//------------------------------//
// Doubts 
// Story: The Love Triangle Theorem 
// by Arboreal Blue Leaf 
//------------------------------//

	A small yet warm beam of sunlight shot through the curtains of my bedroom and fell upon my eyes, waking me up slowly. It was a beautiful day, birds were singing, flowers were blooming. On days like this, ponies like me would go outside and enjoy such  wonderful weather. I slowly raised my head and stretched up, looking at the curtains. My horn begun to glow and my magic wrapped the curtains.

I closed it completely, fell back in my bed and buried my head under my pillow. I didn't want to get up this morning. In fact, I didn't want to get out of my bed until Twilight and Sunset's leaving.

I had one of the shortest nights of my life, spending most of it in considerations and thoughts that would help me to deal with the situation. None of them were useful or remotely safe. For example, freezing time was out of question. I had decided to do as a teenage pony would advise me to do - stay in bed as long as you can and napping all day long. Of course I knew that it would only work for a few hours, but it was a break long enough to let me think more. Unless fate hated me enough to have me get up.

Which it did, it sent someone who knocked at my door. I let a long grunt of frustration before asking sharply.

"What is it?"

"Are you alright Twilight?" It was Spike whose head appeared in the door frame. "It's already ten and you haven't got up yet. Are you sick?"

"I just want to be alone." I replied dryly.

"What's going on? Do you want to talk about it?" The dragon asked.

"Nothing's going on, I'm fine. End of the story, good bye!" I almost barked at Spike. I regretted immediately my behavior and got up in the bed. "I'm sorry, it's just that... Let's say the next days aren't going to be fun at all."

"It is because of Sunset and Twilight?"

"Not exactly, it's because of... Well... Grownups problems," I lied half-hearted.

Spike gave me a unconvinced look and sighed. He got on my bed and sat next to me.

"You shouldn't keep it to yourself. But if you think I'm not the appropriate person to talk about it, you should go and see... Uhm... Rarity for example," he patted my shoulder compassionately. "Whatever it is, I'm sure it's going to be alright."

I was impressed by how Spike had been tactful with his answer. He managed to put the ghost of a smile on my lips. I got up and hugged him. He returned it without a word until I broke apart. He tilted his head to the door.

"The girls are in the kitchen waiting for you, do you want to come?"

"Is there some coffee left?"

"I made some before coming here. In case I needed something to attract you," he winked playfully, making me laugh. It was a much needed laugh.

"Go ahead; I just need a few minutes to brush my mane."

I got up reluctantly and went to the bathroom where tried in vain to brush my mane. I managed to hide most of the damages left by the sleepless night and trotted down to the kitchen. On my way, I couldn't do much except thinking - again - about Sunset and Twilight. How was I supposed to act now? Was I supposed to do something special or just wait until it went away? Should I sit down with the two of them and try to work out a solution? It was in these type of moment that I could really use Cadance's advice. I arrived at the kitchen's door and stayed a few seconds in the corridor as I pondered the idea of going back to bed. As appealing as the idea was, I decided to not be a coward and entered in the room. The best I could do for now was acting natural.

I was greeted by a wide smile from Sunset and a lesser one from Twilight. They had almost finished their breakfast; Spike must have had taken care of it. I was thankful to him for all his help. He was really a nice little brother. The unicorns had stopped their chatting when I entered. Sunset was the first to talk.

"Good morning Twilight, how was the night?" Sunset asked.

"Good morning everyone," I answered before yawning quietly. "It was a short night, how about yours?"

"A strange one," stated Twilight. "But I'm getting used to this body..."

"I reckon the first days are strange," I said as I took a mug and filled it with coffee. "Does anyone want a refill?" They all declined politely. "I didn't exactly live well the first time I turned into a human."

"You screamed like someone was going to kill you," giggled Spike as he ate a ruby.

"Thanks for the input," I growled.

"What are we up to today?" Sunset asked. "You said that you had scheduled everything."

"Indeed I did, but I made a few modifications since Twilight’s with us now," my alter-ego looked away with embarrassment. "Let's say this morning is free time for everyone, I've some paperwork to do. Sunset and I will head to Zecora's this afternoon and, Twilight, Fluttershy agreed to welcome you to her cottage to teach you about the equestrian flora and fauna."

"That sounds interesting but... couldn't I come with you too?" Twilight asked with look mixing jealousy and disappointment.

"We have to go through a place that can be dangerous, and I don't think you could handle this since you aren't completely accustomed to this body. No offense," I quickly added.

"What kind of danger can a world filled with prismatic ponies can have?" Twilight asked with her usual skepticism. "Even dragons, those mighty and heartless creatures as they are described in our literature, look cuter than our dogs."

"I'm not cute! I'm just still growing up," Spike grunted. I couldn't hold a laugh at how indeed his angry glare was cute.

"Spike is a civilized dragon, the others aren't exactly the type of persons you want to be around," Sunset exposed slowly. "Equestria sure looks fine prima facie, but that's not really how it works. Do you want cyclops? There're some. Cerberus? Checked. Doppelgangers? A whole race. Sirens? We even got some of them at CHS, and the list goes on."

Twilight looked blankly at Sunset for a moment before letting out a long sigh of disappointment. I knew exactly what she was thinking. She thought that I was getting Sunset away from her. I wanted to tell her that I had understood what was going on, but as long as Sunset Shimmer was around, I had to keep it quiet. I gave her a genuine smile and tried to reassure her anyway.

"Don't worry, that will be for a few hours at most. We are just supposed to grab some ingredients for alchemy. We were supposed to do it with Zecora but we'll do it here. You will be able to do it with us."

Her face relaxed and she nodded. She seemed to trust my words now. I knew for sure that once Fluttershy would have begun to talk to her about animals, Twilight would forget Sunset for a few hours at least. On the other hoof, I wasn't exactly comfortable with the idea of spending half of the day alone with Sunset.

Far from me the idea of rejecting her because of what I thought she felt for me, but I didn't want to hurt anyone. I needed to find a solution to this problem. But there were simply too many variables, too many equations. I hated when I didn't know how to tackle a problem.

And Celestia knew how bad I was when it came to love.


*****


Twilight had been astonished by Fluttershy's menagerie as I expected her to be. She had difficulty to accept the idea that much of the animals she knew by name existed here in Equestria, and that she could find them at Fluttershy's. Since Twilight begun checking the animals and taking notes, she had barely noticed our leaving. She would have at least an interesting afternoon.

Walking in the Everfree Forest was always an adventure on its own. These woods were filled with creatures that only the most twisted mind could imagine, but they had also this mysterious and enchanting beauty of uncharted lands. Of course my friends and I knew how to visit Zecora and we had marked out the path with green ribbons used as beacon.

It was the first time Sunset ever set a hoof in the Everfree Forest. Needless to say, she was puzzled by how this place was working. But she explained to me that the human world was pretty much working on the same blueprints as the Everfree did. For example, humans weren't able to control weather - except by using technology, but not naturally as pegasus could.

I felt uneasy for most of the walk through the Everfree Forest, mostly because of a thought I had tried to banish from my mind from my mind all night. What if Sunset did love me and asked me out? Should I ask for some time to think? Should I turn down her proposition immediately? Did I really want to turn down her proposition?

The problem wasn't exactly who she was or what she could say, but rather the situation in which it put me. Every answer I could give would hurt someone. My alter ego was a good person, I could feel it. She didn't deserve to lose her chance with Sunset because of me. On the other hoof, I couldn't say that Sunset wasn't just a random pony for me and I was deeply flattered by her possible feelings. It was even possible that she came back to Equestria just for me, and that would mean that her feelings were strong without any doubt.

I cringed inwardly again. Mathematically speaking, the probabilities for such a event taking place were ridiculously low. A transdimensionnal love triangle involving two entities sharing the same name and in a minor extend the same essence wasn't exactly a common thing.

But an unlikely event wasn't an impossible event from a mathematical perspective.

Thankfully, we reached Zecora's hut in no time, bad luck had decided to spare me this time and to not constrain into spending too much time alone with Sunset. The unicorn was amazed by the unusual place where Zecora lived, recalling some tales about Zebrica she had heard when she was a filly. She touched one of the wooden mask hung outside the carved tree with a smile.

"I love this type of masks. Is your friend a shaman?"

"Yes she is," I answered, knocking on the door. "She knows more than a few tricks that I don't know. She is very good at alchemy and medicine."

"I haven't met any zebra when I was filly," Sunset smiled with nostalgia. "Do they really always speak in rhyme?"

"Zecora does, she has explained to me that it was a way to pay tribute to the importance of words. One has to think of his words before telling them. It prevents them to say hurtful or raw things," I exposed quickly.

Sunset nodded and was about to ask a new question when the hut's door opened. Zecora welcomed us with a warm smile and a pleasant smell from inside of her tree.

"Princess Twilight, I was waiting for you and your friend. I'm glad you could make it in the end."

"Hello Zecora, I'm happy to see you too. Please meet Sunset Shimmer; she is the friend I told you about."

"Nice to meet you, Miss Zecora," Sunset waved politely.

"It is a pleasure as well. Please come inside, you don't have to dwell," the zebra titled her head to her main room.

I followed her instructions and Sunset and I came inside. The unicorn gasped in awe when her eyes meet all the masks and potions Zecora was storing in her house. She trotted back and forth between the cauldron and the shelves full of phials and bottles. I chuckled heartily at her genuine interest. She told me she had never had the opportunity to practice alchemy when she was still in Equestria, she had only watched her teachers preparing potions. Sunset Shimmer turned around to face Zecora and stated her thoughts.

"Everything is so organized, almost as much as Twilight's library! I think I could find any ingredient in a second."

"I just put my preparation where they won't be forgotten. Maybe you could try to find the tea, dear Sunset?"

She beamed, looked around and, after a few seconds, went to one of the shelf with no hesitation. Zecora told me to have a sit and brought a colorful teapot and poured water in it before placing it near the fire. Eventually she looked at me with a concerned expression.

"Your eyes tell me you're really tired. Does something make you sleep deprived?"

"Don't worry Zecora, there's just a lot going on and it does hold me awake at night," I chuckled bitterly. "I've just some trouble to find a solution."

"If you need some advice or just an attentive ear, you know that you can come here."

"I've found it!" Sunset raised her head with a pack of herbal tea floating above her. "This organization is almost perfect!"

"Perfect, we will put it in the teapot as soon as the water's hot. So tell me, Princess Twilight, what's going on?"

I stayed mute for a moment, glancing both at Sunset and Zecora. I knew that my zebra friend had always given me wise advices and I was badly in need of help. On the other hoof, I couldn't talk about it out loud with Sunset next to me. I sighed before answering.

"Let's say that a lot of unplanned events have popped up recently and you know how stressed I can be by this."

"You are dealing with it pretty well I think," Sunset claimed while sitting next to me. She was sitting far too close to me.

"I... I think I'm just overwhelmed by what's happening," I looked briefly at Sunset, biting my lips as I moved imperceptibly away from her.

"Don't add anything to describe your sorrow. I think I've understood and maybe I have some advice you could follow," the zebra smiled motherly at me. "Let us discuss it alone, if your friend can wait on us here while we are gone."

Zecora got up and opened the door to the outside and got out. I raised my hoof protest but I hadn't the time to. I quickly apologized to Sunset and went out. The zebra had taken a few steps away from the house; I supposed she didn't want Sunset hearing about us. And neither did I actually.

"How could you understand so quickly?" I asked without actually expecting a answer. I knew Zecora was able to read ponies as if they were open books.

"Reasons and feelings are so very hard to fuse. Passions must be kept at bay if you want to keep your mind composure. Time can be both your greatest ally and mightiest enemy. But waiting for too long might be an error if you ask me."

"There's more to it than only Sunset Shimmer. I'm stuck in a kind of love triangle actually and I don't want to hurt any pony."

"Tell me, young Twilight, what does your heart desire?"

I stayed muted for a minute at least. This question was the one which held me awake all night. My heart had contemplated, the possible relationship, having a special somepony who loved me for who I was and not the title I had earned. If everything I conjectured was to be true, then Sunset Shimmer had already really strong feelings for me. And maybe if I gave her a chance, it could work between us fairly well...

But the simple idea of hurting Twilight was too much to handle. Was it because we were so alike? I put my hoof on my head, feeling dizzy as the same unsolvable problem that had been playing all night in my mind continued to torment me. Zecora came closer to me and stroked my shoulder in a friendly way.

"I do understand how you are feeling. But remember that any decision you make will hurt somepony, but with time, there will be healing."

I raised my head slowly and blinked. I had already thought of it, but hearing someone saying it made it plausible. I tried to smile in reply but only a weak laugh came out. At this instant, I gained conscience of how worn out I was from two sleepless night.

"The decision you may take should be the one you won't regret," Zecora added. "You are someone who needs control. You should list everything you can think of before hearing the love call."

"How do I know which one to choose even after that? I can solve friendship problems, not love problems."

"I can't decide for you, my dear. That is something you will have to do alone I fear," she took her hoof back from me as if she wanted to emphasize her words. "But your mind and body are sore, you should get some rest before."

I nodded in silence. Zecora was right, I couldn't possibly think straight in the state I was in. I had to sleep before making any decisions. Maybe it was a foolish idea she gave me, but writing every single thought about the subject on a blackboard would surely help.

I couldn't hold a small giggle. I had conjectured the love triangle theorem, and I was going to use a blackboard and some chalks to solve it.