Moondancer stood at the window of a room adjacent to the west wing of Canterlot Castle's courtyard. She smiled as she gazed out at the festive setting before her.
It's all here, she thought. It's all ready. At last.
Minuette had taken care of the decorations; a rainbow of balloons and streamers adorned the area from fence to fence. Meanwhile, for reasons Moondancer couldn't possibly fathom, Princess Celestia had given her full access to castle catering. Full, steaming hot meals, and salads, complemented the snacks that Moondancer and Minuette had picked out.
Maybe Princess Celestia really does care about me that much, Moondancer thought. Maybe... enough to consider me... a possible protégé?
She let that thought, as well as the notion of all the knowledge she would have access to upon such a thing happening, warm her academic heart for a moment, then let it pass with a chuckle.
And maybe Twilight's secretly learning to be a princess, she added, shaking her head.
Putting fantasies of prestige out of her mind, Moondancer went over to a nearby desk, where the ink had just finished drying on a single paper plate. The ink was written out in an alphanumeric, coded message that she knew would be easy for Twilight to crack, but would still give her other classmates a hard time. Said paper plate was large enough to hold exactly one slice of cake, which Moondancer planned to give to Twilight, personally.
Now everything was ready.
She looked at her watch. Ten minutes left. She opened her saddlebag which sat at the corner of the room, and levitated a worn book in front of her. Positioning herself at the desk, she took out a quill, and opened to the next empty page. After a moment to compose her thoughts, she wrote.
---
Moondancer's Life Analysis Log
Entry #101
Though I have heard rumblings to the contrary for years, I never put much stock in the discoveries of science being made through means which cannot be processed by anything but the five senses, or the established principles and inner workings of our world. Meanwhile, perhaps paradoxically, I have always accepted that magic itself works in mysterious, unknown ways.
Never once did I consider that perhaps the truth behind both of my assertions might lie in the middle.
I had a dream last night. A dream laden with... epiphanies. The exact details are unimportant, but the discoveries are paramount. Electricity and magic? Far more related than either I, or Twilight Sparkle, were led to believe. All sorts of energy, in fact, intertwine.
Meanwhile, the force of emotion is... also to not be underestimated.
Today, I celebrate my embracing of the concept of friendship. It was a concept always right under my nose, but to my folly, I chose to keep it at foreleg's length. However, if the above knowledge is what embracing the joys of companionship yields, then I have a lot of time to make up for.
As will Twilight, hopefully, once I explain my proposal for a closer relationship.
I will admit to some nervousness. Our studies have thus far been a years-long, joint effort, but only to a point. Despite our extensive common ground, neither of us has seen fit to pursue anything loftier, until just recently.
Even with my trepidation, I am positive that Twilight will be more than willing to join me on this emotional journey, and in the experiments that will no doubt be a part of it. Events probably won't go... quite exactly the way they did in my dream, but so long as Twilight still wants me around, it won't matter what capacity our companionship exists in. As scatterbrained as we are, deep down, I know that she cares about me.
And I care about her, too. More than anything. The other girls were right: everypony is worth something to somepony else. For the first time in my life, I've never felt so happy to be myself.
Maybe that old, cheesy line we learn as foals is true; perhaps friendship really is magic.
I find myself voraciously curious to see if any other Equestrian scientists have had such experiences. It is truly eye-opening to have one's paradigm so shifted.
Until next entry.
~Moondancer
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Moondancer closed her log, placed it back into her saddlebag, and examined herself in the desk's mirror. A quick fluff of her ponytail, a quick nudge of her glasses, and she was ready as she ever would be.
She nodded at herself, determined.
This is it, Moondancer, she thought. Whatever happens, today is the first day of the rest of your life.
She could hear voices approaching from the courtyard entrance. With a joyful heart, a spring in her step, and a smile on her face, Moondancer walked out to greet them.