“What do you think, Spike? Should I pull it up, or leave it down?”
“I think you should hurry up before she gets here,” Spike grumbled.
Twilight stared back at herself through the mirror, envisioning her mane in various styles. “On one hoof, I think it would look better if I put my mane up, but she might think I’m being too uptight.”
A loud knocking at the front door caused the unicorn’s eyes to widen. “Oh Celestia, she’s here! Spike, go stall her!”
Spike rolled his eyes. “Okay, but I think you’re making too big of a deal out of this. I doubt she cares about the way your mane looks,” he said as he tottered out of sight.
Twilight returned her attention to the mirror. After a few moments of deliberation, she used her magic to lift and braid her hair, sanctioning the pink stripe to swirl around the exterior of her purple locks. She smiled at her reflection, satisfied with the new look. The brush made a soft clank as it fell to the counter, free from the unicorn’s magical aura.
“Are you done yet?” Spike called out from the foyer.
“Coming!” Twilight exited the bathroom, closing the door behind her. She ran through her bedroom and started down the staircase. In the foyer sat a disgruntled Spike and—as usual—an overly exuberant Pinkie Pie.
“Hey Twilight! Love the new do!” she exclaimed, waving happily.
Twilight smiled as she hopped off the final stair. “Thanks! I wanted to try something new," she said, sticking her tongue out at Spike.
Pinkie, looking pretty much the same as always, smiled back. “Ready to hit the fair?”
“I guess, but I have to warn you, I’m not sure I can handle any of those really crazy rides,” the unicorn warned. Just the thought of roller coasters made her feel a bit queasy.
“Awww, don’t worry about it! Ya got me with ya, and I’ve got the perfect plan!” Pinkie gave her a wink.
Twilight looked at her with uncertainty. “If you say so...”
“I’ve never seen anything like it before,” Twilight said, her mouth hanging open in awe.
She had read many books, and even seen many pictures of fairs before, but being at one was a new experience altogether. The bright lights illuminated the night sky. The smell of all the different kinds of foods teased her. It was unlike anything she had experienced in her entire life.
“Weren’t there any fairs in Canterlot?” Pinkie asked.
Twilight blushed deeply. “A few, but I never really went out a lot.”
“Well, tonight you’ll be in the capable hooves of Pinkie Pie, professional purveyor of parties and celebrations! Here, you need to eat this before we do anything else,” Pinkie said, pushing something small and smooth into Twilight’s hooves.
“A pill?” the unicorn asked, looking over the capsule. “Uhhh, you wouldn't mind if I asked what it is before just swallowing It, would you?"
Pinkie giggled. “It’s ginger, silly. It helps with motion sickness. That way you won’t get sick if we go on a ride.”
“That actually works? I thought that was an old mare’s tale. Oh well, down the hatch, I guess.” Twilight downed the pill in one gulp.
“So what do I get if I win?” asked a familiar voice nearby.
Both ponies’ ears perked up. Pinkie moved slowly towards the voice while Twilight followed closely behind.
“How’s about... Ah speak in mah Manehattan accent for an entire day?”
As they got closer, they saw Rainbow Dash and Applejack in front of the ring toss stand.
“Hey girls, what are you two arguing about?” Pinkie asked.
“Hey Pinks, hey Twi,” greeted Rainbow. “We weren’t arguing. I was just making a bet here with Applejack that I could score more points than her and win that Spitfire doll up there.” Rainbow pointed to the prize wall.
“If Ah win, Rainbow here’s gonna do all mah chores for a day at tha farm, and Ah’m walking away with that giant stuffed dragon,” Applejack said excitedly.
“Yeah, yeah, but that’s not going to happen. How about if I win, you have to... have my cutie mark painted on you for a week!” Rainbow suggested.
“Fine! Yer on!” Applejack agreed.
“C’mon, Pinkie. We better leave these two alone before we get caught up in it,” Twilight said, walking away.
“Bye AJ. Bye Dashie!” Pinkie exclaimed as she followed along. “Oh, Twilight, I have a great idea! I know what we should do next!”
“What’s that?”
Pinkie pointed up at a long tower, easily visible above the stands and rides between them.
“Oh... um, sure... I think I could do that... I guess...” Twilight trailed off.
“I lied! Oh no, I lied! I can’t do this!” Twilight struggled, kicking and pushing at the sides of her seat, trying to escape before the ride started.
“Oh Twilight, you’re so silly.” Pinkie giggled.
The unicorn’s stomach turned as the ride lurched. The bank of seats started climbing higher and higher, and all of the ponies on the ground—staring up at them—started getting smaller and smaller. The fear became more intense as the unicorn kept glancing up and down, trying to judge how much more time she had until they made it to the top.
“Pinkie! I don’t like this! I really, really don’t like this!” Twilight cried out.
“Don’t worry, nothing bad is gonna happen. I Pinkie Promise!”
Pinkie's genuine smile shone like a bright ray of light in the darkness. Her blue shimmering eyes seemed to dance in the odd lighting. It was exactly what she was hoping for... except not quite in this situation. She had hoped that the special moment they could share would be one where she wasn't freaking out like a school filly. Nevertheless, she decided that maybe she could use this moment to say what she wanted after all.
"Ummm, Pinkie—"
The ride stopped abruptly, eliciting a few screams from the other passengers and derailing Twilight's train of thought. For a moment, she could see everything. She saw all the rides and the ponies milling about. She could see the library and Sugarcube Corner off in the distance. The carnival music, which sounded so loud before, was now quiet and distant. The wind played through her mane and felt cool on her face as she turned to the pony next to her. Pinkie’s broad smile beamed back at her, chasing away the darkness of the night.
“Are you ready?” Pinkie asked.
A loud metal click echoed through the open air. Twilight buried her face in Pinkie’s mane and screamed as the ride plummeted to the ground. The smell of the pink pony’s bubble gum-scented shampoo filled her nose as they fell. Twilight's gut flipped as the ride came to a screeching halt at the bottom. Satisfied that they had come to a complete stop, she opened her eyes, only to see pink fluffy hair filling her vision. Pulling away from the poofy mane, she saw the ever-present smile plastered on her face.
“So, what did you think?” Pinkie asked.
The fear in Twilight’s mind had passed, and had been replaced by another feeling altogether. Adrenaline coursed through her veins, making her heart race and allowing her a moment of clarity.
“That was awesome! I mean it was really scary at first, but then it got so quiet and calm and then whoosh! Before I knew it we were falling and it made me feel weird, but as soon as we hit the bottom it was like, I’ve never felt anything like it before, I mean sure we fell of the cliff in the Everfree forest and out of the balloon at the Wonderbolts academy, but this was different, this was... was...” Without warning, Twilight felt light-headed and lost track of what she was talking about, panting as she tried to catch her breath. “How do you... talk… like that?” the unicorn asked breathlessly.
“Comes with being really good at blowing up balloons. I do have them on my flank after all.”
“You’ll... whew, you’ll have to teach me your secret one day,” Twilight stuttered as she stumbled out of her seat.
“How’s your tummy?” Pinkie inquired.
“It’s… huh. Actually, it’s perfectly fine! I don’t feel sick or anything, just really excited."
“Good! Let’s go get some food then. I’m starving!” Pinkie said, bouncing away.
“Wait! Aren’t you supposed to avoid eating when you go on these things?” Twilight called after her.
“Here ya go, ladies. Enjoy!”
Twilight smiled at the friendly pony running the stand before looking down at the plates she and Pinkie had been offered. Sitting on the paper plate was something she could only describe as a light brown mess. She moved closer to it and took a quick whiff only to nearly gag. It didn’t smell bad, just very strong.
“Pinkie… this thing smells like I’ve just stuck my head into a bag of sugar and started huffing it.”
Pinkie laughed. “It’s a funnel cake. You’re supposed to eat it, not smell it! It’s not an air freshener, silly!” With one quick slap on the plate, the cake flew into the air and tumbled back down, landing in the pink mare’s mouth.
Twilight just rolled her eyes and giggled at Pinkie’s strange eating habits. Venturing closer, she took a bite of the cake on her own plate.
Sweet.
Super sweet. Insanely sweet. If she had been asked to rate the sweetness of the cake on a scale of one to ten, she would have chosen somewhere between eleven and fifteen. Nevertheless, the texture of the cake and the unique flavor forced her to take another bite, and then another.
“Oh wow. Thith can’th be good for you,” Twilight sputtered out around a mouthful of funnel cake.
Just then, Pinkie nudged her side. “I told you it was good.”
Twilight certainly wasn’t about to argue. In fact, the only thing she was interested in at that moment was clearing her plate.
“I can’t believe I’ve lived this long without trying one of these!”
Both ponies plodded along through the fairgrounds. The weight of junk food and several exciting rides had taken its toll, slowing them down greatly.
“Don’t get me wrong, I like the food here, but it really seems to slow a pony down,” Twilight said, letting out a sigh.
“Tell me about it! Even I'm not used to this much sugar!” Pinkie exclaimed.
“So even you have a limit. I should write a dissertation. I can see it now: Pinkie Pie and the Theoretical Sugar Ceiling.”
Pinkie giggled at Twilight’s suggestion. “I thought you said you didn’t want to try researching me anymore, especially after your lab caught fire the last time.”
“Heheh… I guess I did,” Twilight admitted. Looking up into the dark sky, a bright half moon hung overhead. “Eugh, I can’t believe how quickly the time went.”
“It is getting kind of late,” Pinkie noted. “Hey, look!”
As Pinkie’s hoof drew an imaginary line through the crowd, Twilight’s eyes followed curiously. She quickly spotted Applejack, bearing a satisfied smile, and Rainbow Dash, grumbling a half-step behind as she carried a giant stuffed dragon on her back.
“I guess we know who won," Twilight giggled.
“Maybe we should head home, too. The Cakes will probably need my help in the morning,” Pinkie reasoned.
Twilight’s mind raced. She couldn’t let their night end yet. Not without doing what she came to do in the first place. “Why don’t we ride the ferris wheel before we head home?”
Pinkie seemed to mull it over for a moment until a wide smile broke out on her face. “Sure, why not!”
Both ponies trotted over to the massive ride. Fortunately, many of the other ponies had already gone home for the night, leaving a rather short line. The attendant motioned for them as a gondola reached the platform. Pinkie hopped in first, and Twilight followed closely behind, sitting opposite each other. The gondola swayed gently as the entire wheel turned to let another pair of ponies on.
Twilight sat quietly for a moment, trying to find something… anything to talk about.
“You know what’s really amazing to me?” she finally said.
Pinkie’s eyes lit up excitedly. “Stars? Magic? No wait, I know! Instant mashed potatoes!”
Twilight laughed. “No. Despite all the food, drinks, and paper, the rides are generally very clean.”
The ferris wheel lurched again to fill another cage.
“Of course they’re clean. Who would want to sit in trash?” Pinkie asked, crinkling her nose.
“Yeah, I guess you're right,” Twilight admitted.
Pinkie beamed back a broad smile as the ride moved forward again. This time, it didn’t stop. Apparently done picking up new passengers, it kept turning. Twilight stared through the window at the fairgrounds in awe. She’d seen all of this before in the tower, but this time she wasn’t quite so distressed, giving her a chance to take in the view.
Wow… it’s so pretty.
Tearing herself away from the view, Twilight looked at the pony opposite her. Pinkie’s eyes were closed, a serene smile still painted on her face as she hummed a gentle tune. Their gondola swayed as it passed over the top and began its descent. The smooth motion of the wheel calmed Twilight’s nerves, even when the cage swooped through the platform on the bottom. As they started their upward arc again, Twilight decided now would be the best time to make her move. She placed her hoof on Pinkie’s in what she hoped would be an affectionate gesture.
“What are you doing?”
The abruptness of the question struck Twilight hard, but not nearly as much as the frown on Pinkie’s face.
“I, uhh... I wanted to say I had a good time tonight. I'm glad I came with you,” the unicorn said, smiling shyly.
“But that’s not all, is it?”
Twilight cringed. Pinkie wasn’t being her normal self. Her voice had lost its enthusiasm, and her eyes were narrowed suspiciously. She’d only ever seen the party pony act like this once before, but this time she couldn’t understand why Pinkie would be upset.
“Uhhh... not exactly. I've been thinking about something a lot lately and... well, I wanted to know if you would like to go out sometime,” Twilight finally admitted.
“You mean, like a date?”
“Umm, yeah…” Twilight was still concerned.
Pinkie’s eyes remained closed, and her frown deepened. She slowly pulled her hoof away from Twilight’s and took a deep breath. “You don’t know me. You think you do, but you don’t. Nopony really knows me, and if they did, they wouldn’t like me.”
Twilight was dumbfounded. She wasn’t really sure how to respond. “Th-that’s not true! We’re your friends. We should know you pretty well by now.”
“No, you don’t. None of you do. Twilight, I’d rather you never know me as anypony other than who you think I am.”
“But, Pinkie—”
“Please, Twilight... trust me.”
Far above the lights and music of the bustling fair, the gondola fell silent. Twilight didn’t know what else to say, and Pinkie made it quite clear how she felt. At that moment in time, she wished she were anywhere but trapped on the carnival ride with an abnormally silent Pinkie Pie. The swaying of the gondola, which had been gentle before, now made her stomach churn. The quiet became unbearable as the two ponies avoided each other's gaze. Twilight’s head felt like it was about to split open. She closed her eyes tightly as the pressure became too much.
"Uhhh, Twilight. Are you okay?"
Upon hearing Spike's voice, the unicorn opened her eyes. "But... I was just..."
It quickly hit her that she had teleported back to the library without realizing. Involuntary invocation. It wasn't the first time she had done it. In times of great stress or desperation, it was fairly common among unicorns.
"Twilight!"
"Huh?" the pony asked, snapping to attention.
"I asked you if you were alright. You seem out of it."
Twilight sighed. "I'm fine, Spike."
The baby dragon looked skeptical. "I'm guessing things didn't turn out so well between you and Pinkie."
Twilight shook her head. "No... they didn't. Thanks for pushing and helping me, Spike. Pinkie just isn't interested."
Spike walked over and patted her comfortingly. "Sorry, Twilight. Look on the bright side. Now you don't have to stay up and worry about it anymore."
The unicorn offered a half-hearted smile. "Yeah... I guess you're right. I'm going to go study for a bit. Feel free to stay up late, kiddo.”
Spike smiled widely.
"Just tonight, though!" Twilight called out as she ascended the stairs to her bedroom.
Twilight lowered the quill and read over her work. Though her mind strayed now and then, she found it relatively easy to focus on the paper. Somehow, hearing Pinkie’s answer took a great weight off of her mind; it was almost freeing. Deep down, however, her heart lingered on Pinkie's words. Just what did the pony mean when she said ‘they didn't know her’? What kind of pony could she be that would change the way her friends see her?
Twilight's eyes drifted to the window and the stars shining above. She always felt better when she stared up at them… when she could appreciate their light, and mystery. She hopped out of the chair, her mind now set on stargazing. Quietly, she walked out of her room and headed for the front door.
Twilight's eyes were locked onto the night sky. Anytime she wanted to look up at the stars, she headed for her hill. It was the same exact hill she visited with her friends to watch the meteor shower, and it afforded her a fantastic view of not only the sky, but also the valley below. There was only one problem.
A pink pony sat upon her hill, looking down into the valley below.
As quietly as she could, Twilight snuck up beside her and sat down. Upon hearing the crushing of the grass, Pinkie noticed her and moved to leave.
"Please, don't go..."
Twilight's plea sounded more pathetic than she wanted it to. Nonetheless, it had the desired effect. Pinkie halted in her tracks and slowly lowered her rear back onto the grass. Both ponies sat in the near-silence of the night. Instead of looking at the stars as she had planned, Twilight found herself looking at what had caught Pinkie's attention.
In the valley below, the carnival ponies were hard at work, disassembling the rides and putting away equipment.
"A bit for your thoughts?" Twilight asked, finally breaking the silence.
Pinkie continued her quiet vigil for a few more moments before finally responding. "Do you remember how much fun the fair was tonight?"
Twilight's mind rolled back. Of course she remembered. From the thrilling rides, to the tasty food, it was all a blast. What she really enjoyed, though, was spending that time with Pinkie.
"I do remember,” she said. “It was something I'll never forget."
“Then why would you want to see it like… well, like this?” the pink mare asked. She pointed into the valley where ponies were hard at work, turning off the lights and pulling apart the structures. “Nopony wants to be at a party after it’s over.”
Twilight reached over and placed a gentle hoof on Pinkie’s shoulder. “The party can’t last forever. At some point it has to end and everypony has to go home. If we partied all the time, parties wouldn’t be special anymore.”
Pinkie lifted her head slowly and turned, her eyes meeting Twilight’s. “Other ponies say they love my parties, and how I’m super hyper and unpredictable. I can’t be that pony all the time, and if I’m not that pony, nopony will want to be around me.”
Twilight smiled. “That’s just it, Pinkie. I’ve seen you happy and joyful. I want to know more about you. I want to see and be with the Pinkie nopony else sees.”
“But what if you don’t like me when I’m the Pinkie nopony else sees?" she asked, fear evident in her eyes.
Twilight thought for a moment. Suddenly an idea struck her. “Hey, remember that time I used the ‘want it, need it’ spell and made all the ponies in town go crazy?”
A small chuckle escaped Pinkie’s lips. “Of course I do. It was hilarious! When Princess Celestia appeared though, we thought you were going to be sent back to Canterlot for sure.”
“Well, there you go,” Twilight said with an air of finality.
Pinkie tilted her head. “Huh?”
Twilight lowered her gaze to the ground. “I’m not always smart, happy, or confident in myself either. Did you girls think differently of me after I turned the town into a free-for-all?”
“N-no...”
“So why would anypony think less of you, especially one of your friends?”
Pinkie tapped her hooves nervously. “I… I don’t know.”
Both ponies fell silent again as the creatures of the night sang their songs.
“You… really want to go on a date with me?” Pinkie asked, turning to the unicorn with hopeful eyes.
“Well, sure. I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t,” Twilight said, smiling at her.
Pinkie fell silent again for a moment. “But, why me? I mean, you’re the personal protégé of Princess Celestia! I don’t even know what that means, but other ponies say it like it’s important! I’m just a rock farmer who left home and became a baker.”
“You don’t know what protégé means? Oh, well that’s easy. Protégé means… you know what? It’s not important right now.” Twilight slipped a foreleg around Pinkie’s shoulder. “I don’t care if you’re a rock farmer, or a taffy puller. You make other ponies smile, even if it means putting yourself out. You do what you want, even if it means embarrassing yourself.”
“And that’s why you like me?” Pinkie asked, narrowing her eyes suspiciously.
Twilight blushed in response. “Well, to be honest... I envy you sometimes.”
“What? Why?”
“You… well, you do things I wish I could. Sometimes I wish I could be as carefree as you and… I dunno, go jump in a pool filled with chocolate or something. Anytime you do a crazy thing like that, I immediately think, ‘no!’ but then I start thinking, ‘I wish I could do that.’ I bet it would be fun to be you for a day…” Twilight trailed off.
Pinkie shifted slowly, taking Twilight’s hoof. “You know, I don’t do this for just anypony, but I could give you lessons on being a Pinkie.”
“Pinkie lessons, huh?” Twilight asked, giving the pink mare a wry grin.
“Uh-huh! You’ll even get a certificate if you complete the entire course.”
“Tsk, I dunno. It sounds expensive. Just how much would this course cost?”
“Not everypony can afford my Pinkie lessons, but I’ll give you a discount. How does a date sound?”
Twilight smiled. “Oh! I think I have one of those!” Reaching behind her, she pulled out a small fruit slightly larger than a raisin.
Pinkie eyed the fruit suspiciously, and then Twilight.
“Well? Do I pass?”
Pinkie grinned. “Not bad for a novice. Seriously though, meet me here tomorrow night at sundown, and bring marshmallows.”
Twilight put her head on Pinkie’s shoulder, content to just be next to her. “Deal.”