//------------------------------// // Thesis Statement // Story: Dissertation of Affections // by Baby Seal Burritos //------------------------------// Twilight had insisted upon doing the cleanup herself, making a grand show of levitating plates and scrub brushes, and sending bubbles flying everywhere. This made Spike less than happy, but Pinkie reveled in the soapy discord. The pink pony whirled around like a ballerina on her hind hooves, leaving trails of soapy water in her wake. She gathered large clumps of bubbles together to make a beard, and then dumped a load of them on Twilight's head. She chased Spike around with a hoof full, but he was too wily to be caught. As Twilight put the last plate back in the cupboard she smiled at Pinkie, “When can we tell them?” Pinkie blinked, taking a moment to blow a large soap bubble off her nose, “Do what now?” Twilight giggled and popped a cluster of suds that had sat on her shoulder, “Tell the girls!” Pinkie Pie wasn’t one hundred percent sure what to make of Twilight’s newfound enthusiasm about telling their friends about what she was playfully referring to as their “sordid love affair” (much to Twilight’s chagrin). The pink pony wasn’t nervous in the slightest about them knowing, but the bounce from tearful dread to grinning gusto seemed cause for concern. “Whenever you want to,” Pinkie stated slowly, “But are you sure you’re ready? Last night…” Twilight cut Pinkie off with a wave of her hoof, “Last night I was just overemotional. I overanalyzed the situation when the solution is actually very simple.” She slid over to Pinkie to nuzzle her soapy cheek, “Our friends will love us regardless of our choices in partnership.” Pinkie smiled hesitantly, still feeling a bit uneasy, “Of course they will. I just…” Pinkie craned her neck to look into the unicorn’s eyes, “I just don’t want you doing what you don’t want to do when you don’t want to do it.” Twilight gave Pinkie’s nose a quick lick, “Your concern is duly noted and very much appreciated.” When Pinkie’s expression didn’t lighten, Twilight nudged her with her muzzle, “Come on, Pinkie! Don’t be such a petulant pony.” Twilight beamed at Pinkie, seemingly waiting for Pinkie to laugh at some joke she just made, but Pinkie didn’t get it. “Peta-what?” “Petulant,” Twilight repeated, running off the next statement as if reading it straight from a dictionary, “Ill-tempered, irritable, grouchy. “Being a petulant pony doesn’t suit Pinkie Pie.”” Pinkie stuck her tongue out at the grinning unicorn, “Meanie.” Twilight’s lower lip jutted out in a mock pout, “Aw. Come on. Give me a smile smile smile?” Pinkie’s tail swished out behind her and she tossed her mane haughtily, “I don’t know…” “Come oooon.” Twilight crooned, sidling back up to the earth pony once again, “You know you want to.” A loud groan erupted from the doorway and the two ponies turned to see Spike rolling his eyes at the two of them, “This is worse than the kissing!” Twilight teleported behind him and wrapped her hooves around his shoulders, “What’s the matter, Spike? Do snuggles make you uncomfortable?” Spike squirmed in her grasp as she began nuzzling him, “Ew! Stop it! Cut it out, Twilight!” Twilight rubbed her cheek against her captive’s and spoke in cooing tones, “You used to really like cuddle time. What happened, Spikey-Wikey?” Spike elbowed his way free and danced back a few paces before responding, “You started acting all weird! Did you get hit on the head again or something?” He shot a pitiable glance over to Pinkie, “Did your twitchy tail predict this?” Twilight’s ears perked and she turned back to Pinkie, “Your twitchy tail… Hey, do you think your twitchy tail can predict how our friends will react?” Pinkie was thrown by the absolute sincerity on the little unicorn’s face. She had always felt that even though Twilight had admitted defeat in the war against her Pinkie Sense the unicorn had still harbored some serious doubts about its legitimacy, but the prospect that Twilight actually believed and even put stock into it made Pinkie’s heart soar. Not only that, but Pinkie was finally able to understand why her new marefriend was acting so giddy. “No.” Pinkie shook her head, “My Pinkie Sense doesn’t work like that.” She trotted next to Twilight who was trying to hide her disappointment, “It’s okay to be nervous.” Twilight stared at the floorboards, “I’m not nervous. Why would I be nervous?” Out of the corner of her eye Pinkie saw Spike make a break for the stairs. She leaned against Twilight who leaned back against her, “Because you’re my brave little unicorn.” A smile tugged on the edges of Twilight’s muzzle, “Why would being nervous make me brave?” “Because you never don’t do things just because you’re nervous.” Twilight chuckled, “What does that mean?” Pinkie jumped to the side, landing solidly on all four hooves, “You’re the kind of pony that duels an ursa minor and charges a hydra!” Pinkie reared on her hind hooves flailing the front ones as if preparing to gallop, “You were nervous then, right?” “If by "nervous" you mean "utterly petrified" then yes.” Twilight shuddered at the memories. Pinkie hopped forward, “At Froggybottom Bog you had to take a leap of faith, remember?” Twilight nodded, “The jump was too far and I didn’t think I’d make it.” Pinkie prodded further, “But you did, right? You made it?” “Of course I did. You were there, remember?” Pinkie smiled, “That’s what this is: another leap of faith. You’re just going to have to trust that everything will turn out alright in the end.” Twilight pawed at the ground thoughtfully before nodding, “You’re right. I guess I am just a little nervous…” Pinkie bumped her head against Twilight’s chin, “Everything will be just fine, Twilight. And we can wait until your butterflies have flown away before telling everypony. It’s okay if you want to wait a little bit.” “No.” Twilight shook her head, “I think it’d be better to do it sooner rather than later.” Pinkie stepped back to make eye contact, “As long as you’re sure.” Twilight looked into those unwavering baby blue eyes and drew strength from them. Pinkie was here with her, and as long as she had Pinkie there was nothing the pair couldn’t do. Actually, she thought to herself, I wonder if there is anything we couldn’t do? With my arcane knowledge and her ability to seemingly alter reality at whim we’re a force to be reckoned with. Her mind flooded with the possibilities their romantic alliance made plausible until she was brought back to the kitchen by a subtle cough. Pinkie looked at her with sincere affection, not annoyance, and Twilight wondered how she could have possibly been so lucky as to end up with this mare. “Sorry,” she said with an apologetic grin, “I’m positive.” Pinkie nodded, “Okey dokey loki.” Twilight grabbed a hoof towel with her magic and quickly mopped up the mess she’d made with the soap, “We should probably do it now before I lose my nerve. Would you mind rounding up Rainbow Dash and Applejack? I’ll get Rarity and Fluttershy and meet you back here in the library?” Pinkie gave Twilight a quick peck on the cheek before bouncing out the door, “Sure thing!” Twilight sighed wistfully. Honestly, how had she been so lucky? It had been no big feat to round up the other four ponies; the only difficulty had been keeping the reason for their rendezvous a secret. Rainbow Dash had tried to guess the whole way back to the library even after Applejack ordered her to stop. Pinkie Pie hadn’t minded the jabbering pegasus; she had giggled and shot down every attempt of her rainbow maned friend to subvert the surprise. Fluttershy had followed Twilight in silence while Rarity tried more subtle tactics to pry the information out of Twilight. Twilight tried her best to keep her hooves from shaking as nerves clenched at her stomach and occasionally made her voice waver. Neither pony seemed to notice though, and Rarity continued to compliment her mane and her coat, attempting to butter her up, Twilight figured. Pinkie had gotten back to the library first, so when Twilight finally arrived Pinkie and Rainbow Dash were engaged in a twenty questions battle that no longer had anything to do with the current situation. Applejack looked up as the final three ponies walked in, “Finally! What’s the big deal of draggin’ us all down here from work?” She shot the blue pegasus a wry glance, “Or maybe I should say our naps?” Rainbow Dash shrugged, “Whatever. I just want to know what the big secret is.” Rarity nodded, draping a hoof over Twilight’s shoulder, “As do I. I am dying to know what all this sneaking about is for.” Fluttershy spoke up from the doorway, “Nopony’s sneaking around Rarity.” The white unicorn trotted into the center of the library and sat down, “It certainly feels like it.” Fluttershy drifted over to sit next to Rarity and Pinkie trotted back over to Twilight who now stood in the curious gaze of all their friends. Twilight could feel her heart pounding and her breath coming shorter; her stomach churned viciously and she wondered if she was going to be sick. Why was it so intimidating to just say a few words to her closest friends? It wasn’t a big deal. Just a step on the road of friendship, remember? Twilight felt Pinkie brush against her side gently and she turned to see that the pink pony was smiling encouragingly at her. The lump in Twilight’s throat lessened in size. The warmth of the pony beside her was a shield; with Pinkie by her side she could do anything. Twilight turned her eyes back on the group before her and took a deep breath, “Pinkie and I have an announcement to make. We called you all here because you are our closest friends and the ones who deserve to know first and foremost.” She paused. Pinkie brushed against Twilight’s side again, and Twilight found the breath to continue, “Pinkie and I are in love.” The words were out and Twilight felt both relief and terror at the notion. She realized blandly that she couldn’t take them back even if she wanted to, and the thought struck her as cruel. Confusion seemed the general emotion of the audience. Rainbow Dash’s mouth had fallen open and her hooves worked in circular motions as if trying to physically process what she had just heard. Applejack had tilted her head to the side, eyebrows scrunched together, looking very much like she was trying to figure out the punchline. Rarity held a dainty hoof to her mouth while staring at the ceiling with wide eyes. Twilight couldn’t see Fluttershy’s expression since the mare had hidden behind the curtain of her long hair. Twilight shot a nervous glance in Pinkie’s direction, but the earth pony continued to look forward with a huge smile, head held high and chest puffed out. The silence stretched on until Rainbow Dash’s mouth started working again, “You’re kidding.” Twilight blinked, “No. I’m being quite serious.” Rainbow Dash stood to her hooves, “There’s no way you’re being serious. Pinkie? And you? That’s just…” Applejack jumped in to finish the pegasus’ sentence, “Ridiculous.” Rainbow Dash pointed at Twilight, “You’re the egghead! She’s the party pony. How in Equestria could this be serious?” Twilight’s ears drooped; she felt like she had been kicked in the gut. She fumbled for words to use but was at a complete loss of what to say. How could this be happening? Pinkie was the one to step forward, her voice slightly lower than normal, “It’s not ridiculous.” Applejack tugged on the edge of her hat, “I hafta agree with Rainbow here. The two of y’all just don’t make any sense together.” From the corner of her eye Twilight could see Pinkie start to tremble; the pink pony wore an eerily neutral expression with the exception of the teeth she had sunk into her lower lip. “You-” Rarity cut Pinkie off, “Ponyfeathers!” Every head turned to look at her and she stood to her hooves and tossed her mane, “I for one am happy for you two!” She shot a venomous glare at Applejack and Rainbow Dash, “Love doesn’t have to make sense! Besides,” she smiled at Twilight and Pinkie, “the two of you are absolutely adorable together! Don’t you agree, Fluttershy?” Fluttershy emerged from behind her hair, a slight blush on her cheeks, “Well… I… Um… Yes.” She nodded meekly, “I’m happy for you too.” Applejack stared at the ground and muttered, “Beg pardon.” Rainbow Dash glanced around the room at the various ponies, tail lashing out behind her. Her eyes rested on Pinkie for a moment before she took to the air, “Whatever. Have fun driving each other crazy. I’m out of here.” With that she sped out the window. Applejack took her cue from Rainbow Dash and excused herself to get back to the farm. Rarity and Fluttershy approached Twilight and Pinkie and offered warm embraces. Rarity patted Twilight on the head, “Don’t mind them, Twilight. They’ll come around, I’m sure of it.” Fluttershy nodded, “They were probably just surprised.” “As were we all.” Rarity gasped, “I’ve got a wonderful idea! Why don’t the two of you start joining us on our weekly trips to the spa? Doesn’t that sound lovely, Fluttershy?” Fluttershy brightened, “Oh! Yes! That would be nice!” Twilight forced a smile, “We’ll definitely consider it. Thank you girls.” “Not a problem. Not a problem.” Rarity turned towards the door, “Well, we’ll just let you two be alone for a while. Congratulations again, darlings.” The library door closed and once again it was just Twilight and Pinkie in the slowly darkening gloom of a hollow tree. Twilight glanced over at Pinkie who had been silent since Rarity had cut her off, but she couldn’t read the earth pony’s expression. Twilight wanted to reach over and touch her, but suddenly it felt wrong. What if Applejack and Rainbow Dash were right? What if the two of them were fated for disaster? After all, they didn’t have much in common; they were practically polar opposites. Twilight was having a hard time remembering what had sparked that infatuation in the first place. Pinkie reached out and wiped a tear off of Twilight’s cheek, jerking her from her thoughts again. Pinkie looked at her with concern, “Are you okay?” And there it was. That spark in her stomach that exploded into pure light and warmth that blanketed her from the tips of her ears down to her hooves. Pinkie cared about her. Pinkie was always doing things to make sure she was happy. Pinkie was beautiful and wonderful and delightfully random and energetic in the tedium of her scheduled and timid life. Pinkie was everything Twilight wished she could be, and when they were together Twilight felt like she could accomplish anything. Twilight grabbed Pinkie in a hug and allowed the tears to fall; she let out choking sobs, burying her face in the soft fur of Pinkie’s chest. Pinkie said nothing, just held on tight. Finally Twilight managed to ask, “Why?” Pinkie stroked Twilight’s mane, “Because we caught them off guard.” Twilight shook her head and sniffed, “No. Why me? Why’d you pick me?” Pinkie pushed Twilight back gently so she could see her eyes, “That’s a silly question.” She stroked Twilight’s cheek, “It had to be you.” Twilight shook her head, “Pinkie, please. I can’t do this unless I know why.” Pinkie sighed, “I know.” The corners of her mouth twitched upwards, “I know you need to know, Twilight, that’s who you are. You’re magic.” Pinkie’s eyes drifted down to look towards the ground, “You’re inspiring. You work so hard at everything you do; you’re passionate about your studies and your friends.” Pinkie looked back up into Twilight’s eyes, “I know you can’t see it, but you glow. You have something special that draws everypony to you. You’re always so sincere. You’re everything a frivolous pony like Pinkie Pie could never be.” Twilight felt new tears falling, “You’re not frivolous.” Pinkie’s smile took on a tilt of sadness, “I’m just the party pony. That’s all.” Twilight grabbed Pinkie’s face in her hooves, “Don’t ever say things like that, Pinkie.” A wave of emotion crashed over the unicorn and she couldn’t stop the sniffling, “You’re the most amazing pony I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. Don’t forget that.” Pinkie wrapped Twilight back up in a hug so the purple pony couldn’t see the tears she was shedding as well. Twilight nuzzled her face into Pinkie’s shoulder, “I love you Pinkie.” Pinkie fought to keep her voice from hitching, “I love you too, Twilight.” Twilight sobbed, “I love you so much.”