//------------------------------// // Truths // Story: A Happy Accident // by ScriptScrolls //------------------------------// Truths ~~~~~~~~~~ A Happy Accident by ScriptScrolls ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ “Well, our best bet at this point would be to gather what knowledge we can. Perhaps reading up on romance and rela--” Twilight began eagerly before being cut off by the stallion’s voice. “Uh, Ah don’t think books will be of much use here, Twilight,” Braeburn dissented, shaking his head. “Hmm, perhaps you’re right,” she admitted. Twilight put her hoof to her chin and concentrated for a few seconds before her eyes shot wide and a smile began to creep onto her face. “I’ve got a plan.” ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Twilight trotted briskly down the dirt road towards the outskirts of Ponyville, her eyes occasionally darting towards the sky, searching for any sign of the rainbow-maned pegasus. As Twilight passed Sugarcube corner, she watched Rainbow Dash make her exit. With her mental checklist ready (a physical one would lack the necessary discretion), the lavender unicorn prepared to confront the pegasus. “Hey, Rainbow!” she exclaimed cheerily. Dash turned her head towards her friend and forced a smile. The visible effort communicated that this was certainly not somepony she felt like talking to right now, if she felt like talking to anypony at all for that matter. “Heh- hiya, Twi’!” Rainbow cantered at an angle in an attempt to move past the mare, but Twilight seemed intent on keeping up with her as she moved along. “So, anything new? You don’t look too happy; is something wrong?” Rainbow Dash stopped and turned to face Twilight. “Well, Pinkie had a bit of a... an incident with Applejack. I really don’t think we should talk about it though,” she affirmed, insisting to herself such things weren’t their business anyway. Rainbow began to trot off once more. “Wait, Dash; I don’t think that’s it. You seem upset about something. What is it?” Rainbow Dash sighed as the logical portion of her mind made some observations. Maybe she should at least tell somepony if she couldn’t muster the courage to admit it to the one pony to whom it concerned. And who better to confess to than her best friend? Dash shook her head violently. Sharing the burden of her feelings would certainly do more harm than good. “Nothing, Twilight. I’m fine,” she lied, hoping to Celestia the conversation would end at that. Dash began to pick up pace, but the unicorn remained persistent. Twilight teleported herself directly in front of the cyan mare and put a hoof on her shoulder. “No, you’re not, Dash. You need help... Please just say what’s bothering you.” Rainbow flared her nostrils and huffed irritably. “Nothing you would understand,” she said coldly. Twilight shot an aggravated frown at the pegasus. Dash’s fiercely independent behavior did not excuse her impudent tone, especially when directed at a pony who merely wanted to help. Twilight thought for a second and then decided to turn around, confident she could easily turn the situation in her favor. “Fine,” she uttered brusquely, doing her best to act extremely hurt. As the unicorn estimated, Rainbow Dash did an about-face and began galloping after her. Twilight smiled to herself slightly, and deliberately slowed down. Dash cut in front of her and began to apologize frantically. “Twi’, I’m so sorry! Please--it’s just I’ve--it’s been a rough week, okay?” Twilight felt a pang of guilt at manipulating the pegasus into feeling sorry for her, but she knew it was best for them both that Rainbow willingly tell her the truth. “I forgive you, Rainbow. But please... tell me what’s really wrong, and I’ll do my best to help.” Dash sighed and glanced around the mostly void street. “Okay, but we need to go someplace private... I’ll lift you up to my cloud-house, c’mon.” Both ponies began trotting once more towards the edge of the town, saying nothing on the way there. In a matter of minutes, they had reached Rainbow’s home, a humongous cloud structure that cast massive shadows over them. “Up we go!” the pegasus yelled as she gripped Twilight’s sides. Rainbow Dash flapped her wings feverishly, causing both mares to slowly ascend towards the cloud. The lavender mare could hear Dash’s heavy breathing and grinned sheepishly. ‘Maybe I need to lose some weight,’ she thought, thoroughly embarrassed at the effort required from the pegasus. They finally reached cloud, and Rainbow quickly dropped Twilight onto it without a second thought. Twilight quickly cast the cloud-hoof spell, and not a second too soon; a moment’s worth of hesitation would have sent her plummeting to the ground. Twilight glared at the cyan mare, eliciting a timid grimace. “Heh... it’s not my fault you’re so heavy,” she teased. In her best attempt at a Rarity impersonation, the unicorn gasped histrionically. “How rude! It’s not my fault you’re such a poor flier.” Dash just smiled, absolutely delighted. “Hey, I didn’t know you had a sense of humor!” the pegasus exclaimed. Twilight seldom ever recognized humor or sarcasm, let alone participate in either. “There’s a lot of things you don’t know about me,” she replied, smirking at Rainbow. The other mare merely cocked her head to one side and gave her headstrong friend a curious look. Twilight continued, “B-besides... somepony has to be serious.” Rainbow Dash could tell she wasn’t telling something, but decided not to press the issue--not yet. “Well, you don’t have to be serious all the time, Twi’. It’s nice to joke around a little,” Twilight nodded knowingly. “Yeah, unfortunately moderation has never been my strong point. I tend to be a bit... polar.” A strong wind blew by the two ponies outside the cloud home, causing them both to shiver. “Brrrr! With the way the winters have been getting worse, I’m wondering if all of Equestria isn’t getting more polar! C’mon, let’s go in before my feathers start snapping off.” Twilight furrowed her brow at the pegasus. “Your feathers freeze?” Dash facehoofed and shook her head. “Still as gullible as ever, Twi’! C’mon, inside!” Rainbow pushed the unicorn through the door and shut it behind her. They both removed their scarves and hung them on the stand by the door. It was surprisingly cozy inside the cloud-home, a phenomenon Twilight knew as a result of the water vapor’s greenhouse effect. The dense cloud used to construct the house also served as a shield against bitter winds, flurries, and even hail. Even with the distracting nature of the house, Twilight knew she needed a direct approach. “So, Rainbow Dash... what’s been bothering you?” Although she felt pretty sure of the answer, Twilight needed to hear it “straight from the horse’s mouth” as it were. The goal, however, of her covert operation was not to seek answers to specific questions, but rather to collect as much information about the situation as possible. With this in mind, Twilight Sparkle thought it best that she ask somewhat open-ended questions that could provide a wide range of understanding. “I... I don’t know how to say it. I’m not even sure of my own feelings any more,” Dash confessed. Twilight sympathized with how difficult it must be for Rainbow to cast off her cloak of narcissism, even in front of her best friend. Perhaps the unicorn’s greater understanding of Rainbow Dash allowed them to stay such good friends despite their variance in primary interests and personalities. While both were greatly committed to reinforcing already-held opinions of themselves, each pony somewhat privately enjoyed aspects of the other’s life. Twilight relished the witty banter and playful insults, and Dash had a strange obsession with adventure novels. Alas, the two knew that others expected differently from them; the unicorn was relied upon to behave seriously... and the pegasus had to act strong. As an intelligent mare, Twilight recognized that nopony could remain tough all the time, no more than one could keep earnest at length. Just as she would occasionally crack a small joke, the cyan mare needed somepony she could speak openly with every so often--somepony who understood her. “Well, why don’t you tell me what happened?” It carried less the air of a question than it did an invitation as Twilight lay on the plush cloud floor, patting her hoof on the area adjacent to her. Rainbow gave the unicorn a reserved smile and stretched herself out next to her. Dash then proceeded to retell the previous day’s events--beginning with her noticing the ruckus in town and ending with being kicked out of Fluttershy’s house. Twilight mostly nodded, sporadically requesting clarification or more detail. At the end of the tale Twilight smiled at Rainbow, causing the pegasus to chuckle. “Heh, what is it?” Twilight’s smile seemed all too familiar, gleaming from some esoteric fact. Patience did not fit into the Rainbow’s qualities, and the unicorn’s smile certainly tested her shortfall. “You’re in love.” The statement had more confidence behind it than Dash put into any flying maneuver or egoistic remark. Twilight’s acumen astounded the pegasus into silence; never had she expected to be so easily guessed. The side of her mouth twitched slightly in shocked unconscious agreement. As the pause grew longer, Rainbow fumbled over herself to recover. “How-I-but-no I’m not! That’s ridiculous! She’s my oldest friend!” came the largely rushed and incoherent response. Realizing she had tried too desperately to repudiate the fact, Dash lifted her head and gave an exaggerated laugh to lighten the situation. The lavender mare giggled quietly. “The prickles, the blurts, and the head laugh. There’s no sense trying to lie to me, Rainbow; I’m well versed in the signals. I read Signs of Deceit, which curiously enough is written by Applejack’s uncle.” The pegasus huffed loudly, admitting her defeat. “Fine, you got me, but you have to swear not to tell her!” “Oh, I’m not going to tell her, Dash. You, on the other hoof, need to let her know. It’s not beneficial to either of you for this to stay a secret. You need to let her know how you feel!” “Pfft! What does an egghead know about stuff like this? I don’t think your reading material covers it, Twi’.” Rainbow’s snide remark infuriated Twilight. “What makes you think I don’t know anything about it, huh?! Because I’m intelligent, you automatically assume I’m pure and innocent! I’m not, okay?” Dash was caught off guard by the unicorn’s explosive reaction and once more stared silently at her. Almost immediately, Twilight restrained her outburst and lowered her head, ears folded back. “I’m so sorry, Dash. I-I don’t know why I said that.” Dash’s shocked expression changed into a sympathetic smile. “I think I do. I also think there’s a story you’re not telling me.” Twilight sighed, recognizing that she was now expected to tell a very private story of her own. She resented the thought of revealing that part of her past to anypony; it would expose her as a bigot and worse... On the other hoof, Rainbow had effectively admitted her love for another mare, more specifically her oldest friend. If Dash could find the courage to confess herself to the unicorn, the least Twilight could do would be to return the favor. She drew a breath in preparation for the long tale. “... When I was still in the Royal Academy for Gifted Unicorns...” ~ Flashback ~ Twilight lightly tapped her pencil on her desk, having already handed in her assignment and eagerly awaiting completion by the rest of the class, so they might be permitted to leave early. She thanked Celestia that Mr. Scrolls was a kind enough teacher to allow such liberties, granted everypony completed the class-work. Script was a very enthusiastic instructor, fresh out of Canterlot University. He now taught Equestrian Literature to what were considered the most talented magicians in their generation, a burden which he did not take lightly. He  consistently considered new methods for teaching: ones that could suit each and every pupil under his instruction. Today’s assignment was a partner teaching activity. “The measure of true understanding of a subject is your ability to teach it to somepony else,” he reminded them as they worked. “If you can simplify an idea to the point where you can explain it to somepony who doesn’t have background knowledge on the subject. If you can explain the concept without regurgitating the details, then you will understand it conceptually.” The silver stallion trotted around the pairs, listening in on their conversations. Some of them were using analogies or metaphors to explain an idea while others were following the Socratic method to develop an understanding of what the other pony was trying to convey. Mr. Scrolls felt a hint of pride knowing he had helped them to advance their communication skills. Of course his sense of pride turned to concern when he saw his star pupil staring at the clock as if it would spontaneously jump off the wall. Considering there were an odd number of student in class, Twilight had volunteered to perform an alternative writing assignment. Even when Script had suggested she merely join to for a group of three, the young unicorn insisted it would be “no problem at all.” “Waiting for something, Miss Sparkle?” the adolescent schoolfilly quickly turned in her seat. She was blushing slightly in a way that made Scrolls think she merely felt embarrassed. “N-no, Mr. Scrolls. I was just lost in thought.” Obviously a lie. “Thinking about leaving early, eh? What’s the rush?” Twilight wondered to herself how in Tartarus he managed to know what she’s thinking so well. “I have some studying I want to do. There’s a spell I’ve been trying for three days straight, but I just can’t seem to get it.” “Hmm, what is the spell? Perhaps I can be of some assistance, although I was never as good a magician as you already are.” Twilight blushed again, his compliment adding insult to injury in the opposite manner. “It’s a powerful healing spell called the ‘Repamor’. Even the books Princess Celestia gave me don’t delve into much detail about it.” Script chuckled under his breath, knowing full well the requirements for that particular spell. He spoke very quietly to her. “Well Miss Sparkle, considering that is a very volatile spell for most of the students in this classroom, I will only be able to tell you more after they have left. Twilight gasped with excitement. “So you’ll be able to teach it to me?!” Mr. Scrolls chuckled aloud this time. “It’s a unique spell. You will only be able to use it under certain conditions, but I can teach you how to cast it when they arise.” The young mare gleamed with happiness as her teacher trotted back behind his desk. She then took a glance at the clock on the wall and became instantly disappointed; there was a full half hour left remaining in class. Twilight groaned and propped her face in her hooves. Fillyish giggling filled her right ear, and the lavender unicorn couldn’t help but look. Spella was once again flirting with her fillyfriend and even going so far as to nuzzle occasionally. Twilight grumbled under her breath at the pair, disgusted with their vile behaviour. She put her head in her hooves again, but the young couple’s laughter continued to bombard her ears. Finally, the young mare snapped. “Hey! Can you two filly-foolers cut it out?! It’s sickening enough watching you two, but I can’t stand having to hear it all the time!” The entire room became as silent as a tomb. Nopony dared to breathe. Mr. Scrolls stood up slowly. “Class dismissed. We’ll continue our lesson tomorrow, but please be sure to bring your textbooks as well.” The class began to silently gather up their belongings into saddlebags and exit the room without speaking above a whisper. “Except for you, Miss Sparkle. You need to stay.” Twilight gulped very loudly. She had never been in trouble with a teacher before and had no idea what to expect. Each student left the room as Mr. Scrolls stood by the door. After the last one left, he carefully shut it. Script smacked a hoof on his desk with such force that blood began to trickle from it. “I am extremely disappointed with you, Twilight! I would never have expected my brightest student to be so prejudiced.” Twilight folded her ears back as she attempted to avoid his gaze, causing the stallion to soften his tone. “Neither you nor I are homosexual, but I want to express to you just how difficult it already must be for them. Their orientation, regardless of what your parents may tell you, is not a choice, and they have to live with ridicule each and every day, probably for the rest of their lives. That you would participate in the verbal stoning distresses me.” The young unicorn made a weak attempt to speak up. “M-mr. Scrolls --” “Don’t call me that now. I’m not telling you this as your teacher; I’m telling you as a friend, but go on.” “S-script?” The stallion nodded. “Isn’t it kind of... well, unnatural for two ponies of the same sex to be in love?” Script just shook his head. “What gives you the right to impose your moral opinions on another pony--especially on something as subjective as love? Just how much do you know about love? It seems to me they’re learning a lot more about it than you are.” Tears began to fall from Twilight’s eyes--ones of sorrow, regret, but mostly self-pity. She had grown to almost full adulthood now and had never experienced love. What little she knew she only got from fiction and history novels. Script softened his gaze and re-acquired his soft tone. “I’m sorry for yelling, Twilight. You do need to be more tolerant, however, if you wish to understand love. You cannot love until you can tolerate, and you cannot love unconditionally until you tolerate unconditionally.” The unicorn simply nodded. “Your first lesson should be that love knows no bounds. Male or female, young or old, white or black or any color coat in between.” Twilight stayed silent as her mentor continued speaking. “Coincidentally, the spell you have been practicing so hard requires a deep romantic feeling for the pony you are trying to heal. The Repamor spell only works by concentrating on your affection while pressing your lips to the injury.” The young mare put her hoof to her face, realizing she had misread the ancient writing as “affliction” instead of “affection”. She removed her hooves from her face to see a small puddle of blood by Script’s hoof. “Mr. Scrolls, you’re bleeding!” he quickly glanced down at his hoof and elevated it in front of himself. “Hmm, so I am,” he agreed nonchalantly. A small stream of blood was seeping from the top edge of his hoof. Twilight stepped closer to it, not taking her eyes of the red liquid. It did not seem any serious injury, but she knew it needed attention regardless if he didn’t want an infection. She would hate for him to need to take sick leave... Twilight glanced up at her teacher, looking from his light azure mane, down his glimmering silver coat, and to his cutie mark--an open scroll and quill. She wondered silently to herself before taking his hoof in hers. Script offered no protest, knowing intuitively what she was attempting and thinking it a bit naive of Twilight to mistake her physical attraction to him as genuine affection. The lavender filly closed her eyes, and a soft purple aura began to emanate from her horn. Carefully, she lifted Script’s hoof to her lips and kissed it gently. The same aura now surrounded his wound as the blood began to dissipate. Scrolls went wide-eyed as his mind began rushing with various conclusions. Hiis student was possibly using another healing spell and merely trying to fool him, or perhaps she was casting an illusion spell, designed to make him believe himself fully healed. In his heart, though, he knew the inevitable truth: his own pupil had fallen for him. “It... appears you have learned,” he said slowly, implying both of magic and of love. Twilight nodded her head slowly as she re-opened her eyes--eyes now filled with a new purpose as she glanced at her mentor. “... You said the first lesson in love is that love knows no bounds,” she responded in almost a whisper. Script opened his mouth to speak, but realized he had absolutely no rebuttal; his own words had convicted him. Twilight took another step closer to her teacher, gazing deeply into his eyes. The stallion didn’t dare move in any direction. “You also said that I need to learn about love... Well, I want to know what love is. I want you to show me.” “Twilight, what are you trying to sa--” Script’s question was cut short by Twilight’s lips as she pressed hers softly against his. The gentle contact electrified the unicorn as she began to push into him with more force. Too shocked to react at all, her mentor allowed Twilight to clumsily force her tongue past his lips. Although she was extremely inexperienced, Script could tell by her enthusiasm that the young mare adamantly meant what she had said. She continued testing to see what she liked, but more importantly what pleased him. Even through his stone-struck state, Script still gave her passive clues like goosebumps and shivers. As Twilight’s technique improved he could feel himself melting away. ... Until he realized just who he was kissing. This was Twilight Sparkle, his student and apprentice to the ruler of all Equestria. Not only were his actions unethical; they may very well land him on the surface of the moon. With that in mind, Script pulled away from his pupil. Confused, Twilight opened her eyes. “W-What is it? DId I do something wrong?” The stallion sighed. How could he possibly explain it given what he had told her not a minute ago? He pondered for a second and then began to speak. “Twilight... I-you-we can’t be like this. It’s not that I don’t have feelings for you; believe me I do... but we cannot possibly be together. It’s unethical, and I could lose my position--even end up in prison... or worse,” he said, thinking about Celestia’s younger sister. “B-b-but you said love was unconditional, that we can’t control who we fall in love with! ... We can keep it a secret. I don’t care about these obtuse social ethics; they’re nothing. You said yourself that we should only be governed by our own moral code, and in my moral code I l-l-love you. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with it; in fact, I’ve never felt anything so right in my entire life!” Script shook his head and began to turn away from her, but Twilight grabbed his hoof--the same one she had healed earlier--and began to sing quietly. “I want to know what love is. I want you to show me... I want to feel what love is. I know you can show me.” Script smiled widely at her. Perhaps it was he who could learn something about love. As their lips locked once more, both were sure of one thing: they had never felt happier. ~ Return (Music Stops) ~ Dash sat open-mouthed next to Twilight with a newfound respect for the unicorn. Despite her seemingly detached nature, the lavender mare had quite the experience in romance. Of the many questions formulated in Dash’s mind, one stood out among the others. “... So, what happened?” Twilight sighed, knowing that would be the one question she could rely on anypony to ask, given a story like that. “Maybe some other time, Dash. I think it’s best I get going anyway; it’ll be night soon.” Rainbow nodded and stood up to stretch. The long story had kept her still for quite a while--a condition she remained unaccustomed to except while napping. The two mares gathered their scarves and walked outside. Dash flew over to Twilight and once again lifted her into the air slowly. She spread her wings, allowing the two to spiral slowly to the ground. Dash let go, this time ensuring Twilights hoofs were planted first. Twilight smiled at her and waved goodbye while she did the same back, now with a better understanding of her best friend... now also better understood by her best friend.