Over the years, Ponyville had grown used to seeing Princess Twilight and Pearl together. In the aftermath of Pearl's reveal as a newly born alicorn, the small town had seen the princess teaching her young charge all she knew of magic at least twice a week, and none could miss they seemed to be spending more and more time together recently.
But for those who saw the two sitting together at the Rose Garden, it felt like something much more than usual this time. None had missed the looks the former Pegasus had been giving Twilight for years now, and those close to the two could only smile knowingly.
Twilight sighed as she caught the many looks they were getting as their late lunch arrived. "I don't like ponies staring at us like this, Pearl."
Pearl only smirked. "Let them. I never cared about the rumors when I got this," she tapped her horn. "Why should I now? Mom and dad are gonna be over the moon when they hear about this. They've been bugging me for months now."
Twilight rolled her eyes. Her parents were no better it seemed, on top of the constant teasing from her brother and Flurry Heart as well. "We are a long way from that, Pearl. Don't rush it."
Pearl rolled her eyes as she took Twilight's hooves. "Twilight. Time isn't a problem for us, remember? I can take my time."
Twilight smirked. "That is true. But you are also impatient, Pearl. How many times have you gotten into trouble because you jumped in before you looked?" Pearl blushed, earning a giggle from Twilight. "But you're right. Why rush this? Us?"
Pearl blinked, hearing more to that than the princess had said. "What do you mean?"
Twilight sighed, squeezing Pearl's hooves. "I've had a feeling about how you've really felt about me for some time now. Perhaps even longer if I am to be honest. At first, I thought it was a normal fillyhood crush. Gods know, I know what that is like."
Pearl smiled. "And? How did Princess Celestia take it? Pretty good guess that's who you were crushing on."
Twilight chuckled. "As can be expected. By the time I confessed, I already knew it would never work between us. But I could not take holding back any longer. Princess Celestia was gentle in letting me down, explaining why it would never work. Unicorn or otherwise. It did not change anything between us."
That was a weight off of Pearl's shoulders in some way. "And how many buckets of ice cream did you drown your sorrows in?"
Twilight scoffed but was still smiling. "Quite a few, if I'm honest. Spike can tell you the exact number. This was something even I did not want to record." She chuckled. "The two of us still laugh about it occasionally."
Pearl giggled. She made a note to ask Spike more about this later. "Well. You are my first crush, Twilight. Ever. Even in Baltimare, I never found any mare as beautiful as you. And I grew out of those pesky feelings I had for Kohaku years ago. I want this. Us, to work, damn it. I can't take eternity alone."
Twilight couldn't fail to notice Pearl's wings twitch at the mention of the kitsune, and could only wonder what it might mean, as she shook her head. "And what about your other heads?"
Pearl blinked. "What about them?"
Twilight rolled her eyes. "Pearl. I've known them long enough to know they're separate enough from you that I will be hearing from all of them at some point. If we are going to be something that we both want, then I need to spend time with them as well. Whether you are in command or not, it isn't fair to them to leave them out of this."
Pearl huffed, her other minds slowly awakening inside of her own. "Fine. Don't blame me for anything they say then. I can't control that and believe me, I've tried. I don't know how Tiamat does it."
Twilight giggled as she began to dig into her meal. "Noted, Pearl."
Pearl chuckled as well before she did the same.
"That went pretty well for a first date," Pearl all but squeed as she all but bounced alongside Twilight as they returned to the Castle of Friendship.
Twilight chuckled, laying a wing on the younger mare. "Indeed. I almost expected my friends to try and do something. I told them about us of course."
Pearl nodded, not surprised. "Maybe they are finally growing up. Took them long enough. It's not like we need their permission anyway."
Twilight nodded. But as they passed Carousel Boutique, the front door swung open, and Kohaku came out and walked right past Pearl and Twilight. He didn't even stop and acknowledge them before heading straight for the Everfree Forest.
Pearl was shocked to see tears streaming down her best friend's face, as Rarity appeared at the door, a forlorn expression on her face. "Rarity. What happened?" Pearl asked.
Rarity shook her head sadly. "Sweetie and Kohaku just broke up. Apparently, she has feelings for Button Mash, and instead of confessing them, she hid them from Kohaku. It finally came out."
Twilight's ears fell. She didn't know the colt in question particularly well, but he seemed pleasant enough. "I'm assuming that since everything is still in one piece, it wasn't messy?"
Rarity could only shrug, as Pearl struggled to free herself from Twilight's wing. "I assume so, darling. I didn't hear any of it, and only know about any of this since Kohaku told me on his way out."
Pearl wasn't listening as she lifted Twilight's wing with her magic. "Let me go, Twilight," she snarled.
Twilight shook her head firmly. "No, Pearl. Let him go. Kohaku needs time to process all of this. You will never find him in the Everfree if he does not want to be found. He will come to you when he is good and ready."
Pearl wanted to argue, to go after her best friend. But the look in Twilight's eyes said that this was not up for debate. She also knew that when Kohaku wanted to be alone, not even the Apple family could find him. "Fine. But I don't have to like it."
Rarity chuckled. "I assume from how the two of you are interacting that your date went well? Should we be expecting wedding bells sometime soon?"
Twilight's face turned beet red, as did Pearl's. "R.Rarity! It was just one date. It's way too early to even think about that!"
Rarity giggled as the two continued on their way, their tails slowly interlacing. "Whatever you say, darling." Plans were already forming in her head for the two.