Sparkle

by Inactive Pone

18. Reflections

A few years later...

**Cheering**

You hear the sound of extreme cheering and applause from your audience, who have been waiting and waiting for you to come up on stage for the Friendship Festival performance. It only gets louder when you actually step up there. Since your surprise transformation at the wedding a few years back, you’ve found a way to change yourself back, and that was a great relief.

You wanted to do something special this year. You and Twilight have married for a few years now, and your friendship has never stopped growing since then, despite all your worries about the future then- Which is the world you’re living in now. You both continued to stay just as loving as each other, both as friends and a couple. Things have been well for you two together.

Twilight Sparkle has acted as your closest friend for life. You want to do something with her, to show her how much she means to you.

**tap tap**

“Hello, my little ponies~” You wink as you say your catchphrase on your YouTube Channel after tapping the microphone.

Everypony cheers.

“*clears throat* Tonight, my performance will be for somepony very special. Specifically, to me. She may not seem as well-known as her colleagues alongside her, and you may think she does not play an important role in the ruling of Equestria, but to those she helped, she’s actually an amazing pony.”

“When I first met her over a decade ago, I was merely this teenage boy that adored her just because of this show I used to watch,” You chuckle, followed by laughs from the crowd. “But when I came to discover her existence, and met her in real life, our bond never stopped getting stronger. She has given me the best of support through all of our challenges. She is my everything. I loved her more than any pony else.”

“However...”

The crowd becomes puzzled.

“*sigh* One day, a human vowed to break our friendship, claiming we weren’t for each other,” You sigh. Boos ring everywhere in the audience. “We fought. Our hearts were shattered. And for me, I almost died in an accident. But, it could’ve been her taking the hit. I can’t stand around to see her- Whom I loved so much once, just get hurt. Nevertheless, I made a full recovery, and it is all thanks to all of your support for me. I am very grateful to be able to stand here tonight.”

“So, this song I’m singing, is kind of a song that I once thought of singing to her after our fight. It didn’t end up being the one, but this acts like a continuation- Because I never forgot the pain that fight gave the two of us. We may have forgiven each other, married, even- The hole we’ve made in each other’s hearts forever remain. And, I can never be truly sorry about what I’ve done. But what I can do, is do the best I can to move on. And I want her to move on, too. So I want to invite her up on stage, and I wish to sing not just simply to all of you here- But to her as well.”

You reach out your hand.

“Princess Twilight Sparkle, where are you?”

Immediately the spotlight turns to a specific spot in the crowd. There, with her friends, was Twilight Sparkle herself. Everypony in the crowd cheers in excitement, and starts chanting, "Get up there!" to her, hoping she'll come on stage. You can see her, among the crowd, blushing with a big smile and a few tears, surprised and moved by your sudden request. She nods and flies over to join you, gladly accepting the high-hoofs the others are giving as she flew past.

She lands beside you, and before anything, gives you a big hug. You chuckle and return the embrace, before calming everypony down.

"Twilight, this is for you. But please, don't feel sad of me hurting myself, alright?"

She nods and winks at you, as the music begins.

From the sky, drops the rain,
Do you think it can subdue the pain?
From beneath our red umbrella,
Will the sound of the droplets tell you...
That I'm here?
Just right here...?

It cannot be, what have I done?
After it all, this game wasn't very fun...
It's my mistake, and I'm really sorry...
But it's okay,
You don't have to worry...
About me...
It's okay...

If we ever meet again...
We will not be the same,
Are you there, my dear best friend?
The one who doomed our fall?

Please, Twilight, don't be afraid,
Forget what ever was,
Be with me, the one you loved,
Just stop thinking of...

All the pain, all the wounds I’ve caused you...
Keep the small, happy memories with you...
It’s not fair to be alone,
After what we’ve been through,
Just let me be your best friend,
In every time and end...”

**After the performance.**

**knocking**

“Coming!”

You open the door, and you’re greeted by your best friend and loving wife. She throws her hooves around you in a hug, climbing onto you. You chuckle as you struggle to close the door behind you, and carry her into your guest room in the Canterlot Castle after finishing the show.

“*chuckles* Hi, sweetie. Came to find me to say thank you?”

Twilight lets go and laughs.

“Yep. You read my mind so well.”

“We have been together for a long time, you know.”

You both share a laugh. It was then you notice Twilight’s face was starting to turn red. You can hear her hooves scratching the floor repeatedly, as she dips her head down. You can tell she’s shy and had something to say. You flash her a look. It seems Twilight knew what you’re going to ask already- She covered her face with her wing.

“You can’t hide your feelings, come on,” You chuckle as you lower her wing to see her face. “Come. Tell me what’s on your mind.”

You sit on the edge of the bed and pat the area next to you, signaling Twilight to come over for a chat. She kicks her back hooves in cheer as she twiddles her front hooves. You gently rub her head to allow her to feel more comfortable- You know she expresses feelings well when she’s in a calmer state of mind.

“Thank you.”

“Hm?”

“Thanks for that performance,” Twilight says. “I... I didn’t expect it at all.”

“Was it good?”

“Yeah, it was. Heartwarming, happy, yet... Yet a little painful, too.”

“*shrugs* I did warn you, Twi.”

Twilight rolls her eyes at you.

“I thought we promised to never talk about our fight ever again, Ash.”

“But, had we not fought, Twi... You won’t actually understand why I wanted to marry you, would you?”

She nods with a blush.

“Right. Ash... If you want me to be honest, I have the same feeling too. I still had this thought we never truly forgave each other for that fight. It left such a big hole in our hearts.”

“Is it that big of a surprise to you?”

“Hm? What do you mean?”

“I mean, you fight with your friends too from time to time. Why us specifically?”

Twilight turns to you with a smile.

“Because we’re not just friends, Ash. You mean more than just that.”

“Yes, I know. But I want to know why.”

“Don’t you see? If someone you know has such a close connection with you... If you did something bad to them, won’t you feel guilty? Wouldn’t you feel bad for making them mad? For our case, specifically... You almost died. And it was because of me, arguing with you while being controlled... I always couldn’t forgive myself, and if so, how could you forgive me for what I’ve done? Is the word ‘Sorry’ always enough?”

You lay a hand in her shoulder.

“It really depends on who you’re apologizing to. But... For me, it was.”

“Really?”

“Hey, if I loved you, of course I’ll forgive you. You’re my friend, no matter what. I know we screamed hateful words at each other then. I understand we had a fight once. But we have to move on. Those emotional scars still hurt, but not as much. Why? It’s because I was willing to move on with my life. And if you’re willing to forget about it, you can forget the pain it caused you, too.”

Twilight puts a wing behind you, and leans against your side.

“I really don’t want us to fight. It felt so... Scary, for me to argue with you.”

“It was hard to imagine the first time,” You reply, putting a hoof under her chin. “But this is what love is about.”

“Oh?”

You chuckle as she sits back up.

“Let me tell you a story.” You wink. “Once, two ponies got together in friendship. As time went by, they started to have a crush on each other, and started dating. They’ve stood together through everything. It was their perfect little world- Just the two of them together. However, one day, a fight broke out from misunderstanding. The couple shouted hurtful words at one another. And it didn’t stop, either. They start to bicker a lot, and of course argue whenever things don’t go their way, and they blame each other a lot. Because of all the quarreling, the two decided they aren’t meant for each other, and broke up.”

“A good while after, the stallion gets into a serious accident while trying to protect his former friend from said accident. Shocked, the mare helped him, though she didn’t like him anymore. She did not want to see him just die in front of her, after he sacrificed himself, now will she? She started to fear he wouldn’t get up well. She regretted what she said to him. When he finally woke up, she was crying tears of joy. They got back together after that.”

“Do you realize what is love, Twilight?”

“Hmmmm...”

“*chuckles* Love means a lot of things. Love, is the willingness to be there and sacrifice for each other. Remember how I saved you in that accident? I did that out of my love for you. Honestly. Love, is also an adventure- Like a strawberry, unsure if it’s a sour journey or a sweet experience. Ups and downs are common in relationships. We just don’t know how they will go down. Love, is also a game. The game of trust.”

“*chuckles* Interesting.”

“There are many reasons why I love you, Twi. Mostly it’s because I wanted to do something in return for your kindness. It just... Made me feel you genuinely care for me, and I want to keep that feeling. The more I wanted to keep it, the more I wanted you to be with me. I started to fall for you, Twilight. It didn’t take me long to realize I had a big crush on you.”

“I see... When I first heard you loved me, I was shocked. I have no experience in love. But... I don’t know why, when I heard about it, I started to fall for you, too. You’re also kind to me, you know. We may just be really close friends over the fact we’re a couple, but... *chuckles* I’m not lying every time I say I love you.”

“Awwww, shucks. Well, love can take the form of different types. There’s friendly love, where best friends that are super close with each other have. Rivalry love, where two people have a love-hate relationship. Sibling love, *laughs* Like Tia and Luna, who enjoy being with their sibling. And of course, true love- The only one I’ve never been able to figure out. But I finally got it.”

“What?”

You tightly hug Twilight.

“True love, is our passion and devotion for our partner. To care, to help and to make each other happy.”

“*smiles* Indeed.”

You and Twilight start nuzzling and you pulled each other down on to the bed with a titter. You touch her cheek warmly, as she forcefully nuzzles under your head. You playfully squeeze against her nose several times.

“Ash...”

“Yes?”

“What does love give us at the end of the day, anyway?”

You think for a while. But soon, you just sigh.

“I really don’t know. Happiness? Heartache? Support? Or maybe...”

Twilight stuffs a hoof into your mouth.

“We’ll find our answer someday. Won’t we, Ash?”

**Muffled Speaking**

“Oops! Sorry! Come again?”

She removes her hoof from your mouth and dries it with a napkin nearby.

“I said, I guess we will.”

You both smile and nod.

“Okay, time for cute party.” You said coldly.

“Huh? What the-“

*Lots of kissing*

“Ash!!! Stop!! You’re making me blush!”

“Hahaha, why don’t you fight back, huh?”

“Hmph! You jerk!”

*kisses*

“Awww, come on, that’s not too bad.”

You tease her playfully as she continues to try and cuddle you. You and Twilight continue sharing a joyful time together, a session of cuddles and kisses accompanied by uproars of laughter. Cheesy words were said, too. Forceful hugs between you two turn into both a fight and playtime at the same time, same with a lot of nuzzling and squeezing each other.

“Ahhhhh~ I love you so much, Twilight.”

“Teehee, love you, Ash.”

“Oh, I love you more~”

“Haha, and I love you most.”

Twilight sticks her tongue out playfully at you.

“Hmph, no, I love you most, Twi.”

“Noooooo, Ash~”

You both share a tender kiss while you tuck yourselves in. Holding each other as close as possible, you both did not want to let go at all. You wanted to stay in the moment forever. So much, Twilight just turned off the lights with her magic without leaving the impact.

The moon glows gracefully in the night, and shines on you two as you close your eyes, and relax into the kiss. You both locked yourselves in a tight hug, and your hearts beat as one together. The joy you both are having, you can’t even describe- Because you couldn’t even speak without leaving the kiss. This was exactly what you dreamed of- Being able to snuggle with your favorite pony all you want. Tonight, your wish came true- And after all that has happened, you finally feel happy with where you are with your life. When you’re young, you wished this would happen to you, and you were already so in love with her, you nuzzle your plushie of her every so often, maybe a cuddle or two.

But this time, you’re cuddling a plushie, no more.

Author's Note:

”The True friends who love you, are the ones that forever stay by your side in the journey of life.”
-Nathan Hon

This story is dedicated to my best friend in real life. (I wouldn’t show her name of course.) To that person (If you’re reading this), I wish to thank you. Thank you for your kindness and your friendship. It means a lot to me, when someone is willing to stand up for me. It is you who gave me so much confidence to show who I am, no matter on or off FimFiction.

Hope you enjoyed this, it was pretty fun to write.

This is the link if you want to know what the song “You” sang was.