. I chuckled as Twilight turned around, frowning. “Aria, that wasn’t funny!”
“Aww, come on, Twilight. Don’t get mad.” Still frowning, my friend crossed her arms. I approached her, noticing her face getting red as I got closer. She also started to slowly widen her eyes.
“Wh-What are you doing…?”
I smiled deviously, scaring my friend a little bit. She dropped her arms in the surprise. Time to strike. With my index finger, I poked her nose. This got the reaction I was waiting for. Twilight quickly covered her nose with both of her hands, producing a cute sound I couldn’t describe. For some reason, this made me want to hug her, and I did it. She squeaked too! She stood still, surprised. “A-Aria…?”
“I haven’t seen you for a while. Although this could also be an ‘I’m sorry for not calling you earlier’ hug.”
“It’s okay, Aria…” She cooed as she hugged me back, snuggling in the process, which sent a strange feeling to my spine. “We’re here now.” She moved her head so we could meet each other’s eyes. “Let’s make the most of it, yes?”
I couldn’t reply at first. I was taken aback by the way she was looking at me. Eventually, I nodded. I also managed to form a smile.
“O-Okay…” I released her from the hug, but I took her hand right afterwards. When I first took it on our first date, I just did it to please Twilight. After doing it so many times since then, I have grown attached to her hand and now I do it to enjoy the sensation, just like I imagine she does.
“Since I picked the place, you pick the books. Which section shall we head to?”
“Hmm…” Twilight leaned down her head and placed a finger on her chin to think. “Choosing just one section is hard. Although…” She looked at me. “We could try the history section if you still want to know more about the city.”
I grinned. “It’s a start! Take us there.” My friend giggled and we started to walk. I have always stayed on the ground floor when I came here to read. I didn’t even know where the stairs were. Since I didn’t know how far we were, I took the chance to start a conversation. “So, Twilight… what did you do with… uhh… Mitzie?”
“Trixie.” Twilight corrected me, smiling. “She just wanted me to review some scenarios of a board game we played in the sleepover I had not long ago. She’s actually part of a club where they play it, so she wanted to make sure she had good stories. Then she asked me to babysit her dog, Pixie, while she and her mother went to the supermarket. Pixie’s just so cute! When they returned, Trixie commented that she would love to have a playdate with Spike, and-” she stopped and looked at me with worry. “-Oh, sorry, Aria. I hope that I’m not boring you.”
“Oh?” I blinked confusedly before smiling. “No, not at all.”
Although I didn’t really care much for what Trixie was up to, I did enjoy hearing Twilight talk.
“What about your pink friend? You say another of your friends is covering her for you, right?” Twilight nodded. “What did she want?”
“She wanted to bake cookies to share with us tomorrow at lunch, to welcome the return of classes. She and Rainbow Dash will pretty much be busy all afternoon.”
I smirked. “Which means we won’t run into her again.”
Twilight nodded, smiling. “Exactly. All of my friends are busy, so we shouldn’t run into any of them.” My friend said before clinging into my arm and walking closer to me.
I also saw that she closed her eyes and leaned into my shoulder as we walked. “It should just be you and me this time.” There was that strange feeling in my spine again. What was that? Even though I didn’t know what it was, I still enjoyed it.
“Perfect.” Twilight looked at me. She was going to say something else, but then, she yawned. “Are you tired?”
“Yeah, but it’s nothing to worry about.” She smiled again. “I worked overtime these past days in order to make room today to see you.”
“Oh…” I looked away from her, feeling very guilty. “Sorry... again…”
“It’s okay, Aria. I’ll be fine. I wouldn’t miss spending time with you for anything.”
“I-I…” What’s going on with me?! Why can’t I use my words?! “Y-Yeah, me neither…”
Twilight grinned and turned her head around. “We need to climb these stairs.”
I followed her gaze and noticed that the staircase was a long one. I had to admit the building was nice though. “Ah, my nemesis... stairs. we meet again. Alright, time to see if all the walks I made have prepared me for this.”
Twilight giggled. “Come on, let’s go upstairs.” I nodded and followed her lead. Once on the second floor, I could see the sign of the History section.
“Here we are, Aria. Knowledge awaits!” I chuckled at her enthusiasm. She practically dragged me towards one of the tables and had me sit there. “Wait here. I’ll be right back!”
“Don’t you forget about me, cub. Remember that we’re supposed to read together.”
“I know, don’t worry.”
Twilight winked at me before disappearing behind one of the bookshelves. There wasn’t much for me to do while I waited, so I pulled out my phone to mess around a bit with it. A few minutes later, I put away my phone and placed my elbow on the table using my hand to support my head. I tapped the wood with my fingers when something caught my eye, or rather someone. I narrowed my eyes to have a better look of the person. I thought I recognize them, but then the sound of books hitting the table scared me, effectively distracting me from what was I doing.
“Here, I found some good ones!” Twilight said, as she sat down. “I even found an old map of the city, similar to the one we saw at the museum but more detailed. We can now see-”
“Wait, Twilight-” I didn’t really want to interrupt her, but it was important. “Isn’t that…” I pointed in the direction of the person I was now almost sure I knew who it was. “Maud?”
“What?” Twilight turned her head in the direction I was pointing and gasped. “I think you’re right! She’s at the Geology section.”
“Should we… I don’t know, See what she’s doing?”
My friend glanced at me. She was as confused as she was surprised. Truth to be told, I don't know why I was curious. The way Maud speaks is… dull.
“I-I don’t know, she might be doing an investigation for her work. Besides…” She looked at the books she just brought. “Aren’t we in the middle of our… date?”
“You’re probably right, but…” I glanced back at Maud. “I’m really curious.”
Twilight looked at Maud again. She stared at her for a few moments and then looked back at me, smiling. “Alright, let’s talk to her.”
I stood up and placed my hands on her shoulders. “I promise, I’ll make it up to you.”
Twilight giggled, giving me a joking punch to the shoulder. “We have two more trial dates after this one, so you better.”
I chuckled before walking towards Maud, with Twilight behind me. I cleared my throat when I reached her to call for her attention. Pinkie Pie’s sister turned around and spotted us.
“Yes? Do I know you?” She spoke with that monotonous tone of hers.
“Yes.” Twilight replied. “I’m Twilight, and this is Aria. We were in the museum the other day?”
“Oh, yeah, now I remember. You’re Pinkie’s friends.”
“Precisely.” Twilight smiled. “We were wondering what you are doing, if we’re not intruding?”
“You can stay if that’s what you want,” Maud said, as she turned around, allowing us to see the book she was holding. “I’m doing research. A ruby was donated to the museum and we don’t have much information about it.”
“Let me see.” Twilight took the book and accommodated her glasses to read better. I peeked as well. The gems in the book looked all beautiful and pricey. “What are you trying to find, exactly?”
“Something like this.” Maud showed us a photo of the ruby in her cellphone. The ruby had a perfect white rose formed within it. “I’m investigating to see if there’s more rubies like this one or if it’s the only one known.”
“Wow… it’s so beautiful…” My friend commented. I couldn’t admire its beauty, though. The shape the ruby had looked just like the amulets my sisters and I used to have. Twilight looked at me when she noticed me watching the photo so closely. “Aria?”
“It’s form, it’s oddly similar to a gem I used to have.” I frowned and took the cellphone from Maud.
“You used to have a gem?” Twilight asked.
“Yeah.” I glanced at her. “Remember the relic you saw in my room?” Twilight nodded. “That’s what it was, but it’s broken.”
“Broken?” My friend tilted her head, confused. “What happened to it?”
“It’s… a long story.” I looked away from her. I’m sorry, cub… “I’m not ready to talk about it…” I said, before quickly glancing at Maud. “Where did you get this gem from?”
“It was a donation from a Greek woman who visited our museum.” Maud explained. “I didn’t meet her, but my boss told me that she looked rich. Not only is the rose perfect, but it’s also white.”
“And white is bad?” I asked Maud, however, it was Twilight the one to reply.
“Rubies are mostly red. It can also be deep crimson, to lighter shades of pink, they never have other colors.”
“I see.” My eyes went back to the photo in the phone. “Have you found another ruby similar to this one yet?”
Maud shook her head. “No. I have revised many of the books now. If I don’t find anything in this one, I’ll have to look for information somewhere else.”
“Since you’re working, we better don’t bother you anymore then.” Twilight said, as I looked at her. She didn’t look happy. Surely because of what I’m still not ready to tell her. I better follow her lead so I can fix this.
“Yeah, it was nice talking to you.” I said, giving back the phone to Maud.
“Likewise.”
As Maud returned to her research, Twilight and I returned to the table we were before. We sat down next to each other, but in silence. She was avoiding my gaze. She didn’t touch any of the books she brought either. I really hoped I didn’t ruin the date by going to see Maud.
I sighed before speaking. “Twilight, about earlier…”
“No, it’s okay, I understand.” She said, before looking at me, smiling slightly. “I just didn’t know that your broken relic had to do with what you’re not ready to tell me.” My friend took a deep breath before continuing. “It’s just that whatever happened clearly upsets you. I… didn’t mean to remind you of that.”
“Oh, no, Twilight…” I said, reaching both of her hands with mine. “Don’t worry about it. Like you said, you didn’t know.”
My friend squeezed my hands. “You’re not mad?”
I smiled at her. “Why would I be mad? I was the one who didn’t tell you.” I started to stroke her head to calm her. “You did nothing wrong. Okay?”
“Okay…” She still looked sad.
“Come on, cub. Smile. Like this, see?” I smiled, showing her my teeth. “Come on, now, don’t make me boop your nose again.” Twilight giggled softly and then gave me a genuine smile. “Much better.”
I gasped lightly when Twilight hugged me all of a sudden and booped my nose.
“Thank you, Aria.” She whispered. I put my arms around her, holding her closer. I closed my eyes and allowed myself to get lost in the moment. For some reason I felt attracted to the scent of her hair. She smelled nice. Lavander, if I'm not mistaken.
I enjoyed the moment until Twilight looked at me. Having her so close made me feel weird again. In a good way. I felt bad for not telling her about how I tried to brainwash her world, but maybe… maybe I can tell her something else. “Hey, Sparks…”
“Hmm?” Oh, her voice was cute. It made me happy.
“I-I could tell you more about my life in Equestria, if you want.”
Twilight blinked, confused, then widened her eyes. “A-Aria, you don’t have to…”
“I know, but I’m ready to talk about that.” I said, as I broke the hug and rested my hands on the table. “Do you remember when I told you that the equestrian seas were dangerous?” I looked at my friend. She nodded. “Well, sirens were one of the dangers.”
Twilight gasped in shock and covered her mouth with her hands. “Y-You… were?”
I nodded. I hope she doesn’t hate me after this… “We sirens used songs to turn our prey against each other so they would be easier to hunt. We also used the songs as a defense mechanism. If predators came after us in groups, we would sing and escape while they were distracted with each other.”
“Oh, Aria…” She definitely didn’t look happy.
“We did what we had to in order to survive.” I looked away from her, feeling ashamed. “I’m sorry, Twilight. If you want to run away, I won’t stop you…”
Silence. I didn’t hear a thing for several moments and during that silence I felt a heavy weight on my heart. I dreaded what Twilight would say and do next. Just when I'd given up hope, I felt a gentle hand rest on my shoulder. I turned my head and saw that Twilight was right next to me, smiling.
“I’m not afraid of you, Aria. You lived in a dangerous environment and did what you had to do in order to survive. Now that you have a home you don’t need to live looking over your shoulder all the time anymore.” She then leaned in a kissed my cheek.
Oh, Twilight, you’re too much. “Thank you…” I smiled as I placed a hand on the one she had on my shoulder. “Seriously, thank you, Twilight. I don’t want to lose you.”
“You won’t.” My friend gave me a reassuring smile. I felt like hugging her again, but I repressed it. I’m not sure if constantly hugging someone would be okay. Instead, I looked at the table and saw all the books and the map Twilight brought before. Oh, shoot! I almost forgot about them!
“Good...” I said, before taking the map. “Let’s…”
“Oh, right!” Twilight blushed and giggled nervously. “I forgot we were at the library for a moment. Goodness sometimes I get so emotional....”
“I would make fun of you for that, but I kinda forgot too.” Twilight smiled widely and opened the map. Meanwhile, I took out my fake glasses to put them on. “Let’s read then.”
When Twilight saw my glasses, she giggled. “Aria, what’s that?”
I smiled. “I decided to start using these fake glasses to read. I want to be more like you.” I lost my smile as soon as I said the last part. Was that too creepy? I’m pretty sure it wasn’t. “Or… are you offended?”
“Offended?” Twilight tilted her head, confused, then giggled again. “Not at all. I think it's cute that you're trying to be more like me.”
I felt my cheeks getting warm, but I ignored it. “Y-Yeah, th-thank you…”
“But…” Twilight moved closer to me. I felt even more weird as she took my glasses with both of my hands removed them. “I prefer the real you.”
My heart skipped a beat. No wait. Several! I-I better ignore this, for now. I cleared my throat before speaking again. “M-Map! Let’s find out how your neighborhood used to be!” What was going on?!
“Okay....” Twilight tilted her head, clearly confused by my reaction, but didn’t say anything of it. Good, because I had no answer for it. “Let me see… oh, here it is!”
“Come on, don’t leave me in the dark.” I commented with a smirk.
Twilight laughed softly and pointed to where she lives. As she explained to me how much everything changed the past centuries, I couldn’t stop smiling at her. Truly I’m lucky to have met her. I hope we can always remain friends, or more. Who knows? When it’s just the two of us, I’m on my best behavior to my sister’s dismay. I’ve grown to trust her more and more lately. Telling her about my life in Equestria was unthinkable just a week ago. At this rate, one day, I’ll be able to tell her absolutely everything.
I just hope she still wants to be around me when I do.
We walked out of the library a couple of hours later, linking arms and with a huge smile on our faces.
“I can’t believe my neighborhood used to be farmland during the Kingdom era!” Twilight commented. “So much has changed since then.”
“Now your surroundings are rich and mine is poor. Quite a change.” I said, thinking about it.
Twilight gasped. “That’s true! I wonder if my distant relatives moved here or if we always lived in the same area. I never investigated that far in my genealogical tree.”
“Is that a new project I’m hearing?” I said, with a smirk.
My friend giggled. “Maybe.” She said, before looking at me. She was going to say something else, but she yawned.
“Cub?”
“I’m fine. Still tired, but fine.” She smiled at me. “I can still stay standing. I’m ready for more!” She smiled widely, but it slowly faded shortly after. “Or is our date coming to a close?”
My eyes widened before I looked away to think. The afternoon is far from over, and starting tomorrow, I’ll have less time to see her. My insides are already sinking. We must make the most of this day. I glanced back at my friend, smiling. “No. We can do something else.”
“R-Really?” Her jaw dropped. I nodded at her, which made her grin. “Yay! What should we do?”
“Hmm…” Why did she have to ask? I have nothing! Let’s see, we already read and it’s too early to stargaze. There’s one thing, though. Something we haven’t done in a while. “What do you say if we rent a movie? I could show you the video store I always go.”
“Oh, I would love that!” Twilight’s grin became wider. “What should we rent?”
“Whatever you want. When we get there, you explore while I follow you.”
“I can pick anything?” She asked, happily bouncing in place.
“Anything.” I replied, returning her smile. “But first, let’s get some snacks.”
Just as I said the last, I could hear Twilight’s stomach growling. When she realized that I heard her, she blushed with embarrassment. “I-I think that would be a good idea…”
I chuckled and placed my arm around her shoulders, pulling her closer. “Don’t worry, Sparks, we’ll fill that tummy of yours.”
Twilight made eye contact with me and then nodded cutely. I patted her head with my hand before letting her go. She giggled before combing her hair back to how she had it before. “Could the snacks be on me?”
“No way, Cub. I was the one to ask you out today, I’m the one buying.”
“It’s not a rule…” My friend smiled and blushed as well.
“Please, Twilight, let me make up for the lost time. I’ll buy.”
Twilight shook her head. “You already made up for it. Just let me help with this, please?”
“No.” I crossed my arms.
Twilight puffed her cheeks crossing her arms glaring back at me. “At least allow me to pay half of them?”
“No.”
“Please?”
“No.” I huffed.
“Please?”
“No.” Now I was slightly annoyed, Sonata does something similar to me when she wants something.
“Please?”
I groaned about ready to give up. I threw up my arms. “How long are you going to keep doing that?”
“Until you say yes.” Twilight smiled. “Please?”
I sighed, but then returned her smile. “Fine, you win.”
“Yay!” Twilight clasped her hands together. “Thank you!”
Her enthusiasm filled me with joy. Maybe Adagio was right, she seemed happy with me just being me. Despite my blunders, Twilight still had fun with me, and more to be had yet. Once she lowered her hands, I instinctively took one of hers. Together, we headed to the nearest convenience store hand in hand.
We returned to my home around an hour later. It wasn’t easy to get Twilight out of the video store. The moment we entered, she gasped in awe and explored the entire building. She eventually rented a movie after going through every isle twice over to see the expansive selection before settling on, ‘Sleepless in Lakewood’. It was a romantic movie about a kid who didn’t like the woman his widow father was dating and tries to convince him to meet a woman he met on the radio. The problem is, not only was the woman dating someone else, but she also lives in a state far away from Washington. I already watched the movie with Adagio once. It was cheesy, romantic, but enjoyable.
Twilight grabbed the number to rent the movie, asked the shopkeeper a dozen questions about the tapes and the store and then we finally were able to leave.
When we entered the living room, I moved the lamp from a nearby table and placed it on the floor, just like Adagio taught me last time, and placed it close to the couch. I then placed the snacks on it before dropping on the couch while Twilight went to put the movie we just rented in the VCR. She opened the box and smelled its contents. I chuckled when I saw that.
“You know, I would like to watch the movie today, if possible.”
My friend giggled. “I love this technology. Let me be!” She said, before carefully taking the movie and placing it inside the VCR. With the movie playing, she quickly skipped to the couch and sat beside me. “Are you sure you don’t mind that I picked a romantic movie?”
I shook my head, smiling. “Nah, it’s alright. I don’t hate the genre. It’s just not really my thing, but I can enjoy them.”
Twilight grinned and scooted closer to me. “Okay, then.” She said, before turning to the T.V. “I actually never watched this movie.”
“’Sleepless in Lakewood’?” The voice wasn’t mine nor Twilight’s. We both turned around to find Adagio with a smugly smile. “Oh, Twilight, you’re going to love it.” My sister said, as she leaned against the back of the couch. “That is if you ignore the ridiculous haircut of the main male lead.”
“It was the early 90’s, Adagio. Things were different back then.” I said, frowning at my sister.
“Oh, the 90’s…” Adagio shook her head. “What a terrible decade for fashion. And the video! Ugh, look at that quality! How can you enjoy this?”
“Adagio…” My eye was twitching. I was starting to get pissed off, but I needed to remain calm for Twilight’s sake. I caught a glimpse of Twilight giggling. “In case you haven’t noticed, Twilight and I would like to be alone.”
My sister raised her hands in defeat, smirking. “Okay, I got it. If you need me, I’ll be reading my ‘Mouge’ magazine in my room.”
“Sure.” I decided it was best not to say anything else.
“It was nice seeing you again, Adagio.” My friend said, smiling and waving at my sister. Adagio returned the smile and nodded at her before walking out of the room. After she left, both Twilight and I turned to the T.V. again. I grabbed a chocolate bar and handed it to Twilight.
“For your tummy. Hopefully this will make it stop growling every time I get near.”
My friend giggled and took the chocolate. “Thanks.” She unwrapped the bar and took a bite out of it. Halfway through the bar, she yawned again.
“Sparks, I have never seen you so tired.” I commented after seeing that she was fighting to keep her eyes open.
“I-I’ll be fine. I just overworked a little.”
“Are you sure you don’t want to go home?” I said, as I placed a hand on her forehead. “We can watch the movie next weekend.”
“N-No, I’m not ready to say goodbye yet. Please, I want to stay.” She tried to smile, but she yawned again.
“Twilight…”
“Nooo!” She jumped on me, wrapping me with her arms. “I don’t want to go… let me stay.”
I wanted to keep insisting on taking her home, but her sudden embrace caught me off guard. Instinctively, I returned the embrace, patting her back. I remained silent for a long while, maybe a minute or so, when I realized something. Her breathing changed and her grip softened. “Cub…?” There was no response.
“Twilight.” Again, nothing. My eyes snapped open when I heard a soft snore. I moved Twilight’s head back and saw her sleeping. “Oh, Twilight...”
Should I wake her up? I probably should, but she was so tired. She needs sleep. A small nap should be good for her. I accommodated her back on the couch, then, when I was about to stand up to turn off the T.V., she laid on me and wrapped her arms around my waist. I gasped softly before glancing at her. Her head was now resting on my shoulder, trapping me in her embrace. I wouldn’t be able to move too much without waking her up. I had no choice but to remain sitting and watch the movie… alone.
I got myself comfortable and watched the T.V. A few minutes in, I looked back at Twilight. It seems like she was fast asleep. I felt the liberty to remove her glasses since she wasn’t using them at the moment and put them on the table, near the snacks. My heart skipped a beat and my jaw dropped when I glanced back at her.
This was the first time I saw her without her glasses. She looked almost exactly as the other Twilight, but with her own hairstyle. She… she didn’t look bad at all. Without realizing what was I doing, my arm moved around her shoulder and I pulled her closer. Seeing her sleeping peacefully against me made me feel warmth in my heart. I smiled, enjoying the sight.
The sound of someone clearing their throat interrupted the moment. I turned my head around to find Adagio with her fist on her chin, smirking all the way. “My, my, look at you. Seems like you do like her back after all.”
My eyes widened. What did she just say? “Wh-What?”
Adagio’s smug smile disappeared as her eyes slowly widened. “You mean… you didn’t realize the way you were looking at her? It was so obvious.”
“Adagio, again, this isn’t my forte.” I frowned at her, trying to keep my voice down.
My sister groaned. “Aria, trust me, the smile you had cannot be faked.” She crossed her arms, kneeling beside me near the couch. “Just think on how you always feel around her.”
I looked back at Twilight and thought on our time together. I thought on her smiles, her laughter, her voice. Since she revealed her feelings, she has always been very happy to see me. When she hugs me, she refuses to let me go and always seems to relax when I’m around. Not to mention how much she clings into my arm. All of this… made me happy.
And today, I felt especially happy to see her. I was the one to greet her, I was the one who hugged her, and… I just couldn’t help but smile just by seeing her. I have also been feeling funny with the way she talks to me, looks at me, or just by gazing at her like I’m doing now. Her eyes closed, her slightly opened mouth, her soft snores. Her face without her glasses… she’s so… cute. She made my heart race. There’s the funny feeling again! Wait, what did Twilight say when I asked her what does she feels whenever she sees me? ‘It is like, I don't know, being inside joy? It as if joy was something tangible and I could wrap myself in it like a blanket…’
Being inside of joy… Without thinking on what I was doing, I placed my hand on Twilight’s head and stroked her hair, enjoying the silky smooth texture. In her sleep, Twilight smiled and snuggled against me, pressing her face against my neck. I gasped, but quickly covered my own mouth with a hand. She… she didn’t wake up. I internally sighed in relief before putting both of my arms around her. I couldn’t help it, she was so adorable!
Again, Adagio cleared her throat. I slowly turned to her to see that dumb smug grin on her face. My cheeks instantly got hot. “Are you done with your thinking, dear sister?”
My gaze returned to Twilight. The blushing, the joy, the wish to see her and be close to her when possible… is this love? The feelings I have long forgotten back when I had a crush on my old pack leader... yeah, they were similar, but with Twilight, these feelings go further. It’s not a simple crush.
“I might… like her…” I said, softly before turning to my sister again. “Scratch the might. Adagio, I do like her, a lot!” I groaned in frustration and facepalmed. “How could I be so blind?” I made sure to not raise my voice too much to not wake Twilight up.
“Better late than never.” Adagio smiled. “So… will you tell her now or will you wait until you two are done with your experiment?”
“Absolutely not. She has felt this way towards me for a long time already. I’ll ask her to be my Beta when she wakes up.”
“Your what?” Adagio tilted her head, confused, but then shook her head. “Never mind. I’ll look for my wine and leave you two alone.”
I nodded at her, but I didn’t say another word. My sister ruffled my hair, leaving Twilight and me alone. I was too focused on watching Twilight sleep to care. My heart was racing. I could enjoy this sensation even more now that I know exactly what it means. Oh, Cub, when you wake up, I'm going to give you the best news you ever heard.
I ended up watching the whole movie by myself. After the end credits rolled, I felt like Twilight rested long enough, so I decided that it was time to wake her up.
“Sparks…” I nudged her. “Twilight, time to wake up.” I kept nudging her until she eventually started to open her eyes.
“H-Huh…?” Twilight was disoriented, blinking rapidly. She rubbed her eyes and then narrowed them. Oh, right! She couldn't see! I quickly reached for her glasses and gave them to her. “Thanks.” I grinned, poking her nose again. She made that same adorable sound I liked as she went cross eyed glaring at me.
I smiled at her as she put on her glasses. Once she had them on she looked around like she had no idea where we were. “A-Aria? Where…?” She looked around and gasped when she realized where we were. “Oh, no! I didn’t fall asleep, did I?”
I nodded. “You did, for almost two hours.”
“Oh my goodness!” Twilight said, covering her mouth with both of her hands and standing up. I was so comfortable laying against her that I almost fell on the couch when she moved, but I retained my balance. “I’m so sorry, Aria! I didn’t think I was-”
“Hey, hey-” I said, standing up as well and holding both of my hands in a ‘stop’ manner. “It’s alright, Cub, there’s nothing to apologize for.”
I had to keep my cool. Now that I understood my feelings, I see her in a whole different way. I can barely hold myself from hugging her. Are we too close? Can she hear my heartbeat? Is my smile too wide? It’s driving me crazy! Is this what Twilight has to go through every time we hang out?
“Aria?” I blinked, waking up of my thoughts and returning to reality. Twilight was staring at me with an expression between worry and confusion.
“S-Sorry, Sparks, did you say something?” I tried to give her a normal smile, but I’m not sure if it looked weird or not.
My friend nodded, looking less worried and more confused. “I said that I’m going to call my parents to ask them to pick me up.”
“Oh, sure.” I gave her a more genuine smile. “You can go to the kitchen if you want.”
“Thanks.” Twilight returned the smile and left the room as I watched her. Once she was out of sight, I laid against the couch and sighed happily. I remained with my eyes fixed on the door Twilight used, until something caught the corner of my eye. I turned my head around to spot, Adagio leaning against the opposite doorway. I hit the palm of my hand on my forehead as I groaned.
“What?!” I said, without making eye contact with my sister yet.
“I haven’t heard Twilight’s happy squeals yet. You haven’t told her?”
“Don’t push me, Adagio. Gosh you’re like a persistent cat, or worse, like Sonata!” I crossed my arms and looked at her. “I will tell her when I see fit to do so, okay?”
Adagio nodded leaning against the doorway. “And now’s not a good time? You already know she likes you, so why wait?”
“Out!” I pointed with my index finger to make myself even clearer. Adagio shrugged and walked away, although something tells me she didn’t go far.
My friend returned a couple of minutes later, humming happily. Damn it, Twilight, stop being so cute! You’re making this harder to me. “Hey, Aria? Did you just raise your voice?”
“I did, but you shouldn’t worry about it. Just me talking with Adagio. Nothing out of the ordinary.” I placed a hand on my hip before giving Twilight a beaming smile. “So, are your parents picking you up?”
My friend nodded. “They were actually doing errands nearby. They will be here soon.”
“Okay.”
We remained staring at each other. I would normally tease about her crush on me, but I would feel weird if I did the same now. What do I do, what do I do?! To make things worse, Twilight walked closer to me. Oh, no! My heart started to race! I could see that she was about to reach for my hand. I-I can’t! Not yet! I need more time! Just before she took my hand, I moved it to point at the VCR. “H-Hey, Sparks, d-do you want to do the honors and rewind the movie?”
I could swear I heard a groan coming from the other room. I wouldn’t be surprised if Adagio was eavesdropping on us. Thankfully it seems like Twilight didn’t hear anything. She dropped her head, disappointed.
“A-Alright…” She slowly walked towards the VCR and got on her knees to rewind the movie as I asked. The look in her face… it hurt me. I’m so sorry, Twilight… stupid tongue, don’t start to twist now! “Aria…”
I put a pause to my self-scolding in order to listen to my friend. “I-I’m sorry for being too stubborn. I wanted us to spend more time together and I ended up falling asleep, losing that time anyway.”
“It’s okay.” I smiled at her. “I understood why you wanted to stay. I didn’t argue with you further because I knew I wouldn’t be able to see you much this week.”
“Why didn’t you wake me up sooner? I would have liked watching the movie together, especially since it wasn’t your favorite genre…”
“You were very tired, Twilight. I didn’t want to interrupt your sleep. Besides…” I looked away so she wouldn’t see my blush. “You seemed so comfortable sleeping against me…”
Twilight gasped and covered her mouth with her hands as her entire face turned red. “I slept against you?! I-I’m so sorry! I-”
“Cub, it’s okay.” I smiled at her. Seriously, Twilight, stop being so cute. You’re killing me! “You didn’t bother me. In fact, I was more than happy to be your pillow.”
Twilight’s eyes widened and now she covered her face with her hands. I really want to go over there and hug her. Wait, I could do that! Hesitating just a little bit, I started to approach her. However, half way through, the sound of a car’s horn was heard outside. Twilight glanced at the door.
“My parents are here!” She grinned, but she lost her smile when she looked at me. “I-I have to go…” Twilight stood up and got ready to leave. Oh, no! This is the moment I was dreading! “Uh…” My friend looked at me. “I-I’ll call you later this week.”
“S-Sure.” What are you doing, Aria Blaze?! Don’t act like a scared pup now! Stop her! Stop her now! Twilight turned around and was reaching for the door knob when I finally regained control of my tongue!
“Wait, Twilight!” In one final push of courage, I ran and stopped right in front of her. Our eyes met again, but this time with great intensity. From this close it was easy to get lost in those sparkling violet eyes of hers. Her beauty had me astonished. My insides started to feel weird as my heartbeat increased again. I could feel my body getting hot as well.
“Yes, Aria?” Shoot! Her voice made my heart skip a beat. The way she was looking at me, smiling expectantly, waiting to hear what I had to say. She’s going to make me melt from all this heat. I must speak now before the silence drags for too long!
“Umm…” I tried to reach for her hand, but at the last moment, I panicked and showed her my thumb up instead. “B-Be good tomorrow, yes?”
I could hear the sound of someone hitting their head against the wall. Adagio, without any doubt… Once again, it seemed as if Twilight didn’t hear anything, as she sighed sadly. “I-I will. S-See you…” Without another word, Twilight opened the door and walked out. With Twilight away, I welcomed the jelly feeling of my legs and allowed myself to fall with my face on the couch. I screamed with frustration into the cushion letting out all my anger into it as I punched the pillow. I glanced to the side to find my sister, arms crossed, glaring at me.
“Well, that was painful to hear. I thought you had a plan.” She said down to me.
I groaned and turned by body around, resting my hands on my belly. “I did…”
“What happened?”
I looked away from her, blushing hard. “Sh-She smiled at me and my mind went completely blank!”
“Seriously, Aria?!” Adagio sighed in agitation. “You’re hopeless… Completely hopless.”
“Well, I’m sorry I’m not miss perfect like you!” I said, as I stood up. “I’ll try again next time.” I added before turning off the T.V. Twilight left the movie rewinding. I’ll put it back on its box later.
“No, no more tries, Aria. You’re going to do it. Don’t force me to lock you up in a room with her. You know I’ll do it.”
“Yeah, I know…” I started to walk out of the room.
“Where are you going?” Adagio frowned.
“To my room, to hit my head repeatedly against the wall!” My sister didn’t say anything else but I could tell she was disappointed in me, and to be honest so was I.
I entered my room and slammed the door shut. Twilight didn’t hug me goodbye today. I really made a fool of myself! Why was confessing so hard? I already knew her answer so why was I afraid?! I threw myself on my bed feeling heavy and just screamed in my pillow verbally berating myself until I fell asleep.
I woke up earlier than usual the next day. The guilt didn’t allow me to sleep properly. Yawning, I headed into the kitchen and sat. Both of my sisters were already there. Sonata was eating her favorite cereal while Adagio prepared waffles.
“Good morning, Aria!” Sonata received me with a grin. “Dagi told me what happened yesterday. Why did you panic?”
I quickly glared at my older sister. “Seriously?!”
Adagio shrugged. “I had to.”
“Aria, you should tell her how you feel. What if someone else wants to date her?” Sonata asked, before eating more of her cereal.
“She won’t date someone else, Sonata. She has a crush on me and we agreed to have at least five dates before deciding what to do next.“
“I don’t know, Aria-” Adagio said, as she placed a plate with waffles on the table. “She wasn’t happy when she left yesterday. She could think you’re not that interested in her and move on if you keep giving her mixed signals. She could even cancel your agreement of those five dates.”
“Twilight would never back away from an experiment! She’s better than that,” I said, as I crossed my arms. “Besides, just the last part of our date was a disaster. We had fun before that.”
“Are you sure?” Adagio asked before taking a waffle.
“Yes, I’m sure.” I said, taking a waffle for myself.
I grabbed a fork and poked my food with it. Twilight would never cancel our agreement. She was just as excited as me when we started with the dating trial.
But… she gets upset easily. I bet she’s still not sure how to feel about yesterday. We did have a good time before that! Every part of a date is important. Was it really a failure just because of the end? Was it that bad? Will she… reconsider?
What if my behavior changed her feelings towards me? Could that be why she didn’t hug me before leaving? Ugh, my head is hurting! I glanced at both of my sisters. They were eating while I just barely touched my food. Twilight can’t date someone else. Not before we have a chance. I need answers, and I need them as soon as possible!
“Damn it you two!” I cried as I slammed the table and abruptly standing up. I startled Sonata, but I had no time to worry about that. I ran towards my room to get changed. I didn't even bother to do my hair. There was no time!
“Aria, what are you doing?!” Adagio knocked on my door.
“I’m going to tell Twilight how I feel, what do you think?!” I stormed out of my room.
“Now? But she’s at her school!”
“Then that’s where I’m heading! I cannot wait any longer!”
“Aria!” Adagio tried to stop me, but I kept walking.
I left the house and started to run. I didn’t take money for the bus, so I had to run all the way to Canterlot High School. I was still afraid of confessing, but my fear of losing her was even stronger. I thought back to my old crush with my old pack leader in Equestria. I remember the fear I felt and the agonizing heartbreak that followed. I won’t let that happen again, and I wasn’t going to lose Twilight, not before we got a chance to be together. I soon realized that was what held me back all this time. I was afraid, not of rejection from Twilight, but fear that it would end up like my past. No more.
So, I ran. I ran as fast as my human body would go feeling the burn in my legs and lungs. I had to get there and nothing was going to stop me. I was going to finally get my feelings out in the open and that was how it was going to be. I was done running from the past, instead I was now running towards my future. To Twilight.
When I reached the school, I stopped in front of the statue to catch my breath. I was winded from the final stretch. Then, I glanced to the main doors. I never thought I would ever set foot in here again, but I must go in. Taking one last deep breath, I walked up the stone steps and pushed open the glass doors to enter. Several students inside gasped, recognizing me and moved away from my path.
“What is she doing back here?!”
“I thought they were gone?”
I ignored the scared students’ comments and kept moving forward. However, I stopped when I realized something important. I don’t know where Twilight is!
I looked around, trying to find a clue, anything that would lead me to Twilight. Panic was starting to overwhelm me to the point I had to breath in to calm myself. I eventually spotted a familiar girl with silver hair. That’s Twilight’s friend! I remember she was dating Sunset, and though she came off as obnoxious she was still a nice girl. She must know where Twilight it.
“You, Trixie!”
As I approached her she stopped dead in her tracks glancing over back at me.
“A-Aria? What are you doing here?” Trixie gasped.
I didn’t answer the question. I walked closer to her and then pointed at her with my index finger, “Where’s Twilight?”
“Twilight? She’s…” The girl turned her head around. “She’s in her English class. It’s the classroom right there.” Trixie pointed at the classroom in question.
“Good! You’re free to go.” I said, before heading towards the classroom.
I stopped in front of the door. This is it. I came all the way here. There’s no turning back. Many people saw me, including one of Twilight’s friends, so she will know I was here. I tried to psych myself up slapping my cheeks. Come on, Aria, do it. Do it! I turned the door knob and opened the door with a loud slam, interrupting the class. “Twilight Sparkle!”
My friend got startled, as the rest of the students in the room, but she turned around, shocked. “A-Aria?! What are you doing here?!”
All eyes were on me. Everyone was either looking at me scared or angry. I also saw one of the Rainbooms with the rainbow hair standing in the front of the class with the teacher. She was staring at me suspiciously.
Moving my gaze away from the Rainboom, I stepped inside the room. People gasped and dodged me. I kept walking until I reached my friend, who was now standing and facing me. My body was behaving as usual since I realized my true feelings on Twilight. But now, I’m ready. I can’t let anyone steal her from me.