In front of Carousel Boutique, a panic attack of sorts was slowly brewing, garnering the attention of the few ponies that were in the area. Rarity met their glances head on, giving them a stare that would have made Fluttershy proud. As soon as the ponies realized there was nothing more to see, Rarity turned to face the problem at hand; Twilight Sparkle in the midst of a meltdown.
“Twilight, darling, you simply must calm down. I honestly believe you’re making this situation out to be so much more than it actually is. Your worry is unnecessary.”
Twilight turned to the white unicorn, an incredulous expression painted in her lavender eyes, her voice frantic.
“You can’t be serious right now. How are you not worried? This is Sweetie Belle, for crying out loud! Your sister! What if she doesn’t approve? What if she hates me?” Twilight’s voice jumped an octave higher as she was seemingly thrown off guard by another epiphany. “Oh my gosh Rarity, what if she hates you!”
Rarity giggled softly at her marefriend’s antics; really, when exactly had the two traded places, leaving Twilight as the pony prone to dramatics and Rarity as the voice of reason. Rarity placed a hoof under Twilight’s chin and gently raised her head so that the alicorn was forced to meet her eyes. She took a moment to search the eyes of her love, hoping to convey her sincerity.
“I cannot tell you how greatly it pleases me that seeking my sister’s approval means so very much to you. Though, I must tell you, this reaction is completely unwarranted; you are well aware that Sweetie Belle adores you, and she could never hate her sister-- especially somepony as wonderful as myself!”
Twilight paused her panicking long enough to roll her eyes, an action which received a light shove in response. Rarity pressed on, determined to assuage her marefriend’s anxieties.
“You saw how eager mother and father were to welcome you into the family; our friends practically threw a party for us right then and there, even before we had fully admitted to being an item. I assure you, darling, Sweetie Belle will be no different.”
Some of the doubt began to leave Twilight’s eyes, but it was clear that she wasn’t fully convinced. “Are you sure? I mean, this could end so badly for us, Rarity, and we’ve only just become an ‘us.’ I don’t want to lose what we’ve just barely started.”
Rarity walked forward, moving close enough so that she and the alicorn were within kissing distance.
“I promise you, Twilight Sparkle,” she began, her melodious voice just barely above a whisper, “that she will continue to see you as all others do. A mare who is deeply devoted to her family and friends, a mare who would do anything to protect her homeland. Eventually, I have no doubt that she will come to see what you mean to me. When I look at you, I see a mare who can make me weak in the knees, simply by speaking my name. I feel the embrace that only you can provide, the embrace that gives comfort and chases away any insecurities I may have. The one who carries my heart within her own.”
Twilight gulped audibly and visibly swooned when Rarity began to place light kisses along the expanse of her jawline. Rarity smiled into her careful ministrations when she noticed the affect they were having on the usually composed mare; it was her own secret hope that she would always command such excellent control over Twilight’s body, forever the sole conductor of the orchestra that was the princess.
The usually verbose alicorn tried desperately to regain her composure, but it was to no avail; she sputtered out a nonsensical response before simply hanging her head in defeat.
“Okay, you win. Let’s get this over with.”
Rarity clapped her hooves together in excitement.
“Marvelous, darling, simply marvelous; though, you could try to make it sound less as though we’re headed towards certain demise.”
Twilight would have agreed to these terms… had she not been one hundred percent certain that their demise was exactly what was waiting for them on the other side of the doors.
The alicorn pushed the door open slowly, holding it open for Rarity but failing to walk through it herself. She stood in the entranceway, attempting to gather her thoughts. Rarity seemed completely at ease with the situation, so why couldn’t she feel the same? Sweetie Belle was an understanding filly.
Except when she wasn’t.
A light clearing of a throat knocked Twilight out of her reverie.
“Come along now, Twilight, we mustn’t keep Sweetie Belle waiting. Goodness knows what that filly has done to my shop while left unattended.”
Not a moment later, the sound of light steps sounded on the stairs, accompanied by quiet muttering. “I didn’t do anything, I swear! You always blame me for everything even when…”
Sweetie’s voice tapered off when she saw the other pony that had entered the shop with her sister.
“Twilight!” Sweetie Belle’s high pitched squeak reverberated through the shop, causing the two mares to wince.
Twilight ground herself as best she could, preparing for the small purple and white bullet that was currently barreling haphazardly towards her. Before the small pony was able to make contact, however, the stomping of a hoof caused Sweetie to slow her run completely, nearly toppling over from the sudden stop.
“Now, Sweetie Belle, what do I always say?”
Sweetie Belle rolled her eyes and groaned out a response, executing a flawless impression of Rarity’s voice and haughty tone.
“A lady never runs, nor yells. Or ever does anything fun ‘cause being a lady is boooring.”
Twilight tried to cover her snort of laughter, but Rarity heard the betrayal quite clearly, sending a stern look her marefriend’s way. The princess of friendship sobered instantly not only because of the irritated look she was now receiving, but because she was suddenly recalling the reason they were currently in the boutique.
“Now, Sweetie, I asked you to meet me here because Twilight and I have something very important to discuss with you.”
All traces of silliness dissipated when Sweetie stopped and took a hard look at her sister and the princess. Twilight was nervous about something, that was for sure; her wings furled and unfurled around her body, her ears pressed tightly against her head. Rarity was a tad better at keeping up appearances, but Sweetie knew something was off when Rarity’s eyes kept darting back to her friend.
To Rarity’s surprised delight, Twilight was the first to speak.
“Well, Sweetie Belle, your sister and I…well, we’re close.”
Sweetie nodded along; she knew that the two were close friends, and had been spending more time together lately. Sweetie personally thought it was the greatest thing ever, loving having the princess around to show her new spells.
“And we’re both mares, I’m sure you’ve realized this.”
Rarity brought a hoof to her face, while Sweetie Belle listened on in confusion.
“Yep. Totally mares. And you’re Rarity’s sister! How cool is that.”
Twilight seemed intent on continuing with her tirade which forced Rarity to intervene, saving the princess from her fit of floundering.
“My dear, what Twilight is so desperately trying to communicate is that she and I have grown quite close these last few months, and have since decided to see where life takes us—together.”
Sweetie pondered for a moment, eyebrows in flux as if considering the meaning of life.
“Sis,” the filly began carefully, “is Twilight your special somepony?”
Rarity smiled at her sister, proud to have watched her put the pieces together.
“Yes dear, she is.”
Twilight stepped forward and kneeled so that she and the young unicorn were on the same level.
“Is that okay with you, Sweetie Belle? I know this is a lot of information to take in, and I have a few books to lend you that might help you understand a bit better.”
Sweetie Belle giggled and tapped the tip of Twilight’s nose.
“What’s there to understand? You like my sister, right?”
Twilight nodded. “Your sister means so much to me, Sweetie.” The alicorn turned to face Rarity, breath involuntarily hitching as she took in the sight of the beautiful mare before her.
“So very much.”
There was a moment when nopony spoke, the tension in the room felt by all—and then there was the high pitched scream that only fillies seemed capable of executing.
“My sister and Twilight are together! I can’t wait to tell the other crusaders. This is gonna be so great, my magic is gonna be so strong with the princess around all the time! This is the best. News. Ever!” She punctuated the last word with a hop, landing heavily on the alicorn’s back.
Rarity heard the relief ring clearly in Twilight’s carefree laugh; while the lavender mare and young filly were enjoying the moment, Rarity looked on at the scene before her, chest swelling with pride.
“Rarity,” Sweetie Belle began, “is it okay if I talk to Twilight alone?”
What an interesting request Rarity mused. Perhaps she has a few questions and is too embarrassed to ask her big sister.
“Of course, dear, as long as it’s okay with Twilight.”
Twilight instantly felt the eyes of both sisters on her at once, flushing at the attention.
“Of course, no problem at all. I know you had plans with Fluttershy; I can meet up with you two when Sweetie and I finish talking.”
“That sounds wonderful!” Rarity placed her lips close to Twilight’s ear and whispered so that only the alicorn could hear. “Instead of saying ‘I told you so,’ I expect you’ll be making it up to me later, hmmm?” And then she moved away as if she hadn’t just caused the alicorn to nearly implode with the implication. “Be good for Twilight, Sweetie Belle!”
Twilight attempted to respond, but the white unicorn was already on her way out. The door to the boutique closed softly, leaving Twilight and Sweetie Belle with only each other.
“So, Sweetie, what was it you wanted to---“
“Let’s go to the back, Twilight,” Sweetie interrupted, her voice surprisingly devoid of its previous fervor. Twilight didn’t question Sweetie’s sudden change; she was just hit with some pretty big news, and she was just a filly, after all.
It was only when Sweetie led Twilight into a room that was devoid of all light—save for a dim candle on a long rectangular table—did the lavender mare begin to question what exactly was happening.
“Sweetie, what’s going on? Why are we—“
“Sit down, Twilight. We have some stuffs to discuss. Important stuffs.”
Twilight did as she was told, her anxiety from earlier returning ten-fold. This was a completely different Sweetie Belle than had appeared in front of Rarity, and Twilight wasn’t sure how to handle this. Maybe the young unicorn had said she was okay with Twilight and Rarity’s relationship simply to placate her older sister; was she going to reveal to Twilight that it bothered her, and that she didn’t want them together?
If that was the case, what would Twilight do? She could continue to see Rarity, but that would cause a rift between the two sisters. She could break up with Rarity, breaking herself in the process. What was she going to—
“I’m sure you’re wondering why I’ve brought you here…Princess Twilight Sparkle, is it?”
Twilight cocked her head in confusion.
“You know that’s my name, I don’t know why—“
“Answer the question, please.”
Twilight sighed and nodded, deciding to play along; because really, what choice did she have?
“Yes, Sweetie Belle, that is my name.”
The filly hummed an affirmation, content with the answer.
“And I see you’re interested in starting a relationship with one unicorn by the name of Rarity? Also known as my sister.”
Twilight gulped and nodded once more, terrified at the direction this line of questioning was going.
“Yes, that’s correct.”
Sweetie Belle shuffled around some papers that, after a closer inspection, appeared to be blank.
“Very good, Miss Sparkle. I just have a few questions for you, and we’ll be on our way.”
The alicorn princess leaned back in her chair and resigned herself to her fate. She watched warily as Sweetie Belle hopped out of her seat and began making laps around Twilight’s chair.
“You’ve known Rarity for a long time, Miss Sparkle. I’m sure you know she can be a bit over the top sometimes. Would you agree with that?”
Everypony knew that Rarity had a flair for the dramatics. Since Sweetie herself had been on the opposing end on more than a few occasions, Twilight saw no problem in agreeing.
“Yes, I suppose you could say that.”
Sweetie’s head whipped toward Twilight, her eyes closing into slits.
“So you’re saying my sister is a drama queen,” she barked in an accusatory tone.
Twilight sat up in her seat, eyes bulging in surprise.
“No! I mean yes! I mean—gah! Your sister is a very passionate pony. It’s a trait that I love and admire, and wouldn’t change for the world.”
Sweetie, approving of the princess’ answer, walked back to her chair and sat down. Folding her small hooves on the table, she eyed the alicorn suspiciously.
“So as the princess of friendship, you’ve fixed some pretty big problems before. You’ve gotten into fights with your friends, but you’ve always gotten through it.”
Not sure if she was asked a question, Twilight didn’t answer. The thought of saying the wrong thing and facing Sweetie’s wrath was enough to keep her lips sealed.
“What will happen when you and Rarity fight, huh?! Will you use your princess-y powers and lock her up in the dungeon forever?!”
Twilight jumped forward quickly, the force of her movement enough to shake the entire table.
“I would never do that to Rarity! We’re going to argue; that’s part of being in a relationship. We’ll have our ups and downs, but we will always work through the rough patches the way we’re supposed to—together.”
If Sweetie Belle noticed Twilight’s ragged breathing or shaking hooves, she gave no indication; she merely went back to shuffling her blank papers.
“Twilight?”
The alicorn internally groaned, wondering what horrible thing the filly was going to hit her with next.
“Yes, Sweetie Belle?”
“When is Rarity going to move into your castle? When you get married and have foals together, where will you live? Do you have foal names picked out? Have you asked Rarity to live in the castle with you yet?”
For a moment, there was nothing; only the brief blackness that convinced Twilight she was about to faint—and then all of the questions she was asked began to hit her at once.
Living together? Marriage? Foals? Twilight’s heart sped up as those questions flew through her head repeatedly on a loop. Would they get married if Rarity moved into the castle? Would they have a foal or two…or more? Out of the abyss that was Twilight’s mind, she heard a voice that brought her back to reality.
“Twilight, are you okay? You look a little—“
And then Twilight did one of the things that came naturally to her; she panicked.
“I’m in love with your sister!”
Sweetie and Twilight stared at one another, both contemplating the meaning of the mare’s outburst. After a minute or so of trying to catch her breath, Twilight began to explain.
“I don’t have an answer to any of those questions, Sweetie. In time, yes, your sister and I will figure that stuff out. Right now, I’m just focused on loving her; making sure she knows I care, making her feel safe—needed, wanted.”
Neither the mare nor the filly moved—until they heard a very familiar gasp behind them.
“I came back to see what was taking so long. Darling…is it true?” Her voice faded to a whisper “You’re in love with me?”
Twilight gaped at the white mare, the shock of her presence still in effect. She swallowed hard, debating internally on how to handle this situation; if only she had read up on this.
“I, uh. Well, I mean.” Twilight cleared her throat, a spark of determination suddenly coloring her eyes.
“I am in love with you, Rarity. I love you. I love you so much that sometimes I forget how to breathe. I love you so much that I often forget that anything existed before you were in my life.”
The white unicorn made no effort to hide the tears that were beginning to form, the words of her love simply too much to bear.
“I love you too, my darling. More so than I can put into words, I’m afraid.”
The two mares came together in a tight embrace, only parting when they remembered that they weren’t the only two in the room. Twilight’s eyes shot towards Sweetie Belle; the filly had yet to say anything, and if her previous line of questioning was any indication, they had quite a few matters to put to rest.
“Rarity, your sister—“
“Thinks that you two are perfect for each other. I’m really glad you’re my sister’s special somepony, Twilight. I think it’s supposed to be you. You’re gonna take great care of her, and she’s gonna do the same for you.”
Of all the things Twilight was expecting Sweetie Belle to say, complete support was definitely not on the list. She could only stare in wonder at the force of nature that was her marefriend’s little sister.
“Rarity, can I hang out here and wait for the crusaders? I promise not to destroy anything.”
Perhaps Sweetie knew that her sister would be in an agreeable mood, perhaps not, but Rarity responded in the affirmative in a tone that was still love struck.
“Of course, dear. I shall return after Twilight and I speak privately. Please be very careful; I am fully aware of how rambunctious you and your friends can be, and I’ll not have a repeat performance of last time.”
Sweetie huffed in agreement, only dropping her pout when Twilight smiled her way.
“Thank you for the talk, Sweetie Belle. It was…very informative, to say the least.”
Sweetie giggled and ran towards the lavender mare, giving her a tight hug.
“See ya later, Twilight. Make sure you bring Rarity back before midnight!”
Sweetie Belle heard the princess sputter out a retort, but Rarity was already dragging the alicorn towards the exit. When Sweetie was sure they were gone, she rubbed her hooves together in excitement. Phase one was over; now, to see if her hard work had paid off.
“You guys can come out now, they’re gone.”
From the back of the shop emerged two other fillies, one with a big grin on her face, the other with a look like she had eaten something rotten.
“Gross! That lovey dovey stuff makes me sick. You’d never hear Rainbow Dash talking like that!”
Applebloom paid the orange pony no mind.
“I think they’re just the cutest thing in the world!”
Sweetie walked forward, her expression that of serious determination.
“The moment of truth has arrived.” With a deep exhalation of breath, Sweetie turned her head quickly, a wave of disappointment washing over her the moment she noticed that her flank was still very much blank.
“Aw shoot, Sweetie Belle. Ain’t nothin’ there.”
“Darn it! I thought for sure I’d get my cutie mark in interrogation!”
Scootaloo shrugged. “That was still pretty fun to watch. Did you see how freaked out the princess was?”
Applebloom frowned, remembering how upset Twilight had sounded; she couldn’t imagine doing something like that to Rainbow Da—er, her sister’s special somepony.
“You were kinda hard on her, don’t ya think?”
Sweetie Belle pondered all that had transpired and came to a simple conclusion.
“Nope.”
Fillies being fillies, they were quick to move onto another subject.
“Cutie mark crusaders are a go!” The three little ponies rushed to leave the shop, only stopping when Scootaloo pondered her own question out loud.
“How mad do you think the princess is gonna be when she finds out that you’ve known they’ve been together from day one?”
Sweetie Belle raised a hoof and scoffed. “It’s not my fault Rarity talks in her sleep!”