//------------------------------// // Seven – Pets, Poetry, and Passion // Story: Beauty, Books, and Butterflies // by Rough_Draft //------------------------------// The park just down the road from the Golden Oaks Library was a sprawling green patch near the heart of Ponyville. At springtime, the grass would shimmer around sunset, turning an ordinary field into a sea of twinkling diamonds. It was the perfect spot for picnics on Hearts and Hooves Day, but for Twilight and her friends, it was the best place to come for their weekly pet play dates. Twilight Sparkle trotted out into the middle of the park, barely noticing the barn owl’s talons that gently held onto her back. She turned and cast a friendly smile at her companion. “Now remember, be nice to Angel today.” “Hoo?” Owlowiscious replied. Twilight still couldn’t speak a word of the owl’s language, but she got the gist by the way he clacked his beak open and shut. “That’s right. I’ll give you all the treats you could want when we get home.” Twilight extended her hoof, waving out at the park. “Go on. They’re already waiting.” She watched Owlowiscious flap his wings and glide off into the park. Twilight trotted after him, noticing that the rest of her friends were already showing up. She saw Applejack running alongside her dog Winona, followed shortly by Rarity and her cat Opalescence. Naturally, as soon as Winona got one look at Opal, the two fell to barking and meowing and then it descended into the usual farce of Dog Chases Cat, followed by Rarity and Applejack bickering over whose pet was to blame for the commotion. Twilight would’ve laughed, but she had other things on her mind. As she looked around, she didn’t see Fluttershy anywhere. Or Rainbow Dash, for that matter. Twilight frowned. While she could accept that Rainbow Dash might not always make a play date—she was still easily embarrassed about being seen as a “softie” around her pet Tank—it was almost inconceivable that Fluttershy would miss it. Even if Rarity hadn’t planned on today as their first date, nothing would ever keep Fluttershy away from her friends and their pets. She’d been the one to suggest these weekly play dates in the first place. “Hi, Twilight!” Pinkie Pie bounced into view from behind a row of bushes, wearing a saddle on her back as she pranced over to her friend. Twilight held up a hoof to her mouth to stifle her laughter. The pink pony had somehow gotten her miniature alligator Gummy to hold onto the saddle as she bucked and trotted along. The alligator was even wearing a tiny hat. “Hey, Pinkie!” Twilight said, having quickly gotten herself under control again. “You like my new saddle? I know Gummy does!” Pinkie Pie turned and smiled at her pet. “Don’t ya, Gummy?” The alligator didn’t respond except to blink one eye, then the other. Like he always did. “Gummy says yes!” Pinkie Pie responded. She turned back to Twilight. “Applejack says she’s gonna teach me how to be a real rodeo pony today! You wanna watch?” “Maybe later.” Twilight rubbed at the back of her neck. She kept something tap there. A tiny pinprick that she couldn’t quite explain. “Hey, Pinkie, have you seen Fluttershy today? I thought she’d already be here.” Pinkie Pie gasped. “Why wouldn’t she be here? It’s Pony Pet Play Date Day! Or P.P.P.D.D. as I like to call it!” Suddenly, both of her front hooves were grabbing Twilight’s face and pulling her close. “Now you’ll have to do your big romantic date without her!” “I don’t think it works like that—” “But if we...” Pinkie Pie gasped again, this time stretching it out. Her whole face lit up. “But if we turn your no-show date into a party, then you’ll won’t feel so bad!” “But I don’t feel bad, Pinkie—” It was too late. Pinkie was already in her own little world—a place that never ceased to confuse and amaze Twilight. She was bouncing back toward the bushes, where no doubt she had some secret cache of party favors and desserts tucked out for just such an occasion. Twilight sighed and turned around—only to bump nose-first into somepony. “Oh my gosh, I’m sorry!” She rubbed at her nose and looked up. “I... oh, there you are.” “Sorry I’m late,” said Fluttershy. “Angel took a little longer to wake up from his nap.” She smiled and turned to nod at Angel Bunny. “Now you have fun and play nice, sweetie.” The white rabbit glanced askew at Twilight for only a moment—just long enough to make her suddenly feel self-conscious about being this close to Fluttershy. But then the rabbit yammered something in his native tongue and he hopped away to join Winona and Opal in their mad chase around the park. As she watched her pet run off, Fluttershy hovered over the ground. Her wings flapped in the gentle beat of a hummingbird in flight—something Twilight was still slowly getting the hang of with her own wings. She envied how graceful her new marefriend could look while just floating a couple of inches off the ground. It was like watching one of the trained dancers from the Canterlot Theatre Company. Though she didn’t want to disturb the peaceful moment, Twilight cleared her throat and said, “So... what would you like to do now?” “Oh... well...” Fluttershy blushed as she hovered near Twilight’s shoulder. “I guess I hadn’t really thought about it. I figured Rarity would tell us once we got here.” Twilight glanced over at the rest of her friends. Rarity and Applejack were chatting quietly while their pets chased each other ragged. Pinkie Pie was nearby as well, wheeling in her party cannon from somewhere out of sight to fire off streamers and confetti. Rarity glared at Pinkie Pie, but the party planner refused to be deterred. She continued to set up chairs and plates full of snacks around the park meadow, determined to create her party. “I think we’re going to have to do this ourselves,” Twilight concluded. She slid over and nudged her marefriend gently on the flank. “How about we take a little flight together? I could use the practice.” Fluttershy beamed with joy. “That’d be nice. It’s been a while since we practiced, hasn’t it?” Twilight remembered those days fondly—more fondly now that she realized she’d always liked Fluttershy a little differently. While Rainbow Dash had worn her out with wing push-ups and flying laps over Ponyville, Fluttershy had helped her with the finer points of wing cleaning and gliding. And speaking of Rainbow Dash, Twilight thought, where is she? She opened her mouth to ask Fluttershy, but a shadow fell over the two of them. Twilight looked up and saw a large gray cloud rolling across the sky, blocking out the sun. Smaller clouds were forming around it, crackling with static electricity. The scent of wet dirt suddenly hit Twilight’s nose. “Fantastic,” she remarked, her ears flopping low. “Way to keep us in the loop about the weather, Rainbow Dash.” “Gee, I didn’t know we had a storm scheduled for today,” Fluttershy said quietly. She huddled against Twilight. “Maybe we should go inside. This could be bad.” Again, Twilight was about to answer when she felt something tap her on the nose. She frowned and twitched her muzzle as she felt the tapping again. Too late, she figured out what that constant pinprick on her neck had been. Raindrops. In seconds, the cloud burst and down came a sudden shower. Ponies and pets fled as fast as they could from the park. Twilight whistled into her hoof, watching as Owlowiscious peeled off from chasing Winona. The owl swooped and grabbed Angel in his talons, carrying the rabbit straight to Fluttershy as she and Twilight galloped straight for the library. “I’m so sorry!” Twilight turned to see Rarity and Applejack running alongside their own pets. Rarity tossed back her drenched mane, revealing her distraught expression. “This is just the worst thing ever! I do hope the two of you can salvage this horrible afternoon!” “Don’t worry about us!” Twilight waved them off. “Just get somewhere dry!” “I hear that, sugarcube!” Applejack nudged Rarity to her left, toward the busier part of town. “Follow me, y’all!” “Hey, wait for me!” Pinkie Pie came sliding after them, splashing through fresh puddles of rainwater with Gummy clutching onto the back of her mane. Twilight watched them go, not caring if her mane and tail got wet. She turned to Fluttershy, who was cuddling Angel close to her chest. It took Twilight a moment to catch on to the fact that Fluttershy was using her mane to shelter her rabbit from the rain. “Come on,” Twilight said over the rain, putting a hoof on Fluttershy’s shoulder. “Let’s go inside.” Fluttershy nodded and they galloped together toward the library, staying as close to each other as possible the whole way. Less than a minute later, they were safe and warm inside the library. Spike shut the door and giggled when he saw the two ponies panting and holding onto each other, only to scowl at the fresh puddles of water now covering the floor. He grumbled something about cleanup and trudged off to the broom closet. Fluttershy took a seat on the floor, trying to catch her breath. She didn’t resist when Angel jumped out of her hooves and scampered across the floor. It was his habit whenever he got caught in the rain; he’d run around for a minute to dry off, then hurry to the bedroom and take a nap until it was time to eat. As far as his other habits went, Fluttershy found it quite endearing. He was, after all, still a young bunny and needed lots of rest. “Here.” Twilight lifted her hoof and gestured dramatically into the air. Fluttershy heard a loud pop and then felt a towel land on top of her head. She saw a matching towel land on Twilight’s hoof. “You didn’t have to go to all that trouble,” said Fluttershy as she dried off her tail. “It’s no trouble.” Twilight stood perfectly still, using her magic to levitate the towel and run it all over her body. It was amazing how efficient she could be without using her hooves. “This kind of magic just comes easily to me ever since I became an alicorn. It’s the other stuff, like being a pegasus and an earth pony, that I’m still getting used to.” Fluttershy giggled and reached up to dry her mane. She froze when she felt two hooves gently grab the towel over her head. Then she heard Twilight whisper, “Would you like some help with that?” Fluttershy was grateful that the towel was covering her face. The shiver running through her body no longer had to do with being cold and wet. “Y-yes, please...” “Let’s see if I can do this as well as an earth pony can.” Then she felt Twilight’s hooves rubbing the towel back and forth across her mane. Fluttershy sighed and closed her eyes, losing herself in the warm sensation of being so close to her marefriend. She was used to getting this kind of special treatment every week when she and Rarity went to the spa, but it felt amazing coming from Twilight. A brave and wonderful princess doing something as simple as toweling off her friend. I’m not just her friend anymore, Fluttershy reminded herself. Her marefriend... When Twilight pulled the towel back, Fluttershy looked right into her eyes. They looked just as warm as her hooves felt around Fluttershy’s mane. Her mouth opened when she saw the faint blush on Twilight’s face and she knew then that there was only one way for this to end. Well, here goes nothing! Then her hooves reached up and grabbed Twilight’s face. The alicorn flinched, but all Fluttershy had to do was press her lips as gently as she could against Twilight’s mouth. Her lips were softer than she expected. Soft and wet from the rain. She smelled like a beautiful spring day. For just a moment, Fluttershy wondered if she was making a terrible mistake. This was her first kiss, but it probably wasn’t for Twilight. She’d had special someponies before. And what if Fluttershy was doing it all wrong? Was that why Twilight wasn’t kissing her back? Horse feathers, she was just making a fool of herself—! But then Twilight returned the kiss. Fluttershy felt those hooves drop the towel and wrap around her shoulders. Their bodies pressed in against each other, warming up quickly as their lips stayed locked together. Whatever rain was still clinging to them seemed to evaporate in that moment. Twilight pulled back just long enough to grin and whisper, “You...” Then she planted a row of softer kisses on Fluttershy’s cheek. “You are an amazing... and beautiful... pegasus...” “T-thank you,” Fluttershy stammered. She brushed at Twilight’s mane and then reached down to do the same with her tail. “I... I love you, Twily.” When Twilight froze, Fluttershy felt guilty again. But then she saw her marefriend lift her head and stare down at her with an open mouth. Then her lips curved into the most adorable smile Fluttershy had ever seen. “I love you, too, Shy.” Twilight leaned forward, but instead of kissing Fluttershy’s lips, she tilted her head up and planted a soft kiss on her forehead. “I adore you.” With a happy squeal, Fluttershy hugged her and rested her head against Twilight’s shoulder. She supposed that this wasn’t how most first dates normally went, but she didn’t care. And she figured that Twilight didn’t either. They were still in the heat of the moment when Spike suddenly popped into view, now wearing an apron and holding a mop and bucket. He fumbled the mop when he saw the two ponies, but quickly made a recovery. Well, well, he thought with a grin. I was worried they weren’t going to do this for another year! He paused to give them another moment to themselves. Like he’d told Twilight a while back, they were both very nervous and awkward, especially around each other. The last thing they needed was Spike barging in and ruining what he hoped would be a fantastic memory for them. After all, he’d feel just as slighted if somepony had dared to interrupt him while he shared a tender moment with his beloved Rarity. Fortunately, he didn’t have to say a word. Twilight looked past her marefriend and blushed like crazy when she saw her little brother standing in the doorway. “Um.... hi.” “How’s it going?” Spike lifted up his mop. “Don’t mind me. I’m just here to clean the floor.” To his surprise, Fluttershy actually giggled. Spike was impressed. For a pony who couldn’t stand scrutiny even from her closest friends, she was taking this public display of affection rather well. “Why don’t you let me and Fluttershy handle that?” Twilight suggested. She smoothed back her mane and flicked her tail—clear signs that she was fighting to reassert her self-control. “We never got the chance for Rarity to set up our picnic and this storm’s not going to let up anytime soon. Do you think maybe you could whip up something in the kitchen for us?” Spike grinned. “Yeah, I can do that. How about my patented Canterlot Casserole with extra nachos?” Twilight laughed and glanced down at Fluttershy. “What do you think?” “I’ve never had it, but I’ll be happy to try.” Fluttershy squeezed her hooves around Twilight again. “I guess I’m trying a lot of things today.” Again, Spike was impressed. Few ponies could make Twilight blush like that, except maybe Shining Armor and Cadance, and that was only because they’d known her all her life. He set down his mop and bucket, and turned toward the kitchen. “Well, if you guys need me, I’ll—” He stopped when he heard a sudden wham at the front door of the library. Everypony jumped in surprise and Twilight held her marefriend just a little closer. But the reverberations passed and the only thing Spike could hear was a soft groan and a few curses from behind the door. Fluttershy perked up immediately. “I know that voice! It’s Rainbow Dash!” Twilight let go of her and quickly trotted to the front door. She pulled it open with magic, letting in a multicolored streak and a lot of wind. Spike flinched when he saw the torrent of water splattering onto the floor. And he’d been just about to clean that, too! “Whew!” Rainbow Dash exclaimed. “Sorry about that, guys. I was in such a hurry I kinda missed the door.” She paused to shake herself off, getting even more water onto the floor. Fortunately, Twilight had seen it coming and cast her magic to set up a temporary force field around her precious books. “Wish she’d set one up around me,” Spike grumbled, now drenched from head to claw. He tore off his apron and tossed it onto the floor. Fluttershy passed her towel over to Rainbow Dash, who began to dry herself off. “Are you okay, Dash? Did you hurt yourself again?” “Nah, I’m fine.” The daredevil pegasus handed her back the towel and stretched her wings in and out. “It’s just this storm, you know?” In a lavender streak across the room, Twilight was at Rainbow Dash’s side in an instant. “The magic storm caused this? When? Where? Please, please, please tell me everything!” Rainbow Dash held a hoof to Twilight’s mouth. “Whoa, easy there! It was just a stray current! We were trying to check it, but it slipped past us and hit a few of the clouds over Ponyville. We’ll have it back in place by tomorrow.” She crossed a hoof over her chest. “Wonderbolt’s honor.” Twilight giggled and pressed her hooves to her face. “Oh my gosh, a real magic storm! This is big! I bet Princess Celestia already knows about it, too. Ooh, if I write to her, maybe she’ll ask me to do something about it—” “Ahem!” Spike leaned over and tapped Twilight on the flank. When she looked at him, he scowled and pointed a claw at Fluttershy, who’d been watching the exchange in quiet confusion. “Oh.” Twilight blushed. “R-right. Thanks, Spike.” “Anytime.” The baby dragon looked over at Rainbow Dash. “Are you sticking around for dinner?” Rainbow Dash shook her head. “Thanks, but I gotta get back into the air. I’m just making sure everypony we know got indoors.” Twilight smiled deviously. “In that case, I think I saw Applejack and the others headed for Sugarcube Corner.” It only happened for a split second, but Spike could’ve sworn he saw Rainbow Dash grinning like a filly getting her first card on Hearts and Hooves Day. She recovered quickly, putting on her brave front and giving Fluttershy a pat on the shoulder. “Well, I’ll see you tomorrow. You two have fun now.” “We will!” Fluttershy replied and leaned over to tap her wing against Rainbow’s. Spike ran to get the door. He heard the sudden flutter of wings behind him and managed to get it open just in time before Rainbow Dash went blazing out of the library and back into the rainy night. As he closed the door, Spike felt surprisingly relieved. He figured Rainbow Dash wouldn’t have hung around, but that didn’t mean he didn’t enjoy her company. It was more about letting Twilight and Fluttershy have their own night together. It had barely been a week since Nightmare Night and all the craziness that followed it. They deserved as much alone time as they could get. Still, Spike couldn’t resist glancing over his shoulder on the way to the kitchen. He got a glimpse of the two ponies using a combination of magic and pegasus agility to mop up the library floor. They smiled and giggled at each other as they worked—and because they didn’t know Spike was looking, they leaned in for another kiss. He felt just a brief pang of jealousy. Not because Twilight was happy with her marefriend, but because Spike had always dreamt of having a moment like that with Rarity. Getting a kiss on the cheek from her after his brief rampage as a full-grown dragon didn’t count. It’d been a kiss of gratitude, nothing more. Then again, she had acknowledged his feelings. It was a step in the right direction and Spike could afford to be patient a little longer. Let Rarity continue to play matchmaker, pairing off nice ponies like Twilight and Fluttershy. He’d be waiting at the end for her, faithful as ever. That thought warmed his heart. Spike gave the two love-struck ponies one last smile before retreating into the kitchen. After they had finished their meal—with Owlowiscious and Angel Bunny joining them at the table to feast on their own treats—Twilight had helped Spike clear away the leftovers and clean up in the kitchen. But even as she used her magic to clean and put away each dish, she couldn’t help but lift one ear toward the doorway and listen in on Fluttershy’s conversation in the living room. “Oh, yes, you definitely need a trim! Yes, I can see she doesn’t… it’s okay, we’re all still learning…” When Twilight crept into the room for a peek, she smiled at the sight of Fluttershy sitting on the floor next to Owlowiscious. She was leaning over and preening his feathers one at a time. The owl would sit perfectly still, though Twilight thought she detected a happy twinkle in his eyes as the pegasus worked her craft. For a moment, Twilight didn’t even see Owlowiscious. All she saw was Fluttershy’s teeth delicately cleaning up feathers. Her own wings fluttered in response, causing Twilight to blush and look away. She’d gotten using to preening herself thanks to Fluttershy’s lessons a few months back, but she’d never let anypony do it for her. What would it feel like to have Fluttershy’s teeth—her mouth—nibbling away at her wings? Don’t get carried away, Twilight warned herself. You may be her marefriend now, but you’re also a princess and you have standards. Besides, she wanted to let their relationship develop slowly. In retrospect, Twilight could see that she’d tried too hard to push things along with Flash Sentry—running on guilt for her missed chance with his human counterpart. With Fluttershy, she could afford to take things slow and let it build naturally. Her marefriend wasn’t somepony to be pushed around; beneath that quiet exterior was a very strong and unrelenting hero, a pony who could make grown dragons cry if pushed hard enough. In the meantime, she had something she knew Fluttershy would appreciate for the end of their first date. As she trotted over to the two sitting on the floor, Twilight cleared her throat. “Do you need any help with that? I’m getting a little better at wing care these days.” Fluttershy pulled back on the edge of the owl’s wing and smiled. “Thank you, but no. I think I’m almost done. He just needed a little grooming, that’s all.” “Well, I’m sure he won’t mind if you ever want to come over and help him out with that.” “Hoo!” Owlowiscious replied, sounding a little more upbeat as he fluttered his wings. Twilight watched him flap his way into the air and soar upstairs to his perch. She hoped he’d still play nice with Angel, who had already fallen asleep next to Spike on his bed. That meant Twilight and Fluttershy had the rest of the library—and the evening—to themselves. “Listen,” Twilight continued. She knelt down beside her marefriend, reaching out to grab her hoof. “There’s something I want to share with you.” “Oh, my.” Fluttershy started to shiver almost immediately, sending Twilight into a slight panic. “A-are you sure?” “It’s not what you think.” It took a moment for Twilight to get her thoughts together. She knew what Fluttershy was thinking, which made it difficult for her to stop suddenly fantasizing about doing those kinds of things with her new marefriend. “I just thought you might enjoy a little reading together.” Fluttershy clapped her hooves together. “You really mean it?” “I do.” Twilight reached out and pulled her in for a quick kiss on the nose. “It’s something I love that I can share with somepony I love.” She didn’t resist when Fluttershy returned her kiss with surprising force. Then they were up and trotting together through the library, giggling and blushing like fillies. Twilight cast a pair of low-energy telekinesis spells to grab a book from the third row of the Classics shelf and the folded-up blanket sitting in the corner of the room. It was still cold and stormy outside, so Twilight had taken the liberty of starting a fire to keep up the warmth inside the library. She used her magic to extinguish a few lamps around the library, letting the glow from the fireplace illuminate the cover of her book and Fluttershy’s tender face. “It’s one of my favorites,” Twilight was saying as she took a seat beside Fluttershy in front of the fireplace. “This book is full of poems that a unicorn named Rough Draft wrote a century ago.” She opened the book on the floor, positioning it so that the two of them could read by firelight. “Are you ready?” Fluttershy nodded eagerly. Then, adorably, she gasped as Twilight’s magic floated the blanket over her, wrapping itself around both ponies without becoming too tight. Twilight savored the heat of her marefriend’s body against her own. They snuggled as close as they could together, not minding at all how their wings fluttered when they touched each other under the blanket. “I thought you might like this one,” said Twilight, pointing her hoof down at the page. Then she cleared her throat and read. “I dreamt I passed her by in a meadow last spring And everything I know, I learned from her. I learned her name, I told her mine, and I earned her love— I know the magic of love like no pony before me knew. Her mane was silver and her flanks adorned with the finest rose, And when I held her, my own heart blossomed. But my dream turned to autumn and she could no longer stay, So I wander the meadow and look for her each day. Yes, I wander the meadow and look for her each day, For when I held her, my own heart blossomed. I know the magic of love like no pony before me knew, And everything I know, I learned from her…” Twilight paused and glanced over at Fluttershy. For a moment, she thought that the crimson hue on the other pony’s face was just the light from the fireplace. But then she realized that Fluttershy was blushing. “That… was beautiful,” she said quietly, but to Twilight’s ears it was the loudest thing in the whole library. The world’s sweetest pegasus leaned her head and smiled dreamily. “Thank you. I couldn’t have asked for a better date.” Twilight snuck one hoof under the blanket and around Fluttershy’s shoulders. They shared another kiss and snuggled as close as they could get, with the blanket holding them tight and Twilight’s magic turning the page to another of her favorite poems. Years later, when she looked back over the course of their relationship, Twilight would always treasure that first evening by the fireplace the most. The embers were flickering in the fireplace, leaving most of the library shrouded in darkness. Fortunately, Twilight didn’t need to see in order to levitate the poetry anthology back onto the right shelf. She’d once reorganized the whole library without looking, using only her magic and her memory to sort each section. On the floor beside her, Fluttershy was curled up under the blanket, sleeping peacefully. Twilight didn’t want to disturb her, but she knew she couldn’t leave the poor thing on the floor. There was a perfectly good guest bed upstairs. Oh, yes, you’re so innocent, a tiny voice whispered in the back of Twilight’s head. Like you didn’t already consider putting her in your own bed. Twilight sighed. She had considered it, but she had also promised Fluttershy she’d never pressure her. It was easy for other ponies to just boss her around because she was so quiet and gentle. But not Twilight Sparkle. She didn’t care how long she had to wait or how much she yearned to feel what it was like to take a sweet thing like her to bed. She would become the Element of Patience, perfectly restrained until Fluttershy said she was ready. Very carefully, she knelt down and pointed her horn at the sleeping pegasus. A light magenta aura enclosed Fluttershy and the blanket wrapped around her. As Twilight stood up, Fluttershy floated into the air beside her. She smiled at her sweetheart and gently carried her upstairs, using the light of her magic to see her way in the dark. In her bedroom, Spike and Angel were snoring gently, slumped over each other on the basket that was Spike’s bed. The only critter who stayed awake was Owlowiscious. The owl was nocturnal by nature; when he didn’t have a late-night study session to help Twilight on, he would simply roost on his perch and rest his eyes. Twilight could tell by the way his head swiveled that he was completely awake and tracking her as she entered. As she lowered Fluttershy onto the guest bed, Twilight pulled away the blanket and slid the covers over her marefriend. Although she was asleep, the pegasus seemed to be smiling as Twilight tucked her in. Then, because it was impossible to resist, Twilight bent her head down and kissed her on the cheek. “Sweet dreams, Shy.” She trotted across the room to her own bed. A short wave of magic sent the covers flying up, allowing Twilight to slip in right before they landed again. Minutes passed as she shifted from side to side, trying to get comfortable. But she was just too excited this night. Her head was buzzing with so many thoughts and feelings. Hey, Shy, let’s go see my parents in Canterlot, she thought to herself. Hey, Shy, let’s go for a balloon ride to see the Mariposa Mountains. Yes, of course, we can bring some butterflies home with us. As many as you want… yes, this book is one of my favorites, too… Twilight pulled the blanket over her head. This wasn’t working. She’d be exhausted tomorrow if she didn’t get any sleep now. But all she could think about was her marefriend and how lucky she was and all the things they’d get to do together— She didn’t hear her move, so it came as a complete shock to Twilight when she felt something curl up beside her in bed. Her whole body went rigid from mane to tail. “Sorry,” Fluttershy whispered into her ear. “I got lonely. Can I sleep here with you?” Slowly, Twilight looked back over her shoulder. In the darkness, she got an impression of a sleep-tangled mane and a pair of large, loving eyes. Just to be sure she wasn’t dreaming, Twilight turned around and touched her hoof to Fluttershy’s lips. She got a giggle and a quiet kiss on the hoof in response. There wasn’t any more need for words after that. Twilight pulled her close and cast her magic out to tuck the sheets around them. Fluttershy murmured something sweet and laid her head against Twilight’s shoulder. This time, Twilight didn’t have any trouble getting to sleep. The last thing she remembered was her marefriend softly snoring in her arms.