Twilight Sparkle smiled warmly as a small cup of tea was placed in front of her. It had been three days since she had last seen Princess Luna. Twilight had busied herself as soon as she had arrived in Ponyville. Rarity and Applejack still had much that needed to be done before the big day. The purple unicorn had reunited with Spike, and Rarity had sent the pair on errands right away. The days had been busy, but the nights had been long. Twilight found herself constantly thinking of the Moon Princess. She couldn’t be sure, because she had no experience in these types of things, but she was beginning to think she may be falling in love.
“Darling, are you all right?”
Twilight immediately looked up at the alabaster unicorn whose brow had become furrowed. They were currently taking a small break and enjoying the warm afternoon sun, as they sat on the porch overlooking Sweet Apple Acres. Spike had returned to the library to grab more parchment and quills. The best form of organization was list making, and Twilight was a definite professional when it came to lists. Applejack was just coming up the steps, as Rarity hoofed her fiancé a tall, cold glass of apple juice.
“I’m fine Rarity.” Twilight said, shaking her head.
“Twilight, you can’t fool me. You’ve got that far off look in your eye. You only get that look when you’re thinking and thinking hard. Now out with it darling.”
Twilight’s cheeks blazed red and she stared deeply into her cup of tea, as if it was the most interesting thing she had ever laid eyes on. She waited a few seconds before lifting her head. Sapphire eyes burned through her.
“Ah Rares, if she doesn’t want to talk about it then don’t pressure her.” Applejack smiled, wrapping a hoof around Rarity.
Rarity turned her head from Twilight up to Applejack, nuzzling her muzzle softly.
“But what if she does want to talk about it? We are her good friends, and I just wanted her to know she can come to us about anything.”
Applejack nodded and returned the nuzzle. Twilight couldn’t help but notice how adorable Applejack and Rarity were with each other. Things sure had changed. She remembered a time when the two couldn’t stand to be around each other because of their differences. Was it true that opposites attract? Rarity and Applejack were very obviously in love. It couldn’t hurt to ask her friends some questions that were on her mind. She cleared her throat.
“Well, actually there is something I want to ask you about.” Twilight started.
The two ponies waited for her to continue as they nodded their heads.
“How did you know you were in love?” Twilight asked slowly.
Applejack looked from Twilight and back to Rarity. Rarity shared her gaze and they both turned back to Twilight.
“Have you met somepony?” Rarity asked slyly.
“A special somepony?” Applejack grinned.
Twilight blushed harder and looked down. “M-Maybe. “
“Darling! How could you not tell us?” Rarity asked, sharing Applejack’s grin.
Twilight was at a crossroads. She really did want her friends’ advice, but she wasn’t ready yet for them to know about Luna. They were taking things slowly after all, and the fact she hadn’t seen or heard from the Princess in days, was making her feel insecure.
“I’m not really sure of anything right now.” Twilight admitted. “I did meet sompeony wonderful. But we are taking it slow. I just have all these crazy feelings rolling around in my head and heart. So please tell me, how did you know?”
“Is it a mare or a stallion?” Rarity continued.
“I can’t really say right now...” Twilight trailed off.
“Ah bet it’s a certain Princess.” Applejack said with a wink.
Twilight’s mouth opened wide. How did they know?
“Twilight Sparkle!” Rarity’s eyes became as big as saucers. “You’ve fallen for the Princess and you didn’t tell us?”
Twilight winced. She couldn’t believe they had guessed. How in the world had they known? Was it that obvious?
“Princess Celestia?” Applejack let out a low whistle. “Yeehaw!”
Wait...What? NO!
Twilight immediately raised her fore legs in the air. “No!!! It’s definitely not Princess Celestia. Please stop asking. I promise I will tell you after the wedding. But until then I can’t say a word.”
The purple unicorn was breathing heavily, her mane looking rather matted.
“Relax Twi.” Applejack trotted over to the other side of the table and gave her a small squeeze. “We promise we won’t grill ya any more.”
“To answer your question darling, one simply just knows. It’s a feeling you get in your heart. You can’t wait to see that somepony, or be with that somepony.” Rarity said, smiling.
“And when yer away from that somepony, you can’t stop thinking bout em’.” Applejack continued.
“You would do anything to see them happy.”
“Yer heart breaks when they’re hurt or sad.”
“It’s like you don’t want to fall asleep, because finally your reality is better than your dreams.”
““Knowing in yer heart that somepony has your back no matter what. That you can trust and depend on them.”
“You don’t mind helping them wipe the mud off their hooves after a hard day of work. You know its proof they were really working and not off with another mare.” Rarity teased, elbowing Applejack.
Applejack grinned. “How about when their “fainting couch” breaks from overuse and ya fix it without complaining?”
The two mares continued to giggle and tease, becoming wrapped up in each other and oblivious to their friend. Twilight was taking it all in. She wondered if she should get a quill and write this all down. It would be good study material to go over later. Unfortunately she remembered that Spike wasn’t back from the store yet. She was about to ask Applejack if maybe Granny Smith had a spare quill, when a familiar voice was heard behind her.
“Hello everypony. I hope I’m not interrupting.”
Twilight’s body twisted around as she turned to face another old friend.
“Fluttershy!” she yelled, leaping out of her chair to hug the yellow pegasus.
“Oh my. Hello Twilight. Hello girls.” Fluttershy smiled as she returned Twilight’s hug.
“Where is he? Where is he?” Rarity yelped, suddenly pulling away from Applejack to search Fluttershy.
“The little one was up all night. We decided it was best if we let him sleep. His daddy promised to bring him over when he woke up.”
Rarity clasped her hooves together in excitement. The little one they were referring to was Fluttershy’s infant foal. He was born shortly before Twilight had left for Canterlot. Twilight couldn’t wait to see the little guy again.
“I bet he’s adorable!” Twilight said excitedly.
“Oh he is. He has been a bit of a handful lately though.” Fluttershy said, sitting in the empty chair beside Twilight.
“Ah’d say he comes by it honestly.” Applejack remarked.
Fluttershy blushed and nodded. It was then that she turned to Twilight and noticed the scathing burn mark adorning her chest.
“Oh my. Twilight what happened? Are you okay?”
Twilight nodded her head. “I had an accident with magic.”
Fluttershy studied the burn mark closer. “Oh, it sort of looks like a crescent moon.”
“That’s what ah said too.” Applejack interjected.
Rarity nodded in agreement. Twilight looked down at her chest and traced the outline of the burn with the tip of her hoof. It was still painful, and yet whenever she looked at it, she remembered Princess Luna tending lovingly to the wound.
“Hey Fluttershy, where’s Pinkie Pie?” Twilight asked, changing the subject.
“Oh Pinkie is very busy. I have never seen her so serious. She told me she was busy preparing last minute details for the wedding party and that she would meet up with us later on.”
“Well, as long as her party cannon is locked and loaded, Ah’d say we’re good to go.” Applejack laughed.
The others nodded too.
“Twilight!” yelled a familiar voice.
Once again the group turned to see Spike running up the grassy hill towards the porch. As Twilight waved to her assistant, she noticed he was carrying a scroll in his claws. The scroll had the Royal Canterlot seal on it.
Spike huffed and puffed. Although he was no longer a baby dragon, he was still growing and it would take many more years before he grew to his full size and strength. He quickly handed her the scroll.
“A letter from the princess...” he wheezed, as he caught his breath.
Twilight at once noticed the black lettering on the base of the scroll that read “URGENT”.
“I ran as fast as I could because it looked really important.” Spike finished, as Rarity poured him a cold drink.
The purple dragon happily gulped down the liquid as he and everyone else waited for Twilight to open the scroll.
“Well sugarcube, what are ya waiting for? Better find out what Princess Celestia wants.” Applejack prodded.
Twilight nodded and opened the letter. Immediately she felt a soft flutter in her stomach. The letter was not from Celestia, but from Princess Luna. She could feel that familiar blush rise to her cheeks as she quickly read the Princess’ letter. Her lips then curved into a small smile that soon became a large grin. She stared at the letter and read it again, all the while grinning like a fool. She then put the letter down and was surprised to see four curious faces looking back at her.
“Oh...” She stammered. “It’s from my teacher, Princess Luna. It’s nothing to worry about. She was just making sure I was studying while on this break.”
Twilight was sure that the blush adorning her cheeks would give away her lie, but thankfully everypony and dragon seemed to accept that as a suitable response.
Spike sighed. “I ran a marathon for that?”
Rarity giggled. “Oh Spike, I’m sure a rough and tough dragon such as yourself, had no problem with that task.”
Spike puffed out his chest. “Of course not, Rarity. It was nothing for a guy like me.”
Everyone laughed. Twilight was happy for Spike’s distraction. Her mind wandered back to the Princess’ letter. She couldn’t wait to get home.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
“Well, I for one think it’s adorable.” Sweetie Belle smiled, clasping her hooves together.
“Aww thanks Sweetie.” Scootaloo said, reaching out to squeeze Rainbow Dash’s hoof.
Rainbow could only blush. She was completely uncomfortable. The four ponies were seated at a Cafe near the Wonderbolts training facility. She wasn’t sure how she had gotten to this point and she was still a bit unsure of how to proceed. She loved Scootaloo, this much was for certain, but she had only realized it when Scoots had shown up at the Academy this year as a new student. She had tried hard to deny her attraction to the younger pony. But Scootaloo had made that almost impossible. Rainbow had spent many nights awake, wondering what to do about her predicament.
“So what happened next?” Sweetie Belle asked excitedly.
They were currently in the middle of Scootaloo telling the story of how she and Rainbow Dash had gotten together. Apple Bloom had been noticeably silent through most of the conversation. The yellow earth pony wasn’t sure why, but she felt slightly uncomfortable about the student/teacher relationship. Maybe it was because she had grown up with Granny Smith’s old school values, or maybe it was just because she remembered Rainbow Dash as a mentor to all of them. But she wanted to give their story a chance and so she continued to listen intently.
“Well, it took some time, but I finally got Rainbow Dash to admit she had feelings for me. Of course neither one of us wanted to jeopardize the others place in the Academy. So, Rainbow Dash, being the loyal friend that she is, went to Headmistress Spitfire to explain the situation and give her resignation.”
Rainbow Dash looked down as Scootaloo told the story.
“She thought it was my dream to be a Wonderbolt too. Little did she know that my dream was just to be by her side. I couldn’t let her go and throw away her dream for me. I interrupted her meeting with Spitfire, giving her my own resignation as a student. Spitfire didn’t say anything at first; in fact it looked like she was deep in thought.”
“So romantic...” Sweetie Belle said. “And then?”
Rainbow Dash lifted a hoof to Scootaloo’s mouth. Scootaloo looked at Rainbow and Rainbow smiled, giving her a nuzzle.
“It was epic. Spitfire just shook her head at the both of us. She told us she didn’t want to lose either of us but that we were right, student and teacher relationships were clearly frowned upon. Scoots told her she would leave, and that would solve the problem.” Rainbow said, putting a hoof around her marefriend.
At this point even Apple Bloom was on the edge of her seat, wondering how Rainbow and Scootaloo had gotten around the teacher/student policy.
“C’mon don’t leave us hanging.” Sweetie begged.
Rainbow Dash grinned. “Spitfire mentioned now that Scootaloo was no longer a student, the Wonderbolts had been looking for a flight choreographer. She had noticed that Scoots had a knack for stunts and tricks and thought she would be perfect for the job.”
Scootaloo beamed. “I, of course accepted. I’ve been helping the Wonderbolts choreograph their in-house flight shows since then. It’s actually pretty great, and best of all when I’m done working, I get to see Rainbow Dash. “
Sweetie Belle clapped her hooves together. “That was sooooo sweet!”
Apple Bloom smiled at her friends. After hearing their story she felt better. She was glad they had found love, and they seemed genuinely happy. Sweetie Belle was right, Rainbow Dash and Scootaloo made a gorgeous looking couple.
“Can you guys just keep this on the down low until the wedding is over?” Rainbow asked, looking across the table.
“We’re in the same boat as you. Can you keep our secret?” Sweetie Belle asked, winking.
The former crusaders looked at each other and without another thought, lifted their hooves into the air. All three hooves slapped together at the same time.
“CUTIE MARK CRUSADERS: SECRET KEEPERS! YAAAY!” they said in unison.
As the entire populous of the cafe stared, Rainbow Dash just shook her head.
XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX
Twilight Sparkle stepped out onto her balcony. The wedding was now only one more day away. Since Apple Bloom and Sweetie Belle had yet to return from the Wonderbolts Academy, Spike had stayed with Rarity and Applejack at Sweet Apple Acres. They were going to be up early to finish the last minute preparations and then in the afternoon there would be a quick run through to make sure everything would be perfect for the big day. Although she missed Spike dearly, she was happy to see he had become so close with Applejack and Rarity. It was almost as if he had become their adopted teenage son in some way. It had always been in Spike’s nature to want to help, and her friends repaid his helpfulness with love. Rarity always made sure he was taken care of, and now that Spike had grown a bit stronger, Applejack enjoyed his company in the fields.
Twilight was so deep in thought that she didn’t hear the soft thud behind her, as a guest landed on her balcony. She did hear the unfurling or her guest’s wings though, and turned around quickly. Her gaze fell upon Princess Luna, who smiled slyly at her student.
“I see you received my letter.” The Princess said, emerging from the shadows.
Twilight nodded, as she stepped closer to where Luna was standing. Their bodies touched, and they nuzzled lightly. Twilight sighed happily, pressing her muzzle into Luna’s soft fur. Luna chuckled, as she reached out to cup Twilight’s face in her hooves. She looked down lovingly at her student, before softly kissing her muzzle. Luna enjoyed the shocked look on Twilight’s face, before she leaned in to firmly plant her lips on the purple unicorn. Twilight closed her eyes, as Luna kissed her. So many feelings ran through her body at once. When Luna finally pulled away, Twilight reached up and pulled her back down, initiating another kiss.
Luna wrapped her wings around Twilight, holding her close as she slipped her tongue inside the young mare’s mouth. Twilight let out a low moan, as Luna’s tongue pressed softly against her own. They continued to kiss for several more seconds, until the Princess broke the kiss. Twilight panted slowly, instantly missing the closeness.
“That was....”
“Incredible!” Twilight whispered, blushing as she looked up at her teacher.
Luna smiled and nuzzled Twilight once more.
“Sorry this had to be such a short meeting. We are all so busy making sure everything is done or delegated to be done so we can attend the wedding. I just had to see you before then.”
Twilight sighed as she leaned into Luna. “Do you really have to go already? I know you’re busy, but I’ve missed you.” She whispered.
“Unfortunately royalty doesn’t get a day off without sacrifices. Would it help to know that I am using every ounce of willpower at this moment to force myself to go?" Luna asked, pushing a hoof up under Twilight’s chin.
Twilight laughed. “I suppose it helps a little bit.”
“I almost forgot.” Luna said, her horn glowing. “I come bearing a gift.”
A book appeared out of nowhere and floated into Twilight’s hooves. She read the title out loud.
“Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets.” Twilight gasped happily. “Oh Princess how did you know I had finished the other book?”
“Just a feeling I had.” Luna smiled. “I know you are an avid reader. When you’re done with that one, the third book is on your desk in your room at the castle. A little incentive for you to come back to me quickly once the wedding is over.”
Twilight blushed. “I have enough incentive at the moment. But thank you Princess, thank you for thinking of me.”
“Hey, I was thinking when were alone, you could just call me Luna.”
Twilight looked up at the Moon Princess. “Okay...Luna.”
Luna gave Twilight one last quick kiss on the muzzle, before she spread her wings to leave. “I’ll see you at the wedding. If you need anything before then, send a letter.”
Twilight nodded as the Princess stepped onto the railing of her balcony, giving her one final goodbye smile, before flapping her wings and taking off into the night sky. Without hesitation, Twilight moved to her telescope, watching Luna as she flew through the air, becoming smaller and smaller until she was just a speck of light. Twilight smiled as she looked up at the moon.
If she hadn’t been completely certain before, she was now. Twilight Sparkle was falling in love with the Princess of the Moon.
End Chapter