//------------------------------// // Sky-Blue Eyes // Story: Out of the Mirror, into the Fire // by Moonbeam Thought Writes //------------------------------// Twilight looked at Pinkie, stunned. Her human friend had just dropped something big. Pinkie looked a bit flustered, her cheeks flushed a bright red and her hands clenched at her sides. “Pinkie, you-you love me?!” Twilight felt her eyes involuntarily widen. “Oh gosh oh gosh oh gosh! I messed up so so SO much didn’t I?” Came a frantic string of words from Pinkie. A warm blush spread across Twilight’s cheeks, and her heart fluttered in her chest, in a way it hadn’t in a long while. She took a step closer to Pinkie. It was just them in the bakery, as Pinkie was technically supposed to be closing as of then. Sky-blue eyes pierced Twilight’s soul, making her pulse race, and her breath catch in her throat. One step closer. Then another. And another. She was only a metre or two from Pinkie now. Spellbound in the moment, entranced by rose-tinted thoughts, and cradled in the thrall of love, Twilight took another, shuffling step closer. In the aftermath, she couldn’t quite recall who acted first, but only that they had kissed. Tenderly. Sweetly. Celestia forbid, romantically. She could taste cupcake frosting and bubblegum lipgloss. She could feel the warmth radiating off Pinkie’s face. Inhaling the sweet aroma that lingered in the shop like a heavenly aura. With a small sigh, she stepped back. Pinkie was redder than an apple, and Twilight knew her face was probably much the same. No amount of romantic drivel had ever prepared her for moments like these. Small, blissful moments that memory cast in a pink glow. “Do you-is it possible-I mean, Twilight, do you l-like me?” Her words tumbled out, and a bead of sweat ran down her face. It only took Twilight a fraction of a second to respond. “Yes! Yes! A million times over, yes!” And for a moment, the world was beautiful, with no-one to stop them, the two could reach the ends of Equus! They could do anything as long as they were toge- her heart plummeted. It was her last day on this extended visit to Canterlot High. She would be going home come dawn. “Pinkie?” “Yes, Twilight, O beloved of mine?” “I’m sorry. This has been great, but I’m going back through the portal soon. I’m so-I guess th-I ca-“ Twilight choked on her words. “I’m really sorry, but this is a goodbye. I really hope there is an ‘us’somewhere in the future but I-“ she was cut off by Pinkie enveloping her in a hug. “Please come back to me, Twilight Sparkle. I love you. Now and always. Remember that” ———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— A guilt-wracked Twilight stepped closer to the statue, the frosted grass crunching beneath her feet. With a long, drawn out sigh, she put one hand up to the stone of the base. Upon contact, the marble rippled, as if it were a pond, and her hand slipped right through. She looked at her other hand for a moment, marvelling at the appendage, before steeling herself and stepping through the marble. Her turned to Pinkie, as the trans-dimensional magic swirled around her. Twilight mentally berated herself for just up and leaving the poor girl like that. Without much of a proper goodbye even. But Equestria called, and her duties as Princess of Friendship, and Element of Magic couldn’t go unattended for too long. Plus, homesickness was on a whole new level in trans-dimensional travel. On the other end of the portal, a collection of beings waited patiently, consisting of an alicorn, two earth ponies, two pegasi, a unicorn, and a young drake. “Twilight!” Came the exclamation of seven different voices, as she finally felt solid ground beneath her once more. Two familiar lavender hooves in front of her, two slightly-less-familiar wings on her back, and one magical, mystical horn crowning her head. Stepping forward to help the rest of her through the portal was a sunset-hued earth pony wearing an oversized Stetson. “You okay sugarcube?” “Yeah, thanks Applejack” she replied. Twilight turned to the rest of her friends, and smiled. If there had been any other motley crew of ponies (and a dragon!) by her side, she was sure that she wouldn’t have come as far as she had. Twilight was an alicorn, a princess, an Element of Harmony for crying out loud! Which was part of the reason she didn’t get annoyed when her friends bombarded her with questions about the human world. Even Celestia wanted to know about her Canterlot High counterpart. Twilight wasn’t by nature a very patient pony, but for these beings, she’d make an effort. By far, the most queries and theories came from one Pinkamena Diane Pie, who bounced around instead of merely sitting still. “Ooh, ooh, I know, Human me’s found a Datemate! Wait no- Human me is on the run for three counts of grand larceny and one count of bank robbery! No, that can’t be it- Did other me set a hearth’s warming tree on fire? Argh! Twilight! You’re being so vague about her!” Oh Pinkie. If only you knew. Twilight felt a light warmth in her cheeks whenever she looked over at the pink mare, which was quite often, as Pinkie had a lot of questions. Eventually the river of questions turned into a stream, and then a rivulet, which dried up. Her friends made their excuses and said their goodbyes, and for that, she was grateful. All she really needed was time. Time to process. Time to think. Time to keep feeling really guilty about abandoning Pinkie in the human world. Yeah, that was one thing she wasn’t exactly going to stop thinking about. She shook her head. Why couldn’t she stop thinking about Pinkie? The whole time she was answering questions, her mind was thinking about her. Replaying that kiss like it was a scene of a movie the director couldn’t find the right take for. Rolling around every word she had said like it was a pearl between two human fingers. Twilight meandered her way through the crystalline halls of her castle, ready to enter her room, lock the door, and just, well, have a freak out. Sparkling pillars, indigo carpets and gold adornments seemed to blur past her, as she navigated to her room. Shutting the door, and engaging the lock with a subtle click, Twilight pivoted, and promptly collapsed onto her bed in a daze. Pressing her face into the pillow, she silently cried out. Why couldn’t she stop thinking about Pinkie? Why? ———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— Outwardly, pinkie wore the same ridiculous smile she had worn since the beginning of time itself, but on the inside? On the inside a small frown had appeared. It had been there for three days, since Twilight had returned through the portal. Ever since she got back, Twilight was acting strangely, even for Pinkie’s standards. A small jolt coursed through Pinkie’s body, nothing to worry about, just her Pinkie Sense telling her the muffins were ready. With renewed vigour, she pulled the steaming tray out of the oven, breathing in the muffin-y goodness. Derpy was willing to pay extra for a larger batch than usual. But that was off topic. Suddenly, a lightbulb went off in Pinkie’s brain. She would throw a party! A cheer-up-Twilight surprise party to be exact! Parties solved just about any problem! As the sun set on Ponyville, the denizens of the hamlet gathered in the Apple family barn, where balloons and streamers covered every surface available, the few remaining clear spots holding trays of food or bowls of punch. The whispers and idle chatter grew silent as a magenta glow encased the barn doors, before throwing them open in a semi-dramatic fashion. “SURPRISE!” A cacophony of voices cut through the silence like a hot knife through butter. Pinkie cartwheeled out from behind a hay bale, tumbling to a stop in front of one very confused Twilight Sparkle. Who, for the record, was very ‘surprised’. “What’s all this for?” Twilight asked, craning her neck to get a better view of the barn. “Weeeeeeeeeeeell… so maybe you were acting a bit off-“ “Darn right ya were!” Came Applejack’s voice, cutting Pinkie off “-sooooooo this is me throwing you a cheer-up party!” She continued gleefully. “Pinkie, you know, you really didn’t have to…” Twilight trailed off when Pinkie merely giggled and extended her hoof to Twilight. “So what? Now dance with me, princess!” She trilled. A dance had indeed begun behind them, resident musicians DJ PON-3 and Octavia Melody having offered to perform at the party. Ponies twirled, dipped, pranced and laughed as the music swelled and dipped. Twilight tentatively accepted the proffered hoof, and Pinkie, beaming, all but dragged her into the crowd of dancing ponies. The two danced, twirling their way across the barn, stomping their hooves, and all but shimmying across the makeshift dance floor. Eventually, the music slowed, and then paused to allow for a brief break. ———————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————————— Twilight didn’t have to look at Pinkie to know she was grinning ear to ear. As the two broke apart and wandered off to eat, something drew the lavender pony’s attention. Sky-blue eyes caught her through the crowd, which was impossible, as Pinkie was in the other direction, trying to get Fluttershy to join the revelry. Those enchanting eyes looked at her, before darting to a side door in the barn, then looking back at her. And then those two beautiful orbs vanished into the throng of ponies. What harm could a little adventure bring? And she wouldn’t be gone for long. After pushing her way to the side door, Twilight opened the wooden portal, slid through to the other side, and shut it behind her again. It was then she found herself facing a curious problem. Because, here, in front of her own two eyes, was Pinkie Pie. Which, as said before, was impossible. “Hiya Twilight! I know you probably have questions but-“ “Questions?! Pinkie, you were just inside. I just saw you! With my own two eyes! How in Celestia’s mighty name is this possible?! Wait, no, don’t tell me, another Pinkie clone. Ugh I hate dealing with that stupid pool” “Oh silly! I’m not a clone! I came through the portal! It’s so weird not having hands. Oh and Applejack looks sooooo different! Which is also so weird!” Pinkie burbled. That would mean this was the Pinkie Pie she- oh. A fiery blush spread across Twilight’s face. The last thing she remembered was the ground rushing up to meet her, as darkness spread across her vision. So this was what it was like to faint.