After the second make-out session of the night, Applejack and Rainbow Dash parted lips to find an awkwardly grinning, shifty-eyed Twilight rubbing the back of her neck and a completely normal Pinkie Pie, who was bouncing around the unicorn so quickly she resembled one of Saturn's rings, if it were pink and had been introduced to triple shot espresso.
"You guys know that you already proved the whole "True Love's Kiss" thing, right?" Chirped Pinkie, her muzzle stretched wide in an unabashed smile. "Dashie's all good now! Well, more than good, if her wings are anything to go by!"
The two canoodlers blushed rather hotly at that, and Dash made a half-hearted attempt to straighten her bristling feathers. A few more self-conscious seconds and uncomfortable hoof-shuffles later, Twilight finally managed to cough and say, "Well, we should've given Zecora enough time to deal with Lyra, and the Mayor and Long-Hoof are probably back at Town Hall by now..."
"How d'you know that?" Asked Rainbow, her newly flattened wings flaring out again, only this time in alarm. "They both saw you, Twi. What if Mare and Hoofy are waiting back at the library for us, ready to pounce? I can't go to jail, Twilight! I'm too flashy for a place like that!"
Pinkie nodded sagely. "Dashie's right. She wouldn't stand a chance."
Before Rainbow could snort indignantly, (apparently her shortcomings were only okay when she mentioned them) Applejack stepped in. "Look y'all, We're gonna hafta face the music sometime. It's not like we can become fugitives on the run or anythin' like that, so we might as well go back to the library and try to get our stories straight before confrontin' the Mayor. If'n her and Long-Hoof're already there, well, then we just tell 'em the truth."
Rainbow Dash regarded her new kissing partner flatly. "Which is what - that I stole something that wasn't mine, used it to wreak minor havoc in town and then got all you guys in trouble in the process?"
"No," replied Applejack, smiling slightly as she poked Rainbow in the chest, "You tell 'em that you made an honest mistake, plan to pay Lyra back for it, and that all of the stuff you did was just a big misunderstandin'."
Rainbow looked at the ground, chewing her lip. When she returned her gaze to Applejack's, her eyes were full of concern. "But what about you?"
Applejack faltered. "Oh - Uh, I'll be alright. Don't you worry 'bout me, Sugarcube. I got quite a bit of pull in town, what with all the business Sweet Apple Acres rakes in from the surrounding area. I'm sure the Mayor and I can work somethin' out." She tried to pull out her best reassuring grin, but judging by Rainbow's wrinkled brow and cocked head, she didn't think she quite pulled it off.
"Well, I suppose now's as good a time as ever," said Twilight, starting for the ladder that led up and out of their impromptu safe-house. "Come on, girls. I haven't seen Spike at all today, and I'm starting to get worried."
* * *
To everyone's relief, they spotted neither hide nor hair of Mare or Long-Hoof on their way to the library. This might have had something to do with Pinkie's display of stealthy ninja rolls and flips as she led them through the myriad of back-streets. Dash had taken a second to decide if the moves looked goofy or kinda cool. In the end she went with kinda cool and joined the pink mare in flailing about the alleys, peering carefully around corners and using barrels or boxes for cover whenever the chance presented itself. Applejack and Twilight followed at a more sedate pace, just as cautiously but with their eyes doing the rolling instead of their bodies.
"So, are you gonna teleport us in, or what?"
The quartet was arrayed in a line of bushes across from the library, and Dash was regarding Twilight questioningly in the gloom. "I could totally just fly over lickety split and no one would spot me now that it's so dark, but I can't leave you guys to hang out in the bushes. That's for stalker ponies and Pinkie Pie."
Pinkie nodded seriously. "And Twilight, when she's doing science."
Twilight blushed slightly. "If I were going to teleport us all I should've done it from Quills and Sofas." She replied. "Besides, I think group teleportation would be tempting fate. I've had enough maligned magical mishaps for one day, thank you very much. I have a quota for friends expressing their undying love for me, and it's been filled."
"Heh - how's that even possible? I could never have too many ponies - er, I mean, yeah, my quota's totally full too."
Applejack lowered the threatening hoof and used it to tousle Dash's mane instead. "Aw, Dash, I never confessed my undying love. You have somethin' you want ta say, Sugarcube?"
Dash smacked Applejack's hoof away, muzzle reddening. "Shaddup."
Applejack grinned.
"Well, now or never, right?" Asked Rainbow quickly, still blushing. "Pinkie sense all clear?" Pinkie paused, straining, before giving a nod. With one last hasty look around the deserted square, Rainbow hopped free of the bushes. She stood for a moment, bathed in the flickering light of the streetlamps. The other three held their breath...
Nothing happened.
"Well, that was anticlimactic." Murmured Twilight, following Rainbow and trotting towards the library. Somehow Pinkie ended up in front of them all and Applejack sidled up to Dash without the pegasus noticing.
"You know I'm just playin', right?" Asked Applejack, bumping their flanks together lightly as they walked.
"Huh? Oh - Oh yeah, of course." said Rainbow, looking straight ahead. "No worries."
From the corner of her eye Dash saw AJ nod, but there was a slight frown on her freckled face. If she were going to date the Element of Honesty, she'd either have to drastically improve her lying abilities or get more comfortable with telling the truth. The first choice would require a lot of work, and the second one was probably more morally sound or whatever anyway, so...
"Alright, Applejack." said Rainbow, holding out a hoof to halt their progress.
"Alright, what?"
"Alright, lets talk about this."
"Here?" Asked Applejack, gesturing around the open, empty space in front of the library. Twilight and Pinkie Pie were waiting in the doorway a respectable distance away, heads cocked to the side. Rainbow gave them a nod and a wave of her hoof and they bowed into the building, quietly shutting the door behind them.
A few fireflies blinked in the night air above them, pale in comparison to the street lights, distant stars compared to the sun. Rainbow Dash closed her eyes and took a deep breath. She held it for a second, muzzle turned up slightly towards the flickering orbs. Their light danced across her closed lids, granting spritzes of warmth every time they fired up their buggy butts. The little things were free to roam the sky yet stuck close to the ground, wavering around the ponies' heads like drunken sparks. Why was that?
Applejack was silent next to her.
"Look, I know we kinda rushed into this whole thing." Eyes still closed, face still upturned. "I tend to do that sort of thing a lot, which you, ah, probably already know." A blue hoof scuffed the cobblestones. "I guess it's obvious that I'm not all that great at the planned romance shtick. I'm more of a 'wing-it' kinda pony. Heh - see what I did there? Wing - eh, yeah, that was bad."
Another scuff, a little harder than before.
"Look, what I'm trying to say is that this time I don't want to screw up. I know you. Like know know you. You're not just some random pony on the street who happens to have a nice flank, you know? Not to say you don't have a nice flank - it's great! A real Apple bottom - get it? okay yeah, that was bad too. What I mean is...I care about you, AJ. Like, a lot. We do stuff together all the time, and even when we're fighting it feels like I'm getting closer to you. The you that's behind the tough farmpony "Ah can do everythin' bah mahself!" attitude. That's the thing about putting up a front - if you do it often enough, you can tell when other ponies are doing it, too."
A chuckle.
"Even with my eyes closed I can tell you're glaring. I'm really on a roll, huh? First cracking jokes about your butt and now I'm mangling your accent." Rainbow sighed. "Look, I know you didn't want to toss around the 'L' word earlier - and I respect that. This is one thing I don't wanna rush. But you have to know - I love you. Maybe not in the complete romancy kinda way yet, but I love you like a best friend, and I just wanted you to know...that no matter what happens with all of - " She twirled a hoof around in a circle, inadvertently causing two fireflies to careen into each other and go whizzing helix-formation into the bushes, "this, I'll still be there for you. Like you've always been there for me."
The hoof found its way back to the ground. Eyes were still shut, perhaps a little tighter than before.
Silence sung, even the blitzing of the bugs muted in the wake of her abated speech.
And then it was Rainbow's turn to feel a hoof on her cheek, though this time her face was being angled downwards instead of up.
"I reckon I can live with that."
A soft waft of warm air drifted across Rainbow's muzzle. It traveled its way up the side of her head and to her flickering ear, where it stopped. Rainbow was holding her breath again. "I love ya too, Dash. I just figured it was so obvious I didn't have ta say it." Rainbow's eyes were still closed, though now instead of helping her get her thoughts straight the lack of vision provided her with a sensory overload as Applejack nuzzled against her. It's like doing tricks blindfolded. You can feel the air currents - and apparently snuggly feelings - so much more when you can't see. Opening her eyes now might stop the dream. That would be bad. And if AJ stopped once Dash could see again it would be worse. As long as she kept her eyes closed, she could pretend she wasn't paying attention, and then Applejack would have no idea that she was enjoying this tame yet wonderful snugglefest quite so much.
"I can tell yer into this, Dash. Yer wings are twitchin'."
"Traitors!" exclaimed Dash, magenta eyes flying open. She glared back at the offending appendages, which were indeed doing their utmost to unfurl despite her wishes. Of course, they weren't simply seeking to spring open and stay there. Cuddling for pegasi often involved quite a bit of wing hugging and stroking, and not being able to return Applejack's affections (due to their owner's bravado) had done a number on them.
"You sure you don't want to uh, relax a little there, Dash?" asked Applejack, the beginnings of a smirk quirking her lips.
"I'm fine!" squeaked Dash. She cleared her throat. "I mean, I'm fine." she repeated, thankfully this time without the crack. She shuffled her wings awkwardly.
Applejack merely raised an eyebrow.
"Oh, fine! Now that we've admitted our undying love for each other, I guess I can get away with this," and she quickly released a wing from her stranglehold of self-control and swept it lightly over Applejack's back, trailing the feathers over the apple Cutie Mark in the lightest, yet most intimate way she knew how. When she finished, she retracted her wing and stood staring resolutely ahead, as if nothing had happened.
"Well - wow." breathed Applejack. Her entire body was tingling. "Where - where'd ya learn to do that, Sugarcube?"
Dash shrugged noncommittally. "Oh, it's just a pegasus thing. It lets other ponies know that you really care about them and all that junk."
Applejack regarded her stoic companion for a moment before darting forward and pecking Dash on the nose. "Well then that's what earth ponies do. Among...other things." The abrupt change in tone switched Dash's dreamy expression to a rather flustered one.
"Well, us pegasi have other tricks up our feathers, too, you know! You haven't seen anything yet, trust me."
"Oh, I do, Sugarcube. I do."
Before more than steamy looks could volley between them, the library door burst open. "Are you two gonna get in here anytime soon, or should Twilight be hosting a slumber party?"
"Spike!" cried Twilight from somewhere within the building.
"What, they were taking forever! I can't go to sleep until I send the letter, and I can't do that before you guys get your friendship mojo sorted out, which you can't do until all of you figure out a lesson to learn."
"Why're you so snippy? You certainly haven't done any other chores today, and I thought Mr. Kick Start bought you and Scootaloo ice-cream?"
"He did! Oh, thanks again Kick Start - I've never had chocolate banana raspberry before."
"No problem, kiddo." Replied a genial male voice. "I still can't believe Scoots went to get ice-cream without me, though." A melodramatic sigh. "Just when you think you've brought a kid up right..."
"Aw, dad. It wasn't like that! How was I supposed to know you'd have to come into town for scooter parts? Besides, Rainbow Dash gave me the money and was gonna join me, but then she got all distracted by the - what was it called, Twilight?"
"Uh, it was a potion. One that made her act very...silly. But that's all sorted out now. Speaking of, are you two going to join us, or are we going to stand here all night with the door open?"
Rainbow and Applejack, who had been ambling over to the library as slowly as equinely possible to make sure their blazing faces had cooled by the time they reached the doorway, broke into a brisk trot and closed the remaining gap in seconds.
"Yeah, yeah, we're here." Muttered Dash cantankerously, knowing that the best defence was a good offence. "Don't get your tail in a twist. Oh, hey Scoots!"
"Hey, Rainbow Dash." replied Scootaloo, looking a little unsure. "Sorry I didn't bring you any ice-cream. I waited a while, but then I met Spike and then my dad found us and by the time I realized you said to bring the ice-cream back with me it'd already gotten dark." The filly scuffed the floor with a hoof. "We walked Spike back here and I asked if he could send a message to you, but he said his dragon breath doesn't work like that."
"Thank Celestia," muttered the dragon. When Twilight glared at him he frowned. "What, I'd put all the mail ponies out of a job if I could just send messages anywhere I wanted!"
"Hey, no worries. I should've went with you in the first place." Replied Dash, ignoring the silent tiff between the librarian and her previously AWOL assistant. She stepped forward to ruffle the filly's mane, and was going to go for a wing-hug, too, but for some reason it felt weird to do it while Scootaloo's father was there.
The stallion seemed to notice her hesitant gaze and stepped forward. "Sorry - I'm really dropping the ball today." He held out a plum coloured hoof, "Name's Kick Start. If you haven't picked up on the resemblance already, I'm Scooty's dad. And you," he grinned widely, "must be Rainbow Splash!"
"Dad!" moaned Scootaloo.
"Only joking, kiddo. You talk about her enough, I'm not about to forget her name in a hurry. Miss Dash, it is an honour to finally meet you."
"Heh, likewise." replied Dash, giving his hoof a firm shake. As he said, it was easy to tell the two were related. His plum coat contrasted well with his bright, spikey orange mane, and his Cutie Mark appeared to be a wheel with similarly hued flames trailing behind it. What surprised Dash most was that he was an earth pony.
"She gets the wings from the missus, but the scooter thing's all me." He winked and Rainbow blushed, embarrassed to be caught looking.
"Daaad," whined Scootaloo, "Do you have to do the whole awkward parent thing?"
Kick Start gave a sigh of mock melancholy. "Some day when you have kids you'll realize just how much fun it is to embarrass the spit out of them, and then you'll come and forgive me for all the torture I put you through." He ruffled his daughter's mane, making sure to fluff it in all the wrong spots. "Well Zippy, we better get home or mom's gonna worry."
Scootaloo pushed her dad's hoof away and pouted. "Can't we stay just a little longer? Please?"
Before Kick Start could respond, Rainbow leant forward, this time draping a wing over the smaller pony's back. "Hey look - you should listen to your dad. You'll want to get a good sleep for tomorrow."
The filly's eyes widened and Rainbow purposefully left her hanging. 3...2...1...
"Why? W-what's tomorrow, Dash?"
Rainbow rubbed a hoof over her chest nonchalantly. "Oh, well, you know. I have the day off and it's supposed to be a clear one. Perfect for flying practice, if you get me." Rainbow tapped a hoof to her chin. "Now if only I had someone to teach...hmmm..."
"Yes!" exclaimed Scootaloo, bouncing out from under Rainbow's wing and over to her dad. "Oh Dad, can I? Can I can I can I?"
Kick Start grinned. "Well, I don't see why not. It can't be any more dangerous than the stuff the three of you little guys get up to during your - what are they called? - Crusading missions? How did the skydiving go, by the way? I've been meaning to try it sometime myself."
Scootaloo, however, was no longer listening. Rainbow suspected that she had tuned out and engaged in spastic joy mode the moment "I don't see why not" was out of her father's mouth. "Oh thank you thank you thank you!" The filly gave Rainbow a last bone crushing hug (or at least it would have been if Rainbow hadn't been acclimatized by Pinkie) and began ushering her father out the door. "C'mon, dad! I gotta go get ready for tomorrow!"
"If by 'getting ready' you mean showing your mother why I shouldn't take you out for ice-cream late at night, then maybe we should take the long way back to burn off some of your energy." Scootaloo continued to push at her father's legs, urging him into a trot. "Alright, alright, I'm going." He looked back into the library "Thanks for having me, Miss Sparkle. Spike, it was a pleasure. Oh, and Dash?" Kick Start was no longer visible through the door, but his voice was still audible. "I expect you bright and early. This one's going to be up before my coffee's ready, and I'm not really Kick Start-ed until I've had it."
Before Rainbow could do anything more than facehoof at the terrible pun (and Twilight could write it down for future reference) Kick Start and Scootaloo were gone, and the library was quiet once more.
"Well he's an interestin' fellow, now isn't he?" said Applejack into the silence. "I've met Scootaloo's mom before when I dropped Applebloom off at her house to play, but her dad was always back in the garage - tinkerin' with scooters, most like."
"Yes, it was the first time I met him as well." replied Twilight. "He's quite charming."
Pinkie shrugged. "I've known Kick Start for years."
"I really shouldn't be surprised by that," muttered Rainbow.
"If I am to believe my eyes, you are now free from the potion's guise."
"Yeah, we got that all - Zecora?!"
The zebra in question trotted out from the kitchen, bearing a teacup laden tray upon her nose. Rainbow filed her ability to do so without spilling a single drop under "freaky zebra magic" rather than attempt to figure out how she managed it. "Yes, it is me, and I come bearing tea."
"Thanks, Zecora." Twilight moved forward to help her with the tray, but Rainbow had other concerns.
"Wait, if you're here, then..." her eyes darted about the room frantically. No minty unicorns spotted. That doesn't mean anything, though. What if she's hiding? She scoured the numerous bookshelves, large reading table and writing desk with her gaze. Still nothing.
"Be at ease, my flighty friend - your honour, did I defend. Lyra Heartstrings has gone home, bearing with her a mighty tome. In it is the spell she thinks she seeks, yet 'finding' it could take her weeks. For it is known for its immensity - rivaled only by its wordy density."
"Uh," Rainbow looked to Twilight for help, "I got the 'be at ease' part, and I'm liking that, but you think you could lay the rest of it out straight for us?" Beside her Applejack nodded in a relieved sort of way.
Zecora rolled her eyes and took a sip of her tea, waving a hoof in a manner that clearly indicated Twilight should take over before the zebra was forced to declare her present company incompetent. Thankfully, this was a task the unicorn took to gladly.
"She means that she fooled Lyra into leaving by giving her an esoteric - sorry, mysterious - book and saying that she could find the spell to grant her whatever that potion was originally for within it. In reality, the book is merely a dense compendium on potato varieties and how they can benefit equine society, written in Old Equish, a language that only the princesses, I, Zecora, and a hoofful of others can understand with any amount of competency."
Zecora nodded smartly before taking another sip of tea. "That mare will learn patience throughout her search, and then I will cease to leave her in the lurch. Perhaps then she will have her true desire, but first more ingredients I must acquire." She quirked an eyebrow at Rainbow. "I trust you will leave this batch alone? Repeated thefts, I won't condone."
Rainbow's grin was sheepishness incarnate as she rubbed the back of her neck with a hoof. "That, I understand. Don't worry, Zecora. If there's one thing I learned from this whole hullabaloo, it's that you shouldn't yoink random liquids from passing ponies and drink them."
Spike frowned, lowering the quill and parchment he had unearthed from wherever library assistant dragons normally kept that sort of thing. "Seriously? That's your lesson? Don't take things that don't belong to you? Don't drink scary looking potions? Shouldn't that be kind of obvious?"
Twilight was caught between glaring at Spike (she was still upset with him) and conceding the point. Applejack, however, stepped up to save the day. "I think the real lesson here is to always be honest." She slung a hoof around the pegasus and yanked her close, smiling slightly. "With yourself and with others." Rainbow returned the sideways embrace with a wing, grinning cheesily at Spike, who still looked unimpressed.
"Ooh! I know!" Pinkie leapt into the fray. "I think the lesson should be that the power of love conquers all, and that when friends put their heads together, they can accomplish anything! Even if 'anything' involves breaking the law multiple times and harassing innocent bystanders!"
Spike's quill, which had been poised hopefully above parchment, dropped to his side. "You know what, how about we just skip the lesson this time? I'm way too close to slipping into an ice-cream coma to take much more of this."
"As much as I love a good, morally sound message, I'm going to have to side with Spike on this one." interjected Twilight, though her words were accompanied by a narrow look. "You clearly need sleep, Mr. Crankypants. You have to be well rested for a jampacked research session tomorrow."
"Aw, Twilight, what could you possibly have to research still? You must know every book in the library cover to cover by now."
"I do." replied Twilight primly, even going so far as to add a little sniff to convey her loftiness. "But that doesn't mean that I've learned everything there is to know from them. Each day I grow a little wiser, and have a different perspective. The same information might mean something new to me if I approach it from a different angle or mindset."
Zecora gave a nod of approval and returned to her tea.
"Ok, I'll bite," said Applejack after she was sure Zecora wasn't going to speak. "What're you studying, now, Twi? Did this whole thing kick up a new topic fer you to do an experiment or something on?"
A grin affixed itself to Twilight's face, one alive with an almost manic light. It was a very familiar look, one that had on occasion even given Pinkie pause. "Oh, you could say that. I plan on writing a letter to Cadence to ask her about her talents. It's funny, I've known her for years but never properly questioned her on her ability to remedy fractures in pre-existing affection! I suppose I never considered it an endeavour worthy of scientific research, seeing as I didn't even have time for friends before Ponyville, but now..." Twilight turned her radiant face to Rainbow and Applejack. Pinkie's theory that Twilight's name included "Sparkle" because of how she lit up when she had latched onto an idea suddenly held a lot more water. Her eyes were practically glowing, but not in a way that inspired any sort of confidence in her sanity. "Because of you two, and the obvious development in your heretofore platonic relationship, I've decided that I need to learn more about love and its connection to magic."
"Ooh!" Beamed Pinkie, somersaulting over Zecora (still idly drinking her tea) and landing in front of Twilight. "So, you mean that if "Friendship is Magic" then love should be, like, ultra super special upgraded magic?" She gasped. "Are you going to go make smoochie faces with ponies to learn about love, Twilight?"
Twilight broke from her bedazzled reverie, eyebrows springing up. "What? No! Why would kissing random strangers help me study love? I'm just going to go over every recorded instance of magically induced affection, as well as the influence friendship has on natural romantic relationships, and then form a hypothesis as to how much magic can be created by genuine amorous linkages versus fabricated ones."
Yep, Twilight's finally gone bonkers. Thought Rainbow. Not that she was ever not bonkers to begin with, but still.
"I'm going to bed." Declared Spike. Clearly all this talk of love and academia was too much for the ice-cream addled assistant. His quill and parchment had disappeared into his dragon null space (most likely to the same location his Code of Honour card was kept) and he had waddled halfway up the stairs to his room before he turned around. His jaw worked for a second before he managed to form coherent words. "I'm...sorry I bailed on you today, Twilight. I got up before you and was doing the weekly grocery run, but then I realized that I really just wanted to take a nap, relax a little." He scuffed a clawed foot against the wooden step. "It's been a while since my last day off, so I just figured it'd be OK...Then when you challenged me, I got all defensive, and... I should have asked. I'm sorry, Twilight."
Twilight went from tough tutor to teary in the time it took to blink. "Oh, Spike. I'm the one who's sorry. I should have noticed that you were getting burnt out. I just get so involved in my studies that sometimes I don't realise..." she sighed. "Look, how about you promise to tell me when you need a break, and I'll promise to pay more attention. I'm sure getting my own groceries every now and then can't be that difficult."
Spike reversed his progress up the stairs and enveloped Twilight (or at least her neck) in a scaly, yet decidedly warm, hug. "I think I might come with you the first time, just to get a laugh."
Twilight frowned, her front hoof pausing on its way around her assistant.
"I think Spike, dragon of little size, merely means that the produce is not alphabetized."
The unicorn's eye twitched ever so slightly, before she broke into a smile and snuggled Spike back. "You know what? I think I'd like that."
"What, disorderly vegetables?" asked Spike, face emerging from Twilight's chest fluff.
"Oh, Celestia no. First chance I get I'm going to speak to Mayor Mare and see if we can figure out a more organized layout for the market square." Applejack looked like she was about to interject - she had a good spot, dang it! - but Twilight continued on, unhindered, "I meant that I'd like to spend some time with you that didn't revolve around my studies. If you laughing at my grocery skills is where we have to start, well, I'm fine with that."
"Awwww!" Pinkie Pie leapt into the impromptu librarian/assistant snugglefest. "Come on everyone, this pony pile needs more love, stat!"
"Pinkie, I thought you dropped that doctor thing back at Town Hall?" replied Applejack, though she was smiling. "Come on, Dash, think we can make this hug 'Twenty percent cooler'?"
Rainbow heaved out a put-upon sigh. "That stopped being funny ages ago, AJ." She flitted up next to her orange friend, slinging a hoof around her and bringing them both into the steadily growing hug ball in the middle of the room. A grin, one that was softer than her usual faire, claimed her features. "Besides, twenty percent is way too low a number to use in a situation like this. This is at least an eighty, probably more, on the Rainbow Dash Scale of Awesome. Patent Pending."
Applejack snorted. "I don't know what I should be more surprised about - the fact that you're usin' Twilight Speak, or the fact that you think a group hug is 'awesome.'"
"What, everyone's doing it. That means it has to cool." Rainbow stuck out her tongue.
"Well, almost everyone." said Applejack, nodding her head to where Zecora was watching bemusedly from a safe distance away, tea still in hoof.
"Hey, Zecora! Get your stripey flank over here!"
For the first time that night, the zebra looked unsure. "I do not know if that would be best. I have things to do, potions to test - "
Pinkie's head popped free of the pile, her face uncharacteristically serious. "Zecora, we're going to stay like this until you come over and join us. Not only that, but we are going to stare at you, and stare hard, until you add your zebra skills to this totally unplanned outpouring of affection."
Zecora calmly placed her empty cup on the table. At first it looked like she was going to make a mad dash from the room, free herself from the crazy ponies she had devoted her day (and her complete store of green illusion dust) to helping. But it had been a long day, one that, in spite of all the complications and chases and misunderstandings, had ended up being very worthwhile. Ending it with a multipony hug would not be too amiss.
"For this, I think you were not prepared, for a Zecora hug is a thing quite rare." And with that, the zebra took exactly two sedate steps forward before launching herself into the fray.
Maybe it was the fact that four ponies, one dragon and one zebra were all embracing in the middle of a supernatural tree, or maybe Zecora still had a bit of illusion dust clinging to her coat, or maybe the potion gone wrong (which had actually ended up going incredibly right) was still somehow in effect and was now causing everyone in the room to feel extremely giddy and fulfilled. No matter if it was a single one of these things, a combination, or none, it was obvious that there was some form of magic present, some form of magic growing, as the friends ‒ and those who were decidedly more ‒ huddled together in the centre of the library, for much longer and closer than was strictly necessary.