//------------------------------// // The Noblest of Intentions // Story: The Reason I Love You // by Blue Dragon //------------------------------// Pinkie giggled out of sheer happiness, despite her efforts to remain quiet. Twilight had fallen asleep in her embrace. She looked sooo cute this way. She was really warm, and she had a little snore that made Pinkie laugh. The party mare was sure she'd never been happier in her whole entire life--even when she got her cutie mark. She couldn't help thinking that she was forgetting something, though. Pinkie dismissed the thought and nuzzled Twilight's neck instead. She let out a giggle as a particularly naughty thought went through her mind, and she let her hoof slide down her marefriend's back, resting it on her flank. The pink pony giggled a little bit louder as she realized how much of a pervert she was being. However, after making sure everything was perfect earlier, she couldn't help herself from a little reward. Guilt got to her quickly, and she moved her hoof back up to Twilight's mane. I hope I never have to let Twilight go... Pinkie thought, her smile dipping down ever so slightly. I want to be with her like this forever. She pulled Twilight in closer, almost protectively. "I love you, Twilight..." Twilight was floating in a completely dark abyss. She felt at peace for some strange reason, and she liked it. Not a single thought ran through her mind as she remained completely still, her eyes opening and closing every once in a while. However, the sense of tranquility didn't last long. For some reason, Twilight's heart started beating faster. She opened her eyes blearily, confused. She didn't see anything, and that made it all the weirder. She let her eyelids lower once again, ignoring the pounding in her chest. But then, she felt something touch her. Twilight looked towards the contact, but nothing was there. She felt a gentle tapping on her shoulder, and beyond afraid, she whirled around. "Wh-Who's there?!" She exclaimed. Her eyes widened when she saw who it was. Or, rather, what she was doing. Pinkie Pie was standing right in front of Twilight with a sad little smile, but what surprised the unicorn the most, was the fact that the earth pony had a hoof resting on her chest. She'd never touched her in a dream before. The mare's calming touch caused Twilight to relax, her heartbeat slowing dramatically. Pinkie leaned in and, strangely, kissed her. It didn't feel right, but the unicorn still returned it. The pink mare's hoof never moved from Twilight's chest, even when she deepened the kiss. But then... It happened. Suddenly, Twilight's heart started going a little too slowly. The unicorn's eyes snapped open as she felt her limbs numbing. She tried to pull away, but found she couldn't move at all. Pinkie did end the kiss, staring into Twilight's eyes. Her hoof remained on the lavender mare's chest, though. The unicorn felt afraid as she locked her gaze with Pinkie's cerulean eyes, and even more so as she felt her heart's beats take even longer to come about. The pink pony frowned, and her hoof pressed even harder into Twilight's chest. The unicorn felt everything within her freeze as her heart beat one last time. Her eyes slowly started to close, but she could still distinguish Pinkie's saddened expression. "You're too late," she said quietly, "You can't change this." Twilight's eyes snapped open and she jolted up. Her heartbeat felt like it had actually stopped. "Twilight!" Pinkie exclaimed, immediately at her marefriend's side, "What's wrong?!" The unicorn was breathing hard, and she barely looked at Pinkie. That dream hadn't been like the others--this one had terrified her. It felt like she'd actually died. She raised a hoof to her chest, closing her eyes in relief when she felt her heart's pulse. "Twilight, what happened?" The lavender mare didn't meet the other pony's questioning gaze, and that worried her even more. "Please, you look like you've seen a ghost!" "I... I had another nightmare..." She panted. Pinkie felt a pang in her chest, suddenly remembering their previous conversation. How could she have forgotten something so important? "Oh, Twilight, I'm so sorry!" Pinkie nuzzled Twilight's neck, letting her mane brush against her marefriend's chin. She could feel the unicorn's erratic heartbeats through her coat, and she knew that it must've been bad. Twilight began to relax, letting Pinkie comfort her. The only reason it didn't work as quickly as it should've, was because Pinkie was the one scaring her to death, literally. But eventually, Twilight was able to breathe normally. Pinkie pressed her muzzle against the unicorn's cheek, kissing it gently. "You're okay now, Twilight... I'm here for you." She continued to say comforting things until she was sure Twilight was perfectly okay. "...What happened in it? Did I do something bad again?" Twilight leaned her head down and pressed her lips against Pinkie's. The earth pony returned it slowly, and the unicorn was thankful that it tasted like the real Pinkie, not the one who'd been in her dream. The pink pony had been a little surprised at first, but let her hoof wander into Twilight's mane. As soon as they parted, Pinkie hugged Twilight tightly. "You know I love you, right?" She whispered into her unicorn's ear. Twilight didn't say anything, opting to remain quiet. They continued to hold each other for a long time, and Pinkie found it difficult to keep the lavender mare awake. Her eyes kept wanting to drift shut as the minutes ticked by. This called for drastic measures. "Twilight, I know we we have to do..." She nuzzled her cheek with Twilight's. The unicorn blinked at Pinkie, silently questioning her. When it was made obvious that the sleepy mare wasn't going to reply, Pinkie giggled. "We have to have an all-night party, just the two of us! Doesn't that sound great? I can get whatever music you like going, whatever baked goods you like a-baking, and you can even pick the party games! Twilight, don't you want to?" She honestly just didn't want Twilight to fall asleep and have another heart-wrenching nightmare, and she wanted to stay by the unicorn's side. Twilight's brow rose of its own accord. "But... But didn't you have to do something for Mr. Cake?" Pinkie blinked. While on her way to the bathroom, Twilight had overheard part of the conversation. "Oh, that? Hehe, silly filly! I can do that and be back in a sec!" Twilight watched as the pink pony dashed out of the library and into the snow. She felt a little empty and lonely without her company. She wished she'd gotten the chance to tell her to stay--she was a little afraid of being alone after that nightmare. But, true to her word, she returned only a few short seconds later. Pinkie pushed open the door and closed it behind her, shivering. "I-I'm back, Twilight! I told you I could do it really fast! Mr. Cake was all like, 'woah!' and surprised and stuff! Mrs. Cake couldn't say anything, either, I was so fast. I just dropped off the cotton candy and told them I'd be back tomorrow!" She giggled, moving back over to Twilight. The unicorn hugged her once she was close enough, feeling Pinkie's cold fur. "You must be freezing, Pinkie..." She commented, shivering herself. "Y-You're right. I think I know how to f-fix it, too." The earth pony didn't give the other mare a chance before kissing her. She wrapped her hooves around Twilight, pulling her towards her. The unicorn was immediately freezing, but Pinkie enjoyed the warmth immensely. After a few more moments, Pinkie pulled away with a contented smile. "There! I feel a lot better now." Twilight blushed and averted her gaze, still not used to the idea of kissing the party pony. Pinkie Pie laughed, thinking it was cute. "Anyway, I did bring some cupcakes!" The pink mare rummaged through a saddlebag Twilight hadn't noticed she'd brought with her, and pulled out a picnic blanket full of goodies in it. "I thought it'd be fun if our first activity was to see who can feed each other better! Doesn't that sound like fun?" Pinkie picked up a cupcake at random, and had a silly grin plastered onto her muzzle. Twilight wasn't sure if she wanted to be fed something like she was a foal again. "I don't think so, Pinkie..." She began hesitantly. Pinkie's eyes had a certain devious tint in them--the kind that usually only appeared when she was about to pull a prank. "Twi... You know how unicorns have their magic, and pegasi have their wings? Well, earth ponies have strength, and I'm not afraid to use it!" She tried to keep a straight face through her teasing, but she was obviously having trouble. "Oh?" Twilight played along, smirking, "I'd like to see you prove it!" Pinkie's smile widened, and the unicorn almost felt nervous. Almost. The party pony scooted closer to Twilight. She leaned towards her, seemingly for a kiss, but it was a trick. Pinkie's hoof lightly traced the unicorn's shoulder, pulling her into a false state of security. The earth pony tried not to giggle as her marefriend's eyes drifted shut. This was it. Pinkie moved so she was beside Twilight, letting her hoof wrap around her back. With her other hoof, she brought the cupcake, whose wrapper had mysteriously disappeared, up towards the unicorn's muzzle. Twilight's eyes fluttered open in confusion at the strange position Pinkie's hooves were in, and then it clicked. "W-Wait!" Pinkie took the opportunity Twilight had given her to push the cupcake into her open mouth. At first, Twilight resisted. She didn't want to lose the game. But Pinkie's hooves kept her in place, and the cupcake did taste pretty good. With an internal sigh and a glare, Twilight swallowed the treat. "Yay!" Pinkie smiled, "I told you I was strong!" Twilight pouted, looking away. Pinkie rummaged through her saddlebag again, and hoofed a cupcake over to the unicorn. "It's your turn, Twilight!" The unicorn lifted it with magic, a devious thought crossing her mind. If Pinkie wanted to use her earth pony strength, then she'd use magic to her advantage. The party pony was happy that Twilight seemed to be having so much fun, and that she wasn't thinking about that dream anymore. Mission accomplished! She'd considered letting Twilight win, but that wouldn't be any fun for either pony. So, she got on all four hooves and was ready to play. The second Pinkie saw Twilight's magic light up more, she knew she needed to move. Many hours of games passed, mostly with Pinkie winning. The earth pony did anything she could think of to make Twilight happy, and not sleepy. However, the longer the party went on, the more tired the two became. Pinkie was able to stay awake by drinking sugar-filled drinks, but they didn't seem to help the unicorn at all. The bad part about it getting late, though, was how anxious Twilight was getting. It was getting harder and harder to get her mind off of having a nightmare. As much as Pinkie hated to admit it, this party was nearing its end. "Come on, Twilight, we still have to pin the tail on the pony!" The lavender mare didn't say anything, so Pinkie continued, "And truth or dare! I dare you to stay awake." "I don't know, Pinkie..." Her eyelids were dangerously close to closing, "Studies show that ponies who play 'Truth or Dare' suffer from more mental illnesses than regular ponies." Oh no. When Twilight relied on random spouts of scientific information, that was when she'd mentally 'go offline.' This called for even more drastic measures. "Oh, okay... Then we won't do that. Ummmmm... Oh! Why don't you go take a shower, Twilight? That always wakes me up!" Pinkie pushed Twilight up the stairs and into the bathroom. "I'm going to wait here, so don't fall asleep. 'Cause if you do, I'll know right away! Okay? Go wake yourself up!" Pinkie closed the door for Twilight and put her ear against the door. She heard Twilight's hooves hitting the ground towards the tub, and the water rushing into it. Pinkie briefly wondered whether she was using cold, hot, or chocolate water. The last one was her favorite, as she could drink it while taking a shower. She could tell by the sound of the water that Twilight had gotten in, and by the steam coming from underneath the door, that she'd opted for hot water. Pinkie fell back on her haunches, still listening through the door. A lot of time passed by, and the water was still going. Pinkie Pie didn't hear any sign of Twilight behind the door, and it worried her. Had she fallen asleep? This time, she wasn't going to forget about how scared the unicorn got when she had a nightmare. Pinkie nudged the door open, and was surprised when it was unlocked. The steam quickly escaped, and it felt really warm inside of the bathroom. The earth pony looked around, but couldn't see anything through the steam. Was Twilight okay?