//------------------------------// // A Peeping Tompony // Story: The Reason I Love You // by Blue Dragon //------------------------------// Pinkie blinked through the steam, trying to find even a glimpse of Twilight. She stepped inside the bathroom and called out for her marefriend. "Hey, Twilight? Are you okay?" No response. Pinkie Pie trotted toward the bathtub, and, because of the steam, couldn't see anything. She nudged the curtain to the side, and... The pink pony's first thought: Twilight was awake. The unicorn looked much more aware of her surroundings after getting into the hot water, and had been washing her foreleg with soap before the earth pony had interrupted her. The next thing Pinkie noticed was just how wet Twilight was. Her mane was plastered onto the side of her neck, her bangs covering most of her eyes, and her fur looked very inviting. Pinkie's cheeks suddenly got warmer, and she was sure it didn't have anything to do with the steam. "P-Pinkie?! What are you doing in here?!" Twilight exclaimed in embarrassment, wrapping her forelegs around her body despite there being nothing to hide. Even though ponies didn't normally wear clothes, a shower was a private matter that they did by themselves. Anypony would've been embarrassed had their marefriend walked in on them soaking wet in a shower. Pinkie couldn't tear her gaze away from Twilight, though she did notice her offense immediately. "O-Oh, sorry, Twilight! I-I was just checking on y--" "Get out!" The unicorn shrieked, blushing profusely. Pinkie didn't need to be told twice. The party mare dashed back to the hallway and slammed the door behind her, leaning against it. She panted from the exertion of the run, and from what she'd just witnessed. Her entire face felt feverish, and she couldn't believe that she'd walked in on Twilight taking a shower! Well, she knew she was in the tub when she checked up on her, but she didn't know she was going to be awake! Pinkie Pie finally recovered her breathe, and let herself slide down the door so she was sitting. She hoped she hadn't made Twilight angry with her. That was the last thing Pinkie wanted to happen. However, this was a lot better than thinking about the nightmare. Surely it'd keep the unicorn's mind occupied long enough to keep her from dwelling to that train of thought. The only thing that Pinkie found funny about this situation was how she had teasingly called herself a pervert earlier. Now she probably seemed like one to Twilight, too. Twilight stood in shock for several seconds, a blush still prominent on her features. The water continued to pour down on her, but she didn't really feel it. Had Pinkie really come into the bathroom, knowing that she was taking a shower? What did that one mare call it in that one book? Oh, yes, Pinkie was a Peeping Tompony. Twilight was sure that was what they were called nowadays. After recovering herself, she pulled the curtain shut and continued to wash herself off. That was embarrassing. Twilight would never have pegged a mare like Pinkie as that kind of pony. Even though the unicorn knew she'd probably just come in to check on her, the blush she'd been sporting proved that she liked whatever she saw. Well, whatever that might be. Finally, without an ounce of drowsiness, Twilight twisted the knob until the water stopped, and stepped out. And, to make matters worse, there wasn't a towel in sight. Great. The unicorn trotted to the door, more than a little embarrassed, and spoke into it. "Pinkie? Are you still out there?" Twilight could hear the pink mare's shuffling hooves. "Um, yeah! Of course I'm out here!" The conversation had already become slightly awkward. Twilight's ears folded down by themselves, just like they always did when situations made her look silly. "Do... Do you think you could do me a favor?" "Sure! What do you need?" Her eagerness to help drained out any embarrassment from her voice, though Twilight was sure she was still feeling nervous. "I need a towel... Spike took the ones from the bathroom for us downstairs earlier... If you don't mind... could you get me another one from my room? In the closet?" At first, Pinkie saluted, but then she realized Twilight couldn't see that. "Sure thing, Twi!" "Oh, and please try not to wake Spike up!" The unicorn reminded just as the earth pony walked over to the bedroom. She pushed it open slowly, slinking inside. Closet... Closet... Pinkie couldn't see very well through the darkness, but she was much more confident in herself here than back in the bathroom. She trotted quietly to where she knew from memory the closet was, and opened it up. From the faint light ebbing just in the hallway, she could make out some clothes. As she imagined Twilight shivering by now, she began rummaging a little faster. Finally, she found towels on the top shelf she'd neglected to check in the very beginning. The closet itself was neat; Pinkie just didn't keep hers the same way as Twilight's. In fact, the inside of her closet was decked out as a second sleeping place--for special, partying emergencies. But this wasn't the time to think about that. As Pinkie pulled out a towel, something else clattered down to the floor. The earth pony cast an anxious glance at the sleeping dragon, but he hadn't woken up. When she looked back at whatever had fallen, she noticed that her eyes had adjusted to the lack of light. A small box had landed on the floor, the lid just to the side. Pinkie knew it would be wrong to go through Twilight's stuff, and that it would probably make her upset, so she picked up the lid and prepared to put the box away. However, just as she lowered the lid, she saw what was inside. A simple photograph--it was one of Twilight as a filly with a little doll. It was an old picture, and scrawled on it in an obviously younger pony's handwriting, read: You're the best doll ever, Smarty Pants! We'll be best friends forever! It was more than enough to make Pinkie smile. The earth pony recalled the doll being the subject to a spell of Twilight's that made everypony go crazy over it, and that Big Mac had taken it away in his daze. The thought that Twilight didn't have something she felt so strongly about as a foal made her a little sad, too. Then, the underused gears in Pinkie's head began to spin. What if she recovered the doll for Twilight? What if these nightmares were somehow connected to Twilight not having Smarty Pants when she went to sleep? Pinkie Pie quickly put the lid atop the box and shoved it into the closet. She picked up the towel and quickly exited the room, closing the door behind her. She was surprised Spike hadn't woken up at all. The earth mare made her way back to the bathroom and knocked on the door three times. "I have your towel, Twilight!" The unicorn sighed in relief, and opened the door slightly. "Thank you!" She reached her hoof out and took the purple towel, gently pulling it into the room and drying herself off with it. "Seriously, Pinkie, what took you so long?" Pinkie began to think of an excuse, but decided to give her the truth. Well, part of it. "Sorry, Twilight, I couldn't find it!" The unicorn sighed, pushing the door back open as she walked out of the bathroom. Neither seemed to care that it was so late--or, in this case, so early. Pinkie turned a little red as she remembered the way Twilight had looked with her mane drenched, and the lavender mare noticed the quick glance toward her hair. She gave Pinkie an apprehensive look. "So, are you going to explain to me why you walked in on me taking a shower?" The earth pony gulped involuntarily and smiled nervously. "Well, um, you were really sleepy, and you were really quiet, so had to go make sure you were okay and... um... you left the door open!" They both shared a sheepish laugh. "I guess you're right... Well... Let's get back downstairs." Twilight changed the subject, slyly making her way down the stairs. Pinkie, glad that she'd been spared of any more embarrassment, trotted down after her. Had it been anypony other than Twilight, she wouldn't have really cared about being caught in a silly situation like that, but she really did want the unicorn to think highly of her. That said, she was one of the only ponies she was really self-conscious around. However, just as they got to the library floor, they could see the sun start to rise. Twilight commented on how she hadn't noticed the time going by, but Pinkie had congratulated herself on a job well-done. Twilight hadn't fallen asleep that night, but in truth... It was only a matter of time until she did. Pinkie dismissed the bad thoughts, as she so often did, and concentrated on having as much fun with her marefriend as possible. Later today, she would retrieve the Smarty Pants doll, and only then would she really give herself a pat on the back. If the loss of the doll really was what was causing the nightmares, then maybe this way she'd be able to make Twilight happy again. Pinkie giggled to herself. She'd have a talk with Big Mac later.