Varia Visive

by journcy

Assimilation Frustration (Shipping)

Prompt #467: “The Loneliest Number”

“Ship exactly five of the mane six together in a single relationship.”

---

Today was the day!

Pinkie Pie squealed with glee in her mind. Then she squealed with glee aloud.

Nopony heard her, of course--she was sitting alone in bed, and the sun was just coming up. But she squealed nonetheless! Because today was the day, and that meant great things for her, and more importantly, all her friends!

+ + +

Hopping down the stairs to breakfast, Pinkie began plotting her route in her mind. First to Sweet Apple Acres, since Applejack would probably be the only one up quite this early... Then to Fluttershy's cottage--Fluttershy she always has to wake up to take care of her critters... Over to Carousel Boutique after that, though maybe they would need to stay at Fluttershy's for a while, Rarity doesn't like to be woken up before eight... And then they would definitely need to stay a while at Rarity's because whenever Rainbow Dash woke up, it wouldn't be soon, even on a day so wonderfully fantastically amazing as today!

Pinkie hummed happily, walking into the kitchen of Sugarcube Corner. She grabbed the bag of oatmeal, and clanged around in the cupboard for the kettle, filling the latter with hot water from the tap. She set it to boil on the stovetop, and soon enough the cheery whistle of boiling water filled the room. She finished up her oatmeal, having added what most ponies would consider to be entirely too much sugar (among other things), and sat down at the table to eat.

+ + +

As it turned out, they didn't have to wait for Rainbow Dash as long as Pinkie Pie had originally thought. Granted, she, Applejack, Fluttershy, and Angel got to Rarity's boutique just as she was waking up, and then they may have stayed for early morning tea, and possibly spoken excitedly about what they were doing that day for quite a long time...

But even then. They left Rarity's around ten, feeling optimistic, and sure enough their temperaments were rewarded. Upon entering the clearing Rainbow's house hung above, a blue blur sped towards them--and, as they were all standing in a convenient line--bowled them all over.

"Omigosh you guys!" Rainbow cried, picking herself up from the ground she had also found herself lying upon after that particular stunt. "Today's the day!"

Applejack, who was grumbling on the ground, the closest of the four to Rainbow, fixed Dash with a glare.

"Y' don't say."

+ + +

Cleaned up, brushed off, apologized to, and once again ready to face the occasion, the five friends headed towards Twilight's library. There was a good reason Pinkie Pie had not planned for picking up Twilight on her way to all her friend's houses, and that reason was not just that Twilight could enjoy sleeping in almost as late as Rainbow Dash some days. But only some.

No, the reason was much more complicated than that. Or not, depending on how you looked at it. The reason Twilight was not presently among the five's number was that Twilight was the focus of the big day! Pinkie found herself grinning even wider than usual as she thought about it. Yes, Twilight was the reason for all this to-do--Twilight, and the question the five had for her.

+ + +

"Who would like to do the honors?" Rarity said, sweeping her hoof towards, and then away from, the door in front of the five.

Twilight's door.

"Ooh! Ooh! Me!" Pinkie cried, racing up to it.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Pinkie pounded the door with her usual enthusiasm, and then some, and then some.

Silence.

Well, not silence. A sound came through the door. Muffled, yes, and faint, sure, but a sound. The sound of--panic? Of... Somepony moving quite fast... The clop of hooves on the hard wooden floors of the library... A very faint rustling... And then a creak. The last one wasn't nearly as quiet as the rest; the creak was the sound of the door in front of the five opening.

A just-so-slightly-frazzled purple Alicorn stood in front of the group.

"Hi!" Pinkie said.

"Oh! Hi, girls!" Twilight said, her expression perking up a bit. Something was just a bit off, though. Like she was happy to see them, but also hoping she could get rid of them? Pinkie wasn't sure. Maybe it was something in her eyes.

"What brings you all here, and so early? And is that Rainbow Dash I see! Rainbow, do you know what time it is?" Twilight said, peering around to the back of the group.

Rainbow lept into the air. "Sure do! But today's an awesome day, so somepony as awesome as me's gotta be here for it! Even if I do miss out on good sleep time."

"Today? What's so special about today?" Twilight said, her face twisting in confusion.

Suddenly, everypony seemed very quiet.

Four ponies parted, allowing Rarity to the front of the pack. It just seemed that she was the one that--

"We're asking you out!" Pinkie cried.

Everypony looked at her.

"What? It's not hard to ask."

"I... What? What do you mean?" Twilight said, becoming only more confused.

Rarity gathered herself, and opened her mouth to speak. Pinkie Pie looked like she was just about ready to jump in again, and Rarity glared at her. Turning back to Twilight, Rarity said, "Well, what Pinkie means, is... Well, first of all. We have... Something to confess." Everypony (save Twilight) nodded. "Over the past few weeks and months, we five have become rather... close. Better than friends, you might say.

Twilight's eyes began to light in surprise.

"It has been a slow thing, of course, and we didn't all get together at once... But we would like to believe, at least at this point, that the relationship we've built is here to stay. And we have also all agreed that we want you to join us--if you will," Rarity concluded.

Silence once again--but brief this time.

(<<-->>)

Twilight nodded slowly...and then began to grin.

"Oh, girls--I'd love to!"

The five's faces began to follow the trend of Twilight's, their smiles beaming.

"...But I can't. I'm sorry."

Crash.

"What?! Why not?" Pinkie cried, dumbfounded.

"Yeah? What's up? Scared you'll lose all your egghead time to us or somethin'?" Rainbow Dash said.

"No, no, nothing, like that... It's just, I already have a special somepony!"

"WHAT?" The five cried in unison.

Twilight blushed. "We've been together for a while now--about as long as you five, it seems. Though we've known each other for much longer than that."

"Well? Who is it?" Applejack said.

Twilight turned back to the library.

"Celestia! You can come out!"

Jaws dropped to the floor as the Princess of the Sun walked out of Twilight's coat closet, nuzzling her.

Twilight nuzzled back.

"I-"

"Wha-"

"Oh-"

"Now-"

"That is so cute!" Pinkie Pie said, her voice reaching an almost-uncomfortable pitch.

Twilight and Celestia blushed.