//------------------------------// // Alternate/Original 15: The Return Home // Story: Two Hearts, Fall Apart // by NintendoGal55 //------------------------------// In a lounging room of the castle, four ponies resided for the time being. Joined up with them, of course, was Discord, who was playing some amusing games with the two hyperactive ponies. All the while, Twilight and Pinkamena were sitting on lounging chairs, a round table between them holding some tea, along with the manuscript, which Pinkamena was reading through along with Twilight. Along with that, of course, made some room for brief chatter. Especially considering Twilight’s curiosity on a few things. “So... You and... the other me... are really engaged?” Twilight asked, still in disbelief over it all. Of all the things she expected to find in this reality, her and Pinkie’s counterparts being in a relationship was not one of them! Pinkamena sighed, looking up at Twilight with a half smile. “For the fifth time, Twilight, yes, we are. How many times are you going to ask that before you believe me?” “I just... never expected it. I mean, my Pinkie and I aren’t even in love...” Twilight looked over to their counterparts. “How did you two... get together, anyway?” “Well, it’s quite a tale, really. It happen some years ago to be honest.” Pinkamena admitted. “You see, my family was a very... depressive group of people, not very happy, nor was I when I was younger, sadly. However, one day, back in my youth, I saw a bright flash of color, almost blinded me, to be honest, and fell down a hill. At the bottom, what did I see? A lavender unicorn reading, or trying to, by herself. She was having trouble pronouncing the word onomatopoeia, if memory serves, and I helped her. From there, she had another problem, which I helped with, and then another. Before long, I was reading the entire book to her. “To sum up about twelve years of history, my personal tutoring of her did not go unnoticed, and I was soon asked by Princess Luna to be my Twilight’s personal advisor. I was taken from my original home and moved in the castle with her and over the years... I grew very fond of her.” “...Wow...” Twilight was amazed at this, fascinated by the alternative personal history they seemed to have. “That’s a really nice story, Pinkie-I’m sorry, I mean Pinkamena. What happened after?” Laughing now, Pinkamena tried not to show her blush. “You truly wish to listen to me explain how I proposed and why? I’m beginning to assume that you’re asking for more reasons that you’re letting on.” “Noooo.... well, yes, I want to know that, and some other things too!” Twilight said with a grin. “Such as, why you two went to Ponyville, and how you found the Elements of Harmony!” “I believe that tale would be a bit too long,” Pinkamena shook her head, remembering the trouble they went through finding the Elements, “but as for why we went to Ponyville, I can explain that at least. It was a request from Princess Luna herself for us to learn about what was known as friendship. To be honest, I thought it was a new type of power source that I could utilize in my research, but what we found was just as good, if not better.” “New friends?” Twilight said softly, speaking from experience. “What you were supposed to do all along... and yet, never expected?” “Why, yes. That is correct.” Pinkamena gave her a friendly smile. “I assume you speak from personal experience?” Twilight nodded, “I grew up in Canterlot, too. Spike and I went to Ponyville after Princess Celestia told me to not only help in overseeing the preparations for the Summer Sun Festival, but to make some friends. I, of course, didn’t take that last part seriously and thought it would be a waste of time. I just did my job as I was asked. But as it were, I ended up making friends, when I didn’t even realize it.” Pinkamena nodded, listening intently. “I see. So, you were sent there around that time as well. Very interesting. We also arrived around that time, however it was my Twilight who insisted on overseeing the Summer Sun Festival.” “Was it? Well, with her.... confectionary expertise, it would make sense!” “Indeed. It was no surprise, really. However, it was when she suggested that the theme be pink.” Twilight shook her head, snickering a bit. “That’s just silly.” Pinkamena chuckled, agreeing with her. “It was a rather unorthodox thing to say, but I saw what she was doing, and it was still rather sweet.” “...Yeah, I guess you can say that is pretty sweet,” the lavender mare admitted. “So, was there anything else you wanted to ask?” Pinkamena inquired. A sly smile came to Twilight’s gaze. “How did you propose?” This question caught her off guard, making her blush slightly. “Why do you ask?” “I’m just curious! Aside from my brother, I never knew anypony who was engaged... much less alternate versions of myself and Pinkie!” Twilight admitted. “So I’m just curious about how you did it. Unless... she was the one who proposed?” “No, no, I proposed to her,” Pinkamena stated, a light blush still on her cheeks. “Well, it was- wait... you have brother?” The concept of this was more than frightening to her, but she tried to shake it off. Now Twilight looked puzzled, tilting her head, “Well, yeah. What’s weird about that?” Pinkamena nodded slightly. “Actually, it is. Within this reality, my Twilight has a sister.” “A sister?!” Twilight repeated, her eyes going wide. “...What is she like?” “You would... best ask my Twilight for that answer.” Pinkamena flinched at the thought. “May we... change the subject?” “...Okay?” The lavender mare shrugged, wondering why she seemed so evasive on the subject. “So, back on topic! You were the one who proposed? How did you do it?” “Oh, yes.” Pinkamena spoke up, relaxing a small amount. “Well, as I’m sure you noticed, she enjoys surprises and I am one to consider all possibilities. It was close to eight months ago, I decided on the best way to go about it. I had the evening played out much like a simple date to our favorite restaurant in Canterlot, the Seventh Horseshoe. Despite the name, it’s a fine establishment and the first place we ever went on a date to as well. “I called in advance to make the arrangements and permission to use a certain something. When we arrived I asked for a table outside, on the terrace of the building. Nothing too special, at least not until once there. I reserved the entire roof, but not for us, a hot air balloon.” She smiled a waving the matter off almost. “As you can imagine, it was no easy feat to convince the owner to allow me to set up a hot air balloon on the top of the restaurant, let alone get permission from the sky patrol, but as I had been planning it for two months, I had time to work out any of the bugs. “The way her face lit up was well worth it, however. She was practically dragging me into it, which suited me just fine. We went up, as you can guess, and she marveled at the city below. She was so in awe she didn’t even notice when I retrieved the small box from my coat pocket. I called over to her, she turned, and I proposed to her then and there. And then, she said what I assumed was yes, as she tackled me in the balloon, almost causing us to lose control of it and crash, but it would have been a small price to pay to see her as happy as she was on that day...” Amazed, Twilight let it sink in, then looked over at their counterparts. They were still happily chatting and playing games that Discord was entertaining them with. To think, that this world’s Pinkamena and Twilight found love in each other. Then to lead to such a sweet and thoughtful proposal. It was a really nice thought, a warm feeling that came to her heart. ‘Hey, if the other me and other Pinkie can find love...maybe we can, too,’ Twilight thought. “Gosh, that’s a really sweet proposal, Pinkamena... I can see why your Twilight must have loved it so much,” she said, smiling. “Why, thank you, Ms. Sparkle,” Pinkamena smiled warmly at her, “So tell me, did hearing this tale assist you with our dilemma?” “....My dilemma? What do you mean? I don’t have a dilemma.” Pinkamena giggled. “Are you quite sure? I’ve seen you stealing glances over at my other self, and how you reacted to seeing her and the other you before hearing that she was engaged was rather odd. If I was foolhardy, I would say you have feelings for her.” She sighed, dismissing her own topic. “However, I would much rather hear you admit it if this is true.” “Well... Yes, I think I really do,” Twilight looked over to Pinkie, who waved at her. Smiling, she waved back. “I just felt confused most of the time about what to do.” “Ah, so that explains your questioning of me about how I went about this.” Pinkamena closed her eyes, nodding. “The best course of action when in a situation like that is the simplest and the hardest. Be honest with her and, more important, yourself. If you have feelings for her, tell her, no pony is willing to wait forever for their love to make the first move... assuming you're not as dense as our Fluttershy was, of course.” The lavender mare gave it some thought, biting her lip. “You’re right... I guess we’ll have to talk more about it when we get home. I mean, if she came out and said she liked me, I’d give her a chance... That’s about as much as I know. But, you’re right, I should probably tell her first.” Pinkamena chuckled, grinning at Twilight. “Do what you feel is right and no pony can hold it against you.” “You’re right,” Twilight conceded. She looked back down at the book. “...Wow, the spell is the same... and yet the type of magic used for it is different. ...Oh boy... I hope I’ll be able to cast this spell.” “You’re speaking as though you must do this alone,” Pinkamena interjected, “The spell, while in order to work correctly, will require two spell casters to work properly. You have four. Yourself, the other you, and two Lords of Chaos, one of which is our link back. You’ll do fine.” “True,” said Twilight, overlooking the spell again. “I just hope getting back will work.” Pinkamena paused for a moment, then realized something. “Wait, you stated that these spells are almost identical, correct? Then, that would mean during your first attempt, you should have had a second unicorn or alicorn assisting with the spell.” “...I didn’t. It was just me, Fluttershy and Pinkie,” Twilight said, confused now. Pinkamena exhaled. “That would explain why it failed. As you were doing the spell alone, it became unstable, thus when Fluttershy was still connected inside of the vortex, she developed a link between herself and this Fluttershy. The lack of absolute controlled group was missing. Meaning, you’re missing a part of the spell.” “But that’s impossible! It didn’t say what would happen if there was only one unicorn or alicorn performing it! ...But I think I see what you’re saying,” Twilight realized, looking over the spell again. “And it’s no wonder Pinkie walking away from it contributed to it messing up. I was doing it wrong all along.” “Don’t be too hard on yourself. This also might have been fate that set this all into motion, after all.” Pinkamena stated in an encouraging tone. “This has been a rather marvelous learning experience and I would like to think that perhaps it was just what the two Fluttershys needed.” Realizing that, Twilight could see that she was onto something, and smiled. “I think... that’s true. I guess we’ll have to see how they worked it out when they finally get back here.” “So then, let us get the spell proceedings under way, shall we?” the pink earth pony gleefully asked. Twilight nodded, “Good idea, let’s do it.” Sometime later, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy finally made it back. It was quite a spectacle, what with a very happy Pinkie hugging Fluttershy and gushing about how much she missed her. “So, how did it go, girls?” Twilight asked. “Yeah! I remember that you wanted to stay, Fluttershy! What made you change your mind?” Hyper Twilight wanted to know, eager for details. Smiling sweetly, Fluttershy nuzzled her wife sweetly. “Well... It all just came together really well. We finally had a chance to talk, and so did our counterparts. It was... just what we needed. There was also the fact that I was going to eventually become this world’s Fluttershy if I stayed here. I didn’t want to lose my memories, and I wanted to go home. Plus, I knew this world’s Rainbow Dash was going to be in good hooves. So... I am ready to go home. I enjoyed my time here, and I will miss all of you... but I should go back home where I belong. Don’t worry about the library, they’ll look after it until you two return.” Rainbow Dash nodded in agreement, grinning widely. “Yep! Everything is set right now and we’re ready to hit the road! Or... however this spell stuff works.” “Awesometacular!” Pinkie squealed happily. “Too bad we couldn’t have a party!” “I know! What a shame!” Hyper Twilight gave a pout. “All right everypony, let’s get into position. You too, Discord.” Pinkamena said, anxious to begin. Discord immediately snapped right over, grinning widely. “Ohh, this is going to be so amazing! To be able to zap you all back home, what a feat!” Fluttershy giggled, shaking her head, “We certainly appreciate the help, Discord...” “Well, let’s do this!” Twilight agreed with Pinkamena. She indicated to the floor, where a few markers were set. “Rainbow, Fluttershy and Pinkie, I’ll need you to get onto those markers. It doesn’t matter which one. I’ll be on this one here, since I’m partially casting the spell and will also be going with you guys.” Pinkie saluted as she got onto one of the markers, “Yes ma’am!” “You got it, Twilight!” Dash said eagerly. “Come on, Fluttershy, these two marker look pretty close together.” Giggling, Fluttershy complied and took the marker next to Dash’s. Twilight, meanwhile, set herself onto her marker, making sure they were all in place. “All right, we’re ready! Discord, and... er..... other Twilight, are you two ready?” Hyper Twilight nodded eagerly. “Yep! Ready, Other Me!” Discord chuckled, rolling his eyes. “I’m the Lord of Chaos, I was ready before I was born. Of course, I have no idea what I was thinking before that... Never mind, I’m ready!” Pinkamena stationed herself close by, overseeing everything as best she could. “Now remember, this spell is very taxing on its casters, so we only have a single window of opportunity. If we fail, since we have the Lord of Chaos assisting with this, I have no idea how this will affect the bases of reality. So, no pressure at all is involved, but let us do our best.” “I’m not going to walk away this time,” Pinkie promised, sounding very serious. “I’m going to remain where I am.” “All right, then,” Twilight spoke up again. “Just as Pinkamena said, we only have one chance to do this. So, let’s do this and we’ll do it right. Think of it like The Wizard of Oz, there’s no place like home!” Without further ado, both Twilights casted magic around their horns, whilst Discord joined in with his own magic, combining them. The auras of magic surrounded everypony situated on their markers, to which all four ponies closed their eyes, concentrating. Moments passed, the magic grew stronger, enveloping them within it. It became brighter, brighter, and this time there wasn’t any agonized screaming involved. Fluttershy even looked calm, as if she were merely sleeping. “And... now!” Hyper Twilight announced, igniting more energy into her horn. Discord followed suit, as did Twilight, and the enveloping magic grew brighter. All of it then became a bright flash, surrounding the room in a heavenly glow. Then any and all sounds that may have emitted from the alternate ponies were silenced, and the light dissipated. Once they opened their eyes and saw where the four ponies once were, they were gone, as if they’d never been there in the first place. A silence befell the room as it set in. They were gone, back to their reality, and never to be seen again. To think it all even came to be in less than a week. How things had come to change since it all began... “Wow!” Twilight finally spoke up, wide-eyed. “It... It worked.... they’re gone now! ...Oh, I’m going to miss the other Flutters!” Pinkamena approached Twilight with a sincere smile. “There, there, Twilight, I... don’t know if this would make you feel any better, but according to the laws of physics, not every entrance is ever fully closed. Meaning that our two realities are still connected, but in the smallest way. So, it may be possible that one day, we can meet them again, hopefully without the threat of cosmic distortion lingering overhead.” “...Okay, you’re right,” Twilight gave a smile and hugged her. “That other Pinkie was so nice! She was fun and silly, like me! Hee hee!” “It was nice to get to meet these other versions of ourselves, was it not?” “Yes! It was! And that Dashie was just like our Flutters!” Pinkamena nodded, “Yes that was rather interesting to see. I suppose we should tell the Princesses that the problem has been resolved.” “Oooh, the looks on their faces will be priceless!” Discord gushed, winking at them. “Meet you girls there!” With a snap of his eagle claw, he disappeared. Laughing a bit, Twilight then kissed her fiancée’s cheek. “You know, it’s a shame they won’t see our wedding...” Pinkamena giggled at this, bringing a foreleg over Twilight, “If I invent a device that allows for inter-dimensional travel before our wedding, we’ll go get them. How’s that sound?” “Okay!” Twilight said amiably, nuzzling her. “C’mon, let’s go tell Lulu and Celly aaaaall about this! We don’t have to go home yet, do we? I mean, I know we came here to find this bookie, but now that we found the bookie and also sent the ponies back home to where they belong... Does that mean we have to go now? I don’t want to leave yet! Plus my family’s still coming here tomorrow so we can have a family day out! Pwease can we stay? I think Dashie and Flutters will appreciate some more alone time, anyway!” Sighing, Pinkamena gave her a warm smile. “Well, I see no reason why not to... Very well then, we can stay. That was the plan to begin with, after all.” “YAY!” Twilight hugged her more, giggling with delight. “I love you, Pinkie-Winkie!” “I love you too, Twilight.” Inside a lone lounge room within the palace, there was a mysterious and magical glow. Seemingly appearing out of nowhere, the magical light encased a good portion of the room within it, before dissipating. In its place, Twilight, Pinkie, Rainbow and Fluttershy were sitting on the floor, all in the same positions they had been in back in the alternate dimension. Opening their eyes, they took a look around, as if uncertain about what had just happened. “...Did it work? ...Are we back?” Fluttershy asked nopony in particular. “I... I think so.” Twilight looked about the room, only to be face to face with a grinning Discord. “Hellooooooooo, my little ponies!” He greeted jovially, giving a laugh. “You came back! Here I was starting to wonder if it would work!” Pinkie, Twilight and Rainbow Dash could then see he was wearing the same yellow scarf from before. Indeed, there was no mistake. They were back home. “Discord!” Fluttershy exclaimed happily, rushing over and hugging him. “I’ve missed you!” “Yep, we’re home.” Twilight exhaled with relief. “We did it, gals!” Rainbow Dash shouted, “We actually went there, saved Fluttershy, and made it back in one piece!” “We made it! Hooray!” Pinkie danced happily. Laughing a bit, Discord hugged Fluttershy briefly, clearly glad to see her, before letting her go. “In case you’re wondering how I knew you’d come in here... let’s just say that I have my ways! Oh, you should’ve seen the look on your face, Twilight! Priceless!” “Yes, the look of annoyance must look lovely on me,” Twilight spoke back bluntly. “Oh, it’s great to be home!” Fluttershy suddenly said, smiling more. “Thank you all so much for what you did, and for helping me see what I needed to do. Thank you! Oh, I should go home! My poor Angel Bunny must be worried! And I’ll have to tell my animal friends about what happened!” Rainbow Dash trotted up beside her, pulling Fluttershy into a tight hug. “I’ll take you home, Flutters! And this time, you’re not leaving.” Giggling happily, Fluttershy returned the embrace, kissing her cheek. “No, I won’t be, Rainbow... Thank you! Please take me home. Um... I’ll write a letter to Princess Celestia by tomorrow at the latest, Twilight.” Twilight smiled, shaking her head. “No need to trouble yourself, Fluttershy. I’ll explain everything to the Princess myself. After all, we are here.” “I know... But I should relay my personal experience about it, too,” Fluttershy said. She turned to Dash then, nuzzling her, “In the meantime... Would you care to see me home, Dashie?” Rainbow Dash chuckled, nuzzling her back. “Just try to stop me. Come on, let’s get you home.” “Bye, bye!” Pinkie giggled to her friends. “Have fun with your sweet-loving kinky pegasus-” “Now, now, Pinkie dear, let’s not get vulgar,” Discord cut her off. “Until tomorrow, Fluttershy! Have fun~” He then winked, disappearing with a snap of his eagle claw. “So, you wanna fly home or would you rather me carry you, ‘Shy?” Dash teased. Blushing a bit, Fluttershy nuzzled their noses as she curled her forelegs around her neck. “Well Rainbow, I am your wife... we’re technically married... And I’ve always wanted to cross the threshold with you carrying me like a bride...” “Can do, Flutters,” Rainbow giggled, quickly sweeping Fluttershy off her hooves and held her up bridal style. “Comfy?” “Yes, very,” Fluttershy beamed. “Shall we go?” “You got it,” Dash flashed a toothy grin. “We’ll catch ya later Twilight! Pinkie, don’t party too much. See ya!” “We’ll throw a party first thing tomorrow! Bye!” Pinkie waved as the two pegasi flew off. With her precious cargo in her hooves, Rainbow Dash flew out the nearby window after kicking it open with a hind hoof. Pinkie and Twilight watched them go, with the former smiling brightly and the latter looking amused. “Wow! Quite a night, eh, Twi-Twi?” Pinkie said, turning to the alicorn. “No doubt!” Twilight sighed, feeling exhausted. “I’m ready to collapse.” Understanding, the pink earth pony came to her side to help support her, smiling warmly. “That’s true, the other me said that this spell would be very taxing on you. Why don’t I help you upstairs to your room and you can relax? We can talk to the Princesses in the morning, I think they’ll understand that you need your rest. I can even go and tell them on your behalf after you get settled in!” Twilight blushed, turning away slightly, “No, no, it’s quite alright. I just need a few hours of sleep is all... but I wouldn’t mind a little company, Pinkie.” “Then let’s get you to your room!” Pinkie said, helping her along. “I’ll keep you company! The Pinkamena Diane Pie Treatment of Company!” “I’m almost afraid to ask, but how is that different from your normal company?” Twilight inquired as they walked. “It isn’t, silly! I’m just making it sound fancier!” Pinkie said with a wink. “Besides, I found it ironic how the other me actually still goes by Pinkamena!” Twilight nodded. “That was a bit of shocker... I wasn’t expecting to see the other us as the way they were.” “I know! Wasn’t it so surprising?! I mean, of course it’s funny to us because we’re comparing what we know about each other and ourselves to the way they normally are. But it really is such a gem for funny stuff! Seeing the other you acting all like me, that was crazy!” Laughed the pink mare, shaking her head. “They even wore their manes different!” “Actually I was- never mind, it’s not important.” Twilight shook her head. “My old room is just up ahead.” “Ohhhh! You mean that they were engaged?! Yeah! Other Twilight was telling me all about it!” Pinkie grinned. “Oh, other me is so thoughtful! What a cute proposal story, and I’ve heard a ton of them! I wish I could be there to help them with the wedding! That is just soooo cool! I hope the pony I marry would be that sweet! But I wouldn’t want to pressure them with expectations, either!” “Oh, yes... It was rather sweet, and I agree, it would have been nice to have seen their wedding... albeit a little strange, but pleasant.” Stepping in front, Twilight pushed open the door to her old room. “Well, not much has changed in here.” “Nopey-dopey-lopey!” Agreed Pinkie, helping her into the room and closing the door behind her. “Oh, my dear Twi-Twi, you must be soooo tired! Get into bed, you silly bean!” Twilight blushed faintly as she made her way over to the bed and sat on its edge. “Actually... I was hoping we could talk first, before that.” Puzzled, Pinkie eyed her for a second, but then got up onto the bed next to her. She stretched, made herself comfortable, and yawned a little. Then she lay Twilight down, and lay next to her, so that they were facing each other. “Okay, all ears! What’s up?” Twilight sighed, staring up at the ceiling. “Well, you see, I was talking to the other you about a few things. Matters that had been on my mind for a while now and she gave me some advice...” “Oh? On what?” Pinkie asked. “Well, it’s a little personal, but it’s not at the same time. It’s hard to explain. I... Umm...” Twilight thought it over for a moment before feeling defeated. “I’m not very good at this... Is that my bag over there?” Pinkie looked over, seeing her saddlebags on the floor nearby. “Yes, but you should probably focus, Twi-Twi! That’s what you always say!” “You right, I’m sorry... I guess it’s just hard getting this out.” Twilight responded, but half toned at the moment. “Anyway, I was asking about how to deal with emotions and what you’re supposed to do when you feel a certain way. I’ve been having a couple of problems with figuring out how I feel, or what I should do, and if I even know what I was feeling in the first place. It’s a tad bit odd, but... Well, what I mean is...” The alicorn looked at a loss for words and this wasn’t far from the truth. They hung there on the tip of her tongue, but she could not place them. She looked back to her bags once more, then got up. Walking over to her personal bag, Twilight looked back to Pinkie with a slight smile. “Would you give me a minute? I think I want to show you something...” “Okey-dokey-lokie!” Pinkie said, humming and rolling about on the bed to entertain herself. “All right then.” Twilight said, beginning to dig through her bag. Speaking out loud, she seemed to have found what she was looking for. “Pinkie, do you remember my old doll I had a while back?” “You mean Smarty Pants?” Pinkie sat up, curious. “Of course I remember!” Twilight got back to the bed, holding something Pinkie couldn’t quite see. “Well, little after I gave her away, I asked Rarity to make me a new doll around the time after I was made a princess... a plushy, actually. She didn’t really ask anything about the design I asked for, but... well, this is what I’ve had since then to replace Smarty Pants.” She levitated up the plushy and closed her eyes, almost as if afraid of Pinkie’s reaction. “I actually keep this with me a lot and, uh, it helps me to sleep and... well, you see...” There was silence as the pink earth pony took it all in. An awkward silence for anypony on the receiving end of it, to be sure. However, a look of surprised yet unbridled happiness overcame Pinkie’s face within a moment or two. “Ooooooohhhh!! You made a plushie look like me?! Me?! Really?! Awwww! Twilight, that’s sooooo cute! I’m flattered! You made one like me!” Pinkie giggled, grabbing hold of the plushy in her hooves. “It’s so cute and looks like me! Hello, plushy me! Wow! Nopony’s ever made a plushy of me before!” Twilight looked at her a bit stunned: clearly this was not the reaction she had expected. “So, you’re not mad? You don’t thinks it’s creepy?” “Of course not, silly! Why would I?” Pinkie looked to her as if it were the silliest question ever. “I’m flattered you took comfort in me somehow! And we’re friends! Of course it isn’t creepy! I don’t mind at all! I’m soooo happy! But the fact it makes you happy like this, how can I not be glad about that?! That’s what I love to do, Twilight! Making my friends happy! If this is something that does, then YAY! That’s wonderful!” She hugged the plushy a bit. Twilight felt herself ease up, relaxing a bit seeing Pinkie’s reaction. “I’m glad you see it that way. I was a little worried that I would say or do something stupid while trying to explain that I think I’ve got a crush on you.” She blushed, rubbing the back of her neck. “REALLY?!!?” Pinkie squealed, cheering happily. She hopped off the bed, still holding the plushy, grabbed Twilight, and then threw her onto the bed. Rejoining her, the pink mare practically pounced and hugged her tight, along with the plushy. “Oh, Twilight! You do?! I’m so happy you do! I like you, too! No, I love you too! Yay!” Twilight did her best to try to return the hug, but Pinkie had even her forelegs caught. “I-I thought that after I showed you my pushy...” Her blush was nearly completely consuming her face as she spoke. Realizing this, Pinkie released her a little bit so she could return the hug, and kept her close. Giggling, she nuzzled their noses and grinned. Twilight was still flustered by the moment, but could not help but to find an odd sense of fulfillment. “But yes... I, uh... I like you, Pinkie, and I just wanted to tell you that before I lost my nerve.” “Yay! And I love you, too!” Pinkie snuggled her. “You don’t have to be nervous, my sweet honey! You can tell me anything!” “’Sweet honey’?” Twilight repeated, once more amazed by the sheer number of things Pinkie had called her in the span of a week. “If that’s the case, can you pick a single pet name for me? Counting the last one, you’re up to one hundred and seven.” Wide-eyed, Pinkie stared at her. “You counted?! Oh my! Well, goodness gracious! …Uh... Hee hee, can I get back to you? I’ll have to check my bingo book.” Almost involuntarily, Twilight started to giggle loudly. “You actually keep a bingo book?” “Yepperoonie! You bet I do!” The pink mare winked, giggling as well. “May I see it?” Twilight asked her sweetly. “Sure, I’ll show it to you when we get back home!” Twilight nodded, giving her a playful look. “I suppose I’ll just have to remind you to write down our date that’s scheduled for tomorrow evening...” Pinkie winked, kissing her nose. “Don’t you worry, Twilight! It’s aaaall up here!” She pointed to her head. Twilight couldn’t help but giggle. “So, you’re perfectly fine with a date, with me, tomorrow? One that you never even agreed to?” “Of course I am, Twilight!” Pinkie said, poking her snout. “I didn’t object to it, did I? Nope! So of course we’re going on a date tomorrow!” Sitting back on the bed, then falling over, Twilight sighed happily. “All right then. But I am exhausted. Both physically and emotionally now.” Falling down with her, and snuggling up to her, Pinkie kissed her cheek. “It’s okay, Twi-Twi! I think it’s time you went to bed! I’ll just tuck you in!” She got up, proceeding to do so. “Why don’t you lay down with me, Pinkie?” Twilight asked her, fighting off a yawn. “You must be tired too, and you did promise to keep me company.” “...Even to falling asleep with you?” Asked the earth pony with surprise. Moving over a bit, Twilight nodded, patting the side of the bed. “If you’re tired, of course. I won’t make you go to sleep if you would rather do something. But the offer stands.” Almost immediately, Pinkie was back in bed with her, this time with the covers having been lifted up and pulled over them. The pink pony snuggled up against her, nuzzling into her neck. “I’d be happy to fall asleep next to you, Twi-Twi!” “Wonderful,” Twilight whispered, snuggling closer to the pink earth pony. “Thank you, Pinkie... goodnight.” “Goodnight, Twilight!” Pinkie then kissed her lightly on the mouth. “Luffles!” Twilight just smiled, resting her eyes. “...I love you too, Pinkie.” “Fluttershy... You’re really my sweet butterfly... You’ve been there with me most of my life, and I have no idea what I’d do without you. You’re my best friend, heck... you’re my soul mate. I remember, when I first defended your honour, against those jerks who tried to mess with us. I gotta say, best moment of my life back then, since I not only got this baby.... But it brought me closer to you than ever. Every Sonic Rainboom I’ve made since then, they were for you, too. You’re my inspiration, my rock, and my greatest support! Everything! I’m just sorry I was an idiot all this time... There’s a ton more I want to say, but I can’t think of it... But I love you, Fluttershy... I promise to make up for all this lost time, to be with you and love you until the end of my days. I promise all of that. I know I can’t give you as much as I wish I could, but I hope giving you that promise and all of my love... will be enough. I love you, Fluttershy, and I’m sure glad to make you my wife... I can think of no other pony than my best friend to be by my side in marriage.” Fluttershy teared up immensely as she reviewed the video footage from the impromptu Las Pegasus wedding. She kept on replaying Rainbow’s vows over and over again, utterly captivated by them. Although the circumstances weren’t quite what anypony would expect, it was clear. It was clear that those words were truly meant for her. Tears fell down her cheeks as she gently ran her hoof along the golden pendant around her neck. The wedding pendant bearing Rainbow’s cutie mark, which she was all too proud to wear. Sudden as it was, shocking as it may have been, Fluttershy could not have been more delighted. ‘I can’t believe it all came to this... Rainbow and I are legally married... We’ll have our own wedding one day... And those beautiful vows... I wish I’d been there to hear them... But someday I will...’ Fluttershy thought, looking on to the footage with a tearful, happy smile. Her heart swelled, her body felt a mixture of numb and yet melty, her stomach boiled with intense heat. Every bit of her felt affected by this, by everything, and just how wonderful it all felt. What a journey it had been, and how wonderful it was to finally be back home. It had been a while since they’d returned to Fluttershy’s cottage, to which Rainbow had demurely requested a chance to shower. She had spent the entire day busied up and had no chance to get clean, so Fluttershy more than happily allowed her to do so. Not only that, but considering she’d only been in Las Pegasus that morning, it had to have been a long day of traveling. Coming downstairs, Rainbow Dash was just finishing up drying off. “Thanks again, ‘Shy, I really needed that!” “O-Oh!” Fluttershy squeaked, and then stopped the video, smiling. “N-No problem at all, Rainbow... You must feel so much better now!” “Oh, yeah! I feel like a new mare!” Rainbow chuckled, jumping onto the couch, “So, what were you doing down here?” “Um....” The creamy yellow pegasus blushed a bit. “I... I noticed you had video footage of the... Las Pegasus wedding there... I was curious, so I put it on, to see how it all turned out.” Rainbow smiled brightly at her, moving closer. “I know it’s kinda odd seeing yourself on camera and it not being you, but believe me, when I said my vows, I was talking about you...” She blushed faintly, deciding to try to change the subject. “But, uh, weirdness aside, was the video quality okay? I mean, I know we were wasted, but I gotta feeling so was the camera dude.” “Oh, it was fine. The production values were very nice,” Fluttershy smiled. She then blushed, moving closer as well. “I... I gathered that... you said so earlier, back in the other world... And as I watched it, I saw... You really were speaking those words to me... A-And I....” More tears pooled from her eyes. “Rainbow, they were some of the most beautiful words I’d ever heard... And to hear them coming from you, to me... in such earnest love... Thank you...” Rainbow blushed brightly, bringing a foreleg over Fluttershy’s shoulders. “H-Hey, trust me, my real vows will be at least twenty percent cooler than those. You’ll see. When we have our own wedding, I’ll make sure to put every ounce of soul into it! So, yeah, you know...” She felt a little odd talking about the event, but she tried her best. She wanted to ask Fluttershy something as well, but felt it might be out of place. She instead pulled her into a gentle embrace. Cooing, Fluttershy returned the embrace and nuzzled her, “That sounds wonderful, it really does... And so will I, of course... Oh, Rainbow... I love you...” She kissed her cheek, smiling lovingly at her. “Love you too, Flutters...” Rainbow cuddled up beside her, giggling slightly. “So, ‘Shy, was there anything you wanted to do now that you’re home?” “W-Well... Um... there was... s-something I wanted to talk to you about...” Fluttershy admitted, nuzzling her again. “Rainbow... I’d like you to spend the night with me tonight.” Dash looked at her a bit puzzled. “You mean stay here the night? Well... since we’re legally married and stuff, I was just considering on moving in or at least moving my place closer to yours, like, making it the top floor of your house, ya know? But that’s gonna take some time to do...” Now Fluttershy was also a bit puzzled for a few seconds, before she smiled. “Really? ...Really? Oh, Rainbow! I wanted to... to talk about our living arrangements! I’d love it if you moved in with me... You can even bring your cloud home closer to here, so we’ll be able to access it as our own!” “Yeah, I figured that would be easier on both of us,” Rainbow chuckled. “This way, you got this place and all your animals, and I got my place just over head, so we can sleep on the clouds. It’s a total win-win!” “Yay!” Fluttershy squealed, hugging her tighter. “Oh, that’s going to be excellent! After what I’d been through... I really... really don’t want to be... well, away from you anymore...” She blushed with embarrassment at this. “N-Not that I want to stop you from becoming a Wonderbolt! I-I mostly meant it in terms of living conditions! I-I just... I want to be with you, and really make up for everything...” “I get it, ‘Shy,” Rainbow giggled, “You’re the best, you know that?” “Hee.... And so are you...” Fluttershy nuzzled their noses. “Um, but Rainbow... There’s something else I’d like you to know. I-I know it’s irrelevant by now, but I... I still want there to be no secrets between us. Not anymore. I.... I... well, you see... back in the other reality... I was... deeply intimate with the other Rainbow... I-I mean really intimate... We made... made love...” She then let go, looking down with shame. Rainbow Dash quickly lifted her head back up, an odd half smile on her face. “It’s okay, I understand completely. See, uh... the other you and I kinda sorta bucked one another silly, if you catch my meaning... So, it’s not like I can really be mad at you or anything.” The normally confident and bold mare looked somewhat unhinged, almost nervous at admitting this. “I know that, uh... that stuff happens and all, but... how do I say it? You wanna make me pay you back and vise-versa?” “N-No... No... you don’t have to do that,” Fluttershy assured, looking relieved. “I’m just... I’m just glad we were honest. I understand you and her... were together as well. I’m not mad... I-I guess I may have been jealous at the possibility once upon a time... But I see now that it’s silly.” Rainbow exhaled, relaxing from the confession. “Yeah, it is a little silly, but it would be understandable. I mean, I... okay yeah, I’m still a little jealous! So, I want you to make it up to me! There, I said it. Completely honest.” Dash gave a wide grin, blushing a shade of crimson. “Oh... Well, that’s no problem...” Fluttershy beamed, blushing as well. She crawled closer, snuggling against her. “I have... learned quite a bit about lovemaking, after all... How can I make it up to you, my wonderful Rainbow?” “What you’re doing right now is an awesome start.” Rainbow felt her wings stiffen slightly. “Yeah, please continue.” Trembling a bit as she realized where this was going to go, Fluttershy kissed her face sweetly, running her hooves along her sides. Her body boiled with anticipation, pooling in her stomach with an intense heat. “And it is our first night together, as a married couple... We really should make it special... Mrs. Dash...” Fluttershy cooed in a soft whisper. Rainbow Dash could feel herself becoming lost in the moment, her body heating up wildly. “Yeah, it is... Mrs. Dash. And I can think of a few ways to make this unforgettable for you...” She replied in a seductive tone, bringing her forelegs around Fluttershy’s waist, running them down the side of her legs. “Oooh...” Fluttershy cooed, her voice becoming seductive, “I can think of a few ways to make this unforgettable for you, too... I do have several years of pent-up tension to let out...” “Just several years?” Rainbow giggled, blushing as she met Fluttershy’s gaze. “Try a lifetime’s worth.” “...That long?” Came the creamy yellow mare’s stunned response. “What? You’re acting like this is a shocker to ya.” Dash looked back at her, a little embarrassed. “You wanted me to be more honest with you, so... yeah, honestly.” Fluttershy blushed immensely, nuzzling her, “I had no idea... I-I just.... didn’t expect it. A lifetime’s worth.... Well, then it looks like we both have a lot of pent-up sexual tension... for one another...” Rainbow Dash slowly tighten her embrace, pulling Fluttershy closer. “Oh, you have no idea, Flutters. I warn you now, if get me in bed right now, you might not fly straight for a year.” “Dashie...” Fluttershy whispered seductively, tightening her embrace around her, as well as their hips meeting. “Bring it on. If you get me in bed right now... you won’t be able to fly for a year either... We’ll both be grounded.” “Under any normal circumstances, that would be a nightmare for me. Being grounded, I mean. But in this case... I couldn’t think of a better way to get grounded.” Dash teased, pulling Fluttershy closer, their lips almost meeting. “So, you fine with that?” “Yes...” Fluttershy trembled. “Kiss me, Rainbow... kiss me, take me!” “If you insist...” Rainbow whispered gently, bringing Fluttershy into a soft, yet passionate kiss. Returning it with fervency, Fluttershy moaned and fell back onto the couch and brought her down with her. Both pegasi, enraptured in the moment, soon fell into what would lead into a long night of everlasting passion and love. After so long in desiring each other, after the seemingly eternal separation, after finally making amends where needed... They were finally together, and would never again part.