Out of the Mirror, into the Fire

by Moonbeam Thought Writes

Is this an ‘Us’?

Pinkie Pie strode through the dark forest, dejected. Applejack trotted beside her, and Spike trailed behind. How had she lost Twilight? She was wearing her special detective hat! She had been using her special magnifying glass! And yet the lavender alicorn had eluded the search party.

Her mane, while still puffed and curly, had fallen to the side of her head, the miniature deerstalker still nestled within it’s hot pink clouds. Her tail, while still bouncy and fun, dragged across the ground. A frown took up most of Pinkie’s face, which was disconcerting, even for Pinkie.

“Aww, sugarcube, Ah’m sure Twi’s just fine. She’s an alicorn. You an’ me both know she can handle herself out there. She’s taken on some o’ the biggest bads Ah’ve ever seen. Don’ worry ‘bout her.” Applejack tried to reason with Pinkie.

Pinkie sighed. “I know, I know. But what if she’s lost?! Or hurt?! Or needs our help?! Argh I can’t stop worrying about her!”

As she talked, Pinkie’s mane seemed to lose some of it’s volume, looking flatter by the second. Noticing this, Spike stepped in to try and prevent a full-on Pinkamena episode.

“C’mon Pinkie, if there’s anything being Twilight’s assistant for so many years has taught me, is that she can handle herself. My guess is that she’s just found some rare plant, or strange magic worth checking out. Like AJ said, don’t worry about her. In fact, she’s probably back in that clearing we had the party in.”

Pinkie didn’t respond, her head just hanging lower. The many lights of the fairy lights and fireflies of the clearing pierced through the trees, and the low sounds of music and laughter finally reached her ears, as the trio grew closer to the clearing.

Stepping past the tree line into the clearing, Pinkie’s head rose to look at the creatures milling about the clearing. Rarity was standing over by the food with a very intoxicated Rainbow Dash. Fluttershy was gazing over at the pair, a sad longing written clearly across her face. But most importantly, a lavender alicorn stood with her back to Pinkie, silhouetted by light and colour from around the grove, reminding Pinkie of an angel descended from The Elysian Fields,

At the sight of her friend, safe, sound and not lost or in danger, Pinkie’s frown lifted slowly into a smile, and her mane and tail rose to their usual cheeriness. But something niggled in the back of her brain. Why did Twilight look so shocked? And why did Pinkie’s heart beat that much faster now she was around Twilight? But the biggest question yet to be answered was undoubtably this: why did Twilight run away from the kiss?

“Hey uh, Pinkie, I, um have something to tell you.” Twilight’s voice suddenly sounded so quiet.

From across the clearing, Rarity’s ears pricked up and she turned to face Twilight, a slight smile forming on her face.

Twilight tried again, louder this time. “Pinkie. I- I need to tell you something!” She practically yelled.

“Yeah, what do you wanna tell me?” Pinkie replied.

“Can we- can we go somewhere else?”

“Are ya sure ya can’t just tell ‘er here? Ya know ya can trust us, Twi.” Applejack piped up.

“No, no it’s fine, if Twilight wants to tell me somewhere else, I’ll go somewhere else with her!” Pinkie chirped.

Her heart rate picked up a little, almost minutely, at the thought of being alone with Twilight. What did Twilight want to tell her? It was probably the reason she ran out on spin the bottle. Or maybe she discovered a delicious recipe for cupcakes! Pinkie hoped it was cupcakes, as much as she wanted to hear the reason Twilight ran off. Muffins were good too, she supposed.

Twilight nodded at Pinkie, before glancing over at the far side of the clearing. The unspoken words in her gaze made it clear where else she wanted to go: into the forest. By now it must have been around seven at night, and the Everfree wasn’t getting any less spooky. Pinkie’s eyes widened and she shook her head. Twilight’s eyes drooped, and she seemed to silently plead with the pink mare. A small frown started to form on Twilight’s face, and Pinkie relented. She sighed softly. Ok. They would go back into the woods. She nodded at Twilight, and Twilight seemed to breathe a sigh of her own, one of relief.

The lavender pony turned and walked across the clearing, Pinkie trailing behind her. Rarity gave a nod of approval to Twilight as she passed, and Applejack shouted something about caution from behind her. When the two approached the ring of trees surrounding the clearing, Pinkie started to have second thoughts. She had been in those woods once already that night, and that had had it’s fair share of spiderwebs and sticks that crunched beneath one’s hoof. Ah well. She hoped that cupcake recipe was well worth it. As she stepped through the barrier of dark trees that separated the serenity of the clearing and the gloomy uncertainty of the forest, Twilight began to speak.

---

Some years ago. Moondancer.

“You know, you aren’t the first pony I’ve fallen for. You certainly aren’t the greatest. In fact, I don’t even know why I love you!
You are always so cold. Why do you keep shutting me out Twilight? I can be here for you! I want to be here for you! Why won’t you let me love you…”

Even longer ago. Fancy Pants.

“I do say, Twilight, you may be a fantastical sorcerer, but you are an awful lover! You just can’t take your eyes off that mare Moonprancer or whatever her name was! I can’t believe you! Out with you! Out, I declare! This relationship is OVER!”

So many years ago now. Rosy Shade.

“Twi, why can’t you just be content with me? I feel so far away from you… And you keep getting further. I love you. At least I want to… if you keep pushing me away, this whole thing we have, yeah it’s going to be over. Please Twilight don’t do this!

Back, back and further back. So many spurned, scorned and broken hearts. How many nights had Twilight spent in tears? When was it that she finally asked Cadence for a spell to take away the pain of a broken heart? Of many broken hearts? She had been so horrified at the request.

And now it was going to happen all over again. Pinkie Pie. Twilight hoped beyond all hopes and dreamed beyond all dreams this would be different. Hoped that her eyes wouldn’t wander once again. Dreamed that she wouldn’t grow too cold again. Hoped and dreamed that this would finally be The One That Worked.

It had to. She couldn’t keep doing this to all those ponies, to herself.

---

As the pair walked on through the forest, Twilight spoke. She explained everything that had happened to her since that fateful kiss in the human world. Her thoughts, feelings, everything. She could feel Pinkie behind her, listening. When Twilight talked about her feelings for Pinkie, she could hear the hoofsteps behind her slow. Her heart cracked a little at the thought of whatever negative response the pink pony would give her.

Finally, when her tale finished and her words dried up, she stopped, and turned to face Pinkie. This was it. It was finally time.

“Pinkie, I… will you- will you- I mean- well I- would you- can you consider- I-“

Pinkie cut her off. “Twilight, I would, gladly. Love to go out with you I mean. I think I might be in love you too! Ooooooooooh! Let’s throw a newly-coupled-couples party! We can invite the other new loves from Ponyville! This. Is. So. EXCITING!”

Well. That actually went well. Marefriend: Achieved. Now all Twilight had to worry about was actually keeping this relationship.

It would work.

It had to work.

Why wouldn’t it work?

Author's Note:

Whoooooooo! You’ve made it to the bottom of another chapter!
Cheers to my friends for being delightful people, and cheers to all you for reading this far into this madness!
Glory to Luna the Eternal Empress of Night, and see you next time.
-MT