//------------------------------//
// "Just to See You Smile" 
// Story: Jukebox Scribbles 
// by Timaeus 
//------------------------------//

Prompt - "Just to See You Smile" by Tim McGraw





Dear Rainbow Dash,

I wanted to say that I’m sorry. Sorry that I’ve never had the courage to say this to your face, sorry for pretending for so long, and sorry that you’ll probably never read this. I’m sorry for being such a coward and hiding this letter. I know how much you’d hate that.

But you don’t even know what I’m sorry for, do you?

No, you don’t, and if my past attempts at this are any clue, you probably won’t ever will. I wouldn’t be surprised if I incinerated this letter as soon as I finish writing it, but I need to get this off of my chest. Even if it’s only in words scribbled on a piece of parchment, that’ll do for now. If I can pretend, for even just a few minutes, that one day you’ll read this and understand, then I can be happy, even if it’s just for those few minutes.

Where should I start? I’m not even sure. I could start at the beginning, when this all started; when my heart started to flutter in my chest whenever I heard your voice, when my cheeks started to flush with every hug, when I would do almost anything just to see you smile.

No, when I would do anything just to see you smile. And I still would.

But I don’t even know how to tell that story, because I don’t know exactly when it all started. At some point along the way, somehow, I fell head over hooves for you. And that’s what I’m sorry for. I’m sorry that I never told you, and never gave you the chance to find out if you felt the same way about me. 

Part of me is hopeful that if you read this letter, you’ll give me a chance. You never leave anypony hanging, right? But at the same time, I know you don’t feel that way about me. How do I know? Well, you’re a horrible liar. That, and nothing’s ever stopped you from going out and taking something that you really wanted. If you really wanted to ask me out, or even steal a kiss from me under the mistletoe on Hearth’s Warming Eve, you would have without a second thought.

But you never did. You were happy just being friends, best friends even. It made you smile, which made me smile. Every time we got together to go on an adventure, or to read the newest Daring Do book, or even just to spend time together, I wanted to tell you, but you were happy, and I didn’t want to ruin that on the chance that you might reject me. Or if you did decide to give me a chance, and things didn’t work out between us.

I know exactly what you’re thinking. You’re thinking that even if we broke up, we’d still be friends. Things would be awkward, but we’d get back to the way things were before.

Well, you’re wrong. Things couldn’t go back to the way they were before. Ponies just can’t go back to the “way things were” after undertaking something so... life-changing, important, and intimate. I mean, I could never go back to my life before I met you and the girls, and I can never go back to life with you girls before I was made a princess. What I feel for you, and what we might have, is too important to risk what we already have. Why fix something that isn’t broken, right?

I was so close to telling you the day you got accepted into the Wonderbolts. I had come up with a checklist to create the perfect romantic setting, after some rather extensive research I might add.

Everything was going to be perfect. I decided that the risk would be worth a chance to wake up in your hooves every morning, to fall asleep with your face being the last thing that I’d see. I was just going to meet you for lunch when you came bursting through my window with a letter in your hooves and the biggest smile I’ve ever seen on your face.

The letter was your acceptance letter, and I was the first pony you told. I’ve never seen you so happy before, and when you’re happy, it’s quite contagious. We celebrated, then called the girls over right away. Then, I realized that you were going to have to move to Cloudsdale. I was heartbroken, but I wouldn’t ruin the most important day of your life. 

So, I did what I always did: I pretended everything was okay. It hurt, but when I saw your smile, I told myself that it was worth it to see you happy. And I’m still convinced that it’s worth it. If I never tell you any of this, just knowing that you’re happy somewhere living your dream, then I’ll be happy.

If you asked me to do it all again, then I would lie again. 

For you, for your smile.

Forever yours, even though you’ll never know it,

Twilight Sparkle





Rainbow’s hooves fumbled as she read the letter. Her eyes, widened with shock and realization, met Twilight’s horrified gaze. The envelope, formerly tucked away in Twilight’s bedstand, lay on the floor between them.

Rainbow dropped the letter, and without words, walked over to Twilight. Twilight flinched away before her eyes widened again when Rainbow pulled her into a tight embrace.

“You idiot,” Rainbow said, her voice trembling. “Didn’t you ever think about how much your smile meant to me?”

“R-Rainbow?”

“All this time?”

Twilight said nothing but Rainbow felt her nod against her chest. Rainbow sighed before smiling earnestly. “Then I guess we’d better start working on getting you to smile.”

Twilight’s next words were silenced by a pair of soft, strong lips pressing against her own.