Brains and Brawlers

by Hopeful_Ink_Hoof

Dating Possibilities

Author's Note:

Warning: this and some of the proceeding chapters will contain references to Camp Everfree. They may or may not be spoilers to events that happened. As such, if you have not seen the movie, but plan to and wish for it to be spoiler free, you may want to wait before reading further.

Gilda and Twilight sat alone in a booth at Sugarcube Corner. Although in this case, "alone" was a relative term. The two of them were the only ones sitting in the booth, but six others were sitting in one of the booths beside them, most of them not exactly being subtle about the fact that they were watching the pair. Rarity and Sunset were doing well, but Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash having turned around and looking over the back of the seat at them was extremely obvious.

Twilight took the last bite of her dark chocolate mint brownie. She had also finished telling Gilda about all that happened while in at the camp. More than she had intended to, actually.

"So are you going to see him again?" Gilda asked.

The question caused Twilight Sparkle to shift in her seat. She looked up at Gilda, who was leaning back in her seat with her arms folded, then down at her plate again. A warmth spread across Twilight's cheeks, something that happened every time she mentioned him during the story.

"No," she answered.

"Why not?"

Twilight blinked and looked up, caught by surprise.

"You clearly like him," Gilda continued. "So why not go on a date with him?"

"But we... you and I... aren't we..."

Before Twilight could get the thought together in her brain well enough to form a coherent response, Gilda raised a hand and shifted. She leaned forward, resting an arm on the table as she looked Twilight in the eye.

"How many dates have you been on?"

"Does this count?"

"No."

"None," Twilight admitted. She had never been romantically interested in anyone before. In fact, she had not really had friends before. Practically any and all free time she had before going to Canterlot High School had been dedicated to either studying, or pursuing her own academic and scientific interest. Sometimes, engineering: designing and building prototypes she thinks may some day be useful. Plus, with the competitive nature at Crystal Prep, there was little trust between the students. Twilight had not even had friends, much less anyone she was interested in have a romantic relationship with.

That was until she met Gilda.

And Timber Spruce.

"Exactly," Gilda said, pointing a finger at Twilight. "You haven't even had a date, much less a relationship. You don't know what you want."

"I know exactly what I want in a relationship," Twilight stated, straightening up and furrowing her brow.

Tilting her head, Gilda raised an eyebrow.

"Really?" She leaned closer. "And if someone asked a month ago, would you have said a tall, muscular woman was something you wanted?"

A slight blush spread across Twilight Sparkles face as she gives a shake of her head. In all of her thoughts and fantasies about relationships, it had always been with a guy. Often it was a heroic type. A brave knight or soldier who traveled the land and fought monsters to save the woman that he loved. In this case, Twilight. Other times, it was some intellectual type. A guy who Twilight could stay up all night, talking about science and theory with. Argue philosophy. The kind that when they got older, would wear tweed jackets and have a pipe. End up as a professor in a college that inspired and challenged his students.

If it had been suggested that Twilight would be interested in a girl of any type, or a mostly average guy, Twilight would have found the entire idea preposterous.

Yet here she was, sitting with a girl that she had watched in a fight, talking about dating a goofy fellow she met at Camp Everfree. With her six friends spying on her from the other booth.

"So go on a date with the guy," Gilda said, leaning back. "See how it goes."

"But what about us?"

"We haven't even gone out yet, much less started a serious relationship. So long as you don't try to have a date with both of us at the same time, it'll be fine."

"Really?" Twilight asked.

Crossing her arms again, Gilda narrowed her eyes.

"So long as you don't lie about it, it's fine," she said. "And that goes for him as well." She pointed a finger. "If you want to do this, he deserves to know that you are going to be seeing someone else as well."

"Of course," Twilight said. "Yeah. I can do that. You're really okay with this?"

Gilda gave a shrug.

"Like I said, so long as you don't lie and sneak around about it."

Pushing away from the table, she got up.

"I'm gonna get a refill."

"Okay," Twilight said. Although she was not entirely sure why. Maybe just the need to acknowledge what had been said? As she sat there, she watched Gilda head toward the counter, Twilight's eyes studying the other girl's backside.

Gilda was right. She and Twilight had not even gone on an actual date. They were not in a relationship. In fact, this was the second time the two of them had spent any time together. There was no reason to turn Timber Spruce down for at least one date. Gilda had even said that she was fine with it so long as Twilight was honest about it and not tried to keep it a secret from either Gilda or Timber.

So why did Twilight feel guilty about the idea?