//------------------------------// // 6. A Slight Change in Plans // Story: Address Unknown // by remedy //------------------------------// Chapter 6 – A Slight Change in Plans The soft, rhythmic ticking of the clock was the sole source of sound in the Golden Oaks Library, with the occasional exception of a flip of a page or a quiet, disapproving grumble. Twilight Sparkle sat much like she always did while poring over books, though this occasion was much more frustrating than her normal study sessions. She was staring intently at the books covering the desk in front of her, reading them one by one and replacing each finished reference with a new one from either the pile obscuring her desk, or the multitude of medical texts surrounding her in stacks on the floor. She worked through her supply slowly, and each completed book floated back to its original place on the shelves, guided by an effortless magic aura while the unicorn remained absorbed in her studies, not looking up even once. Her snorts of discontent were beginning to become more and more frequent; she had spent much of her spare time over the past few weeks – though admittedly, that wasn’t much – looking for spells that may help Derpy, and so far she had come up empty-hooved. She cast a lethargic glare around her desk and muttered under her breath at the seemingly endless stacks of books; she had not even read through a quarter of the material she had gathered for her investigational session, and that collection paled in comparison to the contents of the rest of the library. In fact, her venture through the books this evening had taken her five hours; it was slightly past midnight, and in terms of progress it had been a complete waste of time – and time was a commodity that Twilight Sparkle valued highly. However, there were a few things Twilight valued more than time, and one of the top things amongst that list were her friendships. Regardless of her lack of enthusiasm for the fruitless search and the many hours it took, disrupting her meticulously planned schedules made months prior, she had promised Derpy she'd look, and she fully intended to keep that promise. That didn’t mean she was not allowing herself breaks, however, and, by Celestia, she needed one. With a frustrated growl, she slammed her current book shut, shaking her head to clear it of the clouding fog that had seemed to creep into her mind. She was accustomed to studying for long periods of time, but in truth she wasn’t exactly studying these books in depth. It was more of a scavenger hunt for some vague spell that, after her prolonged perusal, she wasn’t sure even existed. Twilight flung the book, enshrouded in her purple aura, across the room in irritation. It struck the wall, flopping to the floor askew, its pages bent and the spine dented from the impact. She sat motionless as she silently cursed the book for having the audacity to not contain the knowledge she sought, condemning it to remain where it fell out of pure spite for the damned object. She sat in silence for an unknown time, looking toward the opposite wall in an effort to ignore it entirely. The attempt proved futile - her heart rate quickened in anxiety, and she bit her lip as a bead of sweat dripped down her forehead. In betrayal of her sworn indifference, her eyes snapped to the book laying haphazardly on the floor. Engulfed in purple again, the book was quickly whipped back toward her as she compulsively straightened the pages, mended the spine, and carefully floated it back to the shelf where it properly belonged. She shook her head again; the mere thought of being annoyed at books was entirely foreign to her, and she simply couldn’t comprehend what had caused the emotional outburst. An image of Derpy flashed through her mind, sitting in darkness, misery written across her face as she stared blankly at the floor, alone and forgotten. Twilight’s breath hitched at the notion, and the insight penetrated her mental fog. She wasn’t doing this for herself; she was doing this for a friend – a very special friend whom she did not want to disappoint - not if she could help it. She wanted an answer, some solution that would bring a radiant smile to Derpy's face, and she hadn’t found it. At least, not yet. She stood from her seat, stretching her back and legs and slowly rotating her head in a futile attempt to remove all the cricks that had appeared in her neck. She looked to the wall, her gaze finding the calendar and falling on the coming day, circled in red ink with the words Lunch with Derpy neatly written in the space. She smiled at the thought and felt a pleasant warmth spreading through her as she envisioned spending the day with the mailpony. Derpy would be happy spending time together, and though she hadn’t found an answer yet, she still had plenty of time to look. With that thought, she trotted upstairs to bed. Tomorrow would be a great day with or without the spell. **************** The sounds of hoofsteps were muffled by the fluffy padding of clouds as Derpy walked back and forth in her home. She had spent her free evenings all week long looking out her window, daydreaming happily as she eagerly waited for her weekend lunch date with Twilight. Over the weeks, she had thought about which restaurants would be nice to visit - somewhere not overly fancy, but pleasant enough to enjoy the company of her one and only friend. Thankfully, she had come up with a few that seemed appealing. Her wandering thoughts had been interrupted the evening before, however, as a new concern had formed in her mind. The issue was a problem that had given her terrible insomnia; she had barely slept at all that night, and the idea now had her pacing the floor in anxiety. It wasn’t a fear of choosing which eatery they went to, of embarrassing herself in front of Twilight, or even that she’d be in a public restaurant with dozens of ponies who would doubtlessly stare at her. Glancing at her budget was all it took to remind her of her dismal bank account; all her choices for restaurants were likely to be far outside of her price range. Mailponies didn’t make much to begin with, and she was the lowest on the pay scale. Her previous boss had personally seen to that, and had taken sadistic pride in letting her know that she got the meager pittance because that was all she deserved. Her fear was simple, but no less important for that fact – she needed to find a restaurant she could afford without making a show of her financial problem. The last thing she wanted to drag in front of her only friend was the fact that, in addition to being cross-eyed and disliked, she was strapped for bits as well. She wanted to enjoy her time out with Twilight without seeming like she was asking for charity. She paused and closed her eyes to concentrate, letting her memory guide her through Ponyville street by street. The names of restaurants floated past her, and she made a mental checklist of which ones might be affordable and which were definitely not. She sighed as each of her previously chosen destinations were crossed off her list, leaving only a few options to pick from. The Amaranth Teahouse could work, but I don’t really care for Neighsian cooking… The Peony Diner seemed inexpensive enough, but it looked kind of greasy… Radicchio Trattoria… that could be interesting, and it seemed pretty informal and straightforward… She nodded to herself, fairly confident in that selection. With any luck, Twilight wouldn’t give any thought to her choice, and she could enjoy their time without making too much of a dent in her already tight finances. She flew down from her home, making the short flight to Ponyville’s streets. Tucking her tiny bit purse tightly under her wing, she shook away the butterflies in her stomach and made her way toward the library. **************** Derpy stood in front of the red door outside the Golden Oaks Library, shifting from hoof to hoof as she waited. She was puzzled over the emotions that were running through her; she had waited patiently outside Twilight’s door almost daily for the past month without any trouble. Yet, for some reason, today she felt extremely nervous, to the point where her stomach churned and her breathing kept threatening to speed faster and faster, making her consciously try to keep her breaths slow and steady. Even her worries over whether or not she could afford going out to eat hadn’t made her this anxious. Her reflection over the strange feelings coursing through her was cut short as the door opened, and she gave a slight start – she had been so preoccupied she had not even noticed the sound of hoofsteps approaching or the turning of the doorknob. She forced an awkward smile as she looked up from her distraction, and her breathing returned to its quickened pace. “Hi, Twilight, I’m ready for –” both her sentence and her breathing came to a halt, and her heart raced faster as if trying to make up for those sudden stops. Her eyes locked on to the unicorn behind the door, and a brilliant flush crept up her cheeks at the sight before her. Twilight was standing in the doorway with her mane hanging straight down and her coat slicked back, droplets of water beading at the ends and slowly dripping onto the floor. She gave Derpy an embarrassed smile. “Sorry. I was just finishing up with my shower when I heard you knocking, and Spike’s out helping Rarity - again – so he’s not around to get the door. I didn’t want to keep you waiting…” She trailed off as she noticed Derpy’s shell-shocked appearance and adopted a blush of her own. “Sorry. I must look ridiculous. Come on in.” Derpy snapped herself out of her apparent trance and walked into the library somewhat clumsily, and her previous anxiety returned with force. She shook her head at Twilight’s statement, but in contrast her voice quavered as she spoke. “You don’t look ridiculous… It actually looks kind of…” Beautiful. Stunning. Sexy. Her response was left hanging as she searched for the right word while she simultaneously tried to sort out where in Equestria those thoughts had come from. “It looks cute,” she finished dully, staring down at the floor in discomfort, still entirely confused at what was going on in her head. Twilight gave her an incredulous, yet curious, look – she had never seen anypony react that way around her before, and she wasn’t sure what might have caused her friend to suddenly act so strangely. Moreover, she could tell there was something that was bothering the pegasus; Derpy’s tremulous voice alone was enough to convince her of that. Twilight considered how she could make her friend more at ease, and changing the subject seemed to be the most promising, considering the mare’s reaction to Twilight’s greeting. The unicorn gave Derpy a smile as they wandered inside. “Have you thought of a restaurant you’d like to go to today?” Her smile quickly faded at the reaction it elicited from her pegasine companion – her choice of subject was apparently not the correct one. Derpy cringed immediately at the question; she shrank back slightly as though she hoped to blend into their surroundings and vanish, and her voice seemed to diminish as she responded. “I… guess so…” she said quietly. “I was thinking… maybe… the Radicchio Trattoria?” She ventured a quick glance toward Twilight before once again returning her gaze to the floor. Twilight gave a mild start in surprise, though she was thankful Derpy hadn’t seen it; obviously something about the idea of going out to eat was unnerving for the mailmare. Personally, Twilight had almost always regarded the Trattoria as a bit of a run-down establishment, and she couldn’t imagine what could have made Derpy decide to go there above the many other choices in town. When she had first arrived in Ponyville, she had suggested visiting it with her friends, much to Rarity’s horror. The fashionista had spent the next half-hour berating the restaurant for its ‘deplorable, disgusting, and distasteful’ faults, as she had put it. Since then, Twilight hadn’t really had much desire to visit there again. However, this day wasn’t about her, and her concern over Derpy’s behavior kept her from saying anything negative about the suggestion, regardless of her puzzlement at the choice. She gave Derpy another smile. “If you’re sure that’s where you want to go, that’s fine by me.” She smiled again, trying to dissolve some of the tension that was bothering the pegasus. Derpy merely responded with a slight nod and a less than emphatic “Mhm.” Her expression seemed almost ashamed at the affirmation of her decision. Twilight had to admit that watching her friend’s reactions was faintly unnerving, and the discomfort reminded her that she still needed to finish getting ready; taking advantage of that fact may give Derpy a chance to calm down slightly. “I’m going to head back up to the bathroom to finish cleaning up, okay? I’ll be back down in a little bit; I was almost done, I just need to dry off and brush my mane back into some semblance of order. Just make yourself at home, alright?” Derpy nodded mutely, as her mind assaulted her with more foreign thoughts. No! No, you can leave your mane that way - really! Still staring at the floor, she made her way to the couch to wait, hoping that she could calm down before Twilight returned. She sank into the cushions, leaning her head back into a pillow. Her heart still beat quickly in her chest, a sudden weakness seemed to strike her as she stretched out over the sofa. She lifted her head and raised a hoof up to her face, her eyes narrowing to focus on the limb. She could detect a slight tremor in her forehoof as she held it in front of her. Lowering her hoof again, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, letting her head fall back to the pillow again. I must be hungrier than I thought. I guess that would account for the weird feelings. She smiled faintly at the explanation, feeling slightly better about the strange thoughts and reactions she was having. Hunger was simple enough to take care of, especially given their plans for the afternoon. She rolled to her stomach and rested her muzzle on the pillow, stretching out her limbs and letting them fall haphazardly across the cushions. Her eyes closed as she tried to concentrate on nothing, attempting to calm the nerves that were plaguing her. She would just have to wait for Twilight and relax as much as possible until the unicorn was ready. **************** Twilight stood on the bathroom rug, still dripping water that slowly soaked into the fabric while she stared vacantly at her reflection in the mirror. Everything about Derpy’s reaction minutes ago struck the unicorn as odd, and she had found that the whole situation, from answering the door to Derpy’s embarrassed actions, had put her in an extreme state of apprehension. It wasn’t that she was overly self-conscious at her appearance – after all, she would have looked the same after being caught in the rain or after taking a refreshing dip into a pond. An image of Derpy’s expression at the door drifted past Twilight’s empty gaze, and a shiver ran through her, though it was not due to the cool air whisking moisture from her fur. Twilight closed her eyes and summoned the phantasmal apparition before her mind’s eye again; closely she studied Derpy’s reaction, suspecting that the pegasus showed surprise or embarrassment from Twilight’s appearance, or perhaps fear and hesitation for their upcoming date that afternoon. Twilight froze as the realization of what she had just thought struck her. A date? Is this a date? Would you like to think of it as that? Her inner voice sounded accusatory, taunting, and yet gleeful in the possibilities it could be forming in the unicorn’s head. Keeping her eyes closed, Twilight smirked at her own mind running away with her, and spoke softly to herself, adopting her scholarly tone to lecture the teasing voice of her subconscious. Intellect was in charge of her mind; it always had been, and always would be. “Of course it’s a date – what else would it be? Strictly speaking, according to norms set by literary standards, a scheduled meeting in which two or possibly more ponies gather may be considered a date. In fact, any social gathering, prior arranged engagement, or set appointment may be referred to as a ‘date’. The use of the word is not limited to the standardized vernacular definition. So to answer the question – yes, I would like to think of it as a date, thank you very much.” She smiled at her eloquence in neutralizing the suggestive thought as it arose. Her focus returned to the ethereal image of Derpy, and her smile slowly slipped away. The pegasus, though her cheeks had been reddened, did not look surprised or embarrassed, nor did she seem fearful of their date – at least, not at first. More than anything, she had seemed stunned and confused, and though Twilight felt fairly sure that those emotions accurately described Derpy’s reaction, the question of ‘Why?’ remained. Regardless of the reason why, and even ignoring Derpy’s strange behavior at the question about their destination, it was also true that Twilight had experienced her own conflicting urges at the pegasus’ arrival, and that discomfort had been what originally nudged her into the retreat to the bathroom. She knew that she still needed to get ready, but seeing Derpy, nervous and speechless at the door, had pushed an immediate thought into her mind – one that she had nearly acted on. Adorable. She’s simply adorable. Hug her. Hug her like the dear friend she is, remind her that she’s special to you, and never let her go. Twilight shook her head as the thought forced its way through her subconscious again. Had she taken action on her sudden idea, it could have made Derpy feel absolutely wonderful, eradicating whatever fears she might have had. However, it was also a possibility that it could have frightened the pegasus incredibly. In the future, there might come a time when Derpy would need a display of reassurance and affection like that, but today was not that day. She would not risk alienating Derpy and ruining her relationship with the mare over a hug given for no reason other than an awkward impulse. Returning from her introspection, Twilight took a glance toward the clock. Once again, she had slipped out of contact with time, and she gasped as she realized that fifteen minutes had already passed since she had returned to the bathroom after welcoming Derpy. Most of her coat had already drip-dried – thankfully the fur was short enough that it didn’t seem any more out of place than had she taken a towel to it. Her mane, on the other hoof, needed to be brushed quickly before it dried out in the same manner – if it had, nothing short of another shower would be able to fix the frizzy mess. She seized the nearest brush with her magic and, using a simple spell to pulse warmth over her to speed the drying process, quickly set her mane back to its usual state. Taking a few short glances from different angles, Twilight concluded that she looked presentable enough for their outing, and she walked back down the stairs to the main lobby of her home. She caught sight of the back of the sofa as she entered the room and stifled a giggle at the sight that greeted her – Derpy was obviously laying on the couch, but half of a wing poking above the cushions and two forehooves draped limply over the couch’s arm were all that were visible. Twilight suspected that Derpy had fallen asleep while waiting for her, reinforced by the fact that all was silent save for a light sound of peaceful breathing, which brought a warm smile to Twilight’s face. She walked quietly around the furniture, and her suspicions were confirmed as the pegasus fully came into view. Derpy was sleeping soundly; her muzzle was half-buried in a pillow leaving only her nostrils visible above the padding, her mane was slightly askew, and her coat bristled with the static that had built from her movements on the fabric. One wing drooped over the side of the couch, nearly brushing the floor, while the other had been sandwiched between the cushions of the couch’s backrest, resulting in the wing’s awkward half-extended position that Twilight had seen on her way downstairs. Finally, as if to accentuate the adorable scene of the mare in blissful repose, her hind legs were stretched out with her tail splayed haphazardly over them. It was reassuring to know that Derpy’s mood had abated enough to at least allow her to fall asleep, and Twilight immediately felt better about their exchange earlier. She stared at Derpy, unconsciously sinking to the floor as she watched the dozing mare, simply mesmerized by how unexpectedly lovable she looked as she slept. Her gaze crept slowly across the prone form, admiring the striking contrast of the pegasus’ pale yellow mane with her ashen coat. As she cast her look down the figure of her houseguest slumbering peacefully, her attention was drawn to an unknown small lump on the floor, just under the drooping wing of the pegasus. She crept closer, using her magic to lightly draw whatever it was toward her. The unicorn’s perplexity at the identity of the object grew as a tiny, nondescript pouch floated to her. It dropped into her hoof as she looked over the mysterious bag, and in an instant the puzzle as to what it was dissipated - a slight clinking noise emanating from the small, light pouch told her that she had found Derpy’s supply of bits, and her eyes widened in comprehension. The size and weight of the pouch told her that the pegasus’ funds were meager at best, and it shed light on the significance of Derpy’s embarrassment earlier – the mailmare simply couldn’t afford to eat anywhere else. Biting her lip, she floated the pouch back to its resting place under the hanging gray wing. She felt ashamed, for both her insensitivity about the open invitation and the invasion of Derpy’s privacy that she had just unintentionally committed. She sat, conflicted at the decision that now faced her. For only a moment, she considered the idea of offering to take Derpy out somewhere nicer – after all, Twilight wasn’t exactly in any financial difficulty. However, the idea was dismissed as quickly as it had been conceived; if Derpy had wanted that, she would have asked. It stood to reason that Derpy chose an inexpensive restaurant and hid away her bit purse to keep from imposing on Twilight, and making the offer would likely make Derpy feel even worse. Twilight’s brow furrowed as her mind weighed all of the options she could think of, judging the expected reaction that each course would provide before rejecting them one by one. Every action she could imagine would produce a negative experience for Derpy; even acting as though nothing happened was no longer viable. They could, of course, still go to the Trattoria, but now Twilight knew Derpy was likely going to spend a decent portion of her budget to go to a restaurant that she picked simply because it was affordable. Complicating the idea even more was the fact that the entire problem the pegasus faced was due to Twilight’s faulty and insensitive assumption that there couldn’t possibly be any issues with a simple dinner date. She couldn’t take Derpy somewhere and pay for the bill without making the pegasus feel mortified, and her own guilt wouldn’t let her allow Derpy to spend her hard-earned bits on a frivolous meal. All Twilight really knew for certain was that she couldn’t tell Derpy about the discovery; doing so would be the absolute worst course of action. Her eyes wandered back up to her friend, still napping serenely on the couch, and it was all she could do to refrain herself from enveloping her in a tight hug. However, instead of waking the pegasus, Twilight’s smile returned as a better plan for their evening formed in her mind. **************** Derpy shifted her body slightly as her cognizance wandered, flitting from the randomness of unconscious thought to the struggle of separating reality from imagination. She was mildly aware of a minor cramp that was forming in her wing, though she wasn’t sure why, and her movements were able to relieve at least some of the tightness in her muscles. With the tension gone, she relaxed again, slipping back downward, away from lucid thought as though sinking through water just short of reaching the surface. Something, however, prevented her from sliding back into unconsciousness. She felt strange, out of place, but not in an unpleasant way. She slowly and groggily reached around, clutching for one of her blankets to snuggle under before she awoke from a wonderful nap, regardless of the wing cramp that had accompanied it. She blindly fumbled around for the covers, intent on curling up in their soothing warmth and returning to the realms of dreams from which she had drifted, rather than get up and face the reality of yet another day. However, her hooves found only empty space, and her forelegs swept around in her vain attempt at finding the comforting blankets. Odd. I usually would have knocked something off the bed stand by now. Her dream realm began to rapidly slip away as confusion crept through her, and, as if it intended to purposefully augment her addled state, a strange but delightful scent wafted through the air, adding to the fog clouding her mind as it flooded her senses. She shifted again to her other side, sticking a hoof over in search of the missing blanket that may have wandered to the opposite end of her bed. Rather than air and the fluffy surface of her cloud bed, however, her hoof found purchase in an unexpected wall of squishy yet very firm material; the surprise of the unexpected barrier, coupled with the force of her hoof’s unanticipated halt, pushed her away from whatever she had hit, and with a light squeak of shock, she rolled over the edge of Twilight’s couch and onto the floor with a thump, ending any possibility of resuming her nap. She opened her eyes and blinked in confusion, trying to figure out where she was and what was going on. As her eyes adjusted to their normal alignment, familiarity began to push away her muddled sense of place and time. The books lining the walls surrounding her and the couch she had just fallen off quickly let the pieces fall into place, and she turned red with embarrassment at her ungainly antics. Her embarrassment dissipated quickly, however, when a more worrisome realization formed in her mind. She had fallen asleep at Twilight’s library, for quite some time if the dim light outside was any indication, and had slept right through her scheduled dinner date with her friend. Feeling a lump underneath her, she mentally consoled herself that she at least had her bit purse still with her; the last thing she had wanted was to accidentally expose her pitiful financial situation to Twilight as she napped. Her mind returned to the main problem at hoof, however, and she slapped a hoof to her face in frustration, only succeeding in giving herself a sore forehead rather than any clarity of thought. Ugh, how in Equestria do I even manage to mess up something like this? What must Twilight think of…? Her thoughts stopped abruptly. Doubtless Twilight would be angry that she had fallen asleep when they were supposed to be spending the day enjoying a mare’s afternoon out together. As the implication hit her, she sat bolt upright, scanning the room for her friend, hoping against hope that the unicorn wasn’t too upset with her for ruining their afternoon plans. Her gaze moved toward the librarian’s kitchen, and her face registered genuine disbelief. A much different view greeted her than she had expected; a grinning and amused face was peering around the corner at her as muffled clinks and clanks emanated from the room beyond, and Twilight’s teasing, yet playful, voice rose above the din. “Do you always shove yourself out of bed, or was that more of a spontaneous incident?” **************** Derpy looked blankly around the kitchen, barely able to comprehend the bustling activity going on. As a result of Spike’s seemingly endless supply of energy as he helped Twilight, the multitude of purple-hazed objects being levitated around the room, and her own sleepy haze that had not fully faded yet, the flurry of action around her seemed almost surreal. “Twilight, I’m really sorry I fell asleep like that – I don’t know how I possibly could have slept on a day as important as this one… I really have been looking forward to today ever since you suggested it.” A tinge of sadness and regret were evident in her voice; though Twilight had genially invited her over to join them in the kitchen, she still wasn’t sure what was going through the unicorn’s mind, and that uncertainty only served to escalate her concern. Derpy’s worries and fears did not last long, however. Her insecurities evaporated and her spirit lightened as Twilight turned toward her, and the pegasus was amazed at how well Twilight was able to convey her emotions without words. There was no trace of anger or resentment, not even a hint of disappointment; there was only a kind fondness and understanding shown through a gentle smile. “Derpy, when you came over this afternoon, you looked absolutely exhausted… I couldn’t bear to wake you up when you looked so peaceful. I thought it might be better to let you sleep and treat you to a homemade meal, instead.” Derpy looked completely dumbfounded at the announcement; she had been so worried about Twilight’s reaction that she hadn’t even considered what exactly was going on in the kitchen. But, now that Twilight had mentioned it, she began to take notice of an enticing aroma permeating the room. The objects floating around in Twilight’s magic were ingredients and cookware, and Spike was running between pots, pans, and cutting boards, adding a dash of something here or stirring something there. What astounded Derpy, however, wasn’t the speed and dexterity of the dragon, the exact and coordinated movements of Twilight’s magic, or even the delicious smell of all that was being made. What amazed her beyond any other thing was that Twilight had planned, organized, and implemented an entire dinner menu to rival that of an upper scale restaurant in the course of a single afternoon – and what was more – Twilight was doing this for her. She sidled up next to Twilight, brushing up against her as she approached, her jaw still hanging much lower than would be considered normal. Bracing herself, she looked to Twilight while trying to hold back tears. The gesture could be seen two ways for Derpy – either Twilight had discovered her purse, or Twilight really cared enough to do this for her… “I have… two questions…” Derpy stammered out, trying not to be ungrateful or rude. “First, how? I mean, how did you get everything together so fast? Are you and Spike both natural cooks or something? And second, why? Why are you going through all the bother of putting something together like this? We could always have gone somewhere else…" Twilight smiled and shook her head. “The why is easy enough; you were tired, and I thought it would be a much better date night if we could do something more personal, more special for you, rather than run out and grab a sandwich. If it makes you feel any better, I tried to find recipes that would make dishes you’d likely find in a Bitalian restaurant like you had suggested. They’re not all as authentic, and some just sounded good so I picked them, but I think you’ll be happy regardless.” Derpy nodded, though a slight frown crept over her face; the idea did make sense, but she felt terrible having Twilight go through so much trouble just for her. The feeling was pushed aside quickly, though, as her attention had instantly been drawn to something different than the kindness and thoughtfulness of her friend. Twilight had called their time together a date night. And, for some reason, Derpy had to admit she liked the sound of that. “And no, you’re not putting a burden on me by doing this for you.” Twilight continued with a wink at the blank look the pegasus had adopted. “Your face can be so easy to read sometimes.” Derpy’s jaw dropped open again at how well Twilight was getting to know her, simply recognizing her feelings by her expressions. It made her feel anxious, as though Twilight had also read her thoughts on the fondness that she had immediately taken with the idea of their time together being a date. However, to Derpy’s relief, it seemed that Twilight had not noticed that specific feeling, and the unicorn continued on. “The how took a little more effort, but given my organization skills, it didn’t take long. I pulled a hoof-full of Bitalian cookbooks, and some other cuisines as well, and skimmed through them for recipes and skills that were doable. It took me maybe twenty minutes to fully plan out the meal; after it was planned, I sent Spike out to get a few ingredients we were missing while I got everything in order here so we could start right away. One of my general skill cookbooks called doing that mise en place – getting all your ingredients measured, cut, and ready to go, having all your cookware out and prepared, before actually starting. I have to say, it’s quite an efficient idea. Then Spike got back, we prepared his ingredients, went over what we were making, and got started. You woke up shortly after all of that was completely finished.” Derpy had passed the dumbfounded phase and was now absolutely beaming that her friend cared for her that much. “So, then, what’s on the menu?” She walked over to the oven to try and take a peek inside, when a purple haze grabbed hold of her and pulled her backward, toppling her directly onto Twilight. The two lay on the floor in a conglomerated mess of manes, tails, hooves, and a few feathers flying as well, laughing hysterically. Spike merely rolled his eyes and went back to cooking. “No peeking!” Twilight scolded amidst a muffled giggle. “I want it to be a surprise for you. But you have to promise to tell me the truth about how you like it.” “It’s a deal.” Derpy grinned. “So, Chef Twilight, I’d better let you get back to your kitchen.” Twilight nodded in Spike’s direction. “Honestly, I can’t take much of the credit in the cooking department; that’s one area that Spike has always been better at than I have. I found the recipes and the correct techniques they use, but he’s better at actually using them. So, technically, tonight I’m his assistant.” The dragon continued his preparations as though he hadn’t heard her, but it was entirely evident that he had heard Twilight’s comment, and that it had the desired effect on him. His step livened, and his chest puffed out slightly with pride, and he began to incorporate a moderate amount of additional flair in his cooking techniques as he continued around the kitchen. Twilight and Derpy exchanged knowing looks behind his back and stifled some giggles. The sight of the small dragon trying to display the skill and panache of a true chef de cuisine was borderline ludicrous; it took all their willpower to avoid bursting into laughter as he attempted to chiffonade some arugula, only to succeed in mangling it as though a madpony had mercilessly attacked it with a cleaver. Much to the delight of his entertained audience, and regardless of the resulting atrocity to aesthetic appeal, Spike continued his performance as though his expertise was unquestionable. Derpy noticed a chair in the corner and took a seat, still watching Spike and Twilight work at cooking dinner. In time, and after several failed attempts at showmanship, the spectacle began to wane and the energy throughout the room lowered to match the excitement of preparing a typical weekend meal. A clatter signaled that Spike’s showboating was over, and his theatrics slowly simmered down following the dropped skillet of caramelized onions now residing on the floor. He begrudgingly contented himself with finishing the preparations in a normal and entirely boring fashion, resting an elbow on the counter and propping up his jaw as he mundanely stirred his replacement batch of onions. Derpy noticed, however, that once Spike had finished trying to show off, his skill in cooking really did seem to increase; though his demeanor reflected utter boredom, it was obvious that his concentration allowed him clarity of thought and a truly innate ability to cook shone through. Slowly but steadily the meal came together, and Derpy basked in the delicious aromas filling the room. Twilight, on the other hoof, had left Spike to his own devices. Her strength was in organization and structure, so once the preparations were completed and the food ready to be cooked, she stepped back, relinquishing full rein of the culinary responsibilities to Spike. She went off around the kitchen to finish cleaning up the messes he had left in the wake of his earlier show, and to finish washing and putting away dishes and utensils to ensure it wouldn’t be a chore later on, when she and Derpy had time to themselves. As for Derpy, she found herself wholly captivated by watching Twilight finish up her portion of the chores; the effortless grace the unicorn held even while performing the most routine tasks stunned her, and she felt an unfamiliar sense of admiration and fondness for Twilight grow with each passing moment. As she sat, a realization came to her; Twilight was not the only pony being watched. Several times, Derpy had caught Twilight taking surreptitious glances back at her in the midst of her cleaning, and every time she did so, they seemed to grow longer and more intense as time progressed. Twilight had even unintentionally locked eyes with Derpy during some of those furtive looks, and had turned a shade of crimson, as though she had been caught doing something improper. Twilight played it off with a wink here or a smirk there, but it was clear to both mares that they were enraptured by each other. The evening wore on, and Derpy continued to watch Twilight throughout the kitchen, her vision tunneled to the point where she was oblivious to all around her save Twilight, who, in turn, seemed to be watching Derpy more and more, to the pegasus' delight. That all instantaneously changed as a clawed hand waved inches in front of her face, startling her back into reality with the rest of Equestria. “Derpy, I said dinner’s done, if you’d like to move to the table.” The dragon gave her a strange look. “What were you doing, anyway? You were just staring off somewhere for a while. I don’t think you noticed a thing I said to you until I stuck my claw in your face.” Derpy nodded bashfully as the dragon wandered away in a huff. “I’m sorry, Spike. I guess I was zoning out there for a little while.” A giggle came from across the room, where Twilight was taking her place at the dinner table. “From the expression on your face that whole time, I’d say you were daydreaming, and that it must have been a nice one.” She gave Derpy a sly, yet cheerful smile. “Come on, that’s enough dreaming for today. Let’s eat.”