A knock at her front door interrupted Moondancer's nighttime reading. She stared at it, almost too afraid to hope.
Did... did it work?
Rolling out of bed, she tucked her novel away inside a nearby drawer. On the way to the door, she glanced at herself in the mirror. After a few seconds deliberation, she decided she was ultimately... fine in the looks department.
Especially if this is who I think it is, she thought.
She peeked through the eyehole.
It was.
Suppressing a gleeful squeal, Moondancer composed herself, then opened the door. "Hi, Twilight," she said.
"Hi, Moondancer," Twilight Sparkle replied. She held up a small, glossy, cardboard plate. "I, uh, got your note. Can I come in?"
"Oh! O-of course!" Moondancer held the door open wide, allowing Twilight in. "I was hoping you'd show up, actually. I wasn't sure if you'd missed the note or not."
Twilight chuckled. "Well, a coded message at the bottom of my cake isn't as subtle as you might have thought. Fortunately, I was able to deduce the alphanumeric key and... well, here I am." Twilight cocked her head. "What I couldn't deduce was why you wanted to meet past midnight. What'd you want to talk about that required a secret message asking for us to have a secret meeting during the most secretive hours of the day?"
Moondancer closed the door. "Well, I..." Moondancer cast her gaze away from Twilight, prodding the floor with her hoof. What was it about Twilight these days that made words so hard to form? She knew she should've rehearsed this more. Perhaps even made note cards.
Clearing her throat, Moondancer finally said, "I.. uh, I guess I just wanted to talk to you alone for a while. I actually wanted to during the party, but..."
"You were always surrounded," Twilight said. "I saw."
"Yeah." Moondancer huffed. "Never got a moment's peace. Minuette neglected to tell me just how tiring parties could be. It'll be a while before I have one again... but I wanted to know what you thought of it."
Twilight perked up, an inquisitive look on her face. "Me?"
Moondancer nodded. "Uh huh. I-I mean, you probably didn't expect it, what with... you know. How you and I like to keep to ourselves..."
"You're not wrong," Twilight joked. Putting her hoof to her chin, she 'hmm'ed in thought. "Well... it was pretty fun. The food was good, and I have to admit, the other ponies were really nice to each other. Even to me, though I usually stayed at the fringes. But they were really nice to you!" Twilight giggled. "Seriously, it looks like your plan to make friends worked and then some! You're probably the talk of the whole school now."
Moondancer slumped. "Yeah, Minuette says I am. I'm still not sure what to do about that. It's not that I'm not grateful, but... it's just so much at once. I don't know how other ponies do it."
"Wish I could help you," Twilight said, sitting down with a sigh next to Moondancer. "But this is outside both of our comfort zones. Still, I..." Twilight faced Moondancer, looking at her with a sincere smile. "...I really appreciate you inviting me. I actually didn't think you would."
Moondancer blinked rapidly in confusion. "Twilight, what are you talking about? Why wouldn't I have invited you?"
"I just mean..." Twilight awkwardly scratched the back of her head. "...you know. Neither of us are the partying type. So logically, it would follow that—"
"What? No! No, no, no!"
Moondancer shook her head, unable to believe what she was hearing. Was this how Twilight saw herself? Was this how she thought others saw her? To Tartarus with logic—and small talk, for that matter. Before she even realized it, Moondancer's heart burned with the need to set every possible record straight.
"Look, Twilight," Moondancer said, turning completely to her, "there's... there's only one reason I asked you to that party, and why I asked you to come here tonight. And that's because..." She took a deep breath. "...it's because I miss you. And I do mean miss you."
Twilight jerked back. "You... you do?"
Moondancer nodded fiercely. "Twi, we used to go places together! The library, the donut shop, the long way home, or sometimes we'd just borrow the school lab, but whatever we did, it was always fun! Because we talked. About science, about ponies, about magic, about everything! But ever since you started living in the castle, you've just been going to school and back. And..." She dropped her gaze to the side. "...and I've felt it. I've felt you not being around."
Before Twilight could say anything to break her momentum, Moondancer pressed on.
"I thought I'd be fine," she said, with a sniffle. "I tried to tell myself I was. But I really miss just being with you. And it seems coded messages at the bottom of cake plates are the only way to get us together anymore."
Moondancer looked up at Twilight, checking for her reaction. She was treated to wide eyes and trembling lips. Instantly, she assumed the worst.
"And now I've gone and upset you," Moondancer moaned. "I was afraid of this." Sighing, she turned away. "I'm sorry. Forget I said anything."
"No." Twilight shook her head, reaching a hoof out to stop Moondancer. "Moon, no, it's... it's alright." After a moment, she sighed in return. "If we're being honest, here, then, I... I've felt it too. I know we've been spending less time together. And I know it's my fault."
Moondancer's eyes widened this time. She leaned forward a little, quietly urging Twilight on.
"But I... I want you to know—I need you to know—that even though it is my fault…" Twilight murmured, tapping the tips of her hooves together. "I-I miss you too. A lot, actually."
Moondancer stifled a gasp, putting a hoof to her mouth. She and Twilight stared, meeting eyes, for what felt like the longest time.
Eventually Twilight got up, and began a slow pace around the room. "You know, it's something that I never really sat down and thought about until I started living in the tower, but I suppose it's always held true. When I'm working on a problem, or even just looking for new constellations, by my lonesome, I…" She stopped pacing. "I get stuck."
Moondancer did a double take. "You?"
"Don't tell anypony, okay?" Twilight said, with a giggle. "They all think I'm Princess Celestia's 'perfect student' or 'pet' or whatever. But... yes, I do. And it's been happening a lot more since I started living in the castle. You know what brings me out of it, though?"
Eyes locked on Twilight, Moondancer shook her head slowly.
Twilight smiled, returning to sitting back next to her friend. "I ask myself what Moondancer would do," she said, leaning close. "But when we're together, I don't have to ask myself. Because you're right there with me. And when you are, it's just easier to think. And... it's just easier to be me. And to be okay with being me."
"That's exactly what it's like with me," Moondancer agreed, taking hold of Twilight's hooves. "When you're around, I don't have to think as much, but I have even more of a handle on things." She paused. "Isn't that weird? I know we're both comfortable when we're by ourselves... but..."
"But when we're by ourselves, together..." Twilight replied, trailing off.
Moondancer felt the grip on her hooves being returned, as she saw a tint of red creep into Twilight's cheeks. She wondered if Twilight felt as warm and flushed as she did right now.
"I've never said this to anypony, but..." Moondancer took a breath, no longer concerned about words she had rehearsed, only with the ones she truly wanted to say. "But… I'd really like for us to spend more time together. And maybe… maybe not just studying all the time, either?"
Twilight nodded, her cheeks reddening further. "I think that's a good idea. There's a whole world out there waiting to be discovered—a universe, even—but I don't think I'd enjoy discovering it half as much without having you there with me."
The feeling's mutual, Moondancer thought, as a months-old weight lifted off of her chest. In its place came a rare sense of... boldness. She gazed at Twilight again.
Perhaps anything was possible.
But only now, after so many months, could she find the courage inside herself to test the waters. And she had no idea if or when it would ever happen again.
In other words, it was now or never. "Twilight?"
"Yes, Moondancer?"
"Do..." Moondancer gathered her nerves. "Do you remember when we were talking about magical and electrical energy?"
"Of course! I've actually been meaning to do some more research regarding that," Twilight replied. "Have you been?"
Moondancer walked over to her bed, sat, and gestured for Twilight to follow. "I think I might have a lead."
Twilight's face lit up, and she sat next to Moondancer. "I'm all ears, Moon. How can I help?"
Moondancer leaned forward, and gripped Twilight's hooves again. "I need you… to do just one thing," she said, softly.
"Okay," Twilight said, just as softly. "What is it?"
"Close your eyes, and clear your mind," Moondancer instructed. "Then, I'll do the same. And, if this works... I promise to tell you everything."
With a trusting nod, Twilight closed her eyes. "Okay," she said. "What next?"
Moondancer smiled at the sight before her. Twilight looked all sorts of cute the way she was right now. Moondancer almost didn't want to bring it to an end—but neither science, nor her heart, would allow her to prolong things any further.
"This," Moondancer whispered.
Slowly bringing her face forward, Moondancer inched closer, ever so closer to Twilight. And Moondancer was scared, ever so scared, of what she was doing. And what the outcome would be. And how Twilight would react. And what they'd do aft—and, before she knew it, her lips met Twilight's right cheek.
She felt Twilight's breath hitch, her whole body tensing instantly. Moondancer tensed too, pulling back as Twilight opened her eyes. Watching her carefully, Moondancer tried to gauge Twilight's reaction.
Twilight's hoof went to her cheek, rubbing the exact spot where Moondancer had kissed. "Moondancer..." Twilight's whispering voice was laced with awe and confusion. "Did you just...?"
Moondancer nodded, determined to deflect the question as much as she could. "How did it feel?" she asked, voice just as soft. "What did you feel?"
"I..." Twilight paused in thought. "I felt... a million things, all at once. I don't even know how to put them into words. Especially given that it was the last thing I was expecting. It's like my whole body was sho—" Twilight gasped. She conjured a book in front of her, and flipped pages until she found the chapter she was looking for. "Moondancer, look here!"
Moondancer looked at the page Twilight was pointing to. It only took her moments to read it, but after she did, both of them looked at each other with faces lit up as bright as the Summer Sun Celebration itself.
"Pony bodies—most animal bodies, in fact—react to stimuli by converting it to electric impulses. It's usually in response to outside physical factors, but when you also take our brains into account..." Twilight squealed, hopping on the bed in delight. "We were trying to force the same reaction in class just through our minds and magic, but that was the wrong way to go about it. We can't just make it happen by thinking about it! The secret's inside of us. It's instinct!"
Moondancer nodded enthusiastically. "I definitely felt it when you said you missed me. It... it came out of nowhere, too."
Both girls blushed.
"W-wow," Twilight said, putting her hoof behind her head. "Who knew that friendship could be such a... legitimate source of energy?"
Twilight's lips pursed as she visibly retreated into her mind to turn that thought over. Moondancer decided that this was just as cute as when Twilight had been waiting with her eyes closed.
"Even though you had me close my eyes to heighten things and concentrate on the sensation itself," Twilight mused, tapping her chin, "I only felt so much. And it was very self contained."
Twilight glanced at Moondancer, then away, her cheeks pinking ever so slightly. After a moment, she slowly asked, "What do you think you and I could do to try and make the reaction... stronger?"
Moondancer's breath hitched, and she looked away as well. Fiddling with her forehooves, she cleared her throat. "I, uh... I think the question is, what are you and I willing to do to make the reaction… stronger?"
Twilight didn't respond for a long time. Then, her hoof appeared out of the corner of Moondancer's vision. Slowly, it came up and around, turning Moondancer's head until she faced Twilight. Twilight, who wore an easy, serene smile, pulled Moondancer closer. And Moondancer happily went along.
This time, as she approached Twilight's face, Moondancer kept her eyes open. And she could see that Twilight's eyes were as dark and deep as the starlit night for which she was named. It was as if Moondancer was falling into them, falling into an endless sea that was all Twilight. Moondancer did her absolute best not to melt into that sea.
She almost succeeded.
"You want to know what I'm willing to do?" Twilight said, her voice wrapping around Moondancer like warm, welcoming water. "With you? I..." She fluttered her lashes, only looking directly at Moondancer for a split second. "I'm ready to do whatever science asks." She took hold of Moondancer's hooves. "But I'm also ready to do whatever our hearts ask. I... I think it's safe to say the bond between us is strong enough."
"Y-yeah," Moondancer agreed, her whole head feeling flushed and hot. "So... we do what comes naturally, and whatever happens, we combine that with our magic?"
Twilight let out an elated gasp. "Yes! That's the perfect way to go about this!" She brought her hoof up to Moondancer's cheek. "Moon, you are a genius! I don't know what I would do without you."
Moondancer held Twilight's hoof with both of hers. "The feeling's mutual... Twi." She reached up to take off her glasses—and Twilight stopped her, holding her hoof in place.
"Leave them on?" Twilight asked, breathily. "I... always thought they made you even prettier."
Grinning with delight, Moondancer honored Twilight's request. "O-okay, then," she said. "On three? One—"
She never finished. Twilight's lips were already pressed against hers, far ahead of schedule. A startled jolt swept through Moondancer, slowly quelled by a heady warmth when Twilight hugged her close, and refused to let go.
Confusion gave way to joy. Then, respect, because of course Twilight would have things well in hoof. Obviously, when going for a strong emotional reaction, first go for surprise...
...then delight.
Moondancer returned the embrace, and parted her lips. Twilight took the invitation eagerly, slipping her tongue inside, and playfully flicking it back and forth against Moondancer's.
Moondancer fought the urge to giggle as she returned the gesture, but her mirth soon gave way to... 'desire.' It was the only word Moondancer could think of that fit. She kissed and hugged back as hard as she could, wanting to make absolutely sure Twilight knew how much she was enjoying things.
As the two kissed, they almost missed their horns growing brighter, or the sparks forming at their tips. Only when a stray magic bolt knocked out one of Moondancer's lights did they stop.
They broke apart, gasping for breath. With quick eyes, they surveyed the dimmer area around them.
"Connection... warmth..." Moondancer said, between ragged gasps. "...circuit!"
"Bio... electric circuit!" Twilight replied, gasping too. "Brought about by more than a little bit of chemistry." She giggled, composing herself. "I think we can call this first experiment a success?"
Moondancer nodded, smiling ear to ear. It all seemed so simple, in retrospect. Bring together two ponies for whom just being around each other provided enough of a physical and emotional reaction, keep their magic conduits open during the process, and the circumstances were enough to create a charge! Or who knew what else?
"It looks like it manifests through our horns," Moondancer said, touching hers gently.
"Probably because we're unicorns," Twilight said. "And because we purposefully linked our magical auras. Oh my gosh, Moon, do you think it's possible to control both energies at the same time? Because if we can, then that's the power that we've talked about!"
"I definitely think it's something that warrants further study and experimentation," Moondancer agreed. Biting her lip, she added, "Along with the, um..." Moondancer blushed. "...concept that makes these experiments possible in the first place."
"I think I'm willing to study both of those things," Twilight offered, blushing in return. "Whenever or wherever."
"Well, we've always worked together, as classmates and friends." Moondancer felt her head positively swelling as she spoke. "But if we're going to tackle this new project together, I think that an official title change might be in order."
Twilight sidled up to Moondancer as close as equinely possible. "What did you have in mind?"
"'Partners?' Moondancer draped her forehooves around Twilight. "I... can't think of anypony else I'd ever choose."
"I like it. A lot." Twilight encircled Moondancer with her own forelegs, and looked intently into her colleague's eyes. "'Partners' it is."
Another kiss, long and longing, followed, during which Moondancer fell back onto the bed. Twilight followed, still pressed against her. When they parted, Moondancer looked up at Twilight—basking in her warm eyes, her happy smile, the feeling of her body heaving against Moondancer's own with each of their recovering breaths.
"Have... have you been reading up on kissing?" Moondancer asked.
"I could ask you the same," Twilight replied, grinning.
"Though you know, last weekend, when I realized I really was lonely... I went to look for a certain set of novels at the library." Twilight's smiled turned Cheshire. "Turns out they were all checked out. I got the librarian to tell me to who."
Caught, Moondancer tensed. "Twi... T-Twilight, I—" Moondancer stuttered... then stopped.
Because suddenly, it just didn't matter anymore. Twilight was already here, with her. What would come, would come, and that would be it. The final shreds of nervousness disappeared, and a peaceful Moondancer opened her mouth.
However, just as she did, Twilight put her hoof to Moondancer's muzzle. And she, too, looked completely content. She leaned in close.
"I do too," Twilight whispered, in Moondancer's ear.
Moondancer did her best to hold back tears, but her best wasn't enough. "I… I was too scared to tell you," she murmured, through the lump in her throat.
"I was too scared to be told," Twilight said, coming back into view with a sniffle. "By anyone. Much less by the girl I knew I liked."
Twilight wrapped her forelegs tightly around Moondancer, and Twilight bent closer to Moondancer, and Twilight brushed her lips against Moondancer's, and Moondancer once again felt that brain-buzzing spark, more intense now than ever.
"But it looks we're past that now," Twilight said, pulling back only the tiniest bit. She was still all that Moondancer could see. "A-and I'm here... i-if you want me?" Twilight looked at Moondancer with wide, hopeful eyes.
Moondancer buried a hoof in Twilight's mane, pulling her close. "I always, always have," she whispered, hotly.
"Then I've never been so happy to be wrong," Twilight said, before snuffing out the other lights with her magic.
She kissed Moondancer for all she was worth. First on Moondancer's lips, then her neck, then it was all Moondancer could do to keep up with Twilight from that moment forward.
Twilight's hooves and lips were everywhere, and with no light to guide her, Moondancer only had sensations to go on. And those sensations kept showing up exactly where Twilight knew Moondancer would feel them the most. It was all Moondancer could do to return Twilight's affections. Soon, soft, satisfied moans and whimpers filled the room as each others' reward.
Despite the cool weather and the darkness, Moondancer's room felt so much hotter than it did even just a few minutes ago. Twilight's body on top of hers certainly wasn't helping matters.
But it was fine. Twilight's coat was soft and fluffy, and Moondancer didn't mind one bit feeling it move back and forth against her.
Even if the fur of one of Twilight's legs could also be felt directly between hers, and Twilight seemed to not quite realize just what she was doing caressing Moondancer like that. And Moondancer wasn't sure about Twilight, but she knew she could barely think amidst the wonderful feelings, and what was going on? What was Twilight doing? Moondancer only ever did this to herself sometimes, but not really, and- oh, oh Twilight, oh gosh—
Move with me.
Who was—? But by the time Moondancer knew, she was no longer able to think—all she could do was follow along. The energy, the magic, the electricity, all of it returned and swirled together as Moondancer gasped and moaned against the mare who had asked her—the mare she loved. And as she did, she was flooded with the best sensations she'd ever felt, and the lights were already coming back on, but this time, she saw them from the inside...!
---
...and that was when Moondancer fluttered her eyes open, feeling far more tired than when she'd originally retired for the night.
Tingling. Sweaty. Spent. Her mind only barely registered the sun shining outside of her window. The birds followed later, as did the sound of scattered ponies talking and traveling outside.
Turning her gaze from the window, she realized that she had all four of her legs entwined around one of her pillows. She giggled to herself happily.
I guess there's no denying it anymore, Moondancer thought, as she hugged the pillow close and tight. I love you, Twilight Sparkle. I really do.
She basked in the heat of the pillow and linens for just a little while longer, savoring the warmth that still radiated from her center. Then, she rolled out of bed, dragging the sheets with her to the laundry, and musing on what to wear.
She had a party to prepare for, after all.