//------------------------------// // Toying with Feelings // Story: Felt Heart // by Tchernobog //------------------------------// It had started as worry. The moment she’d seen Twilight’s expression as she entered the boutique, Rarity had known something was weighing on the other unicorn’s mind. That worry had turned to concern once Twilight had told her why she’d dropped by. Rarity had a fairly good idea as to what was affecting Spike, and had immediately given the unicorn all the rubies she had available. It did little to alleviate the guilt she felt, but she’d have done almost anything to help cheer Spike up. And then, Twilight had asked her to drop by the library later that evening. Once she had explained the issue, Rarity’s concern had become trepidation, which had only grown worse in the following hours. She’d thought that everything was going well. Apart from the little snag with Twilight’s inability to decipher the truth behind the dolls, their effect had been quite positive. What she’d heard from Fluttershy had almost caused her to cheer on the spot, and she’d heard of no negative effects from either Applejack or Rainbow Dash. In fact, she’d seen neither hide nor hair of the pair since the dolls had first been ‘discovered’. Hopefully, no news wasn’t bad news. As she made her way towards the library, her trepidation suddenly became fear. She couldn’t help but wonder—if it wasn’t an issue with Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, or Rainbow Dash and Applejack, could the trouble Twilight had mentioned stem from her doll? Had Twilight made a discovery—found out everything? Was this a way to reject her affections? Calm down, she scolded herself. She’s not like that. She would never do something so mean. But Twilight had definitely mentioned trouble. Rarity’s mind filled with increasingly bizarre visions, and she tried to suppress them as best she could. They weren’t prospects she wanted to consider. As she opened the library door, however, she discovered something she had failed to imagine. She saw no sign of either Spike or Twilight, but the smell wafting from the kitchen gave her an idea where they might be. More surprising than that, however, were the two ponies sitting in the middle of the library. She’d wondered if something else had happened after she’d parted company with Fluttershy at the spa. After Twilight’s visit, she’d feared that Fluttershy’s good fortune had vanished, and that she’d find the pegasus cowering behind her mane, or perhaps hiding under some pillows—back to how Fluttershy had described herself yesterday, jumping at the slightest thing. Instead, Rarity found Fluttershy sitting barrel to barrel next to Pinkie Pie, giggling so hard she had tears in her eyes. The pair were holding their dolls in their hooves, clearly playing with them. Pinkie was holding her Fluttershy doll, and Fluttershy was holding her Pinkie doll, making it gesticulate wildly, the motions becoming increasingly silly as Fluttershy fought her giggles. When Pinkie opened her mouth, though, Rarity had to stifle her own laughter. The earth pony sang a familiar song, but her voice was deep. Or at least, as deep as Pinkie Pie could manage, which wasn’t very deep at all. It sounded like an odd warble, and it was incredibly funny. “Then what would she do? She'll mix up an evil brew! Then she'll gobble you up In a big tasty stew!” Pinkie leaned closer to Fluttershy, grinning as she stared into Fluttershy's eyes. “Soooo… Watch out!” The Pinkie doll flopped forwards as it tumbled out of Fluttershy’s hooves, which flew up to their owner’s mouth. She was desperately trying to hold back her giggles, but it was a lost cause. They slowly quieted down, and stopped as the pair glanced at the door, noting the new arrival. Rarity shook her head, chuckling at the pair. “Oh, please, don’t let me interrupt you.” “You’re not! We’re just waiting for everyone else!” Pinkie said, beaming at Rarity. “Oh! Do you have your doll? She can have fun too!” “I’m afraid not, Pinkie.” She glanced around the room, and lowered her voice as she approached the pair. “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but… was bringing them such a good idea?” Pinkie tilted her head in confusion. “Huh?” “Fluttershy told me that she was scared of hers.” Rarity explained, pointing at the pink doll between the two ponies. But Fluttershy was shaking her head. “It’s okay, Rarity. I’m fine now.” “Yeah! Doll-me behaves herself around Flutterdoll.” Pinkie pointed to the two toys, as if the matter was obvious. “I decided to bring them because I didn’t want Doll-me getting any mean ideas while nopony was watching.” The pink pony stared at her miniature counterpart. “She’s a sly one!” “Ah, of course.” Rarity nodded, briefly wondering if Pinkie’s high sugar intake was the reason she was so sweet, or if it was the giggling pegasus next to her. The more she watched the pair, the more she suspected it was the latter. “Do you know when Rainbow Dash and Applejack are coming?” Pinkie shook her head. “I dunno! I didn’t even know they were coming! Oh!” She gasped, clopping her hooves together. “Do you think they’ll bring their dolls too? We can have a big play date!” Those two? Not likely. “We’ll see. They should be here soon.” As if her words had been a summons, her ears picked up a pair of familiar voices from outside. A pair of rather loud voices, in fact. “Oh come on! Please? I said I’m sorry!” Rainbow Dash whined, her scratchy voice carrying through the wood. “I’ll do all your chores for a month!” “Nothin’ doin’!” Applejack’s voice shot back. “Tryin' to dig a secret passage through my apple orchard… You won’t learn from your boneheaded ideas if I don’t do this!" “Fine! You’re right! I’m an idiot!” “Darn tootin’! Those things really pulled a number on ya. You’re worse’n Twilight when she thought she was tardy!” “Hey! I’m—uh. Hi, guys!” Rarity had opened the door with her magic, revealing the farmer and the weatherpony arguing on the other side. But as much as she hoped otherwise, what she saw did not offer her any comfort. Applejack was glowering, staring straight ahead and refusing to meet Rainbow Dash’s eyes. The pegasus, on the other hoof, had been staring straight at the earth pony, looking dismayed, her ears flat against her head. As soon as she’d noticed the open door, she’d tried to look disinterested, but kept glancing back at Applejack. Rarity was aghast. This is not good at all. The pair were fighting, and if Twilight was right, this was all because of the dolls. Her dolls. This was her fault. She glanced at Pinkie and Fluttershy, then back to Applejack and Rainbow Dash. Thanks to her, the relationship she’d been unsure of looked to be blooming beautifully. But on the other hoof, the other two, of which she’d been so sure, were fighting. Had one couple come at the cost of another? This isn’t what I intended at all. “Uh, Rarity? You okay there?”   Applejack’s voice snapped Rarity out of her daze. She blushed, realizing she’d been staring at her friends. “Yes, I’m fine. My apologies. Do come in!” Applejack nodded her thanks as she and Rainbow Dash stepped in. “Where’s Twi? Big Mac said she wanted to talk ‘bout somethin’.” “I’m here!” Twilight said as she trotted down the stairs. “Thanks for coming, girls. Spike, is the food ready?” she called out to the kitchen. “Yep! Here you go!” The little dragon chose that moment to burst out of the kitchen, tail first. He held several plates in his arms, each piled high with hay fries, which he promptly placed in a circle in front of the sitting pairs. Applejack and Rainbow Dash sat in front of another plate, bending down to bite a few fries, leaving Rarity to seat herself next to Twilight. Where this would normally have been cause to smile, she felt nothing of the sort. She was simply too filled with guilt. She did, however, notice crumbs and small pieces of ruby on the corners of Spike’s mouth. He also seemed moderately more cheerful than when she’d seen him last. But considering when that had been, his mood could only have improved from there. Still, she mused. That’s one gift that went over well, at least. Applejack swallowed her food and broke the silence. “As tasty as these are, what’s all this about, Twilight?” “These,” the unicorn replied, floating her Rarity doll towards her. The real Rarity felt a weight in the pit of her stomach. If the other dolls had caused problems with the other two pairs, she couldn’t imagine what on earth could be troubling Twilight. But she didn’t have long to wait before finding out. “I heard from Big McIntosh that they were causing trouble, Applejack. With you and Rainbow Dash.” Well. She certainly isn’t beating around the bush, Rarity thought. She quickly glanced at the two ponies in question. With any luck, she’d be able to piece together the issue, and then try to fix it if she could. Applejack was frowning, a hoof held to her face. More interestingly, Rainbow Dash’s eyes were wide. She looked to be panicking, which worried Rarity to no end. Was the trouble that bad? “That big galoot, pokin’ his nose where it don’t belong…" The farmer grumbled, and stared at Twilight. “Don’t you worry ‘bout it, Twi. It’s all under control.” “Really?” Twilight asked, looking skeptical. “Big McIntosh made it sound a lot more serious than that. He wouldn’t even talk about it!” “ ‘Cause we asked him not to. But you still poked your nose into it, didn’t you?” She smirked at Twilight, who blushed at the accusation. “I know your heart’s in the right place, Sugarcube, but it’s fine. Dash was just overdoin’ things, that’s all.” “Hey! I was just trying to help!” Rainbow shot back, glowering at the earth pony. “Yeah, well next time, ask first.” Applejack rolled her eyes at Rainbow before turning back to smile at Twilight. “This is farm business, Twi. I’ll take care of it.” “Are you sure?” Twilight asked, to which Applejack nodded. “Okay… Fluttershy?” Twilight turned to the other pair. “Pinkie told me your doll scared you, are you okay?” Fluttershy nodded, ignoring the snort from the other pegasus. “Oh, I’m fine now, Twilight. Pinkie took care of it. But, um, thank you for asking.” “She did?” Rainbow asked, her face the picture of skepticism. Rarity couldn’t entirely blame Rainbow, to be honest. Pinkie’s ideas were often a bit bizarre. “Yep!” the pink mare replied, leaning in to rub her cheek against Fluttershy’s. “And now she’s all better!” At this point, Rarity could no longer hold in her curiosity and worry. “But what about you, darling? Is yours causing problems?” Have I caused an even greater mess than I thought? Thankfully, Twilight shook her head. “No, I’m fine. I was just worried about you guys.” Rarity couldn’t stop the smile from spreading on her face. Once again, she felt herself falling in love with the selfless mare next to her. Twilight’s soul was truly a beautiful thing. “My research has pretty much stalled though,” Twilight sighed. “I asked Jewel Bearing about the gemstone eyes, but he couldn’t really help. Only told me the names of the gems, which I already knew. I need the books the Crusaders took to find out more!” Rarity’s throat suddenly felt as dry as a desert. “Th-the Crusaders?” she croaked, desperately hoping she’d heard wrong. They'd had the book all this time? “Yeah, Spike told me they came in yesterday, asking for everything we had related to ‘felt hearts’. I–” Twilight was interrupted by the sound of coughing. Rainbow Dash was holding a hoof to her chest as Applejack pounded her back. The pegasus eventually caught her breath, her eyes wide. “S-sorry. Swallowed something wrong. Thanks, A.J..” The farmer nodded, sharing a look with Rainbow as Spike brought a glass of water. “What’s a ‘felt heart’, Twilight?” Pinkie asked, her eyes gleaming. “Sounds like fun!” “Well, Rarity told me her doll has a heart made out of felt sewn on it. I’m not really sure why hers is different, but it was worth looking into.” Rainbow seemed to perk up at that. “Heart? There’s a heart on hers?” Twilight nodded. “Yes, that’s what I said. Why, does that mean anything to you?” Rarity’s eyes narrowed as she watched the Rainbow’s ears twitch. Her eyes briefly shifted towards Applejack before snapping back to look at Twilight. She looked nervous, and her voice betrayed as much. “N-not that I know of!” Rainbow, my dear, you’re almost as bad at lying as Applejack. The pegasus clearly knew something, but what? “Are you sure?” Twilight asked, drawing Rarity’s attention. She’d apparently also seen through Rainbow’s attempt at deflection. “Anything would help at this point.” “N-nope, I don’t know anything about it!” Rainbow protested, leaning back in an attempt to escape scrutiny. An attempt which would have obviously failed, had the door not opened at that moment. “See? I told ya they were here! Mah brother said so!” A yellow filly stood in the door, grinning at the assembled ponies. “Hi, Sis!” “Howdy, Apple Bloom!” Applejack called back. “What brings you here?” “Bringin’ back these books. But they were pretty usele—ack!” Apple Bloom jumped aside as Twilight appeared next to her in a flash of magic, her face lit up in anticipation as she began levitating the books around her head. “Oh girls, your timing is perfect! We were just talking about these! I–” The unicorn fell silent as she stared at the bottom of the fillies’ cart. “Girls, what is this? Why does this doll have my cutie mark?” Rarity’s eyes widened in horror. They wouldn’t have. They couldn’t have! Had they been capable, her eyes would have widened again as Twilight floated the doll out of the cart. Hideous could not begin to describe it. “And my—uh, one of my wings?” Rainbow asked. The other wing was one of Fluttershy’s, which clashed garishly with the first. “And mah hat?” Applejack chimed in. Rarity stared at it. It had been her first attempt, slightly too small for the doll’s head, but only barely noticeable as such. Pinkie was giggling at the sight. “And my mane!” She added. Somehow, the fillies had found more pink wool. Where had that come from? Rarity could have sworn she’d run out of it. The three fillies grinned proudly at their work. “It’s a Felt Heart doll!” they chorused together. Rarity could only stare in continued horror. How did they… Twilight frowned. “Where did you hear that name?” she asked. Apple Bloom’s smile faded. She’d noticed the older ponies’ expressions. “Uh, from Applejack and Rainbow Dash?” she said, pointing at the now wide eyed pair. “Those two made a pair!” The attention of everypony was now squarely on the pair frantically shaking their heads. “What’re you looking at us for? We didn't make those! We’d never make those! If I’d made that for A.J. it would be as good as blurting out to everypony that we're dating!” For a few seconds, the library was blissfully quiet. Quiet enough that the sound of Applejack’s hoof meeting her face was clearly audible to everypony in the room. Dash sat, wide eyed, her hooves in front of her mouth. And then, the bit dropped. "Oh my gosh you guys are dating?!" Pinkie cried out, her smile a mile wide. "You need a party! Toot-sweet! I'll need cake and zap apple jam and-" Rainbow was shaking her head again. "We're not da-" She was cut off by a tightly hugging Fluttershy. "That's wonderful! I'm so happy for you!" "But-" "Ohh, streamers! You can't forget streamers! And music and-" "Wait, was that supposed to be a secret?" Applebloom asked, her brow furrowed in confusion. Rainbow's eyes could hardly have gotten wider. "You knew?" "Well, yeah. You started comin' round the farm all the time, an' Sis was acting real happy when she was near ya. So I figured you were dating. Didn't anypony else see it?" The young filly looked around, raising an eyebrow at all the stares pointed her way. Even Pinkie had stopped talking to gawk at her. "Seriously? I thought everypony knew!" Applejack's guffaw followed Rainbow's groan as the pegasus buried her face under her hooves. "Give it up, Sugarcube. Cat's outta the bag now." She chortled, laying a hoof on Rainbow's shoulder. Rarity's mouth snapped shut, as she realized she was still slack-jawed. As she watched Applejack try to comfort a defeated Rainbow Dash, she couldn’t help but feel conflicted. On one hoof, she was happy to have been proven right—despite her earlier worry at the tense situation between them when they’d first arrived at the library, the pair were clearly together, as she'd suspected. She made a mental note to ask about Rainbow’s attempts to deny it, though. On the other hoof, they knew. Somehow, they’d figured out what these dolls meant, before even Twilight. Had they found the book amongst the Crusaders’ possessions?          But no, the fillies had said they’d heard it from the two mares. Even though Rainbow had used the term ‘dating’, it was clear that they were aware of the dolls’ significance. They’d seemed as clueless as the rest those few days ago, when they’d first gathered to discuss the appearance of the dolls. But between then and now, they’d figured it out. How? And why did they stay quiet about it? “Not that I’m not happy about the news, but what does this have to do with the dolls?” Twilight asked. “Am I the only one still confused here? Did you guys make them or not?” “No! We didn’t!” Rainbow insisted. “Then who did?” Twilight yelled, her frustration apparent. “And what do they have to do with dating?” Rarity knew she had to say something. Anything. She had to stop this. But every time she opened her mouth, the lump in her throat stopped any sound from coming out. “Now, calm down Twi-” Applejack began, frowning at the unicorn. "I am calm!” Twilight barked, throwing her hooves in the air. “I just don't know what's going on! And you two seem to know something!" She said, pointing a hoof at Applejack, then Rainbow Dash. The pegasus bristled, her feathers fluttering against her sides. “Oh can it, Twilight! You’re just jealous we figured it out before you did!” “Aha!” Twilight smirked triumphantly, as Applejack’s hoof met her forehead once again. “You are hiding something!” Rainbow’s eyes widened as she realized her mistake. “Oh horseapples.” Rarity could only stare in horror as the two argued. This is all so wrong. It was all her fault. She’d given in to her penchant for theatrics. It had seemed like such a good idea. A mysterious gift. A nudge, here and there, to set Twilight on the right track, hidden by the veil of anonymity—all to protect herself, to save herself from shame, if her feelings went unrequited. She loved Twilight, but if Twilight didn’t love her, nopony needed to know. She hadn’t wanted this. Applejack stood between Twilight and Rainbow as the pair continued their argument. Pinkie was staring at them, looking worried. Fluttershy had buried her face in Pinkie’s mane. She’d inched closer to the pink mare, as if Pinkie could hide her from the growing tension. It was a small, tiny silver lining on the rift that she was causing between her other friends. She had to do something to protect that. To fix her mistake. The time for silence had passed. “I did it!” She yelled, raising her voice above the others’. “I made them!” She forced the words out, her eyes scrunched shut. She hadn’t realized she’d even closed them. As the silence dragged on, she opened her eyes, dreading what she’d see. Pinkie still looked worried, but her head was tilted, as if she was trying to process what Rarity had said. Fluttershy stared at Rarity, her eyes wide. Applejack’s eyebrows were raised. And Rainbow was glowering at her. The silence was broken by the most unexpected pony. “Rarity?” Fluttershy whispered. “It was you?” Rainbow growled, taking a step towards the white unicorn. “It’s your fault? I oughta-” “Oooh oooh!” Pinkie jumped up, knocking Rainbow aside as she waved her forelegs in the air. “I know this one! Ahem: No! I made the dolls!” “Pinkie!” Rainbow yelled, before Applejack put a hoof on her shoulder. The pair shared a look. Rarity couldn’t make out their expressions, but something unspoken seemed to pass between the two. Rainbow sighed, and sat back down. Pinkie continued giggling. “C’mon, Applejack! It’s your turn!” “This isn’t a game, Pinkie.” Rarity shook her head. “I really made them.” “Oh yeah? Prove it!” The unicorn pointed at the floating doll. “That monstrosity my sister is holding is made from the scraps of the ones I made you.” “Hey!” She ignored the indignant squeak from the fillies, and stared back at Pinkie. Anywhere but at Twilight. “I made them all, and sent you each one.” She was startled when Pinkie pointed an accusing hoof at her. “Ah-ha! But what about yourself! Did you send yourself one?” “Pinkie…" Rainbow groaned, rolling her eyes at the earth pony. “If she made the dolls, she wouldn’t have to send her own anywhere!” “Oh yeah…" Rarity could no longer meet anypony’s eye, and was now staring at the floor. “Actually, Rainbow, she’s right. There is no Twilight doll.” “There isn’t?” the mare in question asked. Even without looking at her, Rarity could hear the offended tone in her voice. And it hurt. “Why not?” “I… I did not feel comfortable making something to give to myself. It would have lost its meaning.” “What meaning?” Pinkie asked “There’s a meaning?” Rarity nodded, glancing at Twilight, then back to the floor. The other unicorn was frowning at her, and she could not bear to look back. “Twilight, look in The Complete Almanac of Pony Rituals and Traditions. Page… three hundred forty-eight, if I remember right. The last paragraph.” She heard Twilight open the book, every noise emphasised by the silence in the library. Everypony was staying quiet, as if they were holding their breath. “ ‘In conclusion’,” Twilight began, reading out loud, “ ‘the Felt Heart dolls are an expression of love. By creating a replica of oneself, and sewing a heart onto the doll's chest, the giver is making a gift of their heart to the recipient. The time spent crafting the doll with one’s own hooves shows the dedication towards the one who has captured one’s heart.’ ” As Twilight finished reading, Rarity finally dared to look up. Twilight now had all the pieces of the puzzle. She now knew what the dolls meant, and more importantly, how Rarity felt. If she looked, she might be able to see what Twilight was thinking. All she saw was shock, confusion, and doubt. “Um…  Rarity?” Fluttershy’s voice reluctantly tore Rarity away from Twilight’s gaze. “Yes, dear?” “It said ‘a replica of themselves’,” Fluttershy repeated. “So… why did you make dolls of the rest of us?” “And why didn’t you tell us sooner?” Rainbow added, still glaring at the white unicorn. Rarity winced. “Because I was scared.” “Scared?” She nodded. “I saw some… indications. A few hints, some evidence.” Applejack rolled her eyes. “Of what? Get to th’point, Rarity.” The unicorn’s ears flopped backwards, but she nodded in acceptance. “Of how you felt about each other, Applejack. How you feel about Dash, and how she feels about you.” She was surprised by the earth pony’s chuckle “I figured we’d hidden it pretty well!” She smiled at Rarity, then smirked at Apple Bloom. “That’ll teach me to underestimate my lil’ sis.” Rainbow, on the other hoof, had a powerful blush on her face, and could barely meet Rarity’s eyes. “W-were we really that obvious?” The white unicorn smiled as she shook her head. “Only to those who knew where to look, darling.” “Does that mean…?” Fluttershy asked, her eyes wide as her eyes flicked back and forth between Rarity and Pinkie Pie. “You two as well. It was harder to see, but it was there.” Rarity smiled at Fluttershy, who was now blushing almost as strongly as Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy turned to face Pinkie, who seemed lost in thought. “Pinkie…?” Pinkie gasped, her smile wider than ever. “That’s it!” “What?” Rainbow asked, startled at the outburst. “What?!” “I didn’t know which of my Flutterdolls to love more! If I loved the first more, the other would get jealous! If I loved the second more, the first would get jealous! And I don’t want them to be jealous!” She turned to face Fluttershy, her muzzle inches from the other pony’s. “So instead, I’ll just love you the most!” And then, she kissed Fluttershy. The pegasus’s eyes flew open, and everypony’s jaws dropped. As Fluttershy’s wings flared wide, Rainbow facehoofed. “How the hay did we miss that, A.J.? We knew what our dolls meant. Of course the others would have to mean the same thing.” “Y’all had other things on your mind, Dash.” “Well, why didn’t you think of it?” She pointed an accusatory hoof at Applejack. “Ah was busy cleaning up after those ‘other things’,” the farmpony replied with a smirk, eliciting a blush from her marefriend. The pink mare eventually broke the kiss, leaving a dazed but smiling Fluttershy behind. “Oh my goodness, oh my goodness…" she mumbled, her eyes rolling around in their sockets. Rarity could not hold back her smile. Everything had been worth it, just for this moment. Everything was fine, everything was perfect. The chorus of ‘Awww’s from the three fillies seemed to agree with her. “Wait—dammit!” Everypony stared at Rainbow Dash, surprised by her outburst. “Sugarcube? What’s wrong?” “Well, who are we going to set Big Mac up with now that Fluttershy and Pinkie are together? … ooh, unless–” A thump to the back of the head interrupted her. “What’d I tell you ‘bout leaving mah brother’s love life alone?” “What? Granny said she wanted lots of grandfoals. What better way than with two–” As another thwack from A.J. started an impromptu wrestling match, Fluttershy blushed and “Meep!”ed, and Pinkie just looked thoughtful. Rarity could only grin at their antics. Fine, everything is nearly perfect. “Rarity?” She sighed. Well, maybe things could stand to be a touch better. Twilight was staring straight at her, her expression neutral. “You never said what you were scared of.” “I… I didn’t, did I?” Rarity asked. Twilight shook her head slowly, sending a shiver of worry down Rarity’s spine. That shiver hadn’t gone unnoticed. “Gals, I think these two deserve a lil’ privacy,” Applejack broke in, tearing the attention away from the two unicorns. She held up a hoof as Rainbow started to argue. “I’ll drag you out by your tail if you try t’stay, Dash.” Her gaze swept to the Crusaders. “That goes for you three as well.” Rainbow threw her hooves in the air as the fillies groaned dejectedly. “Fine!” she grumbled, and flapped out of the library, followed by the Crusaders, then Pinkie Pie pushing a still dazed Fluttershy. Applejack brought up the rear, briefly glancing back at Twilight and Rarity. The fashionista gave her a weak smile, grateful for the all too brief reprieve. Twilight, however, kept staring at Rarity. Once the door closed, she finally spoke up. “What were you scared of, Rarity?” She didn’t know what to do. Should she keep staring at the ground, and remain unable to meet Twilight’s eye? Or should she hold her head high, and try to discern Twilight’s thoughts? She chose the latter. But she still could not read Twilight’s expression. “Of… of what all secret admirers are scared of, Twilight. I was scared of how you might react—of rejection. I know how the others feel about each other. I know how I feel about you.” She swallowed the knot that had suddenly formed in her throat. “I don’t know how you feel about me.” Twilight was silent, her once-blank expression flitting from understanding, to brief panic, before finally settling on confusion. Her eyes betrayed how unsure she was about what to say. “… why do you like me?” she eventually asked. “Me, of all ponies?” “Because… Because you’re beautiful, Twilight.” Rarity held up a hoof as the other mare tried to speak. “You are. Every part of you is beautiful. Your personality. Your charm. Your wit. Your mind. And, ehem, your body too, of course. You've got curves in all the right places, darling.” She smiled as a blush darkened Twilight’s cheeks. “You are an amazing pony, Twilight. You are kind, generous, loyal, honest… and you definitely bring laughter with you. You are the sum of all the Elements, but you are so much greater than that.” She snorted, her eyes meeting the floor once more. “Listen to me. I must sound so shallow.” She closed her eyes and steeled herself, then once more met Twilight’s gaze. “You shine brighter than the most precious gem. You’re a talented, graceful, and humble pony. You are so… so noble, Twilight. A true gentlepony.” Her eyes never left Twilight’s. “Since I was a filly, I wanted to find my noble prince. I chased that dream for so long… and I finally met him, and his name was Blueblood. That’s when I found out just how ‘noble’ the so-called nobility really is. But you, Twilight? You're everything they're supposed to be. Everything I dreamed about.” She took a deep breath, and smiled at the other unicorn. “I like… no, I love you for who you are, Twilight Sparkle. A beautiful princess in disguise.” There. Everything was now said and done. All she could do was wait. As the silence stretched on, that became harder and harder to do. She took note of Twilight’s every little movement. The gentle expansion of her barrel as she breathed, the slight twitch of her tail. The way her mouth opened, as if to speak, before closing again. The way her eyes flicked in many directions, her mind clearly trying to understand what was going on around her. Rarity could hold it in no longer. “Twilight?” she asked, hesitating, desperately trying to find the right words. “How do you feel?” “I don’t know, Rarity.” The lavender mare suddenly snorted, frowning. “One of my best friends just bared her heart to me. How the hay should I know how to feel?” That’s it, then. Rarity thought, feeling the weight bleed away from her shoulders. It instead settled in her heart, which felt heavier with every passing moment. She let her eyes wander, taking note of little details around the library. The odd coloring of some books, and how mismatched the ordering system made them look. It would look so much nicer if it was sorted by color. The stray quills, always a moment’s notice away from use. She glanced to the side, where a mass of purple and green had been sitting at the edge of her vision. Unlike the others, Spike had remained in the library, off to the side, but still close to Twilight. He was still staring at her, even now. She suddenly understood the little dragon, far better than she ever had before. “I’ll show myself out.” She sighed, turning towards the door. “Rarity, wait.” The white unicorn stopped, glancing back at Twilight. She stared at Rarity then, took a step forward, but paused mid stride. She looked back at Spike, who was staring at them both. The little dragon gave Twilight a tremulous smile, and nodded slowly. The mare returned his smile, trotting back to give him a hug. She squeezed him once, then turned to face Rarity. She closed the distance between them and placed a hoof on Rarity’s own. The white unicorn flinched at the contact, but held still. Every muscle in her body was telling her to leave, but she could not move. That single hoof, and the mare it belonged to, were holding her in place. And then, Twilight smiled at her, and spoke. “This is a lot for me to take in. I'm… not the most attentive pony, when it comes to certain things. When it comes to this.” Twilight drew a breath, gathering her thoughts. “I'm not angry, and I'm sorry if it seemed like I was. I've just… never thought about this before, and then suddenly you confess these feelings for me? I'm, well, not the best with unexpected events sometimes. Sudden friendship report deadlines, for example.” She withdrew her hoof from Rarity's own, and the seamstress almost lamented its absence, but for it coming to rest in gentle caress on her cheek instead. “But Rarity… I'm not saying no.” Rarity took a few moments to process what she’d just heard. After the past few grueling, agonizing minutes, she wasn’t sure anymore whether her mind was simply trying to play tricks on her. Is she… ”Y-you mean?” Twilight nodded, a slight blush creeping onto her cheeks. “I can get a bit snippy when I'm confused, and I'm sorry. I don't really know much about romance—I mean, I've read some books, but I don't know how much that will really help me here.” She chuckled, and looked right into Rarity's eyes. “I'm not really sure how I feel about… this. About you. At least, not yet.” Not yet. The words could be taken either way. They could have crushed her, and made her weep. But instead, they offered her a glimmer of hope. Slowly, she felt a smile spread, one that Twilight matched. “But you’re one of my best friends, Rarity. And for you, I'm willing to give it a try.” Rarity knew there were tears on her cheeks, but she didn’t care. They were good tears.