When Razor Blade lay down to sleep after returning home from the library, he slept with a peace he'd not known for years. As he began to interact more with the denizens of Ponyville, his business began to pick up, mostly in demand for fencing lessons. Between his new relationship with Twilight Sparkle and the surge in business, things were finally beginning to look up for Razor Blade.
Lyra and Bon-Bon were his two most faithful students, taking lessons from him all five days of the work week. At the end of one of their lessons, Razor said, "So I'm curious why you two are here so regularly. Don't get me wrong, I'm thrilled to have students has dedicated as you two. I'm just curious."
Lyra smiled and replied, "Well, since I'm a musician, and Bon-bon makes and sells candy, there isn't much that we do together as a couple. We thought that fencing would be a good way to get some exercise and do something together." It made Razor Blade smile to think that the sport he loved - the sport that gave him his cutie mark - was now helping two young and in love ponies bond and have something else in common.
Twilight, too, slept especially soundly the night after she had told Razor how she felt. When she awoke the next morning, she felt an unusual warmth in her heart. She had never had more than passing crushes on other ponies, instead focusing all of her attention on her studies. Romantic involvement was something that never seemed to her like a serious possibility. After all, she was a bit of, as Rainbow Dash put it, "an egghead."
"I saw Razor today when I was in the market buying groceries. He seemed much happier than when I first met him. Have you been talking to him like you planned?" Fluttershy asked Twilight when they, Rarity, Rainbow Dash, and Applejack met for lunch later that day.
"For the past two nights. It turns out that what was bothering him was a fillyfriend he had when he was studying at Appaloosa University. Somepony named Flame Knife. From the way he described her, she sounded just awful. I can't believe anypony would treat anypony else, especially her very special somepony, so horribly." Twilight began to space out as she finished speaking.
"Twilight, darling, is that a hint of affection I just heard in your voice?" Rarity asked, a smile creeping onto her face when she recognized the tone in the other unicorn's voice and her suddenly spacey look. When Twilight snapped back to reality with a glowing blush, Rarity took it as a confirmation of her suspicions. Excitedly, she said, "Oh, dear, I was wondering when you'd put those books down long enough to let somepony catch your eye. Are you going to tell him how you feel? You simply must tell him at some point." Normally, Rarity was a very mature and sophisticated mare. When it came to relationships, however, she gushed as much as any high school filly. Maybe more so.
Twilight looked down at her cup of tea, blushing even brighter. "I, uh..I did. I kind of...kissed him...." she said, trailing off so that the last bit was nearly inaudible, her blush continuing to growing in intensity.
The other four mares had surprised looks on their faces. Nopony was sure what to say for several seconds until Applejack asked, "Well, don't just leave us hangin', Twi. What did he do?"
Twilight finally lifted her head from her cup, her blush still present but now overshadowed by an enormous grin. "He kissed me back and said that he'd had a crush on me since he first met me." The other ponies all smiled, uttering some form of "Aww..."
"We're going out to dinner later this week," Twilight said, still beaming.
"Aren't you worried about this Flame Knife pony? Are you sure he's over her? I'd hate to have to kick his flank for hurting you," Rainbow Dash said. Everypony was thinking more or less the same thing, but nopony wanted to mention it and risk bringing down Twilight's happy mood.
Twilight hadn't considered this. Her smile vanished in an instant. She thought about it, sitting silently for a moment. After a few seconds, she said, "I don't know whether he is or not. What I do know, though, is that I've never felt like this about anypony before. I just have to trust that he is, and if it turns out I'm wrong, I'll cross that bridge when I come to it."
"Aww, don't ya worry, sugarcube," Applejack said, trying to reassure her friend. "If he said that pony was as hateful as ya make it sound, I don't think ya've got a thing to worry 'bout. Besides, even if he ain't quite over her yet, maybe he just needs somepony like you to treat him right and show him how much better ya are."
Twilight was certainly appreciative of the reassurance, but once a bell is rung, it cannot be unrung; the smitten unicorn couldn't shake from her mind the worry and doubt that now plagued her.
As the night of their date drew ever closer, Twilight couldn't shake Rainbow Dash's words from her mind. "Are you sure he's over her?" She knew that Rainbow had only said that because she cared for Twilight and didn't want to see her get hurt, but she couldn't help but feel a bit resentful, as well.
I'm not a little filly, Rainbow. I can take care of myself. Flame treated Razor like dirt. Of course he's over her. Anypony who had come from that would be long over her and want me instead...right?
"You okay, Twilight? You've been a little spacey all day," Spike asked.
"What? Oh, yeah. I'm fine, Spike. Just thinking."
"Thinking about what Rainbow Dash said the other day?" The baby dragon had spent enough time around his friend to be able to read her mannerisms fairly well, and she had told him all about the mares' lunchtime conversation when she had gotten home.
"Sort of, yeah. I mean, I know she has a point, but I've never really liked anypony before. Not like this, anyway. Even if he's not totally over her yet, isn't the best way to get him over her to show him how much happier I can make him?" Twilight couldn't tell where she stopped being logical and started rationalizing. Besides, doesn't everypony always say 'If you want something, go get it'?"
"Maybe you should go talk to Rarity if you're having doubts? I think she's probably the one of our friends who's had the most relationship experience. Well, she's at least had the most chasing experience, harassing every pony with any bit of nobility in Equestria at some point or another," Spike suggested. "I wish I were a prince..." he muttered, hopefully too quietly for Twilight to hear. To Spike's chagrin, however, she did hear.
"Oh Spike, you are still just a baby dragon, remember? I don't think you're quite old enough to be worrying about dating," she said with a giggle. "I think I will go see Rarity, though. If nothing else, I need to talk to her about what to wear tomorrow night." Twilight waved good-bye to Spike, grabbed her saddle bag, and headed for Rarity's boutique.
Twilight walked effectively blind the entire way from the library to Carousel Boutique. She trotted along, unseeing, completely wrapped up in her own thoughts. I have no idea what I'm doing. I don't know the first thing about being in a relationship. I should have looked for a book on this...No! Spending all of your time reading is half the reason you don't have any experience with this. This train of thought was ended only when she realized that she was about to walk straight into the door of Carousel Boutique.
Shaking her head to clear her mind, she pressed the door open with a hoof and greeted the seamstress who was working inside. "Hey Rarity, do you have a few minutes? There are a couple things I need to talk to you about," Twilight said as she and her friend greeted each other.
"Of course, darling. How can I help? Is this about your date tomorrow?"
"Yeah. Do you think I'm making a mistake? By going out with him, I mean. I mean, like with whether or not he's over Flame. I mean...Do you know what I mean?" Rarely had Twilight have this much difficulty. She was quite unaccustomed to seeing Twilight struggle to articulate herself.
"Oh, are you still thinking about what Rainbow Dash said? I'll admit, she does have a valid point that's not to be dismissed, but worrying yourself silly won't do anypony any good. Tell me this, Twilight: do you like him?" It wasn't often that Rarity had the opportunity to give dating advice, and as it was a guilty pleasure of hers, she relished the opportunity.
"I mean, yeah, I do. That's kind of why I kissed him the other night..." Twilight was already getting frustrated, though she wasn't sure if her frustration was with Rarity or with herself.
"Well, then, there's your answer," Rarity said matter-of-factly.
"I don't get it. How does that solve anything?" Twilight asked, now both frustrated and confused.
"Twilight, darling, just sit down, close your eyes, and breathe. Let me explain. We've already established that you're quite fond of Razor Blade. The fact that he reacted to your kiss the way that he did indicates that he has feelings for you, as well. From there, there are two possibilities. Either he is over Flame and ready to devote his attention to you, in which case you have nothing to worry about; or he isn't completely over Flame yet, in which case, if you want him, you have to chase him and show him that you're the better pony and, most importantly, that you're the mare who can make him happier. Are you following me, Twilight? If you want him, you have to go and get him, even if you have to fight somepony else for him. Some things in life are important enough to fight for, and few things in life are as important as romance."
Twilight just blinked, staring at Rarity. "Wow, Rarity. You've really thought this out, haven't you?"
Rarity took a posture of pride, saying "I'll have you know that I was quite the matchmaker when I was a filly. My friends always came to me for relationship advice. If you want him, Twilight, go get him. If you wait for somepony to come to you, you may be waiting until you're as old as Granny Smith, especially if his emotional baggage is as heavy as you make it out to be."
Twilight felt waves of both relief and determination wash over her. Rarity was right; if she wanted Razor, then she couldn't just give up on him because somepony from his past may or may not still be on his mind. I've never been attracted to anypony like this before. Even if he's not ready to move on from that part of his life, I have to try.
Twilight stood up, a look of absolute resolution upon her face. "Did that set your nerves at ease a bit?" Rarity asked.
"Completely. Thank you so much. Now, would you mind helping me figure out what to wear tomorrow night?"
Rarity's face lit up. "Say no more. Relationship advice may be a hobby of mine, but as my cutie mark shows, fashion is my special talent."
"No...No...No....No..Too dark...Not dark enough...Ugh, Rush chewed a hole through the sleeve...Damn it, that one's sunfaded...Don't I have anything decent to wear?!?" Razor Blade's frustration had been steadily growing as he sifted through his wardrobe. "Aha! Finally!" he shouted in triumph as he grabbed a suit that he had deemed acceptable - the standard white dress shirt with black slacks and a black jacket. "Good thing I have so much formal dress for my trips to Canterlot..."
Having chosen an actual outfit for the evening, he began to debate a tie. I definitely need some kind of tie. I'd just look lazy without one... He turned to his dog. "What do you think Rush? Red tie or black?" The dog gestured at him. "I swear to the gods, the dog just rolled his eyes at me....Fine, I'll play it safe and go with black. Geeze..." He quickly trotted around his house, making sure that he hadn't forgotten anything. "Suit? Check. Tie? Check. Cologne? Check. Bit pouch? Check. Irresistible charm? Check. Looks like I'm good to go." Walking out the door, he threw a hoof into the air in a waving gesture. "Be back later, Rush. Wish me luck!"
Twilight was determined to make a good impression on her first date with Razor. She and Rarity initially just talked about what Twilight already had in her wardrobe, but it soon became apparent to Rarity that the clothes she already owned were simply insufficient for securing the heart of the pegasus. They were up late into the night designing a new dress for Twilight. It was to be less formal than the dress she had worn to the Grand Galloping Gala but still every bit as elegant, albeit more subdued.
Between the dress that Rarity had made her and the pep talk that she had gotten from her friends, Twilight Sparkle felt the more confident than she had since before she came to Ponyville. That, however, did little to stop her stomach from tying itself into knots when she heard a knock at the library door.
What Twilight didn't know was that, on the other side of that door, Razor Blade was even more nervous than she. Do not buck this up. Do not buck this up. Do NOT buck this up. Do you hear me, Razor Blade? Twilight is an amazing pony who did what you didn't have the balls to do by making the first move. Now the ball's in your court, bro; it's time to show her what a gentlecolt looks likes. His mental pep talk-turned-lecture wasn't doing as much to calm his nerves as he might have liked.
When Twilight opened the door, Razor froze. There was no doubt in his mind that his jaw would have hit the ground when he saw his date had it been long enough. He had never seen anypony look quite so beautiful. Her hair was curled ever so slightly at the ends, making it appear as if it bounced of its own accord with each step she took. Her dress was a deep blue that accented the soft violet of her coat, trailing about an inch behind her. The collar of the dress came up to within half an inch of the bottom of her ears. The sides of the dress had folds barely noticeable, giving the garment an ethereal flow when she walked. The dress had a clasp in the front with an emblem of her cutie mark.
Razor Blade stood for what felt like hours but was, in reality, only seven or eight seconds, simply staring in awe at her. The longer he stared, the bigger her smile grew. "Well? Are you going to stare at me all night, or are we going to go somewhere?" Twilight asked, giggling at the stupor in which she'd put him.
He opened and closed his mouth several times, trying to respond, but failing to find any words. After a couple seconds, he stopped, closed his eyes, and gathered his thoughts, forcing himself back to the real world. Having focused his mind, he opened his eyes and managed to say "By the gods, Twilight, I've never seen anypony look so beautiful. I've certainly never had anypony leave me literally speechless."
At first, she had managed to hold off blushing at how visibly awe-struck he was, but that compliment broke her control, and her she felt her face begin to glow. Razor Blade, after seeing Twilight Sparkle, felt terribly underdressed. He wasn't, of course, but in his eyes, he might as well have been wearing a burlap sack.
He reached for her hoof and, arm in arm, they walked the streets of Ponyville towards one of the newer restaurants in town, recently opened by a pony from Canterlot. It was by no means a cheap establishment - on the contrary, it was the most expensive place in Ponyville - but he was willing to spare no expense on his first date in years, especially since he had so quickly grown so attracted to Twilight Sparkle.
"Celestia's Palace? No way, Razor, this place is way too expensive! Let's just go to Sugarcube Corner or Carrot Top's deli or something." Twilight protested when she realized where they were going.
Razor just laughed, looked at her, and said "Twilight, you seem to have some trouble understanding how stallions' minds work, so I'll explain. You see, when a stallion is trying to impress a beautiful mare, he tends to take her somewhere nice, not a normal old deli or pastry shop." Twilight just looked at him and facehoofed, a huge grin visible beneath her hoof. Seeing her reaction, he added, "Hey, it doesn't make to make sense, but that's just how it is."
At dinner, Razor Blade insisted that Twilight order the most expensive thing on the menu only half-joking. As they ate, she asked him about some of his college classes, specifically his history and philosophy classes. As a particularly talented unicorn, Twilight had never had the opportunity take more general education courses beyond her own personal studies; most all of her education had been with Princess Celestia and the Circle of the Magi in Canterlot.
He told her about his academic studies' focus on military history and economics, the latter of which was the area that she had studied the least. They talked about the economic theories of John Reinard Keynes, Karl Marex, and the clueless Amareican actor-turned-politician, Ronald Neighgan. She, in turn, told him about the great unicorn mages of past ages about whom he, as a magic-less pegasus, knew very little, and he then told her about the background and rules of fencing. Before they knew it, they were getting dirty looks from the waiters and realized that the restaurant had been closed for nearly an hour.
As they walked out of the restaurant, neither pony was ready for the night to end yet. Razor suggested, "Hey Twilight, why don't we go back to my place and watch a movie or something?"
Twilight beamed at the hoped for but unexpected extension of the date. "That sounds like a great idea."
Already nearly midnight when they got back to Razor's house, they started watching one of Razor's favorite movies, The Godstallion. When Twilight mentioned that she had never seen it, his only response was, "Oh Celestia, what have you been doing with your life? This is a movie that EVERYPONY needs to see."
They curled up on the couch together. Not even an hour into the movie, Twilight was asleep, her head on his shoulder. He rested his head on hers, inhaling deeply of her sweet scent. It calmed him like nothing ever had. Huh. So this is what bliss feels like. I'd completely forgotten. It's been a long time since you and I have seen one another, Bliss... Giving thanks for the great turnaround of his luck and enjoying the company of the mare with whom he was quickly falling in love, he, too, drifted to sleep.