//------------------------------// // Conflicting Sources // Story: Dissertation of Affections // by Baby Seal Burritos //------------------------------// White clouds drifted lazily across the bright blue sky, riding the gentle breeze, and casting shadows on the ground below as they crossed paths with the sun. It was another beautiful day in Ponyville and Twilight Sparkle was spending it indoors. Again. Pinkie lay on the floor of the library, staring at the ceiling, and rolling around listlessly while humming along to some soundtrack in her head. Twilight was arranging vials and brightly colored mixtures on a desk, mumbling the occasional formula or compositional breakdown. The noise of humming and mumbling mixed together into a cacophony of notes and discordant sounds that seemed to either not bother or just weren’t registered by the two ponies. Moments later, as one, both the unicorn and the earth pony fell silent. Pinkie stopped her tumbling, prone on her back with all four legs stuck in the air, “Twilight?” Twilight didn’t turn, “Hmm?” “I’m bored.” Twilight made a few markings on a sheet of parchment, “I’m sorry to hear that.” Pinkie swayed onto her side lazily, “Don’t you have something more exciting we could do? Like going exploring or building a city out of candy?” Twilight sighed, “No, Pinkie. This is the research I’ve scheduled for this afternoon. If I don’t do it now it won’t ever get done.” Pinkie swung herself onto her back again with a groan, “I can’t do anything to help?” Twilight shook her head slowly, “This is all rather… delicate. I’m more comfortable handling this all with my magic; hooves seem to lend to more accidents.” Pinkie pouted, “What am I supposed to do until you’re done?” Twilight turned to look at her moping marefiend who was sprawled out on the library floor, “I don’t know. What do you normally do on your days off?” Pinkie’s brow creased in thought, “Hmmm…” A grin stretched across her cheeks and she leapt to her hooves, “Oh! I remember! Wednesdays are for hanging out with Dashie!” Twilight’s ears flicked back at the mention of their friend, “Oh. Is that right?” Pinkie nodded enthusiastically, “Uh huh! And I almost forgot! Thanks for reminding me!” Twilight bit her lip. “You’re going to go hang out with Rainbow Dash today?” Pinkie scooted closer to Twilight, “Is something wrong?” “Well… no.” Twilight licked her lips, “Not really. But have you talked to her since… you know?” Pinkie cocked her head to the side, “What?” She blinked twice before her mouth formed a perfect “o”, comprehension sparked in her eyes, “You mean when she was all grumpy about us?” Twilight rolled her eyes, “Grumpy is one way to put it.” Pinkie nuzzled Twilight’s cheek, “Don’t worry, Twilight! It’s been four whole days since then! I’m sure she’s not all angry and scowly anymore.” Twilight still looked skeptical, “If you’re sure…” Pinkie giggled, “Don’t worry about me, Smarty Pants, Rainbow Dash is our friend! Remember?” Twilight winced at the nickname. Ever since the ear incident, Pinkie had decided to use the name of her old doll as a kind of pet name. Twilight wasn’t sure if it was a joke or a legitimate term of endearment, but to be completely honest she didn’t like it. “I know.” Twilight glanced towards the ceiling, mulling over the appropriate words, “It’s just that she’s been acting weird lately. I’ve seen her around town but it seems like she’s avoiding talking to me.” Pinkie frowned, “Dashie wouldn't do that.” “I suppose…” Twilight trailed off. Pinkie’s tail swished behind her, “She’s probably been busy. She’s got to keep the sky clean you know.” Twilight donned a plastic smile, “You’re probably right. I’m probably just reading too much into things.” Pinkie still seemed a bit upset, so she continued, “You know me! Always thinking too much; making mountains out of molehills.” Pinkie perked up, “You can do that?” Twilight chuckled, “Just an expression.” She bumped shoulders with the pink pony and gave her cheek an affectionate nuzzle, “Go on. Have fun with Rainbow Dash.” Pinkie bounced on her hooves and gave Twilight a quick kiss on the nose, “You got it, boss!” She bounded to the door and winked over her shoulder, “And don’t worry your pretty little head about me, Twilight! Just remember that she’s our friend! She wants us to be happy.” Twilight waved as Pinkie made her grand exit. Regardless of Pinkie’s reassurances, Twilight still couldn’t shake the feeling that something was going on with Rainbow Dash. She turned back to her notes and murmured to herself, “Don’t worry so much, Twilight. Pinkie knows her better than you do. Just get to work and let Pinkie do what she does.” She picked up a thin vial filled with a bubbling, light blue liquid with her magic and slipped on her goggles. Pinkie found Rainbow Dash napping on a cloud drifting above the path out of town. She snickered to herself as she considered what would be the best way to wake her sleepy friend. Trampoline? Trombone? Toucans? Before she could reach a consensus, the pegasus jolted awake with a shout. Bleary eyed, Rainbow Dash let her gaze wander across her surroundings before it finally landed on Pinkie who waved with a grin. “Hi Dashie! Have a nice nap?” Rainbow Dash yawned and rubbed the sleep from her eyes, “Hey Pinkie. What’re you doing here?” Pinkie rolled her eyes, “I’m here to hang out, silly! It’s Wednesday!” Rainbow Dash took to the air and pushed her cloud closer to the ground so she could lay on it at Pinkie’s eyelevel. She draped herself on the fluffy cushion and crossed her forehooves in front of her with a snort, “Don’t you have a marefriend to play with?” Pinkie blinked, taken aback, “Twilight’s studying.” Rainbow Dash huffed, “What, were you causing too big a disturbance? Did she send you away to get you out from under her hooves?” Pinkie frowned, “No. I-” Rainbow Dash interrupted again, “I figured it wouldn’t be long until you two started driving each other crazy.” Pinkie retorted in a slighter lower pitch, “We’re not driving each other crazy! I left because today’s our hang out day.” She cocked an eyebrow and jutted out her lower lip, “Every Wednesday we go out and have fun. Remember? Pranking? Exploring?” Rainbow Dash tossed her mane, “You still like doing stuff like that? I can’t believe that you’re not all about egghead stuff like studying and poetry or some mamby pamby junk like that.” Pinkie felt her knees start trembling as she fought down the angry feelings bubbling beneath her skin, “There’s nothing wrong with that kind of stuff, Rainbow Dash.” The pegasus snorted, “Oh sure. Not if you’re some kind of super nerd.” She rolled her eyes, “Talk about the complete and total opposite of awesomeness.” Pinkie stepped back as if physically struck by her friend’s words. Waves of fury cascaded through her body as she realized just what Rainbow Dash was saying, what she was insinuating about Twilight. The urge to defend her battled fiercely with her desire to keep from an argument; arguments weren’t fun, and they definitely didn’t make life better for anypony. In the end she managed to respond in a low, monotone, “Why are you being so mean?” Rainbow Dash rose off her stomach and stomped a hoof, sending a tuft of cloud dissipating into water vapor, “I’m not being mean! I’m just telling it like it is. Being all over that,” she shook her hoof in the air as she searched for the right word but found her vocabulary incredibly lacking, “egghead has made you so much less cool than before!” Pinkie took a few deep breaths in an attempt to keep from losing her temper, “Stop calling her that.” She couldn’t help it, her voice rose in volume, “She’s your friend! She’s our friend! You don’t talk bad about your friends!” Rainbow Dash shouted, “Maybe I don’t want to be friends with her anymore!” Pinkie screamed, “What’s wrong with you?!” She felt tears beginning to fall from her cheeks. Her heart felt restricted in her chest. She couldn’t imagine any words that could possibly be worse than the ones she had just heard; not only was it the worst possible thing for ponies to stop being friends, but this was her best friend and her marefriend! What could be crueler than losing one or the other? Her speech came slightly slurred through sobs, “Why would you ever say something like that?” Rainbow Dash hopped off her cloud, “Pinkie…” She reached out a hoof as if to hug her, but thought better of it and retracted it, “Don’t cry.” She shifted awkwardly on all four hooves, “Um. I just…” She coughed and cleared her throat, “You see I didn’t…” Rainbow Dash groaned, “I didn’t mean it, Pinkie.” Pinkie scowled, “Why would you say it?” Rainbow Dash stared down at the ground for long moments before responding, “I’m just upset.” Pinkie felt her anger slowly ebb away. Rainbow Dash was hurting? Why? And why hadn’t she noticed? Guilt seeped in and colored her feelings, rendering her painfully sympathetic. “What’s wrong? Did something happen?” Rainbow Dash’s gaze slowly lifted until she was looking into the large blue eyes of the pink earth pony. A few moments of silence passed before she responded, “Nah.” Pinkie got even closer, their noses almost touching as Pinkie once again ignored the concept of personal space, “You can tell me. Let me help.” Rainbow Dash took an involuntary step backwards as a small but sincere smile blossomed on Pinkie’s face. Rainbow Dash flittered back up to her cloud, “I’m fine!” She flicked her tail like a whip behind her and she stammered, “I definitely don’t need your help!” She glanced right and left in quick secession, “Just go hang out with your marefriend. That’s what she’s for isn’t it?” Pinkie looked up with a heartbreakingly sad expression, “You don’t have to tell me what’s wrong, but can’t we still hang out?” She tried to rest a hoof on the cloud but it passed through and came out coated in droplets of water. Rainbow Dash hesitated for just a few moments, but shook her head, “No. I’m sorry, Pinkie, but I don’t feel like hanging today.” Pinkie’s ears drooped, “Oh. Are you sure?” Rainbow Dash nodded curtly, “Yeah.” She paused before continuing in a lower tone, “Go have fun with your marefriend. Just try not to be too obnoxious and loud. She obviously hates that.” Before Pinkie could say anything, Rainbow Dash raced off leaving a brightly colored contrail behind her. Pinkie bit her lower lip as tears began welling in the corners of her eyes again. Am I really that obnoxious? She turned and slowly began her return to the library. What if Twilight had lied after all? What if she was pretending? The thought made her freeze, hoof in the air midstep. Pinkie felt like she just might be sick. She shook her head. Don’t be ridiculous, Pinkie, she thought, You’re just making a molehill from a mountain again. A small, malicious voice whispered in the darker corners of her mind, Or are you? Her stomach lurched and she staggered forward a step or two; it couldn’t be true. It just couldn’t be. There was only one way to know for sure. She put one hoof in front of the other and made her way back through town. Three and a quarter inches. Two ounces. Stir briskly counter-clockwise for no more or less than fifteen seconds. Now pour into the second vial from the left and the mixture should turn a vaguely orange color… Twilight carefully tipped her mixture into the designated vial and watched intently as the new liquid settled and began to change color. She heard the library door open behind her, but she didn’t dare take her eyes off the vial just yet. It was brownish, but lightening up, so there was a good chance she had gotten it right this time… “Twilight?” That was odd. She hadn’t expected the visitor to be Pinkie; she was supposed to be out making mischief with Rainbow Dash, but what could the pair have possibly gotten up to in the space of an hour? She still couldn’t afford to direct her gaze elsewhere so she didn’t turn to face her, “Just a second, Pinkie. I need to make sure that the mixture settles correctly and doesn’t cause any more complications.” Hoofsteps marched right up behind her, “What are you doing?” Twilight groaned inwardly but replied evenly, “I’m trying to get this to turn orange.” “Why?” The mixture was definitely looking like it was heading in an orangish direction, “Because if it does that means that I’ve mixed it correctly.” Pinkie’s voice took on a tone of irritation, “I know that. What does it do?” Twilight wished she could swivel around and see Pinkie’s expression so as to better gauge what the pony was driving at, but she had come so far already that she couldn’t bear to wrench her gaze from the vial just yet, “Well,” she tried to think of a good way to explain it, “if all goes according to plan then this will be an important ingredient for my next experiment.” Yes! The color had stabilized into a beautiful, ruddy orange just like it was supposed to. Twilight twirled around in triumph only to be met with the unwelcome sight of an agitated Pinkie Pie. “Is something wrong?” Twilight’s eyebrows knitted together in concern, “Did something happen with Rainbow Dash?” Pinkie’s frown deepened, “Why don’t you want me around?” Twilight blinked. She stammered, “What?” Pinkie repeated, louder, “Why don’t you want me around?” Twilight reached out to touch Pinkie, but the mare jerked away from her hoof. Twilight paused, a bit shocked by the reaction, “What in Equestria makes you think I don’t want you around? Of course I want you around; I love you!” Pinkie stomped a hoof on the ground, “Then why did you send me away today? Why won’t you let me help with your experiments?” Twilight felt both angry and hurt that Pinkie was slinging these accusations at her, seemingly out of nowhere. She responded a bit curtly, “I did not send you away today. You chose to go out and play with Rainbow Dash. Remember?” Pinkie scowled, “You didn’t want me to stay! You wanted me out of your hooves while you played with your,” she gestured at the desk and all the vials, “sciencey stuff!” “I never-” Pinkie cut Twilight off, “You think I’m obnoxious!” Twilight tried to get a word in edgewise, “Pinkie…” “Annoying!” Irritation prickled at the interrupted unicorn, “Just listen to me for a second…” Pinkie shouted, “Nothing but a hooffull!” Exasperated, Twilight yelled, “I think you’re being obnoxious right now!” Twilight regretted the words as soon as they left her mouth. Pinkie stared at her with wide, unblinking eyes; her demeanor was one of such despair and betrayal that Twilight felt like she had kicked herself in the gut. She tried desperately to take them back, “Pinkie, that’s not what I meant. I-” Pinkie shook her head, tears forming in her eyes, “It’s true. It’s all true.” Twilight tried to reach out to Pinkie, “No. No, Pinkie, I’m sorry. I didn’t-” Pinkie turned and raced out of the library. Twilight ran after her, “Pinkie! Pinkie, come back!” But Pinkie disappeared. Just up and vanished before Twilight’s very eyes. The unicorn turned and slipped back into the library, closing the door behind her. She slipped down to the ground and covered her face with her hooves as tears of her own began to form. “You and your big mouth.” She murmured, “Why would you say something like that?” What had inspired Pinkie’s outburst in the first place? Twilight quickly latched on to the thought; finding the source of the problem was the perfect excuse to shove her feelings of guilt to the side. Something or somepony had said or done something to Pinkie. Something that had made Pinkie think that Twilight thought she was obnoxious. Twilight cringed at the term and quickly changed it. Bothersome. Yes. Bothersome worked much better. It wasn’t that she found Pinkie annoying most of the time, she thought, but on occasion the party pony could grate on her nerves. Just when she wouldn’t stop talking and Twilight wanted some peace and quiet. Tangents. Twilight threw herself down any digression she could to relieve herself of the shameful nature of those particular thoughts. Rainbow Dash. This all had to have originated from that pegasus. Twilight stood to her hooves with a nod. The cause of this had to be Rainbow Dash. It just had to. As Twilight exited the library in search of that rainbow-maned mare she suppressed the thought that she had to find somepony else to be at fault. She pretended not to hear the little voice in her head that demanded a scapegoat. All she wanted was to talk to her. Just an innocent little chat about their mutual friend Pinkie Pie. Twilight kept her eyes trained on the sky, looking for any hint of vivid color against the bright blue background. She made one full circle around town before getting irritated. That pegasus couldn’t avoid her forever; whatever her problem was she’d have to talk to Twilight sometime. The corners of Twilight’s mouth twitched upward; it would be sooner rather than later. Twilight clenched her eyes shut and focused on the magical core of her horn and carefully traced the path of the spell in her mind. Purple light overflowed from the tip, accumulating into a wave that shot out into the nearby vicinity, washing over the buildings and cobblestones. Faces of ponies flashed across Twilight’s consciousness before being sorted out and expunged; she kept her focus on rose colored eyes and light blue fur. There she was. Twilight raced around the corner, barreling towards the spot that had pinged on her magic pony radar. She skidded around the side of a building and saw Rainbow Dash’s head shoot up; the pony had been lazing on a cloud as per usual. The pegasus took the air and swiveled to dart away, but Twilight reached out with her magic to stop her, “Oh no! You’re not going anywhere! We’re going to talk right now.” Twilight floated the sulking pegasus down to the ground next to her, and Rainbow Dash let out an exasperated sigh. “Fine. What, do you want me to apologize or something?” Twilight ignored the small thrill of happiness at the admission of guilt, “What happened between you and Pinkie?” Rainbow Dash perked her ears, “She didn’t say anything?” Twilight shook her head with a frown, and Rainbow Dash snorted, “What are you here for then?” “When Pinkie came back from meeting you,” Twilight started, staring Rainbow Dash right in the eyes, “she was upset. I want to know why.” Rainbow Dash tossed her mane, breaking eye contact, “Why don’t you ask her? Why bother me?” Twilight bit her lip. Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow, “Oh. Ohhhh! You had a fight!” Twilight stammered, “Wha…? Th-that’s not the point!” Rainbow Dash bared her teeth in a malicious grin, “It so totally is! What did she say? You’re too boring?” Twilight sputtered, “What? I’m not boring!” “So totally are.” Rainbow Dash snickered. Twilight rubbed a hoof between her eyes, “Whatever. That’s still not the point. What happened this morning?” Both ponies glared at the other, saying nothing, for long moments. Finally, Twilight sighed, “Please, Rainbow, I’m worried about her and I need to know what happened.” The scowl melted from Rainbow Dash’s face, “Why? Did something happen to her?” Twilight scuffed her hoof on the ground and spoke in a low tone, “She came back and started going on and on about being annoying,” the pegasus flinched but Twilight didn’t notice, “and… I may have accidentally said something I didn’t mean-” Rainbow Dash exclaimed, “What?!” Twilight swallowed hard, “And she ran away. I tried to apologize but…” Rainbow Dash had begun to hover, her eyes seemed unfocused as she stared off into the distance with a look of dread painted on her face. “How could you be so stupid?” She said, seemingly to the air, before her eyes lighted back on the miserable-looking unicorn. Rainbow Dash’s eyebrows ground together, “How could you be so stupid?!” Twilight recoiled, “I didn’t-” Rainbow Dash interrupted, voice getting higher and beginning to crack, “She’s hurt and you came to find me? Don’t you get it? When she gets this way she won’t snap out of it herself!” Twilight felt her eyes beginning to sting, “I didn’t know…” Rainbow Dash shook her head, “No. You didn’t. But maybe if you paid any attention to her at all you’d notice she’s not some kind of science experiment! You’re supposed to be there for her not running around getting clues or whatever the heck you’re doing right now. What kind of marefriend…?” She trailed off, frowned, and continued, voice icy cold, “Whatever. Pinkie needs a friend right now not this.” She beat her wings a few times before muttering, “Good going.” With that she took off, leaving Twilight all alone once again. Twilight felt eerily numb. She’s right. Twilight tried to swallow, but her throat was suddenly very very dry. This is all my fault. I don’t deserve… She felt tears burning in her eyes again and felt a jolt of pain at the thought that Pinkie wasn’t there to stop them. Because of me. What have I done? --Author's Note-- And then apologizing gave me the will to buckle down and edit edit edit. As always, feedback is very much appreciated. Hope you enjoyed reading.