Chapter 3
Twilight Sparkle did not come down for dinner, Spike sighed and ate without her, wrapping up what was left over and placing it in the refrigerator before heading upstairs to check on Twilight. He opened her bedroom door and discovered, much to what he expected, Twilight nose deep in the book.
‘Twilight?’ He asked.
Twilight looked up and gave him an annoyed look. ‘I said I would be down in just a minute Spike’, she said in annoyance.
‘Twilight, that was four hours ago’, Spike said, pointing to her clock with now said ten o’clock.
‘Oh... uh... heh heh’, Twilight chuckled nervously. ‘I’m sorry Spike’.
Spike let out a sigh in annoyance. ‘It’s fine Twilight... just, promise me that you’re not going to be couped up in here all day tomorrow reading that book, go outside and talk to your friends!’
‘Oh, I will Spike! I promise’, Twilight said. ‘I’m actually almost done, I’m going to finish up this book and then I’m going right to bed’.
‘Okay Twilight, good night’, Spike said, shutting the door behind him and walking off to the spare room that he’d taken as his since Twilight and Rainbow Dash had gotten together.
Another hour passed, two, three, before Twilight Sparkle reached the last page of the Tome of Alhazred and closed the book; of course, she had not noticed the passage of time, just as she had not noticed when Spike had interrupted her. She was however, quite tired, and now that she had finished the four thousand page book, she could go to sleep. Twilight pulled the covers over herself, and found herself unconsciously snuggling with the book, she was much more tired than she thought she was, and drifted right off to sleep.
...
Twilight Sparkle found herself at Sugarcube Corner the next morning, despite the fact that the Cakes had not yet reopened the shop for business; the building had been completed enough for them, and Pinkie Pie, to live in. Pinkie Pie must have still been asleep, which Twilight found odd considering it was midmorning. She trotted up the stairs towards Pinkie Pie’s room and knocked on the door.
‘Pinkie!’ Twilight called out to her. She got no reply. ‘Pinkie?’ Twilight asked again, still getting nothing. Twilight tried the door, it was unlocked, and so she pushed the door open. ‘Pinkie Pie? What gives? Are you deaf or something? I guess I should be surprised considering you make explosives for fun and...’
Twilight stopped dead in her tracks, her mouth fell open and she could not believe what she was seeing. Pinkie Pie was suspended from the ceiling by a rope around her neck. Twilight screamed.
...
Twilight’s eyes shot open, and she discovered herself lying in her bed. ‘Pinkie!’ Twilight cried out. She through the covers off her and leapt from bed, she scampered down the stairs and out the door, she galloped at full pace down the high street, skidding to a halt at Sugarcube Corner, Twilight burst through the door and galloped up the stairs, bursting into Pinkie Pie’s room.
‘PINKIE!’ Twilight cried out.
Pinkie Pie sat up in bed. ‘Huh? What? What’s going on?’ she said sleepily.
Twilight ran over to Pinkie Pie’s bed and leapt into it, throwing her forelegs around Pinkie Pie and hugging her close. ‘Oh... Pinkie... oh Pinkie! You’re okay, you’re okay...’ Twilight said as she began to cry into Pinkie Pie’s shoulder.
Pinkie Pie, highly confused, merely shrugged inwardly and hugged her friend back. ‘Well of course I’m okay! Why would I not be? Silly!’
Twilight did not answer, she had fallen back asleep, grasping Pinkie Pie tightly, ‘Oh... Pinkie...’ she mumbled in her sleep.
Pinkie Pie couldn’t help but feel more than a little awkward as she lay in her bed, Twilight holding her closely. This was everything that Pinkie Pie could ever want. Twilight, her crush, the pony that she adored dearly was here, in bed with her. She was cuddling, with her!. She was being affectionate, with her! It was everything that Pinkie Pie had ever wanted, and she wanted nothing more than to lie here the entire night with Twilight Sparkle, holding her close and keeping her safe. Twilight was clearly worked up about something. Pinkie Pie wanted to wake her and ask what was going on, but she looked at Twilight, sleeping so peacefully beside her, she couldn’t do it.
She thought more about the situation itself, and frowned. This was everything she wanted, but she couldn’t let it continue. As far as Pinkie Pie still knew, Twilight and Rainbow Dash were still together. Pinkie Pie imagined that Rainbow Dash might not be too happy about Twilight sleeping here, with her. Pinkie Pie fought the urge to just lie here and let it happen, Twilight was so warm, and cuddly, and she was here, with her, but Pinkie Pie knew she had to do the right thing. She took care to gently wriggle her way out of Twilight’s grasp without waking her, and crawled out of bed. She gently picked Twilight up and draped the sleeping unicorn over her back, she must have been really tired, because this probably would have woken up anypony else. Pinkie Pie walked slowly out of her room, making sure not to wake Twilight with any sudden movements.
Pinkie Pie walked Twilight back to the Library, carrying her up the stairs to her bedroom. Pinkie Pie was surprised to discover that the bed was empty. Where was Rainbow Dash? Pinkie Pie could only wonder. She pulled the covers back on Twilight’s bed and gently placed the sleeping unicorn in her bed. Pinkie Pie had to bite her hoof to keep herself from laughing when Twilight immediately wrapped herself around this really big book that was lying on the bed. That was so Twilight. Pinkie Pie got herself under control and pulled the covers back over Twilight. She thought about giving the sleeping unicorn a goodnight kiss on her forehead, but decided against it. It wouldn’t be appropriate.
‘Goodnight Twilight’, Pinkie Pie whispered as she backed out of the room, pulling the door shut behind her and letting the unicorn sleep.
...
Twilight awoke the next morning bright and early; she let out a yawn and stretched out her legs. She looked around, she was in her room. She had sworn that the last thing she remembered was being at Sugarcube Corner, in Pinkie Pie’s bedroom... but then she figured that if she was here, then it must have just been a dream.
Twilight hated dreams within dreams, you never knew if you were actually awake or not, and slapped herself on the ankle of her left foreleg to make sure that she was actually awake. She discovered that she was and got out of bed. It was nine o’clock in the morning, she had promised Spike that she would go and see her friends. She picked up her saddlebags off the floor and immediately began to stuff the Tome of Alhazred into it, and was mildly disappointed when the giant book did not fit. Never mind the fact that it took her several moments to realise that she was trying to fit the book inside it.
‘Huh...’ Twilight said to herself as she set the book back on the bed. ‘OH! I know! I’ll go see Rarity and see if she can’t make me some bigger saddlebags!’ Twilight said aloud to herself, despite the fact that she didn’t actually need bigger saddlebags; the thought that she didn’t actually need these bigger bags didn’t cross her mind in the slightest.
Twilight Sparkle trotted down the stairs and out the door to Carousel Boutique, passing by Spike, who was cooking breakfast on her way out, not even taking notice that she had passed him. Only one thought occupied her mind. Bigger saddlebags.
She made the quick trot across the town towards Rarity’s shop. She opened the door to Carousel Boutique, listening to the bell on the door as it chimed.
‘Welcome to Carousel Boutique, now what can I... Twilight! Darling!’ Rarity said as she walked out of the back room and trotted over to her friend.
‘Hi Rarity!’ Twilight said with a smile.
‘Twilight! My dear! How good to see you!’ Rarity said with a twinkle in her eyes. ‘What can I do for you!?’
‘Well, I was hoping to see if you could make me some bigger saddlebags... seven litres should be good’, Twilight said.
‘Oh! Of course darling! I’ve got an idea already! I’ll get started on them right away! Give me three hours and I’ll have them ready!’ Rarity said happily.
Twilight smiled at her friend, she knew she could always count on Rarity. ‘Thank you so much, Rarity! How much do I owe you?’
‘Oh, Twilight! Darling! Don’t even worry about it, for one of my very best friends? Free of charge!’ Rarity said.
Twilight frowned. That was Rarity for you, she was generous, sure, but sometimes Twilight thought she could be a bit too generous, Twilight would feel bad taking them without paying for it. ‘No, Rarity, really! I insist on paying for them! You’ll do a good job, I know you will, you deserve to be paid for it’.
‘Twilight, dear, I appreciate you’re admiration in my skills, but really, I shant take your money!’ Rarity said. ‘I insist!’
Twilight sighed, and then a look of anger began to form on her face. ‘RARITY! I’m going to pay for the damn saddlebags! Now how much!?’ she cried out angrily.
‘Oh... well, uh, if you’re really that adamant about it... for a seven litre saddlebags I would charge, one pound two and six’, Rarity said nervously.
Twilight blinked and realised exactly what she had done. ‘I... I’m sorry Rarity; I shouldn’t have yelled at you, I... just... well, things aren’t going very well right now...’
Rarity’s mouth fell open. ‘Oh Twilight! What’s wrong?!’
‘Rainbow Dash and I... sort of broke up, she cheated on me and I threw her out’, Twilight said.
‘WHAT?!’ Rarity cried out in surprise. ‘How could she!? Oh Twilight! This is the... WORST... POSSIBLE... THING! I think I need to find Rainbow Dash and have words with her!’
Twilight offered Rarity a small smile. ‘Thanks Rarity, you’re a good friend... I should go and let you get to work’.
‘Well, all right Twilight, but please! If you ever need somepony to talk to, come to me!’ Rarity said. ‘I’ll never forsake you!’
‘I appreciate that Rarity’, Twilight said with a smile. She hugged her fellow unicorn and waved her goodbye and allowed her to get to work.