I own nothing!
Sunday
The clock from upstairs chimed out 5 P.M. Nyx had decided to take a break from her research and instead relax for the rest of the day. Working herself to death wasn't going to help Snowdrop. Nyx sat on her bed reading through the book Sweetie Belle found on Snowdrop. Her mind bounced between the image the book described and the small petite form of Snowdrop from her memory. A blush faded in and out of her face.
“What Is this that I keep feeling?”, she thought. Nyx sighed and closed the book in front her. She pulled it to her chest and laid back, staring at the ceiling. “I’ve never felt this way. Why do I keep blushing?” Nyx turned to the window to see the sun still sitting in the sky. “Maybe… I should get help. Maybe I should ask somepony about this..”
Nyx sat up from her bed and placed the book down. “Yeah. I’ll get somepony to help.” Nyx thought walking down the stairs. “Who could help me though?” Nyx thought vigorously. A magic lightbulb appeared above her head in a flash, “Rarity! Rarity is always talking about relationships and emotions. I am sure she would know a lot about this.”
Nyx excitedly ran towards the door but then suddenly stopped. “Mom said to not leave the tree unless it’s an emergency.” Nyx thought for a moment. Perhaps it could wait. But then she thought of the way she blushed, the way her breath shortened whenever she thought of Snowdrop. The feeling of growing faint, the feeling of parasprites fluttering about in her stomach. No, she could no longer ignore this. She needed to understand what was happening to her “Well it is an emergency. I’m having… an emotional emergency.”
Nyx used her magic to open the door and carefully sneaked outside. Twilight was at a meeting at Town Hall but Nyx wanted to be extra careful. Nyx saw the path to the Carousel Boutique in her mind. A right at Sugarcube Corner. Past Town Hall and then over the bridge. It was going to be a treacherous journey (or at least it seemed so in Nyx’s mind), but she knew she needed to do it. Nyx walked the distance to the Town Hall in a matter of minutes. Nyx looked around the corner of a home to see her mother talking with the Mayor, Ivory Scroll. When her mother turned around, so that she was now facing in the direction away from where Nyx had to cross, Nyx took the opportunity and sprinted to the other side towards the bridge. Nyx quickly trotted across the bridge, keeping her head down and trying to look as small and unnoticeable as possible. She looked over to Carousel Boutique to ensure the coast was clear, and then closed the distance to the shop in a few quick bounds
“Alright let’s do this.” Nyx said to herself, building up her courage. She opened the door and heard the bell ringing out.
“A moment darling!” said Rarity from the other room. Nyx browsed the room in all its exquisiteness. The boutique hadn't changed that much in the years that Nyx had known it. Dresses lined the walls with Rarity’s modeling station taking pride of place in the center. Over on the side a small spool of rainbow thread sat in a glass case. An old memento from the Safe of Harmony. Nyx still couldn't believe what her mother had told her was in the box in the end.
“Now how may I help you— Ah Nyx! What brings you here today?” Rarity said in her posh voice. Nyx smiled upon seeing Rarity who she considered an honorary Aunt of sorts.
“Hi, Rarity. I was um… wondering if you… could um.. help me.” Rarity’s smile transformed into an expression of compassionate, almost motherly concern.
“Help? Well of course I will do my best to help you in anyway that I am able to. Tell me, what precisely do you need my assistance with Dear?” Rarity said.
Nyx shuffled her front right hoof. “I've been… having these… feelings.” Nyx blushed. Rarity smiled warmly.
“Come over here darling.” Rarity said. Rarity walked over and sat down on the model stand, patting a spot next to her for Nyx to sit on. Nyx trotted over to Rarity’s side.
“It’s weird, I keep feeling these strange sensations. Like parasprites in my stomach. My heart starts to race and my face feels really warm.” Nyx explained, as Rarity listened carefully.
Rarity smiled in growing realization of what Nyx was going through. “Oh Nyx. There is absolutely nothing wrong with you. All these new feelings, as strange and overwhelming as they may seem are completely normal. You're just growing up in a way.”
Nyx furrowed her brow at Rarity. “Growing up? How?”
Rarity smiled again, “Oh Nyx, isn't it obvious? The rapid heart beat. The sweats, the nervousness the rush of blood to the head.The parasprites in the tummy! All the symptoms!” Rarity sighed, a nostalgic, almost dreamy look on her face..
Nyx was confused by Rarity’s tone and reaction. “Umm..I really don’t know what you mean!” Nyx said.
Rarity smiled at Nyx’s obliviousness, “Why Nyx you're feeling something that many colts and fillies feel for the first time at your age.” Confusion remained etched upon Nyx’s face. “Darling, you are feeling the emotion of romantic love!”
Nyx blanched. “L-love?” she sputtered out, barely choking out each letter.
“Oh why yes Nyx! Love! Your rapid heartbeat, parasprites in the stomach. Oh it’s obvious! You have a crush! Daresay It might be the beginning of an actual Love affair! “ Rarity seemed so enchanted by it all that Nyx half expected Rarity to spontaneously lift off and float around the store like a bubble.
Rarity beamed at Nyx. “So tell me ... Who’s the lucky colt?”. Nyx suddenly found the texture of the floorboards really really interesting. She stared at the floor for some time.
Rarity stopped smiling. She looked at Nyx with a look that adults only use when they need to say something truly important to children, “Nyx, I would like you to know , that if this pony you are infatuated with is a filly then that is perfectly okay .”
Nyx was lost in thought, “Love? Am I - ‘Gulp’ - in love?”. A single tear rolled down Nyx’s cheek as she reminded herself of Snowdrop’s fate. To either remain stuck in limbo, or to pass on to her permanent place in the afterlife. Nyx trembled as she separated herself from Rarity.
Rarity was truly worried now, “Nyx? What’s wrong? You can tell me.”
“I am. I can’t deny it. I love her. I DO love her! I love her so much.” Nyx thought, a few small tears now rolling down her face. ”Her voice, her thoughts, everything about her makes me feel so warm, so whole.”
“Ra-Rarity? Could you p-please keep this a s-secret?” she said.
Rarity almost looked shocked. “Why of course Nyx! A true lady must never reveal another pony’s intimate feelings . You have my word. On my honor this stays between us. And us alone.”
Nyx nodded slightly. She pulled herself fully away from Rarity’s side and hopped off the model stand, albeit slightly trembling.
“ I want you to keep something else a secret as well” Nyx said softly, in a gasping voice that threatened to devolve into sobs. “Please, please don’t tell anyone, not even my mother, that I came to see you today.”
Rarity’s expressions were riding an emotional rollercoaster today, with her face now deathly worried about Nyx’s health. “Nyx! Whatever is the problem?!”.
Nyx stopped, “Please… Just leave it alone.” . And with that Nyx turned away from Rarity and bolted out of the the front door in a full gallop, leaving Rarity standing in a bewildered daze.
“Nyx!?” Rarity yelled in the distance. Nyx just ignored her and kept running.
“Why-Why-Why! Why love? Why her?” Nyx thought galloping blindly through the street.
“Hey!” yelled somepony she had almost ran into.
“Watch it!” yelled another. The more ponies around her the more she felt trapped. Nyx needed to get away. She started running head first through the crowd.
“Woah!”
“Holy-”
“What the-?”
“My Cabbages!”
Nyx finally left the crowded area. She looked up to see the library just 20 meters away. “I just want this to stop. I want it all to go away!”. Nyx rushed through the front door. The room was dark but Nyx didn’t care, it was better that way. Her tears were less visible that way. Nyx ran upstairs and threw herself on her bed, beginning to cry.
“Why! WHY! Why me? Love? Why did I have to fall in love with her? I just wanted to save her! I just wanted to keep her safe and protect her!” Nyx laid there and cried. She cried and cried and cried.
Her last statement got her thinking though. “But… But isn’t that the same in a way?” Nyx pulled herself up and sniffed up her tears for a second. “I wanted to keep her safe… to protect her… to make sure she was happy. Isn’t that what ponies do for those they love?”
Countless bedtime stories from the years before came to her mind. “Yeah... I guess it is.” Nyx hopped off the bed and slowly walked to the door and out to the staircase. She trotted down the stairs and looked at the mirror in the corner. “And even if I can’t… be with her, I can still protect her! It is my duty isn’t it? What my Cutie Mark means? That I am to be the shield for the ponies I love? Even if they can’t love me back? Even if by protecting them, I send them on, away from me, to where I cannot follow? Yes.” Nyx mused to herself When you truly love someone, you place their happiness over your own.”Their happiness becomes your happiness” That is what mother says. I can't leave Snowdrop in that cold place. Alone. I have to help her!Nyx pulled a book off the shelf. “Even if it takes me the rest of my life I will save her!”
Nyx opened the book and began reading. “For Snowdrop.”