//------------------------------//
// Chapter 4: The Magic of Laughter 
// Story: Green 
// by Steel Resolve 
//------------------------------//

That could have gone better. 

Pinkie sighed heavily. She once again found reason to regret how she had handled Rarity's plight. She had hoped simple reassurance would be enough; after all, she knew that Applejack could not possibly be in love with Fluttershy. She just couldn't tell Rarity why she had known! But instead, it had only made things worse.

Secrets and lies... they never help anypony. Still, a promise is a promise... even if the truth would solve everything. 

She looked across the room at Twilight Sparkle. Everypony else had left, but she had stayed to help Pinkie clean. She watched in fascination as Twilight performed three tasks at once, marveling at how effortless she made it look. Pinkie took advantage of her concentration to creep up behind her slowly, before tackling her in a sudden embrace. “Gotcha!”

Twilight squeaked just a bit as the air was squeezed out of her. "Pinkie! Warn me first!" She laughed and twisted around in Pinkie's grasp, kissing Pinkie on the nose.

Pinkie blushed and kissed her back deeply. "Do you have to go right away?"

Twilight took a moment to catch her breath as she considered the question. "The party ended earlier than anypony expected. Spike won't expect me back until much later."

Pinkie looked at her, eyes shining and expression playfully pleading. "Soooooo?"

Twilight burst out laughing. "That's not fair, Pinkie, you know you can talk me into anything when you give me that look!"

Pinkie pouted. That doesn’t answer the question! "Answer me or I get the feathers out!"

Twilight tried to back away, but the pink pony only held her tighter. "You wouldn't dare!"

Pinkie gave a predatory grin. "Just try me."

Twilight twisted out of Pinkie's embrace and trotted casually to the party pony’s bed. "I suppose we can fit a study session in, but I can't pull an all-nighter. Is that okay?"

Pinkie gave her lover a warm, seductive smile. "Okay, but this time you play the damsel and I get to be the ravaging pirate."





The bed was cold now that she was gone. Pinkie stared up at the ceiling. Her head told her this was all just a game, that she was having fun with her friend. Fun is always good. I love fun! 

Her heart only cried out that the bed was cold with her gone. Does she know what she's doing to me? 

She quashed the thought. Twilight was her friend, they cared for one another. They were playing games together to make each other happy. Twilight would never knowingly hurt her. What about unknowingly? Neither of us can pin down what we're doing. It's fun, but is it love? 

Pinkie was startled by the thought. She hadn't been bothered by any of this until Rarity had come by to talk to her. The idea of wanting more just... it hadn’t registered up till now. She had been so focused on helping her friend that she hadn’t thought much about it.

"Do you want to make 'Shy happy?" 

"I would love to devote the rest of my life to doing just that." 

Pinkie's heart skipped a beat. The rest of my life. Making one pony happy. Do I want that? 

"I miss her when she's not around. I like to talk to her about... anything really." 

Her heart surged. That was a yes, apparently. Okay, I did not know this about myself. Fine, heart, why Twilight? 

Her heart only beat silently. 

Oooh, a guessing game, huh? Okay, is it her smile? The way she has a special laugh she only seems to use around me? How about how she can mix chemicals for potions super-well but get her in a kitchen and she's lost? OOOOH, I know! It’s that look she gives me when she thinks I'm not looking, right? 

Her heart, quite naturally, remained taciturn. The thoughts she was entertaining were making it race, however. So what do we do about it, heart? Do we tell Twilight, or keep it a secret to keep on keeping her happy? 

The heart offered no opinion, but it did seem to spread warmth all through her tummy when Pinkie thought about telling Twilight. Yeah, I think we should tell her too. 

Her heart leapt again. Calm down already! 

She smiled as she looked up at the night sky; one of the stars sparkled just as she looked up at it. It reminded her of a certain mare's flank. No more secrets. No more lies. 

She got up, putting a little steel in her spine. This was not going to be fun; she had to do it now while she still had the resolve. For them to have any sort of future, they needed a proper beginning. She hoped Twilight would give her that chance after what she had to say.





Twilight lay back on her bed, exhausted. She spat out a feather that had caught in her teeth. That was certainly... interesting. 

Pinkie never ceased to amaze her. They'd been doing this for months now, and she always managed to come up with some new game to play. Is... is it still just a game? 

She groaned. This was not the first time she had had this argument with herself. Of course it is! I know that, Pinkie knows that! The book said this is a nice, comfortable, casual relationship you can have with a friend you trust! It’s elegant in its simplicity; skip all the things that might be disappointing in a relationship. Dating, courting, love... Twilight sighed. That all sounded fine on paper, but she did want somepony to love. This... just felt safer. There was no risk, and lots of reward.

What about the big reward? What about what Shining Armor and Cadance have? Twilight snorted. Love was complicated. Love could hurt. Anyway, I’m not studying love, I’m studying friendship! This is just one more aspect of friendship. The book said so! 

So why can't I stop looking at her when I think she's not paying attention? Why did I watch her sleep for three hours? Why can't I stop thinking about her? 

Well, she's fascinating! She does things that should be impossible! She can find happiness in anything! Those blue eyes... they twinkle when she laughs, which is often. When I look into them, I can see her soul! She's just the most amazing mare I know! 

Would I say I love that about her? 

That and more! She has a way of thinking that makes mere logic stand on its ear and bark! I don't think I have ever known a more infuriating and wonderful pony in my life. 

Would I say I love her? 

That question gave her pause. She wanted to discount it immediately, but she was compelled to follow it to a reasoned conclusion. She got up out of bed and fetched a clipboard. Dipping her quill in ink, she set it to the paper and began writing, pausing thoughtfully here and there to consider.



Things I love about Pinkie:

Interesting
Fun
Illogical
Intelligent
Parties
Cooking
Ticklish 



She blushed at that one; finding out where her lover was ticklish had been a game in itself.




Brave
Makes me feel brave around her.
Makes me happy



That’s a good start, but let's list the downsides. 



Things I can't stand about Pinkie:

Illogical
She knows where I am ticklish.
She sometimes doesn't know when I need space.
She tries to get me to cook



My poor stove, I still need to replace it. Spike got so frustrated with me after that. 

She faltered. Are there really so few things I don't like about Pinkie? She looked down again. There were other minor annoyances, of course. The hyperactive mare bounced everywhere, for instance. She often forgot to pause when talking, leaving Twilight concerned she would pass out from lack of air... Nothing more she could really say she couldn't stand.

She flopped back down heavily on her bed. Her ear twitched as something tapped her window. What could that be? She glanced at Owlowiscious on his perch. Nope, he didn’t go out for a flight, hmmm. 

She got up and looked out into the darkness. There, in a pool of light cast by her open window, stood a pink pony. She had been tossing pebbles at Twilight's window, trying to get her attention.

Recovering from her surprise, she hissed. "Pinkie, what are you doing? It's late, go home!"

Pinkie replied equally softly. "Twilight, I have to talk to you. It's important!"

Twilight grunted in annoyance; they were going to wake up Spike if they went on like this. She whispered, "Meet me at the door!" Carefully closing the window, Twilight walked downstairs and opened the front door with her magic.

Pinkie stood waiting, a miserable look about her and her hair falling limply to the side of her head. Twilight had only seen her friend like this twice: once when she had thought everypony in their little group of friends had abandoned her, and once more when Gummy had been sick.

Twilight went to hug Pinkie, but was gently fended off. Twilight gave her a wounded look, but Pinkie just set her mouth in a firm line and motioned to the table. Apparently, this was not the prelude to a game.

Once they were both seated, Pinkie took a deep breath and launched straight into what she had to say. "Twilight, we can't do this any more."

Twilight felt like the ground had just dropped from under her feet. "Pinkie, what—"

Pinkie laid a hoof on Twilight's lips to still her protest. "It's been fun, but I want more from a relationship than just fun and games. We started all wrong, that's why it needs to end now. This is just hurting us both."

Twilight stammered. "But... wait... I..."

Pinkie stood up, ignoring her pleading tone. "I'm so sorry, Twilight, but it has to be like this. I-I'll go now."

Pinkie walked out of her door, out of her sight, out of her life. Twilight closed the door with a distracted thought. Over? Forever? “I think I love you,” she whispered to the now-empty room. 

Twilight lay her head down on the table. She had just made some headway on how she really felt about Pinkie! Had she really lost her chance at happiness, all because she decided to take a shortcut past the scary parts of a relationship? She wept silently. It seemed so.

Her ear twitched as she heard a small knock on the door. She stood up heavily. Whoever or whatever that is had better have a very good reason for interrupting a darned good cry. She sighed, made a futile attempt to compose herself and opened the door with her magic.

There was Pinkie, still looking morose—but her eyes twinkled with hope. "Um, hi, Twilight! I was wondering, are you free tomorrow? There's this little bistro that just opened up called Chez Ponnise. I thought we could go have dinner?"

Twilight stared as a million responses fought to muscle their way out of her mouth. "...What?"

Pinkie scuffed a hoof sheepishly. "Please?"

Twilight couldn't think of anything else to say, so she tackled Pinkie and threw her hooves around her instead. Pinkie gasped with pleasure and brought her muzzle up to meet Twilight’s, as they kissed more deeply and passionately than they had ever done before. As she at last came up for air, Twilight whispered in Pinkie’s ear. “Thank you for coming back! I was so afraid I’d lost you. I... I love you, Pinkie.”

Pinkie quivered underneath her, but smiled widely at her new fillyfriend. “I love you too, you silly filly!”

Some time later, after they had dusted themselves off from rolling on the ground, Pinkie turned to Twilight. "So, dinner? Or do I have to get the feathers out to make you talk?" She slipped an eye-patch out of her mane and pulled it over one eye.

Twilight chuckled. "Yes, Pinkie, dinner."

Pinkie's hair poofed up as a grin burst onto her face. "Great! Pick you up at seven!"

The two shared a goodnight kiss. Watching Pinkie trot into the night in the direction of Sugarcube Corner, Twilight's eyes shone with excitement as her heart leapt in hope. This... felt right. There was no argument from her mind this time.