A collection of short prompts all featuring Pinkie X Twilight, totally not stolen from the FlutterDash and Rarjiack groups, who totally didn't steal it from the AppleDash group or anything...
Twinkie prompts that are 100-500 words long written by many talented authors and put together into a collection for the very first time! (Credit goes to the AppleDash group, who started it all)
If you want to join in on the collab, click here to read the rules and join in on the fun!
So who's ready to eat - I mean, read, - some Twinkies?
“I wonder if Twilight would like this one…” Pinkie wondered as she grabbed a snow globe off the shelf. Their one-year anniversary was tomorrow, and she wanted to get the perfect gift for her marefriend. Twilight had always given Pinkie awesome presents—like the first time she didn’t give her a book. It had been Pinkie’s birthday, a couple of months since they’d started going out. Back then, Twilight had gone out of her way to bake a cake that was pink with purple icing.
It may not have tasted like the best cake ever, but it was the best gift Pinkie had ever received.
She handled the snow globe in her hooves gently, trying to decide if this one was the way to go. Inside, two ponies were holding each other with mutual expressions of tenderness. When flipped upside down, the snowflakes made it seem like they were dancing.
Pinkie smiled as she imagined her and Twilight doing the same thing.
Then, Pinkie trotted up to the counter of the store and placed the snow globe atop it. As the price tag had suggested, she placed six bits beside it.
“Have a special somepony, do you?” the elderly mare asked as she noticed which snow globe Pinkie had picked out.
“Yeah,” she replied fondly, “And she’s the most important pony in the world to me.”
The clerk chuckled as she put the bits into a bag Pinkie guessed was her wallet. Her eyes were kind when they met Pinkie’s again. “I see. Would you like to add a note to that as well?”
“Um…” Pinkie tapped a hoof to her chin for a few moments before coming to a decision. “Sure! How much do I owe you, then?”
“Don’t worry about that, it’s free. Now, what would you like it to say?” She pulled out a small sheet of paper and a feather.
Pinkie didn’t hesitate to answer. “I love you, Twilight. I hope we’re together for forever and ever.”
The older mare began writing in the neatest hoofwriting Pinkie had ever seen, even though she was using a hoof. “Might your special somepony be Twilight Sparkle?”
Pinkie found herself blushing, but didn’t say anything. The cashier smiled fondly. “I thought so. She came here just the other day looking for a snow globe, too. Said it was for the most beautiful mare in the world. Don’t tell her I told you, now.”
Pinkie wondered if Twilight had gotten a snow globe for their anniversary, too. “That can’t be right… She’s the most beautiful mare in the world.”
“Yes, well, you can correct her after your anniversary.” The elder wrapped up the snow globe and attached the note to it. Then, she grabbed a bag and put the gift into it so it was out of sight.
“Wait, how did you know it was our anniversary?” Pinkie asked, her eyebrows knitting together. The cashier only smiled and gave her the bag.
“Good luck for tomorrow, dear.”
With that, Pinkie ended up outside of the shop, unsure of what had just happened. Usually, she was the one who confused other ponies. Pinkie shrugged it off and made her way to Sugarcube Corner, thoughts of Twilight and tomorrow running around her mind.
It was the big day, but Pinkie wasn't excited. It was odd for her. Pinkie was always excited for something. Good weather, bad weather, holidays, regular days, new friends, old friends, fresh sweets, sweets she found while cleaning out under her bed, it didn't matter to her.
Pinkie watched as her hooves shook. Not from a sugar rush or from a cup of coffee, but from fear.
Pinkie gave a half hearted laugh that sounded more like a sob. Her hooves shook more. This wasn't something she could just giggle away.
Her left nostril itched. Five minutes. She only had five minutes.
There was a knock at the door.
"Pinkie? Darling, are you okay?" Rarity asked.
"Oh, I'm fine Rarity! Just making sure that my mane is the most Pinkie-ist and perfect-ist it can be!"
"Alright, but do hurry!"
Pinkie half heartedly moved her limp hair away from her face. Something fell out, no longer held by her curls. It was a card.
The note shook as she picked it up and read it. It wasn't much, just a short poem.
Rose are red and violets are blue
I've never said it, but Pinkie, I like you
Pinkie smiled. She closed her eyes and pulled the note closer to her.
Pinkie jumped to her hooves, stashing the note in her mane. Hooves steady she pulled open the door and headed out.
"Oh, thank heavens. You're just in time." Rarity paused. "Are you ready?"
"You betcha!" Pinkie nearly sang.
"Well then, here we go!"
Pinkie walked with a calmness that was rare, moving her hooves in time with the music. The ponies on either side of her were smiling as they watched her. She was careful not to step on her dress.
She almost stopped when she turned her eyes to look to the far end of the room.
There was Twilight, waiting for her with glistening eyes.
Pinkie wasn't afraid or scared. No, Pinkie was excited.
After another horrifyingly stressful day as a princess of Equestria, there was nothing more that Twilight Sparkle loved to do than curl up in her warm bed under the sheets with a stack of books next to her, and she would read them one by one. The adventure stories captured her mind and held it, not letting it go, while the comedy stories had her snorting so loud that Spike would wake up and yell at her to be quiet. But the romance stories…ah, the romance stories were pure gold. The passionate words spoken by the lovers, the wonderful interactions that they had…
…Twilight wanted to feel that someday. And she knew exactly which pony she wanted to feel it with.
Pinkamina Diane Pie, or perhaps more commonly known as Pinkie Pie, Ponyville’s craziest party pony.
Some might wonder at the princess choosing this particular pony, but for the last few months, Pinkie had certainly made a lasting impression on Twilight. Her clinginess and random yet heartfelt statements made her chest throb until she was sure her heart would explode straight out of it. Her sparkly blue eyes made her want to embrace that adoring pink equine.
But her only question was: Did Pinkie return the feelings?
Twilight closed her book, lost in her train of thought. Immediately she knew what she had to do.
She had to conduct a test. And not just any test. A test of romance, of skill, and of heart.
A test to see if Pinkie Pie loved her back.
Part One of the test was to send flowers. Flowers and an anonymous note. That always worked in the books. Twilight narrowed her eyes in concentration as she levitated the bouquet into perfect formation on the doorstep of Sugarcube Corner. A single bead of sweat trickled down the side of her face as the flowers shifted ever so slightly to the left…
“Hiya, Twilight!”
The alicorn shrieked and leapt about a foot in the air, whipping around to see none other than Ponyville’s proclaimed pink party pony standing in front of her with a wide grin. “P-Pinkie Pie! What’re you doing?”
“Following you, silly-filly Twilight!” Pinkie giggled. “What’re you doing with those flowers?”
Heat flooded to Twilight’s face before she knew what was happening; she flattened her ears back, heart suddenly pounding. “…testing something?” she croaked, because that was true.
“Can I see?”
Before Twilight could answer, Pinkie had already bounced over to the flowers and sniffed them, breathing in the scent with a contented sigh. “Preeeetty…Ooh, a note~!” With a little giggle she plucked it out from between the flowers.
The alicorn’s heartbeat, if possible, quickened.
“Pinkie, no! Don’t read tha—”
“If your eyes are blue, they’re the best kind of blue, the one that makes me shudder with delight and say…” Pinkie looked up, and stared straight at Twilight, apparently having memorized the last three words already. They were relatively easy to remember, after all. The most common phrase in romance stories. “…I love you.”
Twilight had no idea what to say; her mind felt as blank as a sheet of parchment just waiting to be written on. “Pinkie…I…” she managed to get out, and then blanked again when she felt pink arms wrapping around her neck in a tight embrace.
“Twilight,” Pinkie whispered in her ear, a breath, a simple word. “Why do you think I was following you today, silly filly?” She snuggled harder, and Twilight’s heartbeat, for the third time, increased. “I was going to tell you the same thing.”
The scene following was more or less like a scene in one of the romance books Twilight had read, yet it was so much better because it was so real. She could smell the sweets in Pinkie’s mane and breathe in the essence of the pony now pressing her lips to hers, and all she could think beyond the pure ecstasy was test complete.
Twilight was having a good time. After her coronation, it was once in a blue moon that she got the chance to just go out and have fun; papers always seemed to be calling her name. But Princess Celestia figured that her student needed some time off and had all of her friends make the trip to Canterlot—even Pinkie.
Especially Pinkie.
Twilight took a sip of her drink and smiled. Pinkie was the most amazing pony of them all. The alicorn knew about all of her nuances, the little things she did, and yet they still eluded her. Pinkie withheld her curiosity unlike any study she’d ever commenced before, and loving her was more fun than reading Starswirl’s reports concerning magical theory over and over again.
“So, how much are you guys willing to bet that stallion’s staring at Twilight?” Rainbow’s voice interrupted Twilight’s musings. The loud music was distracting, but her friend’s words rang through her head like a bell.
“Which stallion?” Rarity glanced around at the other tables and the dance floor. Dash poked a hoof at her shoulder and nodded toward the bar counter.
“Over there. The one with the weird hat.” Twilight gulped and slowly glanced over to where Rainbow was indicating. The male had the same body figure that Big Mac had, though his attire suggested he was nothing like the Apple. A black top hat rested atop his head, and when his gaze met Twilight’s, he winked.
Twilight blushed immediately.
“Oh my goodness, he’s coming over here!” Fluttershy whispered fervently.
Within a few seconds, the stallion was standing beside Twilight. “Would you care for a dance?”
The alicorn didn’t know what to say. Unluckily for her, Applejack pushed her toward the stranger. “Go ahead, Twi. Ain’t gotta worry about us.”
“Oh, um, I guess you’re right.” Twilight said awkwardly as she was forced to take the stallion’s hoof and walk over to the dance floor.
Pinkie’s lips curled down slightly as her gaze followed Twilight onto the dance floor. The alicorn was getting the week off to spend time with her friends, not some random stallion.
Just whose idea was it to come to this place?
“Hey, Pinkie, you okay? You’re kinda quiet all of a sudden.” Rainbow asked with a raised eyebrow. Pinkie tore her eyes away from Twilight and forced a smile onto her face.
“What’re you talking about? I’m fine, silly!” The pegasus seemed relieved by this answer, and went back to detailing her latest prank to their other friends. Pinkie looked back at the two dancing ponies with a deeper frown.
The longer they were out there, the more annoyed Pinkie became.
Finally, she’d had enough.
Pinkie stood up and trotted toward the dance floor, earning looks of confusion from the other ponies at the table.
“Twilight,” she interrupted the two’s conversation, “Would you mind having a dance with me? You only promised him one dance, and he’d be a real meanie pants if he made you stay for more.”
The alicorn adopted a smile, relief flooding into her features. “Sure, Pinkie. I’d love to.”
As far as trees go it was a nice tree. I mean it wasn't exactly too tall or very impressive, but it was nice. I might be thinking too much into it. Pinkie and I've been coming here for months now; I guess it has some sentimental value to it.
Granted Pinkie is far better at climbing it than me. She kind of leaps from branch to branch like a spring board whereas I struggle to pull myself up onto the first branch without a helping hoof. However once we get to the top we just sit there, looking out across the shores of Lake Saddle.
We don’t really talk much, we just sit there. It’s hard to explain but sometimes it’s nice to enjoy each other’s company. That came off more cliché that I was hoping for. I guess that’s something ponies in love do.
And yes, Pinkie and I have been going out for some time now. And yes again, I asked her.
So here we are again, sitting out in this tree looking out across the glittering lakeside, the grass a silky gold. Pinkies face had her usual smile etched on her face, although it was far more calm and relaxed. Most unexpected however was when her eyes shot opened and she leapt to her hooves.
“Oh oh oh, I almost forgot! I got something for you today Twi and I know you’ll just love it. “She bounced happily up and down on the branch, forcing me to quickly cling onto it at fear of tumbling to an unfortunate death.
“Ah... Pinkie.”
“Oops, sorry Twi! What was I saying again? That’s right; close your eyes!” Her smile reached from ear to ear, barley containing her excitement without bouncing till the branch snapped.
“Alright, eyes are shut.” I closed my eyes and listened for what happened next. I’m a bit surprised when I hear Pinkie climb off further up the tree, her weight easing off the branch. If I could see the look on my face it would probably be rather confused.
“No peeking!” Okay so she isn’t as far away as I thought. Maybe a few branches up, but it’s hard to tell without sneaking a look.
“Okay, you can open them.” But taking my first look I could see nothing, just a bunch pine needles. But from above dipped Pinkie Pie, hanging onto the branch above her with her hooves. Her mane was flopped from her peculiar upside-down position, forcing me to giggle slightly. In Pinkies mouth was gripped a small box, her voice muffled by the funny object.
“Swupwize!”
Then it dawned on me. Actually that’s an understatement; it hit me like a sonic rainboom. The Watergates open and my eyes start to well up. Despite how silly she looked with her mane like it was and hanging from a branch she was so adorable.
“Twilite, woub yu marre me pweabe?”
Lifting a slow hoof I took the small box from her mouth. I flicked back to lid and draw small a gasp. The jewel was carved into the shape of a six pointed star shining a brilliant pink and lined with sparkling silver and gold. Levitating the precious item from its box I liet it slip down to its resting place upon my horn.
“Yes… I do, I do! I do!” I couldn’t hold back. I practically leap at her, planting my lips on hers and drawing her into this kiss further. It’s messy and awkward, what with her being upside down and all, but I love every moment of it. I love her.
We separated from our intimate session to gaze into each other’s eyes, unable to fully break the lock we had. Eventually Pinkie broke the silence with a small giggle, earning one from me in return.
“Love you Twi.”
“I love you too Pinkie.”
“So who’s gonna tell the others.”
“I think we can wait a while to tell them while you’re still here.”
“Ugh, I hate these things!” Twilight exclaimed suddenly, pushing herself up onto the bed and glaring at her wings. Even though it’d been a week since she’d gotten them, she still couldn’t get any sleep.
“Mmm… What’s wrong?” Pinkie rolled over so she was facing Twilight, her eyes half closed. Twilight felt bad for having woken up her marefriend for the third night in a row, but knew she couldn’t help it.
“I’m sorry… It’s just that I still can’t get these wings to work! I’m going to go insane if I don’t start getting any sleep.” She moved so she was on her haunches before trying to force her wings to her sides. Just when she’d thought it was working, they snapped back open.
Twilight groaned.
“Here, let me help you.” Pinkie said with a yawn. She sat up too. “Lay down on your tummy.”
Twilight did as she was told, her wings remaining upright all the while. Pinkie stepped over her marefriend and relaxed herself into a seated position on her lower back. The pink mare pressed her hooves into the sleep-deprived pony’s fur.
Pinkie’s massage relaxed all of Twilight’s muscles to the core, and the alicorn was reminded of her fatigue. Still though, her wings were uncomfortably rigid, and she couldn’t sleep that way.
“Thanks, Pinkie,” Twilight sighed with contentment, “This feels great, but I don’t think it’s helping with my wings.”
“Shh,” the other mare whispered, “Just let me take care of it, okay?”
Twilight nodded slightly, allowing her eyes to close shut. Pinkie’s hooves really were just like magic—she always knew exactly which places to press into.
“Once upon a time…” Pinkie began, her hooves never slowing. “There was a princess. She was a super duper pretty princess; the prettiest of them all. Her name was Twilight. But she was sooo pretty that all the guys always fought for. But there was this knight named Pinkie, and she was the best of them all.”
Twilight smiled into the pillow her head rested on. Pinkie’s hooves moved so she was massaging the area between her wings. “One day, Princess Twilight was captured by the mean old sorceress, Trixie, and taken to her evil tower of wickedness. Knight Pinkie went to save her, and was able to beat Trixie so fast she didn’t even remember it the next day! Pinkie took the princess back to the castle and read her stories every night so she wouldn’t be scared of the evil Trixie, and so she wouldn’t get lonely. They lived happily ever after.”
The alicorn felt her wings start to relax, but she was so tired she barely noticed. Her wings finally rested themselves against her sides, and Twilight started to drift off into dreamland.
“I love you, Twilight,” was the last thing she heard before she fell into a deep sleep.
“W-What do you mean, leaving for two years? Excuse my rudeness, Princess, but…two whole years? I’m afraid I just don’t understand your…your logic here!”
“Twilight, I know it’s hard to take in, but—”
“Leaving my friends for two years so soon after I’ve entered a new relationship?” The purple alicorn princess known as Twilight Sparkle glared at her mentor, violet eyes glistening with tears of hurt. “It’s not easy to take in at all!”
Celestia grimaced and looked away. “Twilight, you must understand. A diplomatic meeting is necessary for a brand new princess. Cadance had to go through the same thing when she was crowned. You’ll see them again in two years.” The white alicorn kneeled down and placed one wing over Twilight’s back; the lavender alicorn was shuddering with sobs rippling throughout her body, one after another. “You must leave for the Griffon Kingdom at eight. I’ll give you a few hours to say goodbye.”
She stood outside Sugarcube Corner with dread hanging over her, like a cloud, perhaps, knowing that all of her friends were inside. Laughing, playing, whispering, dreaming. Not knowing of what was about to befall them.
A single tear fell from Twilight Sparkle’s eye.
She pushed open the door.
All movement inside instantly froze, then resumed with a burst of pure joy when they saw who it was. “Twilight! You’re missing all the best stuff!” Rainbow crowed, ruffling the alicorn’s mane with one hoof good-naturedly.
Rarity nodded, blue eyes dancing with eagerness. “Yes, the party games are extravagant!” She shuddered with delight. “You simply must try Pinkie’s rendition of Pin-the-Tail-on-the-Pony!”
Pinkie.
There she was, spinning around, blue eyes lit up with pure delight at her recently-announced marefriend. Without any thinking about the matter whatsoever she drew Twilight in for a quick peck on the lips and giggled. “Hiya, Twily! Ready for the party?”
Twilight’s eyes widened, and she felt like she was going to throw up. “Well…not really.”
“What?” Pinkie’s eyes also got wide, and maybe even a little hurt. “Why, Twilight?”
“Well…” Another tear fell, then another, and another, and then she was crying so hard that the others were gathering around, and by the time Twilight was done speaking, they were all crying (except for Rainbow Dash, who only leaked a few tears but would never even admit to that).
Eight o’clock. Twilight Sparkle stood on the outskirts of Equestria, staring out at the lands beyond. Behind her stood her five best friends in the whole world, plus Spike, who was atop Rarity’s back and was still crying. Twilight tried not to look at them. It made the whole thing harder.
But she was forced to when Pinkie whipped her around and gave her a long, passionate kiss; the others watched in silent sympathy, knowing how hard it was for the two who had only just gotten together to be separated so soon.
Celestia’s voice echoed behind her. “It is time to go, Twilight.”
The alicorn broke apart from her marefriend, staring out at the others. “I’ll miss you all,” she whispered, eyes still brimming with tears, and then looked at Pinkie, embracing the pink earth pony one last time. “I promise I will.”
The last word they all heard her say before she vanished over the hilltops, Celestia at her side, was “Goodbye.”
Rainbow Dash could be heard from across town screaming for Ponyville's resident party addict. Twilight jumped as the voice broke her out of 'Transdimentional Theory of Crystal Pony Anatomy', which was now resting on the floor.
Looking around Twilight scanned the library's main room for the pink mare in question. After a moment of fruitless searching she reached out her magic to retrieve her book. After getting less than a few feet off the ground it was promptly dropped again as the library's door slammed shut startling Twilight in to giving a small yell.
Pinkie zipped over to Twilight before she had time to register anypony had entered the room. "Oh, Twilight!" Pinkie was suddenly snout to snout with Twilight, "I'm glad to see you finally stopped reading. I mean, not that reading is a bad thing, it makes you the absolutely adora-riffic bestest Twilight I know. That's not to say i dont like my other friends named Twilight! Twilight Sprinkles is so fun, and Twilight Velvet and Shining Twilight and Dusk Shine and Tara-"
Twilight, Sparkle of course, put her hoof over Pinkies mouth. Even after two years of living together twilight still had trouble keeping up with pinkie some times. She would never complain of course, Pinkie still made her smile and that was all she ever asked for.
"Pinkie, what happened?" Twilight put her hoof down as she asked.
"Well you see: I was trying to get you out of your book because i had something super duper special to show you but you were in "No Nonsense Sparkle Butt" mode and you couldn't hear anything i said!" Twilight blushed, she secretly liked the silly nicknames Pinkie gave her but sometimes they were a little embarrassing. "So I thought to myself, "Self, we need something to get Twilight back to "Regular Adorkabe Princess" mode" but i couldn't thing of ANYTHING!" Then i had the greatest idea! who is good at getting ponies attention? The Rootinist, Tootinist, Faster than a speeding thunderbolt, Rainbow Dash!"
"I guess that makes sense, in a Pinkie Pie sort of way" Twilight giggled, "Now that you have "princess-noncence-reading-socks... ummm. Now that you have me why did you want me?" It was Pinkie's turn to giggle this time as Twilight attempted to join in on her silliness.
"This!" Pinkie leaned in and gave twilight a light kiss. Time stood still for Twilight, Pinkie still made her heart flutter and her head light. "Happy twenty-seven weeks before our anniversary!" Pinkie whispered as she pulled away.
"Have I told you today how much i love you Pinkie?" It was a rhetorical question but Pinkie didn't care, "Only four times today but it's still only the afternoon" She said with a smile.
Twilight looked around realizing something, "Where is Rainbow Dash?" she asked. Looking back at pinkie she had a bad feeling. Pinkie was grinning in a way that only Pinkie could do, from ear to ear.
The door burst open to reveal the most ridiculous sight Twilight had ever seen. Rainbow Dash was wearing a dress, but not any dress this was a dress from Rarity's "FABULOUS" collection. It had bows and ribbons, three pounds of lace, and to top it all off Rainbow was wearing a frilly bonnet that Granny Smith might have worn.
Twilight fell over laughing, Pinkie could always make her smile.
It was supposed to be a fling, nothing more. It was supposed to be two ponies getting together for a night of fun, no strings attached. Apparently Pinkie was used to fun between friends, so everything would go smoothly. It was supposed to be a fling, so why did Twilight’s heart race whenever Pinkie caught her eye and grinned? Why did her legs and wings tremble whenever Pinkie laughed, or brushed up against her on their way to the next bar? Why couldn’t she stop the bright blush that burned its way embarrassingly across her muzzle, or the dopey little smile that wandered off and on her face at its own pace? It was just supposed to be a fling.
“How’re ya holding up?” Pinkie asked. Her face as she looked Twilight over. Twilight blinked against the haze of mild drunkenness and refocused her eyes. Too much confusion and wild happiness and a strange, deep loneliness sloshed around inside her, and she wasn’t sure if she’d laugh or scream or cry the moment she opened her mouth.
“I’m drunk,” she slurred, halfway to a whimper. There was so much noise and color around them, and somehow Twilight couldn’t bear to meet Pinkie’s eyes, her wonderful, bright blue eyes. Eyes were hard, sometimes. They always carried so many emotions, so many expectations. “Wanna go home,” she finished, turning carefully around to where the library would stand in the evening light, if she could take her eyes off the ground. Ground was nice and simple. Ground didn’t ask questions or bring up strange, confusing emotions.
And suddenly Pinkie’s gentle hoof lay itself across Twilight’s withers, and much of the confusion melted away from the warmth of it. Twilight’s dopey little grin was back, and she nuzzled into Pinkie’s strong chest earnestly, inhaling the faint aroma of vanilla that perpetually surrounded her. “Alright,” Pinkie soothed. “I’ll walk you home, and we can maybe talk some more?” Twilight nodded, her face still firmly pressed against Pinkie’s delightful coat. Warm tears prickled her eyes and flowed silently down her cheeks, into Pinkie’s fur, and Twilight didn’t know quite why. She let Pinkie guide her down the street, finally moving her eyes back to the road before them.
Pinkie got her a glass of water, and then another and another still. Twilight drank them all, feeling the strange shakiness and the haze of alcohol begin to fade away. Twilight smiled again, and looked Pinkie straight in her loving, concerned blue eyes. “Alright,” Twilight rasped. “Can we talk now?”
Pinkie smiled and sat down a hoof’s length from Twilight. “Okay, Twi-twi,” Pinkie said. Her voice always hinted at laughter and music. Her voice was nice. “I guess I’m a little confused here,” Pinkie admitted. “You asked me out for drinks, and then you weren’t having a very good time. Did I do something wrong?”
Twilight shook her head so hard that she almost fell over. “No, it’s just me being dumb again,” she answered. “You’re great, Pinkie. You’re perfect, okay?” Pinkie scooched a little closer and lay a steadying hoof on Twilight’s side.
“What do you mean, you being dumb again?” she asked, her bright eyes clouding in confusion. Twilight whimpered and looked at the floor. The floor didn’t get worried. The floor was nice. “Twilight, you’re scaring me,” Pinkie whispered, scooching even closer, to where Twilight could feel the heat radiating from her.
“Tonight...” Twilight began. She had to say something, because Pinkie was worried. She swallowed and tried again. “Tonight was supposed to be...” She couldn’t finish the sentence, couldn’t force that word past her tight, aching throat. Twilight broke into tears, shuddering sobs that tore through her from her chest to her head and down through her wings and tail.
Suddenly Pinkie was holding her tight, whispering something into her ear. She couldn’t hear it over the wailing sobs that still came from her throat, unwanted and confusing, bit it helped a bit. More than a bit, really. Eventually, Twilight calmed down, fell into sniffles and shudders instead of the horrible weeping from before. She turned and hugged Pinkie back, snuggling forcefully into Pinkie’s embrace, nuzzling up her neck, and bravely planting a little kiss onto Pinkie’s cheek. Pinkie smiled sweetly and returned the gesture, her wonderful blue eyes sparkling with a sweet, loving warmth. Twilight had never felt so exposed, so vulnerable, so close to anypony before. But she held Pinkie even tighter, looking gladly into Pinkie’s wonderful eyes, feeling years of loneliness and desperation melt away with each beat of Pinkie’s heart as it thudded against her chest so wonderfully. It was nice.
Slowly, inevitably, Pinkie’s eyes drooped lower and lower, her heart beat more slowly, and she soon let out little breathy giggles in her sleep, her hooves twitching and her nose wiggling adorably. It was supposed to be a fling, a little bit of fun between friends. But Twilight could feel the buzzing warmth on her cheek where Pinkie’s lips had touched it, and Twilight could feel the rightness of holding somepony and being held, the warmth and peace that came with it. She smiled gently as she watched Pinkie’s face twitching in phantom smiles, beautiful and warm in the lamplight from outside. It was supposed to be a fling, but Twilight knew she would ask for more than that in the morning. The library floor had never felt so comfortable and secure, and Twilight pulled Pinkie closer as she felt sleep overtake her, little by little like the ocean waves.
“Pinkie’s grandmother has been in town for the last three days, and we still haven’t been introduced.” Twilight dragged her hooves more than a little self-consciously as Rarity led her to Sugarcube Corner.
“If it means this much to you, dear, then all the more reason for me to walk you over so you two can sort this out. You and Pinkie have been seeing one another for almost a year now, and one would think that you two would be able to communicate a little better. “
Twilight huffed. “Pinkie Pie will always be Pinkie Pie. I gave up trying to understand her a long time ago.”
“Why dear,” Rarity gasped,” that’s just awful! Understanding your loved ones is key to any relationship, you know that.”
Twilight swung her head to the side to more closely observe the passing scenery, hoping that the beautiful Ponyville countryside would inspire her to some poetic response. “It isn’t like that, you know? Pinkie Pie is special and we’re just so…different. I tried for so long to understand her, but it’s only now that I’ve decided to just accept her without trying to analyze her behavior and nature that I’ve found that I can really enjoy our moments together. Sometimes I just think too much, Rarity, and I just worry…”
“…worry about what, dear?”
“Nothing, we’re here already.” Before the two mares stood the colorful Sugarcube Corner in all its sugary glory. The sweet smells permeating through the air only served to sour Twilight’s stomach.
“Indeed we are. Now go talk to her, Twilight, and clear this whole mess up.”
“I’m just here for my hat…” Twilight muttered, but proceeded into the store anyways. Last week Twilight had visited Pinkie and left her wide brimmed sunhat in her marefriend’s closet. These last few days Pinkie had been so distant. It made coming to get her hat difficult, but tomorrow she and Spike were supposed to watch Summer Sunflowers bloom. Spike would be fine, but her dark fur made direct sunlight for hours on end uncomfortable.
“Twilight!”
Almost immediately, her partner in pink bowled her over and planted a slightly exuberant and very wet kiss on her cheek. “I haven’t seen you in AAAAGES!”
The purple unicorn smiled tenderly despite herself. “I know Pinkie, but I know how busy you’ve been with your grandmother in town, and I didn’t want to impose. I just needed my sun hat from your closet and I’ll be out of your hair.”
“Oh,” Pinkie visibly deflated for just a moment before smiling again. “Are you going to see the Sumer Sunflowers bloom tomorrow? They’re the super duper-est sunflowers to bloom in the summer, so I’ll bet that’s what you’re doing! I’ll go grab it.”
“Oh, that’s okay. You’re working today, right? I’ll just run upstairs and get it, it’s no big deal.”
Pinkie hesitated. “Well, Granny Pie is up there right now, and-”
“Oh!” Twilight laughed nervously. “I get you. It might be a little awkward if I, a stranger to your grandmother, started going through your closet without a word of explanation right?”
“Umm…” Pinkie ummed.
“I mean, you probably put all of the stuff you don’t want your grandmother seeing in your closet, right? I mean, that’s where I used to hide all my embarrassing comic books from Princess Celestia when she would come visit me in the castle.”
“Ahh…” Pinkie ahhed.
“Yeah, your closet probably has all kinds of embarrassing things that you don’t want your grandmother to know about, so you hide them away and don’t talk to her about them for three days because it really embarrasses you and you don’t think she would approve of the way that you’re living your life here in Ponyville and the things in your closet aren’t…the prettiest or the most socially-”
“Twilight?” Pinkie smiled. “Would you like to meet my Granny Pie?”
“Oh…uh…” Twilight blushed. “…only if you don’t think I would embarrass you.”
“Of course not!” Pinkie embraced her. “I’m sorry I didn’t introduce you two sooner.” Bouncing up the stairs, Pinkie led Twilight up to her bedroom. “I was just unsure of…well, how to. You’re both so important to me that I wanted it to go right the first time!”
Throwing the door open, Pinkie gestured inside. “Twilight, meet Granny Pie, She the bestest, most old granny ever!”
“Pinkie, that’s-” Twilight started before catching herself. She almost said ‘a rock’ before realizing the shape Pinkie was gesticulating towards wasn’t a rock, but a tombstone. A large name and a small epitaph was inscribed on the tombstone, and Twilight was no fool.
“That’s…” Twilight couldn’t understand how Pinkie could smile so brilliantly or why she had brought her grandmother’s tombstone from her family’s rock farm to her little room in Sugarcube Corner to wrap in a blanket and place in a rocking chair. Maybe it had something to do with her family’s close relationship with rocks, or her being an earth pony and having an innate connection to soil and stone. Or maybe Pinkie Pie was certifiably insane.
Twilight didn’t understand, and she didn’t waste her time trying. Instead took a breath, smiled, and said, “That’s wonderful. I’m pleased to make her acquaintance.”
Pinkie’s smile in response set Twilight’s heart ablaze once more.
"IT'S DONE! IT'S FINALLY DONE!" Twilight screamed into the heavens. Laughing manically she reared onto her back hooves as thunder and lightning split the sky.
Twilight stood behind a large chemistry set bubbling and boiling. Liquid of many colors speed through the tubes and beakers at break neck speeds. While nopony could tell you what was in them everypony would tell you that if Twilight was making it then it was bad.
"Ask anypony on the street and they would tell you that Twilight Sparkle wasn't always the mad mare you see today. In fact, she was an upstanding member of the community who had saved, not just Ponyville, but all of Equestria more than once. Studying under the the hoof of the Solar Princess herself and spending her time with honest, loyal, kind and generous friends Twilight was the embodiment of harmony. A shining paragon of Equestria and all its achievements.
The history books say that a disagreement happened between the Princess and her loyal student but that's not what really happened. You see Twilight found a mare that she could not explain. Being a pony of the sciences she couldn't stand not knowing something, so she studied said mare. The more she saw the less she knew. Her friend could predict the future, see outside of this reality, be an entire marching band by herself. She was the most interesting mare in the world and Twilight Sparkle could never resist interesting.
Somewhere along the line Twilight fell in love with her friend, not even she could tell you where. She could never understand this mare no matter how hard she tried. I told her that using a scientific approach didn't work for everything but she never listens to me. Luckily our friend was smarter than the average pony and made a suggestion. No one expected one harmless suggestion to bring all Equestria so close to ruin.
This unpredictable, undefinable mare suggested that she help with Twilights current experiment, a device to harness and redirect lightning. While hesitant at first Twilight soon found that with the help of her new friend the laws of nature need not apply all the time. For the first time Twilight connected with the object of her affections an an equal. The less she thought of reality the more she found ways to connect with her friend, and soon after marefriend.
The two lovers broke every imaginable law from both nature and pony kind in their twisted courtship. They would make a stallion age in reverse in the morning only to bring back the dead that night. The two only got more depraved the farther they went, to them nothing was sacred but each other.
It could not last forever and too soon the Princesses had to intervene. Twilight was a powerful princess and could not be killed, however her lover could. The mare was not only taken away but removed from history, her name erased from everyponies mind, save the four princesses.
Twilight was too far gone to ever be brought back to reality, and if you ask me i think she doesn't want to come back, but without her marefriend she was missing half of every equation. The Princesses agreed that she could do no harm so they gave her back her old home in Ponyville. "It was easier than fighting" they said.
As for me? I think The Princesses are wrong."
"YOU SEE THIS BUTTON HERE?!?! I'M GONNA PRESS IT!" Twilight shouted to nopony in particular.
"That's my cue, the job of 'number one assistant' is never done."
“Pinkie Pie, would you do me a favor? Like, a really, really, really, huge favor that would totally help me out, but might change the rest of your life?”
Pinkie Pie wasn’t often interested in things that many ponies had to say. After all, none of them ever said anything as spectacular and bizarre as her, and she quite liked it like that. But this strange comment brought up by her wife, Princess Twilight Sparkle, made her curious. “I guess it depends on what kind of a huge favor it is! Is it a good huge favor or a bad huge favor? Is it a fun huge favor or is it boring, like watching paint dry in a room of your own clones who may or may not be you?”
Twilight blinked, cocking her head to one side. “What? Oh…good favor. Definitely good favor.”
Pinkie giggled, bouncing a little up and down. “Then tell me, silly-dilly!”
The alicorn took in a deep breath before releasing it slowly. “Well, Princess Celestia was at the Canterlot Orphanage, and she discovered a filly and a colt, cute little ones who looked like they needed a home. But she thought more of them. She could feel that something was special about them, and she felt her most faithful student would be able to figure it out. So she gave them to me.”
Pinkie tipped her head a little, curious as to where this conversation would lead.
“And with my new crazy life as a princess, I can’t really take care of them all the time. So I knew if there was one pony I could count on to take care of two foals…” Twilight placed her head on her wife’s shoulder. “It would be you,” she whispered.
Blue eyes went wide. “You want me to take care of two foals for you? Like…they could be ours?”
Twilight’s head jerked up, violet eyes shocked and a rosy pink blush on her cheeks. “Well…yeah, I guess so. Yeah, like our own foals.”
Pinkie’s grin spread from ear to ear. “Then what are we waiting for, silly? I want to meet them!”
Tears appeared in the corners of Twilight’s eyes; with a sigh of relief she embraced her wife in a tight grip. “The colt is a pegasus and the filly is an earth pony.”
“Can we call one of them Pink Frosting?” Pinkie asked immediately; Twilight looked up in surprise. “I’ve always wanted to name a little pony Pink Frosting! I mean, wouldn’t that just be the best name ever? It’s all like, ‘What’s your name?’ and the little one’s all like, ‘Pink Frosting, isn’t that cool?’ and on and on!”
Twilight shrugged, a soft giggle bubbling to the surface. “Sure…yeah. The colt is pink – we can call him Pink Frosting. Frosty for short, maybe.”
“I love it!” The pink earth pony began to bounce in circles around her wife, grinning like a madmare. “Do you want to name the filly, then?”
“Yes.” Twilight blushed. “I want to name her Sweet Pie. In honor of you.”
Before Pinkie could react, Twilight had used her magic to levitate her wife closer and enveloped her in a deep kiss. Pinkie’s mind exploded with joy and she returned it, wrapping one hoof around Twilight’s neck.
When they broke apart, they stared at each other for a minute, neither saying a word.
Then Pinkie spoke, her voice as bubbly and cheerful as ever.
“Pinkie, try and sit still. Your fidgeting is letting the cool air in.”
“I can’t help it, Twilight, the Moon is tickling me.” Pinkie Pie began to giggle as she allowed the warm blue blanket to slip completely off. She stood, smiling, against the light autumn breeze that swept over the hill.
Twilight glanced up from her telescope. “You’re just shivering from wind.”
Pinkie quickly inhaled a comically large lungful of air. “Twilight Sparkle! Can’t you feel the moonlight tonight? It’s so affectionate.” Pinkie giggled again while twirling around. Her tight pink curls bobbed tirelessly atop her head.
With only a brief moment to reflect on how lucky she had been to have Pinkie sit still even just long enough to introduce the pink party planner to the night sky through a telescope, Twilight was pulled bodily from beneath the warm haven of her blanket and into the brisk fall night. The sky around the two of them was as clear as polished crystal and Twilight took a moment to bask once more in the beauty of the brilliant night before Pinkie covered her eyes with a pair of pink hooves.
“You gotta close your eyes so you can feel the moonlight, Twilight.” Twilight took a deep breath as the cold air began to chew its way through her coat. She lightly brushed Pinkie’s hooves out of her eyes.
“It’s too cold for this tonight, Pinkie. I want to get back in our blanket. If you join me,” she tempted, “I’ll show you how Luna signed her recreation of the Mare in the Moon.”
“Just a little bit, Twilight! Pleeease? Close your eyes and feel the moonlight! Come on! Come on, come on, come on! Please please please please?” Taking advantage of Twilight’s refusal to close her eyes, Pinkie brought her head in close and made the saddest face she could. Her purple friend immediately began to feel uncomfortable and her face showed it.
“A-alright. Fine. If it means that much to you…”
“It does. Please?”
Pinkie’s face held so much sincerity, Twilight could only slowly close her eyes and shiver as she was caressed by the increasingly frigid weather. “What am I supposed to be-” Twilight felt a warm energy approach and shivered as it brushed lightly against her lips.
“Well?” she heard Pinkie whisper in her ear. “Didn't I tell you the moonlight was feeling affectionate tonight?”
A group of foals shuffled excitedly as they waited for the librarian. Weekly story time at the Golden Oaks Library had become something many of them anticipated. Treasures such as Daring Do were discovered and embraced. The group quieted down as the librarian approached, pulling a pillow with magic and getting comfortable. A cup of tea from Chineigh floated over in the shimmering aura.
“Today we’ll be hearing a story of two Ponyville heroes, Princess Twilight Sparkle and Pinkie Pie, the elements of Laughter and Magic.” The librarian paused for cheering. Taking a sip of tea for throat clearing, story time began.
Once upon a time there was a group of six friends. They held what are known as the Elements of Harmony and in their time they defeated many monsters to defend the land of Equestria. One of them, Twilight Sparkle, was the element of Magic. She could do many things, as she was also a scientist and scholar, but she was amazing with magic. Even though she was a powerful mage, the thing that she was first and foremost was a friend.
Pinkie Pie was more than a pony. She could be described as a force of nature. She could sing, dance, bake, build, create...she was amazing. She always had a song on her lips and joy in her heart, and would throw a party for anypony. When she and Twilight met, she knew that her life would be changed forever, but that never stopped her from making a new friend.
Things were great for the two ponies. Twilight learned to conquer more complicated magic and learn new things, and Pinkie Pie continued to spread joy by mastering baking. Then one day, things changed. Pinkie invited Twilight on a picnic and revealed a secret. That she was in love with her friend, and had hoped for a long time that they could be together. Sadly, Twilight didn’t feel the same way. She hadn’t ever thought about it before she said, and didn’t know how to handle it. Pinkie was upset, but she didn’t give up. She pushed aside her feelings and comforted her friend, and resolved to try again.
And that’s just what she did. She brought Twilight flowers and wrote her songs, and even took her flying on a machine she’d made herself. When the unicorn stayed up studying she brought snacks and even helped her find books. One night in winter while she was up late Pinkie had come by with her favorite muffins and a mug of hot cocoa. When she opened the door and saw a shivering earth pony, she knew she was loved, and said yes. She agreed to be with Pinkie, and the other mare was thrilled.
The pink pony was pleased that she didn’t give up, and that things worked out for the best. But then, things changed again. Her precious special somepony became a princess! Luckily for the two, there were already two princesses living in Canterlot, so Princess Twilight Sparkle was able to stay in Ponyville with her love.
In their time together many things happened. They raised two foals, given to them by the sun princess. They owned a bakery, run by Pinkie Pie with lots of parties thrown there. They even found a way to make the flying machines available for everypony. They spread joy wherever they went, and their lives were Laughter and Magic.
As a princess, Twilight began to realize that she was now able to live many lives of ponies, just like her mentors. While she looked the same, Pinkie and her foals continued to age. As an elderly mare she was still energetic, and still baked every day. Then came a day where Pinkie could bake no more. Twilight still loved her very much, and so made her a promise. That she would always love and cherish her, and that when her time as a Princess ended she would join her in Elysium where they could be together forever and laugh and play. Pinkie told her that she would wait for her faithfully, and with that promise, she closed her eyes forever.
Even though Twilight was sad, she was still happy. Pinkie Pie would wait for her and then they would be together, and she also vowed to make sure the world would know of the love and laughter her mare brought.
“It is said that Pinkie Pie waits for her still, and that as long as this story is told the Princess fulfills her promise anew.”
“Mister Igneous Armor, how’d’ya hear of this story? Is it in a book?” asked a cream colored colt in the middle of the group.
“That’s because these two are my great-great-great grandparents.”
Pinkie Pie was happily bouncing down Ponyville's main street. She called out to everypony, greeting and joking with them. Never had the element of laughter been so happy. There was no reason for her to be so happy but she was. It was like that story about the two ponies from different families that hate each other but they fall in love and kiss. She had gotten distracted and stopped reading after that but it seemed like things could only go up from there.
She was just about ready to start a musical number when she saw The Carousel Boutique, home and business to her good friend Rarity. "I should share my super-riffic happpies with her!" Pinkie thought out loud and quickly bounced toward said building. Humming to herself, trying to place just the right words for "The Amazing Edible Dress" song she burst through the door. Her heart stopped, Her music stopped and her bounce stopped, in mid-air.
Rarity was dancing with Twilight so close she could feel the magical mares breath on her back. It was delicious. "Left hoof first dear" she whispered as Twilight stumbled a bit. They swayed to the beautiful sound of the gramophone, there was nothing more she could ever want to do.
With every chance she got Rarity rubbed against Twilight. Dancing gave her many excuses to do so and it helped that Twilight was terribly socially unaware. "Twirl on this next part" the words dripping like honey into her partners ear. The door slammed as her partner grew very stiff. Rarity dared not turn around, her beautiful carriage had turned back into a pumpkin and she knew it. But she still did not move from Twilights side, she would hold on to this moment as long as fate would let her.
Twilight stared in horror as Pinkie burst through the door to The Carousel Boutique. Time froze as Pinkie was suspended in the air looking at her with confusion. Twilight felt like she was staring down a cockatrice she could not move and she could not look away as Pinkie came to the only conclusion. Gravity kicked back in and she fell to the floor. Her hair fell as well signifying the dreaded mood change as she galloped out of the door.
Twilight untangled herself from Rarity and chased after Pinkie as fast as she could. Rarity left alone fell to the floor tears silently fell to the floor. Frantic and desperate Twilight followed Pinkie at a full tilt but lost sight of her in the crowds of ponyvilles market but she knew where Pinkie would go.
Sugarcube corner was dark and silent as Twilight entered. She had been here so many times before that she knew her way around in the dark. Climbing the stairs she heard the one sound she dreaded, Pinkie was talking. "Madam le Flour your hat is so fetching! What? NO! WE DONT HAVE ANY OTHER GUESTS COMING! I dont care if you liked her... i did too..." Pinkie sobbed.
Pinkies room was set up in a tea party with all her inanimate friends. Twilight had seen this only once herself, and had been told of it once before, both were unpleasant circumstances. "Pinkie i-"
"No cheaters aloud!" Pinkie yelled as twilight stepped in the room. She quickly backed out. "It not what you think" Twilight said miserably letting some tears of her own fall. "What you weren't rubbing up on that... that... no good whorse!" Pinkie yelled "Pinkie! she's your friend! She was just teaching me to dance, for you i might add!" Twilight said with a mix of anger and despair. "For me?" Pinkie said in a little voice.
Rarity lay on her fainting couch with a bottle of jin and a tub of icecream. Reading a romance novel that really should have been considered adult literature. She knew it was selfish but she replaced the protagonists name with her own and her lover with Twilight. Yes, it would be another one of those nights.
This was of utmost importance. Twilight had never concentrated so hard in her life, for if she didn’t get this right, it could mean certain death for every single pony in all of Equestria.
And that was no joke. Princess Celestia had given her very specific directions about how to brew this potion and made sure to warn her of the dangers. By mixing these two elements, she would be recreating Starswirl’s masterpiece.
A potion that could grant you one wish.
And Twilight knew what she’d wish for. She’d dreamed about it almost every night, and besides… it’d be the only way. To get her.
The alicorn pushed all distractions to the back of her mind. The potion in front of her was in an unstable state, and if she didn’t pay attention, she could make a mistake. And a mistake that grand would be costly.
“Now, to mix in a griffon’s feather…” Twilight said absent-mindedly. She went over to her cabinet of materials and pulled out just what she needed. Slowly, she let it sink into the green concoction. It steamed, before suddenly turning red.
“All that’s left is to drink it. And then my biggest wish will come true…” Twilight gulped, but scooped up some of the liquid into a cup. It sparkled crimson and smelled awful, but that didn’t matter to her. This drink would make her the happiest pony alive.
She levitated the drink up to her lips and took in a shaky breath. She was so nervous, her hooves wouldn’t stop shaking. Finally, she was just about to take a sip, when suddenly—
Something crashed into Twilight. She and this other pony rolled a few feet, until the stranger had her pinned down. The potion she’d been about to drink splattered to the ground uselessly, where it dissolved into the floor.
“Don’t do it, Twilight! You can’t!” Pinkie pressed her hooves down on Twilight’s forelegs, effectively keeping her from moving.
“What’re you doing, Pinkie?!” The alicorn struggled against her constraints, glaring daggers up at the pony atop her. “Get off of me!”
“No, I won’t!” Pinkie shook her head vigorously, tears shining in her cerulean eyes, “Y-you’re making a mistake!”
“Why does it matter to you?” Twilight sniffled, turning her face away. “You already made your point clear enough, so just let me do this, okay?”
“I didn’t say for you to—“
“You said you weren’t into mares! How else was I supposed to take that?!” Twilight shouted. Tears streamed down her face. Pinkie’s expression quickly changed into one of sympathy.
“But I didn’t want you to try and change yourself into something you’re not. I don’t like stallions, either.” Twilight’s tears slowed, and her eyebrows drew together.
“What? I don’t understand; how can you reject me saying you don’t like mares and then turn around and say you don’t like stallions either?”
Pinkie leaned down and pressed her lips against Twilight’s. The alicorn’s eyes remained open while the earth pony’s were closed. Soon, she returned the kiss, though she still didn’t get it.
When they parted, Twilight was breathless. Pinkie gave her a small smile.
“I don’t like mares or stallions, Twi. I only like you.”
"Pinkie... I'm sorry, but again, no. I appreciate how you feel it's just... I'm not sure about how I feel, try again later, maybe?" Twilight slipped behind the door closing it behind her.
The pink party mares mane deflated with a woosh, and she looked down sadly. It was always the same, always 'later,' never just 'yes' or 'no'. Just false hope. She ignored the swooping sounds of the wings of a pegasus coming to a halt above, still paying close attention to the ground and firmly planted in the same spot.
"Hey Pinks, what's gotcha so down?" Rainbow Dash said, hovering over a cloud that was floating over Pinkie Pies head. Pinkie shook her head, "nothing..."
Rainbow looked at her friend worriedly and shrugged. She plopped down on the cloud and it began to pour rain from it, right onto the pink mares head. Rainbow rushed off the cloud and belted out multiple apologies, all of which were waved off by Pinkie. She tried to walk out from under the cloud, except it followed her, covering the ground around her in muck, 'I guess it fits my mood... Miserable...'
Pinkie Pie waved a half-hearted goodbye to her friend, and trudged through the mud towards the Cakes' house. Upon entering the home, she quickly made her way to the bathroom, and tried to drown her sorrows in a bubble-bath.
Pinkie felt something rub up against her hind legs, and slither up her side. She wasn't very surprised to see Gummy, her alligator, pop out of the suds near her face. He loved baths more then anything... Lucky...
"Oh Gummy, what should I doooo..." She said, hopelessly, rubbing the side of the gators head.
Using his usual response, he blinked twice. Pinkie facehoofed, "of course! Why didn't I think of it before!?"
She raced out of the tub, to get supplies before heading to Twilights.
"Pinkie... What are you doing now?" Twilight asked the sad looking mare suspiciously.
"Twi... Just... Listen," Pinkie pulled the guitar off from around her neck, and began to strum in a slow, steady rhythm.
"Oh, I've seen the moon shine Through your eyes. No one here to see me cry, Oh, am I still alive?
It felt like broken glass, In winters grasp I let my tears flow I watched them melt the snow, I didn't want to have to go.
Oh, I've seen the moon shine through your eyes. No one here to see me cry, Oh, am I still alive?
I'll wipe back all your tears, Even in one thousand years... I'd ignore times fears, With you so near.
Because I've seen the moon shine, Through your eyes. No one here to see me cry, I never wanted to say good bye, Oh am I still alive? Oh am I still alive...?"
Twilight looked at the pink party mare with tears in her eyes, and said, "yes."
Pinkie rushed forwards to embrace the lavender mare, and hesitantly begone to kiss her which Twilight welcomed.
Pinkie pulled back, gasping, "Twilight, three things. One, the cats were a lie. Two, why do you taste like licorice? And three, I love you."
Twilight blushed, "I... I love you too Pinkie." And quickly submerged her head into the poofed up curls that make up Pinkies mane, breathing in the bubble gum scent.
The autumn air was cold and crisp against Twilight’s mane and fur. The falling leaves each gave a little chorus of crunches when her hooves met the cobblestone while she cantered down the path, flanked on either side by trees withered by the season.
The tree line and narrow stone path eventually gave way to a clearing, furnished only by grass and populated only by tombstones. Each was very old by mortal standards, but the visiting immortal was their elder. Carved into each was a name and cutie mark very familiar to her, each one a unique, deep heartache unto itself, but she passed them by. That day was not their day.
Twilight reached her destination and sat herself down in the grass. Before her was an admittedly unremarkable tombstone. Not for lack of effort, but its owner had once refused to let Twilight commission a mausoleum like she deserved. Like all her friends deserved.
Pinkamena “Pinkie” Diane Pie The best of friends and a friend to all; the best wife a mare could ask for, but wed to only one. She will be missed.
Twilight let out a shaky sigh, straightening her spine and sitting up straight. Her horn glowed for a quick scan of the area. She was alone. Good. No witnesses.
The alicorn charged her horn once more, for a very different spell. She closed her eyes with a deep breath, letting the magic of the graveyard and surrounding forest flow in and around her, letting herself become a conduit for life lost and life born anew.
She didn’t allow herself to open her eyes until she heard a cute and familiar yawn whisper in her ears. Before her sat the specter of Pinkie Pie, her transparent soul the shape of the bouncy young mare she always was at heart. “Wow, has it been a year already?” the ghost asked, rubbing her non-eyes as if she’d simply been dragged out of bed on a Saturday and not summoned from the grave.
Twilight giggled softly. “It has. Have a nice rest?”
“As far as I can remember!” the perky pink pony exclaimed.
“Still can’t remember the other side, huh?” Twi asked, nuzzling the phantom. Pinkie’s cheek felt colder than the grave itself, but Twi had learned not to shiver so Pinkie wouldn’t worry.
“Nope!” the ghost giggled. “But that’s okay. What I’m leaving could never compare to what I have right here.” She leaned forward and gave the alicorn a frigid kiss. “Besides, I’ll be going back there soon, right?”
“Not as soon as usual,” Twilight said with a loving smile. “I’ve been practicing, and I think I can hold the spell for another hour.”
“That’s great!” She wrapped her spectral forelegs around Twilight in a tight hug, the cold chilling Twi right down to the soul but comforting all the same. “More time to spend with the prettiest mare in the whole wide universe!” She let out another giggle as she pulled away from the hug. “And I can safely say that, ‘cause if there were anyone prettier than you on the other side, I’d remember them.”
Heat graced Twilight’s face along with a wide grin. “Haven’t changed a bit, have you?”
“Nnnnnope! And you know you love me this… way…” Pinkie’s brow furrowed and her gaze turned upwards. “Where’d your wedding ring go?”
Everything in Twilight’s body seized up. She tried to not look Pinkie in the eye as she admitted, “Well… it’s been a really long time, and ponies expected me to get remarried a long time ago, and there’s been this mare I’ve been thinking about proposing to…”
“You’re getting remarried?!” Twilight was pulled into a tight hug that probably would’ve knocked the stuffing out of her if Pinkie were still alive. “Twi, that’s great! Ohhh, I really hope she says yes!”
“Y-you’re not sad? Or mad? Or anything?” Twilight gawked.
“Of course not, you silly filly,” Pinkie said, pulling back to let Twi see her small, sincere smile. “Sweety, I’m dead as a doornail. No magic in the world can really bring me back, and I’m not exactly getting any deader. I’m happy with all those great years we were together, and I really hope you make your next wife as happy as you made me. Death hasn’t kept us apart so far, so no way I’m not going to let you moving on come between us! Besides, you can still come visit me on my death-day, right?”
Throwing decades of learning self control and dignity to the wind, Twilight smiled wide as tears came to her eyes and she pulled Pinkie into a tight hug of her own. “Thanks so much, dear. Never change…”
“Don’t plan to!” Pinkie chirped, hugging her wife back in an embrace that felt far, far from cold.
The purple mare wandered around the gardens of the castle aimlessly, enjoying the peace and tranquility. She needed time to think, and for once the stuffy interior of her private office wasn't going to do it for her.
She stretched her wings and bent down to look at a pink rose. Celestia had told her they’d been genetically engineered using the DNA of two different types of flowers. Twilight had always found genetic engineering fascinating, and in fact they’d there were stories of technology that could clone a pony properly.
Maybe there would be time to oversee and participate in the process, if her royal duties allowed time enough to get away-
“If I pushed you in the flowers, would you tell Celestia?” a male voice sounded from behind her, and Twilight Sparkle nearly did fall in the flowers, from shock.
“Discord, what are you doing here? Are you following me?” she questioned, narrowing her eyes at the grinning draconequus.
“It’s a free country. And you looked troubled. I merely thought I could offer a distraction for your so obvious sorrow.” he smiled at her.
“Well, you’re not really helping, are you?” she frowned, sitting down on the grass neatly.
“Did you expect me to?” he chuckled, then snapped his fingers. A purple cloud appeared, and he rested on it beside Twilight. “Tell Uncle Discord your troubles. Your wish is my command.”
Twilight snorted, then sighed. “You wouldn't understand.”
“Wisdom, comes with age, m’dear. You can’t stay silent forever, Twi.”
Twilight sighed again. “There’s this mare-“
“There always is. Is she cute?” Discord winked at her, and she glared back.
“Not helping.” she said through gritted teeth.
“Don’t worry, I’m sure Pinkie Pie would give you a chance. She sounds like a mare who doesn’t like turning people down.” he smiled- kindly for once. Maybe he really was trying to help.
“Yes, but now that I’m an alicorn, she may think- Wait, PINKIE PIE?! How did you- When did I- What?” Twilight Sparkle stammered, blushing faintly.
She took the ‘kindly’ back now.
“You talk in your sleep.” Discord said with barely contained mirth.
“Have you been spying in my bedroom?” she yelped. He placed his paw on her shoulder.
“I like to help out the guards at night by looking in to all the rooms, using my magic. I may have happened upon you having a … interesting dream.” he smiled at Twilight’s quickly reddening face. “And I’m sure all your thoughts are poppycock. From what I’ve heard, she thinks the world of you. So, off you go. Move.”
Twilight grinned at him warmly. Discord reformed wasn't actually that bad.
“Oh, and take this.” he plucked the pink rose from the flowerbed. “And don’t tell Celestia.”
Twilight walked away, happy with Discord’s reassuring advice. Suddenly, a thought struck her.
“Wait, how can I trust your advice?” she called specifically back to Discord, how was juggling spoons and carrots.
He smiled cheekily back at her. “There is no logic in love, after all.”
Pinkie Pie was working in Sugar Cube Corner. She wiped of the counter, being extra careful not to knock over her picture of her and her loving mare friend Twilight. Suddenly the door swung open.
"Come in!" Pinkie called. She looked up from her cleaning and saw it was her friend Rainbow Dash. Pinkie was surprised. She hasn't seen Dash since they broke up.
"Hi Pinkie... Can I talk to you?" Rainbow asked.
"Of course!" Pinkie said putting down the towel and walking over to Rainbow.
"We'll, you see, it's about that week. You know, when we broke up." Rainbow confessed avoiding eye contact.
Pinkie wasn't sure how to respond. Luckily Rainbow continued.
"Why did you break up with me? I really liked you." Rainbow asked.
Pinkie looked at her hooves, the said, "Because, I didn't feel like it was working out. Especially when you were excepted into the Wonder Bolts. It seemed like we never got to see each other. And, well, I really love Twilight. I feel like we were meant to be with each other, and" pinkie stopped. She could tell that she really hurt Rainbow Dash.
Dash's eyes were filled with pain.
Pinkie's eyes began to cloud. "Dashie, I-I'm sorry I" "No" Dash sighed. "I'm sorry." Dash turned and headed for the door.
Pinkie tried to call her back. "Dashie, wait."
"Why? What else do you need to talk about?! You have already hurt me, so what else?" Rainbow cried.
Pinkie just silently stared at her friend. Rainbow turned away again and took off into the air. Pinkie stared blankly at the sky where her ex disappeared. Eventually, Pinkie turned to get back to what she was doing, cleaning the tables, trying not to cry on them as she cleaned.
They all said she would get over it. That is was something she could get past.
Loneliness isn’t something like a phase. With the days that pass the pain feels worse.
Twilight was alone. She felt as though there was nopony around her. Though there were the other princesses and the many overly fawning nobles, she still felt alone.
Laughter is said to be the best medicine. To Twilight, it feels like a stab to the heart to hear it. The memories that are brought to the forefront make her wish for release.
But, she knew that would make her sad, if not angry. Those were two things she never wanted to do to such a wonderful mare. So, she went on. Doing this and that. Doing anything that didn’t remind her of anything to do with that mare. Such a thing proved to be a heavy challenge. That mare could laugh at anything after all.
Even in death Pinkie Pie was laughing, telling Twilight to smile. She said that this was her chance to tell all of her family just how amazing, a mare she had married.
Twilight chuckled at the memory. Surprisingly, it didn’t hurt. It felt good. It felt warm. It felt as though that mare she had loved so very many years ago was right with her.
Twilight gave a tear filled smile to the gravestone in front of her. The first real smile she had worn in over two hundred years. She made a decision then and there.
With tears in her eyes, she nuzzled the cold stone. “I love you. I’ll try to stop being all sad, alright?”
With that, Twilight left. She may feel alone but she would make sure the world knew of the smiles that her love could bring. She would make the world smile the way that only that mad mare of hers could, even if she never would.
Her, the pretty, smart, talented alicorn princess with fur as soft as silk and a horn capable of harnessing incredible magical abilities. Her, the pony with the bright violet eyes, like flowers have been picked from the ground and simply placed there, sprouting in such a gorgeous way it’s hard to hate her.
But I do. I hate her with all my heart, for it is her fault.
As she sings her song of love and joy to the world, in a sweet tone such as honey, I alone look on with bitter hatred in my gaze. Others stare with awe and excitement, passionate feelings in their mind for their princess, while I alone have bitter hatred staring her down.
It’s all her fault, and I hate her for it.
Once upon a time, my sisters and I were happy. We played together on an open plateau, and though it was grey, our sister, the one that wasn’t like us, made us smile. She made us laugh. She made us filled with joy until the joy might spill out of us, like an overflowing cup.
I don’t quite know why she chose to move, but one day she told us she wanted to have more adventures, in another town. She packed up her things and she left us.
And the days became grey.
My remaining sister and I had a hard time keeping our smiles. She had always been there to help us. She had always been there to make us overflow with joy. She had even given us affectionate nicknames. But now there was none.
One day, I heard there was a new princess in Equestria. Limestone and I went to visit the coronation, curiosity plaguing us. Who was this new pony that had risen to the ascent of being an alicorn?
We saw the last thing that we ever expected: up there on the balcony of Canterlot Castle was our sister, our missing sister, our Pinkamena, who always insisted we call her Pinkie…and she was staring at the new princess, her eyes glistening with something more than friendship.
She was in love.
Limestone and I were shocked. Our Pinkie, who had called us Inkie and Blinkie, who had brought joy to our lives and had managed to make us happy, had left us…to fall in love? With a pony powerful enough to become a princess, nonetheless. She ruined our lives for love…for that princess. I can hardly bear to say her name, but I can.
Crashing, banging, moaning, and other assorted ruckus could be heard coming quite loudly from Twilight’s house. And, for once, Pinkie was not involved and didn’t have to deal with the neighbors complaining. Yet.
With an arched brow and slightly twitchy hips, she pushed the front door open and ventured inside. “Hey, Twilight?” she called inside towards the kitchen, the source of all the noise. “Spike told me you were having a teensy weensy little total mental breakdown and said I might be able to help. What’s put a wild bunny up your plot this time, honey?”
“He what?!” she heard her marefriend growl from inside like a dragon that just got robbed. Or a Twilight whose plans, well, didn’t go according to plan. Same difference. “Oh, he is so grounded. I told him to keep it a secret!” What Pinkie found when she came to the door was what used to be a kitchen turned into a gooey mess of flour, sugar, eggs, frosting, and cake pans that looked like a bakery met a batch of fireworks. Pinkie would know.
In the middle of it was a very distraught Twilight Sparkle, covered in pink and purple frosting and what was probably supposed to be cake batter at one point in the alicorn’s imagination. In her magic grip was a cookbook, but she soon tossed it aside with a cry of frustration.
“I’m so, so sorry, Pinkie!” she wailed, flopping on her stomach and covering her head with her forelegs. “I almost completely forgot about our anniversary, I just wanted to make a surprise cake to save face since we didn’t plan anything! I should’ve known I couldn’t do it; Spike does all the cooking around here. I can barely make a sandwich, let alone a cake!”
“Honey-”
“Oh, and it was going to be so nice, too,” Twilight continued, staring up at the ceiling as if heaven had forsaken her. “I was going to make a twelve-layer cake since we’ve been dating for twelve months, with purple and pink frosting and cotton candy flavoring and cream filling, but I couldn’t even make a single layer!”
“Twi-”
“I tried so hard to make it really, really fast by multitasking with my magic, but I got distracted for just one second by Derpy crashing next door, and next thing I know everything collided and everything was ruined! This whole day has been a catastrophe.” She let out a whine and flopped onto her back, covering her face. “I am so, so sorry, Pinkie. I am just the worst marefriend ev-”
“Equestria to Sparkle Butt!” Pinkie shouted through a megaphone.
Twilight’s face went pinker than the frosting in her coat, her eyes finally locking with Pinkie’s. “Y…yes, Pinkie?”
Pinkie just tossed the megaphone aside, which mysteriously vanished because it was no longer needed. “Hon, it’s July eighth, right?”
Twilight furrowed her brow and tilted her head. “Yeah…”
Pinkie sauntered over to her prone marefriend and stood over her, her hooves planted on either side. “Our anniversary is August seventh; you must’ve gotten the numbers mixed up, you silly filly,” she giggled with a loving, amused smile.
Twilight’s brow furrowed even deeper as she shook her head. “No, I specifically remember asking you out one year ago today. I even wrote it down in my dia-”
The fretting alicorn was cut off by a big, sloppy, sugary kiss from her marefriend, stealing the panic and her breath right out of her. When the kiss ended, Twilight panted, “Yeah… yeah, must’ve gotten the dates mixed up. Silly me.”
Pinkie let out another giggle and licked a glob of purple frosting off Twilight’s cheek. “Let’s get you cleaned up, Miss Messy.”
Twilight blushed a bit deeper. “Okay, okay, I’ll go get a bath.”
Pinkie grinned wider and licked her lips, laying herself atop her marefriend and giving her twitchy hips a little shake. “Who said anything about a bath?”
Twilight gulped and cringed the moment she walked through the door to Sugarcube Corner. Mr. Cake glared at her from over the counter, his kind green eyes hard and fiery. The walls of the establishment closed in on her, shadows loomed from the tables, stretching towards her. The white walls had never seemed so stark and horrible and there was no space to breathe no space to move no space…
Twilight shook her head furiously, slowing her heart-rate with the deep breaths Cadence had taught her. She steeled herself and walked over to the register, looking into Mr. Cake’s frightening eyes. She licked her lips.
“I-I-Is Pinkie … Upstairs?” she managed, trying to keep her wings and legs from trembling. He glared at her for a bit longer, stretching his long stature to tower over her. She squeaked. “Please, sir, I just want to talk to her, I promise!” she whimpered, her eyes darting away from his terrifying stature.
“If she doesn’t want to see you yet, you’ll come right back downstairs, or you’ll hear from me,” he growled, jerking his head towards Pinkie’s room.
“Of course, sir,” Twilight answered, trotting to the stairs. She forced herself to go up one, two steps, before she finally cantered up the rest, determined. She froze at Pinkie’s door. Her heart told her to knock. Her hoof refused. She shuffled, eyeing the doorknob, counting how many toothmarks had scuffed the polished brass. She tried to guess which ones belonged to Pinkie. Breathe in, breathe out. Giggle at the Ghosties. A hop, a skip, and Twilight’s hoof tapped against the heavy oak door tree times and sat poised and ready for another set. Her stomach dropped into an icy, painful pool of guilt, and she squirmed on the hardwood floor.
Pinkie opened the door, took one look at her, and began to close it. Twilight’s dumb, heroic hoof caught itself between the door and the frame, and she winced.
“Pinkie, I’m sorry,” Twilight pleaded, looking at Pinkie’s angry, hurt eye through the gap in the door. Pinkie tried the door again, and Twilight could feel tears pooling hot in her eyes. “Pinkie, I just wanted you to know that I know I was wrong, and I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, and I want to talk. Can we talk?”
“No,” Pinkie half-growled, tugging even harder on the door. Sharp pains shot up Twilight’s foreleg and she whimpered, but her stupid overachiever of a leg refused to budge.
“I haven’t slept in three days,” she admitted softly, still looking at the one eye she could see. “I felt so bad about it, and I know I’m here trying to not feel as guilty anymore, and I know that’s stupid and selfish, and --” Twilight trailed off, hanging her head.
“I get it,” she sighed, “I’ve been a terrible girlfriend, and I should have told you about everything sooner. When I get back, can at least we be friends?” Twilight tried to pull her hoof from the door, but Pinkie held it shut tight, pinning her down.
“No,” Pinkie whimpered. Her eye shimmered with unshed tears, soft and vulnerable.
“I lost your trust, huh?” she grunted, pulling her hoof harder against Pinkie and the door. “Makes sense. I shouldn’t have accepted this stupid diplomatic tour. I shouldn’t have hurt you like that.” Pinkie’s eye widened in alarm. “Just let me know when you want a book or anything, and I’ll make sure Spike’s at the desk,” Twilight continued, tugging harder at her abused leg. “Wouldn’t want to make you see me if it's uncomfortable for you.”
“NO!” Pinkie had opened the door and suddenly Pinkie was hugging her, kissing her, and Twilight had never been so confused in her life. “We can’t be at least friends,” Pinkie whispered in her ear, “Because we’ll still be dating.”
Twilight looked at her, swallowing, waiting for her to continue. Pinkie smiled warmly and stroked her cheek. “I was sad you didn’t tell me you’d be gone for so long, but what’s three months between friends?” Twilight giggled breathily and touched her forehead to Pinkie’s, sighing in sweet surrender as Pinkie’s soft, sweet-smelling mane tickled her snout.
“Pinkie, dear?” Mrs. Cake called from below. “Is Twilight staying for dinner?”
Pinkie looked at Twilight with shimmery eyes and a sweet little grin that made Twilight’s heart flutter. “Would you rather go home and pack?” she asked. “I know you have an early start.”
Twilight smiled and rubbed noses. “No,” she whispered. She was right where she belonged.
As she had for the entire night, Pinkie got her wish, another bottle of Apple Acres hard cider slid in front of her from across the bar and another pile of bits haphazardly slid back. She had seemingly bottomless pockets, or would if she ever wore anything even resembling pants in public. Benefit of dating royalty.
“Pinkie, what in tarnation are ya doin’?” said the thickest country accent in three counties.
Pinkie took a long swig of liquid fire, savoring the burn on her throat before she swiveled her stool to face the orange haze that was talking to her. “Hiiiii Applejaaaaaack,” she practically sang with a giggle. “Juuuuuust drinkin’!”
“I can see that,” Applejack mumbled. The half-yellow fuzz that Pinkie supposed was her head turned to the bartender. “I think she’s had enough. Give her anymore and you won’t be gettin’ cider from me no more.”
Pinkie’s ears perked up. “B-but why? I’ve only had a few shots!”
“Pinkie, shots don’t come in bottles,” AJ said flatly. “Especially not six bottles.”
Pinkie blinked slowly, her face blank. “They don’t?”
“No. No they don’t,” the cowpony answered.
“Oh,” was all Pinkie could say before she knocked back another long, burning swig from the bottle she already had.
“Gimme that!” Applejack snatched the bottle away from her friend and dumped out its contents. Pinkie weakly flailed after it with her forelegs, only to fall to the floor with a thud. “For Celestia’s sake, Pinkie, Twilight’s only been gone for two weeks!”
“I knoooooow!” she wailed, sobbing as tears poured out her eyes like a pair of fountains. “I miss her so muuhuuuch!”
Pinkie couldn’t see it, but she knew the sound of a facehoof when she heard it. She had heard many in her life. “For the love of…” Applejack let out a frustrated growl. “Pinkie, even I didn’t drink this much when Twi broke up with me. I think you can manage to not have your daily dose of dork for a while.”
“S-sorry, AJ,” she sniveled, the crying downgrading from impossibly cartoony to depressingly realistic. “B-but you must know how it is, right…? She’s just so cute, and smart, and loving, and humble, and… and… dorky!” she exclaimed with a flail of her hooves. “I feel so lonely without her. I even miss her just reading in bed and watching her as she reads while she’s trying to ignore me staring because my gosh her concentrating is so adorable!”
A few seconds of silence passed betwixt the two before Applejack muttered, “Yeah, I know what you mean… I miss her too. In more ways than one.” The cowpony shook her head. “C’mon, let’s get you back home.”
Pinkie felt gravity itself shift as she was hefted onto AJ’s back, keenly feeling every move of her muscle and lack of bounce in her step as the farmer carried her out of the bar.
“S-sorry,” Pinkie mumbled, nuzzling into AJ’s mane. “D-didn’t wanna bring up any unhappy thoughts. You’re my friend; you should only have happy thoughts.”
“Life don’t work out that way, sugarcube,” Applejack said as they passed out the front door. “It’s fine. You two are a lot better for each other than I ever was for her.”
Pinkie haphazardly draped her forelegs around her friend’s neck and snuggled in close. “Good… s-sometimes worry you hate me for dating her.”
“It hurts,” AJ admitted. “Stings. Burns, really. But I’m a big gal, and I can take life in stride. I’d never hate you two for being happy, Pinkie Promise.”
Pinkie smiled and nuzzled her friend’s mane, her blind-drunk mind taking in the companionable silence and cold night air as Applejack carried her home.
“…hey, when you were with her, did Twi ever do that thing with the stockings and the-”
“Yes, and if you say another word I’m bucking you off.”
“Oh, I’m so sorry, Pinkie… I really shouldn’t have made you do that.” Twilight sniffled, trying to keep her tears at bay. Pinkie was resting in bed—Twilight’s bed, to be specific—with a grimace strewn across her muzzle and a blanket up to her chin. Her face was a nasty green, though nowhere near as bad as earlier.
“There’s no need to feel sorry, silly filly.” Pinkie smiled as best she could. “That was the best cupcake I’ve ever eaten!”
Her face seemed to regain more of its color with that comment. A pinkish hue settled over her cheeks, until at last her name made sense once again.
“But that could’ve killed you! What was I thinking, adding so much salt…?” Twilight scuffed her hoof against the ground, her chest heaving with a sigh. Pinkie forced herself up and nuzzled Twilight’s cheek, but she stepped away.
“Twilight…” A hint of a whine resonated from deep within her voice. “A little salt never hurt anypony. I was only sick for, like, thirty seconds.”
“Thirty minutes,” corrected Twilight, her shoulders slumping. Pinkie pushed herself forward even more, this time her muzzle connecting with Twilight’s forehead, just beneath the horn.
“Nuh-uh. I promise it was yummy. I ate all of it, right? Anything you make is super-duper sweet, Twi!” Pinkie was leaning forward, though her flank remained on the edge of the bed. When Twilight attempted to pull away a second time, Pinkie’s forelegs came down on her shoulders.
“You’re lying… And you really shouldn’t be moving around so much. I should be making you feel better, so lay back down.”
Twilight reached her hooves up to meet Pinkie’s, and nudged her back toward the bed.
Pinkie had other plans.
Just as Twilight had gotten Pinkie back onto the bed, she flipped them over so she was straddling Twilight. “I think you have your priorities mixed up, missy!”
“Pinkie,” groaned Twilight, “what in Equestria are you thinking? If you throw up again—“
“This is more important than that!” Pinkie swore up and down. “You’ve really gotta stop being so harsh on yourself, Twily. You’re gonna make yourself sick by thinking so negatively all the time.”
“It’s not called thinking negatively, it’s called thinking realistically. Negative would be saying things like ‘I’m the worst pony in the world. I make too many mistakes, and the pressure is sometimes too much. Sometimes I feel like… like nopony loves—“
“Don’t say it.” Imploring cerulean eyes met Twilight’s. It was then that she realized she’d gotten carried away, and tears of her own were streaming down her face. Pinkie looked like she was just about to cry, too.
She reached a hoof up and wiped Twilight’s tears away. “Don’t ever say that, ‘cause somepony always loves you. ‘In sickness and in health,’ remember? Ya know, that thing we said exactly twelve and a half weeks, five hours and thirty-five minutes ago?”
A small smile graced Twilight’s features. “Yes, I remember our wedding day. How could I forget?”
“You sounded like you were starting to lose sight of it. Anywhoozles… Where were we?” Pinkie’s lips met Twilight’s, and even though it tasted like salt, Twilight returned it.
Twilight walked side by side with Pinkie down the dimly lit street to the library. They laughed and talked enjoying the walk and each others company under Luna's starry sky. They had just had a wonderful dinner at La Graine à Foin, Ponyvilles primer prench restaurant. The night had been perfect, with the exception of being threatened to be kicked out if Pinkie tried to sing another musical number at the table, and neither wanted to let it end.
"So here we are..." Twilight said as they reached the door. She stood on the doorstep and turned to face Pinkie. She couldn't look into her dates eyes, she knew what happened at this part if a date. She had read it many, many times in the research material she could gather from the library. "I had a lot of fun tonight" Twilight said looking intently at her hoof. At that moment it was extremely important that she get the dirt smooth as possible. Not daring to look up in case she find that it had all been a dream she flicked her eyes towards her date. Her eyes met Pinkies causing her heart to jump out of her chest. She quickly averted her eyes willing her heart to slow as well as her thoughts.
Twilight felt her cheeks burning as Pinkie spoke, "Yep, Ol' Ponyville Library! The place to go for: Books, Magic and End of the World Disasters!" She giggled at Pinkies joke and felt herself relax a bit. Finally looking at Pinkie she saw the beautiful grin Pinkie never left home wihout and knew that everything was going to be okay. "I guess this is goodnight then" She said smiling a little. This time looking Pinkie in the eyes as the blush returned to her cheeks. As they locked eyes everything stopped, time itself waited for these young lovers.
Pinkie stepped a little closer, "Goodnight TwiTwi" she said in barely a whisper. Twilight leaned in so that her muzzle was just inches from Pinkies "Goodnight Pinkie Pie". Closing her eyes she readied herself for her first kiss. That magical moment where she can melt into her special somepony locking lips in a chaste but passionate exchange of emotion. All the books had said so and if the books say it than it must be true. "Ahem" someone cleared their throat behind her and instead of that magical kiss she found herself holding on to one of the limbs of the Golden Oaks Library.
"You were supposed to be back half an hour ago" said Spike in a stern voice. He was standing in the doorway with his arms crossed. "I believe you agreed to have her back by eleven miss Pie" He said letting his protective nature over Twilight fuel the fun of being in charge. "Sorry Spike" Pinkie sang with a hint of disappointment. 'Rarity will be finding your baby pictures' Twilight thought biterly as she climbed out of the tree.
With the moment gone Pinkie Pie turned to leave. "Come by Sugarcube Corner Tomorrow and I'll get you some scrum-diddly-oumtious breakfast to make it up to you!" Pinkie said as she bounced away. Twilight stared at Pinkies retreating flank for a minute more before going inside, "Goodnight Spike" she said as she shut the door. "Uhh, Twilight?" Spike asked in a worried tone.
My parents always thought I would end up with some strong stallion. A stallion that could match my intellect and keep me steadily on the ground.
They thought I would find a stallion that would make me feel safe and secure. As though they were my own one pony army, solely and strongly loyal to my safety and happiness.
Some of my family even though that, with my connections to the princess, that stallion would be prince Blueblood. I was happy to tell them how horrid he acted. Their thoughts soon simply changed to other prodigious and wealthy stallions. Fancy Pants was the name thrown around the most. If only they had known at the time that the only romantic intentions I could ever approach him with would be for Fleur De Leis. Not that I hold feelings for her or anything. Not that she’s not a beautiful mare but… I’m getting off track.
My family thought I would find a stallion to make my husband. That I would bare his foal and the family would grow. Almost everything they hope actually came true. Except…she’s not a stallion. I can tell you that with utmost certainty.
She is the most amazing pony I have ever met. They always said I should find somepony wonderful. She is that and more.
She may not be as strong as Big McIntosh but her strength is in her ability to go on. To laugh when it seems impossible. To make ponies smile when they want nothing more than to make you hurt inside.
She may not have my knowledge of books, histories and spells but her knowledge when it comes to ponies is immeasurable, and worlds more applicable to life.
She keeps me on the ground, not through logic and reasoning but, by simply being there. She’s like a rock, ironically enough. She’s always there, almost always smiling. When she’s not, then it’s my turn. My turn to make my love shine through and make her smile.
She makes me feel as though I can do anything but she’s not my protector. No, she’s my partner. We’re in this together, equally.
She makes me happy by simply being. She could be miles away and just knowing that we will reunite makes me the happiest mare in the world. In my personal opinion of course, without correlating evidence and records…I did it again. Running off on tangents seems to be a habit of ours.
My family wanted me to find a stallion and have a family. A mare found me, I have love, I have friends and yes, I do have a family. Giving smile to ponies who need it is her thing after all, that’s why when we found those two little fillies at the orphanage the first thing she did was make them smile. By telling them, “How would you two like a loving home, two moms and some ice cream?” Their faces shone brighter than Celestia’s sun.
She may not be rich, she may not be a stallion but, she’s the pony I love. She is Pinkie Pie, my wife.
The Canterlot graveyard was always full with people paying their respects to their loved ones, laying flowers on the graves and polishing statues until they shined. But tonight it was empty.
A single mare walked alone, her path one walked by many, as she made her way into a separate area, more like a garden than a grave for a much-loved pony.
One statue towered above the grass, the polished, well cared-for marble shining in the moonlight. It depicted a unicorn, a crown resting upon her head depicting the same star of her Cutie Mark.
Just a statue. They never found her body.
The mare sniffed, tears clouding her eyes so she couldn't read what was engraved on a plaque below the statue; she’d memorized it a long time ago.
There is knowledge, and there is wisdom. To be wise you must truly understand what it means to be alive. What it means to love. And the magic that is friendship.
Knowing there was no one around to see her, Pinkie Pie’s tears fell freely as she laid the flowers on Twilight Sparkle’s empty grave. They’d buried the coffin anyway. Celestia insisted.
She never showed a liking towards flowers-much preferred studying them to admiring them- but Pinkie Pie knew her absolute favourites were pansies. Purple pansies.
“Wait for me, my love.” she managed to say through her tears. She said this every night, asked the same thing of the cold lifeless statue and the crumbling earth. “Wait for me.”
And every night, she swore she could hear the ghost of a voice on the wind, faint and strained, as if speaking was an effort. A very familiar voice of the unicorn she loved.
Everyone knew Pinkie Pie valued secret keeping. Loose lips sink friendships, she would say.
That's why, when Pinkie had asked for the third time just why exactly, Twilight kept staring at her, nothing was said. As Pinkie asked various improbable possibilities, Twilight smiled.
She had a secret, you see. She held this secret very close to her heart, so that it would not get out. Because this secret, this terrible, scary secret, it could hurt.
It could hurt a lot of ponies. She had thought about this secret long and hard, and she knew all of the bad things that could happen if she ever let her secret out.
But at times like this, she wanted to let the secret out. She wanted to tell everyone one around, especially the mare who was currently looking at her, brow wrinkled in worry.
"TwiTwi, are you okay?"
Realizing she had been lost in her thoughts about secrets, Twilight shook her head. "Yes, I'm fine." She looked up into the face of her secret, deep blue eyes showing disbelief. "Can I tell you a secret?"
"Of course. I'm great at keeping secrets. Oh, is it a big secret, or a little secret. Is it a clean one? Because I heard Time Turner tell Rose she was his dirty little secret, and I don't know if I want a dirty secret." Pinkie leaned forward, ears perked in anticipation.
Now that the moment was here, Twilight faltered. She had practiced telling her secret, she had imagined all different ways to say it, but this wasn't one of them. She hadn't even meant to say those words aloud.
But she had. Taking a deep breath, she nodded. "I think I'm in love with you."
Twilight didn't breath. She had let out her secret. The horrible,dangerous secret that could hurt a lot of ponies.
That could hurt her.
That could hurt the pony sitting in front of her, grinning larger than the Cheshire Cat.
"I love you, too." Leaning forward, Pinkie pressed her lips to Twilight's just as she did nothing else. Slowly, carefully.
The kiss lasted less than a second, but Twilight found the time for her eyelids to flutter shut. As Pinkie pulled away, Twilight smiled. She listened to Pinkie talk about how she had wanted to ask Twilight, but was afraid too.
And she realized, the secret hadn't been very bad at all. In fact, the secret was a great one.
Her smile widened as Pinkie scooted closer to her on the couch, and she changed her mind. The secret had been bad, when it had been a secret. But now it wasn't, and it was a good thing.
“Since I subjacated this silly savant,” Pinkie Pie giggled as her bubblegum mane curled tighter and tighter with growing energy, “I have become powerful. This preposterous precog permits me to peruse plausible paths to my personal paradise! The energy enveloped by this eccentric equine engulfs my very essense!”
Twilight stomach churned violently. Outmaneuvered, her best friends lay strewn about the forest and she had failed to save Pinkie Pie from influence of those Nightmarish whispers.
“My friends,” Pinkie bellowed, “I’m having so much fun!” With a laugh, she bounded over to the limp Applejack and landed a swift kick to the farmer’s ribs. “Buck you, Applejack!”
Leaping over to a cowering Rarity, the pink bundle of malevolent energy began to theatrically examine a gash across the seamstress’ muzzle. “Oh Rarity, I think that might need stiches!”
A grunt drew her attention to a slowly crawling Rainbow Dash, trying her best to crawl to the aid of her friends. “Heya, Dashie!” Pinkie Pie sang as she cartwheeled towards the prone racer.
Dash spat on the ground. “Only Pinkie Pie calls me that. And you aren’t her.”
“Well, DUH! But I control her. I command her every errant thought and muscle twitch. I can control what she sees and feels, how she acts and talks.” The figure that was previously Pinkie Pie paused as her face grew incredibly somber. “I can make her enjoy this. The thing she cares most about in this world, her precious friends, I can corrupt her so completely that she feels pleasure from your pain.”
Whirling around, the being in Pinkie’s body stomped mirthlessly towards the bound Twilight. “I can make her despise Dash, ravage Rarity, abase Applejack and even flay Fluttershy…so why?” Shaking, Pinkie’s face grew pained. “Why can I only tentatively tease you, Twilight? What makes you so special?”
Twilight answered, her gaze like flint despite her watering eyes and wavering voice. “Because when my misgivings about opening my heart wide enough for a special somepony almost drove us apart, Pinkie Pie swore she would never hurt me. She Pinkie Promised. Just like I Pinkie Promised that I would save her.”
With a lunge, Twilight tapped Pinkie’s forehead with her horn and let loose a powerful spell. “Nobody breaks a Pinkie Promise.”
“Yes indeedy!” Pinkie chirped from her shower in the next room. “Go on, climb in!”
Twilight’s already tomato red blush got so hot it somehow went straight to pink as she kept staring at the bed. Pinkie’s bed. Pinkie’s… bed. The one she was going to sleep in. For the first time. First time she was going to sleep with anypony… ever. Overnight. In the same bed. Pinkie’s bed. With Pinkie.
Oh sweet Celestia, was this a bad idea.
“I-I could sleep on the floor,” Twilight shakily suggested.
“Then why come over for the night, silly filly?” Pinkie asked back. “You said you wanted to see what it was like, and we can’t do this at your place since kicking Spike out of your room would be beyond rude.”
“Right, yeah,” Twilight mumbled, eyes not breaking from her biggest fear at that moment.
The clock ticked by, and the shower turned off. A few more ticks later and out came a very clean Pinkie, her mane flat from all the water and steam. She almost didn’t look like Pinkie, but she was very… pretty. Yeah, pretty’s the word.
“Oh wow, you're shy; your face went from grape to cherry,” Pinkie giggled, bumping their cutie marks together.
“Can you blame me?” Twilight asked, her voice cracking and finally managing to look away from the bed and towards her marefriend. “I’ve never done this before. Ever! I’m not used to this kind of intimacy! How are you so calm?”
Pinkie blinked and tilted her head. “‘Cause you’re cute, you’re hot, and I love you with all my sugar-coated heart?”
Twilight bit her lip, shifting her weight between her hooves. “I-I love you too, but… I’m really not sure I’m ready for this. I’m feeling really uncomfortable right now.”
“Okay!” Pinkie said with a smile. “Want me to walk you home?”
Twilight stared at her marefriend, her jaw slightly slack. “That’s it? No objection, no disappointment?”
“Why would I be disappointed? That you won’t do something that you don’t want to just to make me happy? What kind of marefriend would I be if I was like that?” Pinkie asked with a roll of her eyes. “You’ve been reading Rarity’s romance novels for research again, haven’t you?”
“No! Well, maybe,” Twilight admitted. “I just thought that ponies were always upset when their partners weren’t, you know… ready for the next step.”
“Not me,” she giggled with a soft nuzzle to Twi’s cheek. “I’m just happy with what I have, and what I have is you. You’re worth waiting for.” She turned around and trotted towards the door. “Come on, let’s get you home.”
“Wait!” Twilight blurted out, holding a hoof up dramatically. When Pinkie did actually wait and turn back around, she suddenly felt at a loss for words. “I…er…um…” She bit her lip harder and closed her eyes. “It’s not that I don’t want to. I really do, it’s just that… ugh.” She sat down so she could facehoof twice over. “I don’t know.”
Pinkie giggled behind her hoof. “Twi, sometimes the best way to get comfy with something new is to just take the plunge. But if it’ll make you feel better, we can both be good little filllies and not do anything naughty tonight; just pure cuddles.”
Twilight’s ears flattened as she looked between the troublesome bed and its too-good-to-her owner. With a deep breath, she trotted towards the former and climbed in under the covers, facing her marefriend and patting the space next to her. “Deal.”
Pinkie let out a little squee and turned off the lights, quite literally jumping into bed with Twilight but holding her tight before she could bounce. After the initial jolt, muscles that Twilight didn’t even know were tense relaxed in Pinkie’s arms. She hugged her lover back and held her close, the pink pony’s fuzzy fur and warm body tight against her own as she nuzzled into Pinkie’s damp mane.
“Comfy, Twi?” Pinkie whispered, pecking her on the cheek.
Twilight kissed back, holding her all the closer. “Yeah, I am… good night…”
The antibiotics the doctor had prescribed left Twilight nauseous and irritable. The fever left her shaky, weak, and bedridden. The sore throat left her wincing at every swallow and sounding like a minotaur whenever she spoke. Twilight was miserable, and Pinkie was just trying to help.
Pinkie trotted back upstairs with a small bowl on a tray. She set it down on the quilt - chips of ice in water. Pinkie smiled and fluffed up Twilight’s pillows, just as she had every time she reached the bed. Then she lifted a spoonful of the ice-and water and slipped it into Twilight’s burning mouth. It slid wonderfully down Twilight’s throbbing, scratchy throat. Twilight twitched her lips in a smile and sighed happily as Pinkie lifted another spoonful, and another and another, gradually quenching Twilight’s raging thirst.
“I started another pot of soup,” Pinkie said, stroking Twilight’s cheek tenderly. Twilight stifled a cough and smiled even wider, nuzzling into Pinkie’s gentle hoof.
“You’re too good to me,” she rasped. Pinkie giggled and fed her another spoonful of ice-chips.
“Not true,” Pinkie argued, her eyes shining with playful mischief. “You’re too good for me, so it’s only fair.”
“No I’m not,” Twilight huffed, before turning and hacking into the pillowcase.
“Yeah, you are.” Twilight could hear the barely-suppressed laughter shimmiring through Pinkie’s words.
“Am not.”
“Are too.”
“Am not.” Twilight could feel laughter bubbling up inside her from the sheer silliness of it all.
“Are too,” Pinkie crowed, gently turning Twilight’s head with her gentle hoof, slipping another spoonful of ice-chips into her mouth. Something about the way that Pinkie’s eyes had skewed themselves, or the way that her smile seemed too wide to be real caught Twilight off-guard. That brewing laughter in her chest erupted into a storm of chuckles, an attack of giggles that left her breathless and dizzy in her nest of blankets and expertly-fluffed pillows.
The laughter had, strangely, done wonders for her chest and throat. They hadn’t felt quite so relaxed or open since she’d come down with the infection. Pinkie slipped another spoonful of ice-chips through her smiling teeth, and Twilight snuggled a little deeper into the pile of soft blankets around her.
“You’re amazing, Pinkie,” she murmured, rolling onto her side and lazily shutting her eyes.
Pinkie giggled and ruffled Twilight’s mane. “Sweet dreams,” she whispered. Twilight could hear her shutting the door behind her, and then she was gone.
Silence isn’t something usually accociated with the mare known as Pinkie Pie in Equestria and the Pink Menace in most of the rest of the world.
But that’s what Twilight and Pinkie sat in. Under the stars they lie side by side in peaceful quiet.
Stargazing. Twilight had been hesitant in recommending the idea for a date, knowing of Pinkie’s habit of talking about everything even if no pony had any clue what she was saying, much the same as Twilight tended to do with her lectures.
When they arrived, Twilight was surprised to have not been forced to say anything about mood or ambiance. Pinkie seemed to have understood right away. Twilight had spent an hour talking of the many constallations while Pinkie was content to simply sit and listen.
After a while Twilight had slowed her speech and simply watched the stars with her marefriend. With her love. ’Yes. Love. I won’t be afraid to say it anymore. I love her.’ Twilight thought as she wrapped her wing around the pink mare, content.
The first to break the silence was, surprisingly enough, Twilight. “I love you.” Even though it had been the first time she had said it out loud, it felt nothing but natural. All her nights of worring if she really did love Pinkie and her many lists she had made to figure out if what she was feeling was truly love, they all seemed so silly now. She didn’t think she love Pinkie, she didn’t suppose she did. She just did, she simply knew.
Pinkie said nothing, causing Twilight to begin to worry until she lied her head over Twilight’s neck. Even if nothing was said, Twilight could feel the love the pink pony had for her. Silence speaks without words and it was whispering into Twilight’s ear of the love Pinkie had for her.
The euphoria of their canteen performance had worn off, and Twilight walked over to Pinkie Pie- it was still kind of hard to wrap her head around the fact that there were replicas of her friends in this world. The pink girl was excitedly jumping about, like a small puppy.
“Hiya Twilight! Didn't that just go fantastimazingly?!” she said, bouncing of the balls of her feet- that was another weird thing. Hooves were now feet. She still fell over sometimes.
“You’re so small.” she absentmindedly murmured, staring at Pinkie Pie.
Pinkie gasped in protest. “I’m not small, you’re just giant! I’m five foot three, that’s not small! If I was small I wouldn't be able to do this!”
And with that, she stretched and planted a firm kiss on Twilight’s mouth, leaving the purple girl wide-eyed, with her hands flailing around, not sure where to place them.
Pinkie pulled away and giggled. “See?!” and she skipped off to talk to Vinyl Scratch.
Twilight stood, staring into the distance dreamily.
“That was … wow.” she sighed.
A scratchy voice chuckled.
“Are you giving out free kisses now?” Rainbow Dash asked.
“Ow, c’mon AJ, lemme go!” Twi grunted as she was dragged away from their friend’s picnic. She was still far from used to hearing her own voice be so… gruff, but she supposed it was an inevitable side effect of switching out an X chromosome for a Y.
“No can do, sugarcube,” Applejack said, pulling the both of them behind a tree and out of earshot from their four other, very confused friends. “You’re not that good a liar, and if the others won’t call ya out on it, I will.”
Twilight let out a small gasp when she was propped up against the trunk, her forelegs tied to her side with a lasso. “Call me out on what? I’m telling the truth!”
Applejack sighed and sat down, giving Twilight a hard glare. “Twi… I’m not book smart, but I know you’re not trans. I have several trans cousins I love a lot; I know what gender dysphoria looks like before and after the switch, and you ain’t got it. For one, you look more uncomfortable in your skin than ever. You’re still a mare, despite messing with your genes. Why’d you really drink that sex-swap potion?”
“W-well, there is still a transition period, so of course I wouldn’t feel very…” Twilight shrank and shivered under Applejack’s gaze, her lie dying in her throat. “Okay, okay, fine… I’m not trans. Never was.”
“This is about Pinkie being straight, isn’t it?” Applejack asked with all the tact, patience, and gentleness of a sledgehammer to the skull.
Twilight just looked earthward and mumbled, “Yes…”
Applejack sighed and took her rope between her teeth, untying Twi with a single tug. The ropes fell limply to her side, but Twilight was then pinned by Applejack’s forelegs in a strong, tight hug. “You can be a darn fool sometimes, you know that?”
“I know…” Twilight sobbed, hugging her friend back.
Applejack held her all the tighter. “Don’t ever change who you are for somebody else, Twilight. Ever. Promise me that, okay?”
Twilight mutely nodded into AJ’s mane with a sniffle.
“Good.” With a brief squeeze, the cowpony pulled back with a sad smile. “Don’t get yourself down, alright? I have it on good authority that you’re making a certain somebody really question her sexuality. Who knows; she may learn something about herself and give a certain other mare a chance.”
Twilight wiped her eyes and smiled in return. “I hope so… until then, I’ll make another potion to change back. You have no idea how awkward it is to walk like this.”
Applejack giggled and rose on all fours, giving Twilight a nuzzle and helping her stand too. “I can only imagine. Now, let’s get back to the girls; you really need to come clean about this.”
Twilight took a deep breath and closed her eyes. “I know… let’s get this over with.”
“Practice makes perfect, Pinkie Pie. And with enough practice, you’ll be able to stargaze and find constellations like a pro.”
Two ponies sat together, staring at the stars. One was an alicorn, with a lavender wing wrapped around the other, a pink earth pony, holding her close. The earth pony lifted one hoof and pointed at a trail of gleaming stars, beautifully contrasted against the darkening night sky. “Is that a constellation, Twi? Is it, is it, is it?”
“That one is the Big Dipper. See how the seven stars connect?” Twilight lifted one hoof and traced the design by memory, Pinkie watching quietly, blue eyes showing no sign of recognition, but her mouth was agape and she nodded like she understood every word.
“Is there a cupcake constellation?”
Twilight blinked. “Pardon?”
“Is there a cupcake constellation?” Pinkie repeated, half-dazedly staring up at the stars. “Because I’m so hungry right now…I can just imagine how yummy in my tummy that would be!” She licked her lips self-consciously.
The alicorn narrowed her eyes. “We have to concentrate, Pinkie. Practice makes perfect, remember?”
“Practice makes perfect,” Pinkie Pie repeated, nodding slowly. “I understand.”
Twilight looked satisfied; turning back to her telescope set up next to them, she began to speak once more in a rambling, flat tone. “Now, the next constellation we’ll be looking for is Pegasus…I do believe it should be right over—”
She never got to finish her sentence, for she was tackled by a speeding pink blur that smelled of bubblegum. Twilight let out a thud as she slammed backwards into the dirt and stared up at awe at her marefriend, leaning over her and frowning. “This is booooooooring, Twilight! Can we please do something else! Please, please, please?”
Twilight, after getting over her initial shock, blinked and nearly yelled, “But…PINKIE!” Her voice lowered, and she sighed. “I thought you really wanted to learn about the stars. What about…what about practice makes perfect?”
“Oh, silly filly!” Pinkie giggled and stepped off of her marefriend, allowing Twilight to get up and brush herself off, only to be startled yet again by the pink pony pushing her muzzle against her marefriend’s, somehow hanging upside down while doing so. Twilight had given up trying to figure out how Pinkie Pie did it. She was simply being Pinkie Pie. “I don’t need to practice to achieve perfection!” She wrapped her arms around Twilight’s neck and embraced her, her last words only a whisper. “I’m already perfect with you.”
“C’mon, Twilight, pleeease?” Pinkie begged, prostrating herself by clapping her front hooves together on the floor and wiggling her plot like an excited puppy.
“I said no!” Twilight repeated as she shelved another book. “Pinkie, you know I love you to pieces, and I respect your lifestyle choice, but please stop trying to drag me into it. I’m not stopping you from seeing Fluttershy too, so could you please give me the same courtesy concerning my decision? Going on joint dates is awkward enough, but… but that? I’m sorry, but it’s not going to happen.”
“But it’d be fun!” Pinkie protested behind her as she sorted through more books, more to ignore her marefriend than anything. “You and Fluttershy get along better than marshmallows and chocolate to my graham cracker bringing you together, and the three of us are all filly foolers, so what’s the problem with making a s’more?”
Twilight’s cheeks heated up and her stomach rumbled from the double entendre and the literal food imagery respectively. “You have the strangest analogies, you know that?”
“Part of why you love me,” Pinkie giggled. “But no changing the subject!”
Twilight sighed and turned to face the pink pony. “Doesn’t matter if it would be fun, Pinkie. I don’t want to,” she said flatly with a hard stare.
“Why?” Pinkie chirped, tilting her head.
“Because it’d be extremely awkward,” Twilight grunted, staring harder.
“Why?”
“Because I was raised to value monogamy,” she answered.
“Why?”
“Because… because the alternative is a major social taboo, I suppose,” Twilight said, voice growing softer and glare dissipating. “And my parents aren’t really that deviant, I guess.”
“Why?”
“Because their parents raised them the same way?” she ventured.
“Why?”
“Because that’s the cultural norm and has been for centuries?” Twilight muttered, scratching her head and shifting her weight on her hooves uneasily.
“Whyyyyyy?” Pinkie pressed, twirling a hoof in the air in a circle expectantly like a turning wheel.
“Because… because… I don’t know why,” Twilight admitted, looking at a very satisfied Pinkie with wide eyes.
Logic. Her one weakness.
Twilight avoided eye contact again and rubbed the back of her neck, clearing her throat. “And… you’re sure Fluttershy would be okay with this?”
Pinkie nodded with a giggle. “She’s less nervous about it than you, silly filly. Let’s just say she thinks you’re really pretty… and wants to ‘share some kindness’ with you,” she teased. “She’s just way too shy to ever say so herself.”
Twilight’s face heated up to the point she felt like it would pop, and she covered her face with both hooves with a low groan.
Twilight woke up the next morning with her head laid on butterfly printed pony plot as a pillow, her cheeks bright red, and a big smile on her muzzle.
Someponies favorite color can tell a lot about them, even if they don’t realize it.
“So Twilight, what is your favorite color? I must know if I am to make this dress perfect,” Rarity asked as she looked down at her sketch.
“Pink,” Twilight answered without missing a beat.
“Pink, dear? I must say, I’m a little surprised dear, not many mares your age are a fan of such a vibrant color, or one seen as juvenile as pink.” Rarity said, still not looking up from her sketch.
“What’s wrong with being a little juvenile at times?” Twilight asked. The slight edge in her voice causing Rarity to finally look up from her many sketches.
“Is something wrong dear? I didn’t mean anything by it. I was just saying that many ponies see it that way. I myself don’t. Thinking of any color as too ‘this’ or too ‘that’ to work with would hurt me considerably as a fashionista.” Rarity explained, causing Twilight’s ears to fold down.
“Ah, no. It’s alright. I’m sorry. I didn’t mean anything by how I acted. I’ve just been tired recently.” Twilight explained with a tired sigh.
“I can tell, darling. You look it. What’s been the problem?” Rarity asked as she abandoned her sketches and made her way to her friend.
“What makes you think there’s a problem?” Twilight inquired with a raised eyebrow.
“Because you don’t get like this when you study too long. You always make sure to catch up on sleep. You said it was because a ‘tired pony is a poor excuse of a researcher’, I believe. Now, Twilight. Please, tell me what’s been bothering you so badly. I just want to help,” Rarity al but pleaded with her friend.
“Fine. There’s this mare-“ Twilight began.
“Ooh. Do go on.” Rarity said.
“I was planning on it,” Twilight grumbled quietly. “Anyway, there’s this mare and I’ve fallen for her. Hard. But I can’t say anything.”
“Why ever not dear?” Rarity questioned as her mind attempted to think of whom it might be.
“Because I don’t want to risk what we have. I don’t want to see her sad, especially not if it’s to let me down gently. I-I just don’t want things to change. But, every night I’ve been having dreams, wonderful dreams about her and I being together. But, they always turn into something horrible.” Twilight, explained as she tried to make sure she kept her eyes dry.
“What happens, dear?” Rarity asked as she rubbed her friends back with a comforting hoof.
“It varies. But, it usually goes in the same pattern. For example, last night. We were sitting on the hillside as the sun was setting, it was so beautiful. Then just as I had worked up the nerve to try to kiss her she, all of a sudden says she has to go.” Twilight begins to finally let her tears escape their ducts at this point as Rarity continues her efforts to comfort her friend. “That her coltfriend is waiting for her. She thanks me for a nice time and leaves. Then I’m alone. She never comes back. It’s always the same thing. It feels romantic; it feels close and comfortable, like we’re together. Then, it always comes crashing down, leaving me alone and sad. Every single time.” Twilight finishes explaining as her tears begin to slow.
“Twilight. They’re just nightmares brought on by stress. You of all ponies should know what the mind can and will do when a pony is stressed.” Rarity explained as Twilight’s tears began to slow.
“I know Rarity, I know. It just-it hurts. Every time. It feels as though somepony is stabbing my heart. I don’t want to feel it in reality, I don’t think I could take it.” Twilight explained as she continued to cry, though the pace was continuing to slow.
Rarity pulled Twilight into a strong hug and allowed the mare to cry herself out. As she did, she looked about her room, her eyes catching her sketch from earlier, along with Twilight’s defense of her favorite color, things started to click.
“Twilight, dear?” Rarity asked quietly.
“Yeah?” Twilight asked, lifting her head up to see her friend. Her eyes were slightly puffy but the tears had stopped.
“How would you feel about getting out of my stuffy old home and going to get something to eat, hm? Maybe get something sweet to eat, visit with Pinkie?” Rarity asked carefully.
“Yeah... yeah. I-I think I would like that.” Twilight said as she gently slipped out of her friends hold. “I think I’d really like that.”
“Excellent, dear.” Rarity said with a large smile.
One thing that Twilight remembered best out of her conversation with Rarity while they made their way toward Sugarcube Corner was, that while making a dress for Pinkie, Rarity had asked her what her favorite color was.
Twilight Sparkle would have always been the first to say that Pinkie Pie had an overactive imagination. That wasn't necessarily a bad thing, nopony else could come up with party ideas to bring together different kinds of ponies. So when she first suggested she plan a bigger date than the kinds they had been going on, Twilight didn't know what to think.
It had started simply enough. Their usual dates to Sugarcube Corner or the park were just fine in the new princess’ opinion, but Pinkie had just giggled and told her “It’s time for something new!” with a wink and a smile. After this bold proclamation she darted out of the library to enact her plan.
Two days later found Twilight boarding a train to Canterlot. She had found a note telling her to pack a bag and make the nine o’clock. Sitting there as the car chugged along the track, she couldn't help but wonder what the pink mare planned for her. Her thoughts drifted with the gentle sway of the train. Going to a whole different city meant that Pinkie had researched what would be going on there. Her wings fluttered a bit as she toyed with different scenarios. There Pinkie would be at the train platform wearing her suit and top hat. She’d have her Twilight only smile ready and would grab her bag. She’d have written to the Princess of course, and had a room set aside for them to share aside from her royal quarter. That’s when Twilight would gently prod her for information. With a bounce of her curls she’d shake her head and give a mysterious wink for an answer.
They’d wander the streets in the evening light, the pink mare pointing out all sorts of sights she’d never seen before. Rediscovering her home town would be wonderful, they’d even stop to try some greasy looking food cart that would send Rarity into screaming hysterics to even look at. To her surprise it would be wonderful, and the two would chat and look at the stars from their bench table. And then...then Pinkie would stand and tell her to come on. They wouldn’t want to be late. They’d take some back roads and twists and turns, and end up at the Hall of Sciences at CSGU. Of course Pinkie would know that a public lecture she’d wanted to hear was going on that evening, and even though she should have been bored to death she’d listen intently, just so they could talk about it afterward.
On the way back to the palace they’d stop for some ice cream and a walk through the park. The forecast was clear, she’d checked before she left. The moon would be high and clear and bathe them both in the perfect lighting. Their eyes would lock and Pinkie would lean in….
The train shook and jolted Twilight out of her daydream. The attendant announced the destination cheerfully, and that got her moving. Grabbing her bag with her magic, she made her way to the doors. There, standing on the platform was Pinkie Pie in a suit and top hat, smiling her Twilight only smile.
Twilight smirked and closed her eyes. Her memory was as impeccable as usual, and she recited every word with a passion she’d only known when her magical studies were involved. “The Elements of Harmony have no known origins, as they existed before the princesses found them. It is theorized that the Elements rose from the ashes of phoenixes before the dawn of time, and eventually took on the attributes of the ponies that found them.”
Twilight took in a deep breath as she scanned the page beneath her. She was to take part in a big competition between Equestria and the other neighboring countries—griffons, zebras, and even dragons were going to be trying out. Recognition, money, and jewels were the reward of winning this battle of wits, and Princess Celestia had chosen Twilight, the new princess, to represent Equestria.
Thanks to Cadence’s breathing techniques, Twilight had kept herself under control.
Mostly.
But still, this was so important… This competition, Wits and Whispers—dubbed as such due to all the cheaters—had so much weight on Equestria’s standing both financially and politically. The “friendly” competition helped relations between the different nations, too, and at this point in time that was crucial, especially between the dragons and griffons.
Of course, something that required this much study and practice forced her to push her friends away. There wasn’t any time to relax or have fun.
Pinkie had either taken it the hardest, or the easiest. It was hard to say when it came to her. When Twilight had requested some time alone from all her friends (even Spike and Owlowiscious), Pinkie had asked why, gotten a thoughtful look on her face, before taking off.
It seemed like a normal Pinkie-like thing to do, so Twilight didn’t think much of it.
And she didn’t understand why she was now. Think, Twilight… You should be studying right now. What’s the next question again? …Who is Dracorra the Drake?
Twilight thought for a second, but when no answer came to her mind, she grew frustrated. I should know all of this… Who the hay is Dracorra the Drake? Obviously a dragon, but what did he do?
The alicorn considered this before reaching a decision. “Spike!” she called, “I need you to send a letter to…”
Her voice died out as she remembered that she was the only one present in the library. An embarrassed blush settled over her cheeks, though she didn’t get why. Just as Twilight began wondering once again what she should do about this question, she felt a familiar pony pressing up against her back.
She sighed. “Pinkie, I’m still—“
“Dracorra the Drake,” she said into Twilight’s ear, “was a dragon gladiator. He created what was called Guerrilla Warfare, and was credited with the fall of the griffon village Beakburg back in the day.”
Twilight’s eyebrows drew back in surprise, and she felt Pinkie’s hooves wrap themselves around her waist. “How did you—“
“Not only did that cause tension between the two tribes,” Pinkie continued, “but it also pulled ponies into the mix. No griffon had survived the raid, and rumors spread around that Princess Celestia had taken part in it. Even today, griffons still find it hard to trust others, and some still think it was us that did it.”
Twilight craned her neck slightly so she could meet Pinkie’s gaze. The earth pony looked like she hadn’t gotten any sleep in days, but confidence shown through her big baby blue eyes.
Silence lay over them like a blanket, and Twilight felt both comfortable and uncomfortable at the same time. She loved having Pinkie so close to her, but she knew she should’ve been doing something else.
Pinkie seemed to interpret the silence as something bad. Her ears drooped and she avoided eye contact. “I thought I could help you study if I remembered everything in that big history book you had. I’m sorry for taking it without asking, but I really did want to help you.”
Twilight smiled as she nuzzled her marefriend’s cheek. “Are you sure? I appreciate the gesture, but you don’t have to.”
Pinkie’s grin was even brighter than Twilight’s. “But I want to. Truuust me, it’s more torture stayin’ away from you than it is reading history lessons with you by my side,” she pointed out.
The alicorn let herself relax against the pink pony behind her, whose grip only tightened. As the two continued to go through all of her textbooks, Pinkie was able to recite facts off better than even Twilight could. Twilight may have been a nerd, but Pinkie was her own candy-like nerd. Not just anypony could read through a five-hundred textbook and memorize every word, and even fewer would do so for the sake of somepony else.
They were both nerds, but neither would have it any other way.
Something had happened. Nothing that would change anything, though. It was only a little slip-up. A minor mistake. Nothing more, nothing less. It wasn't anything too crucial.
That's what Pinkie Pie kept telling herself, anyway.
Twilight Sparkle was a Princess now.
She deserved so much better.
What had happened months ago - it was just...
It wasn't nothing.
It was something.
But it didn't matter now - what's passed was past.
Although, Pinkie could remember that night as if it was only a few days ago, the memory of it all still fresh inside her energetic mind, and she could easily admit it was one of her most favorite moments in anything that had ever happened to her.
It was almost like a dream... and now, that's what she was considering. Perhaps that's all it ever was.
-xoxo-
"I'm sorry," Twilight sobbed, as she buried her face into the party pony's blinding pink coat. "but I didn't know who else to turn to. I just... I'm so lost, Pinkie."
With a light giggle, Pinkie smothered her friend into a tight hug and let out a sigh, shaking her head. "There's no reason to be upset, Twilight," she trilled. "It's ok - remember, if anypony can make you smile, it's me!"
"I know," the alicorn whimpered. "That's why you were the first one who popped in my head when I thought of somepony to cheer me up. I... I don't know if I can take it anymore - being a Princess. It's too frustrating."
"Well, why don't you ask Celestia for help?" Pinkie murmured. "After all, she's been a Princess forever!"
"I couldn't." Twilight declared, as she let out a light sniffle. "I can't say this to her, it would be letting her down and..." She looked up - her lavender eyes meeting Pinkie Pie's brilliant periwinkle ones, and in an instant, their lips met in a ferocious kiss, one that was passionate yet sweet and soft. Cautious, yet caring. Simple, yet on the edge.
-xoxo-
Twilight had stayed over for the rest of the night, and the two of them had talked, and kissed, and cuddled, contemplating what would be next for the new Princess's role.
...and after that evening, nothing like that ever happened again.
Pinkie oh-so-badly wanted to bring it up, but... when she would notice how happy Twilight was with that new Flash Sentry guard, well... She didn't have a Pinkie Sense regarding love, but if she did, she knew it would involve making Twilight happy - no matter what.
There were plenty of things Twilight Sparkle could explain. In fact, there was only one thing, or rather pony, that eluded her.
Pinkie Pie.
Twilight would never understand how that mare could do some of the things she could. The Pinkie Sense should not have been possible, but there it was. She had even heard some ponies call Pinkie an impossible mare.
But there was one other thing Twilight couldn't explain about Pinkie Pie. Not that she minded this one. It had plagued her for days, of course. What was it about the pink pony who cause that strange flutter in her stomach? That caused her to think of her at all hours of the day?
When Twilight had found what it was, she had panicked.
That was about the time Pinkie had tired of waiting and kissed her.
Even now, looking down the flower-petal coated aisle, Twilight knew ponies, especially the aristocracy, were calling for an explanation. Why would the newest Princess of Equestria want to marry a pony like Pinkie Pie.
Had they been there, at that every moment, they would have known. They would have scene the huge smile that lit up Twilight's face as Pinkie stepped down the aisle to meet her.
If Twilight had been asked to explain, she could have said many things. She loved Pinkie's impossibleness. She loved the way Pinkie could make her smile. She loved how she couldn't explain Pinkie's mysteries.
Twilight Sparkle was amazing. She was everything a pony could hope to be and a mare stallions could only dream of. She had the confidence of the princess she so rightly was, but humility beyond her years.
And Rarity was in love with her.
She had an eye for these things. Her special talent was finding jewels, so it was only expected that she could see her ideal special somepony from a mile away. Maybe that was being dramatic, what with the fiasco with that cursed fake Prince Blueblood, but Rarity was sure of it.
But then there was Pinkie Pie. Rarity had been so head over hooves in love with Twilight that she’d failed to see what should’ve been obvious all along. She should’ve seen the signs—even on Twilight’s first day in Ponyville, Pinkie seemed to exert exuberance much more than usual. Her cerulean eyes lit up at sight of the Gala tickets—perhaps in silent wish to attend with Twilight—and at the time, Rarity only assumed it to be of minor importance.
Then again, she hadn’t fallen for Twilight back then, either.
But now… it was too late. Pinkie had already claimed Twilight as her own, and it was easy to see that they were happy. Rarity knew that Pinkie helped Twilight relax after a stuffy day of paperwork and helped her have fun when her wings were bothering her. When she was studying, Pinkie would give her a massage or bake her cupcakes or anything she knew would make Twilight happy.
Everything Rarity couldn’t.
It was with a heavy heart that Rarity gave up on pursuing her love. If she’d even tried, three friends she held dear to her heart would be hurt. Not just Pinkie and Twilight, but Spike too. The poor dragon would cry his eyes out, and even then he’d continue to wallow in his sorrow.
And Rarity couldn’t allow that to happen. She watched from the sidelines as Pinkie and Twilight had a picturesque romance—one she could only dream of—and couldn’t help but wish it were her instead. She grew green with envy as Spike had once grown through greed. It boiled up just beneath her skin and festered anger toward her friend, but she was unable and unwilling to do anything about it.
Eventually, Fluttershy noticed. It was one day at the spa, the only thing that could help her relax these days, and the pegasus had been talking about how perfect Twilight and Pinkie were for one another. And, what she dubbed the “best news of all”—they were getting married.
It was then that tears finally streaked down her face. Tears full of grief and disdain, tears that could express what words could not. Rarity had never felt so selfish before in her life, never so horrible, and never so helpless.
At first, Fluttershy was confused. She’d expected Rarity to be happy, and when it became clear that these tears were not of joy, Fluttershy was at her side. Through sobs the crying pony explained what was wrong, how long she’d been holding on to these feelings, and Fluttershy had hugged her. Protected her from the world that Rarity so often did for her.
She told her that everything was going to be okay. That eventually, she too would find somepony that she loved, and that she wouldn’t always feel this way. It was liberating, but at the same time it tied her down to reality. She couldn’t hold on to these feelings forever, no matter how perfect Twilight was.
Rarity got better with each passing day, thinking of Twilight less and less. Fluttershy let her vent her frustration out, and they spent more and more time together. Even when Pinkie and Twilight’s wedding came around, she had her head held high and congratulated the two. They were so happy it was hard not to feel the same.
Green was a color Rarity hated, and yet it was the only color she could truly understand.
It was still strange seeing Twilight with wings. Before the Elements had done … whatever they’d done and she’d become a Princess, Twilight had been hard to read. It was always kinda hard to see what Twi was thinking, whether she was tired or just plain mad. Maybe it was growing up in Canterlot, maybe it was spending all her time with books instead of ponies, but Twilight was a mystery, even to an observant pony like Fluttershy.
But with new appendages barely under her control, Twilight had gone from a mystery to a children’s book. Her wings flapped off-beat when she was agitated, flared aggresively when she was angry, twitched when she was excited or anxious, and fluffed up when she was uncomfortable. It was adorable to watch, really, a full-grown mare acting like a little pegasus foal. And when Twilight compulsively apologized for her body’s natural, unsuppressed responses, Fluttershy’s heart melted a little.
But right now? RIght now Twilight’s wings quivered, outstretched, in a full-on display of desire. Twilight licked her lips unconsciously and craned her neck even further over, watching … Pinkie Pie? Fluttershy blinked and looked again - sure enough, Twilight’s eyes were locked onto a bouncy pink rump, just visible from behind the sales counter of Sugarcube Corner. Fluttershy glanced around rabbit-quick, noticing several pairs of eyes on their table. Her ears twitched and caught whispers and mutterings of what would soon become gossip.
“Umm… Twilight?” she mumbled, coughing politely. Twilight’s spacey smile morphed slowly into a full-out leer. “Twilight?” Fluttershy hissed again. Twilight shifted on her floor pillow and let out a low, rumbling sigh. Fluttershy nudged her in the shoulder. Twilight jumped a little and looked at her. “Twilight, wings,” she whispered, desperately pantomiming with her forelegs. Twilight squeaked and folded them down roughly before hiding her blushing muzzle in a feathery appendage. Fluttershy took another slow sip at her green tea to hide a tiny giggle. It really was adorable to watch.
Poof! The whole lobby and kitchen of Sugarcube corner was filled with flour and dough from the recent disaster to grace the kitchen. Twilight and Pinkie were both covered in flour, Twilight over by the oven and Pinkie over by the cabinet. The two stood there not moving, their reaction delayed a bit from shock. It had happened so fast! One moment Pinkie was helping her marefriend bake a cake, the next the whole shop was covered in flour. It was like a winter flour land! Twilight's brain managed to stir a reaction and she blinked first then coughed up some flour.
"Well that was" *cough* "a disaster."
"Not so much! You managed to get the cake into the oven!" Pinkie smiled, grabbed a rag and wiped herself down.
"Yeah, but I still managed to create an explosion everytime I touch the oven!" Twilight sighed in frustration.
Pinkie licked her lips and walked over to the purple alicorn and licked some of the dough off her mouth. Twilight smiled and gave her a quick kiss. The two mares grabbed some rags and started wiping down the kitchen. The dough had gotten everywhere! It was under the counter one the cabinets, even on the roof! All in all they did a pretty good job, but they still had to clean the lobby. Both jaws dropped at the coating of bakery ingredients.
"Well this is going to take a while. How are we gong to clean all this before the Cakes get home?!" Twilight looked at Pinkie for an answer but the pink mare gave her marefriend a mischievous smile.
"We could clean it normally. OR we could do this instead!" Pinkie raced back to the kitchen and had two things of pink frosting. She went to town and just started spraying it all over the place onto every bit of the dough in the room.
"PINKIE! You're just making a bigger mess!"
"No I'm not. I'm making a delicious mess!" She finished spraying and put the two frosting bottle down on the counter.
"Let's get cleaning!" Pinkie immediately started licking the frosting and dough off the walls and counter.
Pinkie Pie thrived on friendship. She loved to make friends, to make ponies happy, and she couldn’t get enough of those smiles. She could make even the most depressed of donkeys a happy camper when she put her mind to it.
So it came as a surprise when she made a new friend that wouldn’t smile at all. Her name was Twilight Sparkle, and she was a grumpy one. Never did she want to talk with anyone, and even worse was she never wanted to talk to Pinkie! It was jarring to say the least, and Pinkie set out to fix the situation.
However, Twilight wouldn’t let her anywhere near her. The only pony—or, dragon, really—she let near her was the one she’d arrived in Ponyville with, and his name was Spike. An idea had hatched in Pinkie’s mind to use this dragon’s relationship with the sad pony to her advantage, and she did. They were quick friends with the aid of jewels, and finally she was able to get into the library.
It was then that she got to see what Twilight’s life was like.
It was strange and something the likes Pinkie had never seen before, but it interested her. Her new friend Spike got annoyed when she would rather watch Twilight than play games, and she often wondered how that pony could sit there for so long.
Each passing day left Pinkie more bewildered than the last, and she spent more and more time just staring. Twilight was a bookworm, and she didn’t care for other ponies. It was like she was Pinkie’s polar opposite, and that intrigued her all the more.
Soon, this curiosity became something more. It evolved into something more than simple interest, into something that made Pinkie’s heart race and her knees go weak. All that with just a passing thought of Twilight Sparkle—the way she smiled that victory smile while reading, the way her mane sparkled in the light, and perhaps most of all, just how much she didn’t believe herself to be beautiful.
Spike was the voice of reason. He picked up on Pinkie’s feelings almost as quickly as they’d developed. His sole warning to her was to back off and forget, lest she be hurt in the end. He’d said Twilight wasn’t a pony that cared for others that way, that she would never change.
But Pinkie had faith. It was only when Spike had pointed it out that she realized just how much she’d come to care for Twilight, and it was far too late to back out now. When she’d explained this to Spike, he only shrugged and told her to do what she wanted to.
Now, Pinkie set off to achieve the impossible: Make Twilight Sparkle fall in love with her.
Somehow, Pinkie had confidence in her abilities. Twilight had grown used to her being in the library at this point, and it was only a minor change to her when Pinkie started spending more time with her. Pinkie would sit next to Twilight while she was reading, and scoot closer when she knew Twilight was so into her book she wouldn’t notice.
But still Twilight was oblivious. Even so, it was an improvement now that she spoke to Pinkie like she did with Spike, and even better that she addressed her by her name. She could get away with the occasional hug if she timed it right, and those were always the very best. Twilight was so warm and inviting, that Pinkie could barely keep to herself! She had to keep telling herself to keep her hooves off until she could call Twilight her own, and she had to remind herself to have faith.
Finally, her patience bore fruit. Twilight had started acting funny around her—and not the kind that makes you laugh. Well, sort of, since it was really cute—but not in a joking way. She was smiling more, something Pinkie had been craving since the moment she’d seen her, and they spent less time studying and more time playing games.
It was one of these instances that things had gotten out of hand. They’d been wrestling when it happened. Pinkie had always enjoyed her time with Twilight, but this was one of those rare times that she enjoyed it even more. She pinned Twilight and grinned down at her. She was going to tease her about it, but found herself tongue-tied. Twilight looked stunning underneath her, the way her mane fell just so and the way her gaze was averted. She was embarrassed, Pinkie knew.
“…You’re beautiful, you know that?” Pinkie had blurted out without thinking. She reached one of her hooves up to Twilight’s cheek and gently lifted it, forcing Twilight to meet her eyes. Twilight’s entire face was bright red.
Pinkie’s eyes drifted to something a little lower, and on impulse she leaned forward and kissed her. It was amazing. Pinkie’s heart beat faster than ever before, as if it was running a marathon, and she found her mind to be a complete blank. That had never happened before, and it was the best feeling in the world.
Pinkie had never been more glad for her persistence.
The steady beating of the loud music still played in Pinkie Pie's head, humming the tune cheerily as she swept the confetti, party hats and other various bits of rubbish of the floor. Parties were always fun, but the cleaning up bit was always such a bore. After every party she would invite ponies to stay longer, maybe chip in if they felt like it, then settle back and relax together, just the two of them. But no pony ever did. Still, that was okay, and it was no good to jump to conclusion just because they didn't want to spend some extra time with her, she'd learned that lesson hard at her last birthday. She shuddered at the memory.
Just as Pinkie was beginning to tug down some of the colorful streamers, a loud knock rung through the bakery. Normally she would rush past the Cakes to answer, but she had work to do, no matter how silly and boring that sounded.
Sure enough, Pinkie Pie could heard the jangle as the pony came in. They would soon buy their treat and leave, although it didn't make sense for them to turn up after the party had finished, there were always plenty of yummy snacks then! Maybe they didn't like crowds, and got scared by all the loud noises and ponies, so much they wouldn't even attend, like Fluttershy when she first arrived in Ponyville. Poor filly, she'd have to find out who they were to throw them a party. If she left, she could get a glimpse of them.
Pinkie flung open the door, which was met by a loud 'ouch' and steady 'thonk' of a pony hitting something hard. She looked down to see Twilight lying on the floor, cradling a sore, red nose.
"Oh my gosh, Twilight, I'm so sorry!" she reached down a hoof to help her friend up. "I didn't see you, I was going to the greet the sad, shy pony who- wait, is that you?"
"What?" said Twilight, her voice somewhat muffled. "No, I just came to pick up a book I left here, just in case I needed to read, a book is always a handy things to have on you."
"You silly filly, you don't bring a book to a party," Pinkie laughed, before fixing her with a serious look, or as serious as she could manage. "But I have your book, I think. It looks really interesting!" She turned back inside, heading towards the chair the dark volume rested upon.
"You think quantum physics is interesting?" Twilight seemed confused as she followed her.
Pinkie Pie gently grasped the spine of her book to her, who quickly caught it with her unicorn magic. "Yeah, but I didn't get a chance to read it. Oh well!"
She turned back to her job at hoof, pulling down a streamer and bundling it into a ball. When she turned around, Twilight was still there, watching her.
"This place looks so empty," she said, seemingly sad, which made Pinkie frown. "I've never really seen the aftermath of a party much before."
"Yeah, this bit isn't so fun," Pinkie sighed, feeling the sadness leaking out of her. "Ponies never want to stay here with me anyway, so I'm quite use to being alone at the end."
A soft smile, different to the many bright, beaming one Pinkie normally received, yet still special, graced Twilight's face. "Do you want to read quantum physics with me?"
Two ponies danced around the large ballroom, coats mixing into one. A lavender alicorn wore a tight-fitting purple gown, sheer fabric showing her legs beneath an ordinary skirt. One diamond hung from a leather cord just under her bangs.
The other, a pink earth pony, wasn’t wearing a gown. All she had was a mini lilac tophat resting on the side of her head.
The ballroom they danced in was full of sounds, sounds of music. A soft melody was played on a flute, while a piano called out the true song. The two ponies danced to the song, the alicorn resting her head on the pink pony’s shoulder. Her eyes half closed.
They danced across the room alone, no one to interrupt them.
The floor, polished to perfection, reflected the two dancers. The normally hyper-active earth pony was content being silent, and dancing with the alicorn. Her sky blue eyes were reflected full of happiness.
“When I was a little filly and the sun was going down-ow-ow-own.” Pinkie’s ears shot up as her eyes searched the room. The song she heard was the one she had sung to help overcome her and her friend’s fear in the Everfree Forest the day they met.
“Pinkie?” The lavender pony spoke, her eyes open, and locked her violet eyes with Pinkie’s blue.
“Yes, Twilight?” The lavender pony blushed in response before talking.
“I… I… I love you!” Twilight’s voiced echoed through the empty ballroom, making her cheeks glow like fire.
Pinkie smiled even more than before, her white teeth showing. “I love you too Twilight.” She leaned forward and kissed her friend, her smile somehow still showing through that kiss. Twilight returned it gratefully.
“Hu- huh!” Twilight blinked out of her daydream, “Oh!” She exclaimed, “Sorry Pinkie, I was just a, umm, thinking!”
Pinkie laughed, “It’s okay Twilight, but you’ve been thinking so long the party is over!” Twilight glanced around the room, it was true. There wasn’t any pony nearby.
“Oops?” She said shyly. “Here, I’ll help you clean up!” The alicorn jumped up, but was stopped by her laughing friend.
“It’s okay, I just wanted to tell you something.” Without pausing Pinkie leaned forward and kissed her friend, just like in her dream.
They stayed together for a while, but they needed to breath eventually.
We all stood there waiting for our friend to return from the super weird mirror world. I hate the Princess Celestia didn't let me go with her! All the parties I would have loved to throw in the mirror would have been sooooo fun! Wish I had made a special cupcake for this moment! I'm so nervous though. What if she doesn't come back? What if she likes it there more than here? What if she found another pony she loves!? What if I lose my princess!? All these fears are put aside though as she comes back through the mirror! I want to run up and hug her and kiss her and shower her in cupcakes and I do, except for the cupcakes part! I need those for the 'Hope you had fun in the mirror' party for Twilight!
"TWILIGHT!" I shout.
"Glad to see you too Pinkie!" She smiles and it makes me feel all warm and fuzzy and happy inside. Is that even possible? That would make your insides like an oven! I could make cupcakes inside myself? That makes things so much easier! I bury my face in her soft chest and feel her head rest on mine.
"I missed you." I say softly.
She kisses me on the forehead. "I missed you too." I close my eyes and smile and open my mouth to sing.
"Cause I really need is a smile, smile, smile-" I start
"Yes you do. It fills my heart up with sunshine-" She finishes
"Yes it does. But all I really need is you, you, you-"
"By my side. It fills my heart up with sunshine."
"Yes it does." I felt all nervouscited when we first arrived and when Twilight went through the portal. Now that she's here though, I feel like I could take on the world!
There's still one problem though, there's something about that guard we met on the way in. I think his name is Flash Sentry. He might try to steal Twilight from me! Silly me, that won't happen! Still, this means WAR!
Twilight tried her best to keep from drooping as she left the stage. The last smattering of applause chased her into the wings and she looked guiltily at her partner with a wry smirk. “Well, we tried,” she grumbled, scuffing the floor.
Pinkie smiled back earnestly. “Yep! We sure did!” she chirped, matching Twilight’s pace evenly, although with much more bounce.
Twilight huffed. “I’m all left hooves, Pinkie, you know that.”
Pinkie hummed for a moment and shook her head. “I’m pretty sure you’re also wings and horn and brain and heart, Twi-Twi,” she sing-songed, her hooves tapping out a catchy rhythm.
Twilight glowered at everything, and nothing.. “And then halfway through, when I forgot the choreography … That couldn’t even be called dancing!” She rubbed her muzzle dejectedly and took a few,shuddering breaths. “Why did I agree to this?”
Pinkie stopped and turned abruptly, an odd mix of playful concern on her face. “Honestly, that was my favorite part,” she admitted, her eyes crinkling adorably. Twilight’s jaw dropped.
“B-but … How … Huh?” Twilight squeaked.
Pinkie’s smile spread even wider. “Because when you’d forgotten everything I showed you, then it was really you out there, dancing your heart out. I got to see my little sugar-cookie grooving it up, her style. And the whole audience got to see it, too. They got to see what you really felt, not what I taught you to feel.” Pinkie kissed the tip of Twilight’s nose and winked. “And I’ve never been prouder.”
Twilight blushed brilliantly and fought the urge to hide her face behind her forelegs. “But Pinkie, I was a mess,” she protested, scowling slightly.
Pinkie rolled her eyes. “Well, yeah,” she giggled, bumping Twilight’s flank playfully with her own. “But you were my mess. That’s different.”
It was a usual night at Canterlot Castle. The stars up above in the sky shined bright like little diamonds, the guards paraded around in various areas doing their job and the Princesses were completely content.
...well, for the most part.
A light scream in the night was heard, near the backroom, and it didn't startle anypony far off.
But nonetheless, it still awoke a few souls. Twilight shot up in her bed, breathing heavily, and glancing all around. She was safe. She wasn't alone, but her company was alright. The visions that had been dancing around her mind were long gone and were apparently nothing but a dream.
A soft nudge alerted Twilight out of her current daze, and she looked over to see Pinkie, who was slightly tired but trying not to show it, as she glanced to her marefriend in concern.
It seemed that no words were needed as the Princess lightly shook, screwing her eyes shut.
"I hate spending the night here," she sighed, falling back on the mattress and staring up at the canopy of the four-poster bed.
Pinkie raised an eyebrow, and hovered over Twilight - looking at her thoughtfully. For once in her life, the pink party pony wasn't yammering on and on about rubbish or asking countless questions one after the next to make her manner of speech and talking unable to keep up with.
"Any Castle, actually," Twilight admitted. "It reminds me of ... well, that night. The time I had to go to that strange new world. I... I don't like being reminded of it."
With a small halfhearted smile, Pinkie snuggled her marefriend, who laughed softly and kissed the hyperactive mare's cheek. The soft, warm, loving embrace, secure blue eyes and sparkling smile was Twilight needed to chase away the demons in her dreams - no giggling at the ghosties required.
One of the things you have to get used to about Pinkie Pie is that she’s very, very musical. It certainly took me long enough to get adjusted to the fact that there’s a 50% chance of her breaking out into song wherever you go. But now that I’ve figured it out, it only makes her more appealing.
She’s the cutest, smartest, all-around best pony, pony!
Her voice is very pretty, a little annoying when you first hear it, but soon slips into a much more melodic tone that flows with just the right amount of pep. She’s still Pinkie Pie, but she’s not the random, hyperactive pony I first met when I came to Ponyville anymore. You hear her music, and you hear her soul.
And that’s why I’m so lucky – lucky, lucky,
Of course, not everything she sings is dramatic, full of depth. It can be silly, bouncy, fun, about any topic in the world – quite literally. I would know – she’s burst into ballads in the middle of the woods before, and more than once while just walking around town. But her music, no matter how giggle-inducing, is always beautiful, just like her.
that she’s dating a silly old filly like me!
All these thoughts and more fly through my head as Pinkie finishes her short performance and takes a bow, panting ever-so-slightly. “Did you like it, Twili?” Bouncy blue eyes eagerly anticipate my reaction, ready to soak up the positive praise she’s sure I’m going to deliver, and she’s right. I trot over to her, enveloping her warm pink figure in a hug.
“Of course I did, Pinkie.” I nuzzle her neck affectionately, and she snickers as I find her ticklish spot. “I love all your music.”
Her giggles stop abruptly, and she twists out of my embrace to peer up into my eyes. “You’re sure you’re not just saying that?” Her tone is cautious, wary of the ground she’s stepping on. “You’re sure I’m not annoying? Because ponies have told me I’m annoying before, and I don’t want to be annoying, Twilight.”
“Are you kidding?” I roll my eyes and hug her closer. “If you weren’t musical, you wouldn’t be Pinkie Pie anymore.”
She snuggles against me contentedly, fear melting away, as I close my eyes, delivering the final sentence.
Twilight thought she had met all of Pinkie's sisters. Boy was she wrong.
Up 'till now Twilight had gotten along well with her marefriend's other sisters, but Maud was a completely different book. She was almost the exact opposite of Pinkie Pie and her obsession with rocks made it all the more difficult to get along. She had tried everything ranging from poetry to books and from books to scientific discussion about the formation of rocks and the plate tectonics of Equestria!
It wasn't until Maud had saved Pinkie from that ridiculous machine she had built that Twilight realized how she could reach out to Maud. Maud cared for Pinkie almost as much as she did. Although her love was slightly stronger, if measured, Maud was close to being equivalent to that. This was proven later when she was about to depart.
"I don't like rock candy, but I love Pinkie Pie." Maud said.
Twilight smiled.
"So do I." Twilight said.
Pinkie came bounding up to the duo smiling big.
"Oh! Wait! Maud! I forgot to tell you something!" Pinkie shouted. "Me and Twily are dating!!!" Then she leaned in and kissed the princess right on the spot sparking a blush from her. Maud simply smiled.
"Congrats, Pinkie." Was all she said, but it seemed to satisfy her.
Twilight was about to board the train with the bouncing bundle of laughter she fell in love with when she was stopped by a gray hoof.
"Twilight, take care of her. Promise me that you'll be her rock."
Twilight smiled. "Of course, Maud."
The two hugged and the train departing to Ponyville was off. It's cargo consisting of a princess and her love wearing rock candy necklaces.
Maybe it was something in the air. Maybe is was some sort of psychic connection. Maybe it was the intuition her Granny Pie taught her. Whatever it was that clued her in, Pinkie Pie knew her friend Twilight needed her.
On second thought, it was probably the tears that clued her in.
Of course, Twilight wasn’t crying crying! She only did that when she was super sad. Her eyes looked watery and not in a oh-my-there-sure-is-a-lot-of-pollen-out-today kinda way. Her tail hung lower than usual and her wings slumped a little too. Twilight was upset about something!
Twilight had walked into Sugar Cube Corner a few minutes ago and ordered her favorite combo: a buttery croissant and a chai latte with extra cream. Then she left without even stopping to say hi! Something was really upsetting Twilight!
Pinkie got Mr. Cake to let her off early. He said it was ok, so long as she was back before the dinner rush. She caught up to the purple alicorn about a block away.
“Hey hey Twilight!” Pinkie Pie bounded up next to her friend. “What’s crackalackin’? You look all mopey-wopey.”
Twilight gave her a small forced smile and sighed. “It’s nothing Pinkie, I’m just...not feeling so perky today.”
“If it’s perky you want, I can get you one of Mrs. Cakes’ super coffees.” Pinkie grinned. “That’ll make you PER-key! And keep you awake for like, three days. I had a sip once and I could smell math afterwards!”
“Um...no thanks, Pinkie.” Twilight shook her head. “I don’t need caffeine, I have a latte for that.”
“Well if it’s not caffeine you need, then it looks to me like you could use a friend! I like seeing smiley Twi, not frowny Twi - or crazy Twi, or angry Twi, or mad-with-power Twi, or possessed-with-dark-magic Twi - just regular ol’ smiley Twi.”
Twilight blushed and ducked her head, but not before Pinkie spied a tiny, true smile on her lips. Pinkie leaned in and brushed her shoulder against Twilight’s. “Now there’s a little of the Twilight I like to see!”
Her friend chuckled and looked back up. Her smile was growing already. It wasn’t a big smile, or even a little one really. It was a small smile at best, but it was heartfelt and had plenty of room to grow.
“Hey Pinkie?” Twilight tilted her head slightly. “Would you - if it’s not too much to ask - like to come by the library for a bit? I could use a little company…”
“Would I?” Pinkie giggled and bounced in place. “I’d love to! We can read books together and you can strap me to that machine in the basement and we can eat popcorn and candy and…” Pinkie slowed down and took a deep breath. “Or maybe we can just...you know, hang out and be chill. I can totally be chill!”
Twilight chuckled again in that way that said she was feeling better. “Thanks, Pinkie Pie.” Twilight’s smile grew a teensie bit. “I need that. Maybe we could have a little party later?”
Pinkie nodded. “Yep! It’ll be a totes chill affair with grown-up drinks and those tiny little snacks on a tray. Just what a super smart pony needs at the end of her day to feel relaxed and loved!”
“You’re a good friend, Pinkie.”
The pink pony nodded again and bumped into Twilight’s side as she started walking again. “I am only as good a friend as my friends make me. And you make me be a really good friend, Twilight.”
Everything about Twilight Sparkle was golden. She was a princess, she wore a sparkling magical crowd, she was beloved by all citizens of Equestria. She was perfectly golden in every way. And Pinkie wasn’t.
Pinkie walked slowly around her bed in the dark. The Cakes had gone to bed hours ago, but Pinkie still paced, her swirling thoughts and the loud, solid clopping noise of her hooves on the wooden floor keeping her awake into the early hours of the morning.
Her deflated hair clung to her face as she pulled a picture out of her bedside drawer. In the photograph, her and Twilight stood laughing side by side wearing colorful umbrella hats. A small smile tugged at her lips as she remembered that happy time.
She had been planning to tell Twilight everything, she really had, but now everything was different. Now that Twilight was a princess she wouldn’t have any more time for a silly Ponyville pony like Pinkie, she would be off doing bigger things, solving princess problems, and most important of all, she wouldn’t have time for any of her old friends.
Pinkie had been planning to tell Twilight for the past week. She had been working up the nerve to finally confess what she felt, but she was feeling uncharacteristically shy about it. For a pony usually so confident and random, it had been a strange experience to carefully and nervously plan out everything about the confession until she was sure it was perfect.
And then the trouble with cutie marks all getting switched up happened. Then Twilight fixed it with her awesome magical goodness. And then she had become a princess. It had been a whirlwind of rapid events, and when it was over, Pinkie just knew that her chance was gone.
The Coronation had been painful for her, she wanted so badly to be happy for her friend, to of everything everything that Twilight had accomplished, but the smile on her face the entire time had been a facade. A delicate lie that could break at the slightest touch.
She had come straight back to Sugarcube Corner afterwards, and locked herself in her room. Twilight had stayed in Canterlot of course, but her other friends all came by and tried to cheer her up. They didn’t have the slightest idea of what had Pinkie so down, and she had no intention of telling them. She didn’t want to make them feel sad too just because she got her heart broken over some little crush. After about an hour waiting outside of her door, they had given up and left.
She knew that it was time to put her feelings to rest. To try and forget what she had felt for that funny, awkward, beautiful, intelligent mare, and think of her only as a friend as she once had.
The alternative was incredibly painful no matter how Twilight reacted to her confession. Chances were that she would get shot down by Twilight, and in the slight chance that Twilight said yes, their relationship would likely fail. The duties of royalty didn’t allow Twilight much time for romantic walks in the park, or baking dates, the relationship would just wither and die.
Yes, it was hopeless. So why couldn’t Pinkie just forget about it?
Pinkie stumbled into the Golden Oaks Library with a goofy grin on her face. She was giggling uncontrollably and her breath smelled of cider. She tumbled into a book case and knocked some of the tomes down. They all hit the floor with a loud thump alerting the mare upstairs that someone was in the library.
Twilight walked into the lobby to investigate only to look in horror when she saw her books on the floor and a intoxicated Pinkie Pie running into more shelves.
"Pinkie Pie! What in the name of Celestia are you doing here!?" She looked at the clock. "And why are you here this late? You should be in bed like every pony else!"
Pinkie didn't seem to notice her until she saw the librarian up on the staircase.
"Oh hey, Twilight!" She hiccuped. "What are you doing here?" Twilight facehoofed.
"I live here."
"No you don't. You live in the library, not Sugarcube Corner! Silly filly!" She stumbled towards Twilight nearly falling over several times. Twilight sighed in response.
There was no use in convincing Pinkie Pie in the state she was in. Twilight sighed and grabbed the mare in her magic.
"No use in taking you home at this hour, you'll just have to stay with me for tonight." Pinkie giggled in response and looked t the bookworm with a dazed expression.
Twilight laid Pinkie in the guest bed and tucked her in for the night. She turned off the light and was about to close the door when she heard Pinkie mutter something.
"I'm sorry, Pinkie, what did you say?" Twilight asked.
"I said, could you c'mere a sec, Twi?" Twilight walked over to Pinkie.
"What?"
"I gotta whisper it."
"Why?"
"I just have to, Twi. Please?" Twilight sighed and leaned down.
"What?"
Pinkie cupped her hoof around her ear.
"I love you." She then kissed Twilight on the cheek and blacked out suddenly.
Twilight thanked Celestia that Pinkie couldn't see the enormous blush on her face right now.
It was probably the drink talking. She didn't mean that...right? Or did she? I'll have to ask her to clarify tomorrow.
With that Twilight closed the door and headed to her own room, thoughts of the pink mare next door plaguing her mind.
Pinkie always loved the nights Twilight came home from Princess business. She was always extra snuggly, and couldn’t stop saying how much she’d missed Pinkie, or how much she loved Pinkie. Those nights were almost the best nights Pinkie could remember, except for the part where it meant Twilight hadn’t been around for a while, because she was somewhere she hadn’t come back from yet. Sometimes Pinkie had to run to the bathroom and look at herself in the mirror to make sure she hadn’t suddenly turned into a balloon or something, since she was so bouncy her hooves didn't touch the ground.
Tonight was different. Tonight there was a surprise, and not the good kind of surprise, like "my girlfriend brought me a cookbook from Saddle Arabia because she knew I wanted to learn how to make Pita bread the right way." Tonight, Pinkie's smile tasted sour and felt greasy, like it didn't belong on her face. It probably didn't, but she didn't know what else to do. Her eyes bounced between Twilight, who couldn't look at her for more than a second, and the big, muscly lady-griffon who couldn't stop looking at her. The kitchen table wasn't big enough for the three of them, and the lady-griffon's feathers kept tickling Pinkie's shoulder whenever she fidgeted, which was pretty much every five seconds.
Finally, Pinkie knew she had to be the one to break the silence, since her Twilight and Twilight's … The lady-griffon… didn't seem to want to say anything else.
"Twilight," Pinkie began. "I'm not mad…" Twilight's teary eyes flicked up to her, nervously, and flitted away almost immediately. The lady-griffon cleared her throat. "Alright, so I'm a little mad," Pinkie amended, "But I'm not a lot mad, okay?" Twilight shuddered lightly, a full-body tremor. Pinkie chewed her lip and thought about how to say what she needed to say. "I just… I don't understand how this happened, Twi. Are you … Do you not love me enough anymore? Do I … not make you happy, anymore?"
"No!" Twilight almost shouted, her eyes drilling into Pinkie's for almost three seconds before she hunched over and mumbled, "I don't know why it happened. It just kinda did." Twilight rubbed her hoof right below her horn where she got the worst headaches, her eye squinted shut. "Gretchen had just gotten deposed, and I'd promised to get her to Equestria as a refugee, and she was so scared, and lonely and so was I, and then suddenly we were…" Twilight cut herself off with a choked sob. Gretchen reached out a cautious wing to lay across Twilight's shaking back, but stopped when she saw Pinkie's eyes.
Pinkie walked around the tiny table and rubbed up and down Twilight’s back, pressing a little into the places that knotted up when Twilight was sad, or scared; or both, like right now. Pinkie swallowed back the most venemous words that strained to fly out of her mouth. Twilight was lonely, and Gretchen was there? Was that all it took for infidelity now; two months and 3,000 miles between them and an emotionally needy, available partner? Pinkie hadn't had any one either for those two months, and all sorts of drunk and lonely mares were around her. Maybe she should've … Pinkie tasted blood and smoothed over the bite-mark inside her cheek with a thoughtful tongue. Getting angry wouldn't help anything. And … Though she hated to admit it, Twilight hadn't had any friends, any ponies around her those whole two months. Pinkie had.
"So why did you bring … Gretchen, here, back with you?" Pinkie asked, keeping her voice as steady as she could manage. The worst of Twilight's crying had passed, and Pinkie figured she could talk again.
"She needs somewhere to stay while she gets back on her feet." Twilight's voice was muffled by her raised wings and the table-top, but Pinkie could still hear how miserably sorry she sounded. Guilty, even.
"Will she be staying with us?" Pinkie asked. She kept her voice non-confrontational; Twilight couldn't clam up while they were almost making progress.
Twilight's head shook. "I talked to Dash. Gretchen's cleared to stay with her for a while." Pinkie's hackles gently settled down and her next few breaths didn't feel as forced.
"I know it is late, but I am sorry." Pinkie's neck swiveled around. Gretchen's strange golden eyes showed a deep sadness that tugged at Pinkie's heart. They were the first words the griffon had spoken, in a gravelly, heavily-accented voice. "If I had known she had another, I would not have pressed."
Pinkie nodded. She didn't trust herself to speak, so she just nodded. In hostile situations, Twilight would never hint that she had somepony special -- It would make that somepony a target. Pinkie followed her instincts and caught Gretchen up in a gentle hug, since she needed one so badly. When Gretchen finally relaxed enough to return it, Pinkie could almost understand why Twilight had done what she had done. Gretchen was so warm, so soft, so sad, so lonely…
"Gretchen, if you need a place to sleep tonight, we have a guest bed," Pinkie murmured as she pulled away from the embrace. Then she nudged Twilight's shoulder gently. "We should probably all get to bed." Gretchen nodded sharply with an odd, off-kilter beak smile. Twilight drooped still, but she let herself be led upstairs, to where the bedrooms were.
After Pinkie settled Gretchen in for the night, she joined Twilight on their full-size mattress. Endless space seemed to stretch out between them, until Pinkie reached out and stroked Twilight's foreleg. Twilight whimpered at the touch, but still leaned into it cautiously.
"We'll work through this," Pinkie promised in a whisper. "Somehow, this'll work out."
"I don't know how," Twilight whispered back, her eyes not quite meeting Pinkie's.
"I still love you, Twilight Sparkle," Pinkie said, kissing Twilight's forehead. "And that's what's most important, right?" Twilight nodded and curled into Pinkie's forelegs. Twilight's head nuzzled into Pinkie's chest, and Pinkie felt closer to Twilight than she had in a long time. The tension in Pinkie's neck lessened as she snuffled into Twilight's mane and they simply held each other. Sleep was still a long time coming for both of them.
Pinkie Pie lay sprawled out on the floor in the Golden Oaks library. Her eyes rested on the front door to the tree obviously waiting for something or someone to come through. She sighed circling her hoof in the wooden floor occasionally sneaking a glance at the door again. She let out a frustrated groan, rolling over onto her back.
"Where. Is. She!?" She nearly yelled.
"Pinkie, relax. She's just getting some apple pie from Applejack." Spike replied calmly.
"I know that silly!" Pinkie giggled a little and sat up. "But she said she'd be back in a jiffy and a jiffy is super fast! You remember that time we all became super powered in your comic book and I was flash and dash?"
"Yeah?"
"That's how fast she would have to be!" Pinkie threw up her hooves to exaggerate falling back onto her back.
Spike shrugged his shoulders walking into the kitchen leaving Pinkie Pie laying in the living room. The distressed party mare stared at the ceiling, reasons for Twilight being late forming rapidly.
"What if Applejack got attacked by the vampire fruit bats again and now Twilight and Applejack are vampire hunters roaming Equestria searching for vampires to fight and protect everypony from becoming Flutterbats? Or what if Flim and Flam came back trying to take over the acres with a new invention that controls pony's minds? Or-"
She was interrupted by a creaking door. She lifted her head up directing her eyes towards the front door. A purple hoof stepped through the opening giving Pinkie all the reason she needed to lunge for it.
"Spike, Pin-" Twilight was interrupted by a pink blurb tackling and pinning her to the floor.
"TWILIGHT!" Pinkie yelled before kissing her fiance.
After her momentary shock subsided, the librarian returned the kiss with slightly more force. Pinkie broke the kiss shortly after, to Twilight's disappointment, with a big happy grin that only she could manage.
"I was sooooo worried! I thought that the vampire fruit bats had returned and that you and Applejack had become vampire hunters fighting vampires preventing more ponies from becoming Flutterbats and that you guys had to..."
Twilight zoned out, not hearing the rest of her finace's tale. She instead focused on the party mare's vibrant energy that she always had with her, or the way she could always make someone smile, or even how she almost never frowns.
"Twilight?" Pinkie asked.
"Yes?" Twilight replied.
The party mare nuzzled her finace lovingly placing a kiss on her cheek.
"I missed you."
"I was only gone for five minutes!"
"So!? Five minutes without you is like a liftime without parties!" Pinkie shouted.
Twilight smiled placing a kiss on Pinkie's forehead. Even if it did seem a little overboard, Pinkie was right. 5 minutes without Pinkie was like a lifetime without books, and nobody messes with her books.
Especially the one where the princess and the party mare get married and live happily ever after in a tree.
Every time she saw her pink friend, Twilight felt bubbly. She felt light, like she could just float away.
Something about the pink mare filled Twilight with joy. The way Pinkie could spread happiness to anyone she met, or the way she could face almost any problem with a positive attitude.
Pinkie made Twilight a little jealous, if she were to be totally honest. She wished she could be more like Pinkie. So open about her feelings, so friendly and extroverted. Even though she was studying the magic of friendship, Twilight still often felt out of place in social situations. Yes, she loved spending time with her friends, the six of them were so comfortable together that she could never feel out of place with them, but she was awkward and shy around ponies she didn’t know.
Pinkie never had to deal with that, though, because there wasn’t a single pony she didn’t know. And if one happened to arrive, Pinkie made it her business to get to know them.
Pinkie had countless friends, and Twilight was incredibly grateful to be among those closest to her.
Sometimes, she wished they could be more than that.
She always felt bad because of it, Twilight knew she shouldn’t feel that way about one of her closest friends. But late at night when she was alone with her thoughts, Twilight found herself fixated on Pinkie, that fascinating mare who was different from her in so many ways.
Everything that Twilight herself felt she was lacking, Pinkie had in scores.
Maybe that was behind her strange feelings for Pinkie. In a way, her friend completed her.
