I - The next morning

June 13th, 1004 A.D. (After Discord)

For a moment, Twilight Sparkle wasn't sure where she was. She knew it wasn't her bed for the sunlight streaming in was at a different angle and she couldn't feel her cozy bed or sheets under her; she did have a very warm blanket over her though and a fluffy pillow under her head.

Even as she thought that she should be concerned as to why she was not in bed, Twilight couldn't help but enjoy the blanket; warm, bouncy, pink and smelling of baked goods. It wasn't until the 'blanket' giggled that Twilight decided to get down to the bottom of the mystery and wake up properly.

She opened her eyes to find herself looking into sky-blue ones that held over a thousand and one jokes; if the unicorn had been any less relaxed she would have jumped back in surprise. Before the lavender mare could decide on the proper response, Pinkie Pie went first.

“Morning sleepy-head! You make a nice pillow blanket! Last night was the best ever and I – Twilight, you ok? Not awake? This isn't a dream is it? 'Cause that'd be the saddest thing and -” It was at this point that Twilight placed a hoof onto the pink muzzle to stem the flow of words; Pinkie Pie's rambling did help jog Twilight's memory of the previous night causing her to blush as she thought about it all.

Pinkie watched the memories come to the lavender mare as she woke up further and wore a blush of her own at all the memories and how close the two mares were; some time in the night the pillow and blanket Twilight had pulled over had rolled off and into a corner, Pinkie Pie had then became the substitute blanket with her tail as a pillow (something the pink mare didn't mind in the least).

Once Twilight recovered from the memories, she took her hoof away from Pinkie's mouth to hug her barrel which was still curved so she could both see the other mare and still let the unicorn use her tail as a pillow.

“I hope it's not a dream too...” As the fluffy tail was released from its use as a pillow Pinkie Pie swung around so they were laying parallel to return the hug with extra nuzzles on the side.

“We can stay here and cuddle some more, it's not quiet morning yet.” At the mention of morning Twilight yawned and nodded agreement to the plan which soon turned into a nuzzle to the pink mare; they didn't bother with either pillow or blanket, merely cuddling closer to share warmth.

Twilight wasn't sure if it was euphoria, something she ate or drank the night before or just the mare beside her but she had never felt so relaxed or free then at that moment; something she hoped would last.

In what felt like no time at all, the two mares woke to a gasp and the sound of something tumbling down the stairs.

Twilight snapped her eyes open as she felt the pink fluffy tail twitch madly before the string of pain-filled exclamation that sounded like a certain dragon's drew her gaze to said dragon resting upside down at the foot of the stairs. Twilight sat up slightly in concern as Pinkie Pie also looked towards the youngster with a concerned frown.

“Are you ok Spike?” At Twilight's question, Spike sat up with a groan as he rubbed his head before looking towards the mares.

“Yeah; I just wasn't expecting to, ah, you two... Like that...” Spike held a claw half over his eyes, unsure if he was supposed to see them wrapped up so close to one another or not.

It was as though Spike used one of his claws to burst Twilight's bubble of happiness and the unicorn leapt up with Pinkie Pie still firmly attached. At the unusual weight and feel of four hooves around her barrel, Twilight looked at the source to find two sky-blue orbs staring back.

“What's the matter Twilight?” The lavender mare found herself mesmerized by the large innocent eyes and had re-attained some of the peace she had before; at a small cough from the dragon, she turned from the pink mare with a blush.

“Everything's fine Pinkie. Yes Spike, we are close... We're, we're marefriends now.” Twilight was nervous about telling Spike since she practically raised him and was one of her oldest friends; yet at the same time she felt a thrill of happiness to say it out loud.

As a reward for telling Spike the the bookworm received a nuzzle from the party animal which served to heighten where they touched; and since Pinkie Pie still had a strong grip on her mare it was a lengthy list indeed.

Spike grinned as many of Twilight' previous quirks and comments suddenly made sense when he saw how close the two were.

“Oh, ok.” As Spike removed his claw from his eyes, Twilight also slightly relaxed before giving Pinkie a hug with her left hoof since she couldn't reach properly with the right one.

Spike watched the scene before him as Twilight tried to make Pinkie release her which only made the pink mare grip harder; the baker released her captive after receiving a quick, shy kiss on her forehead from the studious pony.

The purple dragon saw how much more relaxed the librarian was at the moment and realized that it was because of Pinkie.

(Maybe this will be a good thing for her...) Spike turned on the spot and began to straighten up the library, which didn't need that much work but it gave him something to do.

Twilight was a little confused by this sudden disinterest and tried to focus on the dragon (a hard task to do since Pinkie Pie didn't want to leave Twilight's side and continuously nuzzled at her neck).

“You, you don't mind Spike? That I like Pinkie Pie and we're going out?”

“Ooh! We're going someplace? GASP! Our first date! Do you have the whole thing planned? You sure are a smarty smart pants Twilight!” Pinkie gave Twilight a few pats on the head as she grinned; at this new turn of events the unicorn was torn between making sure her number one assistant was ok with everything and pleasing her marefriend, looking between the two as she tried sort out priorities.

Spike watched with interest at the lavender mare's indecision and decided to solve the issue himself.

“Yes, I don't mind Twilight; if you're happy, then I'M happy! Go, plan your date.” The assistant made shooing motions with his claws before returning to his dusting.

Twilight paused only for a moment longer before turning to the mare beside her; before she could say anything Spike made one last comment.

“When were you planning on telling the others? You've only just started going out right?” At the two simple but panic inducing sentences, lavender ears flipped back as Twilight's mind focus on two of the words, 'telling others'.

A purple eye twitched before Twilight came back to her senses and she shook her head to refocus.

“We, haven't decided yet. And yes, we've only just got together last night... Uhm, Pinkie, could you come with me for a moment?” Twilight waved her hoof towards the stairs and led the bouncing mare along.

“Ooohh, Twilight, skipping the date and going for third base huh? How bold~!” Twilight paused at the teasing as she tried to understand what Pinkie meant though she could tell it was racy by the tone, making her blush all the more.

“What – I- Huh? Pinkie! That's not what I meant!” The pink mare giggled behind a hoof before continuing to follow the lavender one upstairs.

Spike merely shook his head as he felt that things were about to take on a much jokier view from this point on and returned to fussing over the stacks of books.

As soon as the new couple entered the top half of the library, Twilight quickly faced Pinkie Pie and gave her a desperate hug.

“What do we do? What do we tell the others; when do we tell them? Historically, the Princess ruled that there was to be no distinction – Oh my gosh! The Princess! What would Princess Celestia say?! Would she make me pick between you and my studies!?! I don't want to give you up!” During this sudden rant Pinkie had made soothing sounds as she rubbed the distressed mare's back.

“You silly filly, Princess Celestia wouldn't do that! You said so yourself, the Princess doesn't care about who dates who! And I'm sure our friends wouldn't mind us dating; their our friends, they'll like us for who we are, not who we date. We can tell them whenever you want... I'll even throw us a party!” At the sudden energy in Pinkie's eyes at the thought of a new relationship party as well as the accompanying excited grin, Twilight couldn't help but smile in return.

“Yes, we can throw a party when we tell them.” Pinkie smiled even larger before making a supply list for said party out loud; the unicorn merely smirked as she made plans of her own on a slightly different subject.

(Would she want to go on a date? I wouldn’t know what to do on a date! I have to get the proper reading materials... Perhaps... Perhaps we can just cuddle a little more and I'll order some books that give advice for dating... Yes, that should work; unless Pinkie really wanted to go on that date today...)

Twilight came back from her thoughts to find Pinkie still making her list for a ludicrously large party; something about a combo party for 'Twipie', 'Rarijack' and 'Futterdash'. While the lavender unicorn couldn't really get why the pink mare combined some of their friends' names, she knew it was time to get her to focus a little.

“Pinkie~”

“I don't know about the color theme, I mean some of the colors clash so very much-!”

“Pinkie.”

“-GASP, and what if the others get confused as to which mare they're dating -?”

“Pinkie Pie.”

“-And I would have to ruin everyone's day by not sharing my little star but she's mine and -”

“Pinkie Pie!”

“- No one can be really happy unless they have the right somepony -” Twilight sighed as the hyper mare became more and more agitated by the second, convinced somehow that their friends may not find happiness because of one of her parties.

(How can I get her to stop...?! Well, kisses do seem to work and... They're sure nice to do... Let's give it a try, for scientific purposes of the stopping power of such a force of course!)

Just as the baker had placed both fore-hooves on her temples at the ramifications of mixing up dates, the librarian stepped up and laid a short but passionate kiss to the pink muzzle; causing a complete freeze of the hyper pony before she focused on the kisser with another kiss.

After half a minute of silent but sweet kisses, the two mares broke off to sit next to one another.

“Pinkie Pie, I'm sure our friends won't mix up their dates, if they have any, because of color scheme.” Pinkie leaned forward as she stared deeply into Twilight's eyes.

“But what if they do?!” Twilight sighed once more before trying to offer a solution.

“They won't -”

“But what if they do!?!” Twilight sighed as Pinkie leaned forward and somehow budged her eyes towards the lavender mare.

“They won't; but -”

“But What If They DO!?!?”

“They WON'T! But -”Twilight raised a hoof to stop the inevitable counter before continuing.

“But if it would help you feel better, I can help plan it as well; just so there's no confusion.” Twilight looked to her mare only to be tackle hugged and peppered in nuzzles.

“That would be the most awesomest awesome thing ever!” The lavender mare returned the hug before nodding to the bed.

“Would you, want to continue our nap on the bed?” Blue eyes lit up before with a mighty leap, Pinkie Pie jumped up the floor and landed next to the bed. Twilight chuckled lightly before smiling at the gesture.

“Give me a moment to make sure Spike knows what to do for the day and I'll be right there.” The unicorn quickly trotted down to her number one assistant who looked up in surprise; he hadn't been sure he would see Twilight again for the rest of the day. He watched, a little worried, as the unicorn skimmed through a few catalogs before writing on a scroll and levitating it to the young dragon.

“What's this?”

“I need you to order those books and the rest is what needs to be done for the day.” Without another word the unicorn teleported back upstairs before the young assistant could comment on the ten different dating tip books on the list; instead he just sighed and got down to work.

Twilight teleported herself to be next to the bed and found it empty; before she could even look for the pink bundle of energy, she heard a shout of 'Geronimo!' and was almost knocked over in Pinkie's glomp of care.

“I was just starting to miss you and wondering if you had been abducted by the bookponies when my Pinkie Sense told me you were coming back and so I wanted to surprise you and -” Another kiss stemmed the flow of words (for scientific purposes of course!) before both became bashful.

Twilight realized that if they kept going where they were, they would never make it to the bed; so with great concentration (soft pink lips did wonders to distract) the unicorn pulled them up on to the soft surface.

Not even a moment later Twilight was poked in the side by a pink hoof.

“Twilight, I just realized we missed a lot of our together-versaries!”

“Huh?” Purple eyes shot open in surprise, they only just got together the night before.

“Yeah, 683 of them! Wait, now it's 684!”

“What?”

“We missed celebrating our first minute together and the second and third and fourth and -” Kisses were working wonders to stop ramblings, though it did cause a minute's worth of silence in the meantime.

“Pinkie Pie, I don't think we need a party for each minute we're together. I'd much rather enjoy every moment, not constantly worry about making a celebration for our 684th -”

“686th!”

“-686th minute together.”' Pinkie Pie blushed and nodded rapidly before burying her muzzle into a purple neck.

“I enjoy every moment too....” Twilight smirked at the soft reply as they held one another close and drifted off into a mix of daydreams and sleep.

A half hour later, just as Twilight could feel proper sleep coming, a pink hoof poked her side.

“Twilight! It's been half a day since we got together!”A tired eye rolled over to find that the pink mare was correct; it was currently 10am, twelve hours since they first got together.

“Look! Here's a cake for us! We have to celebrate twelve wonderful hours together!” Twilight moaned as she looked at the grinning mare beside her.

“Yes Pinkie; while somethings are worth celebrating, by the hour is not one of them...” Catching sight of the rapidly falling face, Twilight gave in and changed the direction and tone of her next sentence.

“But we can celebrate nonetheless; it looks like a yummy cake.” With a soft 'yay!' on Pinkie's part, the two mares enjoyed a little party in bed before snuggling once more.

“Speaking of cakes, do you have to work today Pinkie Pie?”

“Nope! I always get the next day off after a party to make sure everything is cleaned up and ready for work the day after the day after.” With a content sigh Twilight pulled the pink mare closer.

“Good, I don't have much to do either.” As the two mares settled down in the cozy bed, Twilight tried to not dwell on what they were supposed to do from this point.

The lavender mare looked at her marefriend, questions starting to come to mind; when do they tell the others, do they tell them, what do they do after this?

“Pinkie...?”

“Yes, my little star?” Twilight blushed at the nickname and wondered if it would be used more often before continuing.

“Can we not tell anypony else about us for now?”

“Huh...? Don't you want everyone to know how happy we are so they can be happy for us which would make us even more happy and-?” Twilight sighed before rudely smirking at the hyper mare.

“Yes, I want others to know how happy we are so as to make a happiness-sharing cycle.” Twilight rolled her eyes at the logic before resting her head into the crook of a pink neck.

“I just... I've never been in a relationship before; I want to get used to it first before we tell others.” Pinkie thought about it for a moment before realizing that Twilight was on the edge of another panic attack about this topic alone and nodded rapidly.

“It's ok Twilight; we can keep it a secret until you're ready to tell everypony else. Promise!” Twilight relaxed as the baker made the solemn Pinkie Promise, with motions and everything. Once that had been settled, the two relaxed in one another's hooves once more; they had the whole day to be together, the future could wait for later.

Once lunch time rolled around the new couple decided to stay in and try some of the recipes from Twilight's new cook book that Pinkie gave her for her birthday the day before. Spike stayed far away from the kitchen as Twilight still couldn't get the hang of cooking; though her results weren't as black as previous attempts, but she could still use some practice.

“Don't worry Twilight, I'm sure you'll get the hang of it eventually. We can keep working together to cook and soon you'll be making super yummy cupcakes all on your own!” Pinkie waved a fore-hoof as though pointing into the distance while hugging the unicorn with the other.

Twilight smirked back before nudging the mare beside her.

“I think I'd still want to eat the cupcakes you make.... Let's get this cleaned up and I'll get Spike to make some lunch.” As the unicorn started to levitate some of the dirty pans and cups, the hyper mare tsked at her marefriend as she also helped clean the area.

“Tut tut my dear twilight! I shall make the most scrumdiddlely delicious lunch this side of Equestria! You just have a seat there and watch the master baker at work! Oh, and help me measure stuff and pour and -” Twilight was getting much more used to kisses and found they helped her mare focus.

“Ah, yeah, and all that.” Pinkie grinned and began to make pancakes for lunch with help from Twilight measuring out things and cleaning up as they went along. By sticking to the simpler parts of cooking, the apprentice baker could watch the master at work and see where she had been going wrong; a mix of timing and temperature, as evident of her ability to measure the various ingredients was spot on. While watching the hyper baker work was amusing, it was a teaching moment as well as Pinkie kept up a stream of explanations about what she was doing and why, helping Twilight slowly understand the principals behind it all at least.

Spike found another aspect he was already coming to like from Twilight being together with Pinkie Pie; he wouldn't have to cook as much with the expert baker being there. He joined in at the table, watching the mare work and picking up some tips for his own use.

The rest of the day went by in a blur of happiness and bliss; yet another perk was that Spike wasn't given as much work to do since the unicorn mostly focused on the earth pony who didn't seem willing to leave her side. Twilight even caved in for the 'been-together-for-a-whole-day' celebration Pinkie somehow set up without leaving the tree house; there was more cake, candles, presents (the unicorn wasn't going to question where the actual gift, another book, came from) and a few party games before they settled down for the night.

That night the two mares shared the bed this time; Spike removed himself from the room to stay downstairs instead, wanting to be nowhere near the two cuddly-giggly mares. They knew the next day they would have to face the world and get back to old habits as well as make new ones, so they enjoyed one last snuggle session, being close to one another and sharing the warmth.

Since Pinkie Pie was a baker and often started her mornings rather early, she was the first of the two to wake up. She spent a moment looking at the purple mare next to her, thinking how it was NOT a dream, before she edged out of the cozy bed; it was a little hard to do since Twilight tightened her grip before finally let go as Pinkie wiggled out of her grasp.

The hyper mare bounced silently downstairs and paused before going out the door; with a tilt of her head, the pink earth pony jumped to the kitchen instead. With a large grin at the most recent memories of the past few meals, Pinkie began to set up a more nutritional meal filled with sugars in the form of wheat french toast; at least, the beginnings of them. Once the coating mixture was ready, the baker put it into the fridge with a note stating about the mixture with instructions for cooking.

After that was done, Pinkie hopped out to Sugarcube Corner to start her day. With a soft bang, she hopped inside and greeted the Cakes who were already getting the morning recipes ready.

“Goooooddd Moooorrrnnning!” Pinkie sang before heading to the counter and starting to help make cupcakes.

“Hello Deary! You didn't come back yesterday, did you stay over at one of your friends place?” Mrs. Cake asked from where she rolled bread into a croissant shape.

“Yeppers! I stayed at Twilight's and we had a blast!” The pink baker balanced a tray on her nose before setting it into the oven as Mr. and Mrs. Cake shared a smile.

“That's great dear.” While the Cakes were a little unsettled by the happy silence from the hyper mare (she usually like to talk about the various aspects of every treat they were working on) but they couldn't think about it for long as they had the store to open in an hour's time; Pinkie stayed thrilled but focused for the rest of the morning, and the only thing that occupied her mind was a certain lavender unicorn.

Twilight woke up early to an empty bed and for a moment she couldn't remember why she was sad. Then it came back to her in a rush, memories of the night of the party and the day before as well as all her previous concerns. She shot up from the bed and shouted for her number one assistant.

“SPPIIIKKEE!!!” A soft crash came from below as the young dragon sprung from his bed at the call before he jogged up the stairs.

With a bang, the purple drake opened the door and stood panting for a moment before looking for the owner of the shout.

“Twilight? What's wrong?”

With a sizzle-crack, the unicorn teleported to stand in front of the dragon.

“WHAT DO I DO?!”

Spike stared blankly in return.

“Huh?”

“What do I do Spike?! Pinkie Pie wanted to go out on a date! And we can't hide us dating forever! And should I tell the Princess about this?!” Twilight's mane started to frizz as she paced in front of the youngster who could only watch in shock before face-planting.

“TWILIGHT! Calm down! You have those dating books on order, they should be in the next couple of days; and you and Pinkie Pie have already gone out and done stuff together, isn't dating like that?” Spike tried to reasonably point out before Twilight faced him twitching slightly.

“But I need to know what kind of dates are the best! That's why I need the books! I can't go on an insufficient date! What if she doesn't like it, and decides that going out with me was a mistake, and decides to break up and then our friendship would be ruined and we'd cause a riff between all our friends and we'd become so angry at one another we can't protect Equestria and -” Spike placed a gentle claw onto a lavender shoulder and spoke softly.

“Twilight, I'm sure she won't get so upset that she'd break up with you. Why don't you guys stay inside until you get the books and talk with Pinkie Pie about it? I'm sure you can come up with a simple but fun date to do in the meantime.”

Twilight tried to slow her breathing as the plan started to take place in her mind.

“Yes, yes that's a good idea Spike. Once the books are in then I'll research the best date! I'll have to rework my whole schedule to make sure I have time for all my other research as well as dates and anything else Pinkie Pie would want to do...”

Spike heaved another sigh as the lavender unicorn sat at her desk and began to make plan after plan to match whatever Pinkie Pie might do or want to do, her mane and tail frizzing more with each passing second; the young dragon had hoped that being with the carefree earth pony would help counteract this tendency of Twilight's, but perhaps it was too soon in the relationship to expect such a thing.

Both mares spent their day keeping busy but their minds rested on the other. Soon enough it was late at night and just as Twilight was finishing her one hundredth emergency plan Pinkie popped out of the door with a bang; startling Spike who hadn't seen her come in and Twilight who jumped before relaxing for the first time since the morning when they had laid next to one another.

“Hey Twilight! It's our two day anniversary! We can't miss this, we've just had to spend the entire day apart! I don't want to break up, we'll make the long distance work!” Pinkie grabbed a hold of the unicorn who could only smile in wonder back and shook the lavender mare a little before noticing the state of her mane and tail.

“Gosh Twilight, you look like you did when you had to do a lot of studying and got angry because I wrecked your research... But Princess Celestia shouldn't have given you anything too hard to do for another day or so, what's got you so tightly wightly wound up?” The baker set the cake and various supplies on a clear spot on the desk as she looked at her marefriend in concern.

“Oh, nothing; I was just making plans for if something happened or when would be the best time to go on a date. But I think I have it now, now I'll be prepared in case you decide to do anything!” Twilight gave a tense grin before resting her head onto a pink shoulder.

“I missed you...”

“Awww, I missed you too you silly filly! You don't need plans to have fun or for when we do stuff, remember? If you want, I can plan our first date and then you can plan the second one!” Twilight cheered up slightly at this suggestion; she would be able to gather valuable first-hoof experience before trying to set up a date on her own and hopefully the dating books would be in so she would be able to cross-reference them.

“Ok, that sounds like a good idea Pinkie; when did you want to go out?” Twilight levitated her calender over to make sure she didn't accidentally double schedule something; that would take hours to sort out.

“How about... Tomorrow?”

“Hmmm, I have to finish the reports for the Princess by tomorrow...”

“The day after tomorrow?”

“More books are expected to come in, I'd have to re-shelve the whole library...”

“The day after the day after tomorrow?”

“I don't know, I'm expecting more research papers to come in...”

“Oh oh! How about the day after the day after the day after the day after the day after tomorrow?”

By this point Pinkie Pie had pulled out the big weapons, puppy eyes and crocodile tears (not to be confused with Gummy's tears) along with a big pleading pout. Twilight's will crumbled within moments and she found herself rearranging that day's schedule.

“I guess if I move these assignments to the day before I should have the day free for whatever you have planned...”

“YAY! Now it's time to paartaayy! Two day anniversary, here we go!” The hyper mare leapt up from her spot right next to the book pony and started to set up the table for their anniversary with Twilight following along with an eye roll.

This would become the norm for the new couple for the next few days; they would have to do their own work during the day and every night Pinkie would come by for yet another anniversary for yet another day together. After which they would spend the night cuddled together in order to make up for not seeing one another during the day time.

The first hiccup came when Mr. and Mrs. Cake noticed how their live-in baker wasn't coming back at night after the fourth sleepover since Twilight's birthday. They tried to question where she went, but Pinkie only stated that she made a Pinkie Promise and they knew to drop it after that; they had tried to question further once but learned the hard way that nopony broke a Pinkie Promise.

After that the two mares had to just share evenings together with the hyper mare back home by 10pm (which threw off her plans for anniversaries but Twilight agreed that having the celebrations early was just fine). What was really starting to wear on the unicorn was the daily 'celebrations'; she was in bliss every time they were together, but constantly having a party (Pinkie Pie style no less!) was a little taxing.

It was the night just before their first date, the night of their seventh day anniversary, that Twilight felt the need to address the constant parties. The librarian had long since gone over her new dating books and felt justified in her concern of the constant parties; the books also gave tips as to how to bring up difference of opinions as well as compromising, making this a good practice opportunity as well as one that was needed.

“Pinkie Pie?” Twilight asked from her seat on the floor; the two were upstairs eating more cake with balloons laid out around the room and streamers hanging from the ceiling.

“Yes, Twilight?” Pinkie looked up from the board game in front of the duo; they were playing Snakes and Ladders and having a blast, or so the pink mare thought.

“Pinkie, I do appreciate wanting to celebrate how long we've been together; but this may be going a bit far...” At the sudden lack of motion from the epitome of motion mare, Twilight waved a reassuring hoof.

“We can celebrate important 'together'-versaries. Even the dating books say that couples should celebrate how long they've been together; but this is taking it a bit too far, that's all.” Pinkie turned pensive while Twilight watched in concern; she didn't want to hurt the pink earth pony's feelings but there was only so much partying the unicorn could do with it messing up her schedule and sleeping cycle.

“I guess so... we still have lots of dates we can do!” Pinkie perked right up as Twilight smiled with an agreeing nod.

“Of course, lots of dates... Properly planned.” The hyper mare nodded rapidly before returning to the game; she wanted to explain just how nice the date she had planned was going to be, but also wanted it to be a surprise for the purple unicorn so the pink pony remained silent on that topic.

Both mares enjoyed the rest of the evening for slightly different reasons; one because she wouldn't have to plan around constant parties and the other because of excitement for the next day (not that Twilight wasn't excited about it as well, there were just priorities to consider).

II - The 'Perfect' Date

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End of June, 1004 A.D. (After Discord)

Pinkie Pie woke up extremely early, jumping up from her bed already hyper. She had a lot to get ready for the big date and wanted to get an early start; there were sweets to bake, punch to drink, a picnic basket to prepare as well as a sleepy librarian to get.

The pink baker silently bounced down the stairs, she didn't want to wake the others on their one day off after all! She started multitasking to make a yummy sugary picnic, one that would give the librarian much needed energy. Pinkie made Twilight's favorite cupcakes, punch and even some non-sugary sandwiches (which were Twilight's favorite as well). Once that was all done, she packed it away into the picnic basket, covering it all with her red and white checkered blanket they would sit on; the pink mare didn't bother to pack any pillows, she hoped to be able to use a lavender one that kept warm all on its own that smelled of ink, books and magic (kind of like strawberries).

Pinkie gave the basket a twirl on her nose before settling it onto her back and skipped out to meet her date for the day (though she would want to date the unicorn any day of the week anyways). The sun was just starting to rise as the earth pony stopped in front of the wooden door leading into the tree library; with a few bonks of her head, Pinkie was soon greeted by the sight of Twilight who had bed head and a slight twitch of her eye.

“Hey there Twilight! It's my day off and before we go on our date, would you want to play some games first?” Pinkie gave her marefriend a large smile that Twilight sleepily returned before getting a look at where the sun was in the sky; she turned to the pink mare with a confused frown on her face.

“Pinkie, did you just come here at the crack of dawn to play games until our date which is at noon at your insistence?” Twilight quietly asked the mare before her who merely smiled even wider as she nodding her head rapidly.

“Piiinnkkkiieee..... There's hours before our date!” At the tired roll of a lavender head, Pinkie's smiled drooped slightly in worry and sadness.

“You don't want to hang out first?” Twilight face-hoofed at the wavering face before her and sighed again before smiling tiredly back to reassure the pink mare.

“Yes, I'd love to hang out; I only just got up though so I'd need to make breakfast and coffee before we, uh, hang out.” Twilight waved her hoof to the hyper mare, leading her inside the treehouse where they saw Spike at the bottom of the stairs, rubbing at an eye with a claw.

“Twilight, who was at the door? Oh, it's Pinkie Pie... I'll go and make breakfast.” Spike waved reassuringly to the two mares who, once the door was shut, began to nuzzle good morning to each other.

“Will the stuff you brought be ok until we go?” Twilight asked the mare as they trotted over to the kitchen where Spike started up the flying pan; before long Pinkie had joined in the breakfast making (something that Spike was grateful for) while Twilight waited for the answer.

“Of course it will silly! The blanket keeps everything warm!” Pinkie set her load down onto the counter out of the way of the waffles and hay-hashbrowns they were making for three; this was what the hyper really wanted, to be able to make sure her little star had the proper start to her day to set up the good vibe for the rest of their time together.

“Oh... Ok.” Twilight smirked as she watch the whirlwind of pink blow through the kitchen and finish making the breakfast just as the coffee was done, setting the table with everything steaming fresh.

“It looks delicious; thanks Pinkie Pie, thanks Spike.” Both of the cooks grinned at the thanks before joining the lavender mare at the table to have a very good breakfast.

It only felt right to Twilight to help with cleanup, making things go three times as fast as she used her magic to levitate and clean the dishes and counters. After that was all taken care of, the unicorn made another chore list for the young dragon to do while the two mares went and 'hung out'; 'hanging out' turned out to be Twilight reading adventure books out loud to the pink mare who snuggled up next to her.

Pinkie insisted on reading the story together and liked to listen to Twilight as she practiced bringing the story to life with sound effects and dramatization (something the hyper mare thought was both amusing and cute to listen to).

The two mares passed the four hours until their date in this fashion and were rather reluctant to get up; it was Pinkie who suggested that they bring a few books to read on their picnic. The couple said farewell to Spike and were soon on their way to the 'secret' location for the picnic date; the pink mare even went so far as to have her marefriend close her eyes in order to surprise her.

After a long trek through town and then into the fields nearby (Twilight could tell since Pinkie hadn't closed her ears), they traveled upwards for a while before coming to a stop.

“Alrighty! Open them up!” Pinkie hopped in place as Twilight took a look around, finding that they were on a hill surrounded by trees aside from one side that was clear and had a perfect view of Ponyville below them.

“Ohhh, this is the clearing where I found you when I made the biggest mistake ever.... It is rather beautiful, and it would be nice to enjoy it in a better mood than last time.” Twilight stated appreciatively as the other mare set up the blanket and supplies.

“Yep yep! And this way we're totally alone and nopony would bother us, unless you want them to, which I don't mind either way so long as you are happy and if this makes you happy then -” Twilight smirked in happiness at the lengths the pink earth pony was willing to go for her and cut her off with a kiss to the cheek in thanks.

“It's lovely. Why don't we start having some of this yummy food you brought and then we can get back to reading?” Pinkie nodded with a goofy pleased grin on her face and whipped out the various dishes she had prepared for them that day.

While they enjoyed their meal as they watched the town below, Pinkie Pie soon noticed that Twilight wasn't eating as many cupcakes as she had come to suspect she ate due to how often the baker would see either her or Spike order whole batches for the day. Concerned, the pink baker nuzzled under the lavender mare's chin and quietly asked her what was wrong.

“Twilight, why aren't you eating more of the cupcakes? Did I not make them very well?” Twilight gave a small start as she realized that her eating habits had been so obvious before and tried to think of the best way to word why she didn't feel the need to have as many this time.

“... It's because... I'm with you.” At the confused tilt of Pinkie's head, the unicorn continued her explanation.

“Before, when I thought of cupcakes, they reminded me of you; and since I felt, at the time, that since I couldn't have or be with you, I'd have cupcakes instead. It also gave me an excuse to visit.... I had been thinking about it since our trip to Fillydelphia and how you got me cupcakes but I didn't really want any; you were spending time with me, so they weren't needed.” Twilight smirked as comprehension dawned in sky-blue eyes.

“OOoohhh! Well then I'll just have to make sure to be in balance with your sugary needs, it's always helped me stay awake so I'll make sure that you feel like eating enough to keep you going for the day.” As Pinkie nodded solemnly, the unicorn merely rolled her eyes.

“I have coffee to keep me awake; all I need now is for you to stay with me as much as possible.” The pink mare blushed at the statement while Twilight smirked, pleased that some of her practicing with the romantic lines paid off; it made telling Pinkie how much she meant to the lavender mare easier.

With one more kiss on a purple cheek, Pinkie pulled out the book they had been in the midst of reading before and set in front of the two of them; they spent the rest of the warm afternoon reading together and enjoying the fresh air. As it got closer to supper time, Pinkie had to go back to Sugarcube Corner so that Mr. and Mrs. Cake didn't worry about her safety.

Twilight watched her marefriend hop her way home until she couldn't see her any longer and turned to head back to the library. Due to the increased workload of the studious pony, the couple settled for another date in a week's time, one that was to be planned by the lavender mare this time.

Since they both had so much fun from the simple date, Twilight decided that it would be better to try and include as many fun aspects of common dates into one that all could be done from home; she wanted to show how much Pinkie meant to her and what better way than to make the best possible date ever.

Spike watched in resignation as Twilight compared multiple books at once in order to compile a list of common features and elements of a date, taking special note of certain types and their possible meanings. After hours reading and re-reading the newest literature of the library, Twilight had a list of dating options; going to the movies, having a romantic dinner, stargazing and doing some kind of activity together. Considering how she wanted to make the best possible date since it would double as their month anniversary, Twilight tried to do all four options in one date.

For the movies, she found the library had an old projector and screen along with some old documentary and silent action films. By practicing every night, Twilight prepared to make a romantic dinner for two; after which they would read by the fireside together until it was just the right time to go star gazing; it was the perfect plan. To give Spike the chance to be away from the 'mushy' couple, Twilight arranged for him to visit Canterlot for the night with plans to be back in the morning with materials the library needed.

Even as the rest of the week was busy for the two mares, their next date weighed heavily on their minds. They stole moments together when they could, but their schedules didn't match up properly; the date, on their month anniversary, was the first time they could really be together.

Pinkie entered the library that afternoon to darkness, which suddenly lighted as the projector was turned on and the start of an old action film began.

“I was thinking we could watch a movie before we had dinner.” Pinkie could just barely make out Twilight's features in the now half-darkness; with a giant leap and grin, the pink mare landed next to the lavender one as she wrapped pink hooves around her marefriend.

“That's so super sweet! I'd love to watch a movie with you Twilight!” The unicorn grinned in return before grabbing a hold of the other mare and settling down further on the cushion she had thought to bring.

The film was old and didn't have sound, but that didn't mean the girls didn't enjoy it; they often substituted with their own words and ended up laughing most of the time. Half way through the film, smoke started to rise from the old machine, causing Twilight to sit up in alarm. After it gave a loud bang and started to fizzle, the unicorn rapidly tried to shut it off while turning on the lights with her magic. Pinkie stood in concern and watched as the projector seemed to cave in on itself and give up the fight. Twilight took a few steps back as she waved a hoof, dispelling the smoke that invaded her personal space.

“Are you ok Twilight?”

“Yeah, yeah I'm fine Pinkie. I'm sorry about this, the projector is rather old...” The lavender unicorn looked despairingly at the machine until the earth pony stepped forward and pressed her cheek against Twilight's.

“It's ok, the movie was pretty funny anyways. Besides, it's just about time for dinner! It must have known I was getting hungry and put it on pause for us!” Pinkie grinned reassuringly at the other mare who smiled back at how she was trying to be positive.

“In that case, if you would be so kind as to follow me?” Twilight bowed to the pink pony and pointed with her hoof to the kitchen; Pinkie giggled at the display and bounced her way to the kitchen table where a candle light dinner was laid out for the two of them.

The meal was more of a simpler one, with some tulip and daisy sandwiches, rose water and light salad; but any time Twilight tried to make something more complex she started to burn things. There was a single candle in the center of the table which was lit with a simple flick of the unicorn's horn and Twilight had used her entire being and focus to make cupcakes for their dessert; something that Pinkie was able to tell and appreciated greatly.

“Oh Twilight, this looks great!” Pink hooves wrapped around a purple neck while Twilight blushed at the praise.

“Well, it was nothing really... I would have made more but I can't cook all that much still... I'll need another lesson later on.” Twilight tried to smile in a seductive manner to which caused Pinkie to blushed before grinning once more.

“Sure thing! It will be a super special lesson!” With another shared smile, the two mares sat down to enjoy their meal together. Midway through the simple meal, Twilight explained how the rest of the night was going to go.

“If it's alright with you, Pinkie, after our meal together we can read a book or two until it gets dark enough to stargaze.” Blue eyes lit up at the plan and Pinkie hopped in place.

“That sounds awesome! I can't wait and you can teach me some of the really cool things about the different stars and everything!” Just as both mares shared a pleased smile, a thunderous roar crashed outside and a sudden downpour of rain began; the two happy faces fell into shocked ones as they looked out the nearest window to see the rain pouring as a thunder storm raged outside.

“Wha-bu-how did-?! I could have sworn that it was supposed to be a nice night! If this doesn't let up in time, we won't get the chance to stargaze at all!” Twilight stood up and ran to the window, hoping to see some pegasi flying around outside about to clear the sky; instead she found nothing but dark clouds and lightning.

“No, no no no no no no!” Purple strands of hair began to twist and frizz out as the unicorn slowly lost her calm at the so far ruin of the 'perfect' date.

“Twilight! It's ok, it's not like it has to be perfect!” Purple eyes twitched at this sentence and the pink mare continued on.

“Come on, the date's not over yet! We can still have lots of fun, and I may have to stay the night since it's raining so hard...” Pinkie tried different tactics at once to cheer up her distressed date, which was somewhat affective; Twilight glanced over to the mare who had stepped forward and rubbed her back soothingly.

The purple unicorn leaned into the pink earth pony as she tried to not to stress out completely and salvage the date.

“I promise Twilight, it doesn't have to be perfect. We can still have a great time! Like reading, cuddling, or even cooking...” The lavender mare breathed in the scent of her marefriend; the vanilla, frosting and baking mix scents slowly soothed her nerves.

“I'm sorry, I just really wanted this date to be, well, perfect....” Pinkie raised an unsurprised brow at her mare who looked sheepishly back.

“Come on, let's just enjoy our evening by the fireside.” At this suggestion, the hyper mare gave a large smile and leading the way upstairs where it was but a moment before the unicorn had the fire going to ward off the creeping chill.

The couple managed to save the rest of the evening by sitting near the fireside and relaxing after the previous week they had by laying next to one another. It was as the night was winding down that the storm finally subsided and the stars came out; the two girls were able to get some stargazing before going to bed in each other's hooves. So while it wasn't the perfect date, both enjoyed it nonetheless.

It was as they were laying in bed that Pinkie turned to the lavender mare and noticed the shadow of a frown on her face, bringing forth one of her own.

“Twilight, what's wrong?”

“Hmm? Oh, nothing; don't worry.” Twilight tried to clear her mind of the failed 'perfect date' and smiled at the pink baker who wasn't convinced of 'nothing'.

“Twiliiighhtttt... You know you can tell me anything right?” Pinkie pouted to the lavender librarian who smirked ruefully as her act had been seen through.

“Sigh.... Is there anything I can do to make it up to you? For the failure of a date?” Pinkie frowned once more and was about to argue the statement's validity when Twilight put a purple hoof to pink muzzle to silence her.

“I know, I know, it was a good date in the end... I just, want to do something for you; is there anything you want or wanted to do?” Pinkie gave one last frown to the mare beside her before frowning in thought instead as she tapped her chin.

“Hmmmmm.... HhhhMMM?? Hhmm hmmm... HhhHHhhmmMMmm? HhHHhhmmm... Oh I know!” Twilight watched in amusement at all the pensive faces Pinkie was making and almost missed when she had an answer.

“Yes?”

“A Super Duper Top Secret Laboratory! Like you have but for part-ays!” The lavender mare blinked in shock at the request; she had assumed maybe a party or even cupcakes, or even some more cuddle time but a laboratory was unexpected.

“A laboratory? Like, an underground laboratory?”

“Yep!”

“For parties?”

“Yep! I would invent all sorts of cool things to help me throw better parties!” Another pair of blinks followed this statement before Twilight silently concurred that it did make sense, in a Pinkie fashion.

“Where would you want this secret lab?” Pinkie bounced in place as she grinned at the lavender mare, this being the pièce de résistance.

“Right next to yours! So I can visit you any time I want to!” Twilight blinked before sheepishly smiling back.

“Oh.... Ok, uhm... Next to mine... That's under the tree...” At the rapid nodding of a pink head, Twilight rubbed her temple as she tried to start planning such an endeavor.

“Would it be alright if it was underground NEXT to the tree? There's not much space left under the tree...” The unicorn began to try and imagine all the things needed to make an underground laboratory, while Pinkie Pie rubbed at her chin once more.

“That should be fine. I know just the pony to make more room though!” Twilight raised a curious brow at the excited face next to her.

“Really? How does that work?”

“I dunno, you'd have to ask him. Lots of timy wimy wibbly wobbly space dimension thingy; I'm sure he'd be happy to explain it all to you.” Twilight tilted her head at the description of how some of it works; never having heard such words though it wasn't unusual considering it was Pinkie Pie.

“Alright... So, what's his name? Where does he live?” Pinkie answered immediately with a smile on her face at how serious Twilight was being about the whole thing.

“He's Time Turner, and he lives right here in Ponyville! He runs a clock and tinker shop near the market place.” Twilight tried to think of the shop or the pony, but even after being in town for a year she hadn't learned everyone's name.

“Hmmm, can you show me the shop tomorrow? We'll see what he can do before moving ahead with any plans...” Twilight was suddenly subjected to a tight hug as Pinkie bounced in place, causing both to bounce and the bed to squeak.

“Oooohhh! Thank you so much Twilight! Does this mean I get my own Super Duper Secret Laboratory too?!” Pinkie couldn't help her wide grin which prompted one from the unicorn as well.

“Yes, I'll see what we can do.” While the excited baker wanted to celebrate, she knew the librarian would need her sleep; especially if they were going to build a laboratory for new party experiments.

After another bounce hug, Pinkie attempted to settle down and go to sleep; a hard feat to do as she was in her marefriend's bed, with pink hooves around lavender barrel, and said marefriend was actually giving her a laboratory. Twilight noticed and smiled in amusement at the attempt, and in turn tried to get sleep as well, hoping to set a proper example for her.

The next day found Twilight waking up later than usual due to their late night gazing; Spike had already gotten home and started making breakfast. Pinkie hadn't wanted to get up from the adorable sight before her, the lavender mare had curled up into the pink barrel the night before; so Twilight woke to a large smile and nuzzle for being so cute, which was a rather nice way to get up after all.

At the breakfast table, Spike was curious as to how the date went; something that caused Twilight to blush and glance away in embarrassment. Pinkie stepped in before Twilight could say anything and grinned at the young drake.

“It was great! We had lots of fun and Twilight made a delicious supper and everything!” Spike shook his head in amusement at the rapid answer and set the table for three.

“That's nice... What are you doing today?” Twilight once again blushed in embarrassment and rubbed her hooves together, making Spike raise a curious brow.

“We're going to be making a Super Secret Laboratory! But don't tell anyone, ok?” Pinkie leaned conspiringly towards the youngster who was surprised at their plans for the day.

“Ohkay.... Twilight, are you guys going to, uh, make a secret laboratory?” Twilight sighed and sat up straight.

“Yes Spike, we are going to visit somepony about making a secret laboratory.” Spike remained silent at the flatly stated fact and could only watch in awe as the two mares left the tree house on their way to find a tinker pony.

They made their way through town and Twilight was surprised to see the very nondescript store with a large store front window with various clocks and spinning gears and objects that didn't seem to have an actual purpose.

“Hellloooo in there!” The pink mare hopped inside without a second thought with the lavender one following behind curiously, looking at the various gadgets.

“Hello there Pinkie Pie; what can I do for you today?” A brown with dark brown mane and tail earth pony stepped out from the back and trotted up to the two mares with a pleasant smile on his face.

“Hey Time Turner! This is Twilight Sparkle and we need your help!” The stallion dipped his head in recognition and greeting to the lavender mare who smiled back while keeping an eye on her marefriend beside her who had started to investigate one of the nearby clocks.

“I have seen Ms. Sparkle around, it is a pleasure to finally meet you. What kind of help do you need today?” Turner looked from the lavender mare to the pink one as he could sense Pinkie had another over the top plan for him to try and do.

“You can call me Twilight, and we were wondering if you could help us make an underground laboratory that is 'bigger than it appears to be from the outside'.” Turner could feel the quotation marks in the sentence and smirked at the almost disbelieving mare.

“Of course I can! It's a specialty of the Turner Clan; time and space dimension configuration. Where would this 'underground laboratory' be located?” Pinkie hopped in place as she grinned at Twilight's slight confusion of what the Turner Clan can do before answering the stallion's question.

“It's going to be next to Twilight's secret underground laboratory, which is under the library! We haven't made it yet and so we came to YOU for help.” Time Turner smiled at the confidence Pinkie had in his abilities and nodded his consent.

“Of course I'll help! Let me inspect the area and make a few plans and then we'll be on our way.” Pinkie clapped her hooves in joy while Twilight merely blinked at how quickly everything was moving along.

Before long the trio of ponies were next to the library and Time Turner was surveying the land as well as consulting a circular gadget that seemed to indicate the possibility of what Pinkie wanted to try and do.

“How's it look Doctor?” Pinkie bounced around the two others while Twilight gave the brown stallion a confused look.

“Doctor?” Turner gave the lavender a small smile before turning back to the device in his hoof.

“Some of the locals call me 'Doctor' because I fix clocks, almost like how a doctor would help ponies get better.” As Time Turner waved to his hour glass cutie mark to help emphasize his point, Twilight filed away this new information before also looking to the odd device.

“I see... So tell me, Doctor, is it possible to make a laboratory that is bigger on the inside in this location?” Turner smirked at the remark and nickname before nodding while flipping the device to close the top.

“Indeed it is possible and something I would be proud to help with. I should be done with the whole project within a few days; I'll need to speak with Pinkie Pie about what it is she wants in her lab however...” Twilight followed the stallion close enough to hear him mutter to himself.

“All three are in place... Soon, soon it shall be done! I must finish this quickly and return to working on her....” Before the unicorn could ask him who ‘she’ was, he went a little faster to catch the hyper mare before she did another circuit of bounces around the two ponies.

“Come Pinkie, we must discuss what it is you would want in your secret laboratory...” With the excited mare in two, the brown earth pony lead the way back to his store to discuss the plans; Twilight followed close by in order to know what was going on and to make sure that Pinkie was indeed pleased with the whole thing, which was the whole point in the first place.

As the lavender mare watched the party planner started to jabber on about what would be needed and Twilight couldn't help but smile as well; her attempt at making their latest date and month anniversary a more memorable event was working so far, and that was all that mattered.

III - Telling Others

View Online

Start of September, 1004 A.D. (After Discord)

Mr. and Mrs. Cake knew something was going on; they didn't know what, but that something had changed. Their young charge was prone to hyperactivity and being cheerful (aside from a few instances that they didn't want to think about), but her recent behavior was even more cheerful than usual and she was spending more time at the local library. Not that reading or learning was bad, it was just some new thing she was doing.

The Cakes didn't mind that Pinkie Pie had sleepovers, but after the fifth one they started to think it was more than that. They tried to question her but she wouldn't say to having Pinkie Promising her silence.

It was a little over a month since the new behavior started that there came a breaking point; after another 'sleepover', Pinkie Pie came home with a hickey.

Mrs. Cake had been opening the shop when Pinkie bounced in, all smiles like usual after one of her 'sleepovers'. As her pink mane bounced along with her, it lifted enough to reveal a light red mark on the side of her neck.

“Pinkie! What's that?” Mrs. Cake shouted in surprised, dropping the pan of cupcakes onto the counter from shock.

Pinkie paused in her bouncing and reversed bouncing towards the older baker, landing before her with a wide smile.

“What is what? And what kind of question is that anyway? I mean it sounds so silly and -”

“Pinkie!” The pink mare paused in her ramblings and stared innocently back.

“Yes?”

“What is that!” The older mare pointed a hoof toward the pink neck, causing the young baker to circle around trying to spot what was being pointed at.

Pinkie spent the next minute spinning around flinging her mane and tail about as she craned her neck trying to spot what was wrong; everything looked the same as she did when she left Twilight that morning.

Mr. Cake had stepped out from the kitchen to find out what was wrong with the others and found Pinkie sat dizzily facing the older mare.

“What's what? I can't seem to find it.” Pinkie gave Mrs. Cake a dizzy smile while the older mare sighed before pointing firmly and re-explaining.

“What are you doing with a hickey!?!” Mr. Cake's eyes widened in shock while Pinkie tilted her head and finally managed to spot the offending mark. Blue eyes lit slightly in recognition as she thought to the previous night.

Pinkie had been thanking Twilight for the secret lab and the unicorn managed to reverse it into showering the earth pony with kisses and caresses.

(Twilight has gotten so better with showing how she feels about me that the world can tell! Does this mean that she wants to go public...? Probably not...)

“Harry? I don't think this is Harry the Bear, it looks nothing like him!” the older couple face-hoofed before giving their faces a quick rub and facing the innocent looking mare once more.

“No deary, a hickey... It's when... Two ponies love each other very much and kiss places not on the lips that leaves a mark.” Mrs. Cake felt awkward telling the no longer a filly about this, since she would have already talked about this topic before; Pinkie went from polite conversion to smiles as she waved a dismissing hoof to the older mare.

“Jeez, I know that! I heard all about the birds and the bees, though I don't know why ponies keep talking about how honey gets made or what birds do...” The Cakes gave each other shocked looks before Mr. Cake decided to try and talk with the younger mare.

“Pinkie, you do know where little babies come from, right?”

“Well duh! They come from mommies and daddies! What does that have to do with kisses?”

“Well, it's more like what comes after wards-”

“What he was trying to explain is, we want you to be happy and if you find a special somepony we'd like to meet them.” Pinkie frowned in thought once more and nodded slowly, which set the bakers at ease.

“Oh, ok...” All three ponies stood in the front of the store a moment longer; the two waiting to see if the pink mare would say anything while Pinkie suddenly wanted to see her marefriend again.

It was as a customer entered the store that the three bakers broke free of their thoughts and began to rush to get everything back in order for the day. Business was booming that day at Sugarcube Corner, which prevented the pink baker from from seeing her little star until supper time; barely making it in time for their lesson on how to cook Oat Burgers and hayfries.

Twilight soon noticed how much more distracted the hyper mare was that evening and tried to ask what was wrong once they finished.

“Pinkie? Is something the matter?” The pink mare jolted back to the topic at hoof.

“Oh, no it's fine... I was just thinking about what Mr. and Mrs. Cake said today.” Twilight raised a curious brow at the unusually hesitant response.

“Oh? And what did they say?” Pinkie fidgeted in place before going with her usual blunt response.

“They saw a hickey you gave me and wanted to know if I had a special somepony. I didn't tell them anything though! I won't say anything unless you want me to and you don't want to yet even though I want everyone to know how happy we are but that wouldn't make you happy so I-” Twilight had been shocked and worried when she heard what the Cakes had seen but during Pinkie's tirade realized how much Pinkie was willing to do to please the unicorn; to set the pink mare at ease, Twilight had sat next to her and gave her a hug.

“It's ok Pinkie; I did say I would think about when we would tell others....” Twilight mentally consulted her dating books for advice on meeting the parents or important ponies to one's marefriend; it stressed the importance for putting one's best hoof forward in such situations and Twilight was good at planning the best way to do something.

Pinkie watched in excitement, being able to see the plans forming in her marefriend's eyes and knew she'd think of the perfect plan.

“Well, I know that they are important to you... We'll set up a dinner and meet with them formally, put our best effort forward. I'll plan a dinner and we'll have them over and explain everything; how's that?” Pinkie jumped slightly in joy and shook the unicorn with her as she gave a large smile.

“Ooohhh! That's a great plan Twilight! Then can we have a great big ol' dinner party!” Pinkie started to hop around the table while Spike and Twilight looked on with bemused smiles.

“When would you have the dinner Twilight?” Spike asked the unicorn who gave a start when she realized that it meant having to reschedule the next week; knowing the hyper mare, she would want to have the 'party' as soon as possible.

“Can we have it tomorrow? Can we can we can we?” Twilight face-hoofed as her thoughts came true in moments.

“Can we perhaps wait a few more days? In order to make the best kind of dinner party, we'd need a proper plan...” Pinkie nodded rapidly as she came to rest next to her lavender mare and gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

“Sure thing Twilight! I'll take care of the party and you take care of the dinner!” Twilight flinched and ruefully grinned to the experienced baker.

“Uhm, I don't know.... I may need some more classes before being able to make a formal dinner; there's the appetizer to make, salad, entrees, main course, second, third or even fourth courses! Deserts too! What do you make to impress sweet makers?” Pinkie paused and looked over to the unicorn who was slowly driving herself to extreme stress; quick as a flash the pink earth pony was beside the unicorn and giving her a nuzzle hug to try and calm her down.

“Twilight, you don’t need to worry so much; they won't care if there's one course or thousands! I'm sure if we try our very bestest best we can do anything!” Twilight slowly leaned into the other mare and tried to relax from her growing nerves; telling others was a big step after all.

“I guess... So, uhm, how about those cooking lessons?” Twilight sheepishly smiled to the pink mare who grinned back and jumped over to the now well used cook book that had been the first birthday present Pinkie had given the unicorn. Soon the duo were hoof deep in ingredients while the young dragon look on and gave occasional tips to the still learning lavender unicorn.

The Cakes had been rather surprised (and yet not so surprised) when Pinkie came to them the next day asking if they could make time for a 'special dinner party' where they would discuss the hyper mare's recent behavior. They arranged to have this dinner in three days time, giving all the ponies involved time to make their schedules clear.

Mrs. Cake couldn't decide if she should be happy or nervous about the meeting; she felt as though she was a surrogate mother to the younger baker and wanted to make sure that she was actually happy. The older couple knew that she did have an actual family, but she had been with them for over three years by this time and she felt almost like a daughter to them. Mr. Cake took it upon himself to both calm his wife and to be the stern figure that this 'special somepony' shouldn't cross by upsetting Pinkie.

Not that Pinkie Pie knew most of this; though she did consider them as a second set of parents, and wanted them to know how happy she was at finding her special somepony already in life.

The next three days went on like normal, though more time was spent preparing for the important dinner and conversation that would be sure to follow it. Pinkie ended up making most of the dinner while Twilight made sure everything was going to go as planned and set up properly; they found that combining their efforts meant that the party and plans went perfectly and they wanted to plan something together soon.

The night of found four ponies and a dragon tense about what the night will bring; Pinkie wanted the location of the dinner to be a surprise and had the Cakes follow her while closing their eyes. Twilight and Spike remained silent until Pinkie gave the signal, pulling the blinds off the older couple and setting off some streamers and a few bangs by light purple magic.

“SURPRISE!”” Pinkie stood on her hind-hooves as she flung her fore-hooves out and grinned at the older bakers who looked about themselves in shock; being in the library wasn't really expected and either meant their discussion that night would be very different from the one they rehearsed or that Pinkie had no real idea what they had meant before. They weren't sure which they were hoping for and just remained silent as they looked around.

“Well, what do you guys think?! We made this whole thing together and so we could tell you something super duper extremely important!” Pinkie hopped rapidly in place while Twilight nodded slowly, watching for any signs of this whole thing going badly.

The lavender unicorn stepped forward and shook both of the bakers' hooves in greeting.

“Hello and thank you for coming today; Pinkie and I have made a delicious meal for you to enjoy.” The Cakes merely stood in shock, trying to form any words to express their confusion.

Twilight noticed this and frowned for a second before waving over the pink bouncing mare; they had a whispered conference to which Pinkie frowned slightly before grinning even larger than before. Together, the two mares turned to face the stunned bakers and stated the thing that they most likely really wanted to know.

“Hem, hem... I'm sure you would want to know why we've asked you to come tonight. As I'm sure you've noticed, Pinkie has been acting differently; and I have as well and it is due to the same reason. We have recently been dating and we hope for your approval.” The statement left the older couple in shock, slowly causing the new couple to become concerned as to what they thought.

“Oh, my. Uh, that's, that's just lovely dearies.” Mrs. Cake noticed the worrying looks on the younger mares' faces and tried to smile in return; Mr. Cake wavered slightly before shaking his head clear and trying to grin as well.

“O-oh, uh yes, it's great. Congratulations you two.” The four ponies smiled nervously at one another before the young dragon gave a small cough.

“Oh yes, uhm, if you could follow us to the dinning room?” Twilight waved to the kitchen where they had set up the dinner table.

The dinner was a simple but elegant affair, with salad, spaghetti and wheat balls and a dessert of cupcakes. It was a mostly quiet time, with only a few questions here and there about when they started dating and so on; the Cakes were still in a bit of shock and trying to adjust.

It was at the end of the evening event that the Cakes had accepted that Pinkie preferred mares and a rather studious and almost complete opposite one at that. Their smiles were more natural and the newer couple could almost feel it.

“Pinkie dear, we are happy that you've found a special somepony; and that you invited us to this dinner to explain.” Mrs. Cake smiled at the two mares who sat next to one another; they smiled back, glad that it was working out and had actually impressed the bakers.

“We're glad that you wanted to introduce us, even if we knew Twilight already though not as your marefriend.” Mr. Cake smiled as well, his attempt at a joke making the three others laugh lightly.

“Thank you for coming and I'm sure I speak for the both of us when I say that your acceptance is greatly appreciated.” Pinkie nodded to Twilight's sentence and bounced over to the older bakers to give them a tight hug.

“OoohhhHH! Thanks so so much Mr. and Mrs. Cake! It was super important to me that you knew! I'm SOOO glad you don't mind that I like Twilight a whole bunch, even more than cupcakes and sarsaparilla and even parties! Because being with my little star is like have a new kind of party all the time and it's super awesome amazing-tastic!” The Cakes raised surprised brows at the tirade while the unicorn ducked her head slightly in embarrassment.

Twilight stepped over to her marefriend and placed a hoof on her shoulder to pause her ranting.

“It means a lot to both of us. Thanks again, Mr. and Mrs. Cake.”

“Oh, it's no trouble at all deary, we'll just be on our way and let you two be alone for a moment. Oh and Pinkie?” Mrs. Cake waited to be sure she had the hyper mare's attention before continuing; Pinkie had started to nuzzle Twilight's side and drift into her haze of happiness.

“We may not be your actual parents, we do care and worry for you; so if you plan to stay over please let us know and be safe, alright?” Pinkie teared up slightly as the older couple leaned against one another as they smiled warmly at the pink earth pony; Pinkie bounced over and gave them one last hug.

“Will do! Thanks again and you guys have a good night's sleep! I'll stay here to be sure Twilight has it all under control.” The Cakes ruefully smiled and briefly hugged back before exiting the library.

“Well Sweetie, at least we know why Pinkie has been acting like that...” Mr. Cake nuzzled his wife's side as she stared ahead.

“Yes, I suppose so... I just hope they stay safe; I don't think Pinkie has been in a relationship, I hope she doesn't get heart broken...” Mrs. Cake leaned into the orange stallion who nodded to the hope.

“I do too Honey Bunch, I do too.”

“See? That totally went just fine and everything!” Pinkie returned to nuzzling the lavender mare who smirked back as she relaxed her posture.

“Yes, that did go pretty well. What did you want to do for the rest of the evening?” Twilight levitated the dishes to the sink and started to clean up the mess left over along with Spike and Pinkie; as the hyper mare grinned to her mare, Spike rolled his eyes at the lovie-dovie pair.

“I'll just stay down here for now and clean up some more.”

“Thanks Spike!” Twilight lead the way out with Pinkie following close behind.

“Yeah thanks a bunch Spike!” Spike rolled his eyes and just went back to work on cleaning the kitchen; it wasn't too bad considering how Twilight cleaned up as they cooked.

It was with great happiness that Pinkie stayed the night; it was a load off her mind and allowed her to enjoy the moment all the more knowing it was accepted by her other family. She tried to convince Twilight to do the same but she was still nervous about her family's reaction as well as any repercussions. Since Pinkie didn't want to upset her mare, she didn't pursue the topic for long and settled down for another cuddle session.

Twilight tried to figure out the best way to explain to her own parents or Princess Celestia but soon was planning out the next month; her workload was slowly increasing to it's usual amount and now she had dates to try and plan for as well.

Pinkie wasn't helping matters as she didn't keep an actual calender but used her very focused memory for when there was to be a party or event; sometimes she couldn't remember them at first before blurting it out loudly giving her marefriend a fright.

In the end, Twilight never managed to make the optimal plan for explaining to their friends what happened nor as much time to spend together as they wanted. Pinkie Pie planned to rectify this by making the best two month anniversary; Twilight had practically banned the weekly anniversaries and even bi-weekly ones, meaning that she had to make sure it would make it up for it this time.

The pink mare had well planned the greatest two month anniversary and was on her way to the library to set it up with the help of her latest design; the party cannon, a thing that would make setting up parties much faster and hopefully just as well if she had done it by hoof. The party pony hadn't test it yet but what better way than a field test?

As Pinkie bounced her way to where her marefriend and soon to be party was waiting when she heard a shout from behind her.

“Hey Pinkie Pie!” At the three voices calling her name, the baker paused in mid-bounce until she spotted the Crusaders and allowing gravity to resume, bounced over to the trio.

“Hey girls! You having lots of adventures? You may have a future in pyrotechnics with the kind of explosions you caused!” The trio were surprised at this comment and checked their surroundings rapidly before leaning towards the older mare in suspicion.

“How'd ya know about explosions?” The three girls watched closely, concerned that the gig was up before they even started.

Pinkie Pie, on the other hoof, just smiled and waved away their fears; she's always had a seventh sense about these kinds of things.

“Don't worry, nopony else knows what you've been doing. Where are you heading this time?” The trio weren't sure what to make of the older mare not answering their question but decided to go along with it anyways. The pink mare didn't want to worry the Crusaders about how she kept tabs on them and tried to get them focused on their next adventure.

“We're heading south; but we don't know what's south of Ponyville.” At the mention of 'south' the hyper mare's eyes lit up in excitement.

“Oh! There's lots of things to the south! There's E.U.C.C., Dodge Junction and Apploosa!” The girls shared a confused look at the letters and tilted their heads in unison before asking, “E.U.C.C.?”

“Yup! It's a college that grew so big that it became a town! There's tours for it and everything!” Pinkie bounced rapidly within a short span as she grinned, memories flying through her mind.

“Huh?” Three heads tilted the opposite way while they looked to the baker.

“Yep yep! It was really fun! Some ponies in town went there too, like Vinyl Scratch and Octavia Melody!” At the mention of two famous musicians the girls started to wave their hooves to the pink mare to get her to slow down so they could question her.

“Wait, so Dj Pon-3 lives here, in Ponyville?” Scootaloo asked with growing excitement. At Pinkie's nod of agreement the pegasus turned to her friends with a smile on her face.

“We should try to be DJs!” The others liked the idea but they were already on their way to try something.

“But Scootaloo, we're already gonnah go travlin' today; before school starts remember?”

“Oh yeah; ok, we'll try that some other time then. So there's three places to the south?”

“Yeah and Ah got family livin' in Apploosa.” Apple Bloom pointed out in an attempt to remind them about not getting caught, something they didn't get as Pinkie Pie interrupted.

“Yeah and they make the yummiest pies! Maybe you could learn to cook them? And the buffalo are really nice too!” Pinkie Pie started to drool at the thought of the aforementioned pies but reminded herself of the reason why she was heading to the library.

The librarian was going to get a surprise party and it was going to be the first in the field test for the pink mare's latest creation, the party cannon! Something that was dire indeed and worth waiting for pies for, especially considering the cake and punch that she was going to be serving.

The pink baker snuck inside with her cannon and inched her way up the stairs where she found the lavender unicorn face first in a book with ten more floating around her, Spike was running back and forth with armfuls of scrolls. Pinkie tilted her head and trotted forward, pushing the large pink barrel to be next to the other mare.

Spike only just caught sight of the pink mare hunching over the fire button and could only brace himself as the cannon exploded with streamers and confetti; the charge was too much and the barrel exploded apart like a split banana peel, revealing a soot faced party mare who also looked surprised at the result. Twilight had jumped a mile into the air and vaulted backwards away from the noise, the books flung far apart in shock as she gave a cry.

“Whhhhaaaaa!” As the streamers and confetti slowly fluttered downwards, Twilight stared at Pinkie Pie who stared back with a half smile on her face; it did get the studious mare's attention if nothing else.

“Pinkie Pie! What in Equestria was that!?!” Nopony moved as the unicorn demanded answers.

“That was my Party Cannon, patent pending.” Pinkie leaned towards Spike while muttering out the side of her muzzle concerning the patent.

“I was trying to get my studious little bookworm to notice that it was time for our two month anniversary! I wasn't expecting such a bang though, perhaps I put too much fireworks in it?” Pinkie looked to her invention while Twilight also peered at it in curiosity, the excitement of experimentation getting the better of her for the moment.

“How much did you put in there to begin with? Perhaps if you reinforced the barrel – wait, no. What's going on? Couldn't you have just nudged me or tried a different way to get my attention?” Pinkie was nodding along with the suggestions until Twilight brought her attention back to the main reason why she went with the whole shebang.

“It's our two month anniversary silly! I've got half of everything ready, see? This place looks ready to host the party, but I may need my trusty helper to cook the best party food in Equestria!” The lavender mare gave a start as she looked to the clock, realizing that her recreational reading had turned into more as time went on.

She had meant to only read a little bit before expecting the pink mare to come by for the anniversary; she had been almost coming by as regular as clockwork for each of their anniversaries, starting the 'party' at 7pm and making it last until 10pm if not longer to make it official.

The lavender unicorn gave her mare a bashful grin and stepped up next to the still smiling pink pony; giving her a nuzzle as she tried to properly word her apology.

“I'm sorry Pinkie; I was waiting for you and was doing some light reading. I didn't forget about it, I promise.” Pinkie gave an even larger smile while Spike merely rolled his eyes at 'light reading'; he had been trying to remind the unicorn for the past few hours but was studiously ignored.

Pinkie could tell the unicorn meant it and gave her a hug before grabbing a lavender hoof and heading to the kitchen, where the two mares baked up a storm (Pinkie had always wanted to try and make one). They partied well into the night and Twilight made great progress at last when it came to cooking, making slightly more complex baked goods.

They partied so well that they slept in the next morning, being so relaxed that Twilight didn't even mind the upset to her schedule; she had planned for this kind of thing but they ended up using the set aside time and were well on their way to use most of their morning reading.

It seemed that nothing could possible be wrong this morning, and Murphy had to get a word in.

The two mares were sharing a large dark navy cushion while reading an adventure story with Spike preparing a brunch since they missed breakfast.

They were in the middle of an action sequence (something that Twilight was making great progress with) when the library door burst open.

“Twilight, you simply must hel-” Rarity was leading the way with Applejack, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy who all paused at the sight of the residential bookworm and party pony cuddling and nuzzling one another on a shared cushion with a book laying out in front of them.

Pinkie Pie had a hoof around Twilight's shoulders and her head on the lavender mare's neck, within easy reach of Twilight's muzzle; something Twilight was taking advantage of and was in the midst of kissing the pink cheek when their friends came inside.

Due to the relaxing nature of their relationship, Twilight was slow to respond or even panic though both mares on the cushion turned as one to face their friends who were staring back in shock at the scene before them.

Rarity was the first to collect herself, and after warring with her romantic needs with the need to focus on the current issue, cleared her throat to collect herself.

“Ah, yes, uhm, as much as I would want to find out everything, we have an emergency on our hooves.” Twilight blinked slowly as she pushed her worries aside to help her friends, her brain slowly coming back from its daze to focus on the task at hoof.

“What's wrong?” As Twilight and Pinkie got up from their seat they were met halfway by the others who all silently agreed to worry about the girls first before asking of the two's new relationship.

“Well Twi', the Crusaders have gone missin'. We can't find them... Ah got a letter from mah cousin Braeburn sayin' he saw them in Apploosa but lost sight of them. We then tried tah find 'em here but had no luck; even Rainbow couldn't find them.” Applejack shook her head and pointed towards the cyan mare who stepped forward and explained further.

“I've looked all over town and the nearby places; they're not in Ponyville. I even checked the stores they often visit.” Rainbow stated flatly even as Rarity and Applejack flinched at the repeated fact; it was an accurate statement but Applejack wanted to be sure they didn't miss a thing before leaving town. The farmer tensed while the fashionista seemed to stand straighter, determined to stay strong.

“You said you got a letter?” The lavender mare inquired of the orange one who nodded slowly as she kept an eye on the unicorn beside her, something that Pinkie watched with interest.

“Yeah, Ah got ah letter from Braeburn sayin' he saw the girls in Apploosah. Here ya go Twi', we may have tah find the fastest train south...” Twilight grabbed the letter using her magic and Pinkie hovered over her shoulder as they read the letter together.

As Twilight read the letter, Applejack shifted in place with the gray-white unicorn following her movement in order to draw strength from the steady farmer. As the mares waited for the bookworm to finish reading, Rainbow Dash grew impatient at how long it was taking.

“Come on! We know they aren't here and that they are probably still in Apploosa! What are we waiting for?” As everyone looked to the cyan mare, Fluttershy flinched since she was next to Rainbow even though she wasn't the one they focused on; Twilight managed to remain impassive and answered Dash's almost rhetorical question.

“That would be the next course of action... Let's head to the train station.” As the six friends headed for the door, the librarian paused a moment to call for her assistant.

“SPIIKEEE! Spike, I need you to stay here and watch the library while we're gone, ok?” Spike nodded from the doorway to the kitchen, concerned but pleased to have something he could do to help; he had heard what was wrong, but with the six best friends on the case he knew it wouldn't be an issue for long.

The train ride south was an odd one; they took the express to get there faster but it was still a two hour long trip. At first it was filled with everyone trying to reassure Applejack and Rarity, but soon turned towards the pink and lavender mares' new relationship.

“So darling, have you and Pinkie Pie been going out long?” Pinkie merely looked to the librarian who was nervous about the others' reaction, she hadn't planned on what to tell her friends yet; as Rarity asked her question, Applejack looked out the window while keeping an ear on the conversation.

“Well, we've been, been dating for two months now...” The lavender unicorn rubbed her hooves together as Pinkie gave her a reassuring nuzzle; Rarity couldn't help but 'awww' at how Twilight wore a slight blush but made no move to stop the pink mare from nuzzling her.

“Why darling, that's wonderful!” Rarity clapped her hooves as the new couple smiled bashfully back.

“Ah hope y'all are happy with one another.” The couple wore bashful grins as they leaned into one another, their friends were taking the news much better than Twilight had first thought.

It was as Fluttershy was giving her own quiet congratulations that Dash rolled her eyes at the display; sappy wasn't cool at all.

“And you're still an egghead? I'd have thought hanging at with Pinkie would have loosened you up.” Rainbow Dash crossed her hooves while sticking a teasing tongue to the lavender mare who had tensed at the short tone but relaxed at the teasing smirk.

“Silly Dashie! You just gottah find the right spots to make Twilight go all loose; like this!” With that exclamation the pink earth pony thrust forward to nose the lavender unicorn's neck, making her melt under the touch all the while blushing.

“Pinkiieee!” Twilight weakly protested while most of the others chuckled at the sight; Rainbow Dash pretended to gag until catching sight of Fluttershy's disapproving look; as the two pegasi spoke quietly with one another, Applejack turned her attention back to the window all the while listening to the continued conversation. Rarity still had many more questions and a long train ride to ask them.

“So, when did you get together? You've been dating for two months...? Hmmm, what happened two months ago...” They tried to focus on a lighter topic to keep from worrying about the girls, something Twilight and Pinkie were more than willing to comply.

Before either mare could state when exactly they got together, the fashionista clapped her hooves together as she realized the likely candidate.

“Oooh! I know, it was after your birthday party Twilight, wasn't it?” At the acknowledgment that she got the right time, the gray-white unicorn turned to the farmer next to her and gave her a nudge.

“Ha! I told you that there was something going on that night! I have a sixth sense about these things after all.” Rarity put her nose into the air proudly as Applejack gave her a rude smile; consenting that she had been right at the party about their two friends' feelings for one another.

Twilight blushed once more as she realized that they may have been a little obvious in their affection for one another at that party; Pinkie merely grinned at the good guess and sat closer to her mare.

“Yeah, Ah guess so...” Rarity was concerned slightly by the slightly less energetic response but decided that it was perhaps nerves finally showing and just turned back to the couple to ask about what kind of dates they had been on or other romantic things they may have done.

It was an impressive list, ranging from simple picnics to movies, dinner, and star gazing as well as quite a few anniversaries hosted by the original party animal. Both the farmer and fashionista seemed impressed by the list, even as Applejack continued to look out the window.

Rarity asked more questions, like if they had told anyone else, family, friends, Princesses. When they got to the Royal Sisters, Twilight became nervous and explained how she was worried what Princess Celestia would think of her relationship. Both Rarity and Pinkie reassured her that it was going to be fine, stating several reasons why it wouldn't matter.

They spent the rest of train trip with the well-in-the-know mare giving tips and advice to the new couple about places to visit and things they could do together. The two mares wore bemused smiles and paid close attention to the suggestions, plans forming in the back of their minds about things to do.

By the time the girls reached the station, they were once again nervous about finding the fillies. Their luck was with them however, for the fillies they were searching for were just arriving at the train station. The four mares stepped back while the two sisters rushed forward to start chastising their sisters; most of the others felt it was a sister matter only and stayed back while they demanded their answers, though Rainbow felt slightly responsible for the orange filly and also stepped forth to speak with the girls.

“What in the hay are y'all doin'?”

“What do you have say for yourself?!”

At the two voices, the three Crusaders gave a large flinch and crouched down; they spent a moment wondering if they could run for it but noticed that it wasn't just two older sisters waiting for them. As the four fillies faced the group of older mares, they saw that not only were Rarity and Applejack waiting for them, but Rainbow Dash, Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie and even Twilight Sparkle had come along as well.

“Hey, uh, sis'...”

“Hi Rarity...”

“Uh, hi...”

The sisters didn't wait for a second before starting to question the girls, with Rainbow chiming in at the last moment.

“Do you know the kind of trouble you're in?”

“Ah got ah letter from Braeburn sayin' y'all were running around Apploosa!”

“Running away is not cool squirt; what would your parents think of that?”

The three fillies froze before turning to the young pegasus who looked stricken at the question; the older mares waited for any kind of response after saying their bit and watched the foals closely, waiting for an answer. The girls weren't going to say anything on behalf of Scootaloo, instead waiting to see what she wanted to say about the subject.

“I don't know what either one of them would think of that; they've been dead for over five years now.” Scootaloo replied flatly before taking off into town as fast as she could.

The six older mares stared on in shock before Fluttershy whispered something to the cyan pegasus who then took to the skies in pursuit. The canary mare soon followed after while the rest looked on before returning to the girls that remained behind. As the older sisters continued their interrogation of the girls, Twilight turned to the pink mare beside her with a pensive look.

Twilight was barely able to keep her whispering to a low level as she spoke with her marefriend; Pinkie Pie tried to reassure the lavender mare to little effect.

“Pinkie, I thought you said you would watch over them!” Twilight frowned at the baker who looked almost as downtrodden as the fillies being scolded.

“I was/did/have/am! I knew they were safe and that they wouldn't get into any kind of trouble they couldn't handle and-” Pinkie tried to defend herself and the girls as she stared at the purple unicorn with big pleading eyes and flat ears only to be cut off as Twilight realized the possible implications.

“What do you mean 'trouble they couldn't handle'?! Does this mean that they've been in trouble before and we didn't know about it!? Pinkie, that's dangerous! What if they got hurt?” Pinkie flinched as Twilight used educated guesses and made assumptions that were rather close to the truth; the baker knew that the girls didn't want anypony to find out what they had been doing and felt as though she had Pinkie Promised not to tell.

“Don't worry, I made sure that they were safe! Promise!” Twilight tried to remain suspicious, but Pinkie was firm and sincere in her assurances that the girls had been safe; and while she felt that there was more going on than being told, she also felt that she wouldn't be able to get more out of the pink mare out in public.

“.... Alright, but we're not done talking about this. Come on, let's see what they decided...” The lavender unicorn gave the pink earth pony a quick nuzzle before they stepped forward to listen to more of the siblings' discussion to find that it came to an end with the girls grounded for the foreseeable future; and no amount of pleading, begging, or puppy eyes would convince them otherwise.

Once the pegasi came back, the six friends and the fillies went in search of Braeburn to find out what had been happening. It seems that the girls hadn't done much aside from their usual antics and attempts at earning their Cutie Marks. The group soon made their way home, the ride much worse with tension. At the station, the girls put up a fuss that allowed Scootaloo to escape questioning which only made things worse for the two fillies left behind.

Twilight could only watch in worry as Rarity and Applejack got into a fight about whose fault the behavior was; as soon as the rest of the group had gone their own way, Twilight turned back to the other mare.

“Pinkie, what is going on? Did you know that the girls were going places outside of Ponyville?” Twilight demanded of the pink baker who crouched lower.

“... Maybe? I'm sorry Twilight.... I can't tell you, I promised the girls....” Pinkie couldn't meet purple eyes as Twilight sighed and shook her head.

“They could have been in real danger Pinkie! What if something dreadful happened?!” Pinkie scuffed a hoof along the ground and and laid her ears flat at the scolding.

“I'm sorry, but they are safe! They are getting better and growing up and all this helps them get better. The best way for them to grow up is to try a bunch of cool things and learn how to do stuff on their own!” Pinkie timidly brushed a hoof against Twilight's who frowned at the ground in thought.

“Please? I'm sorry. I make sure they're safe!” Twilight sighed and hung her head at the dejected sight before her, it was getting harder and harder to deny the pink earth pony anything.

“... Alright Pinkie; but you better tell us the next time something like this comes up, they could be needed or something might be wrong.” Twilight tried to be firm to which Pinkie nodded rapidly; after seeing agreement the unicorn led the way back to the library.

Twilight didn't feel like relaxing as much anymore, she had a library to run, and so she did not return to what they had been doing when the others came to find them; Pinkie tried to keep up and spent the rest of the day trying to cheer up the worried mare.

The librarian wasn't sure of what to think and wasn't willing to be cheered up; this however didn't prevent the two from going to bed together, wrapped in one another's hooves like any other night.

Both mares stayed up that night, musing on what had happened that day and ways to make it better; Pinkie was thinking parties and 'I'm Sorry' cakes while Twilight was thinking of being truthful with one another as well as others. It amazed the unicorn how it all seemed so easy that morning and now they came to the first bump; Twilight was determined to not let this ruin their relationship and clutched further at the pink mare, something that cheered up Pinkie greatly who returned the gesture, allowing both to fall into fitful sleep.

IV - Frowny Faces and Paranoia

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Mid September, 1004 A.D. (After Discord)

Discord, the spirit of disharmony and self-proclaimed Lord of Chaos; during his reign of terror for a single day, all of Equestria suffered. The population suffered from one of three terrors; either becoming their natural opposite, forced to live through their worse nightmares or having to live through the Tartarus of the real world ruled by Chaos.

It took the country three days to properly recover and resume their normal routine, though one wouldn't know this if they observed the residential librarian of Golden Oaks Library in Ponyville.

Having recovered during the draconequus' reign, Twilight wasn't unsure of herself as much as other ponies were; it was whether or not the others meant what was said that was the question.

“Twilight! You saw how everypony else was like after you helped them; they totally didn't mean anything they said.” Spike patted the lavender mare's shoulder as she sat by her upstairs desk; she had been making extensive notes about the event and had gotten to the point of how the others behaved.

“Yes but what if deep down that's how they really feel but their manners dictated they can't say so?! What if she really does hate libraries!?!” Twilight's mane frizzed out as she put both fore-hooves to the top of her head; Spike merely rolled his eyes as he realized what this could very well be about.

“I'm pretty sure Pinkie Pie likes libraries. Most of your dates wouldn't be staying here and reading if she didn't like them.” The young dragon tried to cheer up the librarian who merely shook her head as she pressed her hooves harder on top of her mane.

“What if she's bored of it because of that?! What if she's gotten so bored that she now hates libraries and she's just hadn't gotten around to telling me!?” Spike deadpanned the lavender unicorn who stared to pull out the various books on dating to compare what the experts said about keeping both parties interested in the relationship.

“Twilight! I'm pretty sure she would let you know if she wanted to try something new. You're worrying too much; everything is fine!” Twilight squeezed her eyes shut and shook her head, her imagination running wild with images of her marefriend, who was in her proper color but was still mean and annoyed at the unicorn, stating how she no longer wanted to be with the unicorn because she was too boring.

Spike sighed and began to look around the library to find something that could distract or bring the unicorn back from her imaginary future. Books were unlikely to help, she wouldn't even think about eating if she went too far, nopony was visiting that could help...

Suddenly there was a pink figure who slowly trotted up the stairs; the odd sight of the usually bouncy mare sedately walking, almost hesitant as she came inside, gave the purple dragon pause.

Spike quickly trotted over to the pink earth pony who smiled weakly at the dragon which caused him to frown in concern. He had only seen Pinkie this sad the day of her last birthday and heard stories of how well that went.

“Pinkie Pie? What's wrong...? You gotta talk with Twilight, she's worrying too much about what happened.” Pinkie lost her attempted smile as her eyes looked to her mare to find that Twilight was indeed fretting herself into knots; the lavender mare was crouched down with her mane and tail frizzy and out of sorts with both fore-hooves covering her eyes.

The usually hyper mare made her slow way to the lavender one's side; she kept low to the ground to try and catch purple eyes even if they were covered. Twilight whimpered as she continued to mutter about what may happen if Pinkie did indeed hate libraries.

“.... what if she doesn't like how the books are stacked and purposely threw them to the ground to make me upset and then stomped all over them as she frowns at me for having thought they were any good and she starts to say how much she's never liked any of the books we read and hates me, the library and everything else and never wants to see me again...?” The pink mare was able to hear some of the ramblings and gasped in shock and sat next to the lavender unicorn abruptly and leaned into her with a nuzzle.

“Oh Twilight! Honest, I love libraries! They remind me of you and how much you love books and that you live in one and -” Twilight peered out from under her hooves with slight tears in her eyes, surprised to find her marefriend next to her.

“Pinkie Pie?” The hyper mare took no notice of the whispered call and continued her reassurances.

“-And I didn't mean any of those things I said when Discord made my eyes go all spinny and made me a meany mean pants who didn't like fun, I mean, really! I was no fun at all and didn't make anypony happy! How crazy is that? And I even said I didn't like chocolate milk! That's too crazy even for me! Chocolate milk is SO my favorite milk, except for maybe strawberry milk or mint milk or apple berry pumpkin pie milk... Oh, uh, uh... Libraries! Yeah, so I love libraries just like I love chocolate milk! There's nothing to worry about and -” Pinkie stopped suddenly as she felt hooves wrap around her barrel while Twilight buried her head into the pink earth pony's neck.

“You're here... You don't hate libraries?” Pinkie was a fluent speaker of mumble and grew concerned at how nervous the usually brave leader was.

“Oh my little star, I definitely don't hate libraries and of course I'd be here! Where else would I be but by my marefriend's side after such a meany mean Discord came through and made everything go upside down and topsy turvy; and not the good kind of festival either.” The pink baker held the other mare firmly as she rested her head onto a purple mane, slowly rubbing Twilight's back as the unicorn tried to pull herself together.

Spike sighed in relief as the librarian slowly relaxed and went downstairs to start making something for them to eat; Twilight had been working all night and hadn't stopped for breakfast when she began to panic about what her friends had said.

Pinkie noticed the dragon creeping away and gave him a reassuring smile though it was still weak due to the distress of the mare beside her. As she turned back to the lavender mare, she found searching purple orbs that lit up further when Twilight found that she was NOT imagining the pink baker beside her.

“Thank you Pinkie Pie...” Twilight nuzzled the mare beside her and gave Pinkie a tight hug before sitting up straighter.

“I guess everypony was affected by what Discord did....” Pinkie Pie tilted her head at the unicorn's words and watched with curiosity as the studious mare put the finishing touches on her paper before setting it aside with its brethren.

“Whatcha doing?” Twilight smirked at the curious tone and sudden intrusion and turned to find Pinkie's face right next to her own.

“I was writing a report about what happened with Discord and how the townsfolk, and most likely all of Equestria, were recovering from it. I had just finished the part of how ponies acted when they were 'discorded'.” Twilight made a note in the index of the finished entry and made sure the whole thing was put together properly before turning to face her marefriend completely once more; upon noticing the slightly downtrodden aura of the usually peppy mare, Twilight frowned slightly as she searched sky-blue eyes.

“What's wrong Pinkie?” The pink earth pony withdrew slightly as she looked upwards to avoid persuasive eyes; it wasn't as fun to talk about sad stuff especially since she was trying to cheer up the unicorn.

“Nothing! Nope, nada, zilch, nothing is wrong whatsoever!” Pinkie tapped her hooves together as Twilight rolled her eyes before sitting to face the now nervous earth pony.

“Pinkiiee....” The baker flinched slightly before hesitantly looking at the unicorn.

“Well, maaybbeee I kinddaa, was a little worried that you were possibly maybe... Taking what happened way too far and was totally freaking out and needed my help.” Pinkie Pie finished in a rush as she cringed in worry at the lavender unicorn's reaction.

Twilight frowned and shifted her pile of notes without looking as she thought about the mental repercussions of being 'discorded'; while she appreciated Pinkie's concern, the pink pony actually was the one whom others should worry for if her research was accurate about the side affects.

“Pinkie, are you sure that's all? It's ok to talk about things that make you sad... Sometimes talking about the sad things can make you happy.” Pinkie pondered this logic, never having thought of this kind of method to make others happy.

“But, talking about the sad stuff only seems to put frowny faces on everyone's face.” Twilight raised a single brow at this but pressed on none the less.

“Yes, but afterwards they're usually smiling right?” Pinkie tapped her chin as she tried to think of the ponies she had passed just on the way to the library including the Crusaders who were trying to find Scootaloo to help her feel better as well.

“I guess...” Twilight smiled at the concession and laid her final argument.

“Soooo, is there anything you want to tell me?” As Twilight peered at the earth pony, Pinkie Pie looked to the ground before cuddling up to the unicorn.

“I was scared that you would think that I meant what I said when I was being a grumpy pony and that you wouldn't want to be my marefriend anymore....” Twilight relaxed into the hug and rested her head onto the poofy pink mane.

“I was worried that you meant what you had said, but you've come and made me much happier. I wouldn't want to stop being your marefriend unless you want me to, and I'd be very sad if you did.” Pinkie began to grow more chipper as Twilight reassured the party pony.

“I'd never ever ever ever ever want to break up Twilight! That's four evers! Forever forever! I'd never make you all sad...! OooohhhH I know! This calls for a party!” Twilight couldn't help her sudden laughter at the almost expected response from the hyper mare and shook her head in resignation.

Just as the lavender mare was about to respond, her stomach spoke for her in the from of growls and rumbles, bringing both mare's attention to it and the time of day.

“Oh, uh, maybe we should get something to eat first... I guess I forgot to have breakfast while I was working.” Pinkie grinned at the usual behavior of the unicorn and as she was going to suggestion a meal, Spike called from the ground floor.

“Twilight! I made breakfast! There's enough for all three of us.” The couple shared grins before trotting down to eat the freshly made food.

“Gosh Spike, you got the timing just right and everything. You don't have a Spike Sense do you?” The young drake stuck out his chest as he polished a claw against his scales.

“I am good at what I do.” The two ponies laughed as they sat at the dinner table to enjoy their brunch.

“Of course Spike, whatever you say.” Twilight rolled her eyes at the bravo of the dragon before scarfing down her food; having early morning panic attacks helps one's appetite.

Clean up was a simple affair, with both mares helping in order to do it together and to spare the young assistant the work. As they were heading into the main room to plan out the 'We're-no-longer-sad' party, Pinkie paused as her knee got pinchy, her two back legs twitched and her right fore-hoof became itchy. Twilight had noticed the sudden spasmic movements of the other mare and paused as well, curious as to what the Pinkie Sense was saying this time.

“Oooo... Hmmmm...” The unicorn tilted her head in curiosity at the unusual contemplative silence of the hyperactive mare.

“Is everything ok Pinkie?” Pinkie Pie snapped out of her daze and smiled at the lavender unicorn, pleased to show that she was helping the Cutie Mark Crusaders when they needed it.

“Sure thing Twilight! The Cutie Mark Crusaders need my help in a moment though, so I'll be back ok? Don't worry, it's nothing bad bad, only a little bad like sad bad and they're totally fine!” Twilight couldn't decide if she was more surprised that there was a Pinkie Sense for that or that Pinkie was actually helping the girls stay out of trouble; which was something the studious mare was starting to feel they attracted like magnets.

Twilight watched the hyper mare hop out of the library before turning to the books around her.

“Spiiike! I'll need Magical Mysteries, Mythological Lore, Beasts of the Unknown and The Land Before Time; I should be able to finish another chapter of what happened and the repercussions before Pinkie gets back.” Spike rolled his eyes at the command but went in search of the books anyways; hopefully it wouldn't take the pink baker too long and she'd be able to break Twilight free of the study mode she was trying to remain in.

Pinkie Pie had found the girls almost right outside the library, chasing a ninja-pony. After a moment to recall how fun it was working with ninjas (they were fun to surprise and a real challenge to prank), the hyper mare went over and introduced herself to the new filly.

“Oh, I don't think you'll make it; he's already used his Ninjistu to run among the leaves... Oh! Hello, I'm Pinkie Pie, what's your name?” As the pink mare leaned towards the green with purple mane and tail unicorn filly, the Crusaders stared back in shock and surprise. They hadn't expect to see the older mare with a much improved mood after their earlier encounter.

“Pinkie Pie!” Pinkie tilted her head to the right as she continued to smile at the girls.

“Silly, that's my name! Unless...” Blue eyes shifted back and forth as the older mare leaned forward towards the green filly even more.

“Unless that's your name too! Oooh! That'd be so neat, I've never met another Pinkie Pie, though you don't look like me at all and -”

“Pinkie Pie!” The older earth pony paused in her rambling and opened and closed her mouth while blinking before suddenly smiling again. Pinkie realized that she was getting side-tracked and heard an almost Twilight-like voice in her head trying to reign her in, something she wondered about as she waited for a response from the new filly.

(Maybe Twilight cast a spell while I wasn't looking? Ohh, what if she shrunk down and is in my head right now and listening to what I'm thinking right now?! Cuddle time's a coming!)

“Hi, I'm Eripio and you said we wouldn't be able to catch the ninja?” Pinkie smiled a little wider and nodded rapidly as she was brought back from her imagined cuddle time with a shrunken Twilight.

“Yep, I did say that! He's too far now and you don't have super secret ninja training to fight him, not yet at least.” The four fillies looked at the pink mare blankly for a while before coming back to their senses as more ponies started to become active.

“Okay... So, um, it was nice meeting you but we must be going...” Eripio started to edge away and checked her surroundings.

“Yeah, thanks Pinkie Pie.”

“Thanks...”

“Thanks fer yer, ah, help.”

Eripio had been watching the growing crowds as the Crusaders said their thanks and noticed a worrisome sight; she nudged the others and nodded towards a pony who looked rather menacing while heading towards the fillies.

As the four girls took off in the opposite direction, Pinkie hopped forward to stand in the stallion's way knowing that this was what the girls really needed help with and more than willing to provide it.

“Hi! You must be new here because I know everypony and I've never met you before!” The dark blue earth pony glared at the pink mare before trying to shift around her.

“I'm Pinkie Pie, what's your name?” The hyperactive earth pony shifted with the stallion who growled slightly in annoyance.

“Is it... Big Blue? Little Blue? Red Scarf? Oh oh! Red Meany, Red Meany!” Pinkie started to hop in place as she tried to guess the silent stallion's name, who was starting to become really annoyed at the fast talking mare.

Pinkie continued to try and help the girls with their 'being chased' problem but the dark coated stallion wouldn't work with her and pushed by rudely.

“What a grumpy mean pants, no party invite for you Mister Red Meany.” The pink earth pony watched the stallion go on his way into the crowd, searching for the four fillies but having no luck with it. The baker was thinking of trying to cause him more of a delay when she heard a call from behind her.

“Pinkie darling, is everything alright?” Pinkie quickly changed gears and rapidly turned around to hug Rarity with a large smile, thrilled that some of her other friends were also starting to feel better.

“Yepperoinie! It's wonderful-tastic! But you're not happy... What's wrong?” The hyper mare's face fell at the melancholy of the unicorn who briefly considered dismissing the concern before remembering exactly who she was speaking to.

“As you may recall, Applejack and I are not on the best of terms right now... But I want to make it up to her, what do you suggest darling?” Pinkie brightened at the chance to make two friends happy at once and answered without a moment's hesitation.

“A party! There's all sorts of parties for any occasion; 'I'm-sorry-we-fought' parties, 'please-be-my-friend-again' parties, 'I-really-missed-you-and-we-should-totally-be-marefriends' parties-” Rarity felt the rambling was getting too far and put a gentle hoof onto the pink muzzle to stem the flow of suggestions.

“Thank you for the suggestions but I do believe that some of those party ideas do not apply to Applejack and my hopefully renewed friendship.” The pink pony merely continued to grin at the other mare who contemplated on some of the first few suggestions.

“Though I suppose that a party may be a good idea... Oh! I've got it!” Rarity's eyes lit up and she grew excited to the point of almost stomping her hoof against the ground when she realized how she must seem and used the hoof to rest against her throat as she cleared her voice of over-excitement instead.

“Hum hum.... Darling, I know you love to throw parties, especially for birthdays, but perhaps I could plan Applejack's birthday party this year? You may, of course, help with supplies; I wouldn't even know where to begin to get half of the party supplies that you use for each of our birthdays.” Pinkie grew excited to see the power of parties at work; she always knew that parties could solve any problem and was happy that it would mean that two of her best friends wouldn't be fighting anymore. She rapidly jumped in place while nodding even faster to the proposed plan of action.

“Ohhh! Applejack's gonna be so super surprised! Just remember, her birthday is September 19th!” Rarity gave the ecstatic mare a gentle smile and waved goodbye as she continued on her way.

Pinkie quickly about-faced and went back into the library in order to get a real smile from her own marefriend. She realized that that's what the day was missing and was determined to get more real smiles from others, starting with her own special somepony.

The pink baker was unsurprised to find that her special mare was once again buried in her work; Twilight had brought her report downstairs in order to have quicker access to the books she would need. Spike had given up trying to persuade her to take a day off and was running back and forth with more books as the unicorn cross referenced facts about Draconiquuses.

(Okie dokie lokie Pinkie Pie! Your first mission, bring lots of laughing and smiles to your one and only special somepony... Though it would be a little odd to have lots of special someponies for one pony... Or would they all be each others' special someponies?) The sound of Spike tripping across the floor at the sight of the crouching pink earth pony brought Pinkie's attention back to her mission at hoof.

(Oh right! Mission time! Dun dun da Daa, Dun dun da Daa, dun dun da Daa!)

Spike could only watch in frozen shock at the leaping mare as she tackled Twilight in the perfect way to get her from the desk without hurting any of the books or the report itself.

“Whaaaaa!”

“Mwahahahahahaha, I've got you now my dear and you're all mine!” Pinkie tried to sound sinister but her smile shown through as she began to tickle the mare who was trapped under her.

“Pinkie wha-hahaha- what are -ha ha ha- no sto- ah hahaha – Nooo!” Twilight couldn't contain her laughter as the pink party pony found all of her ticklish places and attacked with vigor.

Even Spike, who wasn't near the pony pile and didn't plan on getting closer, couldn't help but laugh at the sight of Twilight struggling under Pinkie who grinned maniacally.

The party mare decided to spice things up and closed onto the lavender belly to blow loud raspberries; the feel of vibrating lips and the loud noise accompanying it surprised Twilight so much that she bucked Pinkie off in one go even as she continued to laugh.

“Ha ha- Pinkie! What, *pant *, what was that?!” The unicorn tried to look sternly back at the earth pony but couldn't help smirking at the joyful face of her marefriend.

“Silly, that was a Raspberry! It didn't taste like raspberries though, it tasted like books and fur and you and-” Twilight rolled her eyes before giving the other mare a quick peck to silence her rambling before she heard exactly what she tasted like (she was already starting to want to take a shower at the short description).

Pinkie smiled at the kiss and took in the demeanor of the mare before her, appraising to see if her smile was 'real' enough yet or not. Seeing how quickly Twilight turned back to her work once the party mare remained stationary, Pinkie decided that it wasn't enough and went on the attack once more.

Spike dived for cover just as Pinkie sent Twilight rolling across the floor in an attempt to escape capture; something that she ultimately failed to do leaving her trapped under pink hooves once more.

“Pinkieee!”

“I cannot hear the cries of the tickled, for you are tickled and unable to stop me!” Pinkie continued to press her advantage, throwing Twilight into another fit of laughter.

Spike peered over his book fort to find curious blue eyes looking back, keeping track of their next target once Twilight showed enough of a 'real' smile. The dragon read the intent and took off for the rooms upstairs to build a better fort with a small laugh of his own.

Just as Pinkie was going to unleash more 'not-really-raspberries'-raspberries, both mares coincidentally looked up to find four frozen fillies right inside the doorway, their jaws hanging loose at the sight of the lavender mare stuck under the pink one.

“Hey guys! Do you have ticklish spots?” Pinkie grew an evil grin as she hopped off Twilight and crept closer to the girls who were in shock at the sudden change and stood frozen in the middle of the room.

“Guys, do ya think we came tah the wrong library?” Apple Bloom glanced out the side of her eyes to the others who were all slack jawed at the pink menace.

“Maybe…” Scootaloo tried not to break eye contact with the party pony least she pounce as the pegasus looked away.

Twilight watched with a smirk at the crouching pink earth pony and her need to put smiles on ponies' faces on these difficult days. The unicorn was amused at the terror the girls had just from being threatened with tickles and her smirk grew as she watched them shake free of their frozen stupor.

“Wait!” Pinkie merely grinned larger as she came closer, ignoring the three shouts as she began to wiggle her hind end as she crouched further; Eripio saw and decided a different tactic was needed.

“Secret Labs!” Both older mares paused at the shout and looked to the green filly who was wide eyed and looking between the two mares in slight desperation; Pinkie tilted her head in confusion at the shout and stopped her advancement while Twilight frowned at what they could possibly want with secret laboratories.

“We want to know about secret laboratories...!” The others nodded rapidly and began to chime in as well.

“Yeah, we wanted tah know where ya got yours from.”

“We, ah, we wanted one too.” Scootaloo was nervous as the lavender started to frown as possible bad ideas ran through her mind of what the girls could do with a 'secret laboratory'.

“But we wouldn't want to use it for much! We just want to have internet and computers and... And things... So we can talk with Eripio when she goes back to Manehatten.” Sweetie Belle finished with an innocent smile, which was soon copied by the others as they looked to the party pony who began to smile in return with realization in her eyes.

“Yes, we wanted to know who helped to make it; the Crusaders said that it was really cool when they were telling me about yours.” Eripio flashed a smile at the pink mare who nodded happily before bouncing to Twilight and giving her a quick nuzzle.

“I'll be right back Twilight! Don't you worry your pretty little head, Auntie Pinkie Pie has it all sorted out in a big ol' knot!” Twilight raised a brow at the phrasing and smirked at the nuzzle before frowning a little towards the girls.

“You girls are going to be safe with that kind of thing?” The four fillies smiled reassuringly at the studious unicorn.

“Yes ma'am!” Twilight relaxed slightly at the answer while the pink earth pony led the way outside with the four girls following behind.

Once the visitors and their guide left the library, Twilight began to clean up her mess that she made while writing the report. She had a feeling that if she tried to finish the report on Discord she would have another tickle session within moments. Once all the books were away Spike had grown curious as to why it was quiet downstairs; he knew the couple liked to cuddle but they usually kept that for the bedroom where they didn't run the risk of others finding them.

“Twilight? Is it safe?” The lavender unicorn smirked at the term and called back up the stairs for her assistant.

“Yes, Pinkie's gone to help the Cutie Mark Crusaders again. Can you come down after you've put away your 'fort' to help me with a letter for Princess Celestia?” Spike flinched at how the unicorn knew that he used the majority of the books on the upper floors to make a large castle to defend himself with and began to put them away quickly, knowing that Twilight would want to send the letter right away.

To occupy her time and as a way to wait for Spike to finish cleaning upstairs, Twilight began to start reading her next assignment. In the midst of her reading, the studious mare realized that she had more work than she thought to catch up on; having fought Discord and then trying to document it had taken a lot of time to do.

The purple and green dragon came downstairs to a clutter of books, papers and calenders as Twilight tried to reorganize when she had to finish everything, having came to the conclusion that she would have to cut back on most of her other activities to get her studies done.

“Uh, Twilight? You wanted to send a letter to the Princess?” Twilight jumped at the voice but turned with a frantic look before remembering what she had wanted to send.

“Oh, yes, yes I do. Spike, take a letter please.” The unicorn waited until the young drake had quill and scroll in claw before starting.

“Dear Princess Celestia, I learned today that somethings can effect everypony, no matter if they were able to realize what was wrong before and that sometimes the best way to help somepony else is to be there to listen to them...” Spike wrote as quickly as possible to keep up with the dictation of the bookworm as Twilight recounted the various things she learned from Pinkie that day.

The hyperactive mare returned to the library to find her special somepony buried in books once more, though of a normal kind instead of sad/depressing things like Discord. Pinkie shook her head at the sight before giving the unicorn a nuzzle, drawing her attention from the book she had opened in front of her.

“Hey Twilight, whatcha reading?”

“Hmm? Oh hello Pinkie. I'm reading a book on the stars and how it used to be thought that they could influence some of the things that happened here in Equestria. Sorry but I've got a lot of work to do today, you let me know when you want that party ok? I have to make sure I can get all my work done so I'll have to set aside only a certain amount of time for it...” Pinkie wasn't sure of what to make of Twilight's almost paranoid scrambling but wanted to help her mare stay happy, including making it so she could do all the studying she wanted.

“Sure thing Twilight! We'll have the party tomorrow and then you can do all the studying you want! We can even compare schedules for when we can go on our next date!” The pink earth pony clapped her hooves in excitement while the unicorn looked on in shock as she realized that she hadn't thought of any dates that they would want to do while making her crash course of studying.

“Oh, ah, yes, of course. Let me get my calender out.” As the small calender was floated over, the two mares spent another hour discussing when would be a good time to have some simple dates in the next month.

It was a little hard to find days that they could be together with all the work that had piled up but they managed and they even put a few dates that would be get togethers with their friends (as well as the 'nopony-is-sad-anymore' party).

Once that was settled, the couple shared one last kiss before going their separate ways for the day; one to continue her studies and the other to spread happiness around town.

V - Prank Wars

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Start of October, 1004 A.D. (After Discord)

The night sky was clear, the perfect weather for stargazing for a couple; cold enough to need to snuggle close but not to be encumbered by multitudes of blankets to stave off the chill.

The lavender unicorn still wasn't used to inclement weather due to usually being inside; luckily the pink earth pony ran on insane levels of activity producing an almost constant heat to emanate from her, the perfect solution to a slightly chilled bookworm.

While it was late September, it wasn't too cold, though this wouldn't be obvious when one saw how close the two mares sat next to one another with a large telescope set up before them. Twilight had been teaching Pinkie more about the stars but the lessons soon dissolved into various barely funny jokes about the subject.

“And so the scorpion says to the ursa major, pass me the dipper!” Twilight couldn't hold back her amused smirk at the snort-giggling pink mare who was laughing at her own joke.

“Alright, now you try Twilight!” Pinkie watched in anticipation as the unicorn rubbed her chin in thought, stomping lightly when she came up with an attempt.

“Ok, ok; I've got one. The ursa minor asked a musician for a major help.” Pinkie Pie rolled onto her back as she giggled at the joke with Twilight chuckling as well at her much weaker punch line.

“Oh! Oh! The big dipper turns to the little one and asks, I see the cupcakes but where's the punch?!” Booth mares were laughing as they thought of new 'jokes' to try, the telescope and night sky forgotten before them.

“Oh oh, I got another! How many stars does it take to change a light bulb? None, they're all very bright!” Twilight groaned slightly at the nonsensical joke while continuing to laugh at the party mare who was kicking her legs out in glee.

“Pinkie, how can stars change light bulbs anyways?” The studious mare looked down into sparkling blue eyes as their owner smiled back, joyfully pecking the unicorn's lips before rolling her eyes theatrically.

“Silly, jokes don't have to make sense! They just have to make the other pony laugh, like a good prank!” Twilight raised an amused brow while being caught up in a hug.

“Oh? All in good fun, I believe it was?” A bright smile greeted the teasing tone, fluffy mane bouncing as Pinkie agreed to the statement.

“Yep! Just like how I put purple coloring berries into your cupcakes!” The unicorn stiffened upon hearing this fact; once the implications fully settled, she lurched out of the hug to conjure a reflective surface and checking the inside of her mouth only to find that it was indeed stained purple.

With a taunting smirk, Twilight turned back to her marefriend and leaned menacingly towards her.

“You know this means war, right?” Pinkie grinned even larger, pleased that the normally reserved mare was willing to try and prank her.

“Sure it does, but the really good pranks are done when you least expect it; you just told everyone your plans!” The librarian raised a wondering brow as she glanced at their surroundings, finding it just as empty as it was at the start of their date.

“I see; I'll just wait until you least expect it. Any more tips you want to impart?” The pink mare frowned briefly before her face cleared with a sly grin.

“In part? I'm not giving out parts of advice, I'll give out whole pieces!” Twilight rolled her eyes at the goofy reply as Pinkie continued.

“I've got some great advice! Like, never go pranking on a Tuesday! And when pranking pegasi, prepare purple parachutes for practice. Oh, oh and when sneaking up on others wear that smelly stuff that smells like strawberries, they totally won't notice!” The studious mare was taking mental notes, even though some of it sounded silly, when she saw the teasing glint in sky-blue eyes.

“Oooh, return fire already huh?” The earth pony couldn't hold her laughter any further and rolled in place as she flared her hooves; the unicorn watched for a moment longer before tackling the giggly mare and pinning her in place with a teasing smirk.

“Oh yeah? I do still owe you for that 'tickle session' from before.”

“Oh noooooooo!” Pinkie squealed as the unicorn tried to find all her ticklish points methodically.

The couple spent another half hour in each other's hooves when they decided to call it a night; they both had to get up early the next day for work, requiring that they were well rested.

Pinkie retired to bed in the quietest fashion she could, only cheering joy once before pulling Gummy up from where he sat on the bed.

“Oh Gummy, being Twilight's marefriend is the bestiest thing ever! She's even going to try and pull a prank on me! Oooooh, I can't wait! I wonder what she's going to try?” Pinkie fell asleep as she tried to predict the prank that Twilight was going to do, something that wouldn't happen until days later when Pranking Tips 101 came in (something the librarian checked that it wasn't one giant joke on the reader).

The day was bright and sunny, with business at Sugarcube Corner being busy in the morning as just about everypony wanted to go on picnics and needing the proper sweets for it.

As the day continued, the orders slowed to a trickle once most of the citizens were taken care of, leaving Pinkie Pie resting her muzzle on her fore-hooves, lonely at the lack of visitors. A soft tinkling from the bell at the front of the door drew blue eyes that lit up in hope; something that spread to the rest of her face at the sight of purple mane and lavender coat. With a mighty leap, the hyper mare leaned into Twilight's personal space with a large grin.

Between being friends for a year and marefriend to the active earth pony, finding Pinkie Pie in such close quarters wasn't as alarming as it would normally be considered.

“Hello Twilight! Here for an order of cupcakes?” The lavender unicorn smiled as she shook her head no while levitating a book towards the excited baker.

“Oh, well, I found a very interesting book that I wanted you to check out.” Pinkie stared with interest at the very colorful book in dark pink aura which opened to a section on cakes.

“This book has a smell the flavor section, would you like a sniff?” The baker bounced in place before leaning forward and taking a deep breath. Within moments there was a tickling in the back of her nose, causing her to scrunch up with half starts of the natural response to the olfactory stimulant.

“Ah-ah-ah-AACCHHOOO!” As Pinkie sneezed softly, she zipped backwards to crash lightly into the counter with a laugh already appearing.

“Ah ha ha ha, you, you used sneezing powder!” Twilight chuckled slightly as well as she pulled the prank insert out and safely dispelled it while sitting in front of her marefriend.

“Well, it said to start with the basic pranks to test out one's acting skills and believability.” Pinkie groaned at the realization of what the librarian got to help her with pranks but gave the unicorn a noogie anyways as she congratulated her on a job well done.

“Oh Twilight, you and your books... You did get me though, so this means that it. Is. On.” The party mare grinned manically towards the other who laughed before getting up.

“I had best go and fortify the library then; I'll see you later either way?” Upon seeing the agreeing nod, Twilight exited the store and returned home to plan another prank and get the tree house prepared for prank warfare.

With the first (though technically third) prank in the prank war fired, the couple spent the next month trying to beat the other. Pinkie met the lavender unicorn that night with a pleased smile and a request to have a reading date.

What Twilight didn’t notice was how Pinkie used her abilities to bait and switch the book she wanted to read.

Spike, having already seen the extent of cuddling they would sometimes get to, left for the evening to help Rarity with anything, so long as it kept him away from the library. This meant that Twilight had to go hunting for the elusive book that seemed to move and change locations on its own, appearing just in the corner of her eye before moving when she tried to get a proper look at it.

The hunt for ‘The Trickster’s Choice’ went on for five minutes before the unicorn noticed her marefriend barely holding her laughter at the growing frustration on the bookworm’s face. Twilight pulled to a sudden stop as realization coursed through her and Pinkie exploded in laughter; with an annoyed twitch of her eyes, Twilight gave the earth pony a small shove before settling down next to her and stared expectantly at the pink mare who pulled the desired reading material from her mane.

“... I don’t think I want to know how you managed to do that….” Pinkie grinned back and nuzzled under Twilight’s chin.

“Nope! Super Pinkie Secret Numbah 11!” With another shove to the mysterious mare, Twilight settled against her with a smirk to start the reading session while making plans for the counter-attack (as well as mentally rearranging her schedule to prepare and deploy the hopeful prank).

Two days later Pinkie Pie gathered the needed supplies for a party of one of the many citizens of Ponyville. She had just finished her shift for the day and was bouncing around her room as she pilfered through the various stacks of supplies.

As she hopped to the all important streamer box, she discovered it was completely empty.

“Hmmm… That’s odd, I should have enough for another three parties… Oh well! Let’s see if I can just….” With a thoughtful frown, the pink earth pony reached out a hoof and rummaged for any supplies she could borrow.

“Ah-ha! Plenty of streamers, I knew it!” Pink hooves were suddenly full of the needed streamers, drawing a face-hoof from the purple maned unicorn who watched from a window as she precariously balanced on the gingerbread roof.

(Of all the….! Pinkie Pie and her mysterious abilities! I don’t think I’ll ever understand them; I would try to study it, but I don’t want her to feel like I don’t believe it… Alright, let’s just move on; that other box looks promising.)

Once the unicorn refocused on her task, she closed her eyes in concentration, teleporting the contents of the next box Pinkie hopped to (a big crate of balloons). With a flourish, the party pony opened the lid only to gasp at the hollow case before her.

“Oh my gosh! It’s a party pooper ghost! Ok Mr. Ghost, let’s see where you hid my totally awesome balloons!” Pinkie stuck her tongue out in concentration as she again reached out to come back with hooffuls of the needed supplies; something that drew another face-hoof from the lavender audience.

“Ha ha Mr. Ghost! There’s nothing that can stop me now! I’ll throw you a ‘totally-caught-by-the-awesomest-party-pony-ever’ party as soon as I get my even awesomer marefriend to help catch you!” With a taunting grin and cheery wave to the empty room, the pink earth pony hopped down the stairs, intending to find the lavender unicorn for help catching ghosts.

Twilight’s eyes widened in shock before she focused completely on teleporting the longer distance to appear innocent; she was barely able to make it back to the main room just in time for Pinkie to burst through the door wearing a pale-gray jumper with a large dark gray boxy machine on her back with a hose coming from it to end in a sprayer of some kind.

The sight as well as sudden appearance caused Twilight to jump slightly in place, helping with the act of innocence.

“Twilight! It’s Ghostbustin’ time!”

“Huh?” With a tug on an unseen zipper, Pinkie removed the clothing and gear in one go to step closer to her marefriend with a serious face.

“Twilight, my room is haunted by a party pooper ghost; I need your ghost busting expertise to catch him.” The unicorn rolled her eyes as Spike gazed in confusion before continuing on his way.

“Pinkie, there’s no such thing as ghosts; what would make you think that anyways?”

“It was too a party pooper ghost! Only a ghost could so sneakily take my party supplies without me seeing!” Twilight raised a curious brow at the belief while Spike tried to clean up undisturbed.

“Oh? Only a ghost can sneakily take things? So somepony couldn’t have-”

“Hey Twilight? What’s with this box of streamers and balloons?” Both mares looked over to find Spike with an open box that held the missing party supplies; Twilight hadn’t had the chance to put them away or place them in an obvious place for her prank, though this was almost just as good to give away who really took the supplies.

Pinkie glanced between the box and the librarian a few times with a pointing hoof and slack-jaw before resting on the smirking mare with a smile of her own.

“Oooooh! You’re getting stronger in the ways of pranking, young padawan; I shall have to step up my game!” After giving Twilight a peck on the cheek, Pinkie picked up the box and hopped back home to finish her preparations.

The studious mare turned to her desk to catch up on her work, having fooled the party mare leaving a smile on her face (even if it went differently than planned). Spike stared at the doorway as he contemplated whether it was still safe to be caught in the midst of a prank war when Twilight called for his attention to retrieve a book she needed.

The unicorn was busy the rest of that week, between studying and being on guard for any pranks that she didn’t discover the actual prank until much later, when she was running late for a pony pet play date with her marefriend (she didn’t know why Pinkie wanted to have their pets play together, but one doesn’t question the pink mare).

After a quick shower, Twilight galloped out the door with a confused Owlowiscious following close behind and a stunned Spike remaining at home. Once she came to a stop in the park, she found the baker on her back laughing hysterically while the few others in the area stared on confusedly.

“*Gasp*… What’s-what’s so funny?” Pinkie didn’t respond but pulled a mirror out to show Twilight why she couldn’t stop laughing. Instead of the usual lavender and purple maned sight, the unicorn found she was a pale-pink with gray-white mane with a single purple highlight in it; Twilight’s eyes widened as she realized it was due to Pinkie messing with her shampoos and growled in a friendly matter.

“Piiinnkkiiiieee….” The targeted mare found the unicorn running towards her in pursuit and the two led a chase around the park and even some of the town before Twilight resigned herself to using magic to reverse the effects of the color die.

Pinkie soon found herself in a similar situation not even a day later, heading to work only to find the Cakes jumping back in surprise and confusion at the white coat with yellow mane and tail the young baker now sported. After having looked into a nearby mirror and laughing at the new image, Twilight entered the store with a grin on her face at the sight of the party mare.

“Surprise! You like the new colors?” Pinkie could hardly respond as she was laughing too much and gave the unicorn a hug for a job well done. The baker then spent the rest of the day with the new colors, giving every customer and friend a surprise of their own at the new look.

Twilight had came back at the very end of the business day to offer her newly discovered reversing spell; when Pinkie wanted to keep the look for a few more days, Twilight blushingly explained she preferred the original look, which earned a blush and kiss at the compliment before Pinkie accepted the offer.

The next week went by silently, though by that time the whole town knew of the prank war happening between the least expected sources (or at least, unexpected on the librarian’s part).

Twilight had started to think the war was on pause or even over when she woke one morning to a sight that almost stopped her heart; all the books in the library were missing. The entire first floor was seemingly empty of literature, with cobwebs on some of the shelves. The unicorn spun in the center, trying to find a book anywhere before shouting throughout the tree house.

“Ssppiiiiiikkkeeee!!!” The unicorn barely heard the young drake tumble down the stairs at the call, still searching in vain for any sign of what happened.

“What’s wrong Twili-.... What happened to the books?” Spike stood with a claw to his head when Twi suddenly turned to him and shouted in frustration.

“I don’t know! Did you notice anything before?!” While the purple and green dragon shook his head in denial, a chipper knock sounded from the front door.

As Twilight turned back to the empty room, Spike opened the door to find Pinkie smiling behind it.

“Hey Spike! Is Twilight awake?”

“Uh, yeah, but there’s a big problem.” Blue eyes became darker in unease as the pink pony followed the young dragon inside where they Twilight staring holes into the shelving.

“Twilight, is everything ok?” A single ear flicked back at the question as the room remained silent for a moment longer; just as Pinkie was about to approach the distressed unicorn, Twilight spun around with a crazed look in her eyes.

“No! Everything is NOT ok! I’ve lost an entire library’s collection! Something was entrusted to me by Princess Celestia herself! This is a horrible disaster! She’ll never trust me again to keep anything safe! The Princess may even want to have me personally replace every last book!” Pinkie and Spike shared wide-eyed glances before the earth pony slowly approached the still muttering mare; before she could wrap Twilight in a reassuring hug, the unicorn flopped onto the ground with a hoof covering her eyes as her entire frame shook with what sounded like sobs.

Pinkie Pie stared at the display in shock before her entire demeanor slumped; she crawled over and gently nudged Twilight with an apologetic frown.

“Twilight? Twilight, I’m sorry; I-”

“BOOO!” The earth pony and dragon jumped at the sudden shout and movement from the lavender mare who had shot up and forward as she shouted.

“HA! I got you Pinkie Pie; I knew you were behind it after I did a rudimentary magical scan of the shelves.” Pinkie relaxed from her surprised stance with a smile as Twilight walked over to a shelf and removed the painted canvas that hid the books from view.

“This was well done and just the right colors.” The part pony’s grin grew even larger as she gave the studious mare a hug around her neck.

“Thanks Twilight; it takes just the right touch to pull off a perfect prank. You have learned well my young apprentice; you really had me fooled.” Twilight waved off the compliment as she continued to uncover the hidden books with her magic, with Spike collected all the covers to be put away someplace.

“So, aside from totally surprising you with a prank, I came to make sure you didn’t forget the picnic today with all our friends in the park!” The unicorn paused in her work to smile reassuringly to the other.

“Yes, I remember; it’s on my checklist of things to make a checklist of things I have to do today. I’ll get the cupcakes for everypony, don’t worry.” With a pleased nod, Pinkie gave her mare a swift kiss goodbye and hopped out to make sure she had what she promised to bring as well.

It was a sunny afternoon when Pinkie brought the all essential balloons for the picnic. Everypony was tasked to bring something, with Applejack bringing an old quilt to lay on, Rarity to bring plates and other utensils to use, while Fluttershy, Rainbow Dash and Twilight were to bring food stuff for them to enjoy.

Just as they were setting up the picnic cloth, Rarity cried out in alarm as she searched the basket she brought.

“Please tell me I did not forget the plates! Oh, I did! I totally forgot them! Of all the worse things that could possibly happen; that is The. Worst. Possible. Thing!” The four others watched as the gray-white unicorn swooned onto a red couch before the fashionista looked up to unamused faces.

“What? You didn’t expect me to lay on the grass did you?” While Rainbow and Applejack rolled their eyes at the prim mare’s antics, Pinkie hopped in place excitedly as she recounted the latest effort in the prank wars; Twilight wasn’t there yet and the party mare wanted to show how much more relaxed the bookworm was getting.

“-and she totally didn’t expect to find all her books gone! So I went by to see if it was a success and she was going crazy, thinking they were all gone! But then she was a crafty smart pants and pretended to be so super concerned that I thought the prank went really wrong and she gave me and Spike a scare by shouting ‘Boo!’ real loud!” The others stared back in surprise at the news, the entire concept that Twilight, the residential library, would take part in a prank war was unthinkable; the fact that she actually surprised Pinkie Pie was even more so.

“Twilight? Get the best of you? I’ll believe it when I see it.” Dash crossed her hooves behind her head and laid out on the blanket to soak up the sunlight; before Pinkie could respond or defend her marefriend, Twilight finally made it with the cupcakes.

There was a moment of surprise at the disheveled look of both the box of treats and the one delivering it; Twilight’s mane was frizzed and kinked in various spots and her eyes had a crazed glint in them, while the box was slightly squished and out of shape.

“You alright hun?” Everyone stood at the sight of the unicorn and flinched back at the sharp reply.

“No, I am not alright.” As everypony stepped forward to examine and offer assistance, Pinkie Pie couldn’t help feel as though it was another prank like the one she did that morning.

“It’s just terrible.” The others barely shared worried glances before focusing completely on the unicorn standing on the edge of the picnic cloth.

“Yes?”

“Simply awful!” With another short and non-explanatory answer, the girls leaned towards Twilight as they grew more concerned as to what the problem might be.

“Yes?”

“It’s the most horrific terrible trouble I’ve ever been in and I really really need your help!” The five friends leaned even closer to the distressed mare in concern.

“Yes?!”

“My letter to Princess Celestia is almost overdue and I haven’t learned anything about friendship!” At such a non-threatening issue, the others relaxed their stances as they realized Pinkie had been right; Twi was taking the pranking lessons well and this was an attempt at joking with them.

Pinkie watched curiously as Twilight used multiple short teleports to stand in front of each of the others as she explained; the party mare was impressed with the extent that the unicorn was trying, especially since it wasn’t working.

“Oh Twilight, you’re such a crackup!” Pinkie rolled onto her back in laughter while Twilight grew further enraged as it seemed like no one believed her.

As the lavender mare stormed off with another growl of frustration before teleporting, Pinkie slowly grew worried that maybe it wasn’t a joke. She looked to the others who all shrugged at the behavior before going back to relaxing, assuming that the librarian would return when she gave up her latest prank. Dash in particular nodded soberly to Pinkie as she conceded her previous point.

“Huh, I guess the egghead has been learning how to prank others; that one almost had me convinced. You’re a pretty good teacher Pinks.” The rest of the friends nodded to the statement before settling down to silence.

The five friends waited for another two hours before starting to pack up their picnic; they had hoped that Twi would have returned long before then but were content to wait in peace. It was as a large commotion was heard that they became unsettled, searching the surrounding area and finding that most of the afternoon had passed with no sign of the librarian and a herd of fighting ponies running through the park.

“What in the name of oats and apples is goin’ on here?” Applejack looked to the others who could stare at the display in shock before Twilight appeared and demanded they look away.

“Don’t look at it!” Twilight forcibly moved Rainbow’s head from the focus of the fighting while Rarity glanced at the other unicorn in concern.

“Don’t look at what?” It was as Twilight covered the fashionista’s eyes and explained exactly what had happened this time that Pinkie couldn’t help but stand in shock; Twilight HAD been serious before and actually needed help, but she hadn’t been a good marefriend and noticed.

The pink earth pony could only remain in her shocked stupor at the scene unfolding before her, only breaking free from it at the parting words of the lavender unicorn as she followed her mentor, Princess Celestia, back towards town.

“Goodbye girls; if you care to visit, I’ll be in magic kindergarten, back in Canterlot.” Pinkie’s mind unfroze from worrying about her unsatisfactory relationship skills as she realized how difficult long-distance relationships were to maintain.

“We’re never going to see Twilight again!” Pink hooves covered tearful eyes as her worst fears, Twilight leaving town never to return, started to appear very real. Applejack noticed the tears and sat next to Pinkie Pie to try and reassure her, though she also didn’t have an idea on how to help.

“What are we gonnah do y’all?” As green eyes rested momentarily on the gray-white unicorn, Rarity put a hoof to her forehead in distress.

“Of all the worse things that can happen; this is The. Worst. Possible. Thing….!” As the drama queen whimpered in place, Applejack couldn’t help the deadpan she gave her along with the others at the unneeded theatrics.

“What? I really mean it this time.” The five friends looked towards town as they tried to think of some kind of solution to a problem that normally wouldn’t be considered so; how can somepony help somepony else with being late with homework?

Waiting and thinking of a plan was not Rainbow Dash’s forte, and watching the normally chipper party mare barely hold back torrents of heartbroken tears did nothing to help her patience.

“Urggg, why don’t we just go and make the Princess listen to reason and not take Twilight away?!” The others looked at the brash pegasus in surprise; it was actually a good idea, even if it was a bit impertinent of them to demand anything of royalty.

With a collective shout of agreement, Pinkie and Dash led the charge back to town where they almost ran into the door in their haste to arrive in time to present their arguments. Applejack had noticed this and raced to the front to slow down the more desperate of the runners just in time to lightly bump into the door; luckily opening it before Rainbow crashed into it as she hadn’t paused but a second at the sudden acceleration of the farmer’s.

Once they were sure they had the Princess’ attention, they each presented an argument for why Twilight had been late and should be allowed to stay in Ponyville. It was to their great pleasure that Princess Celestia agreed and even made it so this kind of incident wouldn’t happen again.

By the time Spike sent the special letter from everyone concerned, it was late into the evening and the sudden stress meant that everyone needed another relaxing moment to themselves and were soon on their way home; all except for a very concerned pink earth pony who wanted to be sure there was nothing else wrong.

Pinkie had thought that being marefriends had made Twilight relax about a lot of things; this incident only proved that it was just when they were doing something together, something that she intended to fix.

“Twilight?” The unicorn looked up from her place at the desk to uneasy blue eyes.

“Pinkie Pie? What’s wrong?” The earth pony shuffled in place before rushing to sit next to the other mare and placing her head onto a lavender shoulder.

“There’s nothing else wrong with you is there? I’m sorry I was such a horrible marefriend that I didn’t notice you were really worried….” Twilight blinked at the apology, having already forgiven her friends since, in hindsight, it most likely was a little silly to be worried about; even if she had never been late with an assignment before and had a perfect record to uphold as well as not wanting to let down the Princess who was kind enough to mentor her anyways and -

(Stop, it’s going to be fine Twilight! I just need to be more organized and prepared along with plenty of time to finish projects in case something like this happens again…. )

Once she had ascertained that she would take preemptive measures for future work, the studious mare looked to the distressed mare leaning against her.

“Pinkie, I’m not angry at you or anypony else. And there is nothing else wrong; if you want, I promise to come to you and the others first before things get too out of hoof.” Pinkie looked up to reassuring purple eyes and smiled sadly with a nod to the suggestion.

“Yeah, that way we can be there to help instead of you doing it by yourself! That’s what friends are for silly! Especially marefriends! I’ll try to be the best marefriend ever!” Twilight smiled at the slowly re-energizing mare as she made the motions to the most severe promise she knew.

“Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” The pink baker smiled at the promise and gave a tight hug to the unicorn before bouncing in place.

“I know! You totally missed the great food at the picnic so we should make supper for the three of us! It would be fun and I can make some of the yummy things we had to eat and it would be like a treat for Spike for having done such a good job of taking care of my little star!” Twilight smirked in amusement at the suggestion before her stomach spoke up in agreement with the idea, prompting her to stand as well.

“Alright, we can make a ‘very yummy’ supper for the three of us while being a treat for Spike who did a good job today.” The librarian gave her number one assistant a hug before following the bouncing pink pony into the kitchen with Spike following along to see what was going to be prepared in hopes of some nice sapphire or emerald treats heading his way.

VI - The ultimate night for free candy!

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End of October, 1004 A.D. (After Discord)

After the issue of being tardy with her schoolwork, Twilight made sure to leave extra time for sudden social activities as well as plenty of time for studies; this came to be tested not even a week later when Pinkie Pie appeared on the balcony where Twilight was studying the stars that night.

The lavender unicorn had just finished finding one of the stars that was part of the Sagittarius constellation and turned to mark it on her star diary when she found a pink earth pony standing between her and her target.

“Waah...! Oh, uh, hi Pinkie Pie.” The hyper mare smiled at the unicorn before stepping aside to allow Twilight to stare blankly at the book, having forgotten the star's position in her surprise.

“Hey Twilight! What are you going to be?” Twilight paused in her return to the telescope to stare at her marefriend in confusion.

“What am I going to be?”

“Oh, wait wait wait! Don't tell me! It's more fun to be surprised when we see each other!” The lavender mare could only stare opened mouth at the now bouncing earth pony before waving a hoof to slow the excited giggles.

“Hang on, what's more fun? Aren't we seeing each other right now?” Pinkie rolled her eyes with a grin before slinging a hoof around the lavender mare's neck.

“Twilight~! We're not in costume right now! We gotta see each other on Nightmare Night for it to be a good surprise!” The studious mare blinked in surprise, not having realized how soon it was to the night of scares; having lived a very inclosed study-filled life before, the unicorn had forgotten that most ponies celebrated a night devoted to frightening each other.

“Oh, well, I wasn't really... planning... anything....” Purple eyes rolled in place at the sudden dejected face before her and Twilight could feel her plans suddenly shifting around to appease the pink mare.

“Sigh, alright Pinkie, I'll make sure to be able to go out on Nightmare Night with a really good costume and everything.” Pinkie Pie gave a shout of glee before hopping around the unicorn while gushing about the things they would be able to do.

“Oh my gosh, it's going to be so much fun! You'll be able to get candy and see everyone else dressed up and you won't be able to guess who they are sometimes and there's games and food and really cool music and we'll be able to do stuff together! It's going to be great Twilight, just wait and see!” With a swift peck to Twilight's cheek, Pinkie bounced down the stairs, past a surprised dragon and back home to make sure her costume was in prime condition.

“What was that all about? I didn’t even see Pinkie come in.” Twilight glanced at the young drake with a frown before looking to the town where they could barely make out the pink baker bouncing home.

“So she surprised you too huh...? Well, it seems she wanted to be sure we were prepared for Nightmare Night; I hope you have a costume in mind since we're going to be celebrating along with everypony else.” Spike looked to his care-taker in surprise before jumping slightly in the air with a shout of joy.

“Oh boy! We get to actually dress up and everything?!” Twilight rolled her eyes at the glee before looking sternly to the youngster.

“Yes, we'll be dressing up and everything. But I do believe that it's rather late and a certain dragon should already be in bed.” Spike lost his joy and became demure once more.

“Oh, is that time already? Uh, I hadn't um, noticed....” The purple dragon trailed off and tried a different tactic at the deadpan from the unicorn.

“Twilight! Can't I stay up a little longer? I could help you with your work?”

“Spike, you know I have Owlowiscious to help me with my work at night...”

“I have one last comic before reaching the end, can't I finish it?!”

“Spiikkeee...”

“Sigh, alright.... Good night Twilight...”

“Good night Spike.” With this final statement, the unicorn turned back to her telescope while making a note on her list to check that Spike had actually gone to sleep, her owl swooping by with another reference book.

“Thanks Owlowiscious; oh and please check that Spike has actually gone to sleep later.” The brown owl hooted in response as he sat on the railing, watching his owner get back to work for the night.

Pinkie could hardly contain her excitement when the big night arrived, slipping into her hoof-made chicken costume with little issue. After checking on Gummy, who promised to stay and give out candy to the foals that stopped by, the hyper mare grabbed her bag and hopped down the stairs.

On the way out the door, she came across Mr. and Mrs. Cake as they prepared a cart of baked goods for the festivities; they were dressed as a matching set, a pair of raggedy dolls.

“Hey Mr. and Mrs. Cake! Those are really neat costumes!”

“Thanks Pinkie, yours looks good too...” Mrs. Cake wasn't sure why their young apprentice was dressed like a giant chicken but they knew it was just part of who she was.

“Well, I gotta go! There's a new filly and a new colt in town and it's their first Nightmare Night! Gotta make sure they have a lot of fun!” The older bakers rolled their eyes with amused grins at the hyper mare's mission of fun and continued their preparation for the night.

It was still early in the evening, but it was the perfect time for all the foals to gather to travel in safety. They picked up Nio (dressed as princess), Erroria (an astronaut), and Pina Colada (a ladybug) before making a stop at the new family in town; Pipsqueek and his parents came from Trottingham, wanting to get away from the bigger and busier city.

Pinkie reassured Pipsqueek's mom in her usual rapid manner, much to the young colt's amusement; once bedtime and basic safety was agreed upon, the group of candy-seekers continued on to pick up the other new filly in town for their group. Pinkie Pie wasn't sure where Dinky came from, but Derpy was definitely trustworthy so the hyper mare didn't question it.

“Dinky, are you sure you'll be alright?” Derpy was kneeling beside the pale-purple gray unicorn, adjusting the firepony's hat she wore with it's corresponding coat; the yellow maned filly smiled shyly before giving the older pegasus a brief nod.

“Yes, I want to try.” Derpy smiled at Dinky's attempt at bravery and looked to the pink baker who smiled back assuredly.

“Don't you worry Derpy! I'll make sure nothing happens to Dinky or any of the others! It's all in good fun and if somepony got hurt it wouldn't be fun, which is something I'd never let happen!” The older pegasus smiled at the assurances before waving to the foals and Dinky who continued on their way.

Once they had most of the group in tow, they found the Cutie Mark Crusaders along with Granny Smith at the edge of town; the girls had really wanted to get candy this year but their sisters were already doing stuff and couldn't take them, so the elder mare did instead.

“Hey girls! Oooo, those are pretty neat costumes!” Pinkie leaned forward on her hind-legs as she peered at the trio who looked back happily; Scootaloo was a wolf-pony, Apple Bloom was the bride of Frankenpony and Sweetie Belle was Dracula. Granny Smith hadn't tried to dress up and merely waited with the girls for the giant poultry to stop hopping around and went further into town to start the night’s adventures.

After making sure everypony in the group knew one another, they began to make their rounds for treats; the newest additions to the town had never taken part of Nightmare Night before and had to be coached through their first few homes. It took extra time to give the foals the needed time to gather their courage to shout the traditional phrase of the night, meaning that when they finally reached the tree library, Pinkie was behind the group after checking that everypony was doing ok.

When they knocked on the wooden door, Spike opened it with a flourish only to be shocked at the shout of the foals.

“Nightmare Night, what a fright! Give us something sweet to bite!” After gathering his breath, the young dragon went to get the bowl of treats set aside for the costumed foals.

Twilight was surprised as well when Pinkie came forward for her own share of candies; she hadn't expected the pink earth pony to take such a literal part in the festivities of the night.

“Enough chit chat, time is candy!”

“Pinkie Pie, aren't you too old for this?”

“Too old for free candy? Never!” Twilight rolled her eyes at the seriousness of the hyper mare before giving her marefriend a piece of candy as well; though as soon as Twilight's attention was distracted for a moment, Pinkie went after the rest of the treats in the blue bowl and continued on her way, promising to meet up with the unicorn later.

Pinkie Pie was even more excited as they went from house to house, leaving poor Granny Smith in the dust due to her speed and zeal; not only had Twilight taken part in this year's Nightmare Night, but she made her own costume (though she wasn't sure if the studious mare had her facts straight, it didn't seem like the usual wizard's costume at all).

It was as they passed through the market square that the large poultry came across the lavender unicorn talking with Spike; Pinkie couldn't help but zip up and show just how well things were going so far.

“Twilight, Twilight! Look at our haul! Eeee, can you believe it! We’ve been going around the WHOLE town, getting candies from everyone, like Cherry Berry and then we went to Vinyl and Octavia’s place! And then we had gone to Cherilee's place and got a bunch more goodies, didn't we Pip?” The young pirate agreed excitedly before the hyper mare continued her explanation.

“And then we had to stop and wait for Granny Smith and then-” A loud crack of thunder interrupted Pinkie's speech, startling her into flight. The children following her stared towards the fleeing figure for a moment in surprise at the sudden movement before following after her with screams of their own.

After getting four blocks down from the source of her scare, the hyper mare slowed her pace and turned to find the children running up to her (Granny Smith was once again left in the dust).

“Ms. Pinkie Pie, why... why did you run away like that?” Dinky quietly asked which earned her a grin and pat on the head.

“Because sometimes it's really fun to be scared; for example, I know it was Rainbow Dash who went and made that thundercloud go off, we did a prank like that before. I Pinkie Promise that you guys are going to be safe with me, and we're going to have lots and lots of fun!” Both Dinky and Pipsqueek tilted their heads in confusion at the term, which Pinkie correctly understood and explained.

“A Pinkie Promise is the most severe promise a pony can make ever; one doesn't break a Pinkie Promise. It goes like this: Cross my heart and hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.” The older mare demonstrated the movements to the foals who watched amused; once the older farmer found the group, they set off for more candy.

Once their sacks were nearly full, they went back to town square where the stage was set up in the midst of the festivities. By the Mayor's suggestion, they all followed Zecora out to a clearing that wasn't too far inside the Everfree Forest; while most of the foals were scared of the forest, being led by the zebra, Pinkie Pie and Twilight made them feel safe in the clearing.

The hyper mare soon became so engrossed in the tale that Zecora described that she tried to hide from the magical dust used to explain where the legend came from by burying her head in the ground. As the green dust leapt towards the children, Pinkie panicked and shouted for them to follow her example.

“Gaaah! Everypony, let's dump some candy and get out of here!” The hyper mare emptied out her bag at the foot of the mountains and backed away just as quickly, waiting for the kids to do the same before rounding them up to return back to town.

Just before they could get away from the statue of Nightmare Moon, the sky darkened and thunder crashed through the skies as a chariot came speeding by, heading for the nearby town. With her keen eye sight, Pinkie was able to guess who rode the gold chariot and stiffened in surprise and 'fright'.

“Gaasp! It's Nightmare Moon! Run!!!” When the older mare ran off, the kids were close behind her, having expected a reaction like that and able to keep up (helped by the fact that Pinkie made sure she never truly outran the foals).

The hyper earth pony could barely hear her marefriend shout after her but didn't stop, wanting to be sure the youngsters were safe first in case it was a baddy coming after them. Once back in town, Pinkie went to the main square to find out what was going on; when she saw that it was indeed Princess Luna and not Nightmare Moon, the pink earth pony thought that the best way to help the over-stressed Princess enjoy the night was to take part in pranks and scaring each other.

“Did you hear that everypony?! Nightmare Moon said she was going to feast on us all!” The pink mare rushed out of the square with the children in tow as they ran to safety; Pinkie gathered them all inside Sugarcube Corner and had them settle down properly before making sure they knew what was going on.

The baker made sure each foal had a baked good before them and inside their stomach before going on before explaining; she didn't want anypony to think something really was wrong after all.

“Ok, gather round my little friends! Princess Luna has come and wants to play! So anytime we find her, we're going to act like she's Nightmare Moon and she'll chase us for a little and maybe even gobble us up!” The children could tell the hyper baker was joking due to her extremely large smile and exaggerated winking at the possible outcome of an encounter with the Princess of the Night.

“So, we're just pretending to be scared?” Pipsqueek asked as the group looked to the older mare who in turn nodded rapidly with an even larger smile at the understanding.

“Yep! Ready to go? We better get more candy to make sure Nightmare Moon doesn't get too hungry!” The kids smiled at the suggestion and followed the pink earth pony back out to the streets, going to both old and new houses to gather candy to appease the Lunar Princess with.

As they started their second rounds of candy gathering, a pegasus dressed like a shadow bolt flew down to hover nearby.

“Hey, Pinkie Pie!” At the amused shout, the large poultry gave a curious squawk and searched the nearby area for the owner of the sound.

“Backa?” The kids helped to search as well, before noticing Rainbow Dash who flew closer to the group in order to be found easier.

“Pinkie, over here.” Once Pinkie Pie identified the source of the mysterious floating voice (which made a lot of sense since Rainbow was flying), the pink mare grinned up to her friend who had leaned towards the group conspiratorially.

“What if you went to Fluttershy's cottage to hide from Nightmare Moon? It's just on the way to the statue where you could try to offer candy so she doesn't get you.” The large poultry brightened at the suggestion and turned to the gathering of children beside her.

“What do you think guys? Let's go to Fluttershy's and hide!” With an agreeing shout from the foals, they rushed off to find refuge in the timid mare's home.

When the group trotted up to the grass covered cottage, it was to their great surprise to find Princess Luna and Twilight standing outside with Fluttershy limp in the Princess' hooves. Pinkie was able to guess why Rainbow had suggested they go to the small home and decided to play along.

“GASP! She's taken Fluttershy's voice away so she can't scream as she gobbles her up!” The children were getting used to the joke and screamed shortly after the exclamation, running after their guardian who went back towards town.

Once they were safely away, Pinkie suggested they continue gathering candy to give the Princess. Granny Smith had decided that enough was enough and returned back home, leaving the hyper mare in charge who was only just starting to notice that something was wrong when Dinky spoke up from the midst of the group.

“Ms. Pinkie Pie? Pipsqueek isn't here...”

“Oooh, I knew we were short a pirate or two! We better go find him, even the bravest of pirates can't face the deadliest of foes all alone!” With a smile at her silly antics, the kids followed their poultry leader back to town square where they found the colt in question hanging from the Lunar Princess' mouth.

“Eehhh! Nightmare Moon is gobbling Pipsqueek, everypony run!”

“Help! My backside has been gobbled!” The young colt squirmed out of the Princess' grasp and ran to catch up with the others who fled at the supposed 'gobbling'; Pinkie could barely hold back her laughter at the activities, the previous year's festivities not having been anywhere near as exciting as this this one.

Pinkie drew to a sudden stop (causing a few of the kids to run into her puffy tail) at the sounds of frustration and blind terror.

(That doesn't make sense, it sounds like somepony got really really actually very real scared.... I heard Dashie's storm cloud, did she really surprise somepony? Oooh noooo! That sounds like a giant candy is falling! GASP! That can't be right -)

“Let's go check what's going on everypony!” With a flare of her fore-hooves, Pinkie swiveled on her hind-legs and ran back to where most of the festivities were to take place only to find it in ruin and Princess Luna standing in the center, shouting for everyone's attention.

“BE STTILLLLL!!!!” The candy-seeking group shrank back from the yell and in the aftermath, Pinkie could clearly hear her marefriend trying to help.

“Princess remember, watch the screaming!”

“No Twilight Sparkle, we must use the traditional royal Canterlot voice for what we are about to say.... Since you choose to fear your Princess rather than love her, and dishonor her with this insulting celebration, we decree that Nightmare Night shall be cancelled FOREVER!” All the ponies watching couldn't move due to shock and fright, and it was only after the Princess of the Night had flown away that what she said sunk in.

Most of the children's parents were in town square, making it so Pinkie only had to contact a few of the parents and explain what happened (though most couldn't understand the rapid speech that was told as Pinkie passed by in a blur). Once everypony knew what happened, the large chicken went back to the main square to see if there was anything she could do to help (like extra candy that needed to be taken away); as she searched, one piece with a yellow wrapping seemed to gleam in the torchlight.

Once Pinkie Pie made sure it was safely tucked away (in her stomach of course), she found a whole trail of them! With little mind to why there was a trail of candy leading into the nearby alley way, the large candy-searching poultry pursued the candies only to be pinned to the wall, causing her to try and shout a warning 'baka' but was stopped by a purple hoof.

“No! No shrieking. No squealing or screaming either, ok?”

“Ohkhayh...”

“There's something I want you to see and I promise that it's safe, but you really really can't shriek. Do you promise not to shriek?” Pinkie could see the frustration in Twilight's eyes, she was annoyed with how the evening was going and wanted the pink baker to behave; to appease the unicorn, Pinkie Pie nodded and watched curiously as Twilight backed up and waved a hoof to the Princess.

“Pinkie Pie, you remember Princess Luna right?”

Her role as a chicken almost took over the hyper mare but Pinkie remembered her promise to not freak out, stuffing her traitorous mouth with both hooves to hold back the shriek that wanted to escape. Once Princess Luna saw that Pinkie wasn't about to scream and run away, she stepped forward shyly.

“Ah, the ringleader of the frightened children... hast thou come to make peace?” Pinkie could see the sincerity in the Lunar Princess' eyes and hesitantly reached out a hoof when there came a clap of thunder from above the Princess.

Pinkie couldn't help but think that it was a good prank (to have Rainbow waiting nearby for added effect) and took off down the alley with a shout, not really noticing Twilight's shout from where she ran from.

“Nightmare Moon! Bababakaa!”

The lavender unicorn shot an extra glare to the the pegasus who was laughing on her cloud before focusing her attention on the fleeing poultry; with a bright flash of dark-pink and a poof sound, she landed in front of the pink earth pony and grappled with her; Pinkie tried to escape but Twilight had a strong grip brought by desperation and frustration with her marefriend.

“She's changed Pinkie, she's not evil or scary anymore! And she definitely doesn't want to gobble you up!” At the last sentence, Pinkie Pie paused in her struggles and deadpanned her captor.

“Well duh!”

“Huh?”

“I know that. Sheesh Twilight, I'm almost as big as her, how's she gonna gobble me up?” The party mare could barely hold back her laughter at the confused gaze from Twilight as she tried to understand what was going on.

“So, why do you keep running away and screaming?”

“Sometimes it's just really fun to be scared!” The pink baker could see the gears turning in the studious mare’s mind, trying to compute what she meant.

“Fun...? Pinkie Pie, you're a genius!” At the description, Pinkie became concerned for how well Twilight understood what each costume was supposed to be and decided to humor the lavender mare.

“No I'm not, I'm a chicken! Baka!” With a roll of her eyes at the usual goofy kind of response, Twilight turned back to the Princess and described her latest plan that was forming rapidly.

“Alright, Pinkie you go ahead and make sure the kids go back to offer their candy to 'Nightmare Moon'. Princess Luna, if you could come with me; you too Rainbow Dash.” Pinkie gave a salute with a soft 'bakaa' and took off back into town, hardly noticing that the cyan pegasus also saluted and followed the lavender unicorn.

Pinkie could barely hold back a frown at all the sad faces as she trot through town square seeing all the children stare dejectedly at their candy, when a light bulb went over her head; with an excited wave of all four hooves, the large poultry went in search of a magical zebra.

“Zecora, Zecora, you gotta help!” The black dress wearing zebra turned from where she was picking up some destroyed decorations to look at the party mare.

“Ah, hello there Pinkie Pie; I see hope in thine eye.”

“Yeah, I'm totally full of hope! I've got a great idea that may help the kids have fun again!” Zecora's eyes lit up at the joyous tone and she straightened to look at the barely controlled excitement of the mare before her.

“An idea you say? Something to hold the sadness at bay?”

“Yep! And I'll need your help to make sure it goes well!” Zecora smiled and nodded her consent.

“Then I most certainly will say yes; you had better explain so I can be at my best.” Pinkie smiled even larger and slung a hoof around Zecora's neck, leading her further in town.

“Ok, so I'll need you to get all the kids and take them back to the statue in the forest! They still have to give their candy to make sure they aren't gobbled up!” The zebra smiled at the suggestion and nodded before leaving to gather the children who had stayed in the area while they dejectedly watched the older ponies trying to clean up the mess.

Once the younger ponies followed Zecora and the Mayor, Pinkie looked at the remains of the festivities with a pensive frown.

(Hmmmmmmmm, this won't do at all! If I know my Twilight (which I totally do), she'll be able to fix this whole thing! But if we want to really have fun, we'll need the proper party place and that means clean up and set up!)

In a flash the large chicken was on the move and cleaning, passing by in a blur of feathers and clucking leaving slightly stunned ponies in her wake. With the sugar high still remaining after all the candies she had, Pinkie sped up the cleaning process by a hundred fold and tested out her party cannon 1.2 to reset the decorations. Once that was done (with a few streamer covered ponies standing by in shock), Pinkie went to make sure everything was well stocked (nopony could have fun on empty stomachs after all!).

A joyous shout came from the Everfree Forest and Pinkie hoof-pumped in glee at the well executed plan before running up to an embarrassed Applejack.

“Hey AJ! I hope you have lots of yummy apples left! Everyone is going to be coming back soon!” The farmer raised an inquisitive brow before adjusting her hat and pointed behind her to a bucket full of Sweet Apple Acres' best.

“Shoot, Ah got plenty of apples.” The pink mare searched around the area suddenly with a hoof to her brow to help her sight.

“Wait a second! Where's Rarity?! She made lots of awesome costumes, shouldn't she be out here having fun too!?” Applejack's face fell at the mention of the fashionista before becoming embarrassed again.

“Oh, uh, she said that she was busy with work an' couldn't make it.” Pinkie tapped her chin at the explanation before smiling once more.

“Oh, ok. We'll just have lots of fun and then bring her candy later!” The orange mare chuckled at the suggestion but nodded all the same before going to make sure the stations she was watching were well stocked.

The party mare watched the farmer walk away and turned to check the other stations when suddenly Pinkie felt her heart speed up and a pleasant warmth spread from the tips of her hooves to her ears; with an even wider grin, Pinkie raced to the edge of town to meet the returning ponies and leapt at Twilight with a tight hug. The lavender mare was surprised at the sudden attention but smiled all the same.

“Hey Twilight! You ready to have lots of fun!?” Twilight shook her head with a smirk before following the hyper mare back into town.

“Sure Pinkie, I guess the rest of the evening is now free; what did you have in mind?”

"Only to have the most fun on this candy and fright-filled night as we possibly can!" The unicorn shook her head at a not so surprising answer and smirked at the earth pony who processed to pull Twilight in many different directions to get the most fun possible.

As the group returned, the parents of the children came by and collected them for the night. With a bright wave to each, Pinkie continued to lead the way to the festivities where there was now only just grownups. For usual Pinkie Pie reasons, a lot of the games stayed the same as when the foals were out: pumpkin slinging, bobbing for apples, hayrides, spider toss, knocking over candles and more. The two mares rushed from one game to another, all while Pinkie was feeding Twilight sugar-buzz inducing candies and goodies so she could keep up.

By the time it was the middle of the night, the couple was laughing like madmares and planning to go home when Princess Luna floated down before them.

“Twilight Sparkle, may I have a moment of your time?” The unicorn looked to the mare at her side before they both looked at the Princess in curiosity.

“Of course Princess Luna, is everything ok?” The dark blue alicorn shifted slightly before responding with a nervous gaze towards the two mares.

“I see now that the ponies of Equestria do enjoy one night of the year, but I am not so sure that this is the same the rest of the time. You often stay up late studying and know more of the world, what do you say about this?” Twilight frowned thoughtfully as she gazed at Pinkie Pie, unsure if she was indeed the one to ask this.

“I think they do... A lot of ponies work during the night now and other ponies like to party well into the night -”

“You bet they do! Why, you could ask the latest and greatest of DJs!” As both Twilight and Princess Luna gazed at the pink mare in confusion, Pinkie Pie reached out a hoof and pulled over a passing mare.

Vinyl Scratch hadn't dressed up for the night since she was one of the performers but wore her signature glasses; once she realized who had her in their grasp, she smirked and hoof-bumped the party mare.

“Hey Pinks, what's going on?”

“Hey Scratchie! You gotta tell Princess Luna about your latest rave!” The Princess raised a confused brow at the term while Vinyl bowed briefly to the royal.

“Oh, hello your majesty; you wanted to know about raves huh? If you could come this way I'll tell you all about it; I have to set up for the last song of the night but I can explain a thing or two for you .” The white unicorn led the now curious alicorn towards the stage while Pinkie hopped rapidly in place at the sound of the last musical performance of the night.

“Oooooooohh! Twilight, we have to see Vinyl perform, she's really good!” Twilight smiled at her mare's excitement for the entire night and decided that one last thing before going to bed wouldn’t hurt.

“Alright, we'll listen to one more song; but afterwards we really should call it a night, I don't think this much sugar is good for a pony's body.” The pink earth pony gave one last hop of joy before grabbing a lavender hoof and leading the way to the stage.

“Hey everypony! This song is in honor of our beloved Princess visiting our town for the night, let's give her a hoof!” At the shout from DJ Pon-3, everypony who was still awake gave the Lunar Princess hoof stomps to which Luna accepted with a bashful wave.

While Vinyl started a solid beat and base, a gray-tan earth pony with brown mane and tail that had red highlights stepped forward and started to welcome the crowd in a singing manner.

“Welcome fillies and gentlecolts, no reason to scream, your favorite Princess is back, she's walking up on the scene ...”

Soon after the first chorus was finished, a tan pegasus with green and yellow mane and tail stepped forward and started to sing as well, leading all the costumed ponies to dance and sway in place. Princess Luna wasn't sure what to be more shocked at, the lyrics (which were made up on the spot in honor of the visiting royalty) or the reaction of everypony else who thoroughly enjoyed the song.

Twilight hadn't heard music like this before and tried to join in the dancing, though she and Pinkie Pie soon had a wide circle of space to do so in. By the time that the song had finished and everything was wrapping up the couple found themselves exhausted from the activities and in front of the fireplace on the second floor of the library.

Due to the slightly chilly weather of the season, Spike had started a small fire before settling down in front of it. With a small chuckle at the sight of the young dragon curled up in front of the fireplace, Twilight put Spike to bed properly and joined the pink baker in the spot where he had resided. They had made sure to take off their costumes once inside and laid next to one another, pleased with the evening.

“Thanks for making sure I didn't miss Nightmare Night Pinkie, it was a lot of fun.” Pinkie Pie smiled at this as she leaned into the unicorn.

“That's what I'm here for! To make sure everypony has fun, especially my little star.” Twilight blushed and nuzzled closer, no plans to move or start on her studies in her mind.

VII - Having A Big Ol' Harvest Feast

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End of November, 1004 A.D. (After Discord)

It was another beautiful fall day and Twilight was at her usual place, in front of her desk with a couple of books nearby. In fact, it was so peaceful that the studious mare half-expected something to happen; so when Pinkie Pie tackled her, Twilight merely smiled while checking to be sure the books were safe (something Pinkie made sure not to disturb least she make her mare upset).

“Hey Twilight! You totally know to keep November 22nd completely open and not full of studying right?!” Twilight rolled her eyes as she gently pushed her marefriend back in order to sit up.

“Of course! Harvest Feast is almost as important as Hearth's Warming Eve and Day.” Pinkie grinned at this and nodded rapidly.

“Yep and even though giving each other presents would be totally awesome-” purples eyes widened at the sudden reminder of a task she had yet to complete, “-we can't forget the awesome time we'll be having with friends and family! Oh, and I saw Applejack on the way over so she'll be here in just a second.” As the lavender mare opened her mouth to ask what that had to with anything, Spike came up the stairs with a shout.

“Twilight! Applejack wants to talk with you!” The two mares looked to the stairwell and found the orange farmer close behind the young drake with an apologetic frown as she watched the youth.

“Hey AJ! Perfect timing!”

“Hello Applejack, how can I help?” Once the farm mare was in front of the couple, she smiled sheepishly and readjusted her hat.

“Hey gals, Ah hope Ah'm not interruptin' anythin'.”

“Not at all,” the farmer slumped in relief at these words before continuing on.

“Ah wanted tah know if y'all can come by for Harvest Feast? Ah'm invitin' all the girls.” Pinkie grinned as she hopped in place, shifting from one hoof to another while Twilight shook her head at the display before looking to the orange mare with a smile of her own.

“'We were just starting to discuss Harvest Feast; I would love to go.”

“Glad tah hear it and since all the others should be able tah go, it'll be at Sweet Apple Acres so there's enough room. We'll able tah sit down to eat around 4, maybe 5pm, that ok with y'all?” At the two agreeing nods, Applejack nodded in return and tipped hat.

“Alrighty then, Ah'll see y'all later.”

“See ya AJ!”

“Bye Applejack.” The farm mare gave one last downtrodden look to Spike before heading out, something that drew Twilight's concern while Pinkie began to make plans aloud.

“Let's see, we'll need streamers and cups and plates and balloons and we gotta make it the best first all-our-best-friends-are-together Harvest Feast ever!” The lavender mare smirked at her marefriend's enthusiasm and nodded soothingly.

“Yes, of course, whatever you say... Don't think we forgot about you Spike, it wouldn't be the same without all of our important friends and family to be there.” The young dragon smiled and perked up from his worried position to run to the unicorn for a hug; Pinkie smiled even further and joined in with a tight squeeze.

“Of course we wouldn't! Come on, you should totally come with me to help get the needed supplies!” Spike nodded with a large grin and followed the bouncing mare out to the market place to gather party supplies while Twilight smirked at the retreating figures before turning back to her books with a shake of her head.

The lavender unicorn wrote a quick letter to her parents explaining how her friends wanted to spend this year's holiday with them and so she wouldn't be able to see them until Hearth's Warming Eve and Day; setting the letter aside for later mailing, the bookworm returned to her studies with pleased at the recent turn of events.

The next two weeks passed by in a blur of studies accented with a date with the party mare every so often; due to her excessive scheduling, Twilight and Pinkie Pie hadn't been able to go out as much as the pink baker hoped. Because of this, the party pony wanted nothing more than absolute fun and to have the best Harvest Feast with her marefriend and all their friends this year and made plans to make it so.

Sugarcube Corner had roaring business that morning but were still able to close at noon so the workers could go to their own celebrations; Mr. and Mrs. Cake offered their well wishes to the their young apprentice as she skipped out to the library with saddlebags full of the items needed for a proper party, something she returned along with the promise to see them later.

She barely paused to open the door, knocking it open with a shout that rang through the tree house.

“TWILIGHT!!! I'm HOME!!!” While the unicorn wasn't all that surprised by the shout or slam, the second line was a shock that caused her to spill a whole jar of ink on the calender she was working on for next month.

Spike and Twilight shared startled glance before looking to the doorway where Pinkie smiled at the pair and hopped over to give them a tight hug, all without disturbing her saddlebags.

“Ooooo! Are you sending another letter to your family? Can I say something too? Though I guess it would be write something instead of saying something; how would I even start it? 'Hi this is Pinkie Pie, your wonderfully lovely daughter's marefriend just saying hi'? Or should I try something more formal like 'Hello, this is your daughter's marefriend and I'm very happy that you gave birth to my little star and-'”

“Pinkie! Wait, stop, it's not a letter!”

“-oh, ok.” The lavender mare stared incredulously at her marefriend as she thought about what the pink mare was just saying while Pinkie slowly lost her smile as she realized that Twilight was still worried about telling others of their relationship.

At the sight of drooping ears and slight frown, the bookworm put a hoof onto a pink shoulder with a concern gaze.

“I'm sorry Pinkie Pie, I-I just don't know how to tell them.”

“That's easy, silly! All you need to is say 'Mom, Dad, this is my marefriend, Pinkie Pie, and we're very happy together!' They should want you to be happy so it shouldn't be a problem.” Purple ears flipped back as Twilight scuffed the ground with a hoof.

“Yeah, I just, want to be prepared before we tell anypony else....”

“Oh, ok...” Pinkie's grin wavered for a moment before returning as she shifted in place, removing the banner detailing their love from her bags without anyone noticing.

“I'll make a note to prepare what I'm going to say, promise.” A quill levitated over to where a list was growing and flourished as the unicorn added the note right away, earning another grinning hug before being tugged towards the door.

“Come on! We can't be late to help set up the party, that would be rude and totally ruin it all!” Twilight couldn't hold back her amused smirk while Spike made sure to lock up the library before joining the two mares heading to Sweet Apple Acres.

Considering how they left for the dinner at 3pm to arrive with plenty of time for the half an hour journey, Twilight was nearly positive that they were the first to arrive only to be surprised at the sight of Rarity and her sister looking at Applejack who was showing them the layout; something that drew a shocked dismay from Pinkie Pie.

“GASP! Applejack!! I haven't put any of the decoration up yet, so you have to wait to do the grand tour! Oh oh oh! I know, I'll give it right now!” The four others hadn't been able to say or do any before being dragged by the pink mare around the red barn.

As Pinkie displayed a normal or empty area, with a bang and pop she partied up the spot in seconds as she gave the 'tour'.

“And here are the streamers! Over this way are some balloons, and here are more balloons and this is where the banner is hanging and here are the games and-”

“Pinkie Pie, Ah don't think we need games for this kind of dinner.” Pinkie froze in the middle of placing said games on the ground and blinked a few times before sheepishly smiling at the farmer.

“Oh yeah, heh heh, I guess not; I'll just put these away for later then.” The others rolled their eyes while the baker replaced the games in her saddlebags and Applejack led them back to the table.

“Y'all are real early, was there anything ya wanted to do while waitin' for the grub tah be done?”

“Was there anything you needed help with darling?”

“Where's Apple Bloom?”

“OOoo we can use the games to pass the time!”

Twilight and Applejack rolled their eyes at the sudden outburst of answers while smiling; the orange earth pony started with the youngest pony's question and gazed down at the young unicorn in amusement.

“Apple Bloom is in the kitchen, ya can go an' join her if ya want.” As Sweetie Belle perked up at this while Applejack turned to the older unicorn with a bashful smile.

“There ain't much more can be done tah help, sorry Rarity.... Though Ah guess ya can help set the table if ya want. As for the games-” a lavender hoof waved to cut the orange mare off as Twilight took over speaking specifically to her mare.

“I'll try some of those games Pinkie Pie; why don't we go over there so we won't be underhoof?” The hyper mare squeed as she led the way to the corner of the barn while the farmer and fashionista went to the kitchen with Sweetie Belle and Spike following close by.

While the two mares started to play tick tak toe, the studious mare allowed her mind to wander to how her orange friend was possibly feeling as well as other things that could go wrong with the day.

(I wonder how long Rarity and Sweetie Belle were here for; it must have been hard for Applejack considering how she wants to impress her... If she's willing to try and act more 'proper' and see a play that she must not have liked at all, I'm willing to bet that Rarity was the first one Applejack invited to come to Harvest Feast... So this may be something that is further hidden from others at this dinner... Oh, I hope nothing really goes wrong...)

Twilight tried to hide how distracted and worried she was, but Pinkie still picked up on it and frowned briefly before nodding in determination.

(I have to make sure that Twilight has nothing to worry about since this is our very first Harvest Feast together as a couple! GASP! I have to make sure she knows how much I care that this is our very first one and want more!)

With a sudden lunge, the pink mare grabbed her mare in a tight squeeze and nuzzled her side, causing the lavender mare stiffen in shock and looked around for any witnesses to the sudden affection before focusing on the baker once more.

“Uh, Pinkie...?”

“You know I am really happy to spend Harvest Feast with you right? And I'm sure glad you want to play games with me and it's totally fine that you don't feel confident about telling others about us being together.” Twilight felt a pang of guilt at these words but returned the grip with a quick peck to show her appreciation before they separated and grinned at one another.

They continued to play a few more games as the others came back from the kitchen with stacks of plates and utensils on their backs or in their claws (or in Rarity's case, in magical grip) and placed them on one end of the table.

“Just so ya know, Granny Smith is inside makin' sure nothin' goes wrong with the food. Rainbow, Fluttershy an' Scootaloo should be comin' soon too.” Just after the hostess finished explaining the situation at hoof, a knock came at the door that revealed the three pegasi; one of which took off with a rainbow trail to the curiosity of all those watching.

As Scootaloo raced to where her friends were sitting, Twilight was curious as to what was happening just in the doorway between the the canary pegasus and the orange earth pony; before anyone could make another move, Applejack went to the farm house to check on the food while Fluttershy watched from near the door. As the Cutie Mark Crusaders sat in the corner and shared news, Pinkie found the current décor was still lacking in the decoration part and was attempting to remedy it; meanwhile Twilight, Rarity and Spike took part in simple small talk as they stood near the large wooden table.

Once more supplies were in place, the pink baker hopped over to where Fluttershy was still by the doorway in nervousness.

“Hey Fluttershy! I saw Scootaloo come in already, now we just need Dashie!” Pinkie leaned forward precariously while Fluttershy crouched back from the hyperness.

“Oh uh, I think Rainbow Dash is checking on something, she should be here soon....”

Before either could continue the conversation, the doors burst opened to reveal the cyan pegasus they were just talking about who stood in a proud posing manner.

“Everypony can relax, the most awesome of ponies have arrived!” The canary mare relaxed her stance while the pink mare grinned before leaping over.

“Hey Dashie!! Are you ready for the best Harvest Feast ever?!” Rainbow smirked at the excited tone and leaned forward to whisper into a pink ear.

“Sure it's going to be the best, and I have a few 'insurances' to make sure it is the best.” Blue eyes widened before shifting side to side conspiratorially as Pinkie tried to remain in place as she bounced.

“Oooooh, I see; in that case, I better step up my own game!” With a bright smile to the pegaus, Pinkie hopped back to her marefriend to put a party hat on her head before heading to the others and setting them up in style as well, though before she could try and add more streamers or balloons Twilight stepped up next to her to try and distract the hyper mare.

“Pinkie, perhaps you could calm down? Remember, this isn't a birthday party, it's a dinner with family and friends...” The lavender mare's words trailed off as the farm mare re-entered the barn sheepishly.

“Guys, sorry tah say but the food won't be done until ah bit later...” Rainbow Dash groaned at these words and rolled her eyes while she complained.

“Oh come on, can't we at least get something to have for now?” Applejack rolled her own eyes at the tone before nodding.

“Alright, alright, Ah'll see about getting somethin' for everypony tah drink; y'all just han' tight.” Rarity frowned at Applejack's sudden leaving once more and stepped forward.

“Perhaps I could help darling?” The farmer blushed while looking towards the door, something that drew Twilight's attention and empathy at the hidden crush.

“Oh er, sure Rarity; we'll just need tah grab some juice an' maybe a few treats tah tide us over.” The gray-white unicorn smiled and trotted over to the other mare before both went back to the main house, when Spike ran after them with a shout of his own.

“Hey, can I help?” The response was lost as they went out of easy hearing range though since he didn't return it was assumed that his offer of help was accepted. Meanwhile, Rainbow suddenly took off once more for unknown purposes, to the timid mare's obvious worry.

Pinkie Pie decided that if Rainbow was going to set up pranks she should make sure the others get the chance to have fun another way as well. Twilight watched concerned for a moment as Rainbow dismissed whatever Fluttershy was saying but became distracted when Pinkie hopped over and gave her marefriend a hug before waving with a hoof to the barn.

“It's a new kind of party
Where nopony is frowny!
It’s a time for family and friends,
where the fun never ever ends!”

Pinkie pulled Fluttershy and Twilight over to the table with a grin, making sure they each had a paper cone hat on their heads while giggling.

“Silly! Why would you want to stop the party?!”

The two shared a confused glance since neither one had even suggested to stop the dinner party as they remained in place by the table watching in wonder while the hyper mare continued to sing as she bounced over to the three fillies.

“It's so fun and pretty,
And I'm being pretty witty
So I've just got to say
Hip Hip Hooray!
It's a new kind of party today!”

The Crusaders watched curiously as Pinkie lifted them up and and set them on her back with a smile, earning three in return at the ponyback ride.

“Don't forget your party hats sillies!” With a soft snap, three party hats were placed on the fillies' heads before they were set down with the others by the table.

As the group continued to stare curiously at the bouncing mare, Pinkie reached out a hoof and pulled Rainbow Dash over from where she had just finished her preparations before setting a pink hoof against her chest as she became serious for a moment as she got to the main part of her song.

“Now it may be the first time
That these great friends of mine,
have all gathered together
to prepare for the weather
that's just around the bend!”

Everyone's attention turned from the singing mare to the doorway where Applejack and Rarity (with Spike trailing in a lovestruck daze behind them) were just returning with snacks that were placed onto the table by Pinkie before she gathered the returning friends to bring it all home.

“But we can start a new trend
and always meet
on Harvest Feast!”

By this point, Pinkie had gathered everyone in front of the table for big finale where they smiled in either wonder or amusement at the song.

“Where there's a big ol' meal!
A great big deal!
At Sweeeet Apple Acres!”

The baker slid from the entrance way to be in front of her friends with a large smile, earning an amused chuckle from the orange farmer.

“That's real nice Pinkie Pie; not sure why ya had tah sing about it but it was nice of ya tah say it like that. We got some snacks tah hold back hungry ponies, just don't fill up too much, we got ah lot of food comin' yer way.” Applejack shook her head amused as Rainbow zipped up to start stuffing her muzzle with the crackers and fruits that were offered.

Soon everyone was getting things to drink and Twilight reached out with her magic to get her and Pinkie a cup of apple juice; she didn't notice Dash's smirk as she went to fill it only to have it drip out in front of her, sending her into a mild panic about the mess being made.

“Oh my gosh, I'm sorry Applejack I-”

“Ah hahahahaha!” Rainbow Dash tipped over to lean against the pink earth pony who also smiled at the well hidden prank.

“Oh hahahahaha, dribble cups! Classic RD!” Twilight glared at the laughing duo while she tried to clean up the mess with some napkins.

“Pinkie~” The pink baker stepped up and gave her mare a quick nuzzle with a small grin.

“Oh Twilight, you know it's all in good fun; I want everypony to have fun and sometimes a good prank is the way to do it.” The lavender mare rolled her eyes while Applejack gave the rainbow maned pegasus a glare and a warning to behave.

As they got the apple juice cleaned up, everyone settled down to try and relax for a moment before the food was complete. Just as they started to sit on the stools provided, Rarity stiffened in fright as her chair wobbled from underneath and broke further with a resounding crack, spilling the gray-white unicorn to the ground.

“Waaa ha ha ha-help!” The farmer threw herself forward to try and catch the unicorn, managing to stop her momentum only after she rolled a few times along the ground.

Once Applejack checked on the gray-white mare, she glared at the laughing pegasus who was banging a hoof on the table at the fashionista's expression when the stool gave out.

“Rainbow! Ya better not have some other pranks planned, it's not ah regular ol' party ya know!”

“Yeah, yeah, relax, it's just harmless fun!” The farmer shook her head at the dismissive mare before making sure the fashionista was going to be alright; while Applejack took Rarity inside to get cleaned up, Twilight took a closer look at the stool and found the sabotage put there by the cyan pegasus.

The lavender unicorn shook her head in annoyance as she fixed the chair with a repair spell; once everything was back in place, Twilight frowned at the table before her as she thought of Rainbow's behavior.

“Twilight? Are you ok...?” Pinkie became concerned at the stressed face of her mare, something she was trying to prevent; it was as the pink earth pony gave the lavender unicorn another nuzzle that Twilight came back from her thoughts to sit up out of her mare's show of affection.

“Yes, I'm fine, but I would rather have this evening go well for everyone's sake... This also means that we should take care to not give Granny Smith or Big MacIntosh a reason to think we're dating...” Twilight felt guilty at the dejected frown of the pink baker and pat her leg reassuringly.

“I promise, once I get back to the library I'll work on my speech for when we do tell them; just please, try to keep it a secret.” Pinkie could see that the unicorn didn't want to upset her and she smiled wistfully as she nodded and took a step back from the other mare to keep up appearances.

The next half hour was quiet compared to the last ten minutes; especially since the multitudes of food finished and was soon brought out to be put on display, drawing many a drooling muzzle to gaze at the various apple-themed foods. While one would think it would grow tiring to have almost everything have some kind of apple in it, with traditional and old recipes at hoof the food almost tasted different no matter what.

Once everything was in place, everyone took a seat at the table (checking that no other chairs had been sabotaged), with Granny Smith and Big Macintosh at either ends of the table, Applejack, Rarity, Spike, Twilight and Pinkie Pie on one side while Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle, Scootaloo, Rainbow Dash and Fluttershy along the other; they had to use two tables to fit everyone but it made it feel much cozier and warm, having everyone be close helped to heat the otherwise chilly barn as the evening wore on.

Just as they were about to start the meal, Applejack tried to use better manners than usual to appease the unicorn on her right when she found the next prank Rainbow Dash had set up; as she tried to shift the fork from her left hoof to right, the farmer found that it was firmly attached with glue of some kind. She gave it a few quick jerks but found no change in it's hold on her and was only starting to suspect foul-play when Dash couldn't hold back a burst of giggles.

“Raaaiiinbooow...” The pegasus tried to speak through her laughter as the table ended up focusing on her.

“Heh heh, at least -giggle- you'll be able to, ha ha ha, eat with proper manners -HahaHA- now!” The orange earth pony was growling towards the laughing pegasus when Rarity caught her attention to try and help remove it.

As Rainbow became distracted by the pegasus on her right, Twilight frowned worriedly as she glanced at Granny Smith who was watching her granddaughter work with the gray-white mare to try and free her hoof with an interested raised brow; the lavender unicorn knew that Applejack probably wanted to have this dinner go well to impress Rarity as well as impress Granny Smith with her friends, and having so many things go wrong was starting to stress the unicorn out.

(What if something like this happens when I tell my parents about how Pinkie and I going out? Should I perhaps just keep things simple and have a small family get together before inviting all my friends to a meal with them least something like this happens as well? What is Rainbow planning next? She's just doing whatever she wants, not caring that we want this to go well or anything; what if she goes as far as to even let slip how we're dating? I can't tell what Granny Smith thinks, have I ever heard what her stance was on same gender couples? What if she-)

The downward spiral of worry was cut short by a call from the cyan mare who tried to gain Pinkie's attention; something that was difficult to do since she was in her own little world as she worried on behalf of Twilight whom she could tell was starting to become extremely tense.

“Hey, Pinks! Do you like sea-food?” The pink mare tilted her head at the question with a thoughtful frown.

“Not really, I mean, fish is a little fishy and crabs are just too cute and-”

“See! Food!” Rainbow knew to cut the hyper mare off early and merely stuck out her tongue that still had part of the meal she was eating on it; once Pinkie realized what was said she laughed and banged the table with a hoof.

(That's it! A good joke can solve any frowny faces, right after a good party! Which Twilight doesn't seem to like how this one is going, so this is just what she needs!)

“OooOoh! See-food! Oh oh! I want to try!” Twilight, who was on the party mare's right, rolled her eyes at the sudden enthusiasm and tried to put a stop to it.

“Pinkie, please don't-” She was cut off as the pink pony turned to face her with her tongue already out and a pile of mashed food on it.

“See food!” The lavender unicorn face-hoofed before trying to get her marefriend to focus and behave.

“Piinkkiiee! Please, be good; it's bad enough that Rainbow is encouraging you but-” Just as Pinkie was becoming dejected at how her attempt at joking didn't seem to be working this time, she couldn't help but focus on the lavender muzzle in time to find that it wasn't the same as usual.

“GASP!!! Twilight, Twilight, your tongue is blue, your tongue is blue!” The hyper mare finished her seefood and pointed to the lavender one while shouting, grabbing everyone's attention as Twilight froze in place before sticking the offending appendage out and trying to see for herself.

“Oh darling, it is! What in the world caused it?! It doesn't match your coat at all!” Applejack rolled her eyes at the last sentence before looking closer to what was on the plate before the studious unicorn to see what may have caused it.

“Ain't nothing there that would turn yer tongue blue unless-”

“Bwahahahahahaha! You, you guys are hilarious!” The majority of the older ponies rolled their heads and eyes at the laughter, the reason for the color changing tongue becoming clear.

“RAINBOW!” Everyone (aside from the Cutie Mark Crusaders) yelled at the pegasus who smirked proudly with crossed hooves.

“Hey Pinkie, I bet it tastes just like the dark blueberries I used to make it change colors; you'll let us know later right?” Dash smirked at the hyper mare who frowned thoughtfully at the request while the others glared at the pegasus.

(How would I know what it tastes like? I'd have to taste Twilight's tongue and we'd only do that if we were kissing- OoooOOOhhhh.....)

Once Pinkie figured out what Dash meant, she couldn't help the blush that spread across her muzzle; one that matched Twilight's that had appeared a few seconds before as she too realized what was being implied. With a final glare at the smugly indifferent brash mare, the bookworm stood and went to find a mirror that would help her figure out if she managed to change back her tongue's color, Spike following close by for moral support if nothing else.

“I'll be right back Applejack, if that's ok.”

“Sure thin' sugarcube; the bathroom is on the second floor, second door on the right.” Twilight nodded thanks before heading to the farm house to try and remedy the situation with bright trouble blue eyes watching closely with a tense frown on the pink face.

After the lavender mare was out of sight, Pinkie slapped on another smile and tried to appear interested in the conversation that had hesitantly started up while everyone stayed on guard for more pranks; something that didn't go unnoticed by the elder farmer who smirked at the baker's attempt at appearing like nothing was wrong.

Up in the bathroom, the lavender mare was splashing water onto her face as her stress levels continued to climb; especially since she couldn't remember the exact spell to get it back to normal. Spike was nearby with a towel in claw, trying to encourage her with whatever would work.

“I'm sure it will come off eventually!”

(Why? Why is having a normal dinner so hard to have?)

“Maybe you could use an illusion spell?”

(It's bad enough that Pinkie is acting hyper this evening, but Dash just won't stop!)

“Twilight?”

(I may have gotten slightly more used to being marefriends with a pony like Pinkie usually is-)

“Twilight?!”

(-but that doesn't prepare a pony for having to deal with constant pranks! Even she knows when to stop, though she does need to be reminded every so often and-)

“Twilight!”

“Huh?” Spike huffed in annoyance at the distracted tone and tried to offer another suggestion.

“I SAID, maybe you could use a color changing spell and get your tongue back to normal? Or maybe it will just go away on it's own.” Twilight blinked at her young assistant before realizing that she was dripping wet from constantly splashing her face while she was thinking and reached for the towel to dry off.

After drying off all the excess water, she looked back to the mirror and searched for a color changing spell that she may have picked up while trying to prank the pink earth pony; once it was firmly in mind, it wasn't but a moment before everything was back to normal and they were on their way back to the dinner.

Pinkie was on edge the entire time that the unicorn was away and looked up sharply when the door opened once more; with a large grin, the hyper mare waved ecstatically to the seat Twilight had been in as if she had saved it for her, which earned an amused eye roll as the unicorn sat once more.

As everyone continued to eat, the pink earth pony had to remember to not reach out and hug her mare as she tried to find out if she was having a fun time or not.

“Twilight, I know you didn't think the tongue thing was funny but you are having a fun night right? It's not a fun party holiday unless everyone is having a good time!” Twilight focused on the food and tried not to make eye contact with the mare next to her for longer than a few seconds, worried that she would lose herself in the concerned blue orbs; Pinkie noticed this lack of eye contact and frowned slightly as she pressed for answers.

“You, you are having fun right? I mean, that's what all the streamers and balloons and games are for! It-it's suppose to help make the evening better for everyone...”

“Yes, I'm fine Pinkie; all of your supplies are doing a wonderful job of cheering up others.” The party pony frowned at comment and looked around the table, noticing how no one was smiling all that much aside from Granny Smith who was smirking and Big Mac who seemed stoic no matter what anyways.

Pinkie drooped in place as her ears flattened in worry, her mind abuzz with ideas of how to liven and cheer up the room when she looked across the table to find Rainbow smirking as she stretched her wing; suspecting future pranking about to happen, the pink mare was about to follow any one of her impulses to distract the cyan mare when Fluttershy placed a hoof on the wing that was trying to hide some kind of object. Rainbow Dash hadn't expected the canary mare to do anything and gave a small start of surprise, setting off the fog horn she was about to use.

At the sudden loud sound, Fluttershy let out an eep of fright and swatted away the offending object, sending it soaring through the skies and into the rafters, hitting a well hidden bucket full of water which fell down onto the canary mare, soaking her completely.

The whole table froze in place while Fluttershy stayed still, the water dripping off her ears and mane. Twilight watched with wide eyes while Pinkie looked on in worry, knowing that the canary mare did not take pranks or jokes of any kind very well at all; Dash, on the other hoof, was trying to hold back her laughter at the sight but the feeling died at the stare Fluttershy gave her. The quiet mare, after taking in everything that happened, turned to the pegasus and almost glared at her, disappointment coming off her in waves that could be felt all around the table.

“Rainbow Dash, you were asked to be good and not do anymore pranks.” The cyan mare seemed to shift in place while everyone glared before settling for trying to be indifferent to the problem.

“Phsstt, it's just some harmless jokes...” Before Twilight could try and prove how not so harmless these jokes had been, Fluttershy shook her head briefly before continuing on.

“No Rainbow, with that air horn you could have made someone choke on their food. Sometimes, pranks are not a good or harmless thing.” Rainbow Dash frowned before trying to dismiss the dangers once more as everyone else looked on.

“Look, I know what I'm doing, everything would have been fine.” Fluttershy gave her old friend one last look before shaking her head in frustration and getting up from the table with a soft frown.

Once the door closed behind her, the tension and stress broke with everyone (save for the two on either end of the table) falling to pieces; as Rarity and Applejack started to bicker about what had caused it and why, Twilight put her face into her hooves while Pinkie tried not to break out in tears at how badly the dinner party was really going.

“Twilight, am-am I a bad party pony?” The lavender mare shot up in worry only to see blue orbs full of barely controlled tears and reached out a hoof to assure the mare before remembering that they were in front of others who didn't know about their relationship.

Twilight watched helpless as Pinkie rested her head on her hooves on the table before them, purple mane frizzling as she glanced around rapidly before feeling as though something cracked on the inside, freeing her mind and body from whatever was holding her back from expressing her affection for the usually hyper mare.

(I'll think about why I felt like I couldn't be near her later, right now Pinkie needs reassuring!)

“Pinkie Pie?” Twilight leaned closer to the pink mare and softly called to her, with only a single ear showing any signs of acknowledgment by flicking towards the unicorn.

“Pinkie, it's not that you are a 'bad party pony', but that everypony is too nervous about silly things... I was nervous about silly things... Please, I don't want you to be sad; how about a joke? Would it make you feel a little better if I told a joke?” The unicorn wasn't sure how well telling a joke was going to help, but seeing the usually joyful and bubbly mare in barely controlled tears removed her ability to think; seeing the tiny nod with a whimper of agreement, Twilight rapidly tried to make up a joke on the spot, even as she feared the worse for her ability to do so.

“Ok, ok, how about.... Why did the cockatrice cross the road?” Pinkie raised her head to be able to focus on the lavender unicorn with a hint of a smile showing at the attempt at cheering her up.

“I dunno... Why?”

“Where are the girls?” Twilight froze as she was about to finish the lame joke at the simple and almost unoffensive sentence from the brash pegasus with fear lacing through her; everyone paused in their actions to look at the three empty seats next to Dash with trepidation as the possible (and dangerous) actions of the Cutie Mark Crusaders flashed through their minds.

“Is... that... smoke!?!” Rarity put a hoof to her mouth in fright as her head whipped towards the door where the smell came from, drawing everyone's attention to the outside.

In moments, the others rushed out the door and found smoke rising from the kitchen; they ran to the back door and burst in to find the three Crusaders trying to get something from the oven amid smoke and bits of flame that licked along the sides.

While Rarity levitated the girls away from the oven in blind panic, Applejack, Pinkie Pie, Twilight and Rainbow Dash all used different methods to try and put out the fire simultaneously; while Applejack grabbed the fire extinguisher from under the sink, Pinkie grabbed a pitcher of water (from where, nopony knows), Twilight rapidly thought before turning on the faucet and channeling the water to shoot to the oven while Rainbow decided it was too slow and busted the tap off to tunnel the gushing water with rapid hoof and wing work.

In moments of the combined efforts, the fire was put out and Twilight was left to try and fix the faucet with a repair spell; luckily it was easily done and gave her ample time to glare at the pegasus for having broke it so badly in the first place who had the good graces to be sheepish at the damages.

Since the house still had a lot of smoke, Twilight, Pinkie Pie and Granny Smith focused on clearing the air while the others spoke with the girls about what happened. The unicorn called forth her wind spell to try and get the air clear while the two earth ponies used fans (one was a plate that was grabbed from the nearby cupboard while Pinkie pulled a chineighes fan from … someplace). Without caring if the older mare was watching, the lavender mare gave her marefriend a hug and nuzzle before making sure the rest of the house was ok.

Once everything was in order, they returned to the dinner in the red barn; on the way back out they found Fluttershy standing nervously right outside, worried about what had happened. Without a word, they all signaled to the cyan pegasus that she was the one to fix the problem and continued without the older pegasi to the barn once more.

As they took their seats, it was to their surprise that it seemed like nothing had happened given how stressed and upsetting the majority of the evening had been; Twilight was the first to crack under the realization that it was mostly in their minds with a quiet chuckle, followed by Spike who covered his mouth with both claws at the sound of laughter trying to escape. Soon everyone was laughing as they returned to their places, much to the confusion (and private joy) of the three fillies who could only watch as all the older ponies broke out in different kinds of laughter.

“Heh heh heh.... Ah'm sorry y'all, Ah got so worked up tah make sure this here evenin' went just right that everythin' just got out of control.” Rarity patted the orange mare's hoof reassuringly while Twilight felt the need to also make a statement.

“I'm sorry too; I got so worked up with making sure nothing went wrong or seemed odd that I wasn't paying attention to what really mattered...” Pinkie joyously grabbed the unicorn for a tight hug before remembering how she was supposed to be keeping a low profile and released her quickly; Twilight could tell why this was and grabbed the pink mare for a continuation of the hug, to Pinkie's great surprise and pleasure.

“Everything was just fine but I'm glad we were able to clear the air as it were; hopefully we can enjoy the rest of our meal without all this unneeded stress.” Rarity smiled at the others while Pinkie hopped in place after having been released from the hug.

“Yep! And I know just the thing! 'I'm sorry' cake!” While the others were amused at how the baker pulled a two layered, fully decorated cake from seemingly nowhere, Twilight raised a curious brow at the title.

“An 'I'm sorry' cake? Are you sure that we need that kind of-” Pinkie turned sharply and with a large (almost too large) grin, stared deeply into purple eyes that shrank at the almost disturbing image.

“Eat the cake! Pretty please with lots of icing and sprinkles and toppings and yumminess on top?” Even though the baker still had the (almost too) large smile on, the usual silliness brought a hesitant smile from the unicorn who merely nodded her consent before both mares turned to the cake to begin to divide it out evenly.

It was as they were getting back to the dinner that the two pegasi returned, both a little bashful but no one minded and offered greetings before returning to the feast before them.

Compared to how the first part of the evening went, things were rather calm since both Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash tried to behave (they still cracked jokes, which were kept to a minimum and on the quiet instead of trying to demand attention). What really brought the night to another pause was when, near the end when they would start going their separate ways, Granny Smith felt the need to say the blunt truth about the hidden couple.

“Well Ah gottah say that y'all make fer interestin' dinner companions; an' you two make ah cute couple.” The older mare pointed with a hoof to Twilight and Pinkie Pie who froze at the words; Pinkie wasn't sure what the best reaction would be while Twilight crouched down in worry.

“Oh, uh, what do you-?”

“Oh nonsense! It's as obvious as ah golden delicious in pile o' almata apples, don't know why y'all were tryin' tah hide it.” The whole group (minus the Crusaders and Big Mac) wore sheepish looks while Granny Smith smirked at the couple.

“What do you mean, 'a cute couple'?” Scootaloo broke in with obvious confusion, looking from the two mares at the end to the oldest farmer, bringing even more bashful looks from the mares who knew what was going on.

Twilight glanced at her marefriend who stared back with encouragement in her eyes, willing to follow her lead with whatever she wanted to say.

“... Well, it means that Pinkie and I are dating; we just haven't really told anypony about it yet...”

“That ain't th' best way tah have a relationship! No good comes out of bein' more secretive than a bear in a beehive.” While the lavender mare hunched further at the light scolding, Pinkie sat up with a grin.

“We're just waiting for the right time to throw a 'Twipie Party' but we want it to be a surprise for everypony else, so could you keep it a secret until the party is ready?” Granny Smith raised a brow at the 'excuse' while Rainbow rolled her eyes at the 'party'; something that went unnoticed by most of the others as they looked at the oldest mare in suspense.

“If'in y'all insist, though Ah don't know nothin' about some kind o' 'Twiple party', why y'all can't jus' have ah normal one like we did in the old days... Why Ah remember when yer great aunt twice removed had ah big ol' shindin' fer her new relationships any ol' time she wanted and....” The older mare trailed off as she recounted from her younger years, bringing an embarrassed smile from the other members of the Apple family that was laughed away by the others.

The couple stayed behind to offer their assistance in cleaning up the remains but found it wasn't needed; Rarity offered her own assistance as well as Spike who stared after the fashionista with an adoring gaze, something that didn't go unnoticed by the librarian who realized why Applejack had looked so woeful before.

(Oh, that's right, Spike overheard our last conversation about who she likes... I wonder what Applejack plans to do about him, he has been crushing on Rarity for over a year and a half now... Who should I try to support in their efforts? Should I support one and not the other? I suppose it is up to Rarity about who she is interested in in the first place... I better ask Applejack about this...)

With a nervous smile the lavender unicorn stepped up to the orange farmer who stopped reaching towards another stack of dirty dishes to see what she wanted.

“What's up sugarcube?” Pinkie hovered nearby with a slight frown at the seriousness of her mare, she had a hunch about what was going on and knew that this wasn't something that was going to end happily.

“Applejack, I've got something that you should hear... In private.”

“Oh, ok; Ah'll be back y'all.” The farm mare waved briefly at her help before walking with Twilight to stand right outside the doors, out of sight and hearing of the others.

“What's the matter Twi'?”

“... Spike overheard us when you stopped by about the ungrounding of the Crusaders and knows of your crush on Rarity... He's not sure what to believe, but you should talk with him about it.” Green eyes widened in surprise and fright before all the fear left the orange mare as she bowed her head tiredly with a sigh.

“Ah see... Ah'll talk with him tonight if that's ok with ya Twilight.”

“That's fine, but don't keep him out too late.” The orange farmer nodded before heading back inside passing Pinkie who was nervously trotting out once she knew that the 'serious' talk was over.

“Hey Twilight, are you ready to go home?” Twilight smiled at the other mare before giving her a loving nuzzle, something that drew a smile from the earth pony who returned the affection.

“Yes, I am. While I would want to spend the night with you, I'm sure Mr. and Mrs. Cake would want to spend some time with you this evening. That and I want to prepare my explanation speech and having you there would be really distracting; in a good way though.” Pinkie smiled at these words and nuzzled under Twilight's chin before the unicorn gave her a quick kiss.

“Though it would be nice if you could stop by in the morning?” Pinkie hopped in place with a large grin and nodded, her nerves buzzing from the kiss.

“Sure thing! I'll be over first thing!” Twilight smirked at the assurances before giving one last kiss to her mare before heading for the library, plans and lists starting to take form as she walked.

The two trotted on the path out of Sweet Apple Acres, barely keeping close contact with one another as they went back to town. To lessen the amount of time spent apart, Pinkie walked the studious mare to her front door and gave her a goodnight kiss.

“Sleep well my little star and I'll check on you in the morning with a good morning breakfast!” Twilight shook her head with a smirk and watched the hyper mare skip home for a moment longer before going inside and starting to gather all the needed supplies.

A brown feathered owl flew by with an inquisitive hoot which earned a pleased smile from the librarian.

“Good timing Owlowiscious! I'll need all the reference materials I have started to gather on social reactions to same gender couples and marriages, physiological and social repercussions of same gender couples I have compiled of the past hundred years as well as the lists of books on back order; I'll need to switch tactics so instead of subtly on ordering texts that deal with the subject to ordering them faster in order to present a proper presentation...”

As the brown owl flew around the tree house, Twilight pulled over extra scrolls and ink, starting to edit the ordering lists while starting with the proper talking points; she would spend the rest of the night trying to make a thorough and convincing argument and would only take a break from this endeavor when the pink earth pony arrived in the morning with all the things needed for an extremely large breakfast (wanting to give plenty of energy for the cuddle and nap session she was going to force Twilight to do since she could see how tired she was).

VIII - Telling Others (on purpose this time!)

View Online

End of December, 1004 A.D. (After Discord)

Pinkie's instinct about the sleepiness of the librarian were correct when she visited the next morning, finding that Twilight had stayed up all of the previous night in her quest to make the best presentation possible. When the young baker asked how it was going, she was surprised to learn that it wasn't even half way done.

“I hav-yawn-have to present all the facts... I have more books coming in that should help...” Pinkie tilted her head to the right as she flipped pancakes onto a plate as the two ponies and dragon sat in the kitchen of the tree house. Once the baker had made enough for seven (she had to be sure no one went hungry of course!), she sat at the table as well and looked at the sleepy forms before her.

Spike was resting his head on his claws as he had been sent to work from an early time, not allowing him to wake up properly; Twilight sat nearby, a cup of steaming coffee held in her hooves as she blearily looked to her marefriend.

“Okie dokie lokie; that just means you can nap since you can't actually finish it yet!” Twilight frowned, knowing that there was something wrong (or was it right?) with that logic but couldn't figure out what it was (most likely due to a lack of proper coffee intake).

“Hhhmm.... -yawn-... Sigh, alright Pinkie, I'll go take a nap...” Pinkie bounced in place for a moment with a large smile before finishing her own plate of fried foods in a single gulp; she then rushed the two library workers off for the land of dreams once more, serving as an extra blanket for the lavender mare as they settled down for sleep.

While Pinkie was actually wide awake due to her morning nature, she managed to remain still as Twilight slept , watching the sunbeams dance across lavender for and making it seem as though she really did sparkle (though to the untrained or love-struck eye, it seemed quite normal). The hyper pony made up for her lack of movement by having her mind run a mile a minute, planning the next few days so Twilight wouldn't be so tired or obsessive; she cared for the unicorn dearly but Twilight didn't know when to stop and smell the cupcakes.

(And you've gotta smell the cupcakes! How else would you know if they're just right?! So I have to make sure she gets a daily hour dose of Pinkie Pie and then proper sleep and time outside and five square meals of the important sugar dosage...Who eats squares? Do they taste good...? Maybe Twilight needs some squares? And circles? Cupcakes are like circles but with more right? I have to make sure that she has lots of things to drink too and...)

With almost-Twilight planning (if a little chaotic and without the use of physical, or even at times, mental checklists), Pinkie made sure to check with the studious unicorn everyday until the presentations were finished and all the school work was well in hoof.

While Twilight thought this was a bit unnecessary, she was pleased to see how much Pinkie cared and tried to help; the almost-regiment meant that while the lavender mare couldn't binge study, she was able to work efficiently which paid off with an increase in her ability to focus.

By the end of the week, the presentation was finished while still having her work right on schedule. Twilight had been prepared for the winter holiday for months, having been asked by Princess Celestia to take part of the traditional Hearth's Warming Eve play with all her best friends. She was excited to show off her old home town to her friends, even if it was at the start of winter.

The purple unicorn had packed the essentials a week in advance and constantly checked on each of her friends to be sure that they were also prepared all the while; it may have annoyed more of the easily irritable mares, but they were willing to forgive it considering the holiday.

Something that had to be taken into consideration was the fact was that the Cutie Mark Crusaders were being taken along as a test of how well they could behave on a three day trip out of town; meaning there was extra luggage to prepare and guidelines for the kids. Since their older sisters and Rainbow (who seemed to be vouching for Scootaloo) were going along, Twilight didn't need to make a large point of watching the kids; this didn't mean that she didn't make the list and potential guidelines before giving them to the gray-white and orange mares for their consideration.

Even as they boarded the train for Canterlot, Twilight couldn't help but try and offer suggestions to the older sisters; something that Pinkie thought was funny but could see the almost manic edge creeping into purple eyes and knew she would have to make sure that everypony had fun on this trip, starting with distracting her marefreind.

“Hey Twilight! Come take a look! The castle is covered in snow and everything! It's like- snow covered and looks just like a snow globe! Do you know a spell that would let us pick up the castle and shake it like a snow globe?” Twilight stared on in shock at the suggestion with her mouth hanging open before coming to her senses as Pinkie held one hoof over the other to view the castle and pretended to shake it.

“... I don't think that a spell like that exists; even if it did, and even if I could manage to use it, it wouldn't be right for us to do that just to see if it's possible.” Pinkie sighed and nodded before grinning at the lavender unicorn.

“Yeah, why do they even call them snow globes? It's not like it's real snow and there's ones that are a sunny beach with palm trees with snow! Can you believe? That's just crazy!”

The whole group deadpanned the pink mare at the statement of how crazy something could be before shaking their heads, returning to watching the scenery pass by while Twilight leaned into Pinkie with an amused smirk. They spent the next few hours of their trip talking among themselves of all the things they could do while in the city, ranging from whole group activities to individually which seemed to still be in pairs a lot of the time.

Once their train reached the station on the edge of the mountain city, the group of friends excitedly stepped onto the platform and glancing around as the snow seemed to change the whole atmosphere of the city, making it seem more forgiving and even joyful. The Cutie Mark Crusaders were overexcited at the change and raced off before being called back by their older sisters.

“Alright, before we do anything else, let's get our things settled at the castle; the Princesses have arranged for us to stay there while we prepare and help with the play.” The others nodded their assessment to their leader's suggestion and set off for the snow capped castle, finding so many new things to see along the way that they settled to play 'I-spy' as they walked.

“I spy a snowpony!” Rainbow was just as excited as her friends about visiting the city and weather as she pointed out a local foal making a traditional creature of the winter. Pinkie hopped in place before waving a hoof in the opposing direction with a large smile.

“I spy somepony eating a gingerbread house!” Twilight was about to question this statement when the hyper mare rushed off to a bakery and stepped out with a gingerbread house of her own.

“And it's me!” With one large bite, Pinkie finished most of her treat and smiled to the others who shook their heads at almost normal behavior from their hyper friend.

“Pinkie, you shouldn't eat so much candy before supper! I believe the Princesses arranged for our first dinner here to be with them at the castle.” Pinkie smiled and slung a hoof around lavender shoulders and gave them a shake.

“Don't worry about a thing Twilight, I've got pleentyyy of room!” Twilight rolled her eyes but smirked all the same as they continued on their way, chatting about various aspects of the holiday that made it so enjoyable.

The seven friends (plus extras) were soon putting the few bags they brought with them into the rooms that had been set aside from them; and since the Princesses had little reason to think that two of the group would have wanted to sleep in the same room, Pinkie and Twilight had to to stay in their separate rooms. This was something that the studious mare insisted on since she didn't want to arouse suspicion before she could tell the Princesses about her new relationship.

Pinkie frowned briefly as she flipped open her saddlebags and causing it to explode its contents into place in the large stateroom and giving it a party feel.

(Hmmm.... Maybe I need to have some kind of prize to give her if she does manage to tell Princess Celestia and her parents, then she wouldn't be so nervous because she'd be thinking of the cool amazing prize! But what would work? Hmmm, HHHmmHH? Hmmm... Yes, I know just what to do!) With a bright grin at the possible prize for telling others, the pink earth pony high stepped to her marefriend's room and knocked lightly.

The large white door opened with little sound, revealing the lavender unicorn who gave a small start at seeing the grinning mare beyond the door frame.

“Oh, hello Pinkie, is something wrong? I believe we still have an hour before the dinner.” Pinkie nodded rapidly before grinning slowly towards the unicorn with her eyes hooded.

“Yes indeedidly... You're doing so well with getting ready to tell others about us, I realized that it totally needs a reward! And what better reward than a very special kind of night?” Twilight hadn't ever seen this kind of smile on her marefriend before and the fluttering of her lashes (not the usual fast fluttering, but a slower almost-Rarity like fluttering) caused the unicorn to freeze in surprise as Pinkie leisurely leaned into the lavender pony.

“Whaddya say my little star?” The usually loud mare whispered into Twilight's ear, causing her to shiver at the almost completely differently acting mare and her words.

“If you manage to tell your parents and the Princesses and everyone, you'll get a totally awesome amazing prize; would you like that Twilight...?” Pinkie smiled at the studious unicorn's shocked expression before she nodded timidly.

“Uh, ye-yes?” Pinkie’s grin grew even larger, an almost drastic return of her usual behavior.

“Oh good! We're going to have so much fun! I'll see you later Twilight!” Twilight watched the pink mare hop away in a daze before hearing a soft cough behind her; at the reminder that she wasn't alone, she closed her mouth that had been hanging open and turned from the doorway.

Spike watched with one raised brow, not having been able to hear what was said but completely confused and worried at the state of the lavender librarian had been. Twilight scuffed a hoof along the ground as she stepped further inside as she magicked the door shut.

“What was all that about?” Twilight blushed slightly as she eyed the door, almost as though she could still see the pink baker.

“I-I'm not sure... But I think this would mean I have to get more books about a new subject that I've never thought about before...” Spike slumped in place at the increased workload that he seemed to be unable to escape from even while they were on vacation, watching with slight dejection as Twilight levitated a scroll and quill from one of her bags and began to make a new list of books to order.

(Gosh, Twilight's face was so funny! I wonder if she's ever had somepony flirting with her before?)

“Hello!”

(I don't see why not, she's so cute and funny and beautiful and I'm surprised that there isn't more ponies trying to date her but she's all mine! I better keep an eye out though, she's so cute they might try to catch her and take her away from me, which I so wouldn't allow because I found her first...)

“How you're doing?”

(Well, maybe not first but I asked her out first, at least, I think I'm the first pony she's gone out with... Maybe I can find out if she's dated others before and then I'll know if I should take it easy with the reward.)

“Hi there!”

(Not that I would make her do anything she didn't want in the first place; cause that's not fun at all when somepony makes you do something you totally don't want and ends up making it even more not fun than before! Hmmm, I better get down to the bottom of this mystery soon! I wonder where I am now?)

As Pinkie thought to herself about the pretty pony she had left moments ago, she had traveled further into the castle greeting it's many occupants along the way. The majority were guards but all responded in the same manner, slightly confused and mostly stoic in their response (though the guards didn't respond at all, merely watched the pink pony skip by). By the time the hyper mare came back from her thoughts, she found that she was in front of the kitchen where the cooks were currently cooking up a storm to prepare for the dinner the group of friends were going to have with the two princesses.

“OOOOOoooo! This looks yummy!” Pinkie was about to take a large bite of one of the many dishes that loaded the table, drawing the attention of the nearby cooks, only to pause and sniff it closely instead.

“Wait a second! This needs more cinnamon, stat!” The chefs watched disbelievingly as Pinkie reached out a hoof to grab and add more of the desired herb to the dish before smiling and taking a sip. The action brought the chefs out of their stupor and one stepped forward to scold her; before the pale-brown unicorn could say a word, the pink baker turned towards him with a smile.

“Oh, you want to try it too?! Sure thing, here you go!” With this almost-shout, Pinkie stuck a spoon of the newly changed dish into the chef's mouth that had been open in preparation of lecturing the mare. With a stunned glance at the young baker, the cook tasted the addition and smiled back with a nod.

The other cooks were surprised and all took turns to sample the new dish, finding a pleasant surprise of taste awaiting them. They soon requested the hyper mare's assistance with the other dishes, something she was only too happy to help with and spent the rest of her free time in the kitchens adding to the storm of cooking.

Just as the clock struck 5pm, Twilight burst through the double doors of the smallest dining room in a panic; everyone else was already sitting with the two princesses on either end of the rectangle table as they waited for the last of the group to join the dinner table. What little conversation there was came to a stop as the slightly disheveled mare searched those seated and sighed in exasperation.

“Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, I'm so sorry but I can't find Pinkie Pie anywhere! I know she knew about this dinner, but I can't find her.” The solar princess smiled serenely as she went to reassure her student.

“I'm sure everything is fine Twilight. From what you've written, Pinkie Pie is a very friendly pony; she may just be meeting some of the staff.” Twilight slowly unclenched from her stressful stance at the calm understanding of her mentor, further cemented by Rarity speaking on her friends' behalf.

“You know she cares about what you think is important darling; I'm sure something non-threatening came up and she merely got delayed.” The sun princess dipped her head in recognition of the gray-white mare's words and waved a hoof towards the table.

“Why don't you have a seat; if you want, we can wait to start until Pinkie Pie arrives.” Twilight smiled weakly, her panic already starting to fade in such a relaxed atmosphere.

“Oh uh no, it's ok... I-I'm sure she'll turn up at just the right time; we can start if you want to.” Twilight dipped her head respectively at her teacher who smiled back.

“Alright; perhaps the lure of food will draw her to our table?” With a teasing glint in her eyes, the Princess nodded to the nearby server who bowed before leaving to start bringing in the meal while the rest of the diners laughed lightly at the highly probable lure.

In moments (almost too quickly considering when the server left), the four head chefs walked in while presenting a large white with blue icing three layer high cake with blueberries adding to the effect, almost in perfect shapes of stars. As the guests were amazed at the marvelous display, the two royal sisters shared a quick confused glance, knowing that the much smaller and humbler cake planned was supposed to be the last thing to be brought out.

As everyone politely clapped their appreciation, the four cooks came to a rest a discreet distance from the table and bowed to the monarchs; as they held the bow, everyone slowly grew confused as silence reigned for a minute before there was a large bang coming from the cake.

Everyone jumped in their seats (aside from the cooks who didn't even flinch and the princesses who managed to barely remain stoic) as the top of the cake exploded outwards with Pinkie standing on her rear-hooves with fore-hooves extended in the air.

“SURPRISE!” The guests all barely held back from face-hoofing in unison as they stared blankly at the hyper mare.

“I wanted to surprise everyone with this cake I made up just now and then I thought it would be even more of a surprise if I jumped out from somewhere and couldn't find a good spot so I decided to hide in the cake! Don't worry, I was in a box in the center so there's no Pinkie Pie cookies to worry about!” Absolute silence rang through the room until the smack of a hoof meeting a dismayed face broke it; Twilight couldn't hold it back any longer and face-hoofed as she levitated her mare out of the center of the cake.

As she ignored Pinkie's soft call of 'whooo' at flying through the air, Twilight tried to apologize on her behalf.

“Princess Celestia, Princess Luna, I am so sorry about her, I should have kept a closer eye on her and...” The lavender unicorn trailed off as she gently dropped the hyperactive baker into her seat, watching in trepidation as Celestia levitated a plate and knife to the remaining layer of cake; once a slice was placed onto the dish, the Princess held a fork in her magic and tried a bite.

“Hmm, you are a wonderful baker Pinkie Pie.” The pink mare grinned at the praise while the others looked on in shock.

“Luna, you should try a piece.” The night princess raised an intrigued brow and levitated her own plate and utensils to get a piece.

“If you say so sister.” As the two princesses enjoyed their pieces of the white cake, the four chefs had begun to slice the rest for the others to have some as well.

In moments, everyone was enjoying the meal starting with dessert and conversations started again around the table, starting with the pink baker who arrived only just moments ago.

“Pinkie, darling, we're so pleased you can make it; wherever have you been?” Rarity asked as she delicately took a small portion of cake to bite while Pinkie responded.

“I was helping the awesome cooks to make all this yummy food!” As most of the table listened to the hyper mare recount what she had been doing in greater detail, Twilight nervously glanced between the two princesses and her marefriend. Pinkie's encouragement earlier in the evening was still fresh in her mind and the setting was rather relaxed, an almost perfect opportunity to discuss important topics when it came to relationships (or so said over 65% of dating guides).

Pinkie Pie noticed this nervous behavior and allowed the conversation to drift away from her so she could slowly and almost discretely lean towards the lavender mare next to her and whispered her question.

“Phsssstttt... Twilight, are you ok? If it was because I was with the chefs and not here super early, I'm really super sorry... I just wanted to surprise you and I was helping make the dinner better and knew the fastest way back was to go with the cooks and-” Twilight had at first stiffened at the close contact but relaxed at the earnest apology, cutting the train of words with a gentle lavender hoof resting on a pink one under the cover of the table; with a small smirk to the pink earth pony, Twilight responded briefly before turning her attention to the rest of the table.

“It's ok, I know you didn't mean to make me worry... I was just trying to prepare myself for what I'm about to do.” Pinkie bumped the unicorn briefly and smiled with encouragement shining in her eyes, helping Twilight to steel her nerves and take a deep breath before calling to her mentor.

“Uhm, Princess?” As both of the sisters glanced to the lavender unicorn, Twilight shrank slightly at the sudden attention of the entire table.

As Princess Luna noticed who was speaking, she relaxed her attention and dipped her head in acknowledgment of who the unicorn was probably talking to, about to return to her talk with Fluttershy about creatures of the night when Twilight timidly waved her hoof.

“Actually, I would like to speak to both of you, if I may...” Luna raised a brow curiously at this and refocused on the librarian.

“Of course Twilight Sparkle, what is it you wish to say?” Twilight took another deep before leaning into the pink mare beside her.

“I... I wanted to say that I've found my own spe-special somepony.” Both royal sisters were surprised at the timid statement and waited silently for whom it might be.

“Pi-Pinkie Pie and I have been dating for a-a while now...” While the rest of the guests knew this already, the two sisters were surprised to hear who Twilight was dating, though only a little of this shock showed on their faces as they absorbed this new information.

“I-I hope you don't mind...” Twilight crouched lower in her seat while Pinkie leaned encouragingly into her mare.

“Oh Twilight, of course we wouldn't mind. I'm glad you found a special somepony.” Princess Celestia smiled at her student while Princess Luna joined in with her own words of encouragement.

“Indeed, I am happy to hear that you have found someone to enjoy your time with... I recall your, energetic, enjoyment of Nightmare Night and knowledge of parties; I'm sure you help bring much light into Twilight's life.” Pinkie grinned ecstatically and slung a hoof around Twilight's shoulder to give her a encouraging shake.

“You, you don't mind that I'm dating a mare?” The solar princess frowned, briefly concerned about how much the lavender mare worried about what others thought.

“Of course not, I thought that it was quite clear that I do not mind same gender couples? I'm am rather pleased you found someone that makes you happy.” Twilight relaxed from her nervous crouch and leaned into the pink earth pony.

“I am.” The two princesses smiled at the content forms of the couple and soon everyone went back to their meal though the two royalty continued to watch the couple.

“I am curious, when did you two become a couple? I didn't notice any kind of change in your friendship reports.” The sun princess smiled teasingly to the studious mare who blushed briefly and rubbed the back of her head at the question; Pinkie was tempted to tell the Princesses all about it but knew that Twilight would want to explain in her own way.

“Well, we, we got together after my birthday party this past summer...” Celestia tilted her head slightly at this news, the party in question having been half a year ago, meaning that they had actually been dating for a while before telling her news that impacted a large part of Twilight's life.

“I see, I'm glad for you both. You know you can come to me if you have any kind of question or problem; I would be more than happy to help any of you, should you need and request it.” This last statement was directed to the table at large, which earned a few shy blushes and thanks from the others.

Twilight couldn't respond to this and merely smiled as she blushed, continuing to eat while Pinkie leaned over to whisper her congratulation.

“See? It wasn't so bad! You did a great job Twilight, did you want part of the reward now or save it all for later?” The lavender mare eeped quietly and stiffened while she focused on her plate as she thought about the offer.

“Uh-well-no-it's, I don't, I mean... Pinkie! Please behave!” The hyper mare giggled at the reaction and nudged the flustered librarian.

“Oh Twilight, you're such a crackup.” As the baker laughed, Twilight couldn't really hold back her smirk and eye roll as everyone else also smiled at the obvious joy of Pinkie's.

The meal went well, with an improvement in the taste since the cooks had Pinkie's help (which lead to many dishes having more sugar than usual). As things were wrapping up, Princess Celestia asked Twilight to stay behind for a moment, to Pinkie Pie's great concern. With a soft smile to her marefriend, Twilight shooed her on and waited until everyone else left the room.

“Is, is something the matter your highness?” Celestia smiled briefly in reassurance before staring in concern.

“Everything is fine, right? I know you haven't been with anyone else and even friendship was new to you when you first moved to Ponyville. You know I'm here if you need anything, correct?” Twilight wasn't sure what to make of the concern, though she knew they were all valid points.

“I know this is my first relationship of this nature, but Pinkie does make me happy... I was worried that you would see this as a distraction from my studies; which I hope I've shown that it does not! I'm still a serious student, I-I promise!” The solar princess rested a hoof on a lavender shoulder while she leaned closer to the nervous unicorn.

“I know you're a serious student, something you have proven time and again. I just wanted to be sure you were doing ok; and please, do not think that I will make your studies come before your marefriend. Relationships should be considered as important and valued more than studies of an academic nature.” Twilight listened with a pensive frown and slowly nodded.

“Again, I'm glad that you've found a special somepony and know that I'm always here should you need me.” Twilight gave her mentor a small smile while the white alicorn leaned down to hug her student briefly.

“I'm sure I'll see you and your friends later; we'll see one another at the play if nothing else.” Celestia smiled while Twilight nodded with a blush before leaving the dining hall to think about all that was said that evening.

As the Princess watched the lavender mare trot slowly out, her sister appeared by her side with a pensive frown.

“Sister, friendship is key to being in harmony with the elements; what would this new relationship do to the power of the elements?” The lunar princess frowned as she looked to where the lavender unicorn had exited.

“I'm sure everything will be fine; after all, while friendship is a strong force, love conquers all. We'll just need to watch and make sure that nothing is wrong.” The solar princess smiled reassuringly to her younger sister who still seemed doubtful but willing to accept the reassurances.

The girls had two days before the play was scheduled to go on and while they did have certain set times to practice the performance, the rest of the time was up to them which gave them a chance to sightsee together. They played tour guide for the trio of fillies during the morning and for the afternoon the older mares spent their time doing things on their own. Rarity and Applejack had to keep their sisters in line, while Rainbow Dash went for some flight time before having to focus on being inside. Fluttershy followed the group of fillies and sisters, wanting to help keep Scootaloo in line while the older siblings watched their younger counterparts.

Pinkie Pie and Twilight spent the afternoon going through the city while Twilight showed her marefriend more of the sights; the hyper mare wanted to boost the studious unicorn's courage since she wanted to have dinner with her parents that evening and made sure they had a relaxed and calm time. Twilight tried to absorb all this relaxation she could from being with the pink mare since telling her parents about being in a relationship for the first time ever was making her nervous just as much as having to tell Princess Celestia about it.

While Twilight wasn't sure if the hyper mare was able to focus for another formal dinner (or at least, more formal than the night before) she didn't want to hurt the pink baker's feelings by asking her to stay at the castle instead; having Pinkie nearby helped her confidence, which would be sorely needed for the talk the studious mare had prepared. Twilight had forewarned her parents of the addition to their dinner table, since it was going to be their substitution of the Hearth's Warming Day meal while the actual dinner the day of would be spent with the friends in one of the castle rooms that had a fireplace to provide the mood.

As the sun slowly made it's way further down the sky, the two mares set out for a two level house that had a theme of dark colors; it had five large rooms and a master bedroom, two full bathrooms, living room, dining room and large kitchen. Each had a dark cool color to it, ranging from navy blue to dark purple; something that made Pinkie almost wish she could redo her own house in the same colors, since it reminded her of her little star and set her more at ease.

As the couple stepped up to the front door, Twilight debated knocking versus merely entering the home, choosing to go the polite route. In moments of knocking (and holding back an excited Pinkie who wanted to tap out some kind of song), the large dark brown door opened to reveal two unicorns who were stoic at first but smiled at the sight of their daughter on their doorstep. One was a pale-gray mare with purple and white mane and tail while the other was a blue stallion with short dark blue mane and tail; Pinkie was able to see how Twilight got her coloring and leaped to give them a hug just as they started to her presence.

“Hi Twilight's mom and dad! I'm Pinkie Pie and it's really nice to meet you!” Twilight smiled tensely at her shocked parents from their place in Pinkie's arms.

“Uhm mom, dad, this is Pinkie Pie, the one who I said would be joining us? Pinkie, this is my mom, Twilight Velvet, and my dad, Night Light; uhmmm, mom, dad? I want to talk with you about something-something important.” Twilight tapped on Pinkie's back, signaling that she should release the two older ponies before all four headed further inside.

Once they were out of the doorway, the two parents watched their daughter curiously, noting how Twilight took another deep breath and waved to the living room.

“If-if we could sit in the living room? I have a presentation that correlates to what I would like to talk about.”

“Alright dear, as you wish.” Twilight Velvet lead the way and took a seat on the large couch with Pinkie jumping through the air to land in the middle of the two older ponies with a large grin. Twilight Sparkle smirked with an eye roll at her mare's behavior before summoning all the prepared charts, and setting up quickly.

The two parents knew of their daughter's love of presentation and settled for a long one, considering the amount of papers she had to read. When they glanced at one another, they noticed that Pinkie had a bag of popcorn and was firmly settled for the show, much to their surprise.

“Earlier this year I had discovered a type of inter-relationship that I had never before experienced and have come to enjoy this type of relationship that I have developed with Pinkie Pie...”

“Oooh, this is going to be good.” The two older ponies looked curiously at the pink mare between them who leaned forward as Twilight got into her groove.

“...And that concludes why this new relationship I have developed is a good choice and has a positive influence on my life.” With a snap, Twilight shrank down her metal pointer she had been using the past twenty minutes of her hour long presentation; while her parents had dazed out shortly at the start, they were able to understand the majority of the facts presented.

“So, you've begun dating... Pinkie Pie... earlier in the year?” Night Light asked in order to summarize what was stated; at the short nod of Twilight's, Pinkie hopped up and gave her mare a hug.

“I'm so proud of you my little star.” The lavender mare blushed at the whispered words as she focused on her parents who watched the display before nodding as well.

“I see... And you are, happy?” Twilight Velvet inquired, though it was almost extremely obvious considering the hug Twilight gave the pink mare as well as the blush covering her muzzle.

“Yes, very much.” The older couple shared a glance before turning back to their only daughter with a small smile on each of their faces.

“Then we're happy for you two.” Night Light stated before his stomach rumbled briefly, causing his wife to smile at the sound.

“Seems like we better get to dinner before someone gets too hungry.” Velvet teased before leading the way to the dining hall where they sat around the table that had been prepared ahead of time.

During the next few hours Twilight kept a close eye on her parents, worry still plaguing her mind. Pinkie noticed and made sure to keep the conversation going in every direction, much to the bemusement of the others who weren't used to her antics.

The older ponies weren't used to the speed of the hyperactive mare's speech and had to focus on everything that was said; something Twilight noticed and smirked briefly before taking Pinkie's in hoof.

“-And so I said tomato? What are you, crazy?!”

“Pinkie Pie? I don't think my parents are used to how you normally speak, perhaps you could slow down a little?” The pink pony paused in mid-breath and blinked rapidly before noticing the slightly dazed look of the ponies sitting across the table; with a bashful grin and tapping her fore-hooves together, Pinkie crouched briefly with ears laid back in apology.

“Sorry, I'm just so excited to meet you guys and want everything to go well so I, heh heh, went a little too fast.” Twilight smiled at the sincerity of her marefriend and and leaned into her with a quick nuzzle before sitting properly once more. The older couple took notice of this subtle happiness and smiled as well, settling once more after recovering from the high speed chatter.

“While we may not understand why you would want to be with a mare like Pinkie here, we can see you two are very happy.” Night Light grinned briefly before glancing out the nearby window, finding that the sun was well on its way to being gone for the day, even if it was the start of winter.

“Oh my, it seems as though we have lost track of time; it has been lovely to see you again Twilight, and it was nice meeting you Pinkie Pie, but we wouldn't want you to have to travel through Canterlot in the dark.” Velvet held a hoof to her chin before standing along with her husband to give both of the younger mares a brief hug farewell, knowing that they had much work to do back at the castle.

“Oh, you're right, we really have to go; there's the play to practice and making sure the set is finished and the costumes to try on and-” Twilight's eyes shifted back and forth and things that remained to be done flashed through her mind, only to be halted by the feel of a pair of hooves around her neck and a pink sugar and vanilla smelling muzzle pressing into her neck.

“Twilight, you silly filly! Everything will be fine, you'll see.” The older couple were interested to watch the display, knowing a little of their daughter's behavior when it came to being late.

“Thanks, Pinkie; I'm sure you're right. We better be going, goodbye mom, dad, it was nice to see you after such a long time.” Another round of hugs were given and soon the newer couple were on their way back to the castle through the freshly fallen snow and tried to resist the urge to have a snowball fight; something they failed at since they had a large battle along the way back, ducking through the streets and using anything they could as cover.

IX - Happy Hearth's Warming Day!

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December 21st, 1004 A.D. (After Discord)

While Twilight and Pinkie did have to rush to be on time for their practice of the traditional play done at Hearth's Warming Eve, 'the founding of Equestria', the hyper mare made sure that her marefriend had a fun time just going to the large castle, using the snowball fight as a means of speeding up their progress while still having fun.

Once they reached the large hall where a temporary stage was set up, they found their friends waiting to start the practice with lines only since the set and costumes were currently being worked on. Once the greetings were finished, they had a few of the scripts nearby in case they needed a reminder but since it was a traditional play that was done every year for Hearth's Warming Eve, it wasn't as needed.

The main cast that the story was focused on were well known historical figures: Princess Platinum, Clover the Clever, Chancellor Puddinghead, Smart Cookie, Commander Hurricane, and Private Pansy all had their own quirks making it necessary that the ponies who were able to closely identify with these traits were to act as them for the performance. Even though Clover the Clever, Commander Hurricane and Chancellor Puddinghead were stallions in real life, Twilight, Rainbow Dash and Pinkie Pie were the best of those who tried for the parts and adjustments were made considering the changes.

For the moment, they merely stood on the stage to rehearse, starting with the scene that required the majority of the cast; Rainbow Dash, Pinkie Pie and Rarity in a circle while the others (who weren't busy finishing the sets or costumes) sat in a half circle around them. Spike cued them in with his lines that would lead to their own and gave a small cough to clear his throat.

“Hem hem... 'Perhaps the three tribes could finally settle their differences and get through this disaster.'” With the line set, the three 'leaders' began to argue at the same time, cutting one another off and trying to be heard over top of the others.

“This stupid blizzard is not our fault-”

“Honestly, put a stop to this at once-”

“It's too cold, we can't work or have fun-”

“It's all the pegasi's fault-”

“Maybe if you dumb unicorns did your share of the work-”

“You're all ruffians and can't do anything-”

While they argued back and forth, slowly growing more agitated with each other, Pinkie lost her amused smile at the 'fight' and started to stare in concern at her friends who seemed to be well into their argument. Just as they were getting to the individual lines, the others noticed how worried Pinkie was at the fighting and stopped to check on her.

“Pinkie, darling, is everything ok?”

“Yeah Pinks, what's up?” At the concerned voices of her friends, Twilight looked up from the script she was reading (it never hurt to see how close they were to what was written) and looked to her marefriend in worry.

“Pinkie?” At the soft call from the lavender unicorn, Pinkie came back from her worried daze to find everyone was staring back; as she looked around at the faces gazing back, she settled on the one of a familiar book-loving unicorn as an idea came to mind.

“Twilight, can-can I ask you something?” The others shared bewildered glances while Pinkie lead her marefriend off to the side.

“What's wrong, I thought you were excited to do this play?” The party mare scuffed a hoof along the ground as she tried to think of how to pose her question, stalling slightly by trying to explain what she felt.

“Well, I was/am! But, but, the girls are really angry and yeah, I've seen Rarity and Applejack fight before (they're just denying their feelings, I can tell!), but Dashie and Rarity don't normally fight and they seemed so angry and upset and it's my duty to make sure all my friends are happy and since everypony is my friend, I have to make sure everyone is happy and fighting is not how you make everyone happy!” Twilight rolled her eyes at the almost expected answer and grabbed the other mare into a tight hug while resting her head on top of the puffy pink mane.

“Oh Pinkie Pie, yes our friends don't normally fight but they're just pretending this time.”

“Yeah, but what if they forget they're pretending and actually start fighting for real?”

“They won't, they know it's just pretend.”

“Yeah, but what if they do forget?”

“They won't -”

“But what if-!?”

“Pinkie Pie! They won't forget! And-and,” purple eyes shifted around, trying to think of the strongest argument she could against her marefriend's fears, “if they did forget, they all become friends at the end! You remember right? They have another big fight and then they learn the true meaning of friendship and help melt all the snow from the blizzard.” At the reminder, Pinkie sat up straighter as blue eyes lit up in excitement; with a swift clap of her hooves, Pinkie grabbed Twilight in a tight embrace and nuzzled into her side.

“Oh, you're totally right! I knew you're the smartest pony ever! Thanks Twilight!” The lavender mare smiled in relief at the return of the hyper mare's usual behavior and nodded.

“No problem at all, was there anything else wrong?” Pinkie sat back and thought with a hoof on her chin as she stared towards the ceiling.

“Hmmmmmmmmmmmm..... Does, does everypony become good friends? Like, like Clover and Puddingehead?” Twilight raised a brow at the question but decided to humor her mare nonetheless.

“Yes, according to what has been recorded, the six ponies that go to explore the new land became close friends and learned many things from one another... If I remember correctly, as the pegasi became less militant, Private Pansy was the first to retire from the military and Commander Hurricane asked for her hoof in matrimony.... Due to Smart Cookie's level headiedness, her and Princess Platinum became friends, allowing the princess to become a better ruler and Puddinghead helped to teach all of them, Clover especially, to have fun and be more relaxed than they were.” Pinkie grinned at this and gave the other mare a quick peck before hopping back to the stage where everyone went over their other lines while waiting for the pink earth pony to return.

Twilight couldn't help but shake her head at the sudden change in behavior but was glad all the same, walking up as well and picking up her script book once more. The rest of the evening's practice went better after the pep talk and they ended late into the night; luckily the girls didn't have as far to go in order to reach their rooms. As they started to go their separate ways with the older siblings (and Dash) going to check on the fillies along with Fluttershy following timidly after them, Pinkie didn't stop her bouncing as she followed her marefriend back to her room.

Once they reached the door to the room Twilight was currently using, the lavender mare turned hesitantly to the pink one only to find Pinkie staring back with a smirk and hooded eyes; the party mare took a single step to be able to lean into the frozen unicorn.

“Welllll, you did do really good with telling others, when did you want your 'prize'?” Pinkie tried to keep her gaze steady while fighting back laughter at the flustered unicorn's reaction.

“I-well, I mean, I don't think I'm, well, maybe eventually, but I don't-I need to, to study before we-uhm, that is, I didn't realize that you-you wanted... to... uhm, have, intercourse...” Twilight could feel her cheeks burning as she tried to form a coherent thought, which wasn't helped by the feel of the warm body pressed against her; at the last word that was uttered, Pinkie tilted her head and thought about what her instincts had been leading to.

(Well, let's see, I was thinking of maybe an even better kind of cuddling, but, 'intercourse'? I don't think either one of us is ready for that... Though Twilight's face sure does look funny.) With a bright smile and almost sudden return of normal behavior, Pinkie slung a hoof around Twilight's shoulders and gave her a little shake.

“Gosh Twilight, I didn't mean to freak you out so much! I was thinking of trying a different kind of cuddling, I just wanted to see what kind of reaction you'd have if I tried flirting with you. It's ok if you aren't ready to do that kind of thing yet... Actually, I'm not sure if I am either, I'll have to look into what kind of party goes with that...” As Pinkie held a hoof to her chin in thought, Twilight relaxed with a soft sigh at having more time to think about those kinds of activities.

The two mares sat in front of the door for a moment longer, each lost in their thoughts until Twilight heard a small cough coming from behind them and turned to find Spike waiting with a single brow raised at their behavior. Blushing once more (and furiously hoping that he didn't hear what they had been talking about), the librarian turned to the other mare with a small smile.

“Uhm, did, did you want to cuddle tonight or when we got home again?” Pinkie came back from her thoughts and found herself looking to the young dragon who still waited to see what would happen.

“Oh, well since they gave each of us a room to use, I wouldn't want to hurt the room's feelings by not staying in it; besides, we might keep Spiky up if I stayed with you tonight.” The hyper mare giggled at the return of the blush on lavender cheeks since she said it in an open ended manner.

“Night Spike, night my little star!” Twilight scrubbed at her muzzle, trying to get ride of the blush but paused at the call and quickly gave her marefriend a swift kiss goodnight with a smile of her own.

“Good night Pinkie Pie. Come on Spike, it's way pasted your bedtime.”

“Awwww, can't I stay up a little bit?” The young drake tried to plead his case, which didn't work considering how he could barely hold up his arms to beg.

Heh heh, nice try but you're not the only one who’s tired. Good night Spike...” Spike watched to be sure that his guardian made it into the large poster bed before going for the small one given to him.

“Good night Twilight...”

“... Spike?” The youngster rolled onto his side as he had only start to doze off before being called.

“Yeah...?”

“What-what did you hear, back there in the hallway? Did you hear what we were talking about?” Twilight couldn't bring herself to look at her assistant and stared at the ceiling instead with a blush on her face at just remembering the topic.

“Not really, something about more cuddling? Which would be interesting to see since you guys cuddle all the time anyways...” Twilight blushed even harder at the embarrassed tones of the young dragon and became concerned about how much public (or even private) display of affection they had gotten to.

"Oh, would you want to have your own room so we don't bother you?” Spike sat up, the chance to have his own room waking him up further than all of the rest of the conversation.

“Could I...? But, what if you need something in the night?”

“Well, I do have Owlowiscious to help if I need something at night and you should have gotten a room to yourself soon anyways.”

"Okay, sure.” Spike grinned to himself at the thought of being able to stay up late without Twilight knowing and wrapped himself in his blanket pleased with the proposition.

The lavender unicorn didn't notice this smug grin as she turned only in time to see him settle back down completely, leaving her along with her thoughts for the night.

The next day and a half was a blur of practice, with sets and then again with the costumes and sets to be sure they were ready for the live event that drew closer rapidly. With so much practice they had to do, the seven friends couldn't visit the town once again and stuck to the castle grounds on their breaks instead.

After such a rush of practice, the actual play didn't feel that much different (though Fluttershy seemed to realize that there was many more watchers) and the friends soon found themselves tramping off for bed, exhausted after working so hard the past 36 hours. They had plans to spend Hearth's Warming Day together in one of the cozier rooms of the castle that offered a fireplace for their use, with permission from the Princesses to do so (along with a chance of them stopping by as well to give their holiday greetings).

The morning of Hearth's Warming Day shone bright and clear, and while this would normally help ponies across the land wake up peacefully, Twilight was jolted awake by a sudden weight that bounced her and itself into the air briefly before landing once more. Disturbed and annoyed purple eyes sought the cause of this unusual way to get up and found herself looking into bright blue orbs that sparkled with joy and excitement.

“Gaahh!” At the sound of muffled pain, the purple and green dragon jerked away with a shout of his own.

“What is it?! What's wrong?!” Pinkie could only giggle as she lay on top of the lavender unicorn at how well her surprise wake up was working.

“Pinkie! Why did you do that?” Twilight pushed the pink mare back while rubbing her stomach which had suffered the most of the damage; as Spike located what the issue was, he merely rolled his eyes and laid back down while covering himself with his blanket, not really wanting to see how cuddly they were going to get so early in the morning.

“Because, it's Hearth Warming morning silly! You have to get up early and bounce down the stairs and find all the cool neat and surprising presents waiting for you! Though, I guess since we're on the ground floor and using that one big room that's a few hallways down we can't really bounce down the stairs, though we can still bounce there.” The hyper mare giggled in place, making it harder for the still sleepy mare to get up from the bed as the entire bed shook from Pinkie's laughter.

“... Do you always bounce down the stairs for Hearth's Warming morning?” Twilight dragged herself over to the dresser to try and arrange her mane properly before trying to find coffee to help her wake up and deal with her overly hyper marefriend.

“Of course! It's the best part, all the surprise and making others happy!” The unicorn sleepily smirked at Pinkie's desire to bring happiness at all times and levitated her hair brush into place; as Twilight made herself presentable (if only she wore her mane like mine, she wouldn't have too much trouble with it! Actually, that'd be interesting to see... Hmmmm), Pinkie hopped over to the young drake who tried to shut out the conversation happening nearby.

“Wakey wakey Spikey-wikey! You got to get up if you want any of your presents!” At the last word, Spike gave up his quest for dreamland while sitting up rapidly with a surprised smile.

“Presents? Who would give me presents?” Pinkie shook her head in teasing disappointment while breezily waving a hoof.

“Spike, Spike, Spike... Of course we'd get you presents! We're all going to share gifts and play games and sing songs and everything! But to do that, we have to get up!” With heavy emphasis on the last word, Pinkie pushed Spike slightly to get him to move; with a smile at the plans for the day, Spike leaped from his bed and the two of them went to pester the lavender unicorn who now was openly smiling at their antics.

“Come on sleepy-head! We don't want to be late!!” With a light laugh at the urgency of the calling, Twilight allowed herself to be pushed by both Pinkie and Spike out of the room to where they were to meet the others for the day.

They traveled down the empty hallways with laughs at the antics of the hyperactive pony and soon found themselves in a large pale-gray room that had windows along the wall facing the door while a large fireplace took up most of the one wall with a large pine tree on the other side covered in decorations and with presents nestled underneath. As Pinkie and Spike raced over to the tree, Twilight paused in the doorway with a frown.

“Pinkie...?” The puffy maned head popped up from the pile of gifts and looked towards the unicorn with a large grin.

“Yes, Twilight?” The unicorn deadpanned the party mare as she waved to the empty and fire-less room.

“Did you get us up and here several hours early?” Pinkie tapped her fore-hooves timidly with a shy smile.

“Maybe...? But I didn't want to miss a moment of our first Hearth's Warming Day together!” Twilight heaved a large sigh at the almost usual behavior of the excitable mare and rolled her eyes while giving her head a brief shake.

“... How early are we per say?”

“Uhm, it miiight be... 5am.....” Twilight hung her head at the answer and could feel her bed calling for her, but looked up to find Pinkie was staring back in worry at the possible reaction to the knowledge of how early they were.

“Ughhh, alright, alright... Sigh, let's get something to eat and see about getting the fire started...” Twilight couldn't hold back a small smile at Pinkie's joy of spending the morning together and bounced after the lavender unicorn.

They were soon traveling towards the kitchens to see if anyone else was awake and try to make something to eat; Twilight was nervous about potentially using the kitchen without the actual chefs there but Pinkie was quick to assure her that the cooks wouldn't mind at all and even said the party mare could use the kitchens however she wanted.

Once they entered the industrial sized kitchen, they found that they were not the earliest ones awake; one of the chefs from the day before was already working on a breakfast of hay-hashbrowns and pancakes as well as a large brew of coffee for the solar Princess who was already enjoying a cup after starting the sun on it's course for the day.

"Princess! I'm sorry, I didn't realize you would be here!” Princess Celestia looked up with a smile from her white cup with the words 'I hate Mondays' stamped along the side; a precious gift from Luna that had been given moments ago as they met while changing the sun and moon.

“Good morning Twilight, Pinkie Pie, Spike; what are you doing up so early? I had thought you would still be asleep at this early hour due to your exhaustion while doing a wonderful job with the traditional play.” As the trio stepped forward, the princess signaled they could join her at the small kitchen table while the chef added more supplies to the stove to compensate for the extra hungry mouths.

Spike and Twilight watched Pinkie bounce over to the cook to help with the extra workload before turning to the just waking princess once more.

“... Pinkie Pie was rather, enthusiastic, about being in time for us to open and share gifts for the day.” Celestia smiled at the tender gaze the lavender mare gave the other even as annoyance rang softly in her words as she explained why they were awake so early.

“Indeed, she does seem to like holidays, especially given how much she seemed to like Nightmare Night according to my sister.” Spike snorted and held back his laughter at the statement with both claws on his mouth while Twilight eyed him briefly before nervously smiling at her teacher.

“Yes... You, don't mind if we had breakfast with you, do you?” The sun princess smiled warmly after having taken another sip from her coffee while Twilight asked her question.

“Not at all, it's my great pleasure to be able to see you to wish you a 'happy hearth's warming day'... Happy Hearth's Warming Day Twilight, Spike and Pinkie Pie.” At the last name, the others looked up to find the pink mare standing before them with plates of food stacked along her head and back while the chef levitated drinks behind her.

“Happy Hearth's Warming Day Princess! GASP! I forgot to say it to you guys! I was too excited to give you your presents, I gotta fix that! Happy Hearth's Warming Day Twilight, Happy Hearth's Warming Day Spike!” Twilight rolled her eyes at the loud well-wishes while they both smiled back to the ecstatic mare.

“You too Pinkie Pie.”

“Same to you Pinkie.” The hyper mare bounced in place before turning her attention to the food before her, starting to eat with a fever; with another smile at the behavior, everyone began to also start eating while taking in the peaceful winter morning.

The group ate in relative silence (with only some high speed chatter from Pinkie Pie) before Princess Celestia urged the two mares and drake to continue with their day. The pink mare started to rant about what could be done while they waited for the others to wake up (Twilight was interested to hear how only she and Spike got the early bird treatment), which mostly included things that could be done with a fire; something that the solar princess remembered wasn't currently set up in the room they were going to use for their private friends' holiday preparations.

After making sure that the fireplace would be set up by the time they got back to the room, the three early risers returned to wait for their friends while playing various mind and imagination games.

The others didn’t get up until several hours later, making Spike an impatient mess while Twilight tried to keep back her annoyance at how early they had been up. Pinkie gave each pony that walked through the door a great big hug and sat them all in a semi-circle facing the pine tree; once everyone was present, Pinkie couldn't hold back her eagerness for the day's activity and gave everyone a gift that was from her. While the other other ponies were amused at the impatient and hyperactive behavior, the reaction and anticipation of the younger members made them all the amused and forgiving of the slightly rushing of gift giving.

The next hour and a half was spent exchanging presents, the kids (and Spike) were thrilled by all the gifts. After a reminder to not get too worked up about the gifts (mostly for Spike's benefit since he had only celebrated holidays with Twilight and her small family before), the close friends sat in front of the large fireplace and made smoores (with a few light jabs at the fashionista about the last attempt at doing so) as well as singing the more traditional songs of the season.

The couple sat leaning into one another as they enjoyed the company of their friends, laughing and joking along with bright smiles; every so often they would share a smitten glance and blush at how close they sat without caring about what anyone thought. With a content sigh, Pinkie rested her head on Twilight's back and whispered for lavender ears only.

“I'm really proud of you and really really happy to spend today together, and to be with all our friends too.” Twilight smiled softly as she reflected on the pleased tones of the other mare with a small frown at why she hadn't heard this particular phrase before.

(If only I hadn't been so worried about what they would think about us dating, she wouldn't have waited so long to say this kind of thing... I'll definitely make it up to her! I'll, I'll... Oh, I've got it, the perfect surprise!) Twilight smirked to herself as she rested her head on her hooves, watching the trio of fillies reenact their favorite parts of the play and their favorite characters, plans forming rapidly in her mind as the warmth of Pinkie on top of her added to what was created by the fire before them.

The group of friends and sisters stayed for one more night at the castle before heading home once more, arriving by mid-afternoon to give season greetings to the family that hadn't traveled with them to the capital. The winter weather made things easier on everyone's workload, giving plenty of time for Twilight to finalize her plans while the bakers at Sugarcube Corner found that a lot of ponies wanted warm, freshly baked goods to cuddle with loved ones with; an activity that Pinkie took full use of when she could with her special mare, barely noticing the extra scrolls and books that seemed to always be piled around the tree house whenever she visited.

With her marefriend visiting every other day made the winter less cold and isolating than it usually was for the studious unicorn, making it seem warmer than usual. Something that didn't go unnoticed or appreciated by the unicorn, and was something that Twilight made sure Pinkie knew.

(This time, I'll make sure to be ready in advance for the next holiday and show her just how much I care...)

Author's Notes:

I know the last chapter had me whiny about winter but to my misfortune, I apparently have another two or so chapters (not in here, but in my three main stories) that are to happen in winter... I'm late to the season game it seems. But I've never liked trying to get certain chapters out by certain holidays or seasons just so they would fit, an author must make their stories readable at anytime (even if we are all sick of snow.... )

Anyways, this may be shorter than the previous chapter, but that's because Pinkie ran away with a lot of it... Seriously, she just bounced along and explored a lot of the story, making this seem shorter in comparison.

Either way, hope you like it so far, and that you've had a nice Hearth's Warming Eve and Day
(... even if the well wishes are over three months late....)

Does anyone else find themselves using the pony terms for the holidays instead of the normal ones? Seriously, I meant only to joke for Hearts and Hooves day, but decided against it and STILL used the exact term 'Hearts and Hooves Day', which I actually thought I said like it was normal. Also, has anyone actually called someone else 'somepony' instead? 'Cause yeah, I'm losing my mind.... I remembered at the last second that they were not in fact a pony and I was being rude to call them one (though it may be different when it comes to a brony, you never know). Either way, enjoy the stories and don't mind me, slowly going crazy 123456 switch!

X - Finding the 'right' kind of name

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Early February, 1005 A.D. (After Discord)

“Are you sure it's no problem?” Twilight peered curiously to the brown earth pony surveying the inside of the library.

“No problem at all Twilight, it's much easier to enlarge an already magical tree than to make a 'super-secret laboratory'.” Time Turner chuckled with the lavender unicorn as he measured along one of the walls.

“Now, you're sure no change to the outside of the tree will be seen right? The mayor said that so long as there is no change to the outer shell of the oak tree, then it should be fine.” Twilight stared up towards the ceiling as Turner pulled over a paper with preliminary plans for building changes.

“Oh, that's no problem at all, but are you sure you want just a single room added? I can easily add some others along the side and one more midway up as well as the requested one.” Twilight paused as her eyes lit up as lists of possible bookies that could fit filled her mind.

“Can you?” The brown stallion smirked with a nod, adding a few changes to the proposed plan before showing it to the librarian who lit up like a foal on Hearth's Warming Day.

“You can really do all this? With that science you showed me before?” Turner started to appraise the location once more as he answered the studious mare's question.

“Yes, but I can't give you that last equation; my family worked hard for it and it just wouldn't be right to hoof it over to just anypony.” The stallion glanced over to the other pony who waved an assuring hoof while looking over the new plan.

“No no, I understand; it means I get to try and figure it out myself. Do you need any supplies or a certain amount of time?” Twilight looked up from the paper before her with a questioning gaze only to find the earth pony chuckling to himself as they sat in the center of the lobby, watching as Spike entered from the back room with another stack of books in his arms.

“Time... heh heh... I'll be fine if I could have access to the space for the next two days? Everything should be finished by then; though you can still stay here for nighttime.” Twilight nodded to the request before signaling to her assistant to follow her outside.

“No problem; come on Spike, let's get this list of errands finished while Time Turner works.” The drake hopped up onto a lavender back as they exited the library into the brisk morning, curiously trying to peek at the floating list held in a light raspberry aura.

“I don't remember helping with that list, what's on it?” Spike tried to check over the scroll only to have it whisked away as Twilight flinched briefly.

“Oh, uh, nothing really, just a few things I didn't want to trouble you to write...” Spike frowned at the evasive answer and tried to reach for the list once more.

“Come on Twilight! You know I can help, just let me see!” The purple dragon reached once more for the list as the unicorn sighed in resignation and floated the scroll for easy claw reach.

“Order new books? We don't even have the extra rooms yet Twilight...! 'Keeping your relationship fresh'? 'How to keep your partner's interest'...? Twilight, why are you ordering more dating books? I thought you already had a bunch about dating... And aren't you and Pinkie doing really well for a couple anyways?” Spike leaned over to try and catch a purple eye only to fail as Twilight avoided the curious gaze with tipped back ears.

“... I want to be sure that our first Heart's and Hooves Day goes really well, that's all...” The young dragon raised an unsure brow at the statement as he continued to look over the list.

“Pick up ingredients for chocolates as prescribed in 'Traditional Treats through the Ages'... Reserve seat at The Lucky Clover...Uhm Twilight? What do you mean by 'make list of possible names'?” The lavender mare flushed at the drake's query and contemplated taking the list back before he reached the end where she had indeed started making such a list. With a decisive snort, Twilight picked up her pace once more as she spoke, hoping to distract her assistant from reaching the very end.

“That's something I need the extra books on dating for. I found some inconsistencies with the information written and wish to further expand my knowledge on the subject as well as make an informed decision based on a comparative understanding.” Twilight tried to sound neutral and like her usual self when it came to things to learn, hoping to throw Spike off the trail and crush his curiosity of the subject.

“.... You want to find out more about pet names?” Spike raised a single brow as he found the end of the list, where a long line of potential names waited for more intensive study. “Why would you need more books about pet names? Don't they already tell you about that in 'Dating 101'?”

The librarian sighed with a light blush covered her muzzle, almost pleased that the drake was on her back making it unnecessary to be face to face for such an embarrassing topic.

“Normally yes, the books I already have would do this but I came to the section of pet names and the books are of two stances on this. One suggests that after getting together, pet names are acceptable and rather natural, helping the partner to feel special and promote closeness of the couple. The other states that pet names do not help and that constantly calling the other partner a pet or various nickname is a hindering force, making them feel like they are less important to you. I wish to lay this confusion to rest by taking a survey of several books' stance on this issue and be prepared for any case.” The lavender unicorn tried to keep her voice down as they walked through the early morning crowds wandering the streets. While it wasn't a busy day yet, being Saturday meant that the streets would fill only more as the morning wore on.

“Seriously? You guys aren't in danger of breaking up or getting upset with one another, and doesn't Pinkie already call you a pet name?” Spike didn't keep his voice down as much as the mare he rode, crossing his arms briefly before pulling the list forward once more.

“Yes, that's why I feel that it's only proper I do the same.”

“Then why would you need more books to help with that?”

“Because, I want to make sure it doesn't ruin our relationship!” Spike felt as though he couldn't argue with the older mare any longer and tried to stifle his laughter at the proposed names, only to ask with laughter in his voice about the various choices.

“... Pink Star...? Cupcake...? Honey...? These all sound like something you'd want to eat!” Twilight felt her cheeks burn further at the barely held chuckles of her assistant as he read the list and decided to remain silent instead, picking up her pace even more to make it a quick run to the store.

Spike didn't stop laughing to himself about the suggested pet names until they were in the bookstore and his arms were filled with more literature than usual; punishment for having laughed so much he was sure. After having requested another two rooms worth of books to arrive within the week, the two friends left with even more books, dropping them off before leaving Time Turner to his work once more.

Even though it was still a month before winter wrap up, the day was warm for the season making it unnecessary for most to wear clothes as they traveled. It was with a brisk pace that Twilight traveled around the town, making sure all appointments were kept and reservations for Heart's and Hooves Day were in place. The weather was scheduled to be a warm almost spring-like day due to the numerous couples that would be trying to spend time with their special someponies and the weather management office was always flooded with requests for it to be so. The studious unicorn had to keep this in mind as she made her plans, since what would normally be a bad or ill-advised idea in the winter-time became a good or even great one during spring-like conditions.

The duo spent most of the day outside, trying to find other things that had been piling up during the cold months to do as the construction work was happening. They made quick and friendly trips to all their friends, spent some time at Sugarcube Corner (though they couldn't speak with Pinkie Pie for long, since they were so busy with work) and even tried to enjoy normal aspects of winter fun.

Twilight tried to make the most of her two day vacation since the library, much like candy stores and bakeries, had been flooded with ponies wanting books to go with their sugary confections or freshly baked goods to snuggle up with during the cold season. This also meant that the couple couldn't spend as much time together either, often times reduced to merely spending the night together only to have it cut short as Pinkie left early to help with baking.

These facts as well as being the first Heart's and Hooves day together meant that Twilight was even further determined that it be a memorable and thoughtful one.

They returned that evening to find that extra rooms had indeed been added to the ground floor, allowing plenty of space for the new acquisitions made only just that day. Spike found, much to his non-surprise, that he was tasked with putting away the books that were not often requested into the new room while Twilight rearranged the main lobby to have room for the new ones.

The second day of construction was filled with winter fun; Pinkie insisted that the seven friends gather to have fun at the snow covered fields of Sweet Apple Acres, which was excitedly accepted by all. Once they arrived, they found that Pinkie Pie and Applejack were already ready and waiting for them, having built forts from which to launch large quantities of snowballs to the visitors (with Big Mac helping Applejack while Apple Bloom got the chance to fight against her older siblings with the aid of Pinkie).

The snowball war evolved from random individuals fighting one another to pairings that sometimes changed as partners found themselves either accidental or purposeful targets. As time wore on, the teams grew larger until it went from three camps to two, exhausting them all as the fight continued. Once the last bit of fort fell, they called it a tie and turned to making snowponies and snow angels, the large fields offering fresh undisturbed snow to use.

After hours of play, the group retired to inside of Sweet Apple Acres to enjoy the warmth of a fireplace and hot chocolate as they exchanged funny stories to pass the time. Everyone groaned in dejection when it came time for them to return home and they parted with promises of finishing the snowfight another day.

It was to Twilight's surprise that they found the construction work was only two thirds done when they got home that night; Time Turner explained that the tree, especially the upper portions, had acquired too much magic and it was slowing his progress. The library couldn't stay closed for more than two days, so they had to open for regular business even though renovations were incomplete. Luckily, it was the top floors that were being worked on by that point, meaning that usual business wasn't truly hampered in anyway.

The last few hours of business found Spike doing all the work on his own, Twilight being no where in sight. This wasn't too unusual, though not being told about it was odd since Twilight excessively made sure Spike knew of any changes. As the door rang for the last time as the last pony of the day exited with hooffuls of books, Spike followed close by to lock it once they left and leaned against the door briefly with a weary sigh.

“I guess I better get to cleaning... Where did Twilight go to anyways? Maybe she won't notice if I just read some comics for a moment before finishing putting away the returned books...” Spike tried to sneak over to the comic section of the library and pulled out the latest edition of Power Ponies and the terror of the Terracotta Tyrant. Just as he sat in place, a voice drifted down from above, giving the youngster a heart attack as he sat up with a fearful jerk.

“Spike?!” The drake glanced about, trying to spot the librarian who called for his attention and only just noticed the brown owl who landed with a soft flap onto his perch. As Spike gave the second assistant a typical friendly glare, the wise creature raised a single wing and pointed up the stairs with a soft hoot.

“Yes Twilight?” The purple dragon began to climb the stairs as he responded, curious about what was going on but was more hopeful that the lavender mare hadn't actually seen him in the midst of shirking his chores. As he reached midway up the stairs, he noticed a new level with a door open, revealing an empty room that had only minimal shelves in it and a bed stacked to the side.

“Could you please come up stairs for a moment?” Twilight's request floated from even further up, drawing reptile-slitted green eyes to stare up the continued stairway.

He took a few more hesitant steps only to come to a new fork in the path that hadn't been there before. The wooden door was closed, explaining why Twilight's voice was so muffled, though it opened with a gentle push of a clawed arm. As Spike's eyes found his life long friend quickly, the rest of the room couldn't help but draw his attention; from the shelves of comic books, desk with writing paper and pens, to bed situated under posters of gems and comic book heroes, the room was filled with things meant solely for him.

Twilight smiled from the center of the room as Time Turner quickly took his leave, recognizing that this was a private moment for them and wanting to be out of the way. The older mare watched optimistically as the drake slowly stepped forward, his gaze sweeping the different objects before once more settling on her.

“What do you think Spike? I tried to make it just how you'd like it.” The lavender mare gave another hesitant smile that grew into a stronger one as two scaled arms circled her neck while Spike laid his head on her chest.

“This is great Twilight! Thanks so much, it's awesome!” Spike pulled back to show his own grin before rushing over to the large bed to try out its bouncy and fluffy -ness. The wooden framed sleeping feature wasn't that much larger than his shorter frame; something that was made with the sole purpose of keeping him comfortable since Spike never liked to sleep in large beds considering how he would often burrow or curl up instead of using them like others would.

As the youth tested the bounce-ability of his new bed, Twilight couldn't hold back an indulgent smirk at his excitement. It was a big step for both of them, since neither had spent a long time from one another and having separate rooms would be the biggest change for them both. A flicker of doubt ran across Twilight's mind, but as the young assistant leaped over to the bookshelf from the bed to see what ones the mare had gotten, it was quickly dismissed and forgotten.

“Now remember Spike, just because you have your own room doesn't mean that you can stay up until late at night reading comic books. And I'm just next door, so if you need anything, just let me know ok?” Twilight asked as she peered closer to the thrilled youth who barely waved a claw to the words.

“Yeah, sure thing Twilight.” The unicorn shook her head at the distracted assistant and started to slowly head for the door.

“Good night Spike...”

“'Night Twilight!” With a soft thunk, Twilight closed the door behind her and entered her own loft, constantly checking behind her for any signs that Spike needed her for whatever reason. As she finally stood before her bed, the lavender unicorn sighed as she accepted that perhaps they both would be ok for the night and slid under the covers, drawing the dark blue blankets closer to her chest and neck.

The lavender unicorn found herself unable to lay still, tossing in bed with soft annoyed grunts. Shifting from side to side, barely keeping the blanket on, Twilight remained awake and unsettled. She wasn't sure what was causing this unease and merely kept her eyes firmly closed, trying to force herself to rest. Suddenly the librarian shot up with pricked forward ears, eyes trained on the doorway where she thought she heard a noise.

“Spike...?” Twilight asked as she stared on in worry before sighing once more and turning to lay back down on her side, facing away from the door.

(...I guess I just imagined Spike saying something... I didn't realize how large the room was by oneself...)

Several hours later found Spike suddenly in need a cup of water after having gone through a marathon of the comics; passing by Twilight's open door, he heard rustling and muttered curses coming from the studious mare's room. Spike dipped his head inside and found an unusual sight. While it wasn't too odd to see the lavender unicorn staying up late, she never had too much trouble when she wanted to actually go to sleep. Seeing her toss and shift in place was odd and made Spike very tempted to check on her; watching the bundle of blankets on the top portion of the loft, he breathed a sigh of relief when it stopped moving and finally fall asleep.

With a shrug of purple shoulders, the young drake continued his search of water and returned to his new room. If Twilight needed him, she knew where he was; besides, she was the one who insisted that he get his own room.

The next morning found the librarian and her assistant sitting at the table in the kitchen, enjoying a quick breakfast together. Twilight had a slightly larger than usual cup of coffee in front of her, but neither said a word about how well she slept the night before.

“...Spike, did you enjoy your first night in your own room? You didn't spend the whole night reading comics, right?” The sudden question in the silence of the morning surprised the young dragon and he glanced up with wide eyes, trying to think of a convincing tale the mare would believe.

“Oh, it was really great. Not that I was reading the entire time, of course.” Spike tried to smile which was returned with a smirk as purple eyes looked over the youth with amusement.

“Of course... Now, we have a lot of work to do with those new books coming soon so we better get going soon.” Spike sighed at the unicorn's words and nodded as they both finished their meals to get a head start on a long day's work.

Heart's and Hooves Day arrived bright and sunny due to the request of many, finding the occupants of the town library barely awake in the early morn. Pinkie had gotten both of them up with rapid knocks, wanting to see her marefriend before the start of a long day of work.

As Spike wearily opened the door, the already wide-awake mare bounced through with a smile.

“Hey there Spike! Are you ready for an awesome wonderful day?!” The pink mare bounced to the kitchen to help start breakfast for the two residents. Inside she found the sleepy unicorn staring expectantly at the coffee pot that wasn't yet boiling.

“Good morning my little star! You ready for an awesome Heart's and Hooves Day?” A purple ear flipped back at the word though Pinkie paused only for a moment before continuing on.

“I wanted to be sure you got a happy Heart's And Hooves greetings first thing! Happy Heart's and Hooves Day!!” Pink hooves wrapped around a purple barrel before Pinkie turned to start cooking breakfast for three.

Twilight looked at the figure who continued to speak as she whipped up a batch of pancakes as easily as breathing, smiling gently at the sight.

“Since there's going to be so many couples needing sweets for their special someponies, I'm going to be super busy today so I'm giving you a good morning so you won't miss me much until later when I get off work! Here, see, I've got you a special batch of candies and cupcakes!” With a sudden movement, Pinkie pulled out a basket of said goodies, in the mixing colors of the two of them as the overall theme. Various hearts shapes filled jellies and cupcakes full of different fruits, the colors of pink and purple overlaid them all; the bright colors and obvious attention and care put into them drew a larger smile from the drowsy librarian.

“That's ok Pinkie, I thought as much and planned for evening as our date instead. Ah! There we go.” The pot had finished getting to a boil as Twilight had looked away and she turned her attention back to making the almost magic-like brew that granted alertness and awakening of tired ponies.

As the lavender mare focused on the black pot, Spike straddled up to the baker and tapped her shoulder to gain her attention.

“Pinkie Pie?” The drake kept his voice low to avoid the other mare hearing what he was about to say; Pinkie Pie noticed this and furrowed her brows a small fraction as she focused on him.

“Yes Spike?”

“Pinkie... Twilight hasn't been sleeping very well this past week. She won't tell me about it though; it started when I got my new room...” Two pairs of eyes watched as Twilight pour herself a steaming cup of coffee; blue eyes took in the deeper lines around purple ones, the bags that were slightly hidden by the dark coat color, the weariness in slumped shoulders.

Pinkie looked back to the purple drake with a deeper frown as she nodded, an action that gave Spike relief while in sagged in place with a pleased smirk.

“I'll take care of it, no worries Spike!” With a sudden flurry of movement, Pinkie finished the pancakes (heart shapes, of course!) and zipped over to give the unicorn a strong hug and nuzzle along the side of her neck and face, traveling up and down in a soothing manner.

Twilight paused in her sipping of the cup at the strong hooves and smiled at the sudden show of affection. Noticing that the pink mare didn't slacken nor change her grip, the lavender one began to return the show of care. Once Pinkie felt Twilight start to return her nuzzles, she smiled in success and gave one last tight squeeze before backing up to show that the breakfast was done.

“I want you to take a nice rest and relax before we go for our date, ok? I'll be done in a jiffy and then we can do stuff together, ok?” Pinkie questioned as she sat at her plate, syrup already within easy reach, eyes darkened with worry for the sleepy unicorn.

“Yes, I'll take it easy today and then I'll stop by when you get off of work. I don't think too many ponies would want to read books anyways today... Let's start to eat; thank you for cooking this Pinkie!” Twilight gave her marefriend a swift kiss on the muzzle before sitting between her and Spike to take part in the meal.

As the three ate, Pinkie seemed to grow ever happier as Twilight seemed to lighten in her presence and was thinking of any other measures to help this process along when the lavender bookworm focused on her assistant.

“Spike, what were you planning to do today? Would you be able to watch the library for the day?” Twilight was more serene with the oddly calming presence of the hyperactive earth pony and asked her assistant with a small smile, something slowly shrank away at the sudden frown of the drake next to her.

“...I was going to head to Rarity's and see if there is something I can do for her...” Spike frowned at his stack of pancakes before digging in determinedly.

“Oh yes, the... Standoff... Don't worry, I'll just close the library then Spike. You can go and visit Rarity... Please don't get into another fight with Applejack...” Twilight frowned worriedly at her assistant who nodded his agreement before focusing on her own plate once more.

Pinkie glanced back and forth between the two fearfully for a moment before deciding on the best course of action with a quick nod and grin. As they all stood up to put away the dishes, Pinkie wrapped the other two in a tight hug with a tender kiss for Twilight and a soft nuzzle for Spike as a means to encourage the both of them in their endeavors. As she let them go, they both wore light blushes at the affections but wore grins of appreciation.

As they returned to the front lobby, Twilight levitated over a box that was wrapped in light-pink paper with a red bow on top. Spike, guessing how mushy they were about to become, went upstairs to review his personal plan for the day. Pinkie looked over at the exiting drake before noticing the floating box before her.

“I made you something as well, I hope you like it Pinkie.” Twilight blushed lightly at the overjoyed expression on the baker's face as she reached out and tore open the box.

Once the lid was lifted up, revealing the heart shape chocolates inside, Pinkie looked to her marefriend with a large smile being able to see how hard it was to make these. The chocolates weren't in perfect shape and the color was darker as evidence of how they too almost fell prey to overcooking like the other attempts.

“These look great Twilight! Thanks!” Pinkie set down the box briefly as she hugged the other mare who sagged in relief at the knowledge of how well it was accepted.

“I made sure to follow the cookbook exactly, but it didn't come out well at first. Hopefully this is indeed the best batch...” Twilight's unsure musing was cut off by a tender kiss to her forehead and caring hooves around her shoulders.

“This is definitely the best because you made it for me! I'm going to have this as part of my breakfast and being charged with your feelings for the day.” Pinkie rested her head on top of a purple mane, smelling the scent of books and ink and finding herself at peace.

“...I'm glad you like it. I'll stop by at 6pm so we can make our reservation at the Lucky Clover for dinner, ok?” The lavender mare leaned into the pink chest, taking her own breath of the other's scent of vanilla and sweets.

After another moment of hugging Pinkie knew she couldn't stay much longer if she was to help the Cakes with their day's work and lifted the purple muzzle to be easily reached for a kiss. Twilight, guessing at what was to occur, leaned forward as her eyes drifted closed to be met halfway with a pink muzzle. Both mares felt their hearts fill with love as they kissed, sitting close together before pulling back with sweet smiles as fizzles filled their veins.

With one last peck to her mare, Pinkie went on her way to start a long day of work with a sultry smirk to the lavender mare. Once Spike saw that the coast was clear of mushy cootie-filled moments, he headed out early to the Boutique.

Twilight watched the two leave before turning to the tall shelves in curiosity, wondering what could hold her attention for the day. As she walked further inside, her eyes traveled across the volumes of history pausing on an almost normal seeming book that had small hearts traveling up it's spine. Humming thoughtfully, Twilight pulled the tome from it's place with merely a flicker of thought and read the cover with a raised brow.

(The history of Heart's and Hooves Day.... That's it! I'll go and have a nice relaxing reading in the park while I wait for this evening; that should take my mind off of things!)

A spring in her step as well as a joyful smirk, the lavender unicorn began to pull her favorite history and mythology books from the shelves and pile them into her white with blue trim bags, specially designed and magicked to hold important works of literature.

In moments, the studious mare was out in the early morning light and couldn't help but start to read how such a touching and heartfelt holiday started. She was soon engrossed in how it didn't have such a happy start and was actually the cause of a complete collapse of a kingdom; it was a fact that was so unexpected that she didn't notice when she ran into a trio of fillies who were also distracted as they walked.

“Oh my goodness, I didn't even see you there. I'm so so sorry.” Twilight leaned to stare at the three Crusaders who laid in a ponypile, willing to stay still and accept their fate of tripping.

“It's ok Twilight, it was an accident.” Apple Bloom spoke on their behalf from the middle of the pile, knowing that both parties were to blame for the bump.

Twilight smiled, pleased to know that the girls were ok and levitated her book in a light raspberry hue as she started to head on her way. She had a feeling that the trio of fillies wouldn't really want to hear about history but felt the need to explain anyways.

“I've just been reading a fascinating book about Heart's and Hooves Day. Did you know this holiday got its start because of a love potion?” The librarian hoped that mentioning a magical artifact would entice the girls to learn more and was pleased when they ran up under her to stare pleadingly towards the older mare.

“Did you say, a love potion?” Sweetie Belle asked from in between her friends as they laid on the ground, staring up at the unicorn whose smile grew at the question before showing the exact page of said potion.

“That's right! It even has the recipe.” Sweetie Belle tilted her head as she tried to appear innocent with her friends joyful on either side of her.

“I... Don't suppose, we could borrow that book for a little while, do ya?” Twilight was pleased to hear the other unicorn's request and floated the tome into waiting hooves.

“Of course you can!” Purple eyes flashed as the older unicorn wondered if they would perhaps want to learn more about history and maybe of other magical artifacts. She leaned back to her saddlebags to grab another book in her light raspberry hue and turned to where the girls had been.

“I have another book that I think you will-” Twilight smiled only to find that the trio had run off already, having gotten what they wanted. The unicorn frowned in annoyance of the youth of today having little patience and willingness to learn before shaking her head and floating a new book in front of herself to read for now.

The lavender unicorn was quickly comfortable in the nearby park, sitting under a tree for shade as she continued to read. Being engrossed in her book, Twilight didn't noticed all the couples that were sitting around the park, on benches, on top of bridges and under the majority of the trees. What did gain Twilight's attention was the sound of three fillies running loudly through town, shouting something about time and finding others. Such tones and shouts usually made anypony listening become concerned and it was no surprise that a lot of the other couples also looked up towards the shouts, worried that the three adventurous fillies might be heading their way.

Having been jolted out of her reading, Twilight glanced around the park and found that she had already spent most of the day in her own little world. She was also a little surprised at all the couples out and about for the day, which drew her mind to her own special somepony.

(Pinkie Pie should be getting done soon, I should get going. I wouldn't want to be late, that could ruin the entire plan!) Twilight grinned at being able to see her marefriend soon and began to put away her books to head to Sugarcube Corner.

As the unicorn traveled through the still busy town, an unusual sight drew her eye and confusion. A building a few streets over seemed to be inching along the road with it's occupant waving out the window for help.

(What in Equestria? What is Berry Punch doing? I should go and see what is going on now; something always seems to be happening in Ponyville.)

Once the lavender mare arrived at the 'traveling' building, she found an irate Berry Punch who was staring towards the Boutique.

“Hello, Berry Punch. Why was your house traveling?” Twilight decided to cut to the chase since she was starting to almost become late. While she wanted to know what was happening, she felt obliged to potentially offer her help and wanted to do so quickly.

“Yeah, hi Twilight. Big Mac was pulling my house as he went to the Boutique! There was this rope around it and it finally broke, which is good because he seems to have fallen into a hole. But how am I going to get it back to where it was?!” Berry Punch glared in the direction of the red stallion, who did seem to be getting out of a giant hole in the ground along with Cheerilee while the three Cutie Mark Crusaders looked on guiltily.

Twilight frowned at what the trio may have gotten up to and glanced back to the light-plum earth pony and her home.

“I could put it back if you want, Berry Punch.” A quick nod and a small smile greeted this offer which prompted Twilight to sigh quietly in tiredness before focusing on the house and the best way to move it back.

(I could try to teleport it, but somepony might be in the space it was in.... I suppose levitation is the only means then. Better focus, it's really heavy... How did Big Mac even move this?)

With a grunt of effort, a light raspberry aura surrounded the two storied building while Twilight shut her eyes tightly as the building rose half a meter into the air. The two mares slowly made their way to where the house originally was, going slow enough for others to see them coming and get out of the way. Once they arrived, Berry Punch checked that the land was clear before signaling to Twilight who sighed in relief as she magicked it in place.

The earth pony gave the unicorn a quick thanks before rushing inside to clean the mess moving across the town caused. Meanwhile Twilight stood there to gather her breath back before turning to see the fillies escorted by Big Mac and Cheerilee coming down the street.

“Big Mac, Cheerilee! What happened?” Twilight trotted up to the group only to be confused further as the teacher gave the girls a scorching gaze.

“The girls decided to play matchmaker with the use of a love potion.” The girls shrank at the annoyed tone, multiplied by the older unicorn's wide eyes at how they tried to get the two together.

“Girls, did you use the book I let you borrow to do this?!?” At the three small nods, Twilight sighed in disappointment. “I'm going to need it back girls and I'm very disappointed in you three.”

Three timid agreements met purple ears and the unicorn nodded to the other older ponies before continuing on her way, feeling time slip by as her appointed time drew near. Twilight rushed through the pink door of the bakery and ran up to the counter where Mrs. Cake was standing, waiting for more potential customers.

“Hi, is Pinkie Pie still here?” The older mare smiled at the question and nodded briefly.

“Of course deary; let me get her.” As the light-blue earth pony went into the back with a short wave for the unicorn to remain in front, the lavender unicorn stood panting as she went over the plan once more, checking that she had covered all the basics of a date on Heart's and Hooves Day. Suddenly she was engulfed in a tight hug that smelled of fresh baking and candy, prompting a return of the hug with a smile.

“Hey Twilight! I remembered you said we'd meet later and it's later but then it got to be much later and you were still not here but you're here now!” Pinkie hugged the unicorn tightly, pleased to see that she was there and much more relaxed compared to that morning. The two stood from the knocked over position on the floor that had been caused by an energetic tackle and began to exit the bakery, waving briefly to the married couple watching them leave.

“Yes Pinkie, I'm here now. I'm sorry for running late but you'll never believe what Apple Bloom, Sweetie Belle and Scootaloo did today!” Twilight led the way out of the bakery, disbelief and shock coloring her voice. Pinkie stayed close to the unicorn as they walked through the streets on the way to the restaurant, joy shining in their every step.

“They built a rocket to shower hearts and fireworks on the happy couples? Oh oh! They set out to stop some meany pants from using magical artifacts for evil? Wait wait, I got it! They went to the misty mountains of the north to learn mystic ninjutsu?!?” The couple had come to a halt in the middle of the street while Pinkie made her guesses, bouncing on the tips of her hooves as she pondered.

Twilight didn't know what to make of the wild guesses, though what they actually did do didn't seem as far fetched and unusual compared to those. She shook her head and stared at her marefriend in concern before answering slowly, unsure if Pinkie was joking or not.

“Uhm, no. They used a love potion that was actually a love poison on Big Mac and Cheerilee.” Twilight gave her marefriend another incredulous glance before starting forward once more. She came to another sudden stop at Pinkie's next words however.

“They go so well together and they've known each other for a LONG time now; it's only a matter of time.” Pinkie kept her grin as she continued on, not noticing Twilight shaking her head in bewilderment.

The two storied building had a red roof with cream colored walls, a sign hanging over the front in the shape of a clover with a pot of gold sitting in the center. It was a more simple appearing location, with tables both inside and out for the nice weather days. The Lucky Clover was full of other couples enjoying the holiday specials that were meant to be shared, though Twilight and Pinkie had very little trouble getting a table for two since they already had a reservation. As they sat at a booth along the wall, they ordered some hay fries and a plate of pasta with sauce for them to share, though Twilight took caution of Pinkie's eating habits, since she liked to take large and energetic bites, by using a fork in her magical grip.

It was during one of these large chomps that the hyper mare knocked the purple maned mare's fork to the ground. Twilight looked to Pinkie with a raised brow only to find an apologetic smile waiting.

“Sorry Twilight... Guess I wasn't paying too much attention... But we can still share! You just gotta bite it with your mouth and not use a fork!” Pinkie beamed at the mare across from her who seemed unsure of how impolite it would be to eat like that (Pinkie being the exception of course).

“No, I think I could probably get another fork; it will be ok, you can keep eating.” Twilight sat up further and was about to try and grab a waiter's attention when she noticed the sad pout from across the table. Pinkie tried not to stare dejectedly at the studious unicorn, making her seem all the more pathetic as she rubbed her fore-hooves together with ears tipped back slightly.

The lavender mare watched for a moment, various reasons for the dejected form flashing through her mind, when she noticed how blue eyes were focused on the plate before them and got an inkling of why Pinkie wanted her to eat without utensils. Heaving a sigh at the unavoidable mess, Twilight agreed to the request.

“Alright but you better not make a mess or a scene, ok?” Twilight watched cautiously for the rapidly chipper nod and leaned forward, grabbing at the food gingerly considering had been a long time since she was without the aid of telekinesis. Pinkie watched with an amused grin at the subsequent mess created by inexperience and saw the chance she was hoping for.

“Silly Twilight! You’re getting it all over! Here, let me help!” Pinkie suddenly leaned forward, tongue lapping up the sauce that outlined Twilight's mouth before returning to it's owner who grinned at the frozen unicorn before her.

“That was pretty yummy, you should have some more Twilight.” The pink earth pony smirked at her marefriend who blinked a few times before blushing brightly.

“Pinkie!”

“What? You had some sauce on the side there!” The pink baker held a hoof to her chest as she defended her innocence, earning another head shake while Twilight levitated a fork over and waved it threatening towards the other mare. Pinkie giggled but didn't argue with the unicorn's decision to use a fork once more, continuing to eat like she had been: with large bites and lots of overly dramatic chewing.

The lavender mare saw her chance to return the favor, rushing forward to lick at the pink mare's own muzzle to gather some of the extra sauce that remained there. Pinkie was surprised and didn't think to respond until it was too late and missed her chance to do anything, snapping her hoof to the side as she smirked teasingly to the unicorn who merely grinned back.

(I'll have to save it for later! It's gonna be fun to find more ticklish spots on my little star.)

Luckily, the interaction between the couple went unnoticed in the general affectionate mood of the other dinners. They finished their meal with no other incidents happening and were soon on their way back to the library as twilight fell over the land.

The couple was only just entering the tree library when Spike exited from the kitchen with a large bowl of ice cream in his claws. They all paused at the sight of each other before Spike made the first move, stepping forward with a wave of his spoon.

“Hi Twilight, hey Pinkie Pie... You have a nice dinner?” Pinkie and Twilight shared a concerned glance at the almost apathetic tone before trotting closer to the drake.

“Yes, we were going to stargaze afterwards. Would you like to join us?” Twilight peered closer at the youth and was concerned to find green eyes shy away from meeting her own.

“No thanks Twilight, I'm just going to head to my room... I'll see you later ok?” Spike stuck his spoon into the bowl and was about to climb the stairs when a concerned purple hoof was placed on his shoulder. He glanced up and saw two pairs of worried eyes; giving to the pressure to talk, he slumped into the half hug offered by the lavender mare.

“I wasn't able to help Rarity today...” The drake half-whispered which earned a tightening of the hug while Twilight looked despairingly towards Pinkie.

“There's... There's always next time.” Twilight tried to cheer him up but wasn't sure how effective her words were. Pinkie gave the unicorn an encouraging nuzzle before nudging the purple dragon with a small smile.

“Hey Spike, I heard you got a new room. Can I see? Did you get to decorate it?” Spike cheered slightly at these words and pulled free of the hug and swung his bowl towards the stairs with a smile and nod.

“Yeah, I got my own room and added my own stuff. I can show you, come on!” As the dragon led the way, Twilight flashed the pink pony a grateful smile which was returned with a wide grin.

The lavender unicorn watched tenderly from the doorway as Pinkie enticed the young drake to forget his woes as he gave the 'official' tour, causing both to become more excited as he pointed out various other aspects of his new bedroom. The pink baker followed Spike with hops of excitement, going over every detail with a careful eye and exclaiming how truly 'awesome' it all was to the youth's great enjoyment.

After the extremely long tour was over and the bowl of ice cream was more of a milkshake, Spike went for seconds (with dire threats for if he went for thirds ringing in his ears) as the older mares continued up the stairs to the balcony to watch the impressive light show that was planned for that evening in honor of Heart's and Hooves Day.

Twilight had made sure that they would be able to see the shooting stars that would be happening that night and that they would have the best in comfort; a dark blue cushion and a light blue with stars blanket should the evening grow chilly, though she didn't plan to sit too far away from the hyperactive mare in any case. Pinkie was thrilled as always and tried to make a game out of watching the shooting stars but gave in to the other's request for just cuddling instead, bringing herself closer to the librarian and wrapped a pink hoof around her shoulders.

“This has been totally fun my little star, though you are totally the best star to watch.” Twilight blushed at the flirting and edged closer to the pink mare.

“I had a nice time too, my pink star?” Twilight hesitated slightly at the end as she tried out the pet name, running through her mental list briefly as she saw the confused tilt of cotton candy mane.

“Huh?”

“N-no good? Uhm, maybe Sugar Pie?” The lavender mare watched in worry while Pinkie started to slowly smile as she realized what this may be part of.

“Uh, Honey?” Twilight slowly grew a grin as well as Pinkie held a hoof to her mouth to lessen her giggles.

“Are, are you trying to find me a pet name Twilight?” Pinkie was starting to hop in place without really leaving her side while the lavender mare smiled shyly.

“Yes... You, you call me 'my little star' sometimes; I thought that it was only right that I give you one as well.” Twilight smiled as the hyper mare nuzzled her face in the crook of her neck in happiness.

“You don't have to if you don't want to! It has to be just right sometimes or fits just right or feels right or sounds right. You shouldn't really force it.” Pinkie gave the lavender neck several light pecks before gazing into shining purple orbs before Twilight leaned forward to give her a tender kiss.

“You are a real sweetheart, Pinkie Pie.” Twilight had closed her eyes as they rested their foreheads together only to open them once again when she felt the excited hopping from the other mare. She stared curiously towards Pinkie who wore a large grin and a light blush as she tapped her hooves together.

“Really?! I like that one! I'm your Sweetheart!” Pinkie leaned back against the lavender mare who smiled at the joy and gave a light laugh at how they found the 'right' name.

“I'm glad, my Sweetheart.” With this statement, Twilight laid her head onto the pink back as they continued to watch the show before them, sharing the warmth with both the blanket and using one another for blankets.

As they laid together, Pinkie started to form an idea about how to solve Twilight's sleeping issue and wanted to test it right away, asking and getting permission to stay the night once the show was over.

They adjourned to the single bed and rested side by side, with Pinkie holding Twilight in a light embrace while the unicorn curled up against the soft belly. As the book-bound mare slept the whole night without any trouble, the hyperactive baker remained vigilant and was pleased to see none of the signs Spike had spoken about.

The drake in question had made his now almost usual stop to check on the studious mare and was surprised to find nothing amiss, though it was odd how Pinkie sat up and waved silently to him when he checked. Spike gave a small wave back before quietly shutting the door behind him and returning to his room, glad to not have to witness or be near such cuddly mares.

The next morning found Twilight extremely refreshed from a proper night's sleep and volunteering to try and cook something for the others. They took this chance to compare notes concerning the unicorn's sleep and whispered back and forth as they sat next to one another at the dinner table.

“So, did Twilight sleep ok?” Spike leaned to the side, covering most of his mouth with a claw to reduce the chance Twilight would hear them.

“Yep! She slept all through the night and didn't get up once!”

“... Do you think it's because she had someone there? We never really had separate rooms before...” Spike twiddled his claws together before stopping as a reassuring hoof rubbed his head.

“Maayybe... I'll try to stay over more so she has someone with her, do you think that would work?” Pinkie gave the young dragon a smile which received a larger one in return, the lad pleased to hear how Pinkie was willing to help.

“Yes! Thanks Pinkie Pie!” Spike grabbed the pink pony in a brief hug before turning to the lavender mare once more, happy to have found a solution to the problem.

Twilight didn't noticed this exchange but was happy to see Spike's spirits were higher considering how he didn't do so well in his efforts to win over his crush the day before. With a bright grin, she levitated over a stack of hay-hash browns and wheat strips, only mildly burnt. Spike glanced up with a shaky smile as he tried to seem appreciative of the meal.

“Oh, thanks Twilight, this looks...”

“-Delicious! HmmmhmmhmhmhmHMMm. You're getting better every time!” The two others watched Pinkie munch happily at the overly cooked meal before breaking out into laughter and joining in. They spent the day together as a break from the work of the past few weeks and talked about the upcoming Winter-Wrap Up as they sat by the fireplace.

Outside, to make up for the nice weather granted on the lovers' holiday, a snow storm started in order to replace the snow they had rapidly melted. This weather went unnoticed by those inside the tree house, who stayed warm by being near one another and staying close to the fireplace; though the couple often didn't need any other source of heat as being next to the one they cared for gave them plenty of warmth.

XI - Cheering up

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Start of March, 1005 A.D. (After Discord)

A single candle lit the main lobby of the large tree library, casting wavering shadows along the walls. A purple maned unicorn sat at the desk on the far wall, hunched over a scroll that grew in length with every scratch of the quill floating in light raspberry haze. Twilight frowned deeply in concentration, eyes shifting back and forth with each new thought.

The library was mostly dark as the evening wore on. The tree house was dark since the lavender unicorn was the only one home at the time. The young drake had gone out for the day and Twilight took the moment of silence to make a list of great importance; almost the most important thing she made since her list on how to be accepted into Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns.

The mare of her heart was going to have her birthday in a few weeks and while Pinkie often threw a large birthday bash for herself, inviting the whole town. Twilight wanted to have a special one just for the two of them. Each scribble was a memo, supply needed, or even just an idea for the evening. When planning a party for the party mare, it was hard to find the right combination. It was hard to find the perfect balance of an ‘awesome’ time and a ‘sweet’ evening; the lavender mare had been working on it since the library closed for the day, ignoring the slowly darkening world around her. It was only as it got too dark to see without help that the unicorn paused to light the candle before continuing on.

The sharp sound of the front door opening and closing with a swift slam barely gained a single ear's attention. The lavender ear twitched towards the sound before returning forward. Uneven thuds of a bipedal creature muffled the sound of the scratching. The purple and green dragon wearily trekked across the room, eyes hardly gazing at the darkened surroundings, while tired feet scraped over the wooden floor. Green reptilian eyes shifted to the hunched figure but he couldn't gather enough energy to care about the behavior of his guardian.

It was as a single clawed foot rested on a groaning step that Twilight fully noticed his presence. Jumping up from the crouched position, the unicorn craned her stiff neck to stare at Spike with dazed eyes.

“Spike? Oh, uh hi Spike, did you just get back...?” Purple eyes shifted as the world started to come into focus to find the navy sky outside, proclaiming the late hour. “Spike! Were you out this entire time!?! What in Equestria were you doing?!?”

The young drake sighed while hanging his head; he didn't want to talk about it but could hear by the tone of voice rarely used that the mare wasn't going to let it slide. Spike debated trying to escape to his room anyways but soon lost his chance as the studious mare rose with a grimace to stand beside the youth. She hadn't realized how long she sat, still as a statue and unmoving, and tried to shift her limbs as she waited for the reply.

The two friends stayed silent, Spike refusing to meet curious purple eyes while giving a brief shrug; the non-verbal response drew a furrowed brow from the unicorn. The drake had always gusted over everything the local fashionista did or said; being sulking silent after a supposed full day in her company was highly unusual. Spike tried to finish his trip upstairs but was stopped by a gentle hoof and soft question.

“Spike, what's wrong?” Twilight drew closer to the purple dragon and placed a second hoof on him to turn him around. Even as they faced one another, Spike tried to avoid eye contact as his frame trembled. The older mare sighed lightly, hooves wrapping around the shaking frame and pulling him into soothing embrace.

“Oh Spike... I guess things didn't go so well today huh?” Two sets of claws reached out and gripped the short fur of the unicorn lightly. Spike leaned into the offered hug as he shook even further, the day's events flashing through his mind.

“I... I tried my best...!” The whispered words barely hid the tears that slowly creeped out of tightly closed eyes.

Twilight stiffened minutely as she felt her front slowly matte together with cold tracks making its way towards the ground. After identifying the wetness and the shakes, the unicorn gently breathed out of her nose, leaning over to rest her head on a green spiked one.

“Sometimes your best is all you can do, but still not be enough...” The timid retort was muffled but lavender ears tipped forward enough to catch it.

“I was in my environment! We were-we were gem hunting! It was going great but she just... She just...!” Spike shook his head in the lavender chest, fist clenching as the sob became more pronounced. Twilight rubbed her hoof along his back, unsure what words would help.

“She left around 2pm to check on Applejack! I-I finished helping but I couldn't...!” Spike's growl soon turned into a whimper while he tried to explain. Twilight flinched, her worries confirmed. The youth was finding the pain of an unrequited crush. The somewhat experienced mare searched her vast mental library for reassuring words, finally settling on a realistic view with a dash of optimism.

“I know that it may seem like you were forgotten but your help is appreciated... It's just that, Rarity is allowed to choose and until she proclaims who she wishes to date, you shouldn't give up...” Spike jerked back, wiping his arm across his tear stained face while frowning to the mare in front of him.

“Why shouldn't I?!? Applejack is-she's cheating! Taking my days and spending it with Rarity anyways! She must've planned this-!” Before the drake could continue his argument, there was a solid knock at the front door.

The two friends by the stairs shared surprised glances, not expecting anyone this late at night. They waited to see if it was a random sound and were only mildly surprised when the knocking resumed. Twilight sat up straighter with a curious frown to the door.

“Who is it?”

“It's me, Applejack... Is Spike here?” At the southern tinted call, the dragon clenched both fists at his side and glared at the doorway, spines at attention and back stiff as he stared. This was seen by the lavender mare but she couldn't leave the farmer outside in the dark.

A coating of magic encompassed the door and allowed it to swing open without a sound. The two residences watched, one apprehensive and the other irritated, as the orange earth pony stepped inside with her hat resting low over her eyes. As the apple farmer slowly walked closer to the two, Twilight's horn lit as lights came to life, banishing most of the shadows except for the ones in three pairs of eyes. Applejack stopped a few paces away from the drake who wore a deep scowl.

“Howdy Twilight... Hi Spike.” The quiet greeting hung in the air, the only response was an unsure nod of the unicorn's head and a short huff from the dragon.

“Spike, Ah'm sorry... Ah'm real sorry. Ah told Rarity not tah worry about me an' mah family; Ah knew it was yer day an'... Sorry Spike.” The furious scowl lost its edge as the mournful farmer spoke, turning into a dejected pout at the end along with crossed arms held tightly against a pale-green chest. The silence grew after Applejack's attempt at explaining; Twilight glanced towards the farm mare for a second before leaning to capture watery reptilian eyes.

“Spike?” Jerking back with wide eyes, Spike swiped at his face before trying to glare at the farmer.

“Well, it's not over. She's just so nice that she was worried about you, that's all! I'm not about to give up just yet.” Spike tried to keep the pain from his voice as he watched the blonde sitting mutely nearby. Applejack tipped her hat with weary eyes, nodding her understanding of the drake's determination.

“Yer right, that there unicorn has ah big ol' heart of gold. Ah'll make sure she don't leave ya when it's yer day.” The two combatants shook tensely before the farm mare stood tiredly. Dipping her head to each of the residents Applejack left without another word, her thoughts obviously elsewhere.

Twilight stared worriedly after the wary apple farmer before turning back to her number one assistant who had lost all traces of his 'anger'. His small form crumpled inward as he wrapped his arms around numb feet. His gaze, full of water and unblinking, stared off into nothing as he argued with inner doubts.

The older unicorn barely felt her jaw drop as she rapidly assessed the situation. Even as her academic mind went blank, old habits and instinct reared up and propelled the shocked mare forward. Purple hooves reached out to pull the trembling drake into a comforting embrace. The young dragon remained curled up until his guardian started to make soft soothing assurances. Breaking out of his shell, he leaned forward to sob quietly into the offered form.

“It's-it's not fair...!”

“I know Spike, I know... Sometimes, things just happen whether we want them to or not.” Twilight stared down at the small figure in her hooves before looking for inspiration in the titles around them.

“I wish it was all Applejack's fault...!” Spike shook his head as he hiccuped, pounding a single fist into the furry chest. Twilight sighed as she also shook her head, gazing forlornly to the lad.

“You know that it's not her fault.”

“Yeah... I know...” Purple eyes frantically swept over the room, trying desperately to find something to help. Settling on the scroll nearby, they widened in hope before turning to the drake once again.

“Spike? Would you want to help me with my list?” The two pulled apart slightly while Spike rubbed at his eyes as he stared curiously to the librarian.

“Wha-what's it for this time...?”

“I was trying to think of ways to give a nice surprise for Pinkie. Her birthday is coming up and I wanted to have something special planned for her, especially since she usually just has a large party anyways.” Twilight watched carefully, unsure how it would help the youth from his problems but unsure of what else she could do. Standing with a light tug on his arm to follow along, the lavender mare walked over to the desk. Peeking to the slumped figure, Twilight decided to check one last time.

“Are you going to be ok? Would you want to do something else instead?” The older mare watched anxiously only to relax as Spike slowly nodded.

“I'll be ok... I can help you but I think I'll just head to bed afterwards though...” It wasn't quite what she hoped to hear, but it was better than depression.

Together, the two friends sat at the wooden desk, a purple claw reaching out to hold on to the quill and parchment. For the next few hours, they planned out and theorized some of the better ways to have a special party. It was as they worked that Twilight realized how often she had been leaving the young drake alone lately. With a guilty flush of her face, the librarian soon called it a night. While Spike made his world-weary way up the stairs, Twilight began to make new kinds of plans, ones that centered around a small purple and green assistant. It wasn't much of a plan, considering the hour and how long she had been working, but it was a start. Heading up the stairs not much later, the unicorn frowned thoughtfully as she passed the young assistant's shut door.

(I may have been leaving you alone too much lately Spike, but I'm going to change that. I'll just postpone my schedule for the day and find some way to get his mind off of what happened... Hopefully nothing too horrible happens tomorrow… I wish Pinkie was staying here tonight, she’d know what to say to cheer him up...)

The next morning Twilight woke up early and began to cook herself and Spike breakfast. The young dragon hadn't come back down from his room and the unicorn wanted to take advantage of the silence. She wasn't sure of the best way to cheer up the dejected lad and it was this direction of thought that sent a pang in her heart. The light frown turned deeper as the thoughts of pink fur and bright smiles that hadn't been seen in the last few days. Sugarcube Corner had seen a spike in business since spring fully arrived five days ago and the three bakers were keeping to the grindstone.

It meant that the couple wasn't able to spend much time together and Twilight missed the hyperactive mare. Even as her heart pinched at the thought, her ears twitched hearing the scuffing coming from above. Two feet slowly and wearily made their way down the stairs, drawing the unicorn's attention away from her thoughts and back to the pan where burnt hay-hashbrowns sizzled.

Spike frowned as he slowly entered the kitchen, a single brow raised at the smell that slowly made its way through the first floor. Smoke floated along the top of the room as the cook tried to save the meal. The pan flew through the air towards a set of plates on the table in the center of the room, spatula following close behind as it scrapped at the food stuck along the bottom. Twilight bit her lip as she manipulated the utensils, eyes focused determinedly on her task and not the bemused stare coming from the drake.

“What are you doing Twilight...?” Spike continued to walk in the kitchen and look over the plate. Burnt hay-hashbrown rested next to dark veggies and overly crisp bread. The lavender unicorn shifted in place with a sheepish grin.

“Uhm, I was trying to make us breakfast?” Twilight blushed at the deadpan from the dragon who poked at the 'food'. Sighing gently while hanging her head, the unicorn levitated both sets of plates and threw both of the contents into a nearby trash can. Barely glancing to the youngster who watched with a single brow raised.

“Let's just... Eat out this morning. Where would you like to go to?” Twilight led the way out of the kitchen, peeking to the drake who shrugged at the suggestion.

The unicorn frowned in unease at the dismissive attitude and sorted through the closest restaurants that offered meals in the morning. Finding that the closest restaurant was Sugarcube Corner, she tried to contain her enthusiasm to visit the trio of bakers. Spike followed silently, glancing to the other stories that greeted the duo as they traveled.

“Twilight...? Why are we heading this-” The drake was about to question where they were going but trailed off as the sight of the gingerbread bakery came into view. Spike couldn't help but roll his eyes as he felt the excitement coming from the mare giving him a ride, her hooves picked up their pace with ears tipped forward.

A bell announced their presence as the two walked quickly through the lobby. Ponies rushed to pick up their orders and head back outside to the warm weather. Spike didn't move from his seat, watching with disinterest as they joined the cue line. Twilight tried to act neutral even as her eyes scanned the workers behind the counter and zeroing in on the pink earth pony who rushed back and forth with trays along her back and head.

The chipper party mare paused mid step as she felt her heart race and a special kind of warmth spread from her center to the tips of her hooves. With a bright grin, the pink baker turned in place and waved to her marefriend in line. Twilight sheepishly waved back and watched with a timid smirk as Pinkie turned pleading blue eyes to the older bakers. Rolling their eyes in amusement, the Cakes nodded silently to the request. Pinkie hoofpumped with a gleeful shout and lept over the counter to stand beside the two librarians. Her colors seemed to glow brighter while her eyes sparkled with hidden jokes and laughter. The two trays she carried seemed to find their place on the counter, leaving her to be free to lean closer to the pair.

“Hi guys! Have you had breakfast yet?! We just finished cooking some yummy biscuits!” Pinkie beamed at her marefriend who wore a half-smirk even as the drake on her back rolled his head, answering before the unicorn could.

“Twilight tried to make some this morning but burnt it instead. Could I have a blueberry muffin and some of those biscuits...?” Spike tried to keep his voice energized but just couldn't manage it, finding it flat and tired instead. The party mare noticed this and flashed the mare of her heart a quick look of worry. Spotting an identical gaze on the lavender mare, Pinkie nodded with a small smile to the lad before completely turning to the lavender unicorn.

“Okie dokie lokie! So a blueberry muffin and a pile of biscuits, what would you like Twilight?” The pink mare scanned the area to be sure that they weren't drowning in customers; finding a moment of peace, the baker continued to bask in the unicorn’s presence.

“Hmm, those biscuits do sound good. I'll have a couple of those and some banana bread if you don't mind... But is it ok for you to be helping us? What about the others in line-?” Twilight trailed off as she finally managed to tear her gaze from the earth pony before her to look around the store. The morning rush was winding down and the older bakers were keeping an amused eye on the three in the corner of the store.

Pinkie Pie continued to beam as she waved a hoof to the lavender mare while leading the two to the table nearby. Scuffing a hoof along Spike's head, she leaned down for a moment to look in the eye with an unsure smile.

“Hey Spike? Could I borrow Twilight for a moment? It looks like she needs a special cup of coffee... I'm sorry I couldn't help with her sleeping the last few days, it's been craa-A-aazy over here!” The two peeked over to the curious unicorn with small smiles to assure her curiosity. The young drake looked back to the baker who sat next to him and nodded mutely. Once she got the agreeing nod, Pinkie reached out and pulled Twilight behind her to the kitchen in back.

Out of politeness, the studious unicorn hadn't listened to the private conversation and was mildly surprised when she was quickly led away. With a brief wave to the older bakers, Pinkie continued to pull her marefriend to the back. The lavender mare was situated by the counter while the hyper mare pulled out a coffee maker and began to set it to brew. A single lavender brow rose at the rapid actions before coming down with a bemused smirk when Pinkie stood nearby while cooking some fresh batches for their morning meal.

“Don't you worry about a thing my little star! I'll get to the bottom of this in no time...! Sooooo, what's going on?” The puffy maned mare smiled to the other, grabbing plates and a cup as she watched the unicorn near her. Twilight raised a curious brow at her methods but shook her head in amusement.

“...Spike came back late last night, upset at how his day with Rarity went... I tried to think of ways to cheer him up but so far it isn't working...” The unicorn stared bewildered as Pinkie froze in place, one hoof held in the air while a back hoof was in the air, paused in mid step. A thoughtful frown was etched on the usually chipper face, her head tilted to the right as she thought.

Blinking rapidly, the party mare hopped in place with a bright grin and finished gathering the meal. Placing the large white cup into lavender hooves, Pinkie stood in front of the other mare proudly.

“I can totally help! I know all the best ways to cheer somepony, or in this case, somedragon, right up! First things first, a nice meal to start the day right! Then we'll get him all happy again in no time!” Pinkie walked closely to the unicorn as they returned to the front lobby. Two concerned gazes focused on the hunched figure who rested his head on arms that laid on the table before him. Picking up their pace, the two mares returned to the table and smiled to the drake.

“Hey there Spike! Here's your order!” Pinkie set the plates on to the table and sat in between the dragon and unicorn. Twilight watched the young drake closely while keeping an ear on the hyper mare, unsure of what she had mind. “What are you guys doing today? Gonna have lots of amazing fun?!”

Spike shrugged as he slowly picked at the baked goods set out before him. Twilight frowned in unease at the non-verbal response but Pinkie continued as though nothing was wrong.

“Oh oh oh! What about going to have some ice cream! It's warm so that means it's the perfect time for ice cream! Or what about going to the ice skating park? Or maybe just the regular ol' skating ring?” The pink earth pony bounced as she proposed ways to have fun. Spike stared back confused, unsure what prompted the overboard suggestions.

“Uhm, it's only been a few days since winter was over, isn't it kind of silly to have ice cream or go ice skating?” The purple drake continued to pick at his meal. Twilight perked up as she realized the hyperactive mare's plan and added her own suggestions.

“Oh, yes, uhm, going out! Uhm, let's go out and take the day off.” The unicorn tried to smile brightly as her mind raced with questions. In the past few years, the unicorn had been rather focused on her studies, letting the more social aspects of life slip by. Spike often kept himself amused when he had free time and Twilight was usually absorbed by her studies to notice what he was doing.

The others watched intrigued as the lavender mare shrank in place with a deep blush and flattened ears. The realization that she had allowed her responsibilities to fall behind made the lavender mare's heart to clench with dread. Feeling the reassuring pressure of the pink mare beside her, Twilight sat up again with a grateful smirk. Before she could try for a random suggestion of her own, the hyper mare leaned forward with a toothy smile and loud gasp.

“OOOOH! There's this totally cool carnival going on later today! There'll be ice cream, and prizes, and lots of food and really neat rides!” Pinkie bounced lightly as she excitedly described the Spring has Sprung Carnival. Ponies were often tired of the cold winter and celebrated with a carnival within the week after Winter Wrap-Up. The others were surprised at the sudden enthusiasm, leaning back slightly with curious smirks.

“Oh, yes, that's right. That's a great idea Pinkie, did you want to go, just the two of us Spike?” Twilight smiled warmly to her marefriend before shifting her attention to the dragon. He tilted his head, bewilderment shining in his eyes. The pink mare, however, froze with an unsure smile. Blues eyes watched unblinkingly to the unicorn before smiling warmly once more.

“That sounds like a great plan, Twilight. It will be a great bonding time for you and Spike.” Pinkie twiddled her hooves as she stared at the drake. Noticing this hesitation, Twilight searched through recent actions and words, eyes widening at the possible reason. Leaning over to the earth pony, she whispered into a pink ear.

“Pinkie, I know you probably wanted to go too but I wasn't sure if Spike would be comfortable if all three of us went...” The lavender unicorn watched the pink mare closely, trying to see any sign of being upset. Pinkie relaxed tensed muscles and shrugged with a grin, head tilted towards the mare beside her.

“Don't worry Twilight. The important thing is to cheer up Spike, we can always hang out later.” The two mares whispered quietly to one another. The drake across the way lost interest in their cuddle time and went back to picking at his muffin. Twilight glanced over and saw the slumped figure, head resting on a clenched fist.

“So, Spike, did you want to go?” The two mares watched as the drake lifted his head at the librarian's question and peeked confusedly to the pink mare.

“Wha-what about Pinkie Pie? Did you want to come?” Spike stared at the party mare who shifted in place with a sheepish smile.

“Oh well, uhm, I'd want to-to let you guys have a fun day out! I can go play at a carnival whenever I want! I'd make my own maybe! Ohh, I could set up my own Spring has Sprung party!” Pinkie tapped her chin as she mused, a single brow raised while she stared at the ceiling. The drake tilted his head with a miniscule frown on his face.

“I... I don't mind if you guys want to go to the carnival together.” Spike's eyes widened when both mares sat up with stern frowns of their own.

“No no no no no no! You can totally go on your own with Twilight! This is supposed to be 'cheer up Spike' time, not 'cuddle and date' time!” Pinkie placed both hooves on to the table in between them while she leaned forward, neck stretched to stare closely at the young dragon. Twilight smirked at her marefriend's actions before adding her own comments.

“That's right, if you don't mind Pinkie coming along, that's fine; but this is about making you feel better Spike, not an extra date for us.” The lavender mare watched with shrewd eyes as the drake scrunched his muzzle in thought.

“I don't mind if Pinkie wants to come but why are you trying to 'cheer me up’ so much anyways?” Spike found the sudden evasiveness of the librarian to be suspicious and waited for the 'answer'.

“Oh, uh, well, there's no particular reason. I just, felt like going out and uh, having a bit of fun.” Twilight tried to keep her fidgeting to a minimum and stared directly into disbelieving green eyes. Pacing twitching hooves on top of one another on the pale-pink table, she smiled haltingly to the lad. Spike sighed gently as he recalled why Twilight would suddenly feel the need to cheer him up and crossed both arms with a shake of his head.

“Suurre... Alright Twilight, we can go to the carnival and Pinkie Pie can come too; it wouldn't be the same without you Pinkie.” The last part of the statement was said directly to the pink baker who smiled softly, rubbing the back of her head with her right hoof while her left one was captured by a lavender one. Twilight smiled gratefully to the drake and nudged the mare beside her before reaching to rub the green spiked head.

Spike smirked as he swatted away the hoof. They returned to the breakfast with a lighter air, smirks on their faces and eyes alight with excitement for the day. The two librarians finished quickly, the plan for the day forming in the lavender mare's mind. Standing slowly, Twilight gave a swift kiss to the baker who blushed while rubbing her hooves together in an absent-minded manner.

“I know that you guys are rather busy, so we'll stop by when you get off of work to go to the carnival. Would that be alright?” The unicorn gazed with soft eyes to the baker who seemed more at ease than earlier. Pinkie grinned with rapid nods of her head, sending her mane bouncing with the excessive motion. They could only watch as the energetic mare skipped back to the counter, almost taking off for the ceiling with every step, a joyous call following after her.

“Okie dokie lokie! I'll see you party animals at 3pm sharp! Don't be flat!”

Sharing a bemused smirk at the usual behavior, the two friends made their way to the exit. Twilight levitated a small stack of bits to the counter as they passed by, waving farewell to the older bakers who smiled widely in return. Spike took a running leap, pulling himself onto the lavender back with both claws. He bounced as they left the bakery behind and shifted in place, trying to figure out where they were going.

Houses passed and were eventually replaced with store fronts. The morning crowd grew as they got closer to the town’s bazaar, each one smiling with a wave to the others. The warm-tinted breeze shared the scent of growing things with everyone outside and each breath seemed to brighten the world around them. Spike sagged as their destination came into view, his arms already feeling the burden they were sure to get after spending over ten minutes in the local bookstore. Twilight scrunched her muzzle as she felt the increased weight, feeling the sigh that came when it was clear where they were heading to.

(I don't go to the bookstore that often do I? Perhaps I should start ordering my books to be delivered instead... But this time I won't be getting anything! Even if they do have the latest Daring Do... Yes. Even then. Even if they have the whole biography of Starswirl the Bearded and his apprentice, Clover the Clever!)

The lavender unicorn smirked to herself as she continued her steady pace. Using a brief spurt of magic to open the brown door, they stepped inside and paused for a moment by the doorway; Twilight couldn't help but take a deep breath of the scent that always lingered in bookstores, of parchment and ink. Spike braced himself when she moved forward, passing the biography section and even the dating help, his arms twitching as he prepared for a barrage of facts about one topic or another. He was so zoned out that he didn't notice when they came to a halt in front of a wall, in the back right corner of the store.

“Spike? Are you awake back there?” Twilight's soft question jerked the distracted dragon from his daydreams of him and Rarity working together. Blinking his eyes, he found that he had to rub at them to be sure of what he was seeing.

Before the two friends was a corner of comics, their plastic covers glinting in the overhead lights. Seven shelves climbed to the ceiling, filled with different series and the latest volume sitting proudly in front of each. There were tables that held even more graphic novels, held in a folder format with a tab for each series. The scaled jaw dropped open at the vast collection, eyes wide as they scanned the shelves and taking in each prominent name.

“WOW! I didn't know they had a whole comic section! What did you need from here Twilight? You don't normally like comics, saying how 'they reduce one's ability to imagine the world offered'.” Spike peeked at the mare who sheepishly smiled at the sentence. Scuffing a hoof at the accuracy of the quote, Twilight levitated the dragon off her back to the floor. Poking at him with a teasing hoof, the unicorn turned her gaze to the walls.

“Oh, well I was looking for the latest comic of the Pretentious Ponies? Of maretropolis, wasn't it?” The librarian smirked at the open-mouthed shock that greeted her words. The young dragon put a clawed hand to his eyes while groaning at the name.

“Twiliiight, it's Power Ponies! And it's right here and they have the latest three that the library doesn't have!” Spike almost drooled as he timidly picked up the three comics, trying not to rip the clear plastic with his claws. The older mare watched with a pleased smirk, only to have it fade when the reverend books were placed back onto the shelf with hesitant claws.

“Don't... Don't you want them Spike? Why are you putting them back?” Concerned purple eyes watched with a hint of despair in their depths as doubting thoughts bubbled to the surface; that Spike didn't like it, didn't want it or even worse, thought that Twilight was just going to ignore his longing.

“Sure I'd like to have them, but aren't we here for more books for the library.” Purple ears flattened at this flat statement that came with a confused stare. Spike began to frown at the glum expression and remained still while Twilight sat next to him.

“Spike... We came here so you could get whatever comic books you wanted. That are age appropriate!” She tried to smile at her attempt at humor before continuing with a downcast tilt of her head. “Did you really think I was going to show you this and then make you carry books for the library?”

The dejected words shocked the purple and green dragon who froze in place. Finding himself unable to look at the pained expression of the lavender unicorn, Spike rushed forward to hug her instead. Nuzzling his head into the embrace, the dragon spoke clearly enough that the older mare could hear every word.

“I didn't think that, I was just surprised. I'm really happy, thank you Twilight. I won't go overboard, promise!” Pulling back, the two friends smiled warmly to each other before turning back to the wall of comics. With a warm grin watching over him and his choices, the purple and green dragon pulled out the three Power Ponies comics as well as a new series that promised to be interesting: The adventures of Tim Drake and the Batponies.

Settling on the seven new comics, they went to the cash register to check out. Twilight didn't flinch at the price and merely smirked when Spike held them lovingly in his claws. Climbing back into place, they left the store to drop off their purchase. Choosing the right comics had taken well over two hours and much internal debate. Bag held gingerly in both sets of claws, Spike could already imagine the grand adventures, becoming lost once more to his surroundings as his mind wandered.

The studious unicorn chuckled to herself when she saw how the green gaze lost it's glossy appearance at the scent of frozen treats. The Ice Cream Parlor drew closer with every sure step of the unicorn's. Spike's mouth started to drool while his stomach tried to remind him of the much needed brunch. The quiet chuckling turned louder at the animalistic growl coming from her passenger. With a quick smirk to the dragon who clutched at his loud organ with a light blush, Twilight picked up her pace to enter the chilled parlor.

Holding the bag out of harms way, Spike directed the unicorn to what ice cream he would like to have. Passing the instructions to the earth pony mare behind the counter, who had a rose mane and tail with gold and gamboge streaks, Twilight was soon levitating two cones of mixed flavors: one was a combination of chocolate and vanilla with chocolate chips embedded in it while the other was strawberry and cotton candy. Hoofing over the needed bits, Twilight offered her farewell before turning to leave.

“Thank you Sweatcream Scoops, have a nice day...! So Spike, enjoying yourself?” The unicorn glanced to her rider to find his mouth stuffed with ice cream. The bag of comics were held by his flexible tail and out of the danger zone. Giving a muffled agreement, he managed to use a single hand to give a thumbs up to the mare who's smirk widened at the gleeful grin he wore.

The sounds of munching was barely heard over the echos of hoofsteps of the crowd around them. The lunch time rush had grown while the two friends were out, though it wasn't enough to completely hinder their movements considering the size of the town. Twilight's ears twitched at every sound the drake made, mind forming and reforming plans and different courses of action that would help keep the young assistant happy. The walk passed by in a blur as she thought, giving short waves and smiles to those who noticed them.

Entering the large tree house, Spike leapt off her back without a word. Twilight watched with a single brow raised as he raced to the comic corner and promptly pulled out the newest additions with reverberation. Within seconds the young dragon was trying to get lost to his surroundings, drawn into the realm of superheroes and villains. The lavender mare watched with a warm smile, reminiscing on how the world of literature had always drawn her attention, becoming as real as the land of Equestria.

The two friends spent the rest of their afternoon immersing themselves to the land of imagination. The unicorn cast a spell for an ethernal clock, aligning it with the position of the sun and setting it to go off in three hours. While she wanted to enjoy the day with her young assistant reading, she wanted to be sure of making this day the best one for the dejected drake. And the best way was to go out with a bang, with the carnival being just what was needed.

The sound of wind chimes rang in perfect pitch and in full octave as the blue clock flashed in time with each chime. Glancing up from the exciting tale of a group of friends traveling the world together in search of lost loved ones, Twilight blinked for a moment before realizing why she had set the alarm for 2:45pm. Glancing up with a slightly stiff neck, she found that Spike had only just finished his own reading with a satisfied sigh. Laying the comic on top its brethren, the drake stood with both arms raised over his head and stretched on his toes, reaching for the sky to awaken numb limbs. Twilight began to also stand, shaking each limb before trotting over to the youth with a smirk.

“You can imagine what the alarm is for; ready for an afternoon of roller coaster rides and excitement?” The lavender mare smiled, keen eyes watching for any sign of the sadness of the previous night. Finding only expectant excitement in the green eyes, the mare smiled wider when the drake nodded.

“You bet!” With no other response, the purple dragon jumped for his usual seat on the mare's back, unable to hold back a few small jumps of joy.

Twilight shook her head at the actions but smirked, pleased to know how well the plan was going. Turning to the door, she levitated the books and comics onto shelves while turning the open sign to closed. The door clicked softly behind them while they continued down the street, feeling the warmth of the sun while the light spring breeze rustled Twilight’s purple mane.

The bell chimed only for a second before the duo found themselves faced with a already hyper pink baker standing right beside them, having gone unnoticed while their eyes adjusted to being inside. A wide smile stretched across her muzzle, Pinkie gave the purple maned unicorn a swift peck and rubbed a single hoof on Spike's head.

“Hey guys! You actually shaved off a whole minute from your walk!” A single pink hoof held a time-watch that ticked away before being stopped with a brief touch. Blue eyes shifted from the watch to bemused purple orbs, twinkling with love as Pinkie leaned closer to nuzzle her marefriend. “You guys ready to have a great time!? There's nothing like going to a carnival!”

“Yep! I can't wait!” Spike exclaimed with an undertone of anticipation lacing his words. The two mares shared pleased smiles at how successful their operation was going. Grinning along with Spike, they nodded their agreement to his words.

The three waved to the older bakers before turning in place and walking back out into the sunlight. Scarcely pausing to take a deep breath of the spring air, they keep up a fast pace to travel across town. The carnival had been set up on the outskirts of Ponyville, needing the space and distance for some of the more exotic rides they had to offer. Wanting to be safe from any woodland creatures and away from the oddities of the Everfree Forest, the carnival operators pitched the fair to the north of the small town, using one of the open fields to keep everything central.

The shouts of thrill and fright began to replace the quiet tones of town, with the whooshing of rides soon becoming noticeable as well. Houses became infrequent to stopping altogether, giving way to rolling green grass that had been flattened in a single direction. Rising up into view were tracks that broke the blue sky as carts raced along with ponies screaming in joy and fear, raising fore-hooves to the heavens as they rushed by. Tents became evident, as well as the mass crowd of ponies traveling to and from the various stands, laughing at each turn and having the time of their lives.

Pinkie grew more excited with every step, evolving from shifting one side to the other to bouncing with every step, moving on to losing touch with the ground, gravity having less and less of a hold on her. Twilight and Spike were also growing more excited but felt rather firmly attached to the ground; peeking amused to the hyper earth pony, they picked up their pace to keep up with the enthusiastic party mare. Soon the pink mare was bouncing backwards, staring with a wide infectious smile at the others who laughed at the sight of pink mane bouncing towards them.

Turning around once more, Pinkie went faster with a teasing laugh floating behind her. Spike leaned forward against the purple neck and smirked, urging the unicorn to go faster. Twilight, feeling the change of position, smirked back to him before picking up her own pace, leaning forward with a determined figure. The pink earth pony saw this and laughed a little louder, continuing to go faster while still keeping the spring in her steps.

Soon after the challenge was accepted, both mares raced to the fairgrounds, manes flying behind them as a young drake's encouragement resounded in the air.

“Come on Twilight! Faster!” Beaming at the brimming excitement, the unicorn leaned her head almost parallel to the ground and tried to edge past the other. Pinkie laughed as she bounced rings around the duo, proving her speed and enjoyment of the race.

Sliding to a barely controlled stop in front of a large pale-green archway, the lavender unicorn panted with a disbelieving brow raised. Even as she wanted to question her marefriend's true speed, Twilight couldn't recapture enough breath to try to ask anything. Spike hopped down to help relieve some of the weight on the unicorn and stared blankly to the pink earth pony. Scratching his head with a clawed hand, he asked what both wanted to desperately know.

“Pinkie Pie, how did you keep going so fast? Is it an earth pony thing?” The sounds of pants slowly faded into the background as the two librarians watched the pink baker. Pinkie beamed before rubbing a hoof on her chest and glancing into it's 'reflection' with a smug smirk.

“Super Pinkie Pie Secret Numbah 777. A Pinkie never reveals her secrets!” Total silence met these words before all three broke out in laughter, leaning towards the ground as the strength of the joyous noise sapped their ability to stand.

Wiping a joyful tear from her eye, Twilight stood back up and nudged the others with a mirthful chuckle.

“Come on, let's get the fun started.” The lavender unicorn jerked her head to the ticket counter that stood in the center of the archway. The right side was a line of ponies paying to go inside while the left was nearly empty with only a few ponies exiting the carnival with large smiles and multitudes of prizes sitting on their backs.

Pinkie could feel her body tremble in anticipation at the sight of the toys and rushed forward, reaching the ticket pony before Twilight could and paid for all three of them; half-finished declinations came from the lavender mare who raised a disagreeing hoof but was ignored with a friendly smile. Spike glanced between the two mares before resting his gaze on the uneasy unicorn with a shrug. Giving in, Twilight followed with an uneasy shake of her head. It was supposed to be her mission to cheer up Spike afterall, but she could understand her marefriend's need to bring joy to everyone around her. It was a trait that she always enjoyed watching.

Following the bouncing pink tail, they traveled into the crowds that seemed to be aimlessly traveling from one end of the fair to the other. The roller coaster rides were aligned along the wall of the carnival while food, gift and game stands were set up haphazardly around the center. Pinkie made her way by instinct, eyes zipping around and ingesting every sight that they could. Twilight, being unused to the large crowd after all her time in Ponyville, tried to stay close to their guide while keeping a close eye on the young drake beside her. Purple eyes glanced about with wide eyed fascination; she hadn't gone to very many carnivals and it had been years since the last one she visited.

It was with very little surprise that Twilight found herself and the others standing in front of the largest ride available. It rose well over three stories into the air, going into a tight circle with many loops, twists, turns and even moments of when the carts traveled upside down. Twilight got nauseous just watching the cart take eighty degree turns without slowing down; glancing to the side, she sighed in resignation at the sight of two amazed faces shining with pure excitement.

Spike turned to his guardian with both hands clasped under his chin, wide eyes pleading. Pinkie merely beamed at the unicorn from behind the dragon, attention focused solely on the bemused librarian. Twilight sighed, rolling her eyes with a small smirk before waving a hoof for the others to follow her.

“Alright, alright... Let's get on before the line gets too much longer.” Two shouts of joy came after the quiet words. In moments the three friends were at the back of the rapidly decreasing line, watching every cart come to a stop only to fill with more riders before taking off once more. The entire ride didn't last more than a minute but the sheer hair turns made it all the more exciting for the waiting crowd.

When it came time for the three friends to find their seats, it was to their surprise that the carts could only fit two at a time. With barely a glance to Twilight's unsure face, Pinkie pushed the unicorn and dragon into the first cart, setting them down before hopping into the seat right behind them with another mare who seemed uncertain about the hyper mare's enthusiasm.

Twilight couldn't get a word out about the seating arrangements when the carts jerked forward with a loud clunk. Tiny chain link clinking was the only thing the riders heard as they held their breath for the rapid drop that loomed before them. They paused for only a second at the very top, looking out at the carnival for a moment before the carts took that extra length and allowed gravity to pull it forward at almost breakneck speeds. Twilight gripped the handle bars with booth hooves, mouth open in a scream that was soon left behind as they traveled at speeds that a normal pony couldn't reach on their own power. She could hear the distinctive sound of Pinkie's laughter behind her but couldn't focus on it for long as the first of many turns came to them. The riders jerked to the left when they went to the right, g-forces forcing them to squish against one another before leaning into the other direction when a left turn came. Flipping upside down while heading downwards, everyone's mane bent out of shape as the wind rushed by, pushing their faces back as they went into a loop de loop. Gravity continued to propel them forward and into a series of curves that resulted in another moment of flipping upside down before ending in a miniature loop. Coming out of the loop, the carts traveled up a small incline, causing them to lose velocity before coming to a jarring halt on the platform once again.

Spike chuckled breathlessly as the safety bars rose up, releasing the riders from their seats. Looking to the mare at his side, he found Twilight frozen in shock, hooves still in the shape they had on the bars while her mane was sprayed behind her wildly. Mouth open and wide eyed, the unicorn couldn't stop the sudden trembles that racked her frame. Reaching out a single claw, Spike poked her side as most of the other riders stood from their seats.

“Twi-... Twilight..?” The drake coughed lightly as he used his voice for something other than shouting. Poking the unicorn once more as he called her attention, he noticed Pinkie looking back from the corner of his eye. “Twilight? The ride is over now, you can get up...”

The pink mare made her uneasy way over, peeking at the frozen face with a timid smile. “Twilight? My little star? The other ponies would want to have a turn now, you think you could get up?”

Purple eyes finally blinked as their owner slowly moved stiff limbs and shakily stood from the cart. Walking forward as though the ground would disappear from under her, Twilight unsteadily rose from the ride and down the platform, body twitching as she tried to remain upright. Ears that were pushed back from wind slowly turned to lay flat on her skull. The lavender mare drew to a halt at the bottom of the ramp, leaning against the railing provided and stared at the ground intently, trying to get the world to stop spinning. Even as it had been a long time since she went to a fair, it had been longer still since she rode such a wild ride; life as a librarian and student left her unprepared for the nauseating trip.

The dragon and earth pony shared concerned glances, drawing closer to the sick mare and kept their voices low, unwilling to make things worse. Pinkie hadn't realized that the lavender mare had so little experience with fast-paced rides and felt the guilt all the way to her core, hoping to never seeing the sight of a sick Twilight Sparkle again. Spike, due to his enhanced endurance, didn't have as much trouble with the ride and was mildly amused at the reaction of the unicorn's, until he realized that it wasn't going away yet.

“Twilight, are... are you ok?”

“My star, do you want to sit down? Lean on your very own Sweetheart to a nice calming place of calmness?” Two purple ears twitched at the questions and unusually worded suggestion of Pinkie's. Barely standing once more, Twilight turned to the others with a small smile and weak hoof wave.

“I'll be fine... Don't mind me, you guys go for another ride. I'll just sit this one out.” The unicorn tried to assure the others to continue their fun but could see the anxiety in their eyes. Sighing gently, she straightened completely and glanced slowly to the other rides to find the next one that they would enjoy.

Finding that the other members of their little group wouldn't leave without her, Twilight led the way through the crowds to the next roller coaster over. It reached almost as tall as the one they just rode and seemed to have more loops and turns in a tight space. Turning back to her friends, the unicorn noticed with a frown how they focused on her instead and sighed with a small grin. Pushing them with weak hooves, Twilight tried one last time to assure them of her slow recovery.

“I'll be fine. You guys go ahead and have fun, and I'm sure I'll be much better by the time you get back.” Casting another smile to the two, Twilight watched as they waited in line, glancing back to her with worried frowns.

After seeing her recover as they moved ever upwards, the two friends slowly grew more excited; the screams and shouts of amusement and fright helping their own anticipation build. Twilight continued to watch from the ground, bemused smirk in place as she leaned against the rough wood of the railing. It was yet another quick ride, meaning that they made rapid progress up the stairs to the awaiting green carts. The unicorn watched as Pinkie reached over and grabbed both of Spike's arms and thrust them into the air once they were seated, leaning over to encourage him to enjoy every aspect of the ride.

Barely keeping her eyes on the swiftly moving ride, Twilight waved to the two of them when they passed nearby. She was greatly amused and exasperated to find that Pinkie somehow managed to sit up in her seat to wave back properly while Spike clung to the handles with a manic grin on his face at the speeds they were reaching. When the carts came to a stop on the platform once again, Pinkie's mane had been pushed back by the speeds only to poof back into shape as blue eyes crossed in concentration. Spike laughed at the display and led the way down the other side of the ride, picking up his pace when he saw Twilight waiting for them with a wide smile. Rushing down the last few steps, he flung out his arms to grab the waiting mare and smiled brightly up at her.

“Twilight! Twilight! Did you see us, did you see us? I couldn't wave properly but I think Pinkie did!” Spike stared up as he tugged on her fur, Pinkie coming up in a slower fashion but with just as large of a grin. Twilight peeked at the pleased mare before smirking at the dragon before her.

“Yes, I did. It looks like you guys had a lot of fun, did you want to go on another one?” The lavender mare started to wave a hoof to one of the other rides only to be cut off by a sudden leap of the pink mare and shout.

“Sure! This time you and Spike have to go on one together! And I know just the one, come on!” Grabbing a hold of the slightly surprised dragon and unicorn, Pinkie pulled them further in. Watching with unsure eyes, they couldn't do anything but allow themselves to be pulled along, the pink earth pony having a strong grip they hadn't expected.

The three friends quickly came upon the next ride, a tall tower that rose high above the rest of the carnival that had seats along the four sides. Lights flashed in downward arrows. While the group quickly made their way to the ride, Twilight noticed with unease at how the single row of seats slowly climbed to the top only to drop down suddenly, allowing gravity to take over and giving the riders a feeling of weightlessness before slowing to give them a safe landing.

Pink hooves pushed them forward, keeping them in line for the ride. Twilight wasn't sure of the kind of ride (though it did promise to be over very quickly) but Spike couldn't help but watch wide eyed as they inched closer. Within moments, Pinkie had pushed both of them onto adjoining seats before jumping off the platform to cheer for the riders with enthusiastic waves. The ride was a blur for the lavender mare, remembering only a sudden rush of wind that blew her mane back when the riding platform dropped. Shouting along with the others, Twilight gripped the handlebars even as Spike raised his hands as he yelled in excitement.

When they got off the short but thrilling ride, they found Pinkie waiting with a wide grin and a carbonated drink that offered relief to those who got nauseous easily.

“Here you go Twilight! This should help make your poor tummy feel all better!” With a grateful smirk to her marefriend, Twilight levitated the plastic cup to her and took a quick sip, finding the soothing ginger ale settling her stomach. Spike watched curiously until he noticed the brighting of the librarian and smiled happily, pleased to find that she wasn't as badly stunned as she was for the first ride.

Spying a large circular shape that rested towards the middle of the carnival, the young dragon smirked as he saw a chance to give the two mares their moment alone. Taking his own turn to pull on their hooves, he led the way to the ferris wheel without a word. Pinkie went happily, humming as she skipped along while Twilight gazed at the drake with mild confusion. She was delighted to see the young dragon happy and cheerful but wasn't sure of his plan. Trying to find what had caught his attention, she glanced around and had only settled on a small pink booth with a dark pink curtain that covered the opening when a large gasp sounded from her left.

“Twilight, Twilight! We have to get pictures! You two should definitely get some really cute pictures of the two of you!” Pink hooves tugged at purple ones while blues eyes watched the dragon who looked back in surprise.

Before Twilight could completely understand what her marefriend was talking about, Spike saw the photo booth and smiled at the suggestion. Running forward, he found that the photos only cost two bits. Turning back to the lavender unicorn, he waved them forward with a brilliant grin.

“Yeah, come on Twilight! We have to all get pictures!” The two mares walked up only to be pushed in with the drake. Sliding two bits into the tiny slot, the three gazed towards the tiny viewer and didn't expect the flash that came five seconds later.

Being unprepared, Twilight and Spike appeared shocked while Pinkie held both hooves to her face while dropping her mouth open in a large 'o', tilting towards the left and somehow making her face seem squiggly. They recovered from the unexpected photo, the three friends made silly faces before breaking out in laughter for the third photo. Leaning forward and pulling the others close, they group hugged for a moment before smiling warmly to each other for the last one.

With a short click and soft thump, the five photos dropped in the open slot and was pulled into the air, surrounded by a light raspberry. The group smiled at the silly poses and were about to exit when Spike rushed to put two more bits into the machine and jump out. Twilight watched confused for a moment before hearing a small shout from the drake.

“Now it's your turn!”

The two mares turned to face one another with blushes at the sudden photo opportunity but came to their surroundings when the white flash and click came, announcing a single photo being taken. Turning to the viewpoint, they broke out laughing as a muted click sounded once again. Pinkie began to stick her tongue out and waved her hooves, glancing encouragingly to the mare beside her who smirked before trying to make a silly face of her own, grinning maniacally raising both hooves above her head. Laughing once again, they leaned closer for a hug as their fourth picture. With laughter in both of their eyes, Twilight shifted in place and came closer to the mare beside her who blushed at the closeness. Closing the gap in moments, the unicorn brought the earth pony into a sweet kiss for their last picture; Pinkie couldn't hold back her pleased blush at the kiss before pulling away with a joyful smile just in time for the photos dropped down.

Twilight reached out and smiled at the photos. Looking to the pink earth pony, she raised a brow in question while levitating the five pictures.

“Do you have an extra paper so we can make copies?” The lavender pony watched with a bemused smirk, almost completely trusting in her marefriend's odd ability. With a bright grin and nod, Pinkie reached into her mane to bring out a blank paper just in the right size.

A bright flash later and both mares exited the booth with their own copies of the pictures. Spike waited patiently for them with a warm smirk, happy they were able to get a few pictures together. Turning away quickly, he started walking to his targeted ride once more. The mares laughed at his rapid pace and trotted quickly to keep him in sight among the crowd who continued to move without consistent direction.

Twilight found the pale-pink wheel looming up before them and blushed at an old romantic tip she remembered from her advice books.

(Ah yes, riding the ferris wheel with your partner at sunset, one of the more successful dates... I should keep it in mind for... later... Is Spike heading straight for it?)

Spike didn't pause in his travels, coming to the end of the line and standing there with a smug grin. Pinkie had resumed her excited hopping while Twilight blushed even darker. She watched the wheel turn slowly before stopping for a minute for the ponies on the ride to enjoy a moment with their partners. When it was finally their turn, Spike shoved the two mares in the small car and waved smugly when Twilight stared down in confusion.

“Spike? What are-?”

“Don't worry Twilight, I'll get us some food while you guys hang out.” With a final wave to the mares, he turned around and went to the nearest concession stand, bits being pulled out to help with the purchase.

Twilight turned with a deep blush to the pink mare beside her, unsure smile wavering on her face. Pinkie giggled with a bounce, leaning closer to the lavender mare with a content sigh.

“Well! I wasn't expecting for us to get a ride on the most romantic ride they've ever made! Wellll, the tunnel of love is waaay more romantic but a regular ol' carnival wouldn't have that kind of thing! But I rather like it and -”

“Pinkie, it's ok, I like this too. I think we did a good job today, cheering up Spike. He seems a lot happier now... And we get to have this kind of moment to ourselves too.” Twilight leaned back into the warmth beside her and gave Pinkie's cheek a swift peck. With a contented sigh, Pinkie rest her head on the purple mane with a grin, eyes closing as her heart swelled at feeling the librarian underneath her chin.

“You know me Twilight, I always make others smile.” The mares stared out at the view presented to them, the sun starting to fall down towards the mountains to the west. The rolling grasses merged into the mountains, showing the small town to the left and the city on the mountain on the right.

The two mares didn't get the chance to say much else as the wheel jerked back into motion, circling around back to the ground. Waiting with claws full of popcorn and cotton candy, Spike grinned to the two mares who stepped slowly off the ride.

Together, the group went to try some of the games and treats offered. Twilight tried to play the games without her magic in order to make it more fair and only barely managed to actually win anything. Pinkie showed the most ability in the games, winning the young dragon a large sack of gems and a plushie of his favorite superhero, Radiance. The drake flew on with a grateful smile as he constantly tried to thank the pink baker for getting him the toy.

It was much later that evening when they finally started to go back to the tree library. The purple dragon was practically asleep on his feet and had to be tucked in to his bed. Twilight smiled at the tiny grin he wore even in his sleep as she magicked the blanket over his form. As she closed the door behind her, she found a pink bundle of joy waiting for her with a wide smile. Slinging a hoof around lavender shoulders, Pinkie led the unicorn up the stairs.

“Thanks for your help Pinkie Pie... I think Spike really enjoyed today and it helped with what happened yesterday... I had lots of fun too.” Twilight quietly stated as she began to lay down in her bed, the pink baker pulling up beside her.

“No problem Twilight! I'll always be here for you, ready with a smile and a hug!” Pinkie whispered gently to the unicorn who drifted away to the land of dreams. When Twilight's breathing evened out, the pink earth pony reached out and pulled a leather bound book over and opened it to an empty page inside. Moving carefully as to not disturb the sleeping unicorn, Pinkie placed her copy of the photo inside and closed it with a bright smirk.

“Love you my little star...”

XII - A date in the desert

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End of March, 1005 A.D. (After Discord)

The sun beat down the small desert town. There were few clouds in the sky, though this didn't stop any of the ponies in town from going about their business. The townsfolk of Dodge Junction were proud of the local cherry orchard, it was what gave the little community its start. Cherry Jubilee even owned some of the other businesses that complimented the orchard.

It was from these very fields that a small group of friends exited, pleased with their work they've accomplished. They made their way up the dusty path, hoofs making quiet thumps on the ground while they wore pleased smirks. Twilight turned the the mare beside of her and beamed her appreciation.

“You did great Pinkie! That was well focused and now we'll finally find out why Applejack doesn't want to come home.” The lavender mare nudged the pink one with the other three staring on, smirks bright at the behavior of the couple.

“Shucks Twilight, it was easy! The best way to get through thick skulls is constantly repeating the same thing over and over, makes a drill of sounds straight through their noggin.” Pinkie blushed at the praise, glancing away for a moment before hopping back to her mare's side. Giving a swift nuzzle under Twilight's chin, Pinkie reached out and grabbed her hoof to pull her forward, hopping the entire way. “Come on Twilight! Applejack said she'd tell us at breakfast and that's 20 hours from now! We have WAY too much time on our hooves, so what better way to spend it all then a TOUR! I totally know where everything is, you'll be a native in no time!”

Glancing to the other mares, Twilight raised a questioning brow. Finding that they didn't mind the sudden date like atmosphere, the lavender unicorn allowed herself to be dragged away, hooves almost tripping as they tried to match the hyper pace. The remaining mares smirked at the doting couple and waved an almost sarcastic hoof goodbye before continuing their slower pace back into town.

The two mares almost ran back into the desert town, wide smiles on their muzzles. Twilight watched the hyper mare as she began to animatedly talk about each of the buildings that they were starting to pass. The cotton candy mane bounced with every step even as Pinkie kept a tight grip on the unicorn's hoof. They quickly made their way through town, each building having a minute's worth of details before Twilight was dragged off once again. She didn't mind this however, since she could see how much Pinkie cared about making sure she had a good time.

“... And over here is the Sweet Spot Bakery! It's where I came up with the idea for the chimmycherrychanga when I first came here! They have really good cherries, but that makes sense since they're right next to a cherry farm! And over HERE is the performance center, where they hold all sorts of plays and music stuff that's totally cool to watch! Like this one time, in A Cappella -” Pinkie peeked from the corner of her eye and did a rapid double take at the bemused smirk on the unicorn's muzzle. Drawing to a sudden halt, pausing in the air mid-hop while staring at the librarian beside her.

Twilight tilted her head at this sudden lack of movement but kept the smile, which only grew when the pink baker floated down to the ground with a sheepish grin. She scuffed her hoof along the ground even as she kept a hold on the mare beside her.

“Something the matter Pinkie Sweetheart?” The lavender mare leaned towards the pink earth pony, not letting go but trying to catch sky-blue eyes that were glued to the ground. Pinkie wore a blush but pressed against the other mare before looking her straight in the eye once more.

“Nope! Would you want to go find a nice place to eat? They got some really neat meals here... There's this place called the Oasis, which is odd because it's more than just water and grass there, but it's pretty good!” The baker beamed when she saw the agreeing nod and stayed close to the ground as the two continued forward.

She hummed a little tune that came to mind suddenly and bounced her head in time with it, mane springing back and forth as they walked. Twilight tried to identify the tune but couldn't place it, soon coming to assume that it was one the pink earth pony made up on the spot. It was an upbeat tune, with rapid notes that rose and fell just as suddenly, skipping every other at times before running through them once more. Flicking an ear to capture more of the sound, Twilight tried to hum along only to find that as soon as she caught it, the song would shift and pick up or slow down, losing her in its notes and rhythm. With a short chuckle, the lavender unicorn pressed into a pink side and nosed the part of Pinkie's skull right behind her ears.

“You always seem to make all this music and change it however you want... How do you do it?” Twilight peered with interest to her marefriend, eyes lighting up at finding out more of the mysterious mare. The baker waved a bashful hoof while she grinned, knowing that the answer wouldn't help but having no other explanation.

“I've always been able to do that. It's like, I'll hear something and that would remind me of something else and then after being reminded by like, five other things, then I'll just have to hum about it!” Pinkie beamed at the mare beside her who sighed resignedly. Giving her head a bemused shake, Twilight waved a hoof forward as she smiled to the baker.

“Alright Pinkie, why don't we go for that lunch now?” A pink hoof recaptured lavender as the two mares set off once more.

The main road had little traffic as the middle of the day drew closer, as well as the harsher heat that would accompany it. Finding themselves in need of cool shade, Pinkie pulled Twilight to the restaurant, a two storied building with large sign on the front, depicting two dancing ponies. Stepping inside with grateful sighs at the cooler air, Pinkie made the unicorn sit at a table near the wall. Twilight watched with a single amused brow raised and half-smirk at the hyper motions. Pinkie took a single leap to sit in the chair across from her and grinned while a waiter came for their order.

Willing to try some of the local delicacies, the two mares ordered the house special. In moments two bowls of cherry yogurt and fried hay-strips were set before them. Sharing a quick grin, the two started to eat, saving most of the yogurt for the end to fight off the growing heat. Twilight was happy to find that Pinkie seemed content to have lunch, her thoughts elsewhere. After another five minutes of quiet humming from the pink baker, Twilight looked at her with a pensive frown.

“Pinkie Pie? Is everything alright?”

“Hmmm? Oh you betcha! Just trying to think of the next awesome thing for us to do! There's no movies, plays, not a lot a lot of stores, we're already eating, and we've seen a lot of the cherry stuff around here...” The pink mare tapped her chin while the lavender one smirked as she relaxed in place. With a shake of her head, Twilight took a peek of their surroundings and noticed the mountains and hills just outside. Brightening as the idea came to her, the librarian smiled to the mare in front of her who continued to muse about activities they could do.

“What about a nice little hike? We can stay to the shade and take lots of water, perhaps even a picnic-”

“That's a great idea Twilight! I'll get all the food and you plan the hike! We're going all day long!!” Pinkie leapt up from her seat and landed in front of the waiter, pulling out the exact number of bits and flipping her nose to have them land perfectly in the only pocket on his apron. Without another word, the pink earth pony rushed out the door.

Twilight blinked in a daze after the speeding pony before waving shyly to the other customers who stared wide-eyed to the lavender unicorn. Standing up with a small blush, the unicorn quickly trotted out with flattened ears, amused and bemused in equal parts. She glanced around the town and found the general store Rainbow had used to get all the candy for their 'torture-Applejack-into-talking' plan. Shaking her head at how much candy Pinkie had eaten and somehow burned off within only two hours, Twilight bought several canisters of water for their trip. Teleporting her bit bag from her motel room, she pulled out the required amount and gave a brief smile to the mare at the register before taking the bags of water and leaving, turning her head to each side as she tried to locate the pink mare.

Just after she finished casting her gaze around the town, she looked directly in front of her to find Pinkie wait there with a large smile and a giant wicker basket on her back with red and white table cloth covering the opening. Giving a startled jump backwards, Twilight smirked as she held a hoof to her chest, not having expected to find her marefriend so close by.

“Hey Twilight! You got the water? Let's go go go!” Pinkie wasted no time as she high stepped next to the lavender mare. They quickly traveled down the main street until they came to the point closest to the mountains, on the edge of town between the train station and first few houses.

“I think we have everything we'd need... Perhaps we should leave a message with someone in case they need to find us?” Twilight peeked back to town where no one seemed to notice or care about the two mares who were about to embark on an adventurous hike. Pinkie tilted her head before straightening with a wide smile.

Zipping off only to arrive back with hooffuls of stones (with the basket still on her back), Pinkie started to lay out the rocks in a message. Finding that she didn't have enough, she zoomed back out for more, leaving Twilight to stare in mystification at the actions. She watched as the 'message' continued to grow without disturbing the meal on the pink back and shook her head indulgently when Pinkie stood back to examine her hoofwork. Stepping up beside the hyperactive mare, Twilight glanced down and snorted back her laughter at the message.

Please don't disturb because we're off to have a romantic picnic and lots of cuddles! You wouldn't want YOUR cuddle time interrupted right? Okie dokie lokie, if you need us leave a message, I'm sure there's more rocks around for you to use! -Pinkie Pie and her Little Star

“Whaddya think Twilight? Did I run out of characters?” Pinkie tilted her head as she pensively stared at her message, a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth as she peeked at the giggly unicorn beside her.

“Oh, uhm, no, you should be fine. Come on, we should get an early start on those cuddles.” Twilight could barely hold back the laughter in her voice at the very straight forward wants of the earth pony and smirked as a very hastily made plan began to form in her mind.

(So she wants to cuddle huh? I think it's finally time to try out advise from 'Spicing up your date night'... Let's see, keep eyes at half-mast and speak in lower voice... Move slowly with smooth movements... What else did it say...?)

The lavender unicorn was so focused on her planning that she didn't fully watch where they were going and stayed silent as they traveled up the slope of the nearest mountain. Pinkie would point with one hoof to a feature, sight, plant, rock and anything with color in excitement, hopping around her marefriend with a large grin. She tried any and all distractions to get the studious mare to come back from her inner mind and furrowed her brows when it didn't seem to work. Glancing about them, the pink baker brightened, her colors shining further as she saw the one thing that was sure to gain Twilight's attention. Leading the way once more, she bounced the basket off her back and watched with barely controlled glee as it tipped forward, spilling its contents to land precisely in place; the blanket unfurled and floated to the ground, soon to have the picnic basket land with a soft thump on top. Glancing back to the unicorn, Pinkie dramatically sighed and pulled her marefriend forward towards the edge of the plateau she had found for the two of them.

Trying to find the perfect position for the unicorn to stand in, the earth pony poked, prodded, shifted and constantly checked to be sure that Twilight would have the full view of the land below them. It was as she kept finding more and more ticklish spots on Twilight's body that the librarian came back from her list and plan making, swatting at the prodding hooves that threatened giggles. Starting to smile as she came back from her thoughts, the unicorn paused as she realized the change in scenery.

Blinking in surprise, Twilight stared as her mouth opened in awe. Ears forward to catch the sounds of wind and other natural noises around her, she turned her head slowly to take in the sight as her mind berated her for losing track of her surroundings as they hiked.

The valley opened up before them, mountains encircling the one side of the little town. The train tracks wove in between mountains to trail up to the settlement, almost as though someone took a pencil and drew a line through the landscape. The vast sea of sand stretched for miles with a forest of small cherry trees merged into a larger regular woods to the right of the mountain range. Parallel to the mountains, far in the distance, ran a sliver of blue; a river that came from one set of forests to the far west to disappear into the one that lay behind the small town to the east. They were so high up that the citizens of Dodge Junction looked no bigger than ants, traveling around the toy sized buildings. The mountains, when Twilight started to turn in spot to look, were mostly bare of greenery until it got closer to either forest on its sides. Trailing her eyes further down the rocky peaks, the unicorn could barely make out the red dots of apples on the forest that sprung up to the far west, at the end of the mountains. The sky was clear all the way around, with only small bits of cloud here and there to break the monotony of pale-blue. The sun was almost directly overhead, time slowly moving on as it started to edge past the middle of the day.

Looking behind her, Twilight found that Pinkie had already set up the picnic as well; laying the cloth onto the ground and having the basket be on the corner so they could rest in the middle. Glancing at the anxious pink form beside her, the unicorn decided to make up for her distraction on their hike.

(I'm sorry for being so distracted Pinkie, but I'll make it up to you. Time to start 'more than cuddling'!)

Pinkie tried to keep a grin as she watched Twilight soak in the sights, staying in place while the unicorn turned to look at their picnic. When the lavender mare stood still for a second more after viewing the scenery, she began to edge forward only to pause when she heard the soft velvety voice of her mare.

“I'm sorry that I missed the view coming up here Pinkie...” Twilight slowly turned her head, trying to keep her eyes half-closed even as she peeked to see Pinkie's reaction. “But at least I get to see an even greater view everyday...”

The pink baker tilted her head to the left, trying to understand what was causing the slow-motion motion from the unicorn. Tapping a hoof to her chin, she tried to think of anything they had for lunch that would cause her to be so sleepy. Twilight blinked when the earth pony showed no reaction to her first attempt and tried again, moving her hooves slowly to bring her closer while keeping her head slightly lowered.

“We could find a different kind of fun way to spend the afternoon...” The unicorn stopped a foot away from the other mare, unsure if she should move on to rubbing against Pinkie to show what she meant. The pink mare continued to frown thoughtfully at the other, mind trying to understand the hidden meaning she could sense was there.

“You mean like playing games? What kind of games? Did you make up your own instead?” Twilight froze at her marefriend's words, mentally face-hoofing herself as her attempts of subtlety went misunderstood. Rapidly thinking of a different tactic, the lavender mare slid up to stand closely to the pink pony, muzzle near Pinkie's ear as she tried to keep her voice low.

“We could always go for some new kind of cuddling...” Staring with a shaky grin, Twilight hoped that Pinkie would start to understand. This more straightforward tactic did work, for the party mare now understood what was happening and held back a giggle at the first few attempts.

Finding that she had Pinkie's full attention, Twilight pulled at her leg with a hoof wrapped around it, drawing her to the center of their picnic. Pinkie watched in fascination as Twilight swatted at the earth pony with her tail and walked away only to freeze in confusion before turning back around and slowly trying to walk 'seductively' to her marefriend.

“I'm sure you taste as sweet as any baked treat... Uh, wh-why don't we find out for sure?” Twilight tried to think of any of the 'sexy' lines she memorized only to have her mind go blank at the warm blue eyes gazing back at her. Blinking rapidly to free herself from the hypnotizing stare, she tried to turn it into a saucy eye fluttering only to rear back when the wind picked up and actually sent some dirt and sand into her eyes.

Pinkie held back more laughter as she took a step forward, reaching a comforting hoof up to help rub the invading force out of purple eyes. When Twilight was able to see again, she found herself nose to nose with the pink earth pony and could only stare into sky-blue eyes with her mouth open slightly in a daze. The gears in her mind tried to function once more but could only turn in spot, making it hard for the unicorn to restart her thinking process. Pinkie saw this with a twinkling giggle, moving forward speedily to place a small kiss on the purple muzzle. Pulling back, she saw that this helped restart Twilight's thoughts and watched with great amusement as a blush settled across the purple snout.

“Thanks Pinkie... I, uh, should reward you for the help.” Twilight leaned forward with eyes at half-mast only to find that Pinkie sat up straighter with a large grin.

“There's no need to thank me Twilight! I love making friends smile and that goes super triple double for my one and only special somepony!” Pinkie nodded solemnly for a moment before opening both eyes to stare at the deadpan from the unicorn with amusement in her eyes. Twilight closed her eyes as she took a steadying breath before clenching them tighter as she propelled forward, pushing the pink mare backwards onto the blanket.

Twilight stood over the earth pony and tried to smile in a seductive manner before bending her neck to nose at the mare below her. Starting from behind pink ears and traveling south, pausing every so often to press her nose into the sweet smelling fur, Twilight smiled as she felt her marefriend shiver beneath her. Focusing on her task of trying to be sensual, she didn't see the hoof that reached up to cover a pink muzzle to stifle the giggles Pinkie was suffering from. Reaching further down the pink form, Twilight nuzzled Pinkie's chest only to find that the pink mare shook even worse. Pulling her nose upwards as she stared curiously to the party mare's face, Pinkie couldn't hold back any more and burst into laughter. Turning on to her side under the lavender mare, Pinkie laughed so hard tears started to appear at the corner of her tightly closed eyes.

Staring with a bewildered frown, Twilight remained over top of the earth pony, unsure of the reaction. She watched with a tiny frown, not moving an inch as she tried to understand why the baker was laughing like that. Pinkie slowly managed to control the laughter and turned to face her marefriend with mirth in her eyes. Reaching hoof up to the purple mane, she gave it a good mussing as she explained.

“Oh Twilight, that really tickled!” Pecking the unicorn on the nose before leaning back into the ground once again, Pinkie smiled contently while keeping an eye out for the reaction.

“Tickled...? I was trying to...” Twilight couldn't move from her spot as she tried to figure out how it came across as ticklish. When her mind could come up with no explanation, she gazed pleadingly to the pink mare who smiled widely before reaching up and showing just what she meant.

The unicorn could barely stand upright when faced with such a teasing torture. The pink nose seemed to find all the spots that caused various forms of laughter and it shook her frame as she tried to stay silent. After another moment of nosing her way through different tickle spots though, Pinkie smirked in triumph when Twilight fell over in giggles.

“Oh-hahaha-kay! Okay-ha-heheheh...! So maybe, that plan didn't work so well...” Twilight held both fore-hooves over her chest to stop the barrage of tickling as she tried to regain her breath after the attack. Pinkie smirked as she leaned over the lavender form, resting fore-hooves on either side of Twilight while her hind parts laid on the ground beside the unicorn.

“It was a good try though, my little star! You just need a little more practice and the right timing! Sometimes it needs the right build up and setting.” Pinkie smiled at the unicorn, taking in the rosy cheeks and laughing eyes below her. The smile lessened as darkness started to over come the laughter in purple eyes. Tilting her head in concern, the pink mare pressed closer to the lavender unicorn, worry building when purple hooves uncurled from their place and wrapped around a pink barrel.

“Twilight? Twilight, what's wrong? It was a good try! You just need to find the other spots that aren't so ticklish!”

“It's not that Sweetheart... I just... I was trying something like this when our friends need us to help get our circle back together...” Twilight brought her face to rest against the comforting form, eyes tightly closed as her heart clenched.

Pinkie laid down and wrapped her own hooves around the uneasy mare, nuzzling the top of her head. Not fully understanding why Twilight got so worried suddenly but wanting to cheer up the saddened mare, the pink earth pony rubbed the purple back while keeping her voice light.

“It'll be ok Twilight, you'll see! Nopony breaks a Pinkie Promise and then we'll be back home with everything just like before! Besides, we'll always have our friends, no one just stops being friends with others unless they're fighting and I know the perfect way to stop fighting!” Pinkie paused in her borderline hyperactive speech and glanced at the mare in her hooves, finding a small smile working its way across her muzzle. Taking it to be a good sign, the pink pony continued while keeping her words at a normal pace. “And you'll always have me. I'll never ever ever ever ever leave you my little star. That's four 'ever's. You best count them, cause I'll be with you forever.”

The lavender unicorn couldn't hold back her pleased smile, knowing that the party mare's heart was in the right place. The assurances did help, especially knowing that it was unlikely that they would break up. Rubbing her nose into the pink chest, Twilight gave a content sigh before pecking the fur before her, only to have a giggle escape at the touch from the target. Sighing once more at her lack of seductive powers, the librarian pulled back and smiled at the earth pony.

“Yes. We'll always have our friends and each other. Now let's get started on that picnic.” Twilight's smirk grew at the chipper 'yay' from the party mare who hopped up to pull the basket over and displayed all the baked goods she brought for them.

The two mares were soon having an early supper, watching the scene before them while sharing food. There were times when Twilight would levitate a cupcake for the two of them to share, and then there were times that Pinkie would take something and hold it out on a hoof, making it so they would have to be close to one another to enjoy the treat. With such tactics to make the meal all the more romantic, it was soon edging towards evening when it was finally finished. Sharing one last nose rub, the two mares laid side by side, watching the sun slowly sink into the west. When the moon slowly edged it's way into the foreground, they turned to watching the stars as they came into view.

It was when Twilight shivered as the night air dropped to cooler temperatures that they decided to call it a night. Keeping close to the chilled unicorn, Pinkie watched with wide eyes as Twilight cleaned the area with a small spell, ending when the basket with blanket came to a rest on her back. With a warm grin to the earth pony, the lavender mare nudged her along. The return trip took just as little of time as when they first set out, and found that nopony left them a message below the one Pinkie made. Twilight watched with a bemused smirk as Pinkie rapidly replaced the rocks she had used before standing close to the unicorn once more. With a shake of her head and peck to a pink cheek, Twilight started to walk once more to the hotel they were using to stay at while trying to get Applejack to confess.

They walked up to the large red building on the edge of town. Inside was pale-cream themed walls with bright red-brown furniture that helped to give it a country feel that only orchard-folk could make, yet it had its own style of elegance. Trotting confidently past the mare at the reception desk, they returned to the room they shared and settled into one of the two beds inside. Placing the basket over into a corner, Twilight glanced over to find Pinkie was already on the bed with a wide grin. She could see how much control that it was taking the hyper mare not to test out the bed's bounce-ability and quickly joined her before the impulse became too much. Pulling the covers up to their necks, Twilight turned in place to wrap her hooves around the other mare and pulled her close. Pinkie continued to grin as she watched the lavender mare fall asleep slowly and ran a single hoof through the purple mane.

“Don't you worry Twilight, I'll always always be here for you. And I'd do anything to make you smile...” Pinkie drifted off into her own slumber as she made her vow, hooves tightening over the mare beside her. At the sound of the baker's voice, Twilight smiled in her sleep, body and mind reacting even without her conscious input.

The next morning, Twilight woke up slowly, stretching her limbs to the head and bottom of the bed with a satisfied smirk on her face. A light giggle drew her attention and she opened a single eye blearily to find two sky-blue ones looking back with adoration shining in them.

“Goooood morning my little star! You look really cute with bedhead sleepyhead!” Pinkie chirped quietly, leaning forward to nuzzle noses with her mare who smiled back sleepily as she closed her eyes.

“Hmmm, yes, it is morning... But it can't be that late, I would have noticed the time...” Twilight's mind slowly came back from the land of dreams. Even as she rested in place with eyes closed, her mind started processing all the various information coming from her other senses; the smell of cherries and of baked goods, the sound of birds chirping, the warmth of the mare beside her and the blanket on them. It was as she gave a sigh of contentment that Pinkie felt the need to giggle as she hugged the unicorn.

“Nope! Not very late at all because we have to go and get breakfast!!!” With this declaration hanging in the air, she bounced into the bed to rebound into the air, pulling both sources of warmth from the lavender mare. Twilight groaned at this action before swinging tiredly from the bed and watched with sleep-gummed up eyes as the pink earth pony hopped around the room, cheering about the positive aspects of breakfast. The unicorn smirked while she stepped over to the dresser, levitating the hair brush resting there and proceeded to clean up before facing the day.

“... and we'll need lots and lots of energy food because of all the fun we had yesterday and make sure everyone is wide awake for when Applejack tells us what's going on!!!” At this last statement, the lavender pony turned her focus to the hyper mare, who stopped jumping around the room to land in front of the door, anxious to start the day.

“That's right, Applejack has to explain herself at breakfast this morning. We better get going, wouldn't want to be late.” With a final brush of her mane, Twilight exited the room with Pinkie close behind, coming across Rarity and Fluttershy who exited from their shared room across the hall.

Giving the others a brief good morning, they found Rainbow Dash had come from her cloud bed outside. Finding no reason to keep the suspense going for any longer, Twilight led the way to the cherry orchard on the eastern edge of town. They had found that Applejack was staying in the cherry-themed barn while she was working for Cherry Jubilee and wasted no time in heading inside. Smirking at Pinkie's attempt at assuring Rainbow Dash of the power of Pinkie Promises, Twilight knocked on the door that held their missing friend. Becoming too excited to wait for the lavender mare to head inside completely, Pinkie hopped to the front and pushed forward with a large grin. Twilight was bemused by this action only for a second before a frown started to make its way across her muzzle.

“Good morning Applejack, you ready for break-” The hyper mare froze for a moment, shock flashing across her face as her eyes took in the empty room before her. Pupils shrinking as she gasped loudly, Pinkie bit her lip to try and hold back for a moment, causing the others to share anxious glances and edge back. The pink mare leaned forward, anger building up like boiled water as she continued to hold back her frustration while her entire frame seemed to turn apple red. With an almost audible snap, she stood straighter once more as steam poured out of her ears, eyes glowing in fury while her mane floated upwards. “OOOOOOHHHH! Nopony breaks a Pinkie Promise!”

The rest of the friends couldn't move as the furious earth pony hovered off the ground as she shouted. After she zipped off, the others shared concerned glances at the actions before running out as well. No one had seen what happened when someone actually broke a Pinkie Promise and the drastic reaction of Pinkie's wasn't assuring them of a positive kind of party. Quickly chasing the raging mare, the group couldn't help but think of how serious the promise actually was.

Twilight ran ahead of the others, the only one willing to be close to the extremely furious mare, frowning in worry. She had never seen Pinkie get this mad before and didn't like it. The issue with the missing farm mare aside, her thoughts focused almost entirely on her marefriend.

(I've never seen her this mad... Actually, I don't think I've ever seen her mad before! This is definitely not a good sign and I have to fix it somehow... It's just not natural.)

They followed the earth pony as she raced outside, instinct guiding her to where the orange farmer was. They raced down the main road, trying to find their missing friend when Pinkie zeroed in on the apple farmer and shouted across the street, reaching her red face forward with a deep frown and eyes blazing with anger.

“APPLEJACK! YOU PINKIE PROMISED!” The four mares tried not to flinch when the raging party mare shouted at the blonde mare waiting at the train station. The usually-apple farmer panicked and dashed to a nearby stagecoach.

“Applejack, come back here!” Pinkie Pie started to pull away from the others, anger at a broken promise prompting her to tap into her full speed. Watching with wide eyes, Twilight realized the pink earth pony would soon leave them in the dust and shouted for the group to stick together. The furious mare barely kept the request in mind (even if it was from the mare of her heart) and stayed just barely ahead of the others who tried to run full tilt after her. Spotting the blonde farm pony grabbing a ride with four stallions, the cyan pegasus also started to pull away while Pinkie glanced back to her marefriend.

“She's gonna get away!” The usually chipper mare whined to the lavender unicorn as they ran, dust flying from their hooves as they sped onward. Pulling to a stop in order to get a proper glance about them, Twilight spied their one hope to catch up.

“Oh no she won't, look girls!” Pointing with a lavender hoof, they found a small two harness cart with large empty back, the perfect vehicle for a desert chase. The two pegasi leapt to hook themselves on to the two harnesses available while the others jumped into the cart. Twilight tried to keep half an eye on the furious pink mare beside her and the other on the runaway orange one ahead of them. With a concerned frown, the librarian braced herself for the ride.

(Pinkie... I know friends are important and we would really miss Applejack if she did go away... But I don't like this 'new' Pinkie we have instead. Do I get my old Pinkie back when we get Applejack back...?)

Any attempt at questioning the angry baker was lost as a dust cloud formed behind the five friends. All eyes were focused on a light brown stagecoach that raced ahead of them, and it was with great determination that Rainbow Dash led the way to get along side of it. The cart bounced as they went, the senery blurring behind them due to their speed. Wind pressed their ears against their heads and blocked most sounds, though some shouts were able to make it through. Once they were able to maintain their place right next to the coach, Pinkie jumped with barely a thought, to the dismay of the lavender unicorn left behind. Twilight watched with worried eyes as Pinkie leaned closer to the farmer with a frown, a sight so unusual and unnatural that it truly rammed home just how bad the situation had gotten.

“Applejack, you broke your Pinkie Promise! Apologize.” Applejack jumped in place when she heard the furious tone beside her and frowned. She was unwilling to let Pinkie to dominate the conversation and guilt her into explaining, leaning back towards the baker as she too shouted to be heard over the raging winds. Due to the loudness each mare was willing to reach, the pursuing group were barely able to make out what was said; not that they liked how the conversation was going anyways.

“Pinkie, Ah did NOT break my promise!” The orange earth pony frowned while her short denial threw the party mare for a loop. Those back in the cart shared confused glances before turning their attention back to the two earth ponies on the stagecoach, where Pinkie was losing her edge at the confusing turn of events.

“Wha-?”

“If y'all recon back, Ah told ya that Ah'd tell ya everythin' AT breakfast. But Ah didn't come to breakfast; Ah couldn't come to breakfast. Not if it meant telling y'all what happened.” The others frowned in wonder while they stayed close to the large coach.

While Applejack had found a loophole in her promise, it didn't sit right with any of them since she usually acted with straight integrity. Twilight's eyes twitched between the two, not liking the utter confusion her marefriend now tried to contend with.

“Well, I- I'd-I'd...” The hyper baker was flustered as she rode the large coach, eyes searching to find some kind of reasonable comment. In all her years of a friend-maker and partier, no one had managed to not really but kind of did break a promise before; this fact shook her to the core, leaving her unsure of any previous promises she or others made.

“Ah'm sorry Pinkie but Ah can't tell y'all the truth; Ah just can't!” Applejack clenched her eyes, unable to withstand seeing the dejected face of the usually chipper mare. It tore at her heart to do this to her close friends, but she couldn't bring herself to tell the truth.

Pinkie watched this with a pensive frown, tilting her head as her mind ran at a mile a minute (though faster since she only had a few seconds). Flashing on to the two unicorns who were waiting below, she smiled for barely a second before sticking her nose in the air.

“I heard a sorry in there, so that'll have to do for now. I'll get a real apology later. Rarity catch me!” The pink earth pony dropped from the coach and aimed specifically for the gray-white unicorn. She peeked from under her eyelids and saw with a triumphant burst of joy as Applejack watched with a wide-eyed stare, concern for the two falling off the cart.

Twilight's heart stopped at the sight of the falling pink form. Eyes widened in fear as time slowed down, her mind unable to process what the pink baker had shouted before both her and Rarity were missing from the cart. Turning around, the remaining unicorn leaned forward with desperation lacing her voice.

“Rainbow, go back!” A single cyan ear flicked back to the shout while Dash continued to run, shaking her head briefly. Twilight's heart sank at the motion and she could only stare open-mouthed at the pegasus.

“No time! They knew what they were getting into!” Rainbow shouted before leaning down, pulling forward as she kept a close watch on the stagecoach ahead of them. Twilight gulped nervously before frowning in concentration, wanting to get this 'adventure' over with and be with her marefriend once again.

“Applejack... We can always find a way to fix the hole in the roof. But if you never come back, we'll never find a way to fix the hole in our hearts.” Fluttershy quietly stated as she nuzzled the orange farmer. She closed her eyes as she tried to assure the stetson wearing mare, while Twilight joined in with a warm smile. It was nice to finally get to the bottom of things and know that their adventure was over. Hearing a sniffle from above, the three ponies looked up to find Rainbow with both hooves crossed as she tried to subtly wipe away a tear.

“Darn it, now you got me acting all sappy!” Smiling indulgently to the cyan mare's excuse, the three friends resumed their hug only to find that Rainbow dropped down to join them. Twilight tried to keep the frown from her face as she felt her heart pinch, missing the scent of vanilla and frosting that usually came with hugs.

Breaking apart once more, the four friends shared pleased grins while Applejack's turned more sheepish than the others. Twilight tried to focus on the farm pony and noticed when green eyes shifted to the side to find the wooden cart they had been using to chase her with. Giving a light sniff to clear her nose, Applejack jerked her head to the vehicle as the others stared curiously.

“Why don't y'all hop in an' Ah take us home?” The three other mares shared unsure glances before turning back to the earth pony, unsure of the what she meant by 'home'.

“All the way back to Ponyville? Isn't that really far? Why don't we head back to Doge Junction and catch the next train instead?” Twilight pointed to the east, where Dodge Junction was. She tried not to sound too desperate, wanting to find her marefriend and their newly missing friend. It was with a pleased sigh that Twilight saw Applejack's acceptance to the suggestion.

“Ah guess that works too. Hop in!” The orange mare didn't wait for any further comment and hooked herself to the harness, barely struggling with the buckles that held it in place. Twilight and Fluttershy were quick to step inside, wanting to head towards any kind of civilization after such a race through the desert. While they settled in place, they glanced upward to find the cyan mare still in the air. Tilting their heads in curiosity, they managed to convey their question silently.

“What? I had enough running and staying on the ground, I need to stretch my wings properly. I'll follow along easily.” Accepting Rainbow's excuse, Applejack nodded briskly before tugging on the leather straps, digging into the ground solidly to be able to pull without effort after a few steps. The two mares who sat in the cart remained silent, seeing no reason to argue with the brash mare and watched the landscape slowly reverse as they returned to the town.

Once they arrived, the group wasted no time in getting a train ticket back home; now that everything was resolved, Applejack felt the pinch of homesickness. The others said nothing and merely smiled as the apple farmer stuck her head out of the train to watch the scenery change from yellow of sand to the green of growing grass. Twilight briefly smirked at the sight before drawing into a frown once more, her thoughts on another mare who would stick her head playfully out the window.

“Twilight, what about Rarity and Pinkie Pie?” The quiet question drew the attention of two sets of ears; while Rainbow seemed to frown out the window, Applejack and Twilight turned in their seats to face the canary mare. The lavender mare shifted in place, trying to keep neutral and not over fret.

“I'm sure they'll be fine. They were close to the train tracks and we hadn't gotten too far from the town... And Pinkie does have her ways, they will manage to get back just fine...” The others could hear the unease in the unicorn's voice and nodded rapidly to help assure her. Finding that Twilight was barely holding it together and she soon found herself the target of a group hug, Dash having come back from her thoughts to join in with a hesitant pat at the end.

Feeling the pat and warm hug, the lavender mare tried to take in the warmth she felt and took a deep steadying breath. Giving one last squeeze to those giving the hug, Twilight pulled back with a small smirk. The four mares resettled in the train car, each lost in their thoughts. The studious unicorn began to make excessive lists, acting as though nothing was wrong and cataloging everything that they would have to do once they were back in Ponyville. Starting with a short letter sent magically back home. It was easier to teleport a tiny scroll than full grown mares, and Twilight nodded briskly once it was sent to her awaiting assistant.

(I suppose it was a good thing Spike stayed behind; he should be able to send the letter on to the Apples so they won't worry as much about us... We'll need a different way to pay for the roof... Perhaps a donation drive. We'd need a location for the event, music, collection bowls... I'm sure Pinkie would be willing to help... Why did she ask Rarity to catch her? I would have caught her, my magic is strong enough for something like that. As a matter of fact, why didn't I use my magic?! I had it, she was right there... I could have prevented this from even happening... What a 'great' marefriend I am.)

It was with this somber thought that Twilight spent the rest of the trip in a daze, eyes unfocused as they looked out the window. When the train pulled into the small town station, she couldn't help smile at the excited greeting that awaited Applejack. The farmer's family bounced on her and left her under a large pony-pile of Apples. Deftly walking around the farming family, Twilight took a seat on the edge of the platform, face turned to the east where the set of tracks raced to while her mind turned blank, unable to form any other plans without her number one party planner at her side. A shrill question sounded from behind her, pulling the mare from her thoughts as she looked to its source.

“Where's Rarity? And where's Pinkie Pie?” Sweetie Belle stared up to the orange mare's face, concern and worry etched in her face. The mares shared uneasy glances, the weight of the missing friends resting on their shoulders and making them slump in place. Giving a gentle sigh, Applejack was the one to step closer to the young unicorn and place a comforting hoof on her pale-gray shoulder.

“Rarity and Pinkie got separated when they were... followin' after me. They're comin' too, but it'll just be ah bit longer. Don't ya worry none, Ah'm gonnah be right here waitin' fer them. Did-did ya want tah wait with me?” Applejack gazed uncertainly to the young filly, watching for the response with a tense frame. Upon seeing Sweetie Belle's nod, the farm pony relaxed and gave her a swift pat, holding back her strength to make it a reassuring kind. Together they turned in place to join Twilight on the edge of the platform, gazing out to the east. The two other Cutie Mark Crusaders soon joined them, remaining silent as they sat near the other member.

Once Twilight turned her attention back to waiting for her marefriend and the last member of their little group, she barely noticed when the two pegasi joined those waiting as well, her mind and focus almost solely on searching for another train to arrive or some kind of sign. When two small specks came slowly into sight, Twilight frantically thought for a moment before remembering the binoculars she had at home. Standing briefly with a glance to the center of town, she noticed a spot of purple and green that had came and joined the waiting group. With a small smile, Spike passed over the binoculars. Giving a grateful smile to the drake, Twilight gave him a half hug before taking the viewing tool to turn back to the two slowly growing spots. Focusing the glasses with magic, a lump rose in her throat when she was able to make out pink and gray-white.

The lavender unicorn was barely able to stay still, feet tapping impatiently as the two pony cart pulled up. Pinkie wore a wide grin while her back was covered in dust, turning it to a light sandy color while little green spots showed where cacti rested. Beside her was Rarity, hair beragged with bits of cacti sticking from it and almost as sand covered, eyes twitching slightly. The two mares were soon swamped as they stepped on to the platform. When Twilight came near the pink mare, she was soon the receiver of a strong full body tackle hug. Falling back on to her haunches with a hoof around the pink barrel, Twilight chuckled at the enthusiasm and buried her face into the fluffy mane, body releasing its tension as the scent of the baker wafted through the air. Breaking apart enough to gaze at one another with smitten eyes, Pinkie reached forward and pecked at Twilight's lips, a joyous grin on her face.

“Honey, I'm home!” Blue eyes sparkled at the bemused smirk that greeted her words. The unicorn met these words by resting her forehead against the other's, eyes closing briefly.

“Yes... I'm sorry we couldn't go back for you. Rainbow was insistent about you knowing -”

“Knowing what we were getting into, yepperonie! I knew that Applejack wouldn't really want to talk about why she couldn't come back unless Rarity wasn't there.” Pinkie pulled on the lavender hoof, meeting no resistance as her words confused the unicorn.

Twilight stared after the earth pony who seemed to lose her 'dirty' appearance with every step, shedding layers of dust and cacti dropping off without any influence of a cleaning hoof. Glancing to the side, the librarian found the same could not be said for Rarity. Applejack chuckled while she and Spike tried to help, with Sweetie Belle latching on to one of her hooves in a tight hug. Twilight blinked a few times before looking back to the mare pulling her hoof, confusion tilting her head to the left.

“What do you mean 'unless Rarity wasn't there'?” The scenery changed as the two mares walked, leading a procession to Sugarcube Corner with Pinkie Pie in the lead. The others seemed to just follow along, knowing there would be celebrations to account for as the whole group was home once more. Twilight took no note of this however, her mind and eyes were for the pink fuzz that seemed to ever be a mystery for her.

“Well DUH! I mean, since we're marefriends, I'd want to talk about what's wrong but they're not a couple yet and so Applejack doesn't want Rarity to know yet.” Pinkie seemed to not care if her voice reached others but it didn't matter as all the others were busy talking with the returned Applejack or laughing at Rarity's annoyance at being dirty (and annoyance with Rainbow Dash), leaving the couple to talk amongst themselves.

“Wha-?” Twilight didn't turn from watching the earth pony even as she was seated at a table in the corner, cupcake in hoof and punch in front of her seat. Pinkie smiled consipiratorly and shook her head with a hoof wave.

“Twilight, Twilight, Twilight... It's so obvious that even the readers are getting annoyed with them. I was trying to help Rarity while you talked with Applejack. You were able to convince her about how Rarity totally needs her and she'd be really sad if Applejack left right?” The pink baker frowned curiously to her marefriend, one eye almost closed as she leaned towards her. The lavender mare leaned back at the same time, an unsure smile on her face.

“Uhm, yes?” The short answer pleased the party pony. Pulling back, the two mares were about to dig into the food when a tight grip made them pause, glancing downward with raised brows only to find a pair of purple arms holding them both.

“Spike? Is everything ok? You didn't have trouble with the library did you?” Twilight tried to figure out what was causing the unusual silence from her assistant and almost didn't hear the response as it was muffled into her fur.

“...I'm glad you're back.” The two mares shared smiles before reaching with a hoof each to return the embrace, leaning their necks down to help with the hug.

“We're glad to be back too. Now everything is back to normal.” The lavender mare smirked as she glanced out at the room, taking in the sight of relieved friends and happy family members. Giving one last pat to the drake, the librarian pulled out of the hug to levitate a plate of treats for the three of them to share.

XIII - A surprise

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Start of April, 1005 A.D. (After Discord)

The morning slowly started, clouds barely covering the horizon and coloring the sky with pale pink and orange. The light filtered through dark auburn curtains, slowly illuminating the two mares on the single bed, resting on the upper floors of the town library. Limbs entwined with one another, they both wore pleased smiles, resting against each other under the blankets. As the subtle light reached the shut eyes of the two ponies, they shifted in place, unwilling to wake from peaceful slumber.

The nearby clock ticked ever closer to seven in the morning. When the little arm reached to three minutes before the hour, bright blue eyes shot open, a wide smile forming on the pink muzzle. Pink forehooves shifted, drawing their target ever closer. With an expectant grin warring for space on the muzzle around the blush, all movement stopped when the two faces were close together, eyes directly across from one another even as one set was still shut. The usually hyper mare remained still, a grin threatening to take over but she stayed calm, wanting to use the element of surprise instead of happiness at the moment.

Her wait soon paid off, as when the small clock arm reached the noon position, the soft chime rang through the silence, causing the purple unicorn to stir. Blinking open sleepy eyes, the unicorn slowly focused on the bright blue gaze facing her, freezing in surprise before thawing when they recognized the laughter hidden within. Pinkie couldn’t hold back her giggles, closing the few inches to give her marefriend a loving peck.

“Pinkieee! You startled me. If it weren’t for the fact that you have been doing this every morning for the last few weeks, I may have jumped out of bed.” Twilight playfully frowned at the giggly mare, trying to slow her rapid heartbeat with even breaths. This didn’t really help since each one only highlighted the scent of vanilla and icing extremely nearby.

Pinkie watched with overbearing joy as a blush slowly made its way across the lavender muzzle. She was tempted to keep watching from this distance except that the desire to nuzzle grew exponentially. With a squeal through the wide grin, she gave in to the impulse and pulled the unicorn closer, wrapping both hooves tightly around the lavender barrel. Twilight chuckled at the reaction and copied the motion, burying her muzzle into the light pink fur. The earth pony couldn’t help squeezing the mare in her hooves in return. Resting her head on top of the dark purple mane, she spoke around a wide smirk.

“But I can’t help it my star! I want to be the first thing you see every morning! Or at least when I can stay the night.”

“I do appreciate it my sweetheart, especially since Sugarcube Corner has such a booming business with the arrival of spring. Do you have more work to do today?” Twilight raised a brow, curious and hopeful. Since some of her plans required privacy, the studious unicorn hoped that it would be yet another day when she could get more preparations done for her surprise.

“Well, I do have to get everything ready for tomorrow… So I’ll be at the bakery all day. Sorry…” Pink ears tipped back in anxiety. Thinking back to the busy last few days, Pinkie couldn’t hold back her wilting smile at being without her partner.

Twilight noticed the shift. Sighing playfully, she tightened her grip and added an extra nuzzle to the hug. Peppering kisses on the pink barrel, she searched for the ticklish spots. When shakes and strangled laughter resulted from her attempt, she brightened and laughed as well.

“That’s ok Pinkie, your birthday only comes once a year and is pretty special. Besides, we’ll be able to be together for most of tomorrow right? To celebrate together?” The lavender mare chuckled when she felt the rapid nodding on top of her head. Pulling back, the two mares gazed at one another, hooves still connecting them as they rested on their sides.

“When you guys are done being all mushy, breakfast is almost ready!” Spike’s voice floated up from the lower levels, breaking the quiet sphere that had appeared around the two ponies.

Two sets of eyes turned to the doorway, though neither moved and the mares giggled amongst themselves at the tone the drake used. With a sudden spring, the party mare leapt from bed without disturbing the other occupant. Skipping merrily out the door and down the stairs, Pinkie peeked her head back into the room for a second, a wide grin across her face.

“Come on my little star! You shouldn’t miss breakfast!” The pink baker didn’t wait any longer, finishing her trip down the stairs while keeping an ear on the upstairs room.

Twilight shook her head with a bemused smirk, slowly stepping out of the bed and adjusting the blankets into their proper place. Picking up her pace at another call from the drake, she arrived in the kitchen to find Pinkie had taken over the cooking process. Spike was helping with the smaller tasks, pleased to not have to do the final steps of cooking. Due to time limits, Pinkie used some of her faster speeds to finish the work, getting three plates ready in mere seconds.

After taking another step in the room, Twilight found herself rushed to the chair, right between the young dragon and earth pony. Opening her mouth to comment on the quick handling, the lavender mare found a fork inserted in the opening, full of steaming food.

“No time to talk Twilight! Gotta get your day started right or else it’d be something I’d have to fix later! That and if we aren’t fast enough, we may have NO TIME for breakfast and that’d be just horrible! Who could even think of such a thing!?!” Pinkie continued to feed both herself and her marefriend quickly, frowning towards the wall.

Spike and Twilight shared confused glances before trying to question the baker. But anytime the librarian opened her mouth to ask, it was promptly shoved full of food, leaving it up to the lad to question the hyper mare.

“Uhm, Pinkie Pie? Who are you talking to?” Spike slowly ate through his own meal, green eyes watching the pink mare closely. Pinkie paused for a second, head tilting to the left, before answering with a grin.

“Don’t you worry about a thing Spike! He won’t take our breakfast away! Oooooh! Almost out of time, open wide Twilight!” With only a sudden warning to prep herself with, the unicorn found her marefriend opening her jaws to their full extent and tipping the entire plate in. As Twilight coughed, trying to choke down the food, Pinkie performed a similar act for her own plate, swallowing with no issue and giving the unicorn a swift peck. “Okie dokie lokie, time for me to get baking! I’ll see you later Twilight!”

The two remaining residents watched in bewilderment, not used to the rapid departure without the couple even getting the chance to get one last cuddle in. Twilight drank more of her coffee, wanting to both wake up and to clear her throat, looking over to her assistant with a shake of her head.

“Well, uh, at least she’s going to be busy for most of the day. Once you’re done eating, we’ll get that list out and make the final preparations for the big day.” The unicorn smiled at the excited gaze of the drake and stood from the table, levitating the few dirty plates into the sink. Pinkie had the ability to clean as she worked, making the end cleaning process even faster.

Spike jumped down from his seat with a smirk. Claws holding tight to his plates, he soon joined the older mare at the sink, helping wash them briefly. Running out to the main room once it was done, he went in search of the hidden scroll, tucked away in a large pile that served as the best hiding place for the librarians. Turning to face the unicorn stepping into the room, he waved it above his head, grin visible from any distance.

“Got it!” Spike’s cry was met with a smile from the lavender unicorn. Trotting up, Twilight nudged the lad while taking a hold of the paper with a flicker of magic.

“Yes, so you do. Time to get started!” Together, the two friends exited the tree library, excitement lightening their steps.

The pink party master hopped away from the library, a wide grin plastered on her muzzle. Humming a soft tune, she waved to everyone she saw, not slowing her rapid speeds through the town. The other townsfolk weren’t too shocked at the speeds, it was an unusual mare afterall. Her mind was filled with her mental list of party planning. She would have to rush after her morning shift at Sugarcube Corner to get it all done. Not that it should be any problem, it just meant the usual kinds of pacing for the hyper mare.

“Sorry Pinkie Pie, I don’t think we’ll need you to work today. I think everypony is getting ready for tomorrow and just don’t want to buy sweets. Maybe you can go ahead and get the rest of your supplies?” Mrs. Cake smiled from behind the counter, wiping a rag across it’s surface in a steady pace.

The pink baker froze in place, back left and front right hoof in the air, as she tilted her head to the left in question. Blinking a few times, she glanced around the empty store front without moving an inch, blue eyes finding the statement to be accurate. Pulling her hanging limbs back close to her body, Pinkie tapped her chin in thought.

“Huh, I guess it is kind of quiet in here. You guys sure you don’t need help with any baking for tomorrow?” The young mare shared with wide unsure eyes to her mentors, both of whom looked back with wide smiles.

“We’ll be fine Pinkie Pie, don’t worry. You go on ahead.” Mr. Cake spoke from his place in the doorframe. He took a few steps to stand beside his wife, continuing to grin reassuringly to the young baker.

Pinkie spent only a few more seconds before changing demeanors completely, straightening in place with a giant beam and squinting of her eyes. Nodding happily, she spun in place and skipped out of the bakery.

The older couple slumped behind the counter. Chuckling to each other, the two bakers stood up, walking to the back room.

“At least she won’t be ‘taste testing’ all our products for tomorrow.” Mr. Cake nudged his wife, beaming as he gathered cooking supplies. Mrs. Cake laughed, nodding once as she helped start the baking process.

“Yes. She means well, but sometimes she can go just a little overboard.” The couple shared another laugh, knowing how their charge could get when it came to parties. Together, they prepped the next few day’s products, safe from the nibbling that often preceded a special event.

Meanwhile, once the door swung shut behind the hyper pony she paused, taking in the fresh air with a deep breath. Nose flaring and chest expanding at the inhaling, Pinkie released the breath with a large grin. Casting a cheerful gaze to the clear sky and bright sun, she began to wave to everypony she came across while mentally recalling a special list made with her marefriend.

Let’s see, number one on ‘How to plan a Pinkie Pie Party by my Little Star and my Sweetheart’, streamers! Then there’s number two, plates and utensils, three is party favors, four balloons, three hidden pies, two trick cups, and a banner of the party! Gosh, Twilight was right, lists can be very fun!

In moments, the distracted but amused mare found herself already done with the local party palooza stand. Bouncing out with saddlebags full of the paper products, she skipped towards the gift shoppe, eyes breezing over everything around her only to skid to a jarring halt at a familiar lavender coat. Body freezing in place, the blue eyes were unable to focus on anything else in their surroundings least they lose sight of the mare of her heart. This was unfortunately a lost cause as the familiar figure disappeared into the surrounding crowd.

What’s Twilight doing over there…?

“Ok Spike, what’s the first thing on ‘How to plan a Pinkie Pie Party’?” Twilight glanced to her assistant resting on her back, legs on top of saddlebags that hung from both sides. The lad smiled and shook open the scroll he had, which sat firmly on the unicorn’s back with still plenty left in the roll.

“First thing on how to plan a party is streamers.” Spike skimmed over the list, refreshing his memory of destinations.

“Sounds like a job for Smooth Streamer, he's the one Pinkie suggested we go for the best streamers. Where was his stand again?” The lavender mare picked up her speed, heading for the market place, smirk forming on her muzzle.

Spike rubbed his chin, a faraway glint in his eyes. He held out the list, searching for specific notes from the usual party planner about where to locate the shops. “Yes, but I’m not sure how easily we’re going to find all this stuff.”

“Oh Spike, I’m sure it won’t be that hard. Pinkie manages to get everything quickly, surely there’s a store or stall that has the majority of party supplies.” The librarian started to slow down when they reached the busy market place, the sounds of the mid-morning crowd ringing through the air.

While the duo searched the area for the party supply stalls, Twilight glanced back to her assistant, a questioning brow raised as she eyed the list.

“Spike? What was the next few things we needed to get? Hopefully we can get them all within moments of each other.”

“Oh, erhm, well the next few things are plates and utensils, party favors, balloons, confetti and flags... “ The drake trailed off, unsure if they could get everything in one location. There were a lot of specialty stands in the market after all.

“That’s not too bad! I’m sure it won’t take but a single trip.”

----NKP---

“How could this not take a single trip…?! Why are the vendors placed so far apart?” The unicorn frowned as they continued their trip. Using a bit of magic to adjust the bags on her back, she glanced over the tops of the crowd, trying to find the next store that was suggested by the previous shopkeeper.

“I’m not sure they really thought about that kind of thing Twilight. At least it’s not too far…” The purple and green drake helped with the search, standing on Twilight’s back and putting a hand over top of his eyes to shield it from the sun. With a pleased shout and frantic pointing, he led the way to the next store, the two of them still traveling at a moderate pace through the mid-morning crowd.

La la la la la…. Spring, spring, spring, everything is in rings… Let’s see, item three, party favors! Now, while the pony for the party is me, and I love all kinds of things, it is April 1st and everyone does like a good prank! Perhaps some toy games and a good prank or two hidden in the mix. Better stop by Little Trinket’s stand! Let’s see… Where did it move to today…?

The pink furred mare paused in her travel, tilting her ears independently, sticking her nose in the air with eyes wide open. When her knees tickled and both ears wiggled in time with each other, she smiled gratefully and resumed her trek. Humming once again, she skipped along, enjoying the feel of the warm sunlight on her fur.

Sounds of her fellow ponies rang out around Pinkie. All of which was met with a chirpy response from the overly friendly earth pony. Seconds away from her target location, a new sensation came over her. A very bright warmth, much different and stronger than the sun’s rays, spread from the party mare’s center to the tips of her hooves. Her heart rate paused for a moment before taking off in a rapid beat in her ribcage. Bright blue eyes widened in pleasant surprise and searched the nearby vicinity, looking for the source with a large grin.

When there was no sign of purple or lavender, the grin faded minutely until she got closer to her original target. Steps away from the colorful vendor with it’s party gadgets, a flash of purple with a single pink highlight walked quickly away. Tilting her head to the left, Pinkie paused mid-step, trying to follow the familiar mane only to lose it in the crowd. Slow and unstable steps drew her forward, even as her head stayed still, trying to find the source of her speeding heart rate.

“Well hey there Pinkie Pie! You getting party supplies too?” Little Trinket, a bright yellow with blue mane unicorn, waved from her place beside a few tables. A light yellow hue covered a couple of bits that were promptly floated into the awaiting basket, the result of the previous transaction.

“Hello Little Trinket! Uhm, what-what do you mean ‘too’? Was there another Pinkie running around buying supplies for another awesomely fun party?” The baker attempted to smile, still stunned by the missed chance to greet her marefriend, only to focus on her own words and grew still. With a large inhale, she stared wide eyed at the shopkeeper. “OooooooOOOO, does that mean that there are loads of other Pinkies running around, planning parties in all the other worlds? Or is in this world? Did I just miss her?! Can we not meet because of the time paradox we’d make if I met a future Pinkie!? Or is she a past Pinkie? Oooh, I hope it’s not a too far past Pinkie, then she might be missing out on the most importantist of important ponies in her life and she’d be really sad without knowing it and then I’d have to find the past Twi-”

“Eh heh heh heh, there you go again Pinkie. Remember, not all of us can think fourth dimensionally.” The trinket seller chuckled uncomfortably, eyes scrunched up as she looked to the pink earth pony. “Was there something you needed Pinkie Pie?”

The other mare stood still, ears twitching independently, as she stared out into space. With loud zoom of a vacuum, the mare refocused with a grin, a passing shiver removing any lingering thoughts.

“Oh yes please! I’ll need some easy game trinkets and a few empty ones. Hmmmm, about six of those empty ones and twenty of the usual ones, make ‘em spring themed!” Pinkie Pie beamed, all previous ramblings pushed aside.

When the requested toys were floated over, she nosed open one of the bags resting on her back, giving plenty of clearance for the newly acquired items. Bouncing upwards, her mane shook, with the correct amount of bits popping out with a flick of her hair. Little Trinket laughed at the show, having seen it many times before, and accepted the bits with a grateful grin.

Giving one last jolly wave of her hoof, the party planner skipped away, heading directly to the next location. Following her senses, both natural and supernatural, the earth pony’s mind was allowed to wander and search, trying to find that flash of purple once more. She wasn’t able to find it until she got closer to her next destination, the best place for flags of all kinds. Trotting up, she found there was someone already talking to the pale blue unicorn.

Stopping several feet away, eyes wide with confusion, Pinkie only snapped out of her daze when Bright Blue called out in greeting. Turning from the lavender librarian, the vendor smirked, pleased to find her number one customer.

“Hello Pinkie Pie!”

The shout drew most of the crowd’s attention. While most turned with a smirk to the usually hyperactive mare, the purple maned unicorn jumped into the air, mane rapidly frizzing as she and the young drake searched the area. Spotting the bright pink earth pony coming closer, the duo shared panicked looks before a distinct light raspberry hue covered both of them.

Realizing what the magic was for, Pinkie rushed forward, a greeting and question resting on her tongue. But she was too late. With a sizzle and flash of light, the two librarians disappeared from view, leaving without a word to the bewildered earth pony. Turning to the shop keeper, eyes glassy, Pinkie tried to understand what happened.

“What, uh, what did Twilight want Bright Blue?” Pinkie tried to keep some kind of smile, but it was too late. The unicorn had seen the disappointment and confusion, wearing a frown of her own.

“Oh, well, Twilight was just buying some balloons. Is, erhm, everything ok?” The shop owner watched anxiously, not used to seeing the usually chipper mare upset. It was a sight that actually made most of the crowd freeze in place, watching the pink mare.

Pinkie blinked, mind running in circles of questions, eyes focused solely where the highly magical unicorn was seconds ago. Pink ears twitched as the crowd began to murmur to themselves, staring at the motionless mare. Crouching down, the pink baker began to hum to herself, growing in pitch as she grew more tense. At the peak of her focus, she shot up in the air, fur and hair expanding outward in a soft explosion. Landing as gently as a feather, she gave the crowd a wide beam and turned to the salespony.

“Yepperonie! I’m going to need your best balloons. Pinks, greens and blues please!” The party pony quickly finished her purchases and trekked to the next vendor. Her pace, at a distance glance, seemed casual, unless a pony looked closer and saw the distances she was traveling in a mere fraction of the time.

Better pick up the pace. Maybe I’ll be able to find… Well, time’s a wastin’!

A bright flash of light tinted with raspberry stunned the nearby crowd. Cackles of energy made them pause in curiosity only to resume their walk when they identified the two figures who were left in the center of the ball of light. Spike and Twilight were both panting as though they ran a marathon, glancing randomly about, trying to see any sign of pink of bouncy.

“Do you-do you think she followed us Twilight?” The drake clenched his teeth in worry, recalling with ease just how mysterious and almost overpowered Pinkie Pie’s abilities could be. The mare he sat on was no better, right eyelid twitching as she glanced about.

“I have no idea. We better keep moving!” Twilight set off in a random direction, not caring about being lost as much as trying to lose somepony else. They stayed within the crowds however, hoping that the large amount of ponies could hide them better.

“Why was she out of work though? Why was she going to a flag store anyways? You don’t think she was shopping for her own birthday party do you?!” The librarian began to panic internally, mind racing to understand what happened to almost ruin the surprise. Checking on her assistant, Twilight almost paused in her trek, confused as to the stare she was receiving.

“Well, you guys did make a shopping list for parties together. She might be following that. What if we just waited and then go back later?” Spike crossed both arms, a confused frown on his face, attempting to convince his guardian to stop the operation.

“What? And potentially mess up the entire time table of making the surprise party? That could set us back for days! No. No, no no no no no, no. We’ll just skip every other shopping step, saving time and still being organized about it. If we do it fast enough, I’m sure we can regain some of our lost time.” Twilight stomped her right hoof at the thought. Taking a deep breath, she began to quickly trot to the closest and next vendor.

Several feet away, the duo paused, checking that the coast was clear of any party planners. With all the stealth they could muster, they tried to blend into the crowd, stepping up to the large open vendor ahead of them with small nervous twitches. The stall had no roof, with four poles where one normally would hang from raising high into the sky. There were ropes upon ropes of different flags and party flags flapping in the breeze strung between the poles. There were some with only solid colors, ones with designs, and even some with a mixture. The pegasus stallion who was running the store had a pale green coat and dark blue mane. He was watching the approaching duo with a mix of curiosity and bemusement, not usually seeing the more serious librarian act that way.

“Ok Spike, while I do the talking, keep an eye out for Pinkius Pieacus ok?” Twilight gave the brief command to the drake who saluted before standing in place on her back. Finishing her carefully attempted casual walk, she stood directly in front of the stallion.

“Er, hi there Twilight. Where’s Pinki-”

“Shhhh. This is a secret mission of great importance to not be discovered by one Pinkius Pieacus.” The purple maned unicorn scowled in the stallion’s direction, eyes scrunching to watch for any sudden movements from him. The shop owner chuckled softly, rubbing the back of his head with a hoof, amused by how much Pinkie’s behavior rubbed off onto the more serious mare.

“Errr, right, right. I’m guessing it’s about the special, uh, event that is set to take place tomorrow?” The stallion, Flowing Breeze, tried to use alternative terms for his question, feeling that he would be scolded otherwise from the sombre duo in front of him.

“Yes. I’ll need twenty feet of flags. Pink and purple. Maybe some blue as well.” Twilight checked her surroundings, all senses on high alert for possible discovery.

“Oh, I can guess who it’s for with those colors in mind. Are you out buying everything else for the err, ‘event’, today too? Didn’t want to be uh, discovered?” Flowing Breeze tilted his head to the right, a teasing grin struggled not to take over his muzzle.

“Oh, uhm, yes. The layout of the various vendors aren’t very well organized, and I just don’t have Pinkie’s sense for directions, so it’s taking me a little longer to find them all.” Twilight looked to the sky, mind full of how Pinkie Pie seemed to do impossible things at all times, with a tiny smirk on her face.

“Hmm, yes, she’s been able to do that for a while. I could possibly help though. We vendors like to keep an eye on the others, and I know where they are, roughly. What were you looking for?” The pegasus tilted his head closer to the large scroll, trying to make out what it said from a distance. He drew back slightly when it became covered in a light hue and floated forward, unrolling as it traveled.

“Would you really? I’d love to get a new list going! Where did I put that extra blank scroll?” The studious mare smiled wide, head reaching around to search her bags while Spike rolled his eyes at the behavior. “Here we go! Ok, so here is where we need to go still, where do you think they are?”

“Eh heh heh heh heh, right, so, let’s get those flags first. Then we can work on where everypony is at.” The light green pegasus floated into the air, searching his large crates for the colorization Twilight was hoping for, as they both spoke about the various shopkeepers in the area.

In minutes, the unicorn had a short but clear list of where the different stalls were, and the flags she wanted to buy were safely tucked into her bags. Rolling up both lists, Twilight stashed them away and brought out her bit purse, gazing to the stallion in question.

“For the flags, how much do I owe you? I can’t thank you enough for the help!” A green hoof waved away the bits, making the library duo pause.

“Oh, eh heh heh heh, no need for that. Since it’s a special day and for a pony who’s friends with everypony, there’s no charge on those flags. Just make sure she has a nice party, ok?” Breeze rubbed the back of his head once more, a toothy grin etched on his face.

“Really? Oh thank you! This will hopefully make it just right! She’s bound to like it if we follow this plan exactly!” Twilight jumped in place, a gleeful smile covering her muzzle. The lad on her back had to grip her sides with all four limbs. A bemused smirk covered what little could be seen of his blurred face.

“Well of course she’d like it! It’s Pinkie Pie, she loves surprises!” The pegasus smirked, waving the concern away with a hoof. An action that made the librarian pause.

“Well, I, uh, I just... want this to work. I mean, I want to make it special.” The mare rubbed one hoof against the other as she stood still, head tilted down towards the ground. A tiny blush started to make it’s way across her muzzle. “She just makes things special all the time and I want… to do the same thing for her.”

The pegasus smirked, amused by the unsure unicorn in front of him, and dropped down next to the mare. Slinging a hoof around her neck, mindful of the drake on her back, he gave Twilight a shake, leaning to look in her eye.

“I’m sure that it’s not like that. I bet she thinks the things you do are special too. And she’ll definitely like the party you have planned.” Flowing Breeze smirked reassuringly to the distressed mare. Blushing heavily, Twilight leaned gratefully against the stallion, dipping her head with a grin.

“Th-thanks…”

Spike, still astrid the older mare, rolled his eyes, feeling like the responsible one for a change. He had been trying to assure Twilight all day, but one conversation with a shopkeeper and everything was different. Green eyes coasting over the crowd around them, they widened when they came across a mare of pink and bright raspberry.

“PINKIE PIE!”

The pink baker stood a couple of paces away, form frozen mid step. Right front leg and back left were halfway through the air, stuck in place with taut muscles, twitching at the joints without unlocking their position. Brilliant raspberry mane and tail were expanded, in the middle of their usual excessive movement, frizzed out and parts sticking outwards in sharp points. Her smile, half formed, flickered. When bright blue eyes twitched over the scene before her, searching and analysing every aspect of the image, her muzzle gave in the fight, allowing the anxious frown to take place. The bright blue orbs started to glaze over, her right hoof breaking it’s ridgid place to stretch out, reaching for the lavender coated mare.

“Tw-twilight…? What…?” Two stunned faces, open mouthed in shock, was the reaction she got to her question.

A second later, Twilight broke free of her motionless state, pulling free of the stallion’s hold and turned in place, magic lighting up from her horn to cover her body. With a soft pop and crackle of energy, she and Spike vanished from the marketplace without a word to the transfixed earth pony watching them. The dark blue maned stallion gaped at the sudden disappearance and the inert mare. Stuttering, he dropped his limb from it’s place in the air, stepping closer to the pink earth pony.

“Uh, Pinkie Pie…? Don’t you worry about -” He stopped mid-sentence, stilling at the sudden glare he received.

Pinkie firmly dropped her hooves, sagging for a moment when the two library residents left only to stand firm once more, lifting her head as her mane uncurled, flattening from its usual style. Her fur seemed to grow darker, muted, as her eyes blazed with tightness, focusing on the stallion who held her marefriend.

“My Little Star is MINE. She’s my star.” The earth pony shifted her harsh gaze to the gathered crowd.

Everypony, expecting some kind of event due to the main participant, had gone silent by this point, startled by the sudden exit of Twilight Sparkle. The wetness that had gathered under blue eyes also stilled the watchers. Some, knowing the extremes Pinkie could go for fun, thought it was an act and looked on with weary expectations. Had it stayed only with the two other ponies as the focus, they may have smirked in amusement, but finding themselves faced with the abrasive gaze they couldn’t bring forth the grin. The rest of the crowd, noticing the glazed orbs and fragile state, frowned, hesitant to move and break the tension that grew the longer Pinkie stared.

“She’s with me… I just, need to catch her.” The pink baker and party maker took a deep breath and stood upright from her slouched position.

Blinking in surprise at her sagging, she firmly put slow unsettled hoofstep after hoofstep. What started as a sluggish pace gradually sped up until she was racing through the town. Glistening droplets seemed to follow her as she sped by, trying to find her way to where the keeper of her heart ran to.

---NKP---

The silence that came only with a library broke briefly. A sizzle of energy and crackle of power sounded out in the empty room for mere seconds before being replaced with the sound of hyperventilation. Two small feet dropped onto the wooden floor, their owner turning to the panicking mare and giving a hug. The shivers didn’t stop however, and Twilight began to shift in place, head flinging back and forth in an attempt to be sure they got away.

“Twilight, it’s going to be ok, honest! We got away in time, calm down!” Spike kept his voice soothing, trying to meet worried purple eyes.

“No, we have to make sure she didn’t see what we bought! It would ruin the surprise! It has to be a good surprise! I have to show her just how much she matters to me!” The frightened mare levitated her bags and hid them into a box that was moved from it’s place near her desk.

She pulled out everything stashed inside, taking rapid inventory of the supplies purchased. Comparing it to her ‘how to’ list, she grew ever more frenzied, movements shaking while her eyes grew wide.

“It’s not going to work, it’s not going to work, it’s not enough…! We don’t even have half our supplies! Oh no no no no no no no no no no no no…..” Placing both hooves against her head, mane coming undone from its clean state, Twilight bent forward, eyes clenched shut.

Just as Spike creeped over and placed a comforting clawed hand on the mare’s shoulder, the door bursted open, slamming against the wall with a loud bang.The sound made the two friends jump in shock. While Spike spun to gaze at the introducing party, Twilight shuffled the objects in the air, movements wild as she stood and cleaned up.

“Pinki-?!”

“TWILIGHT!” Pinkie Pie cut Spike’s shout off, running into the building only to skid to a halt when she noticed the hectic librarian.

“O-oh, h-hello Pinkie Pie! What, what are you doing here..?” Twilight tried to cover her actions, twirling in place with a manic grin. Her limbs trembled even as her smile stretched longer across her muzzle. Her entire frame went numb when she got a complete look at the mare in the doorway.

The usually bright and cheery mare was muted, mane iron board flat and all her colors faded. For a moment, her current image overlapped with one from the past, one that occurred exactly three hundred and sixty four days ago. Except that instead of an angry glint to sky blue eyes, they were had a small tint of pain and sadness hidden in their depths. The realization was like lightning striking through her heart, making Twilight drop all pretenses and take a cautious step forward.

“Pinkie…? What’s the matter?” The lavender unicorn dropped her ‘smile’, face contorting into one of anxiety.

The pink mare’s lower lip shook, ears tipped back flat against the straight mane. Her neck leaned towards the unicorn, coming from a lower angle, though her body remained stationary by the door, wobbling on unsteady limbs.

“What…. what are you doing?” The duo stiffened, eyes locking forward, at the question. Pinkie whimpered, head dipping downward at their reaction.

“Why, nothing! I was just, uh, re-organizing, uhm, stuff.”

“What were you doing with Flowing Breeze…?” The dejected earth pony managed a weak step. Her body wavered briefly before settling once more as she stood still.

“Who…?” Twilight scrunched her brow, not understanding the question and still being unfamiliar with every town citizen’s name.

“You know! Flowing Breeze, green with dark blue mane pegasus, the stallion running Flag World, the one who’s on every mare’s best friend who’s just a friend list, weighs a hundred and fifteen pounds, bright orange red eyes, the guy who encourages everypony, the stallion who had a hoof on my little star, the one who thought he could just be the best friend to anyone, the pegasus who thought he could just swoop in and take you, someone I’m going to have to watch, a pony who’s as light as a flag, cutie mark is of a string of flags, came from Cloudsdale three years ago, someone who-” With every statement about the vendor, Pinkie took half steps closer, eyes shut while her head shook from side to side. Her tirade was silenced by a purple hoof resting against her mouth. Blue teary eyes shot open, the moisture gathering at their edges threatening to spill over.

“Pinkie, calm down… I was only talking with him..” Twilight closed the short distance between them, sitting directly in front of the distressed mare. Both were a study in being nerve wracked, but the unicorn pushed past her own unease to focus on her marefriend.

“But-! But-but, but you were running away from me! And just what was he doing with his hoof huh?!” Pinkie sagged to a sitting position, lightly stomping with her left hoof, mouth set into a determined line.

“He was just reassuring me about something. Nothing happened, you don’t have anything to worry about.” The reassuring hoof placed onto a dull pink shoulder was shook off by a rapid shake.

“You shouldn’t have to go to somepony else to get your reassurances! I’m your marefriend! I’m supposed to take care of you! I am! Not somepony else! There’s nothing that you could ever ever ever ever not talk to me about! You can tell me anything! Anything! I’ll do anything…!” Pinkie tipped forward, resting her head against a purple chest, hooves pulling up to wrap around the unicorn in desperation.

Twilight bent over top of the other mare, hooves coming up as well to pull the distressed mare closer. Rubbing her chin over the flat pink mane, the book mare sighed, glancing over to the shell-shocked dragon standing several paces away. Spike shrugged helplessly, waving both hands towards the couple. Purple eyes closed tightly, thoughts frantically shifting until they came into focus at the soft cry underneath her.

“You still won’t tell me…….” The pink baker sniffled, trying to hold back her tears. Feeling a squeeze from the other mare, she glanced up, trying to look at the mare of her heart through watery eyes.

“I’m so sorry Pinkie Pie… I was just trying to surprise you. Please… please don’t cry.” The unicorn used a touch of her magic to pull the box of party supplies over to where they sat. A single thought went to bringing out the box of things and setting it beside them.

“Wh-what…? What surprise…?”

Another sigh met the question. Pinkie, feeling Twilight sag in their hug, pulled back slightly to look at what she brought over. Rubbing a hoof to a moist eye, she tried to focus on the brightly colored objects in it.

“I-we, were going to give you a surprise party after your regular birthday party tomorrow. I was trying to get everything without you noticing.” Twilight blushed, her right hoof dropping down to paw at the ground. The other mare sniffed, trying to peer at the supplies.

“You guys were-you were trying to… to make a surprise party for me?” Hearing the hopeful tone starting enter the depressed mare’s voice, Twilight turned to look at Pinkie with a tiny smile. Putting both hooves back on the party planner, she nodded.

“Yes. I know the surprise party last year didn’t go very well, and I wanted to give you a better experience this year. But I guess that didn’t work out so well. Flowing Breeze was just reassuring me about how well it would go… Guess he didn’t get it right after all.” Twilight smiled ruefully about this fact. Eyes gazing with bemusement and sadness at how her day turned out, she didn’t catch the utterly relieved expression on Pinkie’s face until the very end. Smiling more naturally and with feeling, Twilight gave her marefriend a short nuzzle.

“So… He wasn’t trying any tricky business…? You just, wanted the day to be special?” With every word the pink mare spoke, she regained her bright hue and cheerfulness.

The unicorn nodded once more, giving a swift peck on her forehead and settling her forehead against the other mare’s. Pinkie’s mane slowly poofed out with the reassurances, amusing Twilight who still had her head touching the earth pony’s. Pulling into herself, Pinkie shivered, a smile growing on her muzzle. With a soft shout, the pink earth mare lurched forward, gripping the unicorn in a tight hug.

“Ahhhh, you silly filly! Anything you do with me or even for me is super special to me! I don’t need super secret surprises! Though most ponies do like surprises, especially me, but I love anything you want to do!” Hearing the usual cheerful tones once more from Pinkie Pie, Twilight relaxed with a pleased grin.

“I’ll make sure to remember that next time. Guess we don’t really need a party after the party huh…? Maybe just a nice little evening to ourselves…?” The librarian glanced to her assistant, asking if it would be ok without speaking.

Finding an agreeing nod and bemused grin as an answer, Twilight chuckled to herself at the expression of resigned suffering the drake sported. Turning back to the mare in her limbs, she smiled when she saw Pinkie’s rapid head shakes, enthusiastically agreeing to the plan. Relaxing in each other’s hold, the two mares spent the rest of their day sitting beside one another, never straying too far from the other.

The afternoon was a calmer affair. The couple went out together to get the supplies needed for Pinkie’s party, and they offered apologies to Flowing Breeze for the trouble that happened earlier in the day. He didn’t mind and was more pleased to see that their relationship wasn’t damaged by the hiccup. By the time evening was drawing to a close, they had gathered all the needed supplies to throw a proper Pinkie Pie Party.

“I guess we can be pretty silly huh Pinkie Pie? I should have known Rainbow Dash and Applejack would laugh about what happened yesterday.” Twilight leaned against the warm pink fur beside her. Her thoughtful gaze was focused on the fire before them.

Pinkie Pie laughed, causing her body to shake and disrupt the mare laying beside her. Dropping her head onto the lavender neck, smiling widely, she closed her eyes, breathing in the unicorn’s scent.

“Of course! If it didn’t happen to us just yesterday, I bet we’d be laughing too! Except that it did happen to us, so I get to kiss the lovely unicorn who was doing a good job of making a surprise!” With the exclamation in place, calm in tone it may have been, Pinkie twisted her head to kiss the neck presented to her.

Humming at the sensation, Twilight turned her head to the right, burying her nose in the pink shoulder that was nearby. Closing her eyes, she thought back to the nice calming evening they spent together. The party had gone off perfectly, with nearly everypony in town stopping by to give their birthday greetings to the friendly earth pony. After several hours of partying, the couple retired to the library, Spike staying behind to be with the others in order to give the two mares privacy.

“I’m happy that you liked everything Pinkie… Happy Birthday…” Twilight began to drift off into slumber, the past few days’ work catching up with her. A warm smile stayed even as she relaxed even more on the pink earth pony.

“Silly Star, you’ve said that twelve times already… You’ll always be my star, my little star…” Pinkie nuzzled the unicorn, eyes twinkling with care for the other mare. Bright blue eyes drifted shut, even as she tried to continue watching the magical mare beside her.

XIV - Learning about the start

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Start of May, 1005 A.D. (After Discord)

An explosion resounded through the once peaceful town. The vibrations that traded through the air made the nearby flocks of birds screech into flight. An oak tree library bounced up from the ground, the shock waves that came from underneath its roots lifting it ever so briefly. The disturbed second of silence was broken by a series of cracks and tinkling that came from inside the tree building.

Down underground further than the laboratory in the library’s basement, was an open cavern, its ceiling hosting a few tree roots while it was filled with odd and almost impossible inventions. Aside from one portion of wall dedicated to video games and the large tv to play them on, the room was for a mixture of science and baking. The floor had a drain that was now encrusted with cake batter. A nearby sink was full of pots, bowls and whisks. Shelves and tables holding a large mish mash of parts, tools and party supplies also suffered under a layer of cake mixture.

In the center of the room, covered in soot and batter, was an earth pony. Her now filthy pink fur and raspberry mane were sticking out, clumps forming from the mistake. Sky blues eyes blinked rapidly before setting on to the blackened wood and metal cart she had been trying to ‘improve’.

A popping sound came from her left, along with a flash of raspberry light. Smile growing from the stunned expression, Pinkie turned around to face the tube system that circled the room before connecting with the ceiling. In front of the exit, in the middle of the red landing circle, stood an anxious unicorn. Her mane just slightly out of order while wide purple eyes searched the room.

“Hey there Twilight!” Pinkie closed her eyes briefly as she beamed at the mare across the room. Noticing that the unicorn was still in a state of shock, the pink earth pony looked back to the cart, staring intensely while she waited for it to reveal its secrets.

“Pinkie Pie, what-what happened?” Twilight took a few steps closer to the center of the blast radius, eyes trailing over the various stains.

“I’m trying to make the greatest welcome wagon but I can’t seem to get it juuuuust right.” Pinkie scrunched her muzzle with a serious glint hidden beneath her usually chipper amusement.

Twilight did a double take, having noticed the somber note, and tilted her head at the mess in the middle of the room. Reaching out with her magic, she tried to identify the parts. Her eyebrows twitched as they came up with up with normal materials. The oven parts, what little was left, was that of a normal conventional oven, which did not help Twilight figure out how her marefriend tried to attach it to the wagon.

“Uh, what were you trying to add to it?” The unicorn barely spent a thought to the cleaning spell she casted while taking a seat next to the baker who was still leaning forward with forehooves stretched out towards the object.

“I just wanted to add an oven, some streamers, a couple of fireworks, some neat wavy flags, these strings, balloons, enough confetti to cover a room, music box, piano, trumpets, though I would need at least four of them to get a nice balanced sound, some floaty bits, mixing bowl, whisk, room for the eggs, milk, sugar, cup of flour and teaspoon of vanilla!” Pinkie rose from her odd position, bouncing her head as faint humming sounded through the air.

Twilight glanced around the room, ears flickering, trying to locate the source. Soon she focused on the mare beside her and frowned thoughtfully before shaking her head. I may not want to know…

“Uhhh, right… Would you like some help? Maybe a little science to work with uh, whatever you’re building with?” The lavender mare tried to delicately offer her assistance. Something Pinkie accepted with a bright grin and rapid nodding.

“OOooh, that’d be awesomely superriffic! But we’ll need the right outfits for this kind of special building!” Zipping over to a set of boxes, the earth pony grabbed out two sets of white clothing that she brought over to her marefriend. She reached out with a hoof and spun the unicorn in place, making a whirling tornado of wind and clothes.

Once the dust and torrential wind calmed down, both mares were dressed in surgeons jackets along with masks covering their muzzles. Twilight blinked rapidly as she stood stock still, trying to adjust to the sudden motion and abrupt halt. When she noticed what they wore, she remained silent, deciding not to question the very ‘special’ mare.

“You ready my Little Star?” Pinkie beamed from behind her mask.

“You bet. Let’s get started.” Twilight returned the grin before turning to the remains with the other mare taking the lead.

-NKP-

“Screwdriver!” A chipper voice called from the midst of an almost finished wagon. A pink hoof accompanied the shout, pointing in the direction of the mare’s trusty assistant.

“Screwdriver.” The object floated over in a light raspberry hue, falling softly into waiting hooves.

The two mares stood over a pink, white and yellow wagon that was slowly being rebuilt into a ‘welcome wagon’. Using a mix of science and Pinkie’s abilities, they were getting pretty far in their efforts.

“Wrench of Ultimate Turning!” A purple brow rose at the chipper call.

“Wrench…”

“Ooofff…?” Even without looking the purple mare could hear the smile in the prompting word. Smirking with a teasing roll of her eyes, Twilight finished the ‘name’ of the very ordinary wrench available.

“Of Ultimate Turning…” The two mares shared masked covered grins before turning back to their project.

“Screws of Extreme Tight Holding!” The gray box was levitated over.

“Screws of Extreme Tight Holding.”

“Cloth of Wiping! If you would be just a wonderful dear?” Pink eyelashes fluttered towards the unicorn who shook her head with an amused smirk.

“Of course. Cloth of Wiping…” Twilight levitated the sought after cloth and wiped at the earth pony’s brow, catching the rare droplets Pinkie actually had on her forehead. For her efforts, the librarian was rewarded with a peck to her muzzle, even as they both wore surgeon masks.

“Cupcake of Awesomeness!” Pinkie raised a joyful hoof straight into the air as she proclaimed to the heavens.

“Oh Pinkie…” Twilight couldn’t hold back her laughter and levitated over the tray of cupcakes they had made during a break from work.

Settling down next to the pink and red wagon, Pinkie tugged down her mask and started to devour the treats with a large grin. Twilight went over the rough schematics they had, comparing the finished product with their plans. Cheerful blue eyes noted the lack of cupcake eating the unicorn was doing. Reaching out with a hoof, the baker hoofed a cupcake towards Twilight.

“Donm’ph youh wahnph fmom?”

The studious mare shook her head at the mumbled question. She pushed the offering back towards the pink barrel with a gentle smile.

“No thank you Pinkie Pie, I’m ok. Though it seems like your new Welcome Wagon is good to go. With both science and your own ability to make things work, we seemed to be able to create a very, uhm, unique wagon.” A purple hoof waved to the new creation, drawing both mares’ attention once more.

Pinkie nodded rapidly, a pleased smile firmly in place.

“Yepperonie! This is going to work just great! You’re the best my Little Star!” The pink earth pony wiped off remnants of her snack and removed her marefriend’s mask as well. Once the way was clear, she leaned forward and kissed her mare, closing her eyes briefly as she tasted the unicorn through the contact. “Mmm, still the yummiest thing!”

Twilight blushed at the comment and kiss. She shook herself from the pleased stupor when Pinkie attached the wagon to her sides and trotted merrily to the stairway across from the tube exit. The unicorn tilted her head in curiosity.

“Where are you heading to now Pinkie…?” Twilight tried to stand, but found she was still weak in the knees from the kiss. It was a common occurrence.

“I’ve got some welcoming to do! I’ll be back later My Little Star!” Pinkie waved a hoof as she continued bouncing her way out.

Twilight managed to raise a hoof in farewell before the brilliant raspberry mane disappeared up the tunnel. Glancing towards the two styles of exits, the magical mare tried to decide which would be faster to get out.

While the tube system is faster, teleporting would work the best… She shifted in place, sending purple orbs upwards, when a remaining scent of her mare friend distracted her. Mhmmm… Cupcakes and vanilla… I could just follow- er… M-maybe teleporting wouldn’t be such a good idea… Tube system it is.

A short trip up the spiraling tubes later and Twilight was tumbling to the ground from being launched into the air from her trip. Landing by the desk, Twilight remained sitting as she tried to get her bearings once more. Seconds after her reappearance, a bemused voice sounded from the bookshelves.

“Hmm, guess it was cuddle time huh? At least you’re doing it somewhere else so I don’t see it…” Spike rolled his eyes from his place on the ladder, putting away the few books he had left, though he glanced towards the librarian as she sat.

“What makes you think we were, uhm, ‘cuddling’? And we weren’t that bad… Where we?” Twilight rose from her seat and trotted over to the lad.

“You didn’t teleport up here. When you get so distracted that you can’t focus on location, you use the tube system…” The drake hopped down from his perch and shyly glanced towards the unicorn. “And yeah, you guys kind of are.”

The room filled with awkward silence. Twilight couldn’t meet her assistant’s eyes as she blushed. She turned in place, trying to reorganize her mind from where it had wandered. Pulling a large tome about physics from its place on the shelf, the unicorn settled in front of the table, avoiding the now teasing gaze.

“...We’ll… We’ll try to make sure not to bother you too much… I’ll just get some reading done in the meantime.” The purple mare opened the large book to the section on use of space and dimensions. “Oh and Spike? Do you think you could get some cupcakes? I’m getting a little hungry.”

Spike shook his head while he made his way towards the kitchen. “Suuure you are… And I bet it has nothing to do with how Pinkie isn’t here right now either…” The dragon’s soft mutter was barely noticed, though when the unicorn question him about it, he paused on his trip.

“What was that Spike?” Purple ears tipped towards the purple lad.

“Oh, uh, nothing Twilight, what kind of cupcakes did you want?” The purple and green dragon waited anxiously, tapping his pointer claws together.

“Oh, well, I’d like the strawberry kind with vanilla frosting, if you don’t mind.” Twilight beamed at the youth who smiled in relief back.

“Right away Twilight!” With a skip in his step, the lad ran to the kitchen, eager to escape the awkward situation his musing had brought.

-NKP-

Hours later and Twilight still hadn’t truly found the answer to how Pinkie was able to shove so much stuff into a small wagon. Not that she fully expected to anyways, Pinkie often did unexplainable things on a daily basis.

Five books later and Twilight wasn’t any better off than when she started. Spike had kept his nose to the grindstone, cleaning around the main room, while his guardian continued her research. Noticing how she stood up and stretched from her sitting position, he was about to try and get her attention when there was a knock on the front door. The lavender unicorn glanced over, eyes having trouble focusing from reading fine print text.

“Err, yes? Who is it?”

“Hey Twi’!” Rainbow Dash entered with a smug grin, floating a foot from the ground. “Did you get the latest Daring Do yet?”

Spike sighed and shut the door behind the flighty pegasus. Twilight nodded her head at the prismatic mare before standing up to look where the adventure section was. Sending a flicker of magic to the pristine novel, she floated it to the pegasus.

“Here you go Dash, but I’m surprised you were so slow to come by for it.” Twilight stood up in a stretch, smirking to her friend. “I haven’t actually seen you in two weeks, since you got your new pet. How is Tank?”

Rainbow paused in her floating, hooves around the book, as her eyes shrank slightly. She landed beside the librarian, shuffling her feathers as she tilted her head to the left. The sudden seating and silence brought about by Twilight’s question drew her entire focus. The unicorn shook out her back legs as she watched the rainbow maned pony beside her.

“Rainbow Dash…?”

“Everything’s pretty good. Kind of busy, I mean, I gotta make sure Scoots and Fluttershy are doing ok. But I uh, think Applejack and Rarity are up to something…” Rainbow checked the lobby for anyone who would be listening in. When she noticed Spike in the far corner, Dash lowered her voice as she continued to talk. “They’ve been acting really really odd. I mean, well, what do you think if they started dating? Weird right?”

Twilight frowned pensively, not sure why Dash was talking that particular way. The sky-blue mare noticed the face. Waving a hoof, she tried to backtrack her original statement.

“Woah, hold up, not like that!” Rainbow continued when Twilight paused curiously. “Seriously, mares dating mares is fine. It’s whatever, you know? Just, Rarity? Really? Our cowgirl is nuts for that prissy mare?”

The pegasus ran her forehooves through her mane, having set the book down in front of her. She craned her head, hooves scuffing the rainbow strands, as she stared bewilderedly to the studious mare. Twilight chuckled at the confusion, thinking of her own relationship.

“Well, sometimes couples are attracted to somepony who is vastly opposite to themselves. They might be able to find some kind of middle ground that could bring them together.” Twilight nudged the blue shoulder. “Kind of like you and Fluttershy, huh?”

The unicorn’s words had an immediate effect. Red flooded the blue muzzle and hooves dropped away from the head that jerked back in surprise. Rainbow stood up, wings spread wide, as she stared open mouthed to the other mare.

“Wha-what in the hay are you talking about Twi’!?” The pegasus began to wave her hooves around, criss crossing them occasionally as she tried to deny the claim. “I, uh, never said anything like that! I was just wondering about AJ! She’s head over hooves for Rarity! Not like me, I mean I’m not for- for uh, Fluttershy…”

At the loud and frantic voice, Spike paused in his cleaning to check on the two mares, while Twilight put a hoof to her mouth in amusement. Dash noticed her raised voice had attracted the drake’s attention and sat back down, grumbling in annoyance.

“Yeah, yeah, laugh it up Twi. You’re next on my prank list, you know that right?” The pegasus muttered to the mare beside her who laughed at the threat. Twilight reached over and placed a hoof onto the sky-blue shoulder.

“Yes, I’m sure I will have to keep a look out for any kind of new pranks that you will come up with for me even suggesting such a thing.” The mare leaned closer to her anxious friend, purple eyes seeking out magenta. “But that doesn’t change how I know I and the others would be with you the whole way if you do find that special somepony, mare, colt or even another type of creature. In fact, I think that would make for a wonderful friendship report!”

Rainbow rolled her eyes, nudging back before picking up her book once more. Barely giving the lad in the corner a glance, she floated over to the stairs, wanting to not waste any time in reading the latest escapade of the awesome adventurer.

Spike checked on the purple unicorn and saw she was smirking in amusement at Dash’s actions. Finding that Twilight didn’t need anything, he returned to cleaning, putting the few returns back onto the shelves where they belonged. In the meantime, Twilight got up for a light snack, realizing how she hadn’t eaten since early that morning. She returned to the lobby with a tray of cupcakes, earning another bemused eye roll from the purple drake, and went back to her tome, steadily making her way through it and the tray of snacks.

Neither Twilight nor Rainbow made it halfway through their books when a somber pink earth pony trotted through the doorway. They almost didn’t notice the usually hyper mare until she came to a stop next to the studious unicorn. Leaning forward, Pinkie Pie dug her head into the warm lavender coat.

“Pinkie Pie? What’s wrong?” Twilight’s question drew everyone else’s attention. The room was silent as they waited for the answer. “Did something happen with the wagon?”

“Weeeellll, the wagon worked just fine until I got that mixture and explosives mixed up again. But then it just seemed to get worse and worse and even worse from there! It was horrible!” Pinkie flung a hoof out and turned to embrace the unicorn, eyes misting over. “I just don’t know what went wrong!”

“What do you mean?” Twilight returned the embrace, but before she could question further, the impatient pegasus cut in.

“Spit it out Pinkie Pie. What did you do now?”

“I just wanted to give him the bestest welcome he ever got! But then, he didn’t like my wagon, and he didn’t join in with my song, and I made a mistake with his toupé but then I fixed it but that still didn’t help and I tried to be wagon buddies but he STILL didn’t like that…” Pinkie mimed her every action as she spoke, having taken several steps back from the purple librarian to have space for her movements. “... and so I was trying to see what kind of neat things he has but then there was this board and then it was like, zoom and zipped up and then there was this flash like ka-zam! And then the book crashed and there was another flash and whoosh, a raging fire went right up and...”

Rainbow Dash and Spike had long tuned the ranting out, turning back to their own endeavors. Twilight managed to gather what had been happening, but only through extreme focus and experience in dealing with Pinkie Pie rants.

“So, you were trying to become friends with this new resident but things just kept going wrong?” The unicorn watched timidly, not used to seeing her marefriend upset like she was. As the pink mane bounced in affirmation, Twilight flinched at what she would have to say next. “And so now he doesn’t want to be friends or talk with you?”

“YES! And I’ve never had anypony not want to talk with me! I mean, how weird that would be! Everything’ll be all silent and nopony would be laughing because they didn’t want to talk and it’d be just crazy!” Pinkie waved her forehooves about her head as she faced the unicorn.

Rainbow Dash sighed, rolling her eyes as she placed a hoof behind her head. “Yeah, because being quiet is soooo weird…” The dripping sarcasm went unnoticed by the frantic party mare, though Twilight shot the pegasus a warning glare.

“Pinkie, I know that you usually become friends with everypony but I don’t think-” The book pony’s words were cut off as Pinkie went into another rant, beginning to pace between the two mares in the lobby.

“I KNOW! I’m so totally friends with everypony! And I love to see my friends smile! But he totally wasn’t smiling and I just had to try and cheer him up but that didn’t work at all. But I usually know just what to do to make somepony or donkey smile but not this time! I tried everything! I even went through that list of ‘Sure fire ways to become someone’s new bestest friend!’ and nothing!” Pinkie didn’t stop in her pacing, shaking her head and waving a hoof every so often.

Twilight sighed, realizing it was one of those kinds of rants where Pinkie had to get it out of her system before she would listen to anypony. The lavender mare turned back to her book, keeping an ear out for her mare to finish.

“I just can’t believe it… Cranky said he’d never four-ever be my friend. It was horrible…” Pinkie stopped pacing as the sight came back to mind. Noticing the heartbroken face, Twilight’s ears flicked back as she refocused on the pink earth mare.

“I know this is hard for you Pinkie, seeing that you’re friends with everypony, but you just have to accept that Cranky is going to be the exception.” Twilight kept her voice soft as she spoke, not moving from her place beside the center table. “He just, doesn’t want to be bothered.”

“Yeah,” Rainbow piped up from the stairwell, “he doesn’t want to be bothered by your over the top super hyper antics.” As the prismatic pegasus talked, she swirled her eyes and waved a hoof to emphasize her point, not bothering to glance up from her book.

“Rainbow!” The lavender mare reprimanded her friend, glaring until Pinkie drew her attention away.

“No no, it’s ok Twilight, I get what you’re saying.” Pinkie rested a hoof against her chest that constricted at the thought of not being someone’s friend. “What you’re both saying…” The baker’s mind rapidly worked, trying to find a way to relieve some of the pressure building in her barrel.

“And I guess, I can leave Cranky alone…” Pinkie stared towards the wall, eyes wide. She continued to think before selecting the next best thing to helping someone feel better. Apologizing and making it all better would work even if being friends didn’t. Coming to a decision, the pink party pony raised her head in determination, blue eyes focused into the distance.

Twilight, hearing that Pinkie may be learning a valuable friendship lesson, brightened. She had expected tears or more arguments, not acceptance. This may be a big step for her! Maybe even worth a letter to Princess Celestia! And who knows, maybe this means she’s growing up even more and will learn to respect other ponies’ personal space-

“Right after he accepts my apology!” Pinkie’s chipper tone broke Twilight’s growing impression of the hyper mare.

-or not really...

While the party mare cheerfully hopped out of the library, the unicorn couldn’t help how her forehead was pulled down to her book, making a loud smack that resound in the tree house. Muffled laughter soon followed, a blue hoof blocking the muzzle only to drop away as Dash leaned forward, eyes shutting briefly.

“Oh boy, I almost want to see what she does to the poor dude! Pinkie just doesn’t get it. How do you put up with her to be able to date?” Rainbow noted what page she was on before glancing to the unicorn who looked up with a frozen frown.

“Maybe she is a little over energetic, but you know she means well. And we’ve managed because of how much we care for one another. Like how you are good friends with Fluttershy even though you guys are so different.” Stern purples orbs held unsure magenta ones. Seconds later and Dash broke the stare, dropping her gaze with a blush flashing over her face.

“S-sorry Twilight… I guess I kind of get it…” The brash pegasus’ gaze slowly turned to the east as she thought about the mare living there. “Hey Twi’? I’m just going to borrow this and finish it in the clouds, ok?”

Twilight nodded as her own focus turned to where the pink baker had left towards. The soft shut of the doorway broke the unicorn’s concentration. The librarian looked to her assistant who had zoned off into his own little world.

“Spike? I’m going to check on Pinkie Pie, make sure she didn’t go overboard or get hurt somehow.” The unicorn passed the lad while heading for the door. Giving a quick pat to his shoulder, she glanced towards him for only a second to make sure he heard her.

“Sure thing Twilight.”

Twilight quickly made her way through town, trying to find her marefriend as she walked. When she got to the middle of the village, the studious unicorn realized that she had no idea where to start. Listening to the crowd around her, Twilight tried to find any sign of the usually loud and excitable mare.

“...Really really really really reeeeally really really really really really really really really really soorrrrrry!”

The faint shout echoed through the town, drawing the lavender unicorn’s attention to the far south. Right ear twitching along with her left eye, Twilight rubbed her temple at the sound of Pinkie’s cry. Giving her head a brief shake, she began to travel in that direction.

It wasn’t even twenty paces that she was passed by a blur of pink. Twilight froze, blinking in confusion, only to be passed by a pink and brown blur heading back towards the south seconds later. The wind buffeted her frame but she managed to keep upright.

Pinkie…? What are you doing? At least I know I’m heading the right way…

The magical mare continued her trek, pausing every so often to ask if they saw a pink blur head that way. Once she got to the edge of town, the mare was left trying to reason her way to the newest resident. Stepping closer to the forest that rested there, the sound of a firecracker going off drew her searching gaze to the skies, where Pinkie exploded into the air. Twilight came to a complete stop as the pink party mare hung in the air, striking poses as she shouted.

Hearing a hum and catching sight of a hopping pink form shook Twilight from her stupor. Purple eyes dropped down from the spot in the sky they had fixated on and tried to focus on the incoming mare. Pinkie slowed her travels with a giggle, hoof holding some of it back at the sight of a dizzy lavender librarian.

“What’cha doing out here Twilight?” Pinkie saddled up to the unicorn and gave her cheek a quick kiss. When she pulled back, Twilight gave her marefriend a shaky smile in return to the beaming grin the pink mare wore.

“O-oh h-hey Pinkie Pie… Were you just…….. In the air?” Twilight stumbled over her words before seeing the excited expression in the earth pony’s eyes. Waving a hoof, the unicorn stopped any kind of explanation. “Wait, no, I don’t want to question it. Uh, did everything go ok?”

Remember Twilight, you shouldn’t question how she does anything. It could just lead the universe to focus its attention solely on yourself. Don’t want a repeat of the incidents surrounding the “Pinkie Sense”... And it’s hereditary. Twilight flinched at the reminder before blinking away her concerns, focusing on the mare that was coming closer.

“Yepperonie!” A pink hoof reached around the purple neck and pulled the unicorn along. “It took a loooooot of work, because he’s a pretty fast runner. Well, not as fast as Dashie like that one time we were playing tag before doing pranks all over Ponyville, but still pretty fast.” Pinkie continuing explaining as she lead her marefriend back to town.

“So there I was, trying to get ahead of him through the trees, when he was all like, ‘Nooo!’, and ran up the Unicorn Range and I was right there waiting for him and then he started to go around all over, did I say he was fast?, but I was able to stay ahead of him by using my good ol’ Pinkie Sense!”

Pinkie Pie continued to regale the unicorn with her day, pausing every so often to demonstrate some of her abilities she used. Twilight remained silent and wided eyed thorough, a grand debate raging in her mind.

Dare I ask about the ability to appear before the creature being chased? But what if she thinks I don’t believe her? Should I just ignore it…? It was at this point, steps away from the library door, that Pinkie showed how she counted and connected the dots on her hooves, bringing up two at a time.

“And so I put two and two and two together! And it was so obviously about Matilda! And then Cranky was all like -”

Yep! Not. Asking. Just file this under Pinkie Pie, Twilight, and think of something else. Anything else… What else?!?

“Oh, well, that was… very impressive Pinkie Pie. Good, uh, good work. Spike? Anything happen while we were out?” At least she didn’t seem to take Rainbow’s words to heart.

“Rainbow Dash brought that book back. And said she was sorry, again.” Spike called from the kitchen. He had gotten peckish and started to make dinner for three, knowing that Pinkie would somehow bring them back to the tree house in time for the evening meal.

Noticing the questioning tilt of the pink maned head, Twilight sighed with a grimace. She pulled her marefriend towards the seating in the corner, sitting on the ground beside the excited mare. Pinkie settled dramatically on the floor, bouncing in place before leaning into the purple fur on her left.

“Well, Rainbow wasn’t sure how we can still be together considering how different we are from one another.” The purple maned unicorn shook her head at the disbelief the brash pegasus had for the couple’s ability to be together.

“What a silly filly! It works because my Pinkie Sense said it would!” Pinkie waved a hoof dismissively with a laugh. She glanced to the mare beside her and saw the confusion in bright purple eyes. “I got a super special Pinkie Sense that only ever goes off when a Pie meets her future special somepony right when you first came to town! So I knew I just HAD to become best friends with you.”

“Wait, hang on. You mean that you’ve liked me like that since we first MET?” Twilight stared with awe at the usually fast paced mare.

“You bet! But since you seemed like you didn’t even have that many friends to start with, I thought it would be better to wait. Besides, I don’t think you liked liked me that way right away anyways.” Pinkie scrunched her muzzle in thought, blue eyes looking towards the ceiling, while Spike entered with a large plate of sandwiches.

The drake suppressed his desire to laugh at the statement and merely smirked as he took a few sandwiches for himself. Not wanting to be close to the cuddly mares, he choose a seat in the corner with a few choice comic books within easy hearing range should they need him. Twilight watched him with a blush and flattened ears, knowing what the smirk was for.

“Well, yes… I didn’t have very many friends when I first came to Ponyville…” Twilight scrunched her muzzle at the reminder only to turn with a soft grin facing towards the pink earth pony. “But, I think I realized I had feelings for you when we were talking about your Pinkie Sense. It explained why it was so important for me to understand how you could do what you do and why I wanted cupcakes so often.”

“Cupcakes?” Pinkie sat up at the mention of the pastry, ears tipped forward in curiosity. “What do you mean? Do you not really like cupcakes? Have you been faking it ever since that first party!? Is the cake a lie!?!?”

Twilight rolled her entire head at the rant with a bemused smirk. Gently raising a hoof, she stopped the anxious tirade and leaned forward to rest her head under the pink chin.

“I do like your cupcakes. I would just want more cupcakes when you weren’t there and I didn’t know why until after I realized how I felt about you. That’s all.” The unicorn smiled contently as she felt the pink muzzle above her break out into a large smile.

“Oh, okie dokie lokie! Does that mean you want to eat me up like a cupcake?” The whispered question made Twilight stiffen and glanced to the earth pony. She found a sly grin waiting along with a teasing glint in sky-blue eyes.

“Pinkieeee!” The whine made the baker giggle loudly. She was soon joined by Twilight who shook her head at what Pinkie considered good teasing material.

Spike huffed at the two mares, unaware of what the last topic of conversation was. He was content to merely flip through his comic book, polishing off his meal and heading upstairs to his room once he put away the dishes. Twilight gave the lad a smile and hug, with Pinkie jumping in for the hug, before wishing him a good night.

The couple stayed downstairs for a few hours more, talking about how they had been oblivious to the other’s affections for so long and laughing at the antics they had gotten to because of it. This lasted until well into the night, until they fell asleep side by side on the floor, muzzles resting against one another, smiles on their faces.

XV - Worries of the future

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End of May, 1005 A.D. (After Discord)

Sunlight drifted through heart shaped windows. It gained pink and glittery tones as it came through. The large wooden bed was a mess of blue candy themed quilt and pink sheets. The beams of light slowly crept up along the bed, inching towards the headboard. When it reached the top of headrest, a soft hum sounded out. A pink hoof reached out of the bundle of blankets and tapped around the bed. It arrived back to the pink maned head that peeked out and bopped it. The sound shut off with a chirp and giggle. The mass of blankets shuffled towards the edge and hopped to the ground. Continuing to move towards the dresser beside the bed, it paused to extend a pink limb once more. The hoof pulled open the top drawer and rummaged briefly inside. Another giggle sounded out as both a calendar and pink head appeared, one from the drawer and the other from the blankets.

“Hmmmmmm, let’s see what’s for today!” A second hoof appeared from the bundle. The silly mare smiled widely as she flicked it open and tried to locate the current date.

“Hmmm-ehm-hm-mmmmmm….. The end… The end of… The end of - aha! Aj is to have a big important talk with Rarity before her trip!” The pink fisage brightened before dropping down. “No, wait. That’s March. Oh, here it is! Dash is getting her pet Tank today and finds- oh, wait….. That’s end of April. Hmmmmmmmmmmmm...” Pinkie Pie stared intensely to the flip papers in her hoof, bright blue orbs searching the document.

“OooooooOOoooooooHhhhh!” Sky blue eyes rolled excessively while the pink muzzle made a perfect ‘o’ of realization. “No wonder I was seeing everything else! Grabbed the wrong calendar.”

The pink form popped out of the blankets, leaving the outer shell in place as she quickly put the ‘special calendar’ away. She reached back into the drawer blindly and whipped out the correct one with a wide grin.

“Here we go! Tomorrow is Fluttershy’s arrival into Ponyville anniversary! Oh my gosh!” Pinkie twirled in place, searching her large loft bedroom. With each glance, the party pony grew more frantic, biting her hoofnails while her mind ran through every available supply she had stashed away. “Oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh no oh noooooo!”

The pink mare stood on her hind-hooves, fore-hooves outstretched towards the ceiling. Her mouth was wide out in her distress with her eyes tightly shut. After waiting several seconds, Pinkie dropped back to all fours and tapped at her chin in thought.

“Hmmm, better get a move on, have to get everything ready for the next month! Can’t fall behind again.” The pink earth pony hopped down the stairs. Coming across the Cakes starting their daily baking, she waved excitedly to the couple before hopping towards the door.

“I’ve gotta catch back up for all the parties I’m going to put on! I’ll be back later today unless Twilight needs me for some really goofy reason that she totally believes to be the greatest and most important thing ever! BUH-BYEEE!” Pinkie’s shout and half-ramble left the two bakers confused.

They had raised their hooves to wave goodbye but paused at the ranting. They looked cautiously towards one another before getting back to work. Though they made sure to set aside more supplies for the parties’ Pinkie would undoubtedly come up with, considering how energetic she was acting that morning.

Pink mane and tail bounced fluidly in the air. Giggles followed each hop. The other ponies in the street smirked to themselves at the sight of the party pony on her merry way. The pink body came to a stop mid-air, defying gravity with a hearty smile, as blue orbs focused on a dash of pink and yellow slowly making its way through the marketplace. Returning to the ground with a gentle plop, Pinkie merrily trotted over towards Fluttershy, softly humming to herself.

“Hey there Fluttershy! I was just about to get ready for your celebratory party about being in Ponyville for over six years now!” The earth pony evenly walked up and slung a hoof around Fluttershy’s neck.

The timid mare jumped in place, ears flicking wildly at the contact, before she settled down when recognizing who was speaking. She tilted her head slightly to glance to the party mare with her uncovered eye.

“That means she’s been here ever since she was eighteen and graduated high school for anyone curious.” Pinkie hissed towards the empty road as she leaned into the pink maned pegasus. Fluttershy blinked a few times at the odd mention before refocusing on the first thing Pinkie had said.

“Oh, uhm, yes. It has been a long time…” Fluttershy offered no resistance to being pulled along. Luckily Pinkie didn’t feel the need to go too fast. “Uhm, but you don’t have to throw me and my animal friends a party for it…”

The party mare lifted off her hoof from its resting place and gave the pegasus a gentle nuggie. Fluttershy stared slightly annoyed at the action but understood no malice was intended.

“You silly filly! Of course I have to throw you a party for that!” Pinkie Pie began to hop once more in the direction of the party gimmick store. “But I’m going to have to get a WHOLE lot more supplies. I’ve been helping and staying with my little star so much that I’m running low on nearly EVERYTHING. Well, except love, but that’s because my little star gives me lots and lots of her love.”

The earth pony paused in her travels, a few paces away from the animal caretaker, as she held a hoof to her chin in thought. A pleased and warm grin was stretched over the pink muzzle. The shyer mare also raised a hoof to her mouth, eyes going wide in worry.

“Oh no! I, uhm, well, I can understand. Did-did you need some help?” Fluttershy quietly asked as she took a few unsure steps closer to the hyper mare.

Pinkie whirled in place, eyes and grin wide, as she leaned closer to the yellow mare. “OooooooOOO, would you? Would you really?”

The tiny nod was all Pinkie needed to see. The earth pony rushed forward and hugged the other mare tightly. “Thanks so so much Fluttershy! I knew you’d understand! I bet you and YOUR special somepony spend so much time together you TOTALLY forget the world around you!”

Fluttershy flinched and backed up slightly as she shook her head in denial. Pinkie also stopped and glanced towards the pegasus with a wide smile.

“Uhm, n-n-no… I… I don’t have a special somepony…” Fluttershy tapped her forehooves together while Pinkie lost some of her manic glee. “I, uhm, may day-daydream about what it would be like… But, uh, I don’t have any special somepony…”

The earth pony frowned. Reaching out a hoof, she stared at the pegasus as she reached beyond only to snap her hoof back with a shocked and pained look on her face. Pinkie slightly pouted as she rubbed the stung hoof before scratching at her head with it.

“Meanies, won’t let me see the calendar again in the same day… You really don’t have a special somepony yet? Huh… Ok then. Guess, we uh, better get going anyways.” Pinkie had lost her pep for a moment before the joy of party planning re-entered her spirit as they continued down the street. Fluttershy bit her lip anxiously as she followed the earth pony, ears tipped back.

“So, how’s Rainbow Dash been doing?” The sudden question surprised the shy pegasus. Teal orbs looked up to find sky blue ones staring intensely back.

“Oh, uhm, well, I guess she’s fine. Well, kind of, but she seems to be worried about Tank.” Fluttershy couldn’t meet curious sharp blue eyes.

“Oh, well, I’m sure there’s more than meets the eye to that.” Pinkie bounced in place before twirling around and entering the store.

The pegasus furrowed her brows in confusion before also entering the tent-like store. She was stopped by the multitudes of bags full of goodies and supplies that quickly blocked her path. The pile inched forward slowly startling Fluttershy into giving an eep of surprise and scrambling backwards. The stack passed through the doorway, revealing that it was propelled by a certain pink earth mare whose mane was flatly squashed against the bags.

“P-Pinkie?!”

“Hey Fluttershy! This is ALL the stuff I’ll be needing for the next week. Can you still help?” Pinkie Pie looked up from where she pushed and smiled to the pegasus. When Fluttershy nodded timidly, the pink mare beamed and began to pile the multitudes of bags on top of the pegasus. “Thanks so much Fluttershy! This will help loads!”

“Ooomph… Y-you’re… welcome…” Fluttershy groaned as she was quickly encumbered by the supplies. Her ears were tipped back anxiously as she began to crawl after the party pony who tied the few balloons she had around her waist.

“Hey Fluttershy! We totally have to go over this way!” The pink earth pony shouted with a wave of her hoof. Rapidly swinging her hooves to help her move forward, the party mare floated down the main street, causing other traveling ponies to avoid her and Fluttershy. This left a wide open space in the middle of the road.

“O-okay…” The soft whimper resounded in the quiet morning as the two friends continued their travels. “Uhm, Pinkie Pie…? Wh-where are we going?”

The flying earth pony froze momentarily as her ears twitched back and and her nose scrunched, sniffing the air. “Oh, well, we need to get to a nice bridge to cross the river, right? So we’re heading for the bridge!”

Fluttershy squinted in confusion. She opened and shut her mouth a few times before pressing her lips together in a flat line. The pink mare merely smiled gleefully and resumed her trek, not looking back at the other mare following her.

Yep yep! I need that bridge area, it will have LOADS of room for panicking! And I just can’t leave my little star by herself while I panic, so I’ll have to pace in a twelve hoofstep line and turn a hundred and eighty degrees to go back the other way and I wonder if other ponies would want to panic with me? Better make sure I get enough pases in even if I’m doing it solo!

-NKP-

I wonder if this is enough panicking for my little star? Hmmmmmmmm, nope! Better get a little more in!

The hysterical pink mare continued to float through the air with her head thrown back in a perpetual scream. To the casual observer and reader, it may seem like Pinkie Pie was lost in her frantic yelling. But no! For I, super-secret agent of parties and distractions Pie, Pinkie Pie, am totally helping Twilight focus!

“Pinkie Pie! Please, I need to focus!”

Worked like a charm! “Sure thing Twilight!”

The earth pony drifted closer to the unicorn and smiled widely as she watched her marefriend rub her temple in thought. Bright sky blue orbs glimmered in the morning light as they watched the almost verbal thought process the well-organized mare was going through. Twilight looked from each of her friends to the library in the distance. Her gaze shimmered bright, body releasing its stressed stance, before shutting her eyes and focusing her magic. With a soft poof, a quill and parchment appeared in the air beside the purple mare. The onlooking crowd stayed a polite distance away as Twilight began to write as many things to check on as she could. Pinkie glanced over her shoulder and giggled at some of the scenarios. When the unicorn heard the laughter, she looked up and gave a small start of surprise at their proximity. Recovering, she grew hopeful as a new resource came to mind.

“Pinkie!” The purple mare stood up with a wide grin.

“Twilight!” The earth pony shifted with a wiggle of her hooves as she shouted just as loudly as her marefriend.

“I need your help!” A lavender hoof reached out and came to a gentle rest on soft pink fur.

“Wheee!” Pinkie threw her hooves out as she gleefully shouted towards the sky, though she made sure not to break the contact. Twilight rolled her eyes at the answer.

“Can you, can any of you girls, think of things we should check to fix?” Twilight turned to face everyone else as she asked before looking back to Pinkie Pie who released herself from the balloons with a flick of her tail. The group nods and grow pensive as they sat closer to their un-official leader.

“Oooh, how about all the bridges around here? I bet those need a good check.” The hyperactive mare laid on her back against Twilight’s back. Her head laid beyond the purple shoulder, making Pinkie have to look up to see her marefriend’s face. “You know, rooftops sure do get stepped on a lot too, better make sure they don’t have any holes! Oooh, and what about all the clouds in the sky? What if some totally weird thing got into the factory and changed something in them? And what about the sun? What if the Princesses get so tired they want to just to take a nap but fall into a deep slumber and don’t wake up in time for us, sending us into a cold dark dismal night!”

The sound of several face-hooves resounded around the open area. Some of the crowd even joined in, though not too many since they were used to Pinkie’s more eccentric ways. What was a little concerning for the crowd and three remaining best friends was how dutifully Twilight wrote the suggestion down. Even as Pinkie flipped from one type of disaster to another, the librarian continued to take notes, magically elongating the parchment to fit it all. Rarity and Applejack shared an anxious glance and stepped closer while Fluttershy inched forward with both ears flat against her head.

“Sugarcube, you may want to think of some other things aside from ones, uh…” Green eyes flicked towards the light-gray mare searchingly.

“From ones of this magnitude. Perhaps ones that are a little easier to handle?” The prim voice picked up from where the southern accent left off after the sapphire orbs connected to the apple green ones.

“And maybe not so scary…?” The tiny murmur was barely heard over Pinkie’s continued ramblings. Their closer presence drew the two mares’ attention away from one another. They glanced towards their friends with guilty smiles. Twilight tried to desperately recall what they just said while Pinkie just beamed, enthralled by the deep concentration she found on her marefriend’s face.

“Uhm, other things…” Twilight looked to her list and found that a lot of the current suggestions were of global kinds and not ones that could be done by the average pony. “Oh. What, uhm, did you guys have in mind…?”

“Well darling, do you really need to make an entire list? Couldn’t we merely try to fix things as we find them?” Rarity hesitantly questioned the anxious unicorn.

Bright blue eyes gleamed as Pinkie smiled towards the two mares. When Applejack took a step forward to also suggest a course of action, Pinkie was practically giggling at how close the farmer and fashion designer stood. The lighthearted tone dampened when the earth pony looked towards the yellow pegasus who was standing off by herself. Though when Twilight responded, the anxious train of thought quickly derailed.

“But how would we be able to know what was taken care of and what wasn’t? No no, we have to make a list of EVERYTHING.” The unicorn summoned her collection of maps and spread them around her. “We just have to think about this logically. Go through every city and what could potentially go horribly horribly wrong.”

Both Applejack and Rarity rolled their eyes while Fluttershy winced at the wording. Pinkie merely continued to smile as she watched the world from upside down. As she stared at the pegasus however, the pink muzzle turned into a slight frown, almost unnoticeable from her position.

… What if the calendar's wrong? I thought things were supposed to be turning around for them by now, but Silly Dashie was more than willing to fly off at Twilight’s command… My little star does have a lot of leadership in her, just has to be confident enough to use it. I knew she was special. I’m sure Rainbow Dash can see that too… Pinkie bit the inside of her lip as her frown deepened. Maybe she’s blinded by the light in my little star…?

The pink mare came back from her musing slowly. Blinking away her frown, she glanced towards the unicorn she still leaned against and quickly became lost in deep purple orbs.

“Pinkie Pie?” The soft voice pulled the drowning mare back to the sunny day. “What do you think of our list?”

The party pony tilted her head back, closer towards the ground as she looked at the scroll. Scanning it rapidly, she frowned once more as various parts twitch, itch and tremble on her body.

“Hhhhmmmmmmm, I think you may have missed some stuff there my star.” The crowd and group of friends went still at the proclamation. “Yep! There’s this dirt pile near the intersection of Elm and Cranberry street. That could toootallly be really slippery and dangerous. Then there’s this weird tree that has a bunch of loose branches that may or may not have been there when I jumped up that one time to see where the Cutie Mark Crusaders were. Then there’s the water tower you never refilled from when you chased away the ursa minor. Oh oh oh! And my mane has been a little off balance recently, which could mean that there’s a horrible disaster coming to Equestria in a season, right near the end of the month, or that my mane is getting too long.”

A purple eye twitched. The quill scrambled over the parchment, adding another thing to check on the growing list. Pinkie smiled at the newest entry. She rolled to her left and wrapped her forehooves around Twilight’s neck. Pinkie giggled as she nuzzled the purple fur, distracting Twilight into blushing at the feeling. The unicorn stood up, hardly registering the extra weight on her neck and back. Together, they stepped closer to the waiting crowd. Twilight held up the scroll and began to direct the ponies work at various tasks.

Pinkie was really comfortable resting on her marefriend’s back. She breathed in the magical mare’s scent and with every exhale, suggested another two things to check. A whistling sound broke through the muted chatter. While it came closer, Pinkie was content to hold her marefriend until she felt Twilight focus on a specific pony. Glancing up, the pink earth pony saw the rainbow mane and relaxed. Rainbow Dash gave a sharp salute, drawing a confused twitch of a pink brow, before stepping closer to the lavender unicorn and pointing to some of the maps spread before them. The proximity caused an intake of concerned breath and tightening of pink hooves while bewildered blue eyes watched over the purple mane.

That’s weird… Dashie doesn’t like being so close to ponies usually. It makes it really hard to give her good-morning-hugs or we-just-pulled-off-an-amazing-prank-hugs… She’s not like that with a lot of the others… Maybe she’s just showing Twilight something? Well, no matter what she shows, I’m still her marefriend, not her! Pinkie tightened her grip further, brows mashing together over the squinted eyes. A vague and soft gasping sound cut through her showdown with the mop of multicolored mane. Blue eyes blinked before looking to the neck under the tight hold. Two purple hooves desperately tugged at the pink fur while the muzzle close to Pinkie’s face was paler with a light blue tint to it. Pinkie Pie yelped and released the unicorn below her, taking care to get off the mare without further harming her.

“Heh heh, sorry Twilight…” Pinkie laughed lightly while a hoof went to her mane to scratch at it.

Twilight relaxed from her heavy breathing and smiled gently towards the other mare. “It’s ok Pinkie. Do you think you could help with some of these things? Oh and please keep those suggestions coming, I need every input I can get.” The unicorn beamed towards the earth pony for a few seconds. She then turned back towards the map and her lists, Rainbow Dash coming in closer to point at cities that she had personally scouted.

My little star is just amazing that way. But maybe she’s so amazing that others are getting jealous now! Ooooh, I better keep a close eye out for anypony wanting to try and take my little star away! All’s fair in love and parties!

The pink pony smiled and shoved her nose over top of Twilight’s back, forcing the sky blue pegasus to take several steps back as she frowned in confusion at the action. Pinkie continued to smile, even as she nosed the pegasus’ side whenever she got ‘too close’. Rainbow Dash gave one more bewildered glance towards the pink mare before giving Twilight a sharp salute. Shooting into the air, she collected other pegasi with a wave of her hoof and they all flew off in different directions. Twilight and Pinkie watched for a few moments before focusing on the other ponies still there. One of them at least did so. The normally hyper mare was focused on something else instead.

OoooooooOOo, some of these ones are going to be hard for the average pony to get to. They could be important, but I don’t think Twilight will find anypony could could climb cliffs on such short notice or check every mirror in town or be sure that the Everfree Forest is still free and not a monarchy. But would she be ok without me here…? Hmmm, no Pinkie Sense about ponies trying to take my light… And with Rainbow Dash gone flying off, there won’t be any Twidashery going on either. That pony, bunch of letters for a name, who does that?, has some weird suggestions… Better make sure Rainbow Dash hasn’t been listening to him just in case!

Pinkie gave a swift peck to Twilight’s cheek before bounding off, humming with each step. When the melodic tones of Twilight’s question came floating towards the swift moving earth pony, Pinkie twirled around with a wave.

“I’m going to get started on those tasks my little star! I’ll be back for that mane cut!”

Twilight grinned in relief and looked back to her list. As some ponies arrived with news of what could be repaired, the unicorn would send others to start on the growing list of tasks. When she pointed towards the apple farmer, Applejack nodded smartly and looked to the light-gray unicorn at her side. Giving Rarity a warm smirk, the earth pony jerked her head in the direction she was being sent. The fashion mare smiled and delicately nodded. Together, they went off to start working as Twilight focused her attention on the next couple of ponies. Pinkie watched her two friends walk away from a distance, a pleased smile plastered across her muzzle.

At least I won’t have to worry about two more mares becoming tempted by my special somepony. But I better hurry! Manecuts wait for no mare!

The hyper earth pony skipped around the small town, completing her own mental checklist of things while other ponies ran frantically to comply with Twilight’s demands. The pink mare didn’t bother to adjust her beaming grin at how great her marefriend was. Soon she rested on a thatched roof, forehooves stretched out in front of her, while she watched the motion below.

Got all my special preparations done, and seems like the sun is in the right spot and Twilight has shown everypony just how awesome at planning she is, so I guess it’s time to get that mane looked at. I wonder if something is going to happen or if it’s just a little off… Hmmm…

Pinkie lifted her back half up and over her head, dropping towards the ground with a ‘wheee!’. Twirling mid-air, she struck one hoof forward while curling the other towards her body, aiming for a large umbrella that was over top of a circular table. She bounced off the fabric and did several spins in the air before coming to a soft landing on the ground. Nopony around gave the action a second look. The earth pony glanced about, nose in the air, as she stretched out her senses to find her special somepony. Blue eyes shot open with a gleam and the hyperactive pony barreled down the street, aiming for the large carousel that was on the east side of town. Loud voices began to come into focus as she got closer.

“...are you sure? Seems a little late to me.” The prim tone was hesitant. The second caused a wave of heat to spread from Pinkie’s core to the tips of her fur.

“I’m sure, she’s never been late to anything we decided on together. Or to anything that I know of.”

Oh Twilight! That’s because my favoritest, cutest, all around best marefriend is waiting for me! That and having a super special sense means I ALWAYS know when to show up right on time!

“HERE I AM!” Pinkie shouted as she rolled forward before springing upwards with hooves out in joy. Rarity looked a little faint at the surprise while Twilight smiled in expectation.

“Err, yes, so you are darling.” The fashion designer patted her mane, trying to adjust it back from its windblown shape. “If you would come along? You said you didn’t want to go to the spa for this correct?”

Pinkie hopped along after the alabaster mare. She rapidly nodded, smile never faltering. Twilight watched bemused as she continued to check things off her list.

“You bet! I know you don’t do manecuts usually but I can just tell that this is where I have to be for the montage.” Pinkie chipperly replied as she leaped into the waiting chair. Both of the other mares paused in confusion before shaking their heads at the odd wording.

“Yes, of course. And how would you like the manecut darling?” Rarity levitated a pair of scissors she kept for the few makeovers she did for customers. Holding them up expectantly, she stared at the pink maned mare.

“Uhmmmhmhm-uhm-uhmmh. I think the front is a little too heavy.” Pinkie tipped her head forward to demonstrate.

“Oh, so a little from the front?” A hoofful of the pink strands floated up in a light blue hue.

“Oh no no no no no, that’s waaay too much.” Some of the hairs were released.

“Noope! Still too much!” More was released, leaving half of the original amount.

“Hmm, nopey-dopey! A little leeesssss…” Several more pieces dropped from the blue hue while sapphire blue eyes scrunched down in annoyance.

“A little lessssss….” A few more pieces dropped, leaving only five bits left. The blue eyes were now slits as light gray brows inched their way down and together.

“Still too muchhhh....” Half of the remaining parts were released. The three mares held their breath while Pinkie scrunched her muzzle in thought.

“That’s it, carefully now, careful!” Rarity shut her eyes briefly at the hyper instructions of Pinkie’s and opened them to frown in determination as she drew the scissors closer to snip off the small chunk.

Silence reigned in the boutique as every set of eyes were staring at the motion. It was soon broken by the echo of a slice from the scissors cutting through the few strands of pink mane. While the blue light of magic dissipated from the room, a exclamation of ‘PERFECT!’ set the two unicorns at ease. Twilight ticked off the corresponding check box while Pinkie nodded her head to test the weight.

Uhmmm, this could be bad. That feeling isn’t going away… Is there something coming for Ponyville? Is there some disaster on the horizon? Should… I … tell Twilight…? Blue anxious orbs turned towards the lavender mare who was thanking the tailor for her help. No, she has a lot to worry about as it is. I’ll just keep going and get my own list finished.

Pinkie spent the next several hours rushing around. She completed the tasks that Twilight didn’t know about and ones she did. Pinkie would check in with the lavender mare every hour. With a kiss and status update, she watched her marefriend keep the townsfolk busy throughout the night. Twilight never slowed however. Her ability to keep working always impressed the hyperactive earth pony. Pinkie’s grin didn’t waver even as she checked that everypony acted like they normally did. Well, except for Rarity who was falling asleep on her hooves and Applejack who had to help hold her upright. And Fluttershy was also dragging behind, eyelids drooping as she helped. Rainbow Dash seemed to be the only one who wasn’t fatigued aside from Twilight and Pinkie Pie.

As the night wore on, Twilight continued to rely on the sky blue pegasus and pink earth pony. They were the few ponies who were still energized enough to help get tasks done. Rainbow Dash would often fly at rapid speeds to scout and deliver instructions. She would return and happily gave a salute to the librarian as she reported. Pinkie felt the need to watch these interactions as she waited for further instructions. Even if she already had the entire list memorized.

That’s right Dashie, go fly off. You may be Loyalty incarnate, but you won’t ever be there for my little star like I can!

“Pinkie? Could you go and add just the right amount of oil to all the doors in Ponyville?” Deep purple eyes seared the pink mare. Full of hope and appreciation, they derailed Pinkie’s current train of thought.

Poor thing, there it goes into the subconscious. “You betcha Twilight! But that’s going to take more time than my last mission, I’ll see you at daybreak ok?”

Pinkie watched for the agreeing nod before leaning forward and nuzzling the purple muzzle. Both her and Twilight wore a splattering of red over their faces at the touch. The mares stared a little longer when a cough broke their staring contest. They looked towards their right and found both Rarity and Applejack waiting there with bemused smirks.

“Heh heh, sorry girls, let’s see what’s next.” Twilight gave her marefriend one last peck before turning towards the others. “Where did you girls go after…?”

Pinkie beamed and twirled around before setting out on her task, Twilight’s conversation with the others trailing away as she left. Her mind and body went on autopilot while every fiber of her being kept a mental eye on her special somepony. The individual hairs on her ears flicked as time ticket ever onward.

Sunbeams crested over tops of the tan hay roofs. Ponies blinked at the change in lighting shot into their pupils. Taking furtive glances about them and not seeing a specific shade of lavender, they returned to their homes, locking the doors behind them and diving for the covers.

One hyperactive mare didn’t stop however. Pinkie’s ability to continue working throughout the night and into the morning encouraged Twilight to keep at her list. By the time one o’clock rolled around, they had gotten the majority of their tasks finished. It all depended on the latest scout reports.

There’s Dashie! Giving my star the the good news. Does this mean Twilight gets to go to bed now with lots and lots of cuddles? Phfffff, come on guys! You know how this day goes!

“Ok everypony, follow my lead!” Pinkie waved to her left with a barely concealed grin. She continued her run, though it wasn’t nearly as fast as her last panic run. She didn’t even bother to scream really loudly, knowing in her hooftips that Twilight would fix this in a jiffy.

Yep! I knew it was a good idea to stash party supplies all over Ponyville! Twilight was so right in that it never hurts to be prepared! In fact, that didn’t hurt anypony at all, kind of more like a funny tingling feeling of happiness…

“Pinkie Pie, why did you have toy balls hidden in a tree?” The raspy voice floated from above the earth pony’s head. Sky blue eyes pulled away from the retreating lavender figure and moved upwards to the curious face staring back.

The two faces stared at one another from inches apart when a small cough on Pinkie’s right distracted them from their current unoffical-offical staring competition. The small dragon tapped his claws as he stared to the earth pony.

“Uhm, is Twilight going to be alright? And, uh, why do you have stuff placed all around Ponyville?” Spike giggled as his head was fondly rubbed by the party mare.

“Ah Spike, it hasn’t ever hurt to be prepared for anything yet!” Spike and Rainbow Dash shared confused glances before looking back at Pinkie Pie. “And you can bet your bottom bit that Twilight will be right as rain! In fact, if my Pinkie Sense is right, she should be back tomorrow morning!”

The young drake sighed in relief while Rainbow scratched at her head. Pinkie gave the drake another pat before zeroing in on the flying mare. Before Dash could zip off, the earth pony held on to her tail desperately with a wide smile. The pegasus sighed as she floated back towards the ground. She rolled magenta orbs with a small sneer.

“What’s the matter now Pinkie? I haven’t had a nap in the past 36 hours.” Rainbow stared blankly towards the earth pony who didn’t relent in her smirk or wide-eyed stare. “It was fun to show off my speed and ‘save Equestria’, but even the most amazing mares need their rest.”

Pinkie smiled widely as she tugged the pegasus closer. She slung a foreleg over tense blue shoulders and gave the rainbow maned mare a half hug. “Girl, I totally know what you mean! In fact, I know the perfect place for you to crash at. I’m sure you’ll find it waaaay more comfortable than a large tree house home filled with books, inks and magic.”

Rainbow scowled at the odd wording as she was dragged along the street. Pinkie didn’t seem phased by the unsettlement. She reached her other hoof up to scuff the rainbow locks of her friend.

“No worries Dashie, this will be EXACTLY what you need!” Pinkie continued to pull the pegasus along with her, her grip sure and firm.

Rainbow tugged at the pink hooves only to stare in shock when they didn’t budge. She started to fidget and twist but Pinkie’s grip was too strong. The party mare didn’t drop her wide smile. They continued down their path even with the pegasus turning frantic to get loose.

“And don’t you worry Rainbow Dash, we’ll let you know when nap time is over and need more of your help, ok?” This should get the calendar set on the right track again!

When the duo exited the town and continued down the dirt road towards a grass covered cottage, the sky blue pegasus slowed in her desperate struggles. Dash bit her lip gently. She glanced towards the earth pony holding her hesitantly.

“Are… Are we heading for Fluttershy’s?”

“You bet! Just what a tired but awesome pegasus needs.”

“Oh…” The exclamation was drawn out and subdued. The usually brash mare released the tension she held and began to walk under her own power. Pinkie’s smile widened even more, impossible as it may seem, and picked up her pace.

Together, they arrived in front of the light brown door and heard the rapid chattering of critters. Rainbow frowned thoughtfully while Pinkie hung back, her smile never budging an inch. The sky blue pegasus took the initiative and knocked lightly. The sounds coming from inside went silent.

“Fluttershy? You in there? It’s just me and Pinkie Pie.” Dash glanced towards the earth pony beside her only to jerk her head back at the wide toothy grin waiting for her. When the door started to creak open Rainbow stepped in front of the disturbing smile with an unsure grin of her own.

“O-oh, hello Rainbow Dash… I was just talking with my animal friends about making sure everyone was safe.” The canary mare peeked behind her pink mane. “Uhm, where-where is Pinkie Pie?”

Rainbow Dash jerked her head towards the spot behind her before taking a look herself only to do a double-take when there was no hint of the pink mare. Dash scratched her multicolored mane as she glanced sheepishly back to the other pegasus.

“Oh, uh, guess she had something else to do…”

Fluttershy gave the brash mare a tiny smile before taking a step back with a wave of her hoof.

“Uhm, well, would you like to come inside? You probably… would like a nap?” The shy pony allowed her mane to cover the majority of her face once more, allowing only a sliver of her teal eye to watch the other pegasus.

“S-sure.” Dash nodded once, striding forward with a flash of a grateful smile. The yellow mare smiled back and waited until her latest guest was inside before closing the door once more.

Excited hooves beat against the dirt path. Going at no particular rhythm, they belied the speed they were traveling on their owner’s behalf. One of the forehooves shot out every so often, waving energetically to the rushing ponies. Suddenly, a question rang out instead of a short greeting.

“Pinkie Pie! Will there be any other monster attacks today?!” The hyper pony froze, expanding her senses to try and tell what the future may bring.

“.... Nope! Clear skies for the rest of the day!” Pinkie’s words were answered by a relieved sigh as the light blue unicorn went on her way.

The few other ponies who were on the street had stopped to watch the response. When they heard the answer, they too let out relieved breaths and continued on their way, though some decided to trot up to the overly friendly mare.

“Pinkie Pie, is my street safe to walk down?”

“You betcha!”

“Pinkie, is it ok to open my store for the afternoon?”

“Oooh, sure is!”

“Pinkie, is the weather going to stay good?”

“Hmm, winds going to pick up and a couple of clouds, but you should be good!”

The pink earth pony looked up from testing the winds with her tongue and ear tips to find that a line had begun to form in front of her to lead around the block. Oh uh, I can’t have ponies standing around outside. Better set up shop!

The earth pony shot off to her room and returned to where the line started. With a flick of her forehooves, a circular tent poofed out from the bundle she held. Pinkie set the tent down lightly like one would a picnic blanket. Once it was in place, she flung open the flaps and beamed at the open area inside. She ran back out, leaving the only mildly confused crowd of ponies behind her, and collected pillows, blankets, chimes and lights while balancing a small table on her back. When she arrived back at her tent, she stopped suddenly, allowing the luggage to fly forward and decorate the room.

Mmhmm, perfect! Lights and everything! Time to help make everypony happier!

Pinkie hopped towards her seat, a turban and scarf set around her neck, as she waved the next pony inside.

“Please, come inside! Madame Pinkie Pie is here to help!”

I bet this will help Twilight even more! This way, nopony will bug her while she’s busy working with questions about the future. Ooooh, maybe I’ll even get to see her!

-NKP-

Oh boy am I glad that Twilight actually stopped by! And she reaaallly wants to know what her birthday present is! Too bad I already got it aaaalllllll set up and totally can’t tell her. But she still doesn’t really understand my Pinkie Sense… Though where did that flower pot come from anyways?

Blue eyes slowly traveled up to the tent roof above the lavender unicorn. There was a circular tear in the fabric where the pot had entered. A tiny groan brought Pinkie’s attention back to the other mare in her tent. Twilight was shaking off the broken pottery, rubbing at her temple with her eyes closed tight. Pinkie put a hoof to her muzzle in curiosity.

“How did you get that interesting manecut Twilight?”

Spike looked up from his spot next to Twilight. “Oh, well, uhm, that would be kind of my fault. Rainbow Dash was visiting to say how another city was ok and I was playing around, and then I fell and my fire shot out and… We thought it looked ok…”

As the drake spoke, the warm hearted light in sky blue eyes dissipated, leaving only a too tight grin and a stiff spine. A lavender hoof reached out and pat the young dragon’s head reassuringly. This pulled the lad away from the anxious sight to the purple unicorn beside him. Twilight still had her eyes shut tight however and missed both the facial change and the anxious look in the dragon’s reptilian eyes.

“It’s ok Spike, sometimes these things just happen. I don’t blame you or Rainbow Dash. Even if you were trying to get me to move when I was trying not to move in order to not have the future me’s past happen.”

Pinkie’s gaze unfroze. Standing up, knocking her hat off in one sweep, she trotted over and brushed off the remaining dirt from the dark purple mane. When Twilight opened her eyes hesitantly, she smiled back at her marefriend.

“Twilight, you guys go on and have a nice relaxing day. Maybe make sure you don’t have a big ol’ bump on your pretty little noggin.” Pinkie leaned forward to nuzzle the lavender mare. She also rubbed the top of Spike’s head before helping them out of her tent. “Do you want me to help you get back home?”

“No, it’s ok Pinkie. You have more futures to read right?” The unicorn nudged the earth pony with a smile before heading in the direction of her tree home. Twilight turned to where she felt a claw on her side. “We’ll be ok, right Spike?”

The young drake nodded rapidly before helping his guardian walk forward. Twilight was a little unstable on her hooves, her gaze now twirling with stars flying around her head. Pinkie watched with a smile before the grin froze into place, her gaze clouding over. She looked towards the sky, noting a streak of gray and blonde leaving quickly, before zeroing in on a cloud with a rainbow bang and tail.

Magenta orbs popped out, searching the ground and sky guiltily. The worried gaze popped back into the cloud, as a light breeze caused it to drift close to a two storied house. Within seconds a pink blur raced up the side to meet the white puff. Pink hooves dissipated the cumulus, making its occupant flared mid air as the support was suddenly removed. Rainbow Dash checked the area and balked when she found wide light blue eyes, pupils shrunk to pinpricks, staring up at her.

“Gaaah!” The pegasus dropped from the sky. Having landed in a heap, Dash sat up hesitantly, scratching her mane with eyes shut firmly. When she felt a presence beside her, Dash braced herself and took a peek. “Hi… Pinkie Pie…”

“Hey there Rainbow Dash!” Pinkie’s cheery voice seemed hollow even as it had its usual tone and pitch. “I heard that every city is good to go?”

The earth pony watched the slow, anxious nod and reached forward. The blue mare flinched but didn’t move as the rock solid hoof wrapped around her slim frame and pulled her closer to the pink barrel.

“Great! Then you can totally relax and not worry about Twilight or anything about the future. Well, you may want to worry about the future, but not like Twilight is, but like some other way. You sure you ready for some of the more advanced tricks you want to do?” Pinkie tilted her head to the left. “If you’re not careful, you’ll get hurt and have to stay at the hospital and be totally bored!”

“You’re right Pinkie… I better go and relax in a nice quiet place…” Rainbow slowly agreed, waiting for Pinkie to loosen her grip, and shot away as soon as Pinkie did. “Away from you!”

Pinkie Pie blinked slowly, her brows coming together while her smile remained. She stood up, ears twitching in the wind, nose turned up, and eyes closed tight. When she reopened her eyes, they were sharp and focused, every bone in her body serious.

This is worse than I thought! Dashie still won’t admit to anything and won’t listen to reason, I better follow her and make sure things go according to the calendar. I sure hope Rainbow Dash doesn’t fight her destiny for long! But……. I can’t sense her! Why can’t I use my Pinkie Sense to find Rainbow Dash?!? Gotta think gotta think gotta think… Gotta FOCUS.

Pinkie sat down, frown etched deeply on her muzzle, as she rubbed at her temples. Every sense she had was directing her back to the library, away from where the streak of rainbow had shot towards. The mare bit her lip and flopped forward. She rubbed her hooves against the ground, trying to receive any kind of message or sense from the dirt beneath her hooves.

Nothing. I’ve got nothing! I’ll have to find Rainbow the old fashion way, through nose and hoof. Oooh, why do I have a bad feeling about this…?

Pinkie picked herself up from the ground and ran in the direction she had seen the speeding pegasus go. She was soon a blur of pink, leaving the remaining crowds confused about the necessity of the rush. As the earth pony traveled, she kept her ears trained for any word about a rainbow streak that had passed before she did.

Oh my gosh! Rainbow didn’t even say hi to some of her most loyalest of fans! They even wanted an autograph and she avoided them! Something has to be wrong! Maybe she’s so dazzled by my little star that she can’t think straight! Oooh, I have to find her now, Pinkie Pie never lets a friend down or be all sad or mopey! But where would she be?! Let’s see, last seen heading out of Ponyville, to the west, but Sweet Apple Acres are over there, why would she go there? Unless she’s so confused that now she’s trying to get Twilight, Applejack and her to be a herd! My little star would never enjoy that! And I don’t think that Rarity would like somepony taking Applejack away… I better go stop her before this becomes the. Worse. Thing. Ever!

The earth pony didn’t pause in her travels, sharp blue eyes scouring the farmland, trying find any kind of rainbow hues against the typical green, brown and reds of the farm. Seeing a blot of orange exit the barn, Pinkie ran up to and past the farmer. Applejack reared back at the sudden visit but was too slow to stop the other earth mare from entering the building.

“Pinkie! What in the hay are ya doin’?!”

“Can’t talk, gotta find, must save-!” Pinkie’s words stumbled over one another as she zoomed around, checking each and every hiding place she, ponykind or otherwise could use. A yelp of surprise came from the rafters, drawing intense focus from the pink pony below. Having been spotted, Rainbow dropped down from the wooden beams with a shout.

“Aahhhhh!” Dash tried to sprint out the front doors but Pinkie was already mid leap by that point.

Latching on to the lithe pegasus, Pinkie cried out frantically as she tried to hold the other mare back.

“Don’t listen to him Dashie! He’s just trying to confuse you with that moment of Twidash in his own story! It’s even the wrong story! You’re in a terrible storm, not some inspirational story of young love!”

“What the hay is goin’ on RD?!?!”

“AJ! You’ve got to help me!”

Orange hooves started to tug at Pinkie’s body. She flailed, watery eyes slowly turning away from the hysterical speedster to the sturdy earth pony below. Pink poofy mane starting to unravel, the earth pony blubbered to the one pulling her away from her target.

“Wwwhhhhhhhyyyyyyyyyy Applejack??? I thought you were happy with Rarity?!? You can’t do this to the readers!! They waited so loooonnnnggg….!!!”

Applejack rolled her head at the theatrics and continued to pull on the ranting mare. Rainbow used this distraction to blast away from Pinkie’s grip. Losing her target, the pink mare dropped limp into the apple farmer’s hooves. Her fur paling as she wilted in the strong grip.

“Et tuuuuuuuu…? Whyyyy? Menage à trois and quatre don’t work in the long run for some of us… Especially in this kind of party...” Pinkie whimpered before shaking free of the hold. Her mane seemed to pick up more dirt and the curls began to break apart from one another, making it much wider and wilder over her head.

“Sugarcube, Ah don’t understand a word yer sayin’.” Applejack reached out with an concerned hoof only to stop when Pinkie took a shaky step away.

“Well I’m not ok with that kind of party! It’s a party of TWO now, and I won’t let anything change that!” The now desperate pink mare shook her head and backed away before turning around and running off once more.

Applejack scratched at her head at the watery shout, frowning at the swift retreat. Turning disturbed green orbs back to town, she started forward, wanting to ask other experts on drama about what just happened.

Pinkie dashed through the trees and forests around Ponyville, tears streaming down her face, fur filthy and ghostly pale. She couldn’t feel any part of her body, almost as though she was drifting along the exhausted form that streaked forward. Sky blue eyes twitched from side to side, scanning the area and skyline, even as most of her sight was full of water and blocked by strands of flat mane. The earth pony began to randomly zoom up to various treetops to aid in her desperate search.

I can’t see her, I can’t find her, I can’t see her, I can’t find her… I can’t sense anything! I can’t even feel where my little star is! What is happening?! What’s gone wrong…?!?!

Sunlight dappled over the quiet town. Ponies had returned to their daily lives, recovering quickly from the fright they had gotten a little under a week ago. They greeted one another with wide grins, pleasant words and warm gazes. When an exhausted pink earth pony slowly trod by, their pleasantness dropped and their stances became fearful. Pinkie Pie wasn’t smiling, wasn’t grinning and wasn’t hopping. She was frowning, confusion written all over her muzzle, while she walked through the marketplace. She was so focused on the ground that she bumped into soft yellow fur, the pony being the only other thing going slower than the usually happy party mare.

“Oh, uhm, I’m sorry Pinkie, I didn’t mean to run into you…” The gentle tone broke the earth mare from her musings.

Pinkie blinked and looked to the animal caretaker. Giving herself a shake, the party mare smiled briefly. “O-oh, hey Fluttershy. I don’t suppose you’ve seen Rainbow Dash around? I can’t seem to find her. I’ve been looking these past three days and haven’t seen mane or tail of her.”

Fluttershy stood up with a tiny grin. Her entire manner brightened for a moment as she answered. “Oh, Rainbow Dash has been staying at my house the past week. Something about needing a safe place to stay?”

The earth pony’s entire attitude lifted at these words. The sight encouraged Fluttershy to continue.

“Uhm, yes, she’s been working with Scootaloo about flying and bringing Tank over to hang out with his old friends… W-why? Was there something you needed her for?” The canary pegasus flinched back down even as Pinkie brightened further.

“Nope! All is right in the world of ponies! I was just hoping that she stuck to the plan.” The party pony bounced up and twirled in place, focusing on the large oak tree in the distance. “I better go make sure my special somepony is doing just as ok.”

“Oh, ok. Have a nice day…” Fluttershy gave the other mare a tiny wave goodbye.

Pinkie waved briefly in return as she bounced off. Her entire focus and senses were zeroing on a certain lavender unicorn. Her Pinkie Sense could tell that her mare was wide awake and rushing around the library.

Ahh, gotta love my little star. Almost as energetic as me when it comes to her science-fun. Bet she needs loads of special Pinkie Pie help!

Hmmm, let’s see… Twilight is watching everything, so that means that she totally saw me protecting and helping from afar, so she must be really grateful. I wonder what else I could do? Maybe watch this thingy? It is a nice telescope… Ooo, another need of my secret stash! I wonder if we get to play dress up next! I have some neat costumes stashed away. In fact, I have those sneaky suits too, I wonder if Twilight would like to dress up in them…

Jackpot! She totally loved the suits. Even asked me and Spike to dress up with her! But she still thinks something is wrong… I don’t have any Sense that there is some ultimate destruction coming our way… Not yet at least, there’s this little tiny twitch that has been growing for a while now. But it’s not here yet. Kind of started last Thursday but that might have been because of ponies being so in awe of my little star. Hm? A special pose? Okie dokie lokie! Guards are just all over the place around here, almost like they have something super secret to hide and protect. Well, I understand wanting to protect the special things in life, like my little star. Maybe I should get some help protecting her from anypony who might want to take her away… Naaaah, I could totally do it myself. Hmm, is that the hallway she wanted to see?

Uh-oh, we’re about to lose that game of hide and go seek with the guards! I better let Twilight know!

Wait a second! How did that guard know my little star? Has he been watching us this whole time? Does he expect a big thank you kiss for opening that door that I so totally could have opened by myself? How does he expect to slip by MY notice?

Pinkie frowned briefly as the guard turned around to leave the mares and drake. Before she could do anything about the stallion, she was pushed by lavender hooves into the archives. The hyperactive mare was quickly distracted by the tall shelves of scrolls and books.

Sweeeeeet! Score one more for the Pinkie Pie! I was totally right about which hall we needed. I can just tell that that scroll my little star needs is in here somewhere. While I do like the idea of keeping this moment in time frozen forever so we could always be together forever and ever, I don’t know if there’s a scroll to help with that… But I bet I could help her get more time! We could always use more time together! Time time time time time… Ooooh, I bet Starswirl the Bearded had the same kind of organization system that Twilight does! Yep, here we go! I wonder if this will get me a kiss of thanks? Ooooh, that tingle along my back was about the sun coming up and saying hi to Twilight.

Pinkie stood next to the young lad as Twilight quickly read the paper that the earth pony had found. As the wind picked up, Pinkie had a flash of panic burst from her center. When the pale-lavender light disappeared, she bit her lip in worry, checking on the lad beside her only to slap on a reassuring grin when the boy looked back. The anxious mare shifted in place, ears trained to where she had last seen her special somepony.

She… couldn’t have messed up the spell. I didn’t get the feeling she messed up, there’s no sign she messed up. In fact, she has to actually do this in order to keep the universe in tact. There’s… There’s no way she isn’t coming back. She’s coming back…

When the whirlwind picked back up, setting the loose books and scrolls into motion, the two waiting beings became tense, watching the center of light carefully. The crackle of energy and magic set both on edge, their senses almost overloading from the sensation, though they didn’t move from their spot. When Twilight reappeared, her warning trailing off in disbelief, she locked eyes with her marefriend and released her breath. Pinkie watched concerned as the unicorn raved about how she was the cause of another week of stress for herself. As soon as Twilight stopped moving, she moved forward to rub reassuringly to the tense librarian. Pinkie’s touch elicited a giggle, the sound echoing in the earth pony’s ears while her own mounting anxiety floated away.

Laughter is the best medicine in the world! Things will be just fine now. And I’ll make sure of it!

Together the three beings left the specially locked wing of the archives and began to exit through more normal means. Just as Twilight was shutting the gate with her magic, the light-gray guard from earlier that day appeared.

“Hey Twilight, are you guys done with the special wing?” The unicorn smiled at the lavender mare. Twilight laughed lightly and scratched at her head.

“Yes, we’re done. Sorry if we caused any trouble Honor Guard.” Twilight used a touch of magic to repair her mane with a bashful grin. “How have you been doing since I left Canterlot?”

“A lot easier now that I’m not watching for any studyholic unicorns who couldn’t wait for the archives to open in the morning.” Honor Guard smirked at the librarian who blushed and ducked her head. “What about you? I see you still have Spike with you, but who’s this lovely mare?”

Spike giggled at being remembered while Pinkie wore a grin that was stretched almost too wide. She zipped up, putting her right hoof out for a hoofshake.

“Hi! My name’s Pinkie Pie and I’m dating the most awesome mare ever!” In the middle of shaking hooves with the unicorn, Pinkie reached out with her other hoof to pull the lavender mare closer. She gave Twilight a nuzzle, her smile taking on a warmer quality, while the bookworm blushed furiously.

“Heh heh, yes, who knew that by going to Ponyville almost two years ago I would find my special somepony?” The librarian nuzzled back before taking the lead once more.

Pinkie watched her marefriend walk on, trying to comfort Spike who rested on her back, before looking to the stallion who smiled at the news.

“That’s great. You were always focused on your studies, me and the other guys were taking bets that you’d never get your nose out of the books. Guess we owe Shining Armor a lot of bits.” The two unicorns laughed at this, though Twilight broke off early and looked away from the other ponies.

“Ha ha… Yes, well, uhm, I better get Spike some medicine before we start heading back to Ponyville…” Purple orbs glanced upwards then back to the silent pink mare who was trailing behind them. “Are you ok Pinkie? You’ve been kind of quiet…”

Pinkie shook herself, lifting all four hooves off the ground as she did. Landing with clear eyes and a bright grin, she reassured the purple unicorn, waving a hoof wildly. “Oh, you bet I am! I just may need some cupcakes or a good nap, or even better some cuddles, and I’ll be right as rain in a thunderstorm on a wide open grass plain!”

The two unicorns stared at the earth pony with confusion for a moment. Twilight then relaxed with a wide smirk and shook her head.

“I think I could use some cuddle time too. Alright, I’ll take Spike to get some stomach medicine while you get a cupcake or two. Then we’ll meet you at the castle gates?” Twilight paused in her trek, wanting to head home quickly to get to that last option suggested by her special somepony.

“You betcha my little star! We’ll see one another real soon!” Pinkie waved her left forehoof while she stood next to the guard who watched the exchange with a happy smirk. As soon as Twilight was out of sight around the corner, Pinkie turned to the stallion who looked back with a warm smile.

“Did you need help finding the kitchens Ms. Pie?” Honor Guard pointed to the hallway away from the direction Twilight had gone.

He froze a second later however when his personal space was invaded by an intense pink face. Pinkie was scowling as fiercely as she could muster after a week of no sleep, staring deeply into his golden-brown eyes. Her tone of voice was low, which wasn’t very low at all, as she spoke as seriously as she could.

“I’m only gonna say this one time, you better watch your step Buster Brown! My little star is MY little star.” Pinkie began to poke at his golden armored chest, making a tiny tinks with each tap. “It’s perfectly fine to be amazed from afar. But don’t try to get close cuddling times, they are my close cuddling times. Specials hugs just for me. No soup for you!”

The guardstallion raised a single brow at the high pitched ranting as Pinkie continued describing what was ‘hers’. The comments and comparisons began to go over his head, since he could hardly keep up with the speed of the speech let alone what she was trying to compare it all to. By the time Pinkie was wrapping up, she stood on hooftips, staring down at the stallion as she gave one last warning.

“Twilight is off the table, even if she never really was on a table. And I’m the one who got there first. So don’t try, because I’ll be there to cover your eyes with cupcakes for looking too long.” Pinkie floated there, right eyelid twitching before she began to squint at the light-gray pony. “Got the memo?”

The hyper mare didn’t wait for a response, flouncing away with a happy hum, her mood lifted after warning the encroaching stallion away. She didn’t bother going to the kitchen for cupcakes. Her body craved the feel of purple fur against her own, a different kind of remedy that cupcakes just couldn’t supply.

I think that has taken care of that. No pony is going to take my star away from me, not as long as either of us live. Hmm, my Pinkie Senses are telling me that they are already waiting at the gates, I better pick up the pace!

The pink earth pony wasted little time appearing beside her marefriend. Twilight barely flinched at the sudden appearance and merely gave the mare a one hoofed hug. Pinkie took a deep breath of the librarians scent as she savored the feel of the lavender hoof around her shoulders.

Hmmmmmm, yes, this is where I belong. We better hurry to that train, not sure if I can hold back these hooves from huggin’!

With an airy laugh, Pinkie grabbed Twilight’s neck and raced forward, jerking both the unicorn and her passenger. They also chuckled at the action, though Spike’s ended in a bit of a groan, making the two mares laugh further. The hyperactive pony managed to time her run perfectly with the train about to leave, rushing the three of them into a compartment. Twilight couldn’t hold back her amusement and soon had her mare in a tight hug. Pinkie certainly didn’t mind, returning the embrace with another mental sigh.

Yes, this is just what we need after the past week. I’ll always be here for you Twilight, until the day my spirit is gone from the land…. Weird… My mane is feeling a little off balanced...

XVI - One Year Anniversary

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June 12th, 1005 A.D. (After Discord)

Pinkie Pie couldn’t believe they didn’t like the party. Everypony loves parties, especially when she was involved! The night sky was soon blocked out by the large castle that loomed before the baker. She looked back at the fancily dressed ponies who were being escorted out from the main gate with a hint of a frown. Maybe… Maybe they do different kinds of parties… Does Twilight like those kinds of parties…? She… She hadn’t seemed to enjoy the very first one I put together for her…

Blue eyes swept over the tall hall the six friends and guard escort walked down. The gaze stopped on the gray stallion happily chatting away with the lavender unicorn. I have to make it up to her! Can’t let any party be subpar when it comes to my little star! I better make tomorrow the best birthday party make up slash anniversary slash I love my marefriend the best party!

As they reached the guest towers and rooms within them, the pink earth pony stuck to her marefriend’s side like glue, glaring at Honor Guard over the slim lavender shoulders. He didn’t notice until it came time for the friends to enter their rooms and he looked back at the mares. Twilight noticed his confusion and checked the direction he was looking but only found the usual bright grin waiting for her. Pinkie, when the studious mare turned back around, pointed a hoof to her eyes then to the guard who leaned back bewildered.

Happy to get her message across, the hyperactive pony looked at the rest of the group. The newest couple shared a tender nuzzle. The pale-gray forehead pushed back the brown stetson as they both had their eyes closed at the touch. Pinkie cheered internally, unable to stop her wide smug grin. She turned to give her own mare a hug, hanging from the lavender neck. Twilight smirked at the action and continued down the hall.

“Pinkie, you remember Honor Guard don’t you? From the last time we were here?” The librarian blushed at remembering why they came the previous time while the solar guard chuckled.

“It is nice to see you again Ms. Pie. If you and your friends would continue up the tower, we can show everyone to their rooms.” The stallion grinned reassuringly to the suspicious party mare and waved for the group to follow behind him.

“Sure was nice of the Princess to let us stay fer a few more days.” The southern accent caught everypony’s attention as it spoke up from the back of the group. “Bet yer just dyin’ to get back to yer fancy tower room huh Rare?”

The others smiled at the teasing jab and looked at the prim unicorn who still wore her best outfit. Rarity smiled daintily and leaned closer to her marefriend, gaze drooping. “Maybe so, but I certainly wouldn’t mind ‘roughing it’ if I had somepony to help warm me up…”

Applejack couldn’t hold the staring contest and dropped her eyes. While the others laughed at the playful taunts the two polar opposites shared, the farm mare dashed forward and snuck a peck on a pale-gray cheek. Pinkie beamed at the action and skipped along, head held high, though she stayed between the others and her own marefriend.

“If you ask, I’m sure it would be fine if anyone wants to share a room.” Honor Guard nodded to the newest couple while peeking at Twilight and Pinkie Pie. “I’ve already been given instructions to allow Twilight and Miss Pie to share a room if you’d like. Though there are others if you want to use them.”

Rainbow Dash laughed as the two couples blushed heavily. “Maybe we should get some guards, make sure there’s no ‘incidents’.”

Fluttershy blushed as well, ears tipped back as she shied away from the brash mare next to her. Dash noticed the movement and slowed her laughter, even as the couples remained flustered. Rarity and Applejack held a whispered conversation while Twilight peered to the earth pony that held on to her neck. Pinkie looked back with hope shining in its depths.

“Well, it’s not how I imaged our one year anniversary to start, but we could cuddle for the night.” The librarian nuzzled the other mare, keeping her voice low. The party pony nodded and buried her nose back into the warm inviting scent of books and ink.

The solar guard chuckled to himself and waved to the archway where the guest tower waited. At each level, one by one, the mares went their own ways until it was only Rarity, Twilight and Pinkie Pie left. The apple farmer had left their company only moments before, leaving with another kiss to her mare. The guard waved the others up the stairs, going slowly to give the couple their own time. He shared a smug grin with the others. Once they got halfway to the next suite, Rarity caught up with them with a light red hue. They stayed silent as they continued forward. The lavender and pink mares waved goodbye to Rarity and their escort who continued up the stairs, leaving them at an open doorway.

Pinkie let go of the warm neck, grinning happily. Twilight smiled back though it turned rueful.

“Staying in Canterlot changes some of my plans…” The unicorn frowned thoughtfully, magically teleporting a piece of parchment before crumpling it into a ball. The rough feel of pink fur against her noggin drew her gaze to the beaming earth pony who continued her noogying.

“Don’t you worry Twilight! I was just planning on what we could do with this change of scenery.” Pinkie Pie paused to enjoy the feel of purple under her hoof. When she saw the desperate curiosity of the other, she pulled her hoof down to hold up Twilight’s chin instead. “I’ll take care of everything during the day and dinner, ok? If you were planning something, did you still want to plan what we do after dinner?”

The lavender unicorn perked up at the suggestion. “Yes, please! That’s great. You- you do have a plan right?”

The pink mare beamed. “You betcha! We’ll see museums, visit gardens for lunch time, go to the bookstore… Then get a nice fancy party at a nice fancy restaurant.” She faltered slightly as she followed her instincts but finished strong.

Twilight noticed the hesitation and focused on where the other had faltered. “Where were you thinking of going…? A lot of the places around here require advanced reservation.”

“Weeeelllllllllll, I’m sure the Princesses will have a good idea for us! I’ll go and ask right now AND get everything planned.” Pinkie waved assuringly before twirling in place, legs bunching to launch her forward. A timid purple hoof against her side froze every muscle.

“You’ll… You’ll be back soon though right?” Purple orbs anxiously looked to the ground while Twilight’s heart pinched.

“You bet! No way would I miss our anniversary cuddle time!” The earth pony shook her head rapidly in assurance. She leaned forward to nuzzle the scrunched purple muzzle before leaving to skip down the stairs.

Once she was past the librarian’s hearing, Pinkie Pie sped up, going fast enough to not disturb the guards stationed every few corridors. Aside from a blur of pink, they noticed nothing out of the ordinary. The party mare wasn’t sure where either royalty were at this time as the evening grew deeper. Taking a page from more organized pony, the instinct driven mare devised to search the castle from the bottom up. Starting from the kitchen and moving up, the hyperactive mare looked thoroughly. She finally came across the solar princess who was just starting to enter her own bedroom. The earth pony plopped down, skidding down half of the hall and alerting Princess Celestia to her presence. The alicorn turned with startled grace.

“Hello my little pony. Is something the matter?”

Pinkie saluted before waving reassuringly. “Weeeelllll, not something horribly wrong but it could go bad if I don’t find a really nice place for our anniversary dinner.” The earth pony leaned close, winking conspiratorially. “I don’t suppose you have any good suggestions?”

The solar princess smirked and relaxed her stance, reaching up to tap her chin in thought.

“I could arrange for a table at Elegans Culina, a lovely place on White Crest Street.” Princess Celestia beamed at the party mare who bounced in place.

“That’s great! Thanks a whole bunch of thanks Princess!” Pinkie snapped off a salute to the tall pony and zoomed off.

As she traveled, plans unfurled in her mind. Let’s see, let’s see… I’ll need bits for all those tours and food and stores… The earth pony stopped mid-stride, startling some of the evening staff who hadn’t had the time to realize she was there. Pinkie tapped her chin, oblivious to the stares around her. Do I have any super secret stashes around here…? Never needed them in the castle… But we did do that one performance in Canterlot for A Cappella, so I should have some hidden away! Better get them now so my little star doesn’t worry her smarty-smart head about a thing! The earth pony beamed, heart full to bursting with thoughts of her marefriend and how instinctively prepared she was. With a single bound of joy, she raced outside to find those hidden caches left from her college days as the night began to properly set in.

-NKP-

Back in the upper levels of the guest towers, Twilight pulled out a spare paper with a flicker of magic. Alone in her room, feeling both lonely and appreciative of it, she pulled out her hidden stack of note cards. The lavender muzzle turned a deeper shade of purple as she looked them over.

So… tonight’s plan is a bust. Pinkie’s giving me the chance to try again though. The unicorn looked up, gaze unfocused with a wide grin. She really notices and cares… And I’m going to show just how much it matters to me! Nodding sternly, she began to scratch out the different phases on the cards and wrote in much small text above them. Let’s see, “phase one - try to get her on her own to lay down charm’“ isn’t needed…. Change that to ‘ talk quietly to avoid others hearing’. Phase two, get consent. That can stay. Phase three, bring to room and send Spike away to Canterlot beforehoof…. We’re in Canterlot now, so that needs only a little change…

Twilight’s blushed darkened as she rewrote it to ‘bring to guest room’. Flipping through the rest of the cards, she found that little else needed change. Once that task was done, the studious mare took in her surroundings. In the center of the far wall was a large four post bed with drapes hanging tastefully down. A tall window, simple yet artistic, was to the right while the bathroom door was on the left of the bed.

This should work just fine for my plan… But maybe I should start setting the mood now…? Yes, I think so. But which one? Twilight looked between the bed and the doorway, hoof tapping her chin. Maybe pose twenty-one resting right hoof ninety degrees angled forty-five degrees from barrel with half smile and eyelids drooping down sixty percent? Yes, yes let’s try that.

The unicorn climbed onto the bed and started to arrange her limbs as she laid on her belly. She let her back legs stretch out behind her, mindful of how her tail draped over the limbs. I think this particular pose had the tail resting over left back leg… but sprayed out. Right, have to get just the right flick for that. The next three minutes were spent with Twilight looking over her shoulder, trying to be sure she got the right position for her tail. The sound of it flicking out over and over filled the room, though this went unnoticed by the librarian, absorbed in her work as she was. After it was in just the ‘right’ spot, the mare turned her attention to her front half, letting her left hoof lay straight out while lifting her right to rest her head against. Making sure she faced the doorway, Twilight tried to get the right eye-drooping but started to frown when she couldn’t tell if she had the right gaze. Sending out a flick of magic, she pulled over the mirror set over the dresser and checked the various types of gazes.

Confident that she had the pose finally done, she put back the mirror and settled down to wait. She can’t be that long, she was only going to check with the Princesses about restaurants. Hopefully this is a nice surprise for her.

-NKP-

Pinkie trotted almost leisurely back up the stairs. Even as her mane held it’s usual fluffiness, it seemed to sag tiredly. She wore a pleased, exhausted grin. “Got everything on my list! This is going to be great!”

None of the guards seemed to notice her passing by. Her hoofsteps were sure, leading her straight to the waiting unicorn. Deep clock chimes echoed throughout the palace, counting up to midnight. As the last ring vibrated the earth pony’s frame, she felt an intense shudder cover her body.

“Wha-?” Pinkie stopped mid-step, her whole body shaking in place as her teeth chattered. A doozy? What kind of doozy am I in for today I wonder? The pony tried to pinpoint where it would take place but only felt that it involved Twilight. Well, most of my more interesting Pinkie Senses are about my little star. I better get back, wouldn’t want to miss the doozy!

The pink furred pony steadily worked her way forward again. Every other step was shaky as the shudders continued rocking her form. When she finally got to the correct door, it shakily opened up. The shudders stopped for a moment as she stared, opened mouth at the sight waiting for her.

Twilight had fallen asleep. Her specially prepared position came undone. Her right hoof had slipped forward, being the limb her head rested against while her tail had unconsciously flicked into a more natural spray. The left hoof had stayed out, reaching to the door while her barrel had shifted slightly to be more on her right side than her belly.

The sight of the sleepy unicorn was an irresistible pull for the earth pony. Flying through the air, her hooves quickly wrapped around the purple barrel, startling the sleeping mare into awareness. Pinkie couldn’t help rubbing her nose on the fur.

“Huh…?” Twilight opened a blurry orb to find the sudden embracing mare. “Pinkie-?”

“Aren’t you the cutest thing since balloon party favors!” The pink mare kept her voice low, even as her energy reserves returned at the touch.

“Wha…? Cute? No, wait, I was trying to be…” The lavender mare stirred, sitting up and looking back at her marefriend with worry in her gaze.

“Hmm? Were you trying to wait up for me?”

Purple orbs widened before Twilight tried to resettle herself. Eyes drooping to half mast, she angled her head to peer in an attempted seductive manner. Pinkie stared back with one brow raised, not seeing the pose at first. Just as Twilight wavered, her tail flicking nervously, warmth spread through Pinkie’s back and limbs.

“Oooooooooooo…” She blushed and giggled. “Heh heh heh, Twilight, you don’t have to worry about that kind of thing. Thanks for trying, my little star.”

The lavender mare dropped the pose with a red hue covering her entire head. She reached up and gave her marefriend a tender kiss. Pinkie laughed at the touch and shifted to sleep more aligned with her mare. The late hour started to effect both of them, causing the couple to fall asleep mid-hug and nuzzle. They had forgotten the door but luckily the guards who were patrolling shut the door after them with a caring smile.

Sunlight reached through the single window, edging closer to the bed where the mares rested. But it wasn’t the light on their fur and in the faces that woke them up. Pinkie’s body shook the whole bed as she shuddered. Twilight jerked awake, head flung back and forth as she tried to find the issue.

“W-what’s wrong? Where’s the problem? Spike? Spike?!” The unicorn started to stand in the bed, eyes gunked over from sleep and ears twitching. “Pinkie Pie?!?”

The motion had pulled the earth pony along as her hooves remained firmly around her waist. It was the half-shouts of panic that startled the party pony awake. She let go in fright, eyes shooting open, as she tried to understand what happened. Once she heard Twilight’s panicked cry, her hooves wrapped back around the barrel from the underside.

“Twilight! Twilight, I’m right here! Here I am!”

The unicorn froze at the shout from under her and tilted her head down. Purple orbs finally appeared as the crud dropped away.

“P-Pinkie…?”

Pink limbs shifted so hind legs were the only ones holding the chest while forelegs reached up to rub assuringly at the remaining gunk. Twilight’s breathing slowed down at the touch only to hitch when Pinkie shuddered once more.

“Pinkie…? What’s wrong…? What happened?”

“Oh, well, I had a doozy last night that hasn’t come true yet.” Pinkie Pie continued to wipe away the sleep from her mare’s eyes as she kept her voice light. “I think my shuddering woke you up, sorry my little star.”

Twilight slumped down in relief, squishing the earth pony beneath her. Pinkie giggled at the feeling while the librarian blushed when she realized how she was laying. No, wait, try and use this chance! Twilight snuggled downward, putting her hooves behind the pink neck and touching their noses together.

“Well, so long as no one is hurt…” She watched the mare below her turn darker with a blush. “Were you able to get your planning done for today?”

Pinkie’s voice grew softer at their closeness. “You betcha… But we’d need to get out of bed for it…”

“We would, wouldn’t we…” That-that was correct, right? Saying it back, even slower?

The earth pony opened and closed her mouth, eyes wide with a hot burn on her cheeks. The motion caused their noses to shift, bringing their muzzles closer. Soon, she couldn’t respond as they kissed, unable to tell when one mare’s warmth ended and the other’s started. Twilight gave an internal cheer at the reception and enjoyed the embrace, mind blissfully empty of anything but the feel of the other’s lips against hers.

A clock strike floated up from below, signally the start of eight in the morning. The couple pulled back slowly, both wearing wide goofy grins. Pinkie’s shudder was the only downside as she shook everything again.

“Still going to have a ‘doozy’? Can you tell when or where…?” Twilight sat up further, keeping a watchful eye on her mare. Pinkie shook her head, though it vibrated as another shiver coursed over her body.

“But that doesn’t mean we can’t do what I have planned!” Pinkie zipped out from under the purple cage and went for the doorway.

Twilight blinked at the speed before trotting up, brow furrowed for a second before smoothing out into innocence. While the unicorn went past, Pinkie Pie stopped at the brush of dark purple strands against her flank. She looked back with a blank stare, unsure if her mind was making up things, if the shudder was to blame (as it came back vigorously after the touch) or if…. No way, can’t be Twilight did that on purpose. I’d probably get some kind of Pinkie sense if she was. Probably just me moving too fast again. Shrugging with a happy grin, she took the lead, not seeing the bewildered stare behind her.

Together, the couple trotted out of the palace and to the closest museum. It was three stories tall, pillars lining the insides and out. The artistic designs were similar to ancient Romneighn and over the looming entrance was a wooden plaque with gold center. Pinkie pulled on Twilight’s hoof, pulling them to a stop just before the doors and on top of the three stone steps that lead to it.

“And this is the largest museum in Canterlot, the National Museum of Equestria!” Pinkie Pie waved to the door as the unicorn hid a giggle behind a hoof. “There are three floors, each dedicated to a type of art material, while the wings hold some of the more traditional and harder to display kinds.”

The duo walked inside, waiting behind a short line of tourists to get a ticket. Twilight, having visited as a filly, cast her gaze about the room without truly looking only to come to abrupt halt at a new announcement.

“Huh. No unaccompanied minors allowed… It must be a new rule.” The lavender mare directed her marefriend’s attention with a hoof to the white poster. “I used to come here by myself all the time while I was doing historical homework. For extra credit.”

The studious unicorn wore a bashful grin. Pinkie’s ears flattened for a second as she thought about the news. “Wait, so you already know what’s here and everything?”

“Well, no, they change out the pieces to go with themes to keep things interesting and fresh for ponies visiting. I haven’t gone in years, I’m sure I won’t know everything.” Twilight tried to reassure the other pony but was met with a suspicious pout.

“Aaaalllllright… But I’M the tour guide, ok?” Seeing the nod of agreement, Pinkie perked back up and turned about, buying the tickets before Twilight realized they were at the desk.

Before she could comment further, the earth pony had a hold of her hoof and was tugging her deeper inside. Instead of running or hopping at her normal speeds, the pink pony went at a stroll, pointing to the different pieces of art they encountered in the main building and giving a tour similar to the one she had in Cloudsdale so long ago.

The first floor was themed of the passing of time. Statues of fashion, lifestyle and even battle showed flowed through the ages, changing clothing style, ways of life and how ponies and other creatures did battle, highlighting some of the more notorious villains of the past. Pinkie’s ‘doozy’ almost toppled a statue of the fall of Nightmare Moon in recent times, but Twilight was able to prevent the earth pony from shuddering into the feature. They shared an uncertain grin before going up the stairs to the second floor.

The next level was mixed material designs, the overall theme being kinds of environments. The statues were arranged throughout, grouped by type. The duo walked closely together, taking plenty of time to view the unique designs. Twilight tried to set the mood, tickling her marefriend’s side with her tail every so often. Pinkie was about to run fire when more shudders rocked her frame. Twilight immediately stopped, watching her mare with concern as she vibrated over to a statue of cacti.

“P-Pinkie-?!”

“Wooooooaaahhhhhhh….!” The earth pony couldn’t stop. Before the unicorn could do anything to help, Pinkie bounced into the piece, setting it to wobble in place.

Both mares froze, watching the art sway with large, scared eyes. Twilight couldn’t conjure anything in time to help, too shocked to think of the proper spell. The sculpture tilted towards a forest, creaking ominously. The other visitors turned with loud gasps, helpless to do anything but watch the spectacle unfold. The next ten seconds were filled with crashing and high pitched breaking.

Pinkie Pie nervously looked at Twilight who stared at the mess with an open mouth. The unicorn’s eye twitched as she took a shaky breath. Before she could say or offer any kind of help, a harsh stallion’s voice rang in the stunned silence.

“Who did that?!?”

The pink mare flinched, forcing her muscles to not move an inch while she raised a nervous hoof into the air. “I-I didn’t mean to, it just happened. I’m sorry…!”

The museum guard strode over with a glare. Twilight shook her shock away and stepped closer to her marefriend. When he was close enough, she spoke up, defending her mare.

“Really, she didn’t mean it! I can fix it if you’d like, I should be able to get it back just like it was.”

The stallion shook his head, waving a hoof towards the door. “No no no, a generic repair spell wouldn’t truly capture the original spark. The exhibit will have to close. And you! You will not be allowed back.”

Pinkie slumped in place, disappointment in every strand of fur. She nodded sadly, turning to hide her face in the purple neck. Twilight dipped her head to the guard and shepherd the earth pony outside.

“Sorry Twilight… We weren’t able to really see everything… And it’s still really early!” The party pony scuffed her hoof along the ground. “If only we knew what the doozy was! Then we wouldn’t need to worry!”

Twilight waved assuringly to the pink pony as she checked on the clock. “It’ll be ok. I get the feeling if we tried to figure out that particular Pinkie Sense, we’d be at it all day.” They shared a teasing smile before the earth pony took the lead once more. “What did you have planned for us next?”

Pinkie shrugged. As she tapped her chin in thought, she checked on the unicorn sheepishly.

“Weeelllllllllll… This isn’t very much like the plan at all. In fact, I’m not really sure what we should…-” Pinkie trailed off as she saw the anxiety in her marefriend’s eyes. “But I can totally come up with something for us to do! Uuuuhh, let’s go ahead and visit the bookstore! I was going to have us visit this after lunch, but now is just as good a time!”

The party planning pony rushed them to their next destination. Seeing the familiar building from when she was a filly, Twilight perked up and took the lead.

“I didn’t realize the Books for Nobles was still here! I used to go all the time as a little filly. And it looks like they’ve expanded into the buildings on either side!”

Pinkie wiped dramatically at her forehead as her mare dashed forward. With an easy smile, she skipped along after her, humming without thought. Entering the double doors, the silence waiting on the other side caused the earth pony to stumble into silence. The swish of purple tail demonstrated where Twilight ran to. Pinkie Pie trotted forward, turning the corner rapidly only to be knocked back by a strong hug.

“Thank you Pinkie Pie! This is going to be so nice!” The unicorn gave a gentle kiss to the surprised pink mare which lasted several long seconds.

The earth pony smiled into the kiss, enjoying the heat and feeling inside it. A tiny cough broke their happy bubble. Twilight pulled back with a sheepish grin that turned softer with sultry eyes.

“We could, uhm, continue this later…” She faltered for a second before finishing with a larger grin. Especially when Pinkie blushed with a confused tilt of her head.

As Twilight pulled away, sliding her tail against the pink form, Pinkie Pie shuddered heavily, vibrating to the right and into the bookshelf there. The unicorn swirled with a scared gasp. Her magic flashed out, trying to stabilize it before it could fall. Another shudder caused the earth pony to fall into her marefriend, loosening her magical hold and sending them both into the opposing shelf. Twilight stood up with a hoof to her head, eyes spinning for a second before focusing as the sound of crashing filled the building. Pinkie’s ears were laid flat against her head as she bashfully looked up to the other mare.

They quickly became the focus of the store. A staff pony stiffly trotted over and glared at the duo. Pinkie followed the other sadly while Twilight wore a heavy embarrassed blush. They didn’t say a word as they walked out. Traveling down the street, both sets of ears burned as Twilight lead the way to the park in the center of the city. Once she was under a familiar set of branches, an oft visited location when she was a filly, the unicorn flopped down with a gusty sigh. Pinkie slowed until there were several paces between them. After the lavender pony laid down, she crept closer, cowering and shivering with worry.

“T-Twilight…? I’m… I’m sorry… I don’t know what’s going on… Really…” Sky blue eyes filled with water as they pleaded with a glazed purple set. Slowly, the other zeroed in on the apologetic ones and softened.

“It’s ok sweetheart, it’s ok. Why don’t we just take a rest here for a while, hm?”

Pinkie rapidly agreed, crawling close and cuddling under a warm purple side. They stayed there under the shade for the rest of the morning and well into the afternoon. It was only when Twilight’s stomach rumbled that they thought about the lunch they had originally planned. The earth pony stood up with a shaky smile.

“I’ll get our lunch, ok? I’ll be right back!” Pinkie waited for Twilight to nod before zipping off with a trail of pink cloud.

The librarian watched with a concerned frown before staring at the ground in front of her. She tuned out the rest of the world as she mentally pulled up her flash cards. What’s going wrong…? My attempts aren’t working. Pinkie Pie hasn’t taken any sort of notice and we don’t know what that doozy is about. But it’s been messing up all of our dates today! Unless we find out what it is soon, we might not be able to go have dinner this evening. Maybe staying here would be best, until we know what’s causing that ‘doozy’.

Twilight rested her head on her forehooves, heart heavy. Her gaze swept over the park, noticing the calm couples who walked slowly through. I-I’m sure it’ll be ok. She settled down to wait for her marefriend to return.

The earth pony sped down the street, ears flat against her skull. With every step, she tensed, waiting for another shudder that didn’t come. Of course it won’t do it now! Not when we aren’t doing anything! Whhhyyyyy!!!! I have to try and make this a wonderful anniversary! She-she totally needs a proper anniversary, because she is worth it! I-I-I- … I have to make it up to her!

Pinkie stumbled to a halt, eyes misting over as she bit her lip. Taking a breath, she shook off the melancholy, starting back on her way for the prepared picnic lunch. Luckily, the castle kitchen took requests and already had it made up for the couple. The pink baker waved a greeting to the cooks she recognized from last winter. She trotted up and flipped the wicker basket to her back. The smell floated up, reassuring and settling the frayed nerves of the earth pony.

“Thanks a bunch! This could probably change the WHOLE day! I’ve gotta try!” Pinkie ran for the park, dashing past every staff member. She didn’t pause to greet them, her focus and instinct on a lavender body waiting under the trees.

I’m SURE this will work! It’s gotta work!

In seconds, she was back in the park and scanning the area frantically. Her heart went still, dropping down to her stomach until it shot up when it noticed several shades of purple waiting under tree limbs. Pinkie shot forward, keeping the basket precariously balanced before stopping sharply. The case popped open, spilling out neatly. Twilight jumped up at the first motion but calmed down when usual Pinkie Pie logic took back over. She smiled gratefully at the mare and resettled on the checkered blanket that came with the basket. Pinkie sighed in relief and sat across from the other mare, helping her reach the different foods to enjoy.

“I-I’m sorry my little star…”

The quiet apology jolted the unicorn from her meal. Glancing up, she found the usually bright earth mare looking despairingly into her drink. Twilight reached out, gently touching a pink hoof.

“It’s ok sweetheart, we’re just not having a good day so far.”

“B-But! It’s our anniversary and I was hoping to make it the best!” Pinkie pleaded, wrapping both hooves on the one that touched hers. The purple mare sighed gustily and inched closer to the upset pony.

“There’s… There’s other ways to make something really good. And maybe we’re trying too hard.”

“No way! I know we can make this a good day! There’s gotta be a way!” The earth pony smacked one hoof on top of the other as she stared out to the distance with determination. The unicorn pulled back slightly, exhaling heavily. The motion and sound brought back Pinkie’s attention to the other mare.

“There… might be a way.” Twilight couldn’t meet the other’s curious gaze as she bashfully rubbed at her hooves.

“What kind of way? What would make this the bestest day anniversary for you ever?” Pinkie leaned closer, eyes shining with hope.

“... Do… Do you consider me attractive…?” The soft, uncertain question made the earth pony freeze as her core boiled over.

“What do you mean? I think you look wonderful!” The baker blushed as she gently stroked the side of Twilight’s face. It warmed up under her touch, sending a pleased shiver over her fur.

The unicorn leaned forward, rubbing her muzzle against Pinkie’s face slowly. As she started to pull back, she stopped so she could whisper into a stiff straight ear. “There is a way to make today very special. I was trying to hint at it, but if you’d like, I could explain it further. I’ve made lots of notes.”

Twilight finished pulling back, going even slower. When they locked eyes, Pinkie’s mouth dried up as it popped open. Both wore heavy red hues. As they sat right next to one another, the unicorn softly stroked her neck and shoulders, trailing off to her back.

“O-ooh…” The earth pony thought back to the day they had been having. The shudder came back, causing her to shake further as her mind sped through explanations. “O-oooOOOoo…”

Before Twilight could comment or try to further seduce her marefriend, Pinkie floated up and seemed to randomly inflate and deflate, sounding like a squeaker toy. The other park members stopped to look at the spectacle. The unicorn bit her lip as she debated what she should do. Seconds later, Pinkie dropped back down, eyes still wide as she stared at her mare.

“Ooooo… So, you want to…?” The earth pony tried swallow but couldn’t. Instead, she reached forward and trailed her own hoof along the purple neck. “Really…?”

The purple mare nodded slowly, drawing near to give her a tender kiss. When they separated, they shared a smile of understanding. “Thaaat’s what the doozy was, that you wanted this kind of thing! I get it now! You betcha! We better eat well though, to have the energy for that.”

At the mention of needing energy for their future, they laughed embarrassed and started to eat their lunch with more vigor than they had earlier. They stayed much closer to one another as they ate, letting their fur rub against each other with every moment. Once the sandwiches of awesomeness were consumed, they sat under the tree shades, enjoying the sensations of the other beside them. When they got up, they remained side by side, savoring the feel of warm gentle fur against theirs and sending playful flicks of their tails to tease the other. Pinkie Pie especially couldn’t stop giggling even as pleased shivers crossed her and her marefriend’s fur.

The streets around the duo blurred. The scowls sent their way as others noticed how closely they walked besides one another went unnoticed as the couple’s eyes were glued to the mare beside them. When they got to the restaurant, Twilight didn’t pause at the higher classed location or the large amount of clientele waiting there, reassured by the attention and affection of the earth pony next to her. She even found herself laughing along after particularly ‘bad’ seduction attempts done by the pink mare. Their laughter covered the sneers their actions caused. When the couple described who they had a reservation under, the staff immediately switched their stance on the non-dressed ponies and showed them to the secluded table. The area around their place was blocked by walls while the entrance had a light curtain keeping the other customers from peering inside. Twilight retried some of her sultry teasing, which had much more success now that the earth pony was noticing them for what they were. These were offset by successful caresses and Pinkie-style compliments in return.

The food, delicious as it was, couldn’t compare to the taste of their kisses they sneaked between bites. They shared the different meals, using the excuse to ghost along each other’s limbs. Twilight even used her hooves instead of magic to eat, to have more chances to feel the other mare with her limb. The two mares were euphoric, addicted to the other’s touch and almost craving it more than the food in front of them.

Their shared laughter and enjoyment lasted the entire walk back to the castle, the evening sun highlighting their colors as it started to set for the evening. Continuously getting lost in the depths of the other’s eyes, Twilight followed Pinkie’s instincts as it led them through shortcuts back to their room. They bypassed every pony who worked around the castle, though they were too busy kissing and nuzzling one another to think how they traveled along.

Following the flow, Twilight allowed her body to take over, her overthinking mind taking a backseat to the heated energies that surrounded them. Pinkie seemed to float about, her hooves and heart so light they barely touched the floor as they circled around the unicorn who sultrily smiled their way. Flicking her tail, Twilight beamed over her shoulder, climbing on to the bed and slowly rubbed at the space beside her. When Pinkie leapt for the spot, the lavender mare was prepared and backed away from the landing site. Once the party mare landed, Twilight bounded forward once again, standing over Pinkie Pie who flipped around to lay on her back in surprise at the ‘trap’. She couldn’t help the chills that passed over her at the sight of the satisfied grin on the unicorn’s muzzle that inched closer to her own face.

“I’ve been studying, would you like to see all the things I’ve learned…?” Twilight’s secluded practice paid off as her voice came out low and heated. The grin widened at the rapid nodding that came from the earth pony and she allowed the reaching pink hooves to pull their muzzles together in a boiling kiss.

When she pulled back, Twilight ignored the red hue that darkened her fur as she started to slide to the foot of the bed, peeking at the excited party mare from under her bangs. “Let’s get the party started then…”

-NKP-

In the throne room, the solar Princess was saying her final goodbyes to the citizens who had wanted an audience with her that evening. The sun was starting to dip into the horizon and needed only a tiny push of her magic to send it over the edge. Casting her gaze to the opposite side, she saw that her sister was already sending the moon up. Princess Celestia smiled happily at the dark navy hue and found her thoughts turned to the unicorn and her friends that helped bring back her sister from darkness.

The tall alicorn dipped her head in thanks to the solar guard who were switching out with their night comrades. Shaking her limbs gently, the Princess began to walk to where she had assigned Twilight and her friends to rest while they stayed in the city. As she walked, she used her sharp hearing to eavesdrop on the traversing guards, finding that most of the guests had returned and that Twilight and Pinkie Pie had came back rather early from their dinner date.

“I wonder how they enjoyed Elegans Culina.” Princess Celestia took another look out the windows, even as her internal clock already told her the time. “They should still be awake, it’s not that late in the evening. I think I shall go and ask.”

Pleased with her decision, the alicorn picked up her leisurely pace to be one of a normal stride, subconsciously appearing graceful and unhurried. Before heading up the stairs for the room, she stopped by another guard who confirmed that everypony was now inside and they were closing the gate for the night. Celestia smiled in thanks and started up the stairs when her ears twitched at a sound that echoed back down.

“What-?” She slowed down, letting her hoofsteps get softer to hear the new sound clearer.

Identifying it as labored breathing as well as some other low tones, she grew concerned and rushed up faster. When the sun princess pinpointed the source, she was shocked to find it came from Twilight and Pinkie Pie’s room. She lit up her horn, about to fling open the door, when a breathless cry of encouragement and enjoyment cause the immortal’s mind to grind to a halt. Celestia blinked slowly, not sure if she heard correctly. A higher pitched voice, muffled but clear enough to be understood, teasingly questioned the enjoyer’s statement.

Red blazes flared on the white alicorn’s cheeks. She jerked back, open mouthed, before shaking her head to stop it from thinking too deeply on the activities going on behind the door. “Well, it IS their anniversary…”

The princess blinked at a yell of positivity and glanced at the surroundings. “Perhaps they may get a little loud…” Gathering her magic, she was about to cast a muffling spell when her concentration was cut off by a loud greeting below her.

“Greetings Sister! We have come to visit Twilight Sparkle and her friends as it seems you are about to do. Are they inside?” Princess Luna, fresh from her sleep and happy for guests, trotted up the tower.

“Uh, yes but - wait!” Princess Celestia tried to think of a cover for the couple but had to instead prevent her sister from throwing open the door. She only just got a hoof on her younger sister’s shoulder before more noises came from the room.

The two alicorns paused as a shout of pleasure surprised them into motionlessness. Instead of falling away, the sound grew, punctuated by stumbling calls of her marefriend’s name and an attempt to state their limit. Princess Luna’s mouth dropped along with her sister’s as they both blushed furiously. She looked, confused and pleadingly, to her older sister who managed to snap out of her shock to cast her spell.

“We should... let them rest. I’m sure we can talk to them in the morning.” The sun princess nudged the other down the steps. Luna didn’t resist, only rolling her eyes as she felt her ears also burn from what they overheard.

“Yes, of course, ‘rest’. In over one thousand years, ‘resting’ hasn’t changed much it seems.”

Celestia looked at her sister in surprise before snorting in laughter. Luna tried to keep a collected appearance only to also break down in rueful laughter at what they had come across by accident. Each guard they passed shared a look of confusion with the others, not sure what their charges were laughing about, but not able to bring themselves to ask. After sharing a private meal between them, the two princesses went their ways, one for bed and the other for their night duties, mindful of the guests they were responsible for.

-NKP-

Pinkie wiggled in the purple forehooves, her smile almost bursting from her face. She pressed closer to the unicorn, enjoying the feel of the back hooves on encasing her own. Weight began to settle into each of her muscles after the several hours of extreme workout. Before they became too heavy to move, the pink pony wrapped them around the purple barrel that tried to regain a proper breathing rhythm.

Twilight felt the motion, and the grin buried into her fur, and smiled down at the earth pony. Her own body was unused to the exercise and had minutes before caved into the exhaustion that resulted. She opened her mouth, about to ask some of the questions that only barely started to resurface after being locked away in a cage of bliss and sweetness, when Pinkie murmured into the slightly sweaty fur.

“That’s was great my Little Star… You’ve studied wonderfully, just like always.” The voice, usually bouncing around with it’s owner, was unhurried, each word forming fully with enough space that the studious unicorn had no issue understanding. “I love you Twilight…”

All the questions, ponderings and queries that had been building as Twilight regained her breath dropped away, like sand in a strainer. Every nerve that had gone numb from overstimulation jolted into life with a soft tingle while her heart stopped only to race on unevenly. Her mind roared with new questions, debates and confusion for the concept. Trying to shake off the overwhelming amount of thoughts, Twilight tried to gently wake up her marefriend.

“P-Pinkie…? What did you - uh, what do you mean by th-tha-?”

The earth pony, feeling more activity in the hooves holding her close, woke up to hear the last question. She gleefully hugged the unicorn around her waist, trailing her nose up along the stiff neck to nuzzle the underside of the other’s chin.

“Silly star, it means ‘I love you’! The wonderful, great big feeling that fills a pony’s heart when the one they love the most is near or even thought about!” Pinkie shifted her weight, wiggling her lower half closer to the opposite one, savoring the now familiar heat she found there. Twilight tried to corral her thoughts and speech into action only to be stopped by a silken kiss on her jaw hinge.

“You don’t have to say anything Twilight. I know you like to really think about things; it’s one of the things I love about you!” Pinkie trailed upwards to nibble on the edges of the purple ear that already had a few impressions on it. “You know, I think you just need some sleep right now though. And I know JUST the way to make you super duper tired that you won’t worry about anything for a LOOOONG while.”

The whisper, almost nothing more than an exhale of air with a bit of speaking to it, sent an excited shiver over the purple fur. Twilight barely registered what was said before she was turned over, laying on her back as bright sky blue eyes shined with passion and affection. The tiny voice in her mind that wanted to keep thinking about the implications of ‘love’ drifted into nothing as she felt warm pink fur traveling over her form, re-awaking all her nerves into excited song.

Once Pinkie Pie’s administrations were finished, both mares were euphorically exhausted, sleeping well past the morning bells and wake up calls from the guards and their friends. Being in a tower, the smells of food never reached their noses, and the light from the sun didn’t seem to angle properly to wake them. Even though they had forgotten to move the curtains the previous night as they had been too distracted to think of it.

But it wasn’t enough to stop the earth pony’s seemingly endless supply of energy from building up, allowing her to move aching limbs upwards in a sleepy stretch. They travelled along messy purple fur, leaving pleased trembles in their wake. Once they were done stretching towards the head of the bedframe, they came back down to encircle the unicorn who also started to wake up at the touch. Pinkie felt Twilight’s heart beat and breathing grow stronger as she became more aware, and the party pony couldn’t stop herself from peppering the other’s chest and neck with short, heated kisses, ending at the purple muzzle that held a different set of tastes than usual. Remembering why and beaming, Pinkie pulled back enough to meet her marefriend’s gaze with a wide smile, brushing tangled bangs from her face.

“Morning sleepy head,” Pinkie murmured.

“Good morning sweetheart…” Twilight’s response wasn’t much louder than her mare’s, taking much longer to regain her energy. She allowed her hooves to drape lower, pulling Pinkie by the flank closer to her before pausing to make sure it was ok. Pinkie Pie noticed this return of uncertainty and booped the lavender nose with her own.

“You don’t have to worry, star of my heart,” she edged closer, the tiny bit that she could, as she let her voice drop seductively, “I’m all yours, for four evers.”

The unicorn chuckled and kissed the mouth waiting for her before humming pleased. They laid like that for several minutes, enjoying their closeness and revelling in what had happened the previous night. A rumbling sound, similar to marbles rolling around in a container, broke the silence. It was followed rapidly by a thunderous train. Both mares looked down, touching foreheads, as they looked to the source of the sounds.

“Guess we used a lot of energy last night.” Twilight blushed at the mere mention of the night but continued on nonetheless. “We should probably go and see what’s for breakfast....”

Pinkie looked up, hoof ghosting along the purple tummy before tapping her own chin in thought. As the unicorn shivered at the touch and squirmed in place, wanting more but too hungry to try, the earth mare checked on her internal clock.

“Actually, it would be more of a brunch. Though in a half hour or so, it would be ‘lunch’.”

Twilight stiffened at this information. Shooting her eyes to the window once more, she realized her marefriend was correct and it was much later than she realized. Before she could break out in a nervous sweat, a tender peck at her throat distracted her mind from the spiral it was about to start.

“Oooh, uhm, yes, I-I suppose so… We should get cleaned up and head down for.. for brunch.”

The baker nodded in agreement before picking up her mare in her forehooves. Balancing on her hind legs, she carried the unicorn to the bathroom, ignoring the stuttering protest the motion received. Once inside, she beamed to the magical mare, signally with her eyes for Twilight to start the water of the large tub.

When the bathtub was full, the two mares stepped in together, finding that it was easily big enough for them to wash up together. What started as lightly sensual took a lighter turn as Pinkie’s joy caused her to splash around. After an intense water battle, they slowed their breaths and became intoxicated by the other’s scent. They floated closer to one another once more, eyes closing as they drew closer and embraced once again.

It took them awhile, but they finished their bath and exited the room, walking side by side and letting their fur mesh together. The guards gave them the same kind of greeting as they did the day before, even as this day felt entirely different from all the others. They traveled around, looking for their friends when they were informed by the steward that their party was waiting for them in the smaller dining room.

It wasn’t long before they entered the informal dining room. When they walked inside, the soft talking came to a jarring halt as the two became the focus of four sets of eyes. The group of friends were sitting around a small rectangle table. Along the left wall was tall windows while the right side had another door in front of which was a server waiting patiently.

“There you are darlings! We were beginning to worry!” Rarity waved from her place beside the apple farmer, wide smile showing nothing wrong.

Across from them were the two pegasi, both of whom were blushing while Rainbow Dash had her hooves crossed in annoyance. She turned away from the teasing smirk of the earth pony to look at the couple who continued into the room.

“What happened? You missed all of breakfast and almost missed lunch!” The brash mare leaned back in her seat, hooves still crossed in front of her chest. “I thought you were the ‘morning ponies’.”

The couple shared warm grins that felt brighter than before. Pinkie Pie took the lead, hopping excitedly while letting her tail caress Twilight’s neck and cheek.

“Silly Dashy! Sometimes you’ve got to lay in bed and enjoy the pony with you!”

Twilight blushed at her marefriend’s words and offered the group an apologetic smile. “Sorry girls, we didn’t realize it got so late before we got up.”

“Don’t y’all worry, Ah’m sure the cooks won’t mind settin’ ya up with some grub.” Applejack turned to the chef who had stepped out at the sound of more ponies arriving while Rarity rolled her eyes at the terminology.

Focusing back on the couple, the fashion designer frowned thoughtfully. “Darlings, your fur is looking simply fabulous! Was there some special shampoo you used?”

Fluttershy also leaned closer to look at the two mares who sat on the third side of the table. “Oh, uhm, yes, and you seem to be much brighter…? Though maybe that’s the light or.. uhm, something else…” The canary mare lost her courage at the bewildered looks on Twilight and Pinkie Pie’s faces.

They shared a bewildered glance before shrugging. The pink earth pony inched closer and rubbed the side of her face against her marefriend, humming happily. “Oooh, and you’re super soft!”

Twilight blushed with a gentle eye roll, looking back at the inquisitive mares while leaning into the other mare’s touch. “I’m not sure what you girls mean, we just used the shampoo provided in the guest bathroom. Unless there was different kinds in all the rooms?”

Rarity and Fluttershy glanced at one another silently, brows furrowed in thought. The last members of their group were talking with the cooks, not noticing anything until a poignant cough caught the farmer’s attention.

“Er, what’s wrong Rare? Somepony mess up yer plate?” Sharp green eyes searched her marefriend’s gaze before noticing that they twitched towards the couple who had recently entered. When Applejack took more time to stare at the duo, she scratched at her head before leaning into the pale gray shoulder beside her. “Shucks, Ah guess it’s some kind of shampoo or somethin’. Did ya want to get some too?”

As Applejack leaned closer to the ear that was beginning to tilt back in frustration, Twilight frowned at table in front of her, thoughts whirling in an attempt to understand what they were seeing. The crinkles between her eyes dissipated when a soft nose traced up her jawline to her ear. An embarrassed ‘eep’ drew the two back to the room around them, and they found that their antics had once again attracted their friends’ attention. Though the reactions ranged from embarrased, to smug and eventually to slightly sickened by the public display of affection.

While Rainbow pretended to gag into her bowl, half an eye on the pegasus beside her, Pinkie went back to nosing her marefriend even as their food arrived. The group stayed relatively quiet as they all had a meal, though it was breakfast for the oversleepers. Just as they were finishing up, the doors opened once more to reveal Princess Celestia with a small grin.

“Hello my little ponies, I heard that everyone was awake now.” The princess smirked while Twilight ducked her head with a blush while Pinkie laughed. “And I had hoped to see everyone before you started your day. Were you planning to stay another night at the castle? Or would you like for me to arrange train tickets home for everyone?”

The group of friends looked at one another before focusing on the lavender unicorn. Twilight thought of the past few days, locking eyes with each friend before turning back to the alicorn.

“I think we are probably heading home today. We didn’t really talk about it though, what do you say girls?” The unicorn checked her friends who all gave varying degrees of enthusiastic agreement.

“I’d say we’re preeeeetttyy good, wouldn’t you Twilight?” Pinkie nudged her marefriend with a teasing smirk. The purple pony sighed playfully and nodded along before looking to the other couple in the room.

“Ah’m good to go, what ‘bout you darlin’?” Applejack stressed the endearment as Rarity also exhaled playfully.

“Yes, sugarcube, I do believe I have accomplished a lot of things during my time here and am ready to go home.”

Rainbow rolled her eyes at the two sets of couples and leaned back in her chair, putting her hooves behind her head. “Yeah, I think I’m pretty good too. What do you say Fluttershy?”

“Oh, yes, I should check on all my animal friends. I normally don’t leave them alone for so long…” The yellow pegasus tapped her forehooves together, peering out from under her long pink hair towards the royalty.

Princess Celestia nodded with a smile. “Very well, I’ll make sure to have someone get you tickets for the next outbound train. While you wait, was there anything you’d like to see or needed?”

The friends gave an assortment of ‘no’s along with thanks for the consideration. The solar princess smiled once more to them all before dipping her head and leaving. “I’m sure my sister would want to send along her own greetings, though by now she should be asleep. Thank you for visiting my little ponies. And I hope you had a happy birthday Twilight.”

“Thank you Princess, I did.” The purple unicorn beamed at the white alicorn before turning to smile at the pink earth pony.

By the time they finished their dessert, another staff member trotted up, tickets held in his magical grasp. Twilight thanked him and used her own magic to grab them. They gave their own thanks to him and the other staff ponies before taking their bags and heading on home. Rarity’s mound of luggage had been sent ahead in a cart. The train ride seemed shorter as the mares spoke with the ones sitting beside them. Pinkie was more than willing to tease her marefriend, even as they were sitting in the compartment with their other friends. Twilight, blush growing, returned fire, trying to be subtle but wasn’t as successful as the pink baker giggled excitedly at each touch. The others were growing more used to ‘ignoring’ to their antics and made no comment on what was going on. Once they got home, they separated into three groups of two, off for different parts of town.

When Twilight and Pinkie Pie entered the library, the young drake ran forward, waving a scroll in his claws.

“Twilight! Twilight!” Spike slowed at the sight of pink beside lavender, though he picked up his pace again in moments. “Oh hey Pinkie Pie. Twilight! A scroll from the Princess just came in. She seemed to know exactly when to send it for you to get it right away, kind of weird. Weren’t you just in Canterlot?”

The unicorn glanced to the earth pony in confusion only to smile appreciatively when Pinkie took both of their bags upstairs. Twilight focused back on the dragon and levitated the scroll closer.

“We were. I wonder if there’s something we forgot?” The purple mare was about to read the letter aloud when she noticed the first sentence.

[Do NOT read out loud in front of others!] She blinked, glancing to the lad who stared back with curiosity. Clearing her throat, the mare went back to the scroll. [You and Pinkie Pie had a lovely time last night I’m sure, but perhaps this particular spell will help in the future? Don’t be ashamed to love your special somepony, it’s a beautiful thing to find. You merely may enjoy the privacy and knowledge that the time you spend together are not shared with others you don’t want listening when you use this spell. Enjoy your evening!]

Below the main content of the scroll, written clearly with explanations of what each part does, was a muffling spell. Twilight’s brows raised up in surprise before she succumbed to heavy blushing as the situation clarified in her mind. Heart frozen and scared to speak, the librarian raced upstairs to find Pinkie just finishing putting away the spare supplies they had brought to the capital. She stopped when the letter was thrust under her nose.

“Hmmm, is this the letter you got?” Pinkie started to read the paper set before her only to pause after the first line. “Do I get to -?”

“Yes! Please read it!” Twilight couldn’t watch and flung her head to look at the ceiling instead. Pink brows raised at the action and giggled.

“Okie dokie lokie! HmmmmmmMMmMmmMMmMmmmmmmm….” The earth mare blushed slightly at learning the princess heard them. Looking up, she realized what was bothering her little star. She leaned forward, eyes at half mast. “Oooh, this is a nice spell she’s given us to use! Wanna test it out?”

Twilight threw up her hooves, still unable to meet her marefriend’s eyes, as she shouted in frustration. “No no no no noooo! Don’t you understand?!? We-we shouldn’t have done t-that in the middle of the Princesses’ castle!”

“Oh Twilight…” Pinkie dropped the act and wrapped her hooves around the stressed lavender neck. “Look, see? She even said it was fine in her letter. I bet that she is really happy when she helps other ponies enjoy themselves with their special someponies. She even is happy for us! She wants us to keep having fun. You… You did have a good time right…?”

At the uncertain tone, Twilight finally met Pinkie Pie’s gaze with a heartfelt response. “Yes! Of course!”

“Then there’s nothing wrong! See? It’ll be fine.”

The unicorn exhaled, trying to release the tension she also held in her chest. To help the process, she leaned forward and kissed the waiting mare. Pinkie hummed and stayed still, fighting the urge to go further since she didn’t want to push the anxious mare. Twilight took the lead instead, letting the kiss and the warmth it caused to blow away her fears. Her core and hooftips searing, she pushed forward, tipping them to the ground. Pinkie Pie giggled at the feel of floor under her back. When they took a moment to breathe, the baker whispered to her special somepony as she stroked the sides of the purple muzzle.

“Guess you want to try that spell now huh?”

The librarian laughed freely, the last of her stress floating away at the almost husky tone. “Guess so. But I have to make sure we aren’t interrupted anyways.” She stood up, trailing her hooves along the pink sides and flanks, before heading for the bedroom door. “Spike?! Since we’re here now, why don’t you take the day off? You can even use the pile of spare bits to have some fun.”

The dragon looked up to the ceiling in shock but didn’t wait, rushing for the hidden stash and then for the door. “O-Ok Twilight! If you say so! See you guys later!”

In his hurry, he didn’t notice the open sign magically turned around to read ‘closed’. Nor did he notice the second spell which kept any sounds from escaping the upper bedroom for the rest of the afternoon and into the evening.

Pinkie Pie had been impressed with the study materials Twilight had found, and suggested a few more sources to try as well as first hoof practice. Something the scientific unicorn was more than willing to try out.

Author's Notes:

Thanks to my editing staff who helped to make this easier for everyone to read it. Good work Gwg and Shutup868! I even made Gwg blush with this particular chapter.

AND thanks to my two patreons for supporting my writing: Gwg and Shutup868. Want to help a literal starving writer? Would you like to know that updates are assured as the writer doesn't have to take another job, taking away time for writing? Please consider becoming a patreon!

This chapter was both relatively easy and hard to write. I wasn't sure how I was going to write this without making it too mature and still keeping within my perceived story rating. But then again, the 'author flow' was with this chapter. I was inspired to write this instead of more SL, and the flow really worked out. What do you guys think of their date or the chapter overall? Appropriate for all viewers though please!

EDIT: If you are confused about the time line for when this takes place, please visit this blog. Thanks and hopefully this helps.

XVII - General Raisin's advice

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First week of July, 1005 A.D. (After Discord)

The sun was shining, birds were singing and there was a scent of sweets and sugar in the air. It overrode the smell of the garden where the contest was taking place. Solar guards patrolled around the circumference and mixed with the bakers who stood with their friends who were also invited. The judges, lead by the sun princess herself, walked to the last remaining contestants to taste test their creation.

The group of friends from Ponyville, their part over and their masterpiece eaten, explored the garden event. Pinkie and Twilight walked side by side, their fur brushing gently against each other. The unicorn was currently teasing the earth pony for having eaten the whole cake they had just worked on putting together.

“Would you like a taste then my little star?” Pinkie fluttered her eyelashes, inching closer to the other who laughed as she leaned back.

“No, I think you should keep it where it is.” Twilight turned away with a bright grin which turned wider when she noticed a specific guard trotting along the party goers. “Oh! Look, it’s Honor Guard. We should go say hi.”

As the unicorn turned away, smile firmly in place, Pinkie felt her own smile dissolve into a concerned frown. Her ears tipped back as she tried to keep her usual hop going. The pink limbs felt extra weighted, even as they tried to leave the ground in their usual flair.

The crowd murmur dropped away while Twilight’s words sharpened to almost painful. The gray stallion’s response to the greeting was deep and came out as an intelligible rumble. Sky blue eyes squinted, flashing dangerously. The guard’s gaze, floating away from the lavender mare, did a double take at the hostile glare waiting over the unicorn’s shoulder. The sharp crackle of Twilight’s voice broke off with a confused tone.

The air seemed to brighten when the purple orbs connected with blue. Pinkie felt her face reflectively stretched to a beaming grin. The world around the duo was marred only by the looming presence that continued to tug at the earth pony’s attention. Her voice, sounding oddly echo-y in the pink ears, came out naturally even as she couldn’t feel her jaw move.

“Hey Twilight! Why don’t you go see if the others’ want to do something?”

Twilight’s face lightened at the suggestion. “Sure! Be right back!”

Pinkie’s smile followed the lavender mare even while her focus and sharp gaze was on the stallion. His face attempted a smile only to falter as the world turned red in the earth pony’s eyes.

“Pre-emptive strike, now soldier now!” A brisk voice cut through the haze, startling the mare into action.

Hooves flying, Pinkie Pie tipped over a nearby table, allowing the platters of cupcakes (made for the just the guests) to fall around her. “You’ll never get us!”

“That’s the spirit soldier! Now, return fire!”

Pinkie stiffly turned to look to where the gruff voice came from. Beside her was a muffin hidden in colorful cousins. The raisin oatmeal creation hopped up and down, wrapper unraveling just a little in front as he spoke further. “What’re ya looking at me for!? Grab these soldiers and send them to the enemy!”

Following the raisin eyes, the earth pony found he looked at the various cupcakes that now littered the ground. She snapped a hoof to her forehead and saluted the treat.

“Sir yes Sir, General Raisin!” Pinkie scooped up the treats and started to throw them at the gray spot in the world of red hues.

A gray line rose up, followed by a cautionary shout of “watch out!” from the general beside her. The limb covered the top portion of the form, though it did little against the onslaught of confectionaries. The pink forehoof started to go numb, turning more robotic in its constant swing, and kept going even as she had to hop over for a new stack of supplies. The General came along with her, hanging on by a wrapper, continuously shouting advice.

“That’s it lass, aim for the head!”

“Sir yes Sir!”

“No no, we’re almost out ya ninny! Quick, move move move!”

“Sir yes Sir!”

“We got him on the ropes now, go for the big end!”

Pinkie tucked and rolled for the third table nearby where a large cake with cookies on plates around it sat. She didn’t notice the other, non gray blobs run, frosting and cake covering their fur. Her target was sitting behind a turned over table, waving it’s hooves about and muttering threats.

“Don’t listen to him corporal! He’s trying to confuse your non-unicorn mind and win this battle without using any energy!”

The earth pony gasped, hoof going to her mouth. “The fiend!” Scowling furiously, she smacked the edge of the table, sending its burden into the air. She watched, smirking darkly, as it soared up and over to the stallion. When he shouted in surprise, Pinkie hoof-pumped, eyes closed in triumphant. Another shout caused her to open her gaze rapidly once more.

The muffin jumped in front of her line of sight, the oatmeal standing up in agitation. “Civilian casualties! There may be some retaliation! Take further pre-emptive measures!”

The pink baker grabbed the remaining cookies and cupcakes before throwing in a wide arc. More shouting reached the tense, twitching ears. Her pupils shrank as it took in the area. Shapes began to difference themselves from the scarlet hue of the world. Their colors tinted with red, it was the vibrant baked goods that truly identified the others from the background. Each pony took on a menacing grin. Hooves, wings and magic lifted a counter volley.

“Uh-oh… Hit the deck corporal!” General Raisin shouted, hopping into the air.

Pinkie Pie threw herself down to the ground. When she noticed the gray guard ducking towards a non-threatened area, the pink pony leaped back up with another hoofful of projectiles.

“Oh no you don’t!”

-NKP-

Across the area, the five friends were just starting to head for the last of their group when a shout froze them in their tracks.

“FOOD FIGHT!”

They shared a bewildered glance that was tinged with concern. They rushed forward, the pegasi arriving first and had to drop down to the ground. The sky was full of pastries zipping around, making it dangerous for any trying to be in the sky. Twilight produced a half-shield, catching the majority of the projectiles while the group tried to find the last member of their group. Pinkie Pie was standing on the wide table, limbs full even as she threw desperately with a manic face.

“There she is!” Applejack’s voice and the accompanied point made the rest of the group rush forward, calling for the pink baker’s attention.

“Pinkie Pie! What’s wrong!?!”

The sharp, loving tones slowly inched through the red haze and dispersing it into a cool blue. The earth mare stiffly looked to the group, the lavender unicorn standing out the most. Her pulse slowed while her breath evened out.

“I’ve got this kid, you go to yer mare.” General Raisin swung around to direct more cupcakes which flung into the air to the enemy.

The earth pony gave the general a last salute and pounded over to her marefriend. Twilight gave a surprised grunt at the impact and lifted a hoof to wrap around the head that tried to bury itself into the purple neck. Pinkie Pie felt her limbs shake as adrenaline continued to pump through her veins. Her fur was on end and her mane was extra poofed out, tangling wildly as her organs did the conga line. The unicorn felt the motion and frowned, peeking at her other friends before dipping closer to a twitching ear.

“Pinkie Pie? Sweetheart, what’s wrong?”

The baker took one last deep breath and resurfaced, oblivious to the chaos that continued behind the group of friends. Sky blue pinpricks unsettled the others though it was the overly hyper and excited voice that caused them to close ranks.

“Don’t worry! Everything is A-OK!” Pinkie stood up straighter, grabbing a hold of the hoof that rested against her neck. “Come on! We’ve got HOURS before the train leaves for home. Let’s hit the town!”

Rainbow Dash came closer and whispered into Twilight’s ear. She flinched when her movement attracted a suspicious glare from the pink earth pony. “We should get out of here. If the food fight was started by Pinkie, we may get the Cakes in trouble.”

Twilight started to nod, looking at the mess they were leaving behind.

“Sugarcube, why don’t we head someplace more quiet for ya?” Applejack’s words were directed to the other earth mare but her eyes were looking towards the lavender unicorn.

The cool blue atmosphere around the hyper mare started to take on a tinge of red as Pinkie noticed the glance and how close the two were standing near Twilight. In the middle of the war zone behind her, she heard a gruff voice yelling.

“Stay alert! Evasive measures soldier!”

The pink hoof squeezed purple. Curious lavender orbs searched until locking with tiny pinpricks lost in a sea of blue. A wide smile was waiting for the librarian.

“Let’s do that! OK? We’ll meet everyone there!” With a strength she didn’t normally show, Pinkie Pie pulled her marefriend along through the garden party.

The friends stared in shock while the rest of the guests dodged out of the way. Once Twilight collected herself from the sudden departure, she kept pace, wanting to be somewhere private to talk with her lover. The others shared confused and anxious glances.

“Y’all gonna follow them?” Everyone looked at Applejack in disbelief.

“You’re kidding right?” The group exchanged another look before departing in pairs.

In their haste, they didn’t notice the solar princess trot up. Conjuring a moveable shield, she found Honor Guard talking with other guards who snapped to attention when they noticed the royalty. Princess Celestia acknowledged the guards before focusing on the heavily splattered soldier, frosting and baked goods dripping down his uniform.

“Honor Guard, I presume?”

“Yes, your highness.”

“Could you report what happened here?” The Princess turned to watch as the other guards broke up the food battle. The gray stallion saluted and cleared his throat nervously.

“Well, it uh, started with Miss Pie.” When he mentioned the element holder, Celestia’s head whipped around to watch the unicorn.

“With Pinkie Pie?”

“Yes, your highness… I don’t think she likes me near her or Miss Twilight.” He went silent as soon as he saw the slim white hoof lift into the air.

“Let’s continue this inside, why don’t we?” Princess Celestia strode quickly into the castle. Her face was an impassive mask, but years of service showed the cracks. When the alicorn hoofed over a towel for the guard.

“Please, continue when you can. Frosting can be hard to clean out.” She gave him a tiny smile which he dutifully returned.

“When Twilight visited the Starswirl the Bearded archives was the first I encountered this reaction from Miss Pie; though she didn’t throw anything that time…” As Honor Guard spoke, the Sun Princess’ face grew ever serious. Once he was done, she thoughtfully tapped her chin.

“This needs to be looked into. Would you be willing to do something that isn’t normally asked of our guards?”

Honor Guard snapped a hoof to his forehead. “Whatever you need!”

The world around the couple swirled with colors, changing from reds to blues to purple. Blue orbs tried to sift through it only to flicker to the unicorn who had a firm grip on her hoof. Tiny voices tried to get the hyper mare’s attention except that it was the unicorn who held her entire focus.

The world itself was reduced to blobs of color; moving ones had a slightly sharper outline, with eyes and limbs that seemed to trace over Twilight. A pink eyelid twitched. The nose, enjoying the smell of books and strawberries, pushed into the lavender fur, hurrying the mare along. Eventually the sharp, threatening shapes dispersed, leaving only the sounds of running water and birds as the landscape drifted into an unfocused mess.

“Pinkie Pie…?” The soft voice floated from a distance, causing the earth pony to sluggishly tilt her head to the direction it came from. Lavender orbs filled her vision. “Pinkie…? What happened…? Are you alright?”

The baker smiled lopsidedly. “Sure am. So long as you’re here by my side!” Pinkie dipped forward, burying her face into the other’s barrel.

Twilight raised a hoof and placed it behind her marefriend’s head. Slowly, she sat down, bringing the party planner with her.

“Ok… Just take deep breaths…” The librarian’s command, coming from afar to the still tense pink ears, helped to sooth some of the hyper mare’s nerves. Purple hooves stroked down the puffed out fur while a soothing shushing sounds further helped to calm the stressed out earth mare.

“Ok… Ok… Everything will be fine…” Twilight used their closeness to check on Pinkie’s heart rate. She continued her ministrations until it was stable, slow and steady. “What happened to cause the food fight…?”

The earth pony shuddered in place, her breath and heart hitching into an unstable rhythm. Like an old time film, memories arose, blocking out and replacing the calm environment around herself. Scenes and moments jumped, missing the fluidness of coherent thought. Eyes shut tightly, Pinkie spoke her thoughts as she looked back.

“He was trying to be a Cheaty McMeaner pants. He wanted it all. But he won’t get it. Not while I’m on the watch! And with back up too! General Raisin had my back. He was amazing! Giving orders left and right! The very cupcakes obeyed his command!” Pinkie opened her eyes, showing the sparkles in their depths as she spoke. “Even the brownies, usually very happy to sit in one big group away from everything else, leaped up to defend the Star of our heart!”

Twilight leaned back with a smile as she watched her marefriend re-enact the ‘battle’. The words, picking up speed with each passing breath, started to blur in purple ears. The relatively calm hyperactivity reassured the magical mare. Pinkie’s fur had it’s usual luster and her gaze, while distant, was clear. The earth pony began to act out moments of the general’s past. To avoid being hit with a sharp point, the unicorn scooted back, smile growing.

I guess everything is ok now. Must have been some kind of game. I wonder who she was playing with at first before it involved everypony. Bit by bit the unicorn calmed down her worries at the sight of the warm, wide smile on her marefriend’s face. Hopefully it wasn’t a whole lot to clean up. Maybe it was just a little too much sugar towards the end… I better keep her close in any case. Twilight blushed deeply as she started to plan the evening. For observation, of course.

The group of friends gathered back up at the train station. Everypony felt sharp relief when they saw Pinkie was back to normal. Applejack and Rarity weren’t going to budge about discussing what they had done for the past few hours, while Rainbow Dash pretended to sleep. Twilight leaned back in her chair. Her gaze stayed on the pink mare beside her who was describing animately the party for the Cakes’ successful entry.

The talk about parties reminded the studious mare of her calendar. And a special occasion that is merely nine months and twenty-five days away. And it’s never too late to plan ahead. I better start making a nice list of supplies. And I better make sure Pinkie doesn’t find out or else it’s all ruined!

They waved farewell to the others as they all went their separate ways. Together, Twilight and Pinkie went to the tree library, enjoying the setting sun on their fur. Their smiles were just as warm. Spike, seeing the duo enter, pretended to gag as he walked by. They smirked in turn and tackled him to the ground in sync, hooves reaching out to tickle his sides.

“N-noooo!” The drake tried to scramble away, only to find the two mares holding on tight.

“Surrender to the tickle ponies of dooooooom!” Pinkie cried out dramatically while Twilight laughed maniacally.

The three rolled around on the floor, laughing. Before long, they were out of breath and smiling widely. The lavender unicorn stood up, beaming, and checked on the shelving.

“Ok, now that ‘doom’ has been dealt, let’s see how everything is.”

“Sure thing! Everything is A-OK and cleaned.” Spike also stood up and snapped a salute.

Pinkie rolled over and watched the two librarians double check everything on the shelves. The soft sounds of their talking lulled her into sleep. When they were done catching up, the unicorn glanced to the center of the room and paused. She let out a soft gasp that cut off as she put a hoof to her muzzle. Spike frowned curiously. He opened his mouth to comment when Twilight jerked her head to the upper levels.

Silently, they trotted upstairs. The unicorn magically shut the door behind them. She then teleported a scroll and quill into the air and floated them over to the lad.

“Alright Spike. We’re going to try and order special items for Pinkie’s birthday next year. I’m sure if we try again, we can succeed at a ‘surprise party’.” Twilight held up a hoof, determination written all over her face. Spike rolled his eyes but held up the supplies in either case. “Ok, so write this down. Honor Guard said he could try to help, so we’ll be sending it to him….”

-NKP-

Pinkie giggled in her sleep. The low hum of magic and books moving all around added to the serene sense she had. She instinctively turned towards where the heat of both the unicorn and young dragon was. Hooves curling around the blanket that was apparently covering her body, the earth pony was drifting back into deeper slumber when there was a loud belch and smell of smoke and brimstone.

Huh…?

“Spike! Shhhhhhhhhhh…..!” The gentle voice tugged at the pink ears. The stress and worry lacing the words drew the sleepy mare’s attention.

“Sorry Twilight… Is it…?” The lad’s voice was muffled.

“Yes…!”

Twilight’s confirmation was the final string that pulled Pinkie into bleary awakeness. Her hooves and barrel felt like lead however, making it so she could only just peek out of one eye towards the two. They were huddled by the desk in the corner, a piece of parchment in a mulberry hue. The font was too small to be read at a distance. Seconds later, Twilight poofed the paper away and peered over her shoulder, checking on the party mare laying near the far wall. When she noticed the spot of blue among all the pink, the librarian gave a start and flicked her eyes to the ceiling before smiling to the sleepy mare.

“O-oh, hello Pinkie Pie. Did you sleep ok?” The lavender mare trotted over. She offered a hoof to help her mare up, which was drowsily accepted.

“Y-yeah…” Pinkie’s response was interrupted by a yawn. One hoof being held by the lavender one, the other went to her eyes to clear it from sleep gunk. “What was the letter? From the princess…?”

“Hmm? Oh, uh, no no, just a notice for the…” Twilight’s sight swept the room. “... for the library. Would you like to head upstairs? I’m sure the bed is a lot more comfortable than the floor. Though I did try.” The unicorn leaned closer, trying to find anything out of place on her marefriend. “Did it work? Is there any soreness or stiff back or limbs…?”

The earth pony gave herself a hearty shake, loosening and moving every muscle she had. “Nopey nope nope! I’m totally good. Though I may need to find a more comfortable pillow. Do you have anything in purple…?” Pinkie smirked teasingly to the unicorn who blushed at the question. To help demonstrate her plight, the baker rubbed her muzzle along the other mare’s body, testing it out. “Hmmm, I think this one should do just fine…”

Twilight laughed and nuzzled back. “Alright, that sounds like a well constructed plan.”

In moments, they were in the lavender mare’s room and in the bed. Pink hooves wrapped around the slimmer barrel and drew the magical pony closer. Pinkie could feel her muscles start to shiver and instead pulled them taut to hide her anxiety. Hearing the light laughter, the earth mare smiled even as her heart started to beat unsteadily.

Wh-what was in the letter…? Was it from ‘him’? Or maybe somepony else wants- wait a second. Blue eyes shot open. Taking a deep breath, she shifted closer, settling every nerve that tried to dance anxiously. My little star taught me just earlier today not to jump to conclusions! I’m absolutely dabsolutely positively sure it was a normal letter for the library.

Pinkie snuggled against the warm lavender fur, taking in the soothing scent she found there. Twilight hadn’t noticed anything during this time, having been conked out from the long day. The pink baker relaxed further at the knowledge there was nothing wrong with the star of her world.

Far away, on the edge of a mountain, beyond tall walls and wide moats, up winding stairs in the tallest tower, a gray furred guard snapped at attention. He lacked his usual uniform as he was off the clock but his orders trumped a time limit. The solar princess, lounging on her couch by the fireplace, had requested to see anything that arrived from Ponyville for Honor Guard and he was going to do his duty no matter what. The princess held the letter in her magic, gaze quickly scanning over the contents.

“Thank you for bringing this to me Honor Guard.” Gentle orbs drifted up to meet the stallion’s stare. “This will present a good opportunity to test the situation unfolding…”

XVIII - Ruined Surprise ... Or was it Surprise Ruin?

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August 2nd, 1005 A.D.

A spotlight swung creakily. It illuminated a small circular table and the pony who sat next to it while the rest of the room remained mostly dark. There was a pile of confetti, a large cup with a swirly straw, a pail of turnips, a ball of lint, a sack of flour, a pile of rocks and a raisin muffin. On the table was a series of papers, diagrams, lists and maps of different locations. The pony was a pink earth mare with a poofy mane and tail. Her sky blue eyes were narrowed to pinpricks as she scanned the papers in front of her. The muffin leaped up, his voice harsh.

“Don’t worry soldier, with all the surveillance we got here, the target will be well protected.” The muffin turned to the pony, saluting with a raisin.

Pinkie Pie saluted back. “Yes, but there seems to be more and more ponies lining up to try-”

“Don’t you worry none, we’ll get them before they can say sugar honey ice tea.” The pile of rocks jumped in place, his gruff voice overly loud in the silence.

The earth mare nodded slowly as the other objects also chimed in their support. A loud, room shaking explosion rang out from above, stilling the occupants below. They all looked up, eyes (if they had them) wide. Dust and dirt shivered down from around the tree rooms that coated the ceiling. The pony slowly smiled, her eyes dilating to proper size. Though it was only after a female shouted, calling for her assistant, that Pinkie spoke.

“Sounds like my little star is awake! I better go and see what she made this time!” The hyper pony stood up and bounced for the tube exit on the wall. “I bet it’s super duper exciting! Bye guys!”

The remaining objects stayed stationary, giving no reply. The earth pony shrugged with a wide grin. She stepped forward enough to activate the lower sensors that began the suction pull from the plastic tubing that hung along the walls and ceiling. With a loud vacuum sound, the mare was jerked forward, smile stretched as she flew, tugged along the swirly lines until she was jetted up from a circular part of the ground in the main library room. The green rug that covered the entrance flipped back into place, hiding the location while the pink pony stood just outside of the spot.

Pinkie continued to wear her grin as she looked around the room, noting what the explosion had caused. The usually orderly shelves of books were in disarray. Some had tumbled to the ground while others had flopped over onto their sides in the spaces left behind. Some books were partially off the shelf but managed to still remain by the edge of their covers. The stack of quills, parchment and ink wells were a complete mess. The jars of ink were still sealed, but most of the supplies now rested on the floor. As sky blue orbs went to the desk, they noticed that a box was revealed under the bottom of the desk, preventing the fixture from resting flat on the ground.

A voice, stern and commanding, seemed to whisper up from the tunnel behind her. “Recon, soldier, find that information…!”

Pinkie edged forward, ears slowly flattening to her head. Her hooves felt heavy, even as they lifted up the desk with ease. On the underside was a clean cut in the shape of the box, showing where it would have been hidden out of sight. She set the desk on its side carefully. The box itself was a plain object, dark brown, with no lock or knob on the front that would effect how it fit into its hiding place. The lid lifted easily, swinging open without a sound.

Inside was a small stack of letters. They seemed to flash dimly, drawing her gaze. Slowly, her hoof shaking, she reached out and grabbed the top parchment. It folded open, showing script that was too even and neat to be anything but magically made, and caused the sky blue eyes to shrink.

To Ms. Twilight,
Concerning the things you’ve requested, it will take some time to complete. The plans are very detailed and I’m sure will be a lovely surprise. I will keep in contact if something changes.
Hope things are going well for you.
-Honor Guard

The paper dropped down nearly as fast as pink earth pony’s heart. The world fractured around her. Water rapidly filled her gaze, dampening the details around her. The letter fell from her hoof back to the pile waiting below. Her heart echoed loudly in her ears. This was quickly drowned out by hoofsteps coming from the basement. Pinkie’s breathing hitched and her own hooves shot out, replacing the desk over top of the wooden box. The voices that accompanied the steps covered the soft thud as the furniture slid back into place. Pinkie trained her ears towards the hall, mind a tornado of thoughts.

“I dunno Twilight, it might not be possible…” The voice, young and male, echoed up.

“But she manages to-” The very words seemed to be sharper, more defined, in the pink ears, even as the earth pony’s heart soared briefly. The sentence was cut off however by the lad.

“But she’s special, remember? We don’t want you to get hurt trying to study or do what she does.” This time it came from much closer, signalling their progression up the stairs.

“You’re right. We don’t want a repeat of THAT.” Twilight’s head popped up above the last few steps, showing how she was rolling her eyes at the thought.

She paused at the top, eyes widening with a nervous laugh. The young dragon, being shorter, didn’t notice the issue and continued up. His gaze was focused on the unicorn beside him.

“Twilight? What’s-?” Spike followed the line of sight and also froze, one foot raised up. “O-oh hi Pinkie Pie…!”

Saying the earth pony’s name out loud broke the tension in the air. Both mares beamed and rushed forward to embrace the other. While the unicorn felt her blood warm up pleasantly, the baker couldn’t feel anything but the tingling of her nerves. After cuddling for a few seconds, Pinkie Pie started to warm up and relaxed into the hug. She gave the purple side a loving caress with her muzzle. Pulling back, enjoying the feel of their fur rubbing against one another, she smiled up to purple orbs.

“What has my little star been doing, hmmmMMmmm?” Her voice was a mixture of teasing and love. “You made a great big explosion downstairs! Like the one you made in my heart…”

Twilight chuckled, her cheeks lighting up red. Her right hoof, not being wrapped around the other mare, went up to scratch at her head sheepishly. “Oh, well, you know, a scientist has to do science-based things every now and then.”

The dragon made no comment; instead moving about the room and starting the process of cleaning up. The unicorn continued to laugh lightly as the other mare stared back with a half smile. Ears and grin frozen in place, the earth pony tried to ignore her heart which returned to drowning in her lower half.

“Oh you silly filly! I thought some big huge amazing breakthrough happened! We felt that all the way in our lab!”

“Wait, who-?” Twilight lost her amusement in a wave of confusion, ears starting to tip back anxiously.

“Don’t you worry that pretty little head of yours Ms. Smarty Smart Smarts.” Pinkie rubbed the dark purple mane, leaning closer to nuzzle her nose against the other’s. “I can help if you get stuck!”

Twilight shifted in place, uncertain cough breaking free. “Uh- well, no no, it’s ok Pinkie Pie. We’ll just leave everything as it is for now. Besides, we should really help clean up! Wow, we really made a big mess, huh Spike?” The unicorn glanced towards the lad, her grin wavering slightly.

Pinkie nodded slowly, grin still in place. The gruff voice rang in the back of her ears. “Search the area…!”

“That’s a great idea Twilight! I’ll help too!” A pink blur shot off to help replace the dislodged items.

She didn’t focus on just one area however. The pink mare steadily moved clockwise around the room, slowly making her way to the desk that seemed to pulse in her sight. Placing one object back then another, she reached out for the desk, her face a mask of friendliness. “Ooooooh, this looks like it was moved out of place! I’ll just-”

“Wait! Uh-” Twilight rushed up, eyes nervous, “-I-I-I think that maybe we should get out from under Spike’s claws. He has everything in hoof, right?!” Purple met green as a silent exchange took place. The librarian held a hoof out, resting it against her marefriend’s side. The dragon was surprised by the change and tried to recover.

“Wh-uh, yeah, sure. I uh got this. You guys have fun…?”

The others tried to smile assuringly to the party pony. Pinkie in turned stopped, smile growing wider as she tilted her head. Her eyes remained closed to hide the twitch she could feel building in her eyelids. Why…? Why… are you hiding something… “Oh… Sure thing! What would like you like to do my little star?”

Purple orbs floated to the closest window. The sun was midway up the sky, shining warmly onto the ground below. The magical mare felt her stomach tighten and flicked an ear to the kitchen. “Why don’t we go out for lunch?”

Before the other mare could reply, a solid knock on the front door broke the silence. Three sets of eyes turned towards the fixture before Spike set down the stacks of books he held and opened it. Beyond was a gray with blue tint pegasus in the postal uniform. In her right hoof was a scroll which she held out.

“Hello Spike. Delivery from Canterlot, express service. Please sign here!” Derpy held in her wing a clipboard that had a pen attached with a chain. The drake quickly signed and peeked at the return address on the letter. Without watching the pegasus fly off, he looked at the purple pony, holding the scroll as though it was dangerous.

“Fo-for you, Twilight.”

“T-Thanks! Let’s see, ma-maybe the order of books is ready…?” Twilight used a bit of magic to hold the letter, taking quick notice of who sent it. What’s wrong…? Let’s see, “the rest of the cannon supplies are ready but due to their nature, must be picked up right away…” Oh no! That means I have to go to Canterlot right now! The unicorn felt her fur stick outwards in anxiety. She slowly looked back up to her marefriend. Her right ear twitched back and forth.

“Uhm, I’m sorry Pinkie. This is about- about some books that I have to pick up right away. We’ll have to postpone the date. Is that ok…?” Twilight poofed away the paper and turned toward the earth pony with a timid smile.

Pinkie continued to smile widely, eyes shut tight. She reached out and tapped the unicorn on her head gently. “That’s ok Twilight! How about we go out on the fifth? Let’s see-!” The mare reached out with a hoof and pulled out a notepad. Flipping through the few pages, she stuck her nose in there, eyes still shut. “Let’s see, let’s see, let’s see! I planned the last date, it’s your turn my little star!”

“Oh! Ok, that should be fine! I’ll come up with a plan! But I have to leave right now though. I’ll be back in the evening if you want to cuddle.” The lavender mare relaxed in place. She reached out and gave her marefriend a loving caress.

The earth mare breathed in the scents of the other. When Twilight pulled back, the baker tried to hide the unhappy shudder as the warmth left her side. Her gaze was still firmly shut. “I better get going then. Have a nice trip Twilight!”

Pinkie Pie trotted steadily out of the library. Head held high, she tried to act nonchalant as she went to work for the day. All of her limbs were tense, joints firmly locked in place. Her mane began to poof out further, gaining more knots with every breath. There was tiny, nagging feeling in the back of her mind. But she couldn’t place it due to the louder and rowdy voice of General Raisin shouting in the back of her ears.

“Insubordination! Sabotage! Gotta step up yer game soldier!”

-NKP-

In the tree library, Twilight danced anxiously in place. She glanced towards the desk and the calendar on top. Her eyes widened when she noticed the coded message presented there. Spike looked over at the dramatic gasp and thud that came from behind him as he worked. Turning, he found the librarian laying face-down on the ground. Her left back leg twitched in time with her right ear.

“T-Twilight…?”

“SPIIIIKKEEE! What are we going to do!?!?” Twilight lifted her head up from the ground enough for her shout to be heard easily. “We were going to go and find those samples on the fifth! But now I have to set up a date with Pinkie Pie because she almost found out the surprise!”

The dragon sighed and hopped down from the ladder he had been standing on. He reached out and gave the mare a reassuring pat on her head. Spike leaned down, trying to catch watery purple orbs.

“Seriously Twilight…? You’ve got to calm down. I’m sure you’ll think of something.”

Spike continued to sit next to the unicorn, waiting for a response. As time continued, his brows inched down as he deadpanned. Twilight placed both hooves on her head, hiding her troubled gaze as the chain of events unfolded in her mind, spilling out in a trembling voice. The drake, guessing what was happening, bent his head closer with a sigh, focusing on the low mumble.

“... there’s no way to keep it a surprise from her for long, she’s really instinctive that way, and then the surprise would be ruined and she’d be so sad and disappointed in me that she doesn’t want to go on any dates because I can’t even make a good surprise and she’ll decide to find somepony who CAN surprise her and not some nerdy mare who can’t even plan a date properly and then it won’t matter that I need to go out today suddenly because she won’t like anything and-”

Spike sighed and stood up, rolling his eyes in the same motion. Leaving the mare to mutter to herself, he grabbed some spare parchment and wrote a letter to Honor Guard. Getting the feeling that it needed to be delivered fast, he sent it through dragon flame to the Princess with a request to pass it along. While he waited, the lad cleaned up the area around the unicorn, no longer listening to her nervous breakdown as she was too far into the rant to pull her away from the images.

It was just as Twilight was in the middle of making ‘everything-has-gone-wrong-and-we-must-escape-the-country’ plan hours later that a scroll arrived. Spike felt both elated and nauseous as he burped, spitting out the letter. Nerves frayed from listening to his guardian’s muttering getting worse, he opened it with one eye shut as he braced for the worst. Finding better news than he had hoped, he rushed over to the unicorn sitting morosely by her desk, waving the scroll in the air.

“Twilight! I’ve got it!” The dragon’s shorter legs nearly tripped over the mounds of papers scattered around the area. Barely keeping his balance, he jerked to a stop beside the mare. “I’ve got the solution to our problem!”

Bleary purple eyes sluggishly turned to look. They had begun to turn bloodshot in stress, making the crazy glint stand out even further. “The solution…? Why would I need this emergency plan if there was a solution?” Twilight blinked, taking three times as long to do so.

Spike rolled his eyes at the dour tones. He brandished the letter in front of the frenzied gaze. “Honor Guard has a suggestion for the mixed up planning.”

Hearing the friendly stallion’s name perked up the librarian. Blinking a little faster, she focused on the neat writing, hope kindling in her eyes. Zipping back and forth, she read the scroll several times, sitting up more with each line.

“Oh my gosh! This is perfect! This would make everything ok! And it’s a great date idea too! This is perfect!” Twilight sat up, grabbing the scroll from the purple claw. “Let’s go Spike! We have to set up everything and we only have a few days to do it! We’ll have to work through the night!”

The youth stared back in shock, jaw loose. While the unicorn began to dash around the library, he reached out, trying to cut in. “Hang on! Wait! T-Twilight! Don’t we have to go pick up stuff today anyways first!? We should do that before anything else!”

The lavender pony magically lifted the lad up on to her back as she ran past once more.

“Good idea Spike! We’ll start making plans on the trip up to Canterlot!”

Saddlebags on her flanks, the mare dashed out, locking the door behind her. The drake barely kept his seat, holding on to the bags with tight claws.

“Twiiiliiighhhhtttt!!!”

The crowds close by chuckled at the sight. They managed to keep out of the way of the frantic mare, though it was a common occurance for their little town.

The day wore on. Clouds moved along, sun began to set and the library remained closed. Its normal residence still were out and the local party pony and baker had accepted the general’s advice to return for proper inspection. The evening was starting to empty of the hoof traffic, leaving no witnesses to what was about to happen at the tree building.

Pinkie let her instincts take over her motor controls. Blue pinpricks floated aimlessly as she squeezed through the door. Once she was on the other side, her mane poofed back out from a thin line and her limbs stretched out in each direction for a second. Giving her fur a shake, the earth pony looked at the room to be sure it was empty. None of the books had moved, nor did the stack of papers shuffle in the pop of wind.

“Time to search!” The baker stage-whispered to herself, limbs tensing up as she allowed her motion to be directed by her special senses.

In seconds, she had found three cubby holes with pressure switches, several loose floorboards where a stash of gems rested, fake books with jewelry inside, books of jokes inside of quantum physic books inside of joke books inside physic books, a box of letters from family in Canterlot, a stash of letters from Celestia’s Academy for Gifted Unicorns and the hidden stash under the desk. The perfectly fitting box sent a flicker of anger and concern coursing through the pink barrel. Another flicker, making her fur stand on end, traveled across Pinkie’s body.

“Soooo… Another one huh…? Let’s see what has happened THIS time!” Reaching a hoof out, she opened the box, eyes scrunching at the new crisp scroll sitting on top along with one that was slightly less new. “That’s the one that arrived today… And another one? Hmmmmm…”

The letters were carefully plucked up from the pile. Her eyes, scanning the contents rapidly, managed to shrink even further, almost tiny dots while her brows shot up. No no no no no no no no no nononononononono- “No no no no no no no no! He’s trying to control everything from behind the scenes! I can’t believe it! Well, I- I won’t let him! If my little star falls for this-this-this horrible plan, then I’m going to stop him for sure!”

Pink fur stuck out wildly as the hoof swiftly replaced the mail. Another breeze appeared as the box was re-hidden. Shaking with every passing second, the mare used another method to exit, the lead in hooves making it impossible use the first kind. She scaled the walls themselves, shooting for the window that was constantly left unlocked for errant pegasi that crashed into the tree library. She launched from the limb to other house roofs. The mare was a blur to the few villagers who were still awake; not that Pinkie noticed. Her mind swirled with plans to foil the stallion’s schemes.

My dearest sweetheart,
I cordially invite you to join me for a evening in Canterlot. There is a reservation for Les Plus Grands Gourmandises restaurant, followed by a viewing of several very popular party-supplies stores on the fifth. If this is acceptable, please join me in front of the bakery at 3pm on the previously mentioned date.
Yours forever,
Twilight Sparkle.

Pinkie’s heart raged between adoring the note and anger that the stallion’s evil plan had already been put into effect. Her hoof shook, torn between crushing the letter and giving it a loving pet. She looked up to where a stack of muffins waited on the counter in Sugarcube corner.

“Pinkie Pie? Everything ok?” The elderly mare’s voice cut through the madness running freely in the younger pony’s mind. Blue eyes glanced up to the earth pony, crinkling lightly in friendliness.

“Sure thing! Can I leave at 3 on Monday?” Pinkie’s voice remained just as chipper even with the whispering of the General in her ear.

Cupcake brightened, pleased to see the other mare happy like her usual self. She set the tray she held in her hooves onto the counter, thinking of the day in question. “I don’t see any reason why not. Can you set these out dear?”

The pink mare nodded rapidly, reaching out to the tray and hopping to the empty display table. Even as she artistically set the baked goods, her mind was far in the distance, thinking of a nearby day in the future in a city several hours away.

-NKP-

Warmth, loosening and almost burning the taunt muscles, spread down the pink furred limbs. Two ears began to twitch unconnected with one another as the pink poofy hair fluffed up for a second. From a distant tunnel, the female store owner spoke.

“Pinkie dear, isn’t your date at 3?”

Blue orbs widened, flicking up to the clock in the far back. Pinkie’s breath caught in her throat as war broke out in her mind. As her thoughts churned, instinct and automated responses took control.

“Oh! I’m so excited! I better get going!” Pinkie’s voice rang out, barely hollowed, as her limbs threw the apron up and over her head. While the cloth floated down to hang from the hook along the wall, she had already shot out the door, stopping rapidly in front of the lavender mare who stood just on the other side.

“Pinkie Pie! I had just arrived; excellent timing, as usual.” Twilight beamed at the party pony who smiled back. The two stood in front of the bakery, silently. The unicorn’s grin started to fade as time wore on and there was no response. “P-Pinkie…?”

The earth pony blinked, a gear like sound clicking as her head tilted and righted back up quickly. “You betcha! Can’t wait for this great date in Canterlot!”

Twilight relaxed with a soft smirk. She stretched out her neck and felt the returning nuzzle in seconds. Once they were done with their cuddling, for the moment at least, the duo started for the train station. The roads were moderately busy with ponies finishing work or errands. The station was quiet as nopony was returning or leaving Ponyville yet. As the unicorn mentally ran over her list, the earth pony kept vigilant, ears and eyes straining.

The trip up to the scenic city was uneventful. The couple remained close side by side, recounting their time spent away from each other. Since they were in a compartment by themselves, Pinkie didn’t feel the need to watch for others on the prowl. It got worse when they entered the capital.

The party pony’s nerves tightened like a bow string at the large amounts of fancily dressed ponies strutting around. Stallions, dressed in solar garb, were the target of most of the sharp blue glares. Every time the earth pony felt her lover’s glance, she’d turn with a bright smile. But as soon as Twilight looked on, Pinkie went back to watching the crowds and warning them silently to stay away. The snobbish citizens barely started to comment on the pink pony’s appearance when they froze at the harsh gaze. Shutting their gaping mouths, they would shuffle on, leaving the tense mare to continue watching the crowds.

Their meal at Les Plus Grands Gourmandises went like every other date. Pinkie didn’t notice or care about how posh the location was, instead focusing on making the star of her heart laugh. Twilight also didn’t care about the location’s five star rating, merely enjoying the time with her marefriend.

There was almost a hiccup when they first arrived. Pinkie’s keen, searching eye had caught what looked like the reservations to be under ‘Honor Guard’ but Twilight had intercepted the conversation before any more questions could be asked. Both mares didn’t notice the other’s distraction as they tried to maintain a cool outward appearance. Luckily, they had a private corner to themselves, making it easier to calm down and enjoy their meal.

It was as they looked at the party supply store that Pinkie Pie’s senses went haywire. The large three story building was a modest gray, almost like a non-descript warehouse, blending in with the pale-gray stores around it. Inside was the opposite. The walls were a bright friendly butter-yellow while the wide open floor space was broken up by long shelves that held multitudes of colored decorations and party supplies. Each floor was themed to the layer of a party. The first floor held the decorations for tables, floors and doorways. The second held wall and ceiling supplies. The top most floor had party favors, goodie bags and treats.

As the two mares turned around the shelf of table setting themes, a wisp of gray fur disappeared ahead of them. The entire pink back arched while her hooves felt a sharp, painful current run through them. Her right eyelid twitched as her tail and mane stood up, fluffing out larger than normal. Before Twilight noticed or could react, Pinkie shot forward, ears pressed flat against her head.

“Pinkie what-?”

“Your evil plan shall never work! In the name of our love, we shall punish you!” The shrill shout echoed through the store, making everypony freeze in place.

It was the sound of a startled stallion that broke Twilight’s shock. She dashed up to the two ponies to find Pinkie standing over Honor Guard. Her mane and tail were up in a wild puff ball and her eyes were frantic pinpoints. The stallion’s own gaze was anxious as he tried to move the stronger mare without hurting her. Other customers ran in panic, screaming at the sudden motion and fight.

“Pinkie Pie! What are you doing?!” The librarian warmed up her magic. Firing a ray, she captured the shouting baker.

“-you will never get her because she’s with me! And she doesn’t want you even if it seems otherwise and you’ll be super duper sorry and-”

“PIIIIIINNNKKKKIIIIIEEE!!!”

Tiny blue dots peeked towards her captor, only just noticing how she was being raised up into the air. The pink body began to shiver, every muscle vibrating rapidly. Twilight found it harder and harder to keep the levitation spell going. The final straw that destroyed her concentration was the small heartbroken question.

“You still love me don’t you…?”

“Wha-? Of course!” The unicorn stepped closer, her own voice filling with pain as she watched her marefriend drop to the ground. Honor Guard managed to back up away from the party pony, crawling backwards on his back as he remained tensed. “Why would you think that Pinkie…?”

The earth pony smiled warmly, tilting her head to the right with both eyes shut tightly; her stance and very presence like her usual self that the unicorn stopped confused. In an eyeblink, the scene changed drastically. Pinkie shot over to the guard and reached out to capture him. The guard’s training kicked in, making him fling the mare over top and into the next set of shelves. As the supplies resting there came crashing down, he paused, fearful of having hurt the civilian. This only provided Pinkie Pie the opportunity to rocket back into the fray. She knocked the stallion back, grin still wide, as her gaze burned holes into him.

“Didya hear that? She’s mine! YOU’RE NOT INVITED!”

Twilight tried to recapture her fighting lover but each time she shot a beam the earth pony vibrated out of the way. The two continued their battle in the store, throwing one another about and crashing into the other shelving. Honor Guard refrained from using magic, since he only knew battle magic, but this didn’t stop Pinkie from using every trick and instinctual ability she had to try and keep the stallion away from the star of her heart.

A distant whistle jolted Twilight into last minute action. Giving up on the magic, she charged forward, closing her eyes as she blindly reached out for the pink barrel. The two mares tumbled past the guard, knocking into the far wall of cloths and going still. Silence finally arrived in the shop. Three sets of heavy panting, echoing loudly in the ears of their owners, raced to stabilize. The librarian kept her eyes shut, ears trained for any other signs of aggravated motion. Slowly, two hooves reached up and held onto her neck. Since it came from the pony under her grip, Twilight took this as a positive sign and cautiously looked at the mare below her.

Sky blue orbs, almost back to normal size, stared back. The couple nearly got lost in each other’s gaze as the warmth in the hooves reminded them of cuddle time in the small town library. Honor Guard hesitantly spoke up from several paces away.

“Miss Twilight…? Miss Pinkie Pie…?”

Pinkie stiffened at the voice. Her eyes lost the warmth showed for friends, taking on an almost threatening hue. Twilight’s heart stopped at the sight. Raising her head faster than Pinkie could potentially respond, she shouted towards the guard a brief farewell.

“Sorry Honor Guard! Please cover for us!”

With a flash and crackle of magic, the duo were teleported away. It was done fast enough that she caught the earth pony off balance and surprised. Together, they reappeared back in Ponyville, in the main room of the library. They dropped a few feet out of the air, landing with a heavy thud that startled the dragon hanging from a ladder. Blinking away mulberry spots from his eyes, he turned to check on the mares.

“Twilight? Pinkie Pie? Why are you guys back so-?”

“W-Why did you do that Twilight!?! He was trying to edge in where he wasn’t invited!” Pinkie’s voice shrilly cut through the building tension.

“What are you talking about Pinkie Pie?!? He wasn’t trying to edge in anywhere!” Twilight huffed in exhaustion, standing up on wobbly legs above the baker on the ground below her. “Why did you attack him?!”

Spike dropped down from the ladder, jaw and claw going slack at his guardian’s words. The earth pony wiggled, trying to get free to complete her mission.

“No no no no no no no no no nononononononono- even now I’m positive he’s scheming new ways to try and capture your heart while you aren’t looking! He was probably rigging up all those party supplies to explode right in my face to make you think he looked much cooler!” Pinkie ran her hooves in the wild strands of her mane. “He’s offering coolness! How can I compete against coolness?! Should-should I get more ice cubes? But if the party goes cold then I lose even more! He’ll get more chances to try, I-”

“What are you talking about!?!” Twilight reached out, tugging away the two hooves before they got stuck in the puffy mess. “Why do you have to compete?! Who are you competing against?”

“That one guard, the one who’s been writing to you, the one who set up tonight’s date, the one who’s been trying to take you away from me!” Pinkie wailed, her limbs struggling pitifully against the lavender mare’s hold.

“Honor Guard? He-he wasn’t uh-” nervous purple orbs sought out a reptile set, only to find no solution. “Th-the letters weren’t from him to try and take me away, he was-”

“Yes he was! Why would he be talking about secrets and arrival dates and how you had to come see it for yourself and he was happy to help-!”

“Because he was helping me with a surprise!” Twilight flung her hooves into the air, her voice raising to match the volume of the mare under her.

“Sure was! A big ol’ nasty surprise for Pinkie Pie about how you’ve found somepony else to be with! Somepony who’s cooler and knows you from when you were younger and is from your hometown and is just as snooty as all the ponies who live there! The surprise of how you found somepony else, who’s been trying to steal you away from me! Just like how everypony wants to take you away from me!” Blue eyes teared up while portions of the pink mane and tail flattened out. A building sob laced each of her words.

“No!” The unicorn sat back, tears of frustration budding up as she magically pulled over the past few letters she had exchanged with the Canterlot guard. “I was making a surprise party for YOU! For your birthday! He was helping me get everything ready!”

The room went still after the shout. Two sets of breathing hitched with choked back tears while the last held his breath lest he startle them. Blue cloudy eyes stared upwards at the sad purples. Pinkie pulled her limbs inward, curling them on her chest. Twilight used the brief respite to open the letters and float them forward.

“See? This is the first one I ever sent, asking for help. Why would you think he or anypony would want to ‘take me away’?” The lavender mare moved off from her marefriend, setting the letters within hoof reach of the distraught baker.

Pinkie sat up, using a hoof to wipe at her tears as she rapidly scanned the contents of the scrolls. “Everypony wants to. I have to keep them all away or they’d take you because of how special you are. Even our friends can be tempted…” The mutter caused the two library residents to lean forward, eyes wide in surprise and disbelief.

“WHAT did you say?!” Twilight couldn’t risk blinking, afraid to look away and have whatever is taking place cut short should the other mare try to run for it. “What makes you think they are trying to break up our relationship?”

“They-they’ve already tried! Dashie AND AJ! They’re both in on it! And they’ve already got special stories lined up for them but noooo! They want this story, they want you all to themselves!” Pinkie stomped her hoof against the floor, tears welling up once again. “Well, I won’t let them! I won’t let anypony! You’re mine! MY little star!”

Twilight felt her heart disappear into the beyond. The food left in her stomach churned, souring and making her regret accepting the dessert. Her mind detached from her numb body as different quotes from dating books floated up from the dark depths.

“...A possessive pony often expresses jealousy. They might become angry or upset when you socialize with friends, family or co-workers. Along with this, they may accuse you of cheating or be suspicious of innocent behaviors such as sending a letter or message.”

… Sweet Celestia! Wha-what is going on!? It can’t be…

The lavender mare took a longer look at the other pony across the way. The dark circles under her eyes, tense muscles that shook periodically, mane and tail straight and quickly losing it’s color. Normally sunny and warm blue orbs were dark with paranoia, twitching around the room, searching for any other threats to ‘her mare’.

“...When left unexplored and unresolved, possessive relationships can amount to feelings of profound unhappiness, anxiety, anger, and even physical or emotional abuse.”

Twilight could feel what was left of her heart clench, making her reflectively scrunch her face. The movement drew sky blue pinprinks to the slowly slouching unicorn.

Pinkie could feel her special senses going crazy. There were too many signals coming in at once for her to read them properly. She could only tell that they were warning of danger, of change, of pain. Each passing second that Twilight didn’t speak made the pink mare grow more anxious. Ears twitching at each sound from the outside, she leaned forward, timidly reaching a hoof out to pet the lavender limb.

“M-my star…? Twilight…?” Pinkie stopped when the purple leg twitched out of the path, avoiding her touch. “...Wha…?”

“Pinkie, I-I don’t know…” Twilight shook her head, scooting back away from the party pony. “It-this doesn’t feel right… Our friends would never try to break up our relationship.”

The statement shot a spike of anger through the pink chest. Pinkie shot forward, brows closing in. “But they-!”

“No! Pinkie Pie, if you think our friends, or-or anypony, is trying to break us apart, and that you’re the only one who can stop them, then-then maybe…” The unicorn took a rattling breath, her mind screaming to step back from the entire situation. “Maybe we should think about what we do next. If you don’t trust me to want to be with you…”

“T-Twilight, wait, no, that’s not-” The earth pony tried again to reach forward but found that the librarian stood up and walked closer to her assistant.

“Then, maybe we need to take a break. Reflect on-on how much we trust one another, and whether this is a healthy relationship…” Twilight couldn’t meet the depressed gaze of the other, and instead looked towards the door.

“No… No, what do you mean? Of course I trust you Twilight!” Pinkie took a half step forward only to falter and take two back. “I love you! I just don’t trust everypony else to stay out of our relationship.”

The lavender pony shook her head, blinking away tears as her mouth scrunched in pain. “P-Pinkie Pie… We are ponies. We live with many others. We’ve always lived in groups; families, friends and neighbors. We HAVE to trust those around us….” For one brief second, Twilight managed to meet the devastated gaze. “I don’t know if I can trust you right now…”

The world around the earth pony shattered; the colors washed away as the details blurred along the fault lines. Every one of her senses screamed that this was wrong, that they were meant to be together, but she couldn’t find her voice to argue the point. Twilight stood out the sharpest, though this was all quickly blotted out by water filling her eyes.

“I think you should leave now Pinkie Pie…”

Pinkie couldn’t remember telling her legs to run. She couldn’t remember the trip back to her room in Sugarcube Corner. She didn’t even remember if she gave any sort of farewell to the mare who was supposed to be her soulmate. She became aware of her surroundings only after the large pink pillow was in her hooves and she was sobbing into its softness.

“Pinkie Pie…?” The voice, soft and warmer than the previous atmosphere, sent a chill over the crying mare. A hoof came to rest on her shoulder. “Dear…?”

Eyes overflowing with tears pulled away from the comforting pillow to find two concerned faces looking down at the immobile pony. The gray colors didn’t help to identify them, but their mane styles and having seen them every day for years clarified matters. The Cakes wore masks of utter shock and concern, though deep in the younger baker’s core, a voice laughed at how little they understood her pain.

“Pinkie, what’s the matter…?” Mr. Cake edged closer, leaning over his wife’s shoulder to be seen better.

Pinkie’s breathing hitched as she tried to summon enough oxygen to speak. With each intake, the married couple inched closer, ears tipped forward to catch every word. Finally, her voice broke free along with another torrent of tears.

“Twilight broke up with me…!”

The older bakers shared incredulous glances, eyes wide, before closing the gap to embrace the devastated mare. Their touch only caused another pang of sorrow to shoot through the younger earth pony as her body, mind and soul ached for somepony else’s touch. A feeling she was starting to fear she may never get again.

XIX - Nothing is working

View Online

Mid-August, 1005 A.D.

Unstable stacks of books encircled the lavender unicorn. Floating mid air were various scrolls that were being filled in by quills held by magic. Aside from a continuous scratch from the pens, there was no other sound. The librarian looked between five different tomes set on the ground floor desk, mane slightly tangled and eyes bloodshot. Beneath the main book was a long letter, flattened by constant reading and rereading, contents memorized by the receiver. The windows were closed, though there was barely enough sunlight left in the day to make a difference. The mulberry hue of magic was the majority of light in the library, along with a single candle placed on on the wall. A tawny owl blinked slowly from his perch, silently watching his owner slave away, unaware of anything around her. None of the shelves in the tree building had any books as they were in in various stacks and piles around the room.

The front door shook the building as it crashed against the wall. A young dragon, brows furrowed heavily, scanned the mess waiting inside. His gaze darkened as earlier memories shot through his mind, explaining the cause. He grunted duly, barely noticing the owl fluff his feathers at the sound, and slammed the door behind him. As much as he wanted to climb and stomp over the different obstacles, he knew he would probably be the one to have to repair and clean up the mess. Instead, he deftly waded through the scattered piles, heading towards the stairs on the far right.

Just before he reached the end, a flying book whizzed by his snout, tripping him into a stack on his right. Barely covering his head in time, the books toppled over, cascading down and causing a chain reaction around the room. Once the dust settled, Spike strained his ears to listen for the librarian. Hearing only the squibble of quills, he got up with a confused frown. He glanced up to the now visible desk and found Twilight sitting there, hunched over as she read.

Carefully, he moved closer. With each step, his earlier anger and disappointment drained away, leaving him concerned for the mare. “Twi-... Twilight…?”

A lavender ear flicked quickly before stopping, trained forward once more.

“Twilight… Are you ok…?” The lad found no other indication that he had been heard and with with the current worst case scenario. “Sorry about knocking over the books.” The drake crept closer, squinting at the floating papers. “Theory of Inevitability, The breakdown of worlds into Chaos, the knowledge base of all things dragon… What are you doing Twilight?”

The mare still didn’t answer. Owlicious hooted from his perch. When Spike looked over, the bird shrugged his shoulders with another, softer hoot. The lad crossed his arms with a huff.

“Some help you are…” He turned back to the studying mare, poking her side. “Twilight, do you need any help?”

There was still no response from the unicorn. Spike’s mood plummeted. He slumped in place, biting his lip to stop any whimpers from escaping. The owl watched with concern as the drake slowly went for the stairs, shuffling his feet.

With a silent flap of his wings, Owlicious flew over to his owner, landing on the desk before her. Purple orbs slowly focused on the thing in front of them, blinking quickly as the mare came up from her thoughts.

“Owlicious…? What is it…?” Twilight’s voice was rusty as she croaked out a question. The bird lifted his left wing and pointed to the disappearing purple tail. “Spike…? Oh, he’s home. I wonder if everything is ok…”

The librarian grew more lively with every step she took away from her papers. An image of a pink mare sitting on a shelf, throwing cakes, flashed into her mind. Twilight growled and shook her head. Scolding with cake. Of course she scolds ponies and dragons with cake… Should have guessed it much sooner. The train of thought derailed when the lavender mare came to a stop in front of the drake’s room. Beyond, she could barely make out sniffles, low muttering and a steady thump as though somedragon was hitting the wall.

“Spike? Can I come in?” Twilight asked loudly, opening the door immediately anyways.

The youth shifted on his bed on the far wall, staring at his feet that hung off the floor slightly. The rest of his room was clean, comic books and action figures on the shelves on the right of the door while the desk on the left was clear of clutter. The sole trash can situated next to the desk was overflowing with scraps of paper and plans crumpled up.

“H-hey Twilight… What were you working on downstairs…?” The drake pulled his legs up and rested his arms around them, hiding most of his face behind his knees as he kept looking to the ground.

“Oh well, now that I have a lot more time to myself, I thought I would redouble my studies.” The mare trotted over the rest of the way and sat on the bed beside the lad. “What have you been up to today? Uh, it is still Wednesday right?” Distracted purple eyes searched for a calender only to stop at the sigh from her right.

“No, it’s Thursday. I’ve just spent most of today helping around town, cleaning up after… what happened yesterday…” Spike tilted his head to the right, avoiding the soft searching gaze.

Twilight reached out and hooked a hoof around the small shoulders, pulling the drake closer with a nuzzle. “Oh Spike, we didn’t know! It’s just a part of being a dragon. But everyone has to be cautious when it comes to greed. It makes… uh, messes… out of anyone.” The purple pony half-glared to the distance, stumbling only when it came to describing the results of greedy desire.

The dragon peeked back with a sniffle. Spotting the deep anger in purple orbs, he buried his nose back into his knees. “You’re not just talking about me are you…”

“What? Oh, well, I’m just, saying that anyone can, uh, go a little…” Twilight twirled her left hoof as she scrambled to think.

Spike rolled his eyes at the falter. “Go a little crazy? Become a monster?” He snapped, curling up tighter.

“What?! No-”

“Twilight, I turned into a ginormous monster that almost destroyed Ponyville.” The deadpan was effective in preventing the mare from continuing the train of thought.

“We still love you no matter what, especially since you didn’t mean to become... Like that.” The mare finished strong, nodding once firmly.

The lad looked up, the mist thinning from his gaze as he turned slightly hopeful. “Like how Pinkie Pie…?” He stopped when the pony shook her head no.

“She… It’s different. A different kind of problem.” Twilight kept her voice in control, making it come out slightly strained and painfully neutral.

“But-! She was like me, she just wanted only you instead of-”

The unicorn turned to look sternly at the young dragon, brows coming down as her gaze focused on his words. “Have you been talking to Pinkie Pie…?”

Spike didn’t bother trying to meet the scowl and shrugged. “I was helping as many ponies as I could… I did destroy the Cakes’ house and took a lot of their product.”

“Noooo, Pinkie Pie was trying to scold you with cake. She said so herself.” Twilight’s frown grew even darker. “Once again, scolding with cake…”

“It’s kind of hard to figure out if it’s scolding or a food fight with her.” Spike tried to lighten the mood with a half grin but dropped it when the glower turned in his direction. Shrugging again, he went back to his curl. “Well, anyways, we did talk some. You should talk with her Twilight. You haven’t gotten much sleep since you guys broke up right?”

The unicorn waved a hoof dismissively before artificially brightening up once more. “Ooh, if you were helping everypony, that must mean you were helping Rarity as well? I bet that was nice.” She let the act go when it became the drake’s turn to darken sadly. “Spike…?”

“Rarity won’t want me to be around when she’s got Applejack’s help!” The lad couldn’t stop the tears that tumbled down his face. “They- they told me yesterday about how they’re dating now and-and all those kisses and head rubs and-and everything! were just signs of ‘platonic affection’, stuff Rarity would do for any ‘youth she knows and likes as a friend’.” With a shaky claw, he tried to wipe away the wetness but wasn’t very successful.

Purple hooves were much better at catching the problem. “Oooh, Spike… I’m sorry. Love is hard. And painful. And sometimes doesn’t work out at all.” Twilight scowled over the dragon's head as she pulled him into her chest. “Most studies show that eventually, the pain goes away. In 94.78% of cases at least.”

Spike put his own arms around the lavender barrel. He mumbled into the fur there as he continued to cry. “I don’t know Twilight...I don’t think dating books would be all that accurate for every single relationship.” He shrugged, turning so his voice was louder. “I don’t think you should only read books about breakups…”

The studious mare sat up straight, hooves tightening around the purple dragon, mouth dropping open in shock and disbelief. “You can always trust books! You can trust books more than you can trust some ponies even!” She dropped him back on his bed and began to pace the small bedroom.

“Books don’t lie or hide information unless it’s a great mystery novel! They are always there when you need it and don’t try to take over your life by chasing away friends or family!” Twilight shook her head, eyes scrunching. “Books can help you when you feel bad, when you feel happy, when you’re unsure about what is going on or want more information!”

Spike exhaled gustily, stretching out and jumping down from his bed. “Twilight… I don’t think that’s what friendship is about. You need to talk with ponies…” The dragon tried to stop the lavender mare with a claw on her side. “You need to talk to Pinkie Pie…”

Twilight’s right eye twitched as she stared at the lad in her pacing path. She gave a short snort and shook her head. “No. I have things to do, papers to write, a life to live without ponies who are ‘obsessively paranoid controllers’.” The unicorn used air quotes with a scowl. Looking at the disbelieving face of the lad, she reached out and rubbed the top of the purple drake’s head. “It’ll be fine, you’ll see.”

Spike crossed his arms, frowning at the studious mare’s exit, but didn’t say anything more. Once the door was closed, he slumped into his seat, slamming his forehead against the wooden surface. The doorway opened silently, allowing a draft to alert the lad to the motion. Glancing to the left, he found Owlicious sitting on the edge of the desk, staring down at him blandly.

“Let me guess… She went right back to work.” Spike commented, sighing at the nod his statement got. “Aaaand she hasn’t even cleaned up at all…” Another nod. The dragon slammed his forehead back into the desk. “...Of course…”

-NKP-

“She hasn’t slept since you guys broke up!” Spike passed a pink bowl to the earth pony as they sat across one another with the kitchen counter in between. “Can’t you talk with her?”

Pinkie flicked her ears back. Clear blue eyes shifted to the right as the pink muzzle scrunched. Not trusting her voice, the earth pony shook her head, ducking down. Her fur had lost some of its bright shine, making it seem duller compared to normal, while her mane was only halfway curly, drooping down her face and neck more than it usually did. A few more of the curls seemed to deflate at the pleading gaze.

The dragon frowned, grabbing more ingredients from the cabinets in the candy themed kitchen. The two continued to work silently, steadily restocking the business, before the lad tried to get the pink baker to talk.

“Please say something…”

“I’m sooorrrrryyyy!” Pinkie wailed as she flung her hooves out over her muzzle, what little frizz in her mane flattening as she leaned against the counter.

Spike exhaled and walked around to pat reassuringly the distressed mare. Pinkie turned to lean into his small frame. She took a few moments to absorb the care before standing up, rubbing her eyes.

“I keep trying to find a way to say sorry to Twilight, but either she ignores it or it fails mid-way, like the universe isn’t satisfied by my attempts and I have to keep trying new ways to get my message there!” The pink mare drooped in place, half-heartedly raising a hoof to the sky in protest. A shiver shook the middle of her back while her right ear twitched and her tail shaked. Feeling her heart sink into her stomach, she looked up to the drake, eyes filling once more.

“... Sorry Spike… There just wasn’t any other way for your story to go. I’m sure there’s some kind of happiness coming your way, eventually.” Pinkie reached out, placing a comforting hoof on the purple shoulder. “You don’t have to worry, I’m sure Applejack will make sure Rarity stays happy…”

It was Spike’s turn to tear up. He leaned forward, arms curling around his center, when pink hooves pulled him closer. Pinkie hummed sadly, trying to cheer the both of them up and only half succeeding. The drake pulled out of the hug with a sniff.

“Thanks Pinkie… Maybe I will find happiness but… maybe you guys need it first.” Spike smiled through his tear tracks as he rubbed a claw on his face. “Maybe we can head over together? See if we can get Twilight to talk?”

“Sure…” Pinkie couldn’t stop a hopeful smile from growing as she nodded slowly. An ear twitched to the doorway where two pairs of eyes peered around the edge. The pink party pony ducked her head with a gentle grin. “Buuuut maybe we should finish baking first!”

Slightly more chipper, the two friends continued to bake, churning out more of the pastries needed. By the time they were done catching up most of the stock, it was dinner time. Smiles growing with every step, the two went back to the tree library, talking about some of the more amusing faces the townsfolk wore the previous day in response to Spike’s growth. When they entered, they both halted in shock.

The inside was even more of a mess than usual. Books were still in the knocked over stacks from earlier, and added to the mix were now mounds of research papers. The owl was perched on one of the highest shelves, dully looking down at the unicorn who was now in the middle of the room with even more books and papers floating around her.

Pinkie crunched down, ears flat, as she saw the mess. Owlicious deadpanned the two in the doorway, fluffing his feathers. Spike faceclawed. The two inched their way around and to the middle of the room, hooves and claws stepping carefully around the mess. Once they were inside the cleared circle, the earth pony stopped at the edge while the dragon continued forward, poking the purple side.

“Twilight…?”

Dazed purple eyes slowly turned down to look into green. The magic continued to float and drift around them, as once again no other light sources were prepared.

“Oh, hi Spike. I was wondering where you were. Have a nice day?” Twilight’s voice was just as distracted as her thoughts. Languishly her eyes moved beyond the drake to the spot of pink. They dilated before shrinking to pinpricks. “...Oh… What are you doing here?”

“H-Hi Twilight…” Pinkie raised a timid hoof in a wave. “I-We… thought that me and you could talk?”

The unicorn frowned. “I don’t think so. Honor Guard sent me a list of everything you did. There’s nothing more to say.” She turned her frown to the lad, features turning darker. “Spike… Go to your room please.”

The purple dragon groaned and hung his head. Before he could take another step, Pinkie reached out and put a hoof to his shoulder.

“Twilight, he just wants to help make you happy again. I want you to be happy. Even if it’s not with me.” The earth mare looked down, her carefully neutral face morphing into a anxious scowl. “You’re still talking with that stallion…?”

“Yes Pinkie Pie, I’m talking with other ponies. Something you need to realize is very normal for everypony.” Twilight glared back at the other mare, flaring her magic to send more things flying into the air. “Something you should do. Elsewhere.”

Pink ears went flatter as the party mare started to back up, even as she tried to defend her stance. “I do talk to others! My friends help me a lot, especially when it came to Honor Guard… Though maybe General Raisin was a little wrong about what to do about him…”

Twilight froze, body stiffening. Her ears began to flick wildly as her mind fully pulled away from her studies to what that particular line could mean. “What do you mean, General Raisin… I thought that was a book or made up character.”

“Well, he’s a raisin muffin! Derpy was right, muffins are pretty good.” The baker tapped her chin, gaze turning to the ceiling. “Then there’s the other friends I told you about, a little over a year or so ago. Madame le Flour, Rocky, Mr. Turnip, and Sir Lintsalot!”

The lavender mare flinched. Shaking her head, Twilight put her hoof down sternly. “Those are NOT real friends! In fact, I don’t think that’s very healthy at all.” She levitated over a large blue book with strict white font on the front, flipping the pages rapidly. “I would suggest you find official help for that.”

Pinkie stood up straighter, a lick of annoyance coursing through her center. “Hey! That’s not very nice to say! I don’t say that about any of YOUR friends!”

“What are you talking about?! All my friends ARE real! This is just more of your paranoia and instability showing!” Twilight shoved her face angrily to the other mare’s, scowl heavy. “This isn’t good for anypony!”

The pink neck snapped back as tears built up in blue orbs. “You… That’s not very nice to say…”

“Neither is any of the things you did or said to Honor Guard! Or to who know how many other ponies that you were trying to keep me away from!”

“I wasn’t trying to keep you away from them!” Pinkie Pie tried to move forward, pushing against the unicorn stretching forward. “I was afraid that they would try to trick or force you away! For a Pie, there’s only ever one special somepony! I couldn’t risk losing you!” The earth pony shut her eyes, unable to stare into the anger in purple ones any more.

The dragon backed away to an edge of the circle, claws held anxiously before him. The pet owl flew down and landed on his shoulder, gaze just as anxious.

“What do you mean!?!” The unicorn shook her head, unknowingly sending more books and scrolls into the air as another lick of anger flared. “There is always somepony else. All the books and dating studies argee. There is no perfect match, no soulmate, no destined partner.” Twilight towered over the now cowering earth pony, looking down her nose as her voice leveled out to a neutral monotone.

Pinkie stared back up, eyes frantic, as her fur lost some more of its color. She took shallow breaths as she tried to remain calm enough to speak. “I-I-We-There are too soulmates! My grannies were soulmates! My mom and dad are soulmates!” The party pony shut her eyes as she spat out the words, muzzle down turned to the ground. “We-we always have a sense about who our special someponies are going to be! Your books don’t know what they’re talking about!” Realizing what she said, the baker looked up with a gasp. Finding only coldness in the unicorn’s eyes, she started to back up once more.

“So you dated me because of some ‘special sense’, and not because you liked me for me? You are basing everything on a ‘sense’ that isn’t explainable by any magical or scientific means.” Twilight moved forward, chasing after the retreating mare just as slowly. The swirling vortex of paper, books and objects parted to allow them passage. “I see. Then it’s even better that we broke up now instead of when it would be too late.”

The earth pony shook her head, tears streaming down her face, as she lost all sense of buoyancy. “No, no that’s not why! Well, not all of why… Please! I just knew that I would like you, then I learned more about you, and found that I did and- please, don’t say that-!”

“Leave please…” The librarian softly commanded. When this didn’t send the other mare scurrying out, she half-shouted, raising a few inches into the air as she did. “GET OUT!”

Pinkie Pie turned tail and ran. Spike and Owlicious also raced up the stairs to the lad’s room, hiding from the crying unicorn who slammed the front door shut behind the straight pink tail. Twilight flung out her magic, sending every book back onto the shelves and all the pieces of papers, scrolls and supplies back into place with a bright flash of mulberry. Once the way was clear, she ran upstairs, flinging open and slamming shut the doors before jumping into bed. Curling up, the unicorn sobbed silently, keeping the motion and sound restrained in a practiced manner.

Spike waited until things got quieter before sneaking back out. Searching for the other library residence, he found her in her room, having cried herself to sleep. Tear tracks were still visible in the lavender fur. The lad sighed and pulled the blanket over the mare. Afterwards, he returned to his own bedroom and found the pet owl still sitting on his desk, a question in his beady gaze.

“She’s asleep… I didn’t realize it would get this bad…” Spike ran a claw along his head spines. “This is going to be harder to fix. In any kind of way.” The dragon sighed, shrugging as he crossed his arms. “They were pretty happy together… Maybe not together, but there has to be a way to make them both happy…”

-NKP-

The party planner ran through town, two stories above most of the other ponies in town. She crashed through the upper floor window and rolled forward then up into the bed. She flung the pink and pastel pink blanket over herself in one motion. Once she was safely hidden away, she allowed the wracking cries to go free, muffled halfway by the covers.

Except that it wasn’t unnoticed by the rest of the household. The Cakes peeked around the corner, sharing anxious frowns at the worsened condition of the pink earth pony. They slowly entered, stopping at the end of the bed, shifting in place as the wails continued. Cup Cake reached out and held hooves with her husband before reaching with her left hoof to the bundle of blankets.

“Pinkie Pie…? Dear?” Pink orbs drifted over to the broken window and twitched. “Did something happen…?”

The pile of blankets stopped producing sound abruptly, though it began to shiver violently. The stallion leaned forward next to his wife, gentle smile in place.

“Pinkie Pie, we know you’re in there… We just want to help.”

A pink muzzle inched out of the bundle, freeing just enough to be heard. Though it still trembled.

“Even if I’m the reason why Twilight is super sad, locked away in her own room without seeing daylight or friends?!”

The couple glanced towards one another with a concerned scrunch of their faces. The blue mare spoke slowly, uncertainty lacing her words.

“Honey, while we are worried about our neighbors, we want to make sure YOU are ok and happy.” Mrs. Cake moved to sit on the bed itself, hooves pulling away the wrapping. “Wouldn’t you say it’s a little hard to make others happy when you are sad?”

With the last of the blanket pulled back, the pink baker was exposed, her fur colors dim with every inch of her mane and tail flat, blue eyes broken with a watery sheen. Her lower lip trembled as she stared from the circle she made with her hooves.

“But I’m sad because Twilight is sad and doesn’t want me to be with her anymore!”

“Yes, but you should find happiness without needing others to be happy.” Mr. Cake pressed into view, sitting on the other side. “Weren’t you happy before meeting Twilight?”

“Yes… but I was WAY happier with Twilight! What makes me happy is when other ponies are happy! And I really really really want Twilight to be happy and she’s not! They were wroooong!” The sobbing earth pony wiggled in place, eyes scrunched tight.

The married couple exchanged bewildered stares. Taking the first step, the blue baker rubbed the party pony’s back.

“Who do you mean hun? Who were wrong?” Mrs. Cake kept her voice soft as she asked, moving closer incase she got an even softer response.

Pinkie took her hooves off her muzzle, looking up with a shaky lip. “Do.. Do you think talking to different objects is bad?” Finding the couple frozen in shock, the pink mare continued. “They haven’t really had the best ideas lately…”

“You… talk to various objects…?” Cup Cake leaned back, even as she kept comforting hooves on the pink shoulders. “What kind of things…? What do they say?”

“Well, there’s Mr. Turnip who’s a bunch of turnips in a pail, Madam le Flour who’s a bag of prench flour, Rocky, my oldest and longest friend who’s a pile of rocks, and Sir Lintsalot who’s a ball of lint I found under my bed one day... They were worried about my friends leaving me or… or other ponies trying to take Twilight away from me.” The younger baker shrugged, unable to meet the anxious gazes of the other earth ponies. “Twilight said it… wasn’t healthy to think like that or talk to them.”

Carrot Cake bit his lip, unsure what to say. Luckily, Cup Cake was able to think of a gentle way to discuss the problem.

“Honey, that… Twilight is right… If those, uhm, objects, really are saying those kinds of things, then they aren’t helping you. If anything, it seems to be hurting your relationships with others.” The blue earth pony nuzzled the right side of the younger mare in her grip. Connecting with blue orbs, she pressed for more information. “How… How long have you been hearing these things talking to you…?”

Pinkie Pie shrugged, breaking the eye contact. “Since I was a filly…” The answer was barely above a whisper.

The Cakes sighed as they stared at one another again before giving the younger pony a tight hug. Mr. Cake finally worked his courage and mind in tandem to try to help the baker living with them.

“Don’t worry, I’m sure we can help with these objects talking with you.” The stallion paused, shifting his gaze over the room, before continuing on. “Though, I would stop listening to them. Especially if they tell you to stop talking to friends or family.”

The party mare nodded, leaning into the couple’s embrace. Once the younger mare’s emotions were more stable, the older bakers accompanied her to the local hospital, asking about mental health institutes. Pinkie wasn’t sure about it, but when the doctors talked about how it would help the party mare with relationships and adjusting to real life, then she was on board all the way.

They returned home satisfied and pleased with the results they found. Pinkie half-skipped along the road, card with the appointment date and time stuck behind her ear. When they passed the town library however, a good portion of the energy left as blue orbs scanned the tree and found most of the lights were off. Both her ears flattened painfully as she trailed after the older bakers, heading off to retire for the night.

The next morning, Spike woke up in a mess of a bed, covers turned into a blanket cave. Once he emerged from the cavern, the lad exited his bedroom mindlessly. He dropped down each step heavily, claw rubbing his eye. In seconds Owlicious landed on his shoulder and hooted dully. The dragon stopped at the touch and peered at the bird.

“What did you say…?” Spike turned his sights forward when he saw that the whole library was cleaned spotless. Standing in front of the lad was the other resident.

Twilight held a scroll up, eyes wide, as she read the contents. When she felt the two claws push on her back leg, she rolled it back up via magic. She continued forward into the main room, head moving creakily.

“Morning Twilight…” The drake murmured as he followed the mare. When he found she didn’t move further along, he edged around her, heading for the kitchen. “What were you thinking of for breakfast?”

“What? It’s time for dinner, not breakfast.” Twilight finally tore her sights away from the shelves to look at the lad confused.

“Uhh, no it’s not Twilight… Did you get any sleep last night?” Spike tried to think of what they had done last. It was difficult to think this early in the morning.

“Oh. Well, I did, a little, but then I realized I hadn’t even started to learn anything from the Elenchus branch of magic. And since I couldn’t waste any time, especially not with others who are going to base things on a lie and/or false facts.” A purple eye twitched. The unicorn twisted in place, heading straight for the desk where there was already a stack of papers and two large piles of books waiting. “I may have lost some track of time, but you don’t have to worry about that. Eventually everything will be be fine.”

Spike deadpanned the mare, except that it didn’t matter as she dove back into her research. Shaking his head, he continued on to the kitchen, cooking up a simple breakfast. Once he had two plates ready, he went back out to the lavender unicorn, poking her side.

“You have to eat at least…” Handing off the plate, he started to eat in place, speaking around mouthfuls. “Have you sent the Princess a letter about what’s happened?”

Twilight’s ears twitched nervously. “No. There’s nothing to report. If anything, it’s a report of failure.” The mare started to scribble furiously. “So I have to get a lot of good news to send before sending anything about the breakup.”

The purple drake sighed and sat on the step, munching away as he watched the pony. Why do I have this really bad feeling about this…

A loud knock rang through the library, disrupting the tense silence that had ruled moments ago. Spike set the current grouping of books down, checking that the unicorn was indeed too absorbed in her work to answer. When he saw the spot of orange on the other side, he almost wanted to shut the door immediately.

The two shared a glare on each side of the entry way. Except that Applejack dropped it quickly and pulled off her hat, holding it to her chest.

“Look, do ya mind if Ah come inside…?”

The dragon grumbled but backed up nonetheless, shutting the door behind the visitor. They didn’t make it very far before stopping when they noticed the slightly more frazzled unicorn. The earth pony put her hat back on and gazed neutrally to the lad.

“Ah was hopin’ to talk to ya about what happened few days ago.” She kept half an eye on the mare in the far corner as she spoke. “Did ya want to talk here or…?”

Spike shrugged, crossing his arms as he looked off to the left. “Look, I get it. Rarity picked you, you’re dating, and I won’t ever get a chance. Nothing to talk about.”

“Ya sure…?” Applejack frowned concerned at the bland tone. “Ah- well, we wanted to make sure that you were ok. Ya seemed mighty upset before.”

“Yeah well, it’s not easy to just stop feeling this way.” The lad glanced briefly to the unicorn before shifting in place. Both speakers froze when a new voice joined the conversation.

“Of course it’s hard, but if you put your mind to it Spike, it isn’t impossible.” Twilight trotted unsteadily over, right eye twitching to it’s own beat. “Except for when ponies feel the need to lie to you. Then it becomes exponentially harder to adjust and trust their word ever again.”

The dragon slouched down, anxiously holding his elbows. The apple seller jerked back, shock riddled across her face. The unicorn began to eyeball the other mare with a heavy frown.

“Isn’t that right Applejack? He would have known this much earlier if the two of you had just told him.” Twilight stomped her hoof, face stern. “If you ponies were just honest about what was going on, a lot of heartache wouldn’t have happened. It says so in all the reference books!”

The two by the front door stood shellshocked at the accusation while the lavender mare turned about and spoke over her shoulder.

“I would be careful Applejack. Rarity seems more than willing to say ‘little white lies’. I wouldn’t be surprised if she is just as willing to lie about more than her cat ‘being sick’.”

“Whoa nelly! Don’t ya go talkin’ about my marefriend like that! We’ve already had a talk about what happened then. Ah don’t rightly like what yer implyin’ there.” Applejack briskly walked up to the other mare, standing firmly in the way with a scowl. “An’ ya knew about us datin’ too; yer more than willin’ tah lie about little things, just like the rest of us.” She looked towards the lad, eyes apologetic. “An’ we’re sorry we didn’t tell ya sooner Spike. But that ain’t no reason to go flying off the handle and sayin’ that Rarity might cheat on me, Twilight!” She stared the unicorn down.

Twilight couldn’t hold the gaze and instead looked to her right, brows furrowed. “Maybe she’s not cheating on you, but the books agree, ponies who constantly search for attention or drama often make up situations that fills that need, even at the cost of their relationships.” The unicorn jumped into the air as the earth pony slammed her hoof down. Glancing back, she found Spike had a claw on the orange mare’s left foreleg while her right one made a dent in the wooden floor.

Applejack stared down into pleading green orbs, breathing evenly. She took another deep breath and slowly let it back out. “Ya have a nice night Twilight.” She tipped her hat once more and quickly left the library.

Spike followed after the mare, stopping her once they were outside with the door shut. The apple farmer continued to take calming breaths. Noticing the dragon beside her, she tilted her hat back and frowned, glancing towards the door.

“What’s got her tail in a twist Spike?” Worried green eyes turned to look at the lad cautiously. “Do ya need a place tah stay while Twilight is actin’ crazier than a barn full of cats?”

The drake shook his head as his feet shuffled. “No, don’t worry about me… It’s… Twilight broke up with Pinkie Pie.” The lad whispered as he rubbed his left elbow.

“What? Why would she…” Applejack trailed off as her mind went to what her marefriend had just been accused of. “What in the hay would Pinkie Pie hide from her? How? Ah ain’t seen that mare keep a ‘secret’ for longer than a month if’in it wasn’t something serious or sworn by a Pinkie Promise.”

“I… I’m not sure if I should say…” Spike couldn’t meet the mare’s eyes. He only looked back up when there was an orange hoof on his shoulder.

“Spike, Ah want to help… But to do that, for any of us tah help, we need to know what happened.” The farmer tried to keep her voice equally as quiet as they kept a half-eye on the oak door.

“She-Pinkie Pie… She thought that everypony was trying to steal Twilight away from her, and tried to ‘stop’ them.” The dragon couldn’t meet raise his eyes from the ground. “Things like, chasing ponies away, throwing all those cupcakes and-and… starting fights.”

Applejack raised a brow at the last comment. Rubbing her chin, she frowned thoughtfully. “Alright… Maybe we can see what Pinkie says. Ya don’t find the whole truth if ya just listen to one angry side.” She tried to smile reassuringly and gave the lad a friendly pat on the head. “If ya need any help or want to get out of the library, feel free to stop by the farm or Ah’m positive Rarity would be willin’ to have ya visit her shop.”

Spike shrugged at the offer. Staying by the door, he waved goodbye to the orange pony, waiting until she was out of sight before heading back inside. He found the librarian back by the desk, with double the amount of books and papers in the air above her head. Sighing, the dragon picked up a broom and tried to keep the rest of the place clean.

When the sun had gone down, the purple mare was still working, showing no sign of preparing for bed. The plates of food were barely touched beside her. Spike sighed again and went to rouse the working pony.

“Twilight…? When were you thinking of going to bed…?”

“Hmm? Oh, no need. I’m sure I can find or maybe even develope a spell to help concentration with limited REM cycles.” Twilight waved a dismissive hoof to the question, eyes firmly on the paper in front of her.

Spike and Owlicious shared concerned glances. Giving up, the purple drake put down his cleaning utensils and walked up stairs. As he reached midway, he leaned over the side to call to the pony below.

“Still not going to write to Princess Celestia about all this…?”

“Still don’t have enough good news!” Twilight almost sang back as she continued to write.

Spike didn’t bother to reply, rolling his eyes and sneaking up the rest of the way. Reaching out, he snatched a quill and paper from the air, holding them tight against his chest. The lad shut his bedroom door behind him securely. He jumped up to his bed with the borrowed supplies.

“Sorry Twilight… But I don’t think you can do this alone…” Spike began to pen a letter, pausing as needed to find the right wording. Seconds later, he sent a flash of fire to burn the scroll to the capital.

[Two weeks later, Canterlot Castle]

The navy colored skies were bright as the night grew older with each passing second. The sun had set an hour ago but many ponies were already well into their dreams for the night. The Lunar Princess sat on her throne, doing her routine check of ponies’ dreams, when a particularly familiar unicorn’s nightmares broke her serene state. There had been many with nightmares before, and many much worse than this, but it was a personal friend this time, making it stand out further.

“What can possibly haunt thine dreams this time Twilight Sparkle…?” Princess Luna murmured to herself, casting her mind to the small town in the south. “Your luck has not been with thee these past few weeks…”

Pitch black darkness surrounded them, obscuring the surroundings. Heavy flashes of light cracked through the air without a sound. The lights were blinding one moment before disappearing into the nothingness only to reappear in seconds.

Monotone voices droned in the background, overlapping one another while a high pitched sound echoed over top…

In the middle, lost in a whirlwind of books, papers and stripes of mulberry magic was a single purple unicorn, tears streaming down her muzzle.

The Princess of the Night tried to speak out, raising a hoof to grab the mare’s attention, but the wind drowned out her words as her presence went unnoticed.

Soon, the dreamscape cracked, dropping away into nothingness in great chunks. Eventually, everything merged together in a fuzzy black mist that shrunk into a small point rapidly, pulling away from the princess of dreams.

Luna jerked open her eyes with a gasp. Her chest pounded for no explanation while her ears strained to hear something unheard. Her loyal guards, fur and ears stiff, stood at attention. The princess hunched forward, tapping her chest briefly before straightening rapidly. The guards added an extra inch to their stance in response.

“Guards, we shall converse with our sister.” The navy blue maned mare stood up, gaze distant as she tried to pinpoint her sister’s location.

The two batponies saluted and fell in line with their Princess. Together, the three traversed the large palace, taking the shortest route to where the Solar Princess had retired for the night.

Stopping in front of the large white double doors, Princess Luna took a breath before knocking, old anxieties shifting through her. It didn’t take more than a few seconds for Celestia to open the door with a smile.

“Hello- Oh! Good evening Luna, is something the matter?” The sun princess continued to smile, though it was a warmer one reserved for family. “Would you like to come inside or are you still in the midst of your duties for the night?”

“We-I would like to sit with you, to talk about a concerning issue.” Luna glanced to the guards on either side, nodding to them each once before stepping inside. She used a flash of magic to close the doors behind the two sisters. Once they were alone, the lunar princess dropped a large chunk of her stiffness, sagging in the middle of her sister’s room. “Sister, I fear for Twilight Sparkle’s current state…”

Princess Celestia frowned worriedly and reached out with her wing, pulling her younger sister to her side. “What do you mean? What’s wrong?”

“It is her dreams, sister. She has been plagued by nightmares for several weeks now.” Luna tucked her head into the white side. “She cannot be doing well with so little sleep. I have tried to help, but she wakes before I can do anything on her behalf.”

The older sister nodded slowly. She reached out with her magic and summoned an older scroll, unfurling it with a simple flick. The navy mare frowned at this silence and looked up to the other curiously.

“Sister…?”

“Yes Luna… I know she has not been doing well; Spike likes to inform me of things my student tries to hide from me.” Celestia pulled up another paper and made a quick note on it. Setting the two pieces aside, she sat down beside the younger alicorn.

Princess Luna continued to frown in confusion. She shook her head, trying to stand up in protest but was held back by the white wing. “Why don’t you help them directly? Can’t you do something!?”

The white alicorn faced her sister with a sober expression, eyes almost misting over. “We can’t solve everything for our subjects… They would never be able to learn or grow on their own…” She looked back up to the fireplace, taking solace in the warmth at her side. “I cannot help my student until she comes to me, asking for help… Or if things have gotten too out of hoof.”

The younger royalty stayed silent, leaning into the white neck. Together, the two sisters stayed like that in the middle of the room until the night guard reminded the lunar princess that the night was still young. Sharing a brief farewell, Luna left, leaving Celestia staring into the night sky.

XX - Reflecting on what's missing

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End of August, 1005 A.D.

“Hello Pinkie Pie!” A trim unicorn stallion opened the office door, waving the pink earth pony in with a smile. He closed the green doorway with a flash of green magic as he ran a hoof over his dark blue mane.

The pale-colored mare carefully trotted inside. Her ears were flat as she looked around the new location. The room was just as inviting as the waiting room the baker had been in moments ago. There were a few small arm couches set about the room and a desk on the far wall. There weren’t any windows to the outside, though it was brightly lit with a ceiling light. When the party pony realized there wasn’t any long couches for the patient to sit on, she quickly looked to the pastel yellow stallion.

“Heeeey, where’s that long plushy couch where you’ve got to lay down while talking about everything that could possibly wrong?” Pinkie squinted to the doctor who smiled back gently.

“Well, if you want to, we could bring in one. Some ponies are just more relaxed when we’re all sitting in the same kind of chair.” The stallion took a seat, continuing to smile. “As the secretary may have mentioned, I’m Doctor RightAid.”

Pinkie seemed slightly more chipper as she reached out and shook his hoof. “I know! I helped your friends throw that surprise party for you last year!” Once she shook the yellow hoof, she moved both hooves to the entryway, disregarding the closed door, and pulled over a red lounge couch, setting it in the middle of the room.

RightAid blinked at the sudden furniture appearance. He wrote a note on a clipboard he levitated over, stopping when he noticed the longing watery orbs staring at the board. Slowly, he put it away in the drawer, brows twitching in thought.

“Yes, I remember that. It was a great party, thanks again.”

“You’re welcome!” Pinkie straightened with a smile before leaping for the new furniture and stretching out on her back.

The stallion smiled as well, eyeing the couch. “So, we do have to talk a little bit about why you’ve come to find help and what your goals would be so we have something to aim for.” He waited for the accepting nod before continuing. “I’m going to write it down on this paper, ok?”

Pinkie wilted in place, though she continued to nod. She shifted uncomfortably in place, eyeing the paper and quill. “Well, I… Me and Twilight Sparkle were dating… but she broke up with me because my friends had suggested some…” She rubbed her right hoof as guilt filled her gaze. “... some mean things. And Twilight said that it wasn’t healthy and Mr. and Mrs. Cake said kind of the same thing but not as meanly? So they suggested I come here…”

The unicorn mused lightly, jotting some notes. “I see. And who are these friends of yours? If they are suggesting destructive things, then it may be unhealthy.”

“Weeeelllll, there’s Mr. Turnip who’s a bunch of turnips in a pail, Madam le Flour who’s a bag of prench flour, Rocky, my oldest and longest friend who’s a pile of rocks, and Sir Lintsalot who’s a ball of lint I found under my bed one day… Oh and General Raisin! I found him in Canterlot!” The earth mare nodded to herself, tapping one hoof with another as she listed the ‘friends’ off. She drooped in place. “Except that they’ve been saying mean things for a while now, and every time I listened to them, I almost lose my friends or misunderstand or… or Twilight broke up with me.”

The other pony nodded slowly, making a few notes on the forms before looking up once more. “Ok… How long have you been able to talk with them?”

“Ooooh, since I was a little little filly! Growing up on a rock farm way aways from the nearest town, I was in the house by myself a lot. My sisters and parents often worked in the fields, though they did check on me to be sure I was ok.” Pinkie stared at the ceiling, her smile strained, as she recounted the memories. “...There wasn’t really much smiling or laughing, but we had everything a pony needed to live…”

RightAid nodded. “Ok… Let’s come back to that in a moment, ok? We kind of need to get some of the goals written down first before we continue.” He offered an apologetic grin, looking back to the paper. “So we need to learn what’s really going on and what ponies really mean.”

Pinkie bit her lip, feeling her facade dropping away as tears pricked on the corner of her eyes. The stallion leaned a little closer to the mare, frowning worriedly.

“It helps if you are honest while we talk. I can’t help if I don’t know what is going on.”

The baker anxiously rubbed her hooves and spoke softly. “I… I can’t be sad! Ponies depend on me to be happy all the time to make THEM happy! I… I don’t know what to do!”

“But Pinkie Pie, you don’t have to happy all the time. Nopony is happy all the time.” The doctor beseeched the young baker. “What do you do when you feel sad or mad?”

“...I talk to my friends…” Pinkie shifted on the couch, eyes focused on the red cushions.

“The various objects…” Seeing the tiny nod, RightAid began to write as he summarized. “So we would also need to work on you accepting these feelings. They are a part of you, and locking them away or having imaginary friends be these feelings is not very good for you.”

Pinkie Pie curled her hooves around her barrel as her ears flattened against her skull. She bit her lip, unsure about talking, and nodded. Her eyes went to the wall, noticing the time and stiffened. “O-oh no! I have to go and...plan a party soon.” She trailed off as her heart sunk down her chest and reach her back hooves. “...Almost forgot…”

The dark blue maned pony’s face twitched into a frown before settling into a more neutral one. “I don’t think it would be a good idea to host parties right now Pinkie Pie. You have to be happy before you can spread happiness. Nopony would want you to be sad while forcing yourself to make others happy.”

“Oh… Ok…” Pinkie resettled into the furniture with a quick wiggle. She tried to ignore how much the knowledge she wouldn’t be making parties lightened the weight on her chest. Instead she looked to the doctor, eyes wide and anxious. “So… what should we talk about…?”

“Whatever you’d like Pinkie, whatever you want to.” RightAid sat back in his chair, smile back in place.

“Well… Uh, so… General Raisin didn’t like this one guard named Honor Guard…”

-NKP-

The day was just as bright as any of the others the past week. Most of the ponies in town were pretty pleased with it until they saw the dim-pink earth pony trotting down the street. They almost couldn’t recognize the party mare; Pinkie’s mane and tail were completely straight and just as pastel gray as her fur.

Pinkie smiled tiredly to each person, trying to wave only to halfway lift her hoof and scrunched it in a tiny version of one. Every pony who noticed this action stopped, staring wide eyed at the restrained mare. This wasn’t noticed by the party pony as she immediately moved on at a much slower pace than usual.

A bump almost knocked the pale-pink earth mare off her hooves. Stumbling to a stop, she glanced about, face sober, as she searched for the pony she hit. A flash of green at her left helped identify who it was.

“Lyra! I’m sorry, I didn’t see you or sense… Uh, are you ok?” Pinkie twirled around to face the pale-green unicorn. She looked for any signs of injury, while the unicorn stared back with wide eyes.

“P-Pinkie Pie…? Why do you, uh…” Lyra trailed off at the watery sheen in bright blue eyes. Casting her gaze about, she tried a difference tactic. “H-hey! How have you been doing? Sorry about knocking into you there, I was just surprised to see you walking around this way.”

The baker relaxed from her search, sagging in place. Turning her face away, she shrugged, scuffing a hoof along the ground. “I’m… fine. I was just coming back from my appointment when I realized I had to… find Peppermint Twist so we could talk about the party they wanted.”

“Oh? What, they wanted some new feature or did you think of some really cool off the wall idea to spice it up?” The musical unicorn latched onto the potentially lighter topic, grin shaky.

Pinkie lowered her neck, both ears flat. “Oh, uh… not-... not really. I can’t do it right now…”

“Oh…” Lyra’s own ears flipped back for a second as she thought. She looked up and down the street, realizing they weren’t really close to the local hospital. “Uh, if you don’t mind me asking, who did you have an appointment with?”

“Doctor Rightaid. Hey Lyra, how are you and Bon Bon doing?” Pinkie lifted her head to stare at the pastel green mare hopefully.

“Huh? Me and Bon Bon?” The musician jerked back slightly, surprised at the change in topic. She blushed, rubbing the back of her head bashfully. “We’re doing pretty good actually. I was just on my way to her shop now, did you want to, uh, come with?”

The earth pony nodded with some of her old energy. Together, they trotted off at a measured pace to the market place. Pastel green ears flicked to the un-bouncy steps of the other mare. The duo stayed silent until most of the crowd had moved along, giving them some breathing and talking space. A hard feat to do when everyone around them stared at the sight of the pale-pink unhyper party pony.

Lyra raised a hoof to her mouth and coughed lightly into it. “So, uh, was there some reason in particular you’re asking about how things are between me and Bon Bon? How are things with you and Twilight Sparkle?”

“Well, I was wondering if you two ever broke up or had a big fight or… or any other really sad things…” Pinkie stared at the ground, flat mane hiding her face from the unicorn. “And if you did… how did you fix it…?” A single blue orb peeked out from the pink strands, watching the other.

Lyra flinched. Ears tipped back, she nudged the earth pony with her shoulder, strained smile in place. “I’m sorry to hear it Pinkie… Hopefully things work out for you.” She looked towards the sky, thoughts racing. “As for me and Bonnie… After what happened with Carrot Top, I made sure to be as honest as possible with Bon Bon.”

The earth pony stayed silent, listening to her friend intently. The pastel green unicorn noticed this attention and coughed.

“Well, I… Bon Bon wasn’t interested, admittedly, at first…” Gold-yellow orbs went to the sky bashfully. “But I didn’t mind. I waited, being her friend, didn’t push. I was just… There. For her.” Lyra smiled warmly as she thought about the candy maker.

Pinkie nodded, eyes misting over as she leaned closer to the ground. The two mares went quiet as they reached the market place. Lyra looked in the direction of where her marefriend’s store was located before checking on the pink pony next to her.

“So, uh, how are things going with you…?”

“Oh, things are… well, they… I’ve got to go. Have fun Lyra!” Pinkie tried to wave but barely managed to do so. She turned ninety degrees and trotted off through the crowd. Her slow walk left a slower and slightly dispassionate group of ponies behind her.

-NKP-

After delivering the unfortunate news to Peppermint Twist, Pinkie looked up from the ground and noticed her proximity to a pair of pegasi she had also gone to college with. Checking the skies, she was nearly certain the two mares were home and made her much slower way there.

The double leveled house had a neat plant box in front while the roof tapered off in a gentle slant. The earth pony gave the blue door a nice little tap. Once the single knock was given, Pinkie waited perfectly still, ears tilted back slightly.

The pale-gray mare opened the door and went still in shock. “P-Pinkie Pie…? Is everything ok…?” Blossomforth checked the outside for any sort of issue with a worried frowned.

“Hey Blossomforth. Is Cloud Kicker home too? I…” Pink ears flicked nervously. “Is it ok to ask you guys a few questions?”

“Sure, it’s fine if you want to ask something. Uhm, Cloud just got back from work actually.” The pink with green stripes maned pony stepped backwards, letting the party mare in. “Hey Cloud! Pinkie Pie is here to visit!”

As they stepped into the middle of the living room, the pegasus in question stepped out from the bathroom on the back left, towel around her neck. When she looked over, Cloud Kicker did a double take, eyes wide while her hoof stayed in place on the cloth. She glanced over to her marefriend who stared back just as concerned.

“Hey Pinks… What’s… up…?” Cloud edged into the room, fur on end.

Pinkie seemed to sag at the looks on the others’ faces. Ears going completely flat, she tried for a weak smile.

“Hi…! I was just wondering if I could ask you guys a couple of questions…” The earth pony shifted in place. “About you guys staying as a couple for so long…”

The pegasi couple shared another tense glance, understanding in seconds. Cloud Kicker took another, longer look at the earth pony, from her paler fur color to the absolutely flat mane and tired demeanor. She waved to the couch in the center of the room, going to stand by her marefriend. Blossomforth smiled at the wing hug she received before looking to their friend anxiously.

“I don’t see why not. What were you wondering?” Cloud tried to smile though the baker’s depressed aura didn’t help.

“How… Uhm, how did you guys manage to stay together as a couple?” Pinkie tapped her hooves together, staring at them as they moved. “I mean… You’re you! How did you keep Blossomforth happy when you… you’re you?” The pink mare pointed to the gray-blue pegasus sheepishly. “Not that it’s bad or anything…”

Blossomforth blushed, ducking her head into the slightly taller mare. Cloud Kicker lost the tiny grin she wore and shrugged, frowning as she thought to how she used to be.

“I cared about Blossom more than just having fun. But what I was doing wasn’t very healthy anyways.” Kicker shrugged again, smirking ruefully. “So I changed in order to be with her. Except I don’t think you have similar problem… What’s up Pinks? What happened?”

“N-nothing! I just… We just… we broke up… And I guess… there’s stuff I have to do to get better… I guess…” Pinkie took her turn at shrugging, rubbing her left hoof with her right. “Thanks for talking with me… Have a nice day.”

Blossomforth walked out from under the protective wing and put a comforting hoof on the pink shoulder. “Pinkie Pie, did you need any sort of help or somepony to talk to?”

“No no, you enjoy yourselves. I’ll just… I’ll just be on my way…” The pink pony waved slowly as she stood up, exiting the inviting house and walking down the road.

The two pegasi exchanged another look. Blossomforth bit her lip, raising both brows while jerking her head to the earth pony leaving. Cloud Kicker nodded, rubbing her chin.

“Yeah, let’s get the others. I think somepony needs a ‘cheer up because it would be super nice!’ party.” The gold maned mare glanced to the side towards her marefriend with a smirk.

Blossomforth giggled at the joke with a hoof to her mouth. She nodded, turning with the other pegasus and heading out as well in the opposite direction.

-NKP-

Hooves weighed down by a heart that was shattered into tiny pieces, the earth pony’s ears twitched as they picked up the thumping bass coming from further down the street. The pink ears began to move to the beat, flipping up and down, though the rest of the mare stayed disheartened. Slowly, she turned into that direction, heading for a duo of musicians that lived in a cozy little two storied building closer to the edge of town.

Pinkie could barely muster the energy to raise her hoof to knock on the door. The sound she did produce sounded hollow to her own ears, and she began to doubt anypony actually heard it.

The thumping bass did pause however and two sets of hooves came to the doorway. The doorway opened by hoof, revealing a pale-white unicorn and pastel-gray earth pony who were looking curiously to the opening. Noticing who was on the other side, they both perked up with smiles that slowly morphed into worried ones.

“Hey Pinkie Pie… What is going on? What happened?” Vinyl Scratch backed up, glancing around the street for what may be the cause of the earth pony’s depressed state.

“Oh my gosh! Pinkie, what’s wrong? Please, come inside.” Octavia grabbed the pale-pink hoof and pulled the baker inside. The gray earth mare didn’t let go, tugging their visiting friend to the armchair and firmly setting her down in place.

The unicorn watched her marefriend move as she lifted her glasses up, displaying her (to most ponies) unnerving sharp red gaze. She magically set her recordset to the side. Walking over, she leaned close to the party pony from the other side as the dark gray maned pony.

“What’s going on…?”

The baker shook her head, biting her lip as she allowed her mane to cover her eyes. “Everything is fine… It’s ok… I’m just… I just wanted to ask you guys some questions, if it’s ok…?” Pinkie looked up pleadingly, though her form was still as she tried to keep her emotions in check.

Vinyl’s ears flicked as she kept just as still. Octavia glanced between them, mind scrambling.

“Sure Pinkie, what did you want to ask?” The DJ spoke calmly, keeping both of the other mares in her sights as she stood in place.

Pinkie Pie shifted in her seat, tapping her hooves on her back legs in a random rhythm. “I… Welllllll…. I know you guys didn’t have the greatest first year of being friends and then marefriends…” The pink mare couldn’t stay still and casted her gaze wildly around the room. “How did you do it…? I mean, I know how things went, but how did… you manage to stay together...?”

Octavia sighed, sitting down with a hard plop. “Oh Pinkie Pie…”

The white unicorn glanced between the two before flinching in understanding. “Awww, Pinks…”

The earth pony sunk down with flattened ears. She shook her head further, curling inward. “Please… if you can’t answer… I’ll just go…”

The unicorn shook her head, patting the gray-pink shoulder. “Look, it’s ok. And yeah, we just got over a rough patch recently, but we still cared about one another. It just took some time apart to really get some perspective about it.” Vinyl looked directly to the ash gray mare, half smirk in place. “But we cared more about each other than what misconceptions were going around. And we were honest with each other.”

The cellist nodded, reaching out to still one of the nervously twitching pink hooves. “Yes. Waiting, being sure of what you feel for each other, being honest about what you think and what is going on, and being willing to compromise.” Octavia stared firmly at both mares, sending a warning with warm purple orbs. “But don’t change yourself entirely for your special somepony. If they want somepony entirely different, then they will have to find them elsewhere.”

Both of the others sat more attentive at the stern voice and look, nodding agreeingly. Pinkie Pie sniffled, rubbing her muzzle softly with a tiny smile. The couple chuckled at the slightly better mood of their visitor. The baker reached out, giving her friends a brief hug, only to let go moments later and hopped off the chair. She made a quick way to the front door, leaving the couple surprised behind her. Twirling in place, she gave a higher velocity wave than when she first arrived.

“Thanks! That’s all I wanted to know. Bye…!” The pink baker tried to hop out but failed, managing a tiny skip instead. She left before either of the others could say anything, ears flat against her head.

Once she was down the block, away from the prying gaze, the earth pony took off in a sprint, head down and hooves heavy. She raced back to the sugary bakery, dashing up the stairs and into her bed. The room was a mess of papers, books and posters of ways to get back together with her marefriend among the multitudes of half-packed supply boxes. A few bits of paper drifted down from having been scattered into the air, only to be snatched out of the air by a pale-pink hoof.

“I’ve got to tell her…! I have to do something…” Pinkie sat up in the bed, rapidly writing on the papers as she tried to be as honest as she could. Tears began to leak from her eyes as she wrote, dripping onto the paper in giant splashes. “Have to be honest… I need my little star...”

-NKP-

Several mornings later, the pink baker trotted down the stairs morosely, gaze focused on the wood under her hooves. Her ears twitched and her nose itched but she ignored the Sense. She went towards the back room to help with the morning prep.

Trotting through the swing doors, the pink earth mare was startled into flight as the bass dropped while several ponies shouted at once. Blue eyes slowly focused, scanning the large banner that read ‘cheering up party for the greatest party pony ever!’. She stood up straighter, fur on end.

“What’s going on?” Pinkie tried to assess the situation, noticing that the three different couples she had spoken to or asked about along with the bakers were there, hooves in the air. “What… are you all doing here…? What about the bakery?” The last of the questions were directed to the married couple who just tried to smile reassuringly.

“Don’t worry about that!” Mrs. Cake moved forward to half embrace the younger earth pony. “Your friends wanted to set up this party for you, and we agreed it was a good idea. Take this time to party with your friends dear, the shop will still be here for when you are done.”

Pinkie ducked her head gratefully, feeling a tiny smile growing on her face. She half watched the two bakers leave before turning back to the mares left behind. The group of friends trotted forward, enveloping her in a group hug. Blossomforth, Cloud Kicker, Octavia, Lyra, and special guest Bon Bon were the main huggers while Vinyl was by her equipment, laying down the music for the small party.

“Thanks…! I can’t believe I got my own surprise party. I should have… gotten… a special Pinkie sense…” The flat maned mare trailed off as her mind went off in a swirl of thoughts. “Oh… uh, never mind… Thanks. So nice to have almost all the ol’ A Capella group together again. With a few extras.” She smiled to the candy maker who smiled back gratefully at the inclusion.

“You just seemed so down, we had to do something.” Cloud wrapped a single wing around her marefriend as she beamed at the party pony. “And I do recall getting an invitation to a similar party a while ago by a certain somepony.” The golden maned mare winked playfully.

Pinkie Pie smiled with a tiny blush, moving out of the hug and taking in the decorations strewn about the room. There were streamers hanging from the rafters and chairs, while confetti already dusted the table tops. The coloring was assorted with a bit of every hue. There were baked goods waiting for consumption while a large stack of board games rested on the far left. As the baker breathed in the party atmosphere, her coloring began to return, settling to a medium range of gray pink while her mane started to poof up. The rest of the mares exhaled softly, smiles a little warmer as their depressed friend seemed to cheer up at their effort.

The baker leaped for the stack of games, popping up from the pile with a wider grin than she had wore ten seconds before. “Who wants to play some marenopoly!?!”

Everypony laughed at the almost normal behavior. Letting the party go into full swing, the seven friends tried to keep up the positive mood. They kept the pink mare constantly in motion. When it came time for everyone to return to their day shifts, Pinkie managed to keep a hold of the positive support she found in her old friends as she worked at the bakery. The customers that went to check on the party mare were much happier when they noticed the brighter colors of the mare. Pleased, they typically bought several confections as well, leading to another good day of sales.

With the encouragement she felt, the earth pony finally mailed all of the letters she had compiled for the mare of her heart. She gathered all the various papers and stuffed them into two large saddlebags. Using a bit more force, she finally got them closed and set them on her frame. Before she could decide against it, Pinkie trotted out to the postal service, hoofing over a large sack of bits. The desk worker smiled tensely and pull over the sacks, saluting the pink mare as she returned home.

The mailpony winced when he received the bags but dipped his head obediently and settled them on his back. Slowly inching his way along, the tan stallion went to the tree library in town, trying to move as fast as he could to make the deliveries on time. By the time he reached the oak tree, beads of sweat dripped down his face and sides. Knocking on the door, he waited, legs shaking under the weight of the letters.

A purple and green dragon opened the doorway, tired circles under his eyes, looked out with a wary glance. Noticing the uniform, he relaxed, though he eyed the large bags wearily.

“Hi… What can I do to help…?” Spike kept the door half closed as he spoke.

“Hello…!” The mailpony huffed with a tight grin. “I have… some deliveries… for a… Twilight Sparkle…?”

The drake reached out a claw as he nodded. “Yeah, she lives here.”

The stallion sighed in relief, letting the bags touch the ground as he wiggled out from under them. “Oh good! These are all hers. Please sign for having taken them. They were covered by super duper extreme care insurance.” Once his clipboard was signed, the postal worker trotted off with a wave.

Spike stared at the two large bags and sighed. Reaching out, he started to pull the saddlebags inside, struggling with the weight. “What is in here…!?” He spent the next twenty minutes dragging the mail to the center.

The unicorn, seated once more at the desk and overworking herself with five different topics, didn’t twitch an ear. It was only as a claw poked her side that she looked up, her mind sluggishly waking up from the swirl of information.

“What is it…?” Twilight’s eyes had large bags that only highlighted how bloodshot they were.

“Mail for you…” Spike spoke cautiously, tapping his claws together nervously.

Twilight’s sights moved beyond the lad to the stacks in the middle of the room. With a sigh, she levitated the bags over, lifting up the flap and pulling out the letters in mass. She moved them closer, squinting at the sender. Her gaze widened before narrowing in anger when she read who it was from. She rapidly flipped through the mound of envelopes, growing angrier with each passing second. Snorting, she slammed them back into the bag, tossing them to the dragon who stumbled at the shove.

“I don’t want to read Pinkie’s excuses.” The librarian turned away, pulling more books from the shelves with a flick of magic. “Just more examples of how she is trying to convince me that she isn’t being overbearing and possessive by mailing an excessive number of letters. How predictable.”

The dragon frowned at the dismissive tone. Pushing back against the brown sack, he tried to rapidly decide how to respond. “What book did that come from this time…? And where do you want these then?”

“This particular advice is from Science and Facts about Courtship, a highly praised and documented dating help series.” The lavender mare waved a hoof, not bothering to look at the pile. “And I don’t care what you do with them. Just put them somewhere I don’t have to see them. Maybe we could reuse the paper later.”

The drake sighed, shoulders sagging, and began to haul the bags to one of the closets on the ground floor. Trying to shove the them into the small space, he spent the next half hour trying to cram it inside. Once he got it there, he leaned tiredly against the door, wiping his brow. He stood up with a pleased grin. Taking two steps away, he opened his mouth to talk to the mare when the door behind him shuddered. He turned around anxiously, hunching in place.

The door burst open, spewing the letters back into the room. Twilight’s ear twitched at being buried under the paper. She turned in place, ogling the mess while Spike laid flat on the ground, covered. The mare took a shaky breath.

“Fine. We’ll clean it up together and put this away in the lab downstairs where it has less chance to make a mess.” Twilight rubbed her forehead with a hoof as she began to levitate the letters up from the ground.

“Huh… the lab…” Spike paused mid grab, tilting his head as the thought occurred to him. “What about Pinkie’s lab? I wonder if she’s gone in there…”

The lavender unicorn froze, scowling. “I… It’s not just her laboratory. We better check on it, otherwise who knows what could be down there.” Twilight flashed a stream of magic to bundle the letters in seconds. “I’m sure she’s left us more of a mess to clean up.”

The purple drake bit his lip but stayed silent. Together, they went down to the ‘party’ lab using the stairs outside. Trumping down, they peered into the large cavern, sights widening at the horrendous disaster waiting there.

The whole place looked like a tornado had run through, knocking over a large amount of supplies and objects. Design papers were scattered on the floor and table as though desperate hooves had shoved them aside. On the table in the center, large posters and diagrams of plans were crumpled up, while the six chairs stood empty. Next to those places were various objects tossed to the ground. Flour spilled out from the bag while the turnips scattered from the bucket that had held them. Rocks were laying about the room and a slightly moldy raisin muffin was crushed into the ground.

Twilight’s brows twitched at the sight before focusing on a pink and purple book in the middle of the table. She felt the need to read it as it sat under a single overhead light. Using a touch of magic, the lavender mare flipped through the known logs until she came across ones that she hadn’t seen yet. When she saw their contents, she angrily flipped the page. She only slowed when she got towards the end, after the date of their breakup.

I messed up again and now she doesn’t want to be with me! What am I going to do?! General Raisin says I did the right thing but I’m starting to think he had it all wrong…

Doctor RightAid said I shouldn’t listen to any of my object friends, especially since they haven’t had the nicest ideas lately… They’re upset about it, but I think he might be right…

They are wrong! My friends do care and Twilight still cares, even if she’s mad right now! I won’t listen to them if they are just going to be negative!

The next page was torn out and as Twilight tried to flip forward to see if there were any further entries,an envelope slipped out. The librarian caught the paper and moved it closer, finding it was an unsent letter addressed to her. She sighed and jerked it open.

Dear Twilight
I made a mistake. I know, I should have just asked you and believed you when you said there was nothing going on. I listened to the wrong voices.
I miss you… Nothing feels right without you there… No songs in my heart, no party in my bones.
And even if you don’t ever want to be with me again, I hope we can be friends…

The short note was signed by a single hoofprint with three balloons in the middle. The lavender unicorn bit her lip and folded it up carefully. Squinting her eyes, she looked back to the mess with a sigh. The dragon, who had been piling up papers into neater stacks, glanced to the mare with a question in his gaze. Twilight transported a trash bag from upstairs to the lab and began to pick up the spoiled food scattered on the floor. After those were thrown out, the pony looked to the rest of the room, eyes and mind undecided.

“You know… I’ll be sad to see the gaming system go…” Spike had both claws on his hips as he faced towards the large television. He peered hopefully to the mare, curious to the response.

The mare looked at the room, noting the state of the various inventions laying around the place. Most were from before their breakup, with a few new ones that seemed to be mostly cake throwers or letter writers. She shook her head, scrunching her muzzle sadly. Levitating the mostly full trash bag, she turned around, heading for the stairs.

“We’ll… we’ll make the proper lists for all this… later…”

The drake chewed his lip but followed along faithfully. Together, they returned to the other sections of the tree. Twilight moved on to her own laboratory and cleaned there as well, stashing the single letter she still held in her magic in the lower sections. She stayed down there, working on her own inventions, until she fell asleep at her work station.

The night grew colder, especially as the warmth left the dirt around the tree roots.The unicorn shivered, hooves drawing around her barrel.

The landscape was hidden under a layer of black. Papers, white and sharp against the darkness, swirled around the lavender mare, at times hitting against her face and sides painfully.

She pushed forward, ears flat against her skull, trying to ignore the distant monotone voices saying facts. Far away, there was a soft sound, broken and hitched painfully. It was so heartbroken that it caused more tears to spring up by the purple orbs.

Lights began to break the darkness; flashing through the air with thunderous cracks that shook the ground under the unicorn. The pages slowly grew words, angrily slashed on there in red.

Trust no one!

TRUST NO ONE!!

The unicorn slowed, shutting her eyes as her chest constricted. The voices gradually blocked out the sound of crying, becoming painful as they shouted ‘facts’ of how deceitful other ponies were while in relationships.

“No… No…!”

Twilight crouched down, trying to cover her eyes and ears from the darkness around her. She continued to tremble in place until it felt like a muzzle was beside her ear.

“Why did you leave me…?” The weeping voice asked in a whisper.

The distressed purple mare jumped up, eyes wide. “I-!”

The librarian jerked awake with a half shout. Her hooves shot out, knocking over the scrolls and vials set before her. A blanket that had been draped over her back was flung off at the motion. The purple drake jumped up from where he had been sneaking away from the previously sleeping mare.

“Twilight! Are you ok?” Spike finished rushing up to the mare and laid a claw on her side. “Is it the nightmares…?”

Twilight rubbed her eyes tiredly as she sat up further. “No. No, I’m fine. It’s nothing. I’ll be fine.” She moved away from the desk to where a large machine waited for repair. “Nothing’s wrong…”

The lad frowned, skeptical. He turned about and went back upstairs, grabbing a scroll and pen on the way nonchalantly. He furiously wrote an update for the solar princess. Sending it with a lick of flame, he grumpily sat on his bed, arms wrapped around his knees. The pet owl soon joined him in the bedroom, feathers fluffed in annoyance.

“Yeah… She’s just too stubborn.”

XXI - Migration of Thought

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Start of September, 1005 A.D.

The air smelled like brimstone. Skies were clear of the clouds they had earlier, and most of the creatures were only just starting to return after the horde of dragons passed by. The nearby small town citizens began to reemerge as well.

From the trench came a small, purple dragon, ripping his apron off as he grumbled to himself. The mares watched bemused for a second before the more responsible farm mare nudged the blue pegasus with her elbow. Dash rolled her eyes and floated up from the trench, hooves around her muzzle to help her shout.

“SPIKE! HEY SPIKE, WAIT A SECOND!” She kept flying over, half smirk on her face. “Look, I didn’t mean to rag on you so much, you just aren’t like those other dragons. It’s not a bad thing.” The mare shrugged dismissively.

The lad crossed his arms as he waited for the mare to drift over. Hearing the half-apology, he turned and huffed, staying silent. The rest of the crew trailed up as well, taking off their camouflage as they walked. Pinkie reached out, scuffing his spines.

“Don’t you worry Spike! I’m sure when you get to a… stable?... growth time, you won’t have to worry about ponies calling you cute.” The pale-pink earth pony continued to grin, watching only the lad, though her ears continued to twitch in the lavender mare’s direction. “They’ll be calling you handsome and dashing!”

Twilight knocked the pink hoof off the dragon and slung her own hoof around his shoulders. “Spike, we should be heading back. We have a lot to log into the scientific journals.”

The earth mare flinched back, stepping back away from the two. The rest of the group noticed the silent treatment, and hung back as well. The drake nodded, submissive. Twilight didn’t speak to the baker and instead teleported several scrolls into mid-air with quills already writing on them. Pinkie backed away further, ears flat as she glanced to the left, away from the mare who had captured and broken her heart.

Desperate to break the building silent tension, the fashionista fawned, tilting her whole body towards her marefriend as she lifted a hoof to her forehead.

“I simply can’t understand why we had to get so close to them! I fear I may never get the smell of brimstone from my mane!” Rarity half-whined as she pressed against the orange fur. “Not that a little brimstone is unpleasant now and again.” She amended with a smile to the young drake who looked up at the tones and complaint.

“Spike, ya ok?” Applejack asked, though her gaze went to the two mares who were the most out of character. Her marefriend saw where her focus truly was and glanced between the two situations.

“I’ll… I’ll be ok.” The lad rubbed at his eyes. “Not… not much sleep… Or rest… Or happiness…”

A single pink ear twitched at the last muttered word. Twilight seemed to not hear the dragon’s words and kept her muzzle buried in the scrolls she furiously wrote on.

The three mares exchanged bewildered stares. The pink earth pony timidly looked to her ex. The lavender mare ignored the searching gaze and looked over her notes to the purple drake.

“Spike, I’m going to head back. Please be along shortly, I’m going to need every tome we have about dragons and compare our findings with theirs.” With that, the purple unicorn trotted off, face back firmly into her notes.

The farmer waited until the librarian was decently far away before putting a hoof onto the youth’s shoulder. She turned him about and looked directly into his gaze.

“Spike, don’t ya try an’ hide how bad it’s gettin’. Is everythin’ alright?”

Applejack’s words brought everypony’s attention back to the purple lad. Pinkie was among the first to zip forward, shoving her face up close. This afternoon her mane had been mildly frizzy, though the cold shoulder treatment didn’t help her colors keep their rosier shine and had become a lackluster gray.

“What’s wrong?! What’s happened? Can… Can I help?” The pale-pink earth pony hunched against the ground, crawling forward with flat ears.

Spike met the depressed blue orbs sheepishly. “She… Well, Twilight hasn’t really been sleeping, and we’ve kind of been busy doing a whole bunch of research… It’s… It’s not…”

“Spike, don’t ya go saying it ain’t that bad.” The apple farmer flatly commanded. “Last time Ah was there, Twilight tried pickin’ a fight with me about a whole bunch of hogwash.”

The dragon fell silent, withdrawing back. Rainbow Dash shoved her way into view as Pinkie shrank back.

“Hang on! What fight?! Why is something wrong?” The prismatic pegasus looked between the leaving unicorn and the distressed earth pony left behind. “What’s wrong?!”

The fashion mare and farmer exchanged another look. The pale-gray unicorn flushed, uncertain.

“It’s… It’s not really our place to say darling…” Rarity looked to the party mare sympathetically.

Pinkie sighed and straightened up. “Twilight and I broke up… General Raisin, Mr. Turnip, Madam le Flour and the others had some bad suggestions and Twilight got upset at it…”

Rainbow stiffened, ears and fur standing upright uncomfortably. “Yeeeaaahhh… Don’t listen to them…” The pegasus shuddered, memories flashing in her mind.

The party mare flung out a disparate hoof, waving it back and forth. “No no, I’m not! I’m talking to Doctor RightAid and he says it’s not very good at all.” She hunched her back half lower, trying to plead her case. “I’m trying to get better! Honest! I just… She… Well, Twilight doesn’t want to talk to me, so I didn’t know it was getting so bad…”

As Rarity went to console the distraught mare, Spike gave her a few timid pats on the shoulder before heading on to the town. Applejack stayed in place, watching the lad carefully, while Dash scuffed up her mane growling in frustration.

“This isn’t right!” Rainbow looked up to the now teary party pony. “Pony feathers. Pinks, you go back and uh, bake something. I’m going to knock some sense into that bookworm.” The pegasus brushed the fur on her forelimbs up to her shoulders, warming the muscles underneath.

The farmer jerked about to watch the flier who zoomed off. Suddenly full of motion, she rushed to her marefriend, poking the light-gray side. “Sugar, Ah don’t think we want tah let Rainbow talk with Twilight on her own.”

“You’re absolutely right darlin’; I’ll go and make sure things stay, erhm, ‘civil’.” The fashionista stood up and gave the orange cheek a quick peck before trotting off.

The two earth mares left behind stared wide eyed as the trim pony walked away.

“Did… Rarity… go to stop drama?” Pinkie Pie questioned softly, flicking an ear to the pony beside her. She swiped at her cheek, clearing some of the light water she found there.

“Err…” Applejack scratched the top of her head. “Ah… think she did. Uh, why don’t we go ahead an’ get to Sugarcube Corner.”

Together, they slowly made their way back, giving plenty time for the other mares and dragon to get back first.

-NKP-

The pale-gray unicorn trotted quickly to catch up to the pegasus. Finding that she couldn’t, she instead focused on pulling the blue mare closer to herself instead with a simple halt spell. Rainbow Dash kept trying to fly forward, growling with frustration. Rarity continued forward until she came up even with the brash mare.

“Darling, you simply must think things through.” The fashion designer tutted once she was close enough. “Why don’t we give Twilight a little time to herself and see tomorrow if she’s doing any better?”

The pegasus looked towards her tail and noticed the light blue holding on to it. Slumping in place, she sighed, letting her hooves almost touch the ground.

“Uuugh, fine. I’m coming back first thing in the morning and we are straightening this dumb thing out!” Dash scowled towards the tree library as she waited to be released from the magical hold.

“Good. I shall meet you here. See you in the morning dear!” Rarity cheerfully waved goodbye as she released her magic.

The blue mare was left hanging mid-air, mouth open in surprise at the rapid decision change. Scratching her multi-hued mane, she shook her head and floated upwards to her house for the day.

The fashion mare trotted happily by her marefriend as she was coming back from the local bakery and magically pulled the mare along, smile and eyes tight. The farmer didn’t put up a fuss and merely followed with a half smile. That was until the unicorn spoke.

“I believe we may need to talk again about what exactly has happened.”

“Oh… uh, ok…”

“We’re going to follow him, right?” Rarity kept her false grin in place. Together with Rainbow and Twilight, the three waved farewell to the dragon who carried the essentials in his bag.

“Of course!” Twilight whispered back. Seconds later, she dashed inside, pulling over a large bag and filling it with papers, scrolls and travel supplies. “I can’t just let him go on his own! It’s dangerous! What if he doesn’t come back?!”

“Yes… I suppose so darling…” The pale-gray unicorn turned and watched the frazzled librarian for a moment, thoughtful. “Perhaps… You would simply miss him too much to let somedragon take him away from you.”

Rainbow drifted into the air, uncaring about the large sack of supplies. She had switched her gaze between the two unicorns, slowly growing more interested in the conversation and picking up where the fashion designer was heading with her comments.

“Yeah. I bet you would do some pretty CRAZY things to keep him with you.” Dash crossed her forehooves, single brow raised confidentially. “Something that might actually annoy him to the point where he wants to do something just as stupid and leave forever.”

At the speedster’s words, the studious unicorn froze in place, fur stiff. She looked to her friends with wide eyes. “You’re right! I have to make sure that whatever he chooses, it’s because he wants to and not being forced one way or another! And that it’s a safe location for him, he’s still a baby dragon after all.”

The other mares deadpanned at the exclamation.

“Seriously?”

“You think he is still a ‘baby dragon’ darling…? If you’re sure…” The unicorn poked the floating pegasus. “We will go with you, but you should talk with Pinkie Pie first.”

The librarian paused, parts of her mane frizzing upwards. “Why?” Her tone was bland and short as she avoided looking to the others.

“Because you are about to leave town and she is bound to be worried. Because Spike is her friend too.” Rarity stomped over to stand in front of the lavender mare, gaze firm. “Because right now, you are being just as possessive as she was, just as worried and as likely to make some blunder that harms your relationship with Spike.”

The blue pegasus watched shocked as the two unicorns had a bit of a stare down while testing the other’s willpower. It wasn’t long before the lavender pony crumbled first, breaking the contact. She flicked her ears back and nodded.

“Alright… I’ll talk to her before we go.”

“Wonderful darling! Come along Rainbow Dash, I believe I have the perfect plan for our following little ol’ Spikey-wikey.” The fashion mare turned about and trotted outside, pulling the rainbow tail.

“Huh? What do you mean?” Dash looked bewildered to the tailor. Glancing up to the direction they started to head to, the tomcolt-ish mare thrashed midair. “Wait, no! No no noooo….!”

The light-gray unicorn rolled her eyes with a huff. “Oh what a drama queen…”

-NKP-

A pink hoof shoved several kinds of cupcakes into the checkered sack on a stick.

“You never know when you need that extra sugar! It helps me get to where I need to fast…” The young baker wilted, though she didn’t slow her actions. “Well… I used to. Now there isn’t much I need to rush for in life…”

Spike playfully shooed away the helping hooves. Together, they sat in the back kitchen of Sugarcube Corner, out of sight from the owners who still remembered the last time the dragon had visited vividly.

“I wish Twilight would consider talking to you… She isn’t doing much better either…” The lad looked sheepishly to the door before taking in the rest of the room. “Are… Is everything ok for you…?”

The earth pony nodded slowly. “Yes… Like I said, I’ve been talking to a doctor, and I haven’t talked to my imaginary friends since… well… For a while.” Pinkie flushed as she rubbed her right hoof. “Anyways, I know I went too far. And I won’t do it again, so I’m definitely not going to try and stop you from finding you!”

The mare perked up and gave the lad a soft hug, keeping her limbs loose and non-restrictive. The dragon buried his head into the pink chest for a second, tightening the embrace. He pulled away with a cough, grabbing his stick and heading for the door.

“I… I better get going then. Don’t want to lose track of where the migration has gone.” Spike paused, claw on the doorframe. “If I… don’t come back… Keep trying to talk with Twilight? She misses you too, she just won’t admit it.”

Pinkie smiled tearfully and pulled out a handkerchief to wave gallantly to the leaving drake. She turned to the counter, using the newly summoned cloth to wipe the trace amounts of flour on the surface. Far in the distance, echoing in her ear, was a call that held a tint of prench in its tones. The earth pony rapidly shook her head, dislodging the voice and blopping back into a seat with hooves crossed.

“Gotta try and do what RightAid said… Voice the thoughts out loud.” The young baker snuck a peek around the room to be sure she was alone. Ears flat, she muttered to herself, “I don’t know if she would ever want to talk with me… She may never want to talk with me ever again… And I can’t make her…”

Half a minute later the back door opened once more. Pinkie sat up, sniffing back her tears as she focused on the new visitor. “H-hi…! If you want some really scrumptious snacks…” She trailed off when her gaze took in the special shade of lavender. “O-oh… H-hi Twilight…” The mare scrunched down with ears flat once more. “H-how are you doing…?”

The librarian stood just inside the entrance. Her body was stiff as her heart constricted at the dejected and dim mare cowering in front of her. A purple ear twitched. The silence stretched out until the unicorn coughed a few times.

“I… I’m going to follow Spike to make sure he doesn’t get hurt on his quest.” Twilight declared, keeping her voice neutral. Spotting the fear that spread in blue orbs, the lavender mare loosened some of the tension from her body carefully. “The others suggested I tell you. I imagine they are doing the same for the rest of our group.”

The party mare inched forward, keeping low to the ground. She stopped moving when purple eyes flicked to the motion.

“O-others…? Who’s going with you?” She straightened when the unicorn’s gaze grew guarded at the question, reaching out with a hoof only to jerk it back once more. “I’m-! I’m not trying to say they might take you away or do something to you, I know they’re our friends! I… I was just curious… about… who… was… going………..”

Twilight leaned back, various thoughts warring in her mind and on her face. “Rarity and Rainbow Dash. We’re leaving now, otherwise we might lose sight of Spike. I think Rarity had a plan for us to blend in with the crowd.”

“Ok…” Pinkie scuffed a hoof on the ground. “Would… Would you guys like a snack?” The earth pony waved to the racks where the final product rested before going out to the store front. “You may need a lot of energy to walk all that way.” She tried for a smile as she spoke; something that grew stronger when Twilight appeared more thoughtful in a positive way.

“That… I suppose it’s a good idea. Sugars would help with short bursts of energy and provide a quick solution to hunger.” The unicorn squinted. “Hopefully we aren’t gone long… Anyways, sure Pinkie Pie, we’ll take some snacks to go please.”

Pinkie’s coloring returned, though her mane kept it’s half frizz and half flat appearance. She leaped over to the shelving and filled a basket with what she knew her friends would enjoy. Peeking over her shoulder, the party pony tried to gently pose her next question.

“Would… Would you tell me when you guys get back?”

“For what? A ‘so happy you’ve returned’ party?” Twilight half-joked, feeling a tiny part of her core lighten at the normally usual behavior. This tiny fragment splintered into tiny pieces at how the other mare lost some of her coloring once more and focused on the brown basket she had filled.

“Oh… uh, no… I don’t really… I haven’t done very much party planning lately…” The earth mare set the container in front of the studious mare, refusing to make eye contact. “I just… hoped you would let me know you got back safely.”

Twilight nodded slowly, making sure her ex saw it before levitating the basket onto her back. “Alright… We’ll talk when I get back… Maybe… about more than the fact that we got back safely.” She looked to the snacks, calculating how many bits she had to use. “So how much will this come to?”

“You don’t ever have to worry about that Twilight. It’s on the house.” Pinkie smiled sadly. Her expression quickly shifted to one of bewilderment. “Well, not on the house house but you don’t have to worry about paying for it. Not that the house is paying for it but that you don’t have to worry, not that I’m trying to say you have to always rely on just me but that this time I was trying to do something nice and just let you have the cupcakes and it’s not that I didn’t make them specially for you though if you wanted some I would make them but you might not want them and you don’t have to take them even though you do deserve nice things but I’m not trying to force you to do anything or-”

Resisting the urge to lean in with a kiss, Twilight put a hoof on the pink nose, grabbing the mare’s attention immediately. “It’s ok Pinkie Pie. I understand. These cupcakes, which are not specially made with anything aside from the usual care, which is fine, are free because… because they are.” The unicorn smiled at the timid nod her summary received. “Alright. Goodbye.”

With the short farewell stated, the librarian exited the bakery. The mare left behind watched, still as a statue, afraid to breath or move. It was only after the purple strands of her tail were gone that the earth pony allowed herself to slump to the ground, hooves outreached for the mare of her heart.

“Bye…” The whisper didn’t reach anyone’s ears aside from the mare who said it, but she didn’t mind. For a moment, it was almost like they were friends again. And if we’re friends, then that means I can at least be near and help her! I… I have to keep trying! I can do it!

-NKP-

The pink earth mare cut a little deeper into her circle rut she had created in her bedroom. The window next to her bed showed the lateness of the hour with the sky being entirely dark and clear of clouds. She looked to her clock and found it showed the same time as before, quarter past ten. A knock at the door startled the earth pony from her pacing.

An orange stallion poked his head inside sheepishly. “H-hey Pinkie Pie. Don’t mean to disturb you, but you have some late night visitors. They were really hoping to talk to you, is that ok?”

Pinkie nodded, shifting out of the rut she was making in the floor and turning to face the doorway head on. Mr. Cake moved back out of the way to allow Applejack and Fluttershy to enter. They seemed almost just as anxious as the earth pony as they trotted in slowly.

“Hey Pinkie Pie. We figured ya’d be just as worried as we are about the others.” Applejack sat next to the party pony, trying for a simple smile. “Seems like we were right.”

“I hope you don’t mind…” Fluttershy also entered, hunching close to the ground. “It… it helps to talk about the worry with friends…” She also smiled from behind her pink mane.

The young baker waved goodbye to the stallion briefly before focusing on her friends. She leaned into each gratefully for a second. “Thanks you guys… I guess the others you care about are gone for a dangerous mission too…”

The canary pegasus ducked her head, red covering her muzzle. The farmer scratched her head with a chuckle.

“Eeyup...I know Rarity can be tough when she sets her mind to it…” Applejack scuffed the ground. “Just… seems like facin’ a whole flock of dragons is a bit different than campin’ or doin’ farm chores…”

The others nodded in understanding. They all sat within hoovesreach, necks arched to the ground.

“... Rainbow Dash is-is with them… Except that… She is kind of sort of maybe possibly… a little… uhm… reckless…” The pegasus whispered, peeking to the others who looked back sympathetically.

“Yeah… Ah know Dash can protect herself and the others, but dragons are a might different than the normal things we’ve come across.” The farmer shook her head. “I wouldn’t be surprised if Rarity got all distracted by the colors while Twilight started takin’ notes.”

Pinkie began to nod with more energy than she had shown. “Yes! Yes, yes exactly!” She pushed her bangs up away from her face as her eyes shrank to pinpricks. “And she wouldn’t watch where she’s going or what’s she’s doing!”

“Yes… And… And Rainbow might not realize and go on her own to fight the dragons…!”

“While Rarity would be stuck tryin’ to get the right accessory and get herself hurt…”

The three mares all flung their heads back. Then, in sync with one another, they hung their heads with eyes shut closed. The timid pegasus couldn’t hold back her anxious tears, laying down with her head resting on her hooves. Pinkie Pie shuddered as she fought against her instinct and wanting to give her ex space. The farmer sighed heavily, allowing herself one more moment of fear before shaking out her shoulders and head.

“Alright.” Applejack made sure she had the others attentions before continuing. “Ah think that’s enough of the pity party we had goin’. Yeah, our friends alone might be in trouble…” As the orange mare spoke, the two other distressed mares sat up further and further. “... But together, they can do just about anythin’ they go settin’ their minds to! And it’s to help a friend. Ain’t nothing gonna stop them from that.”

Fluttershy giggled tearfully, feeling her cheeks burn lightly. Pinkie smiled hopefully, gratefulness shining in her gaze. The apple seller slung a hoof around both of their shoulders and pulled them close.

“Now we just gotta keep our spirits up an’ be ready for when they DO get back…” The blonde gave in to one more second of worry, peeking to the pink earth mare on her left. “... Did they say roughly when they were gettin’ back…?”

“No… But we could keep having sleepovers here until they do!” Pinkie Pie offered, trying to cheer up the despondent faces she found.

“Oh, uhm, if it’s not too much trouble…” The butter-yellow mare ducked her head anxiously but perked up at the joyous and almost hyper agreement.

“Of course! I offered it, I don’t mind it at all! So long as we don’t go crazy and wake Mr. and Mrs. Cake, it should be perfectly A-O-KAY!” The pink pony smiled wide and jumped over to her closet, pulling out extra blankets and pillows.

Together, the three friends kept each other’s spirits up and hopeful. But with each passing day, their sleepover grew more and more somber. By the end of the fourth day of their friends’ separate adventure, the three mares all laid next to one another in a half-pony pile. Pinkie usually ended up in the middle of the three of them, though she didn’t mind as she felt like she always was receiving a giant hug from two of her bestest best friends.

Unfortunately for the young baker, her nightmares grew worse as the librarian remained on her trip. Luckily Applejack and Fluttershy were able to reassure her that nothing was wrong; nothing that they knew of at least. They didn’t want to press the depressed earth pony for answers and merely focused on trying to keep everypony’s mind off the situation at hoof.

This particular night was rather difficult. The winds were strong as they had pushed two different storm systems across the land. She stared out the window from between the two others. Feeling the frown tug on her cheeks, she hid her muzzle under pale gray-pink limbs.

“Pinkie… Ya ok?” Applejack murmured from the pink mare’s left side. She leaned into the pink fur to help show support. “Do ya want to talk about it…?”

Two yellow ears tilted forward to catch every word, though the pegasus stayed hidden behind her mane.

“I… We… You know we broke up right…?” Pinkie waited for two nods before continuing, talking through her hooves. “We… I was worried that somepony would take Twilight away from me. So much that I started fights in Canterlot. And… And Twilight said that she didn’t think we should keep dating.”

The others froze at the confession. They shared a bewildered glances over the flatten pink mane.

“You… You started fights…?” Fluttershy popped up, her confusion helping her to speak up. “That… That doesn’t seem like something you would do normally… Was there really a chance of somepony taking Twilight away? I… uhm… thought you guys were really… happy together…”

Pinkie Pie threw her hooves forward, wiggling them as she stared straight ahead. “I don’t knooooow!” She half cried. Seconds later, she replaced her hooves back into their previous position. “And while I’ve tried to not hover or get all nervous about Twilight, it’s too late because she doesn’t want to talk or even be friends!” The earth pony turned around to lay on her back, moving her hooves to hold her barrel to prevent it from shaking to pieces. “She… Before she left, she said that we could talk but she hasn’t been back yet! So I’ll never know what she might have decided!”

The other mares cooed in empathy and enveloped the distressed pony in a tight hug. Fluttershy had the benefit of wings to add to the embrace.

“It’ll be ok. You’ll see.” The animal caretaker nuzzled the pink mare, voice soft and soothing. “Sometimes you need to wait a long time for anything to happen.”

“Eeyup. Sounds about right. Ya just gotta keep movin’ forward, keep yer head up and stay positive.” Applejack mentioned from the other side. “Ya can’t let yer fears get to ya. Ah know ya can do it.”

The friends stayed in that hug, feeling their bodies releasing the tension, when there was a flash of light that caused the mares to stiffen in surprise. Looking towards the ceiling, they barely caught sight of the white paper before it dropped down onto the pink muzzle.

“What-?”

“O-oh my-!”

“IT’S FROM TWILIGHT!” Pinkie Pie shot up, grabbing the the scroll as she moved. She leaped from the middle of the hug and stood perfectly upright, opening the mail rapidly. “She says that they are back in Ponyville! Just outside city limits! And they’ll be back home shortly! AND that she is still planning on visiting me, she is just a little tired from an unplanned and uncoordinated teleportation…”

Bright blue eyes looked up to the relieved others. When the guests noticed the fear in the party mare’s gaze, they also grew concerned, bracing themselves for bad news.

“If… If she had to do an ‘uncoordinated’ teleport, then that means something happened and they had to get away quickly! Ooooooooooooo…!” The earth pony crouched low, both hooves going to cover her head.

“But, uhm, Twilight didn’t say they were hurt, did she…?” Fluttershy questioned softly. She hunched in place worriedly.

“Well, I mean, no…”

“Exactly.” Applejack cut in, patting the pink back. “So worryin’ more than ya need to isn’t the way to show how much yer workin’ to be more relaxed.” The farmer tipped her hat back with a pleased smile. “If it’s alright... Ah’d like to go an’ check on Rarity. It was nice, helpin’ one another waitin’ for… everypony to return.” The orange earth pony flashed a smile to the pegasus who hid her blush behind her mane.

The young baker nodded solemnly, leading the way to the door. “Sure thing, I understand. Thanks a whole bunch for staying.” Pinkie waved her friends off. She hopped excitedly back up the stairs, reaching for the letter with a worried grin. As she re-read it, there was a soft knock on the bedroom door.

Mr. Cake smiled worriedly from the edge of the frame. “H-hey there Pinkie Pie, me and Cup Cake overheard some of what you were saying, and thought maybe we could talk?”

Mrs. Cake entered a half step after her husband. They sat on either side of younger mare on the bed. Pinkie Pie half-grinned, glancing to each of the others, holding the paper tightly in her hooves.

“So, we overheard you saying how Twilight was going to come over to talk.” Cup Cake put a hoof around the pink shoulders. “We just… wanted to talk with you first. In case.”

“In case of what?” Pinkie blinked slowly, head tilting in curiosity.

Carrot Cake leaned into view, his smile still uncertain. “Well, in case things don’t work out the way you’re hoping.”

The married couple waited for some kind of reaction from the younger earth pony. When they got none, they continued.

“Sometimes, even if we really hope things work out, they don’t.” Mrs. Cake half shrugged before leaning against the young mare.

Pinkie Pie’s ears drooped along with her smile. She looked to them, mind whirling. “Have… have you guys ever broke up?”

“Oh sweetie… Yes, we had indeed broken up.” Mrs. Cake smiled warmly to her husband before focusing on the party pony.

“We met in high school.” Carrot Cake nuzzled the other with a smile. “But when we went to college, we separated because of the distance.”

“We met other ponies and went our different ways, though we stayed friends.” Cup Cake blushed at the bewildered blue eyes looking up to her.

“But you-you found each again right! You were meant to be together!” Pinkie reached out with her hooves, waving them in confusion. “How did you find one another again?” She stared with great big puppy dog eyes as she asked.

“We met at an internship bakery, Granny Pie’s Sugary Snacks.”

“My Granny’s?!” The pink earth pony sat up with a wide grin. The older ponies smiled back just as widely, nodding.

“Yes, that’s how we first heard about you needing a place to learn to bake!” The stallion reached out to give a shaking hug to the younger mare. “And when we met there, we decided that we should get back together.”

“And we’ve been together ever since.” Cup Cake gave the stallion another loving nuzzle.

“Sooo…” Pinkie stretched out the word, switching her gaze between the older ponies.

“So we were worried that you might not try to find other ponies to be with if it doesn’t work out with Twilight.” Carrot murmured as he caught the searching blue eyes. “When we weren’t dating, we dated other ponies… Have you thought about what if Twilight doesn’t want to date you again?”

“Why do you think it has to be Twilight anyways dear?” Cup questioned, putting her right hoof on the pink limb.

“Because I got the very special Pinkie Sense that said we were supposed to be together!” Pinkie Pie turned to face the older mare, gaze starting to fill with water. “I don’t understand… My Sense hadn’t steered me wrong before…”

The couple shared a bewildered glance, communicating silently. The pale-blue mare took a breath and tried to argue the Pie logic.

“Dear, we know you have a very special connection to the world and your ‘Sense’ helps explain and advise you… Your Granny was the same way.” Cup Cake softened her words with another grin. “But… You can’t force ponies to do anything they don’t want to. Even if you think-”

“I know!”

“-know that you are supposed to be together, they have their own decisions to make.”

Pinkie frowned towards the ground as she processed the advice. Barely feeling the older ponies on either side of her, she fought her heart and mind shouting otherwise, and ignored how the ends of her hooves lost sensation at what was potentially about to happen.

“O-ok… So… If Twilight doesn’t want to be together, I have to… just accept it might not work…” The earth pony shuddered as more of her colors drained away.

“R-right…” The stallion gulped nervously, gaze flickering between the other ponies. “Did… Did everyone in your family meet their special somepony with that uh… ‘special sense’?”

Tearful blue eyes stared back as the pink-tinted gray head nodded slowly, mouth trembling. Cup Cake rubbed the distressed mare’s back.

“You don’t know that for sure dear. Why don’t you mail your family and find out for sure?” The two-tone maned baker gently grinned and shook their apprentice. “I’m sure things will be ok.”

Pinkie nodded, gaze down, as the other earth ponies stood up from the bed.

“We’ll just, leave you in peace for when Twilight comes by…” Carrot Cake assured as he edged out of the room.

“And if things don’t work out like you hope, we’re still here to talk if you need to.” Cup Cake followed soon after, head still inside. “Good luck dear.”

“Thanks Mr. and Mrs. Cake..." Pinkie Pie slumped in place, front half drooping off the side of her bed. “I’ll write that letter…”

Hooves moving languishly, the pony began to write the letter to her grandparents and parents. She felt a little silly questioning a special ability they’ve always had but wanted to take the ponies who gave her a job, place to live and cared for her seriously. Sealing it up in an envelope, she was just setting it aside when there was a knock on the upper floor door.

Pinkie Pie rushed up off her bed only to slow down in moments. Trotting calmly, she opened the balcony door, revealing the purple unicorn on the otherside. The earth pony straightened up with a normal sized smile.

“Hello Twilight! Thanks for coming!” The pale-gray-pink mare waved the other in. “Please, come right on in!”

The lavender mare glanced around the room, taking in each object and decoration. “Thanks. We only just got back, sorry it’s so late at night.”

“It’s ok!” Pinkie waved away the apology. “I’m glad to hear you and the others are alright. How did the trip go? Did Spike decide to stay…?”

“No, he decided to come back to Ponyville.” Twilight tried to spot any stacks of letters or notes as she responded. She then waited for the torrential outpour of questions. When none came, the unicorn looked back with a brow raised. Sitting a few paces away was the earth pony, small smile in place as she waited. “Pinkie Pie…?”

“Hm?”

“Uh… Never mind.” The librarian shook her head. “So, I wanted to talk about… us.”

The baker kept her smile, eyes closed tightly, though her ears betrayed her interest by tipping forward. “What would you like to talk about?”

The unicorn shrugged with a sigh. She glanced out the window, barely taking in the night sky. “The others say you have been working on… being not overly possessive.”

“You bet! I’ve gone to see doctors to help and I don’t listen to my imaginary friends anymore either.” Pinkie tried to keep her voice neutral as she spoke. Her heart beat raced as she forced her body to stay still. Even as every shift of the lavender pony caused her pale-gray pink fur to try and shift with it.

“Really?”

“Yup! Really.”

The two stayed in place, looking at one another. One wore an uncomfortable smile as she tried to stay neutral while the other remained on guard.

“That’s good to hear… If you really are trying, then maybe we can try being friends.” Twilight spoke carefully, watching for any changes in the earth pony’s behavior.

Pinkie remained in place, even as her heart lightened at the potential. Everypony’s advice floated through her mind about accepting whatever happens. She nodded slowly. “I would like that. But only if that’s what you want.”

“Yes, of course.” The lavender unicorn nodded at an even pace. “It would be odd to still be mad. And it isn’t very healthy to be mad for long periods of time… Even if it is reasonable…” The last sentence was muttered softly as the studious mare glanced to the right with narrowed eyes. She straightened up with a shake of her head. “Anyways, yes, let’s try to… ‘start over’ as friends.”

The earth pony smiled wider and stuck out her hoof. “Great to meet you all over again! If you need anything, please let me know!” The limb trembled as it hung in the air, though neither mare noticed the motion.

Twilight grinned back and followed the flow, opening her forehooves for a hug. The baker paused at the sight before moving timidly to accept the embrace. They closed their hooves around the other long enough to begin to feel the other’s warmth when Pinkie Pie carefully stepped back, keeping her hooves off the lavender barrel as she leaned away. The unicorn frowned for a second, her chest scrunching with loss of the touch. Shaking her head, she stared closely to the other mare, noticing that the wavering blue eyes wouldn’t meet hers.

“Thanks for coming by and… and giving me another chance to be friends.” Pinkie rubbed her left hoof with a half grin. “You have to go home now probably huh? It’s been a long night and you, uh, said that you had to do a rapid teleportation right? Probably pretty tired.” The earth pony reached out and brought forth a phone book, opening it up to the taxi services in town. “Would you want to call for a ride? I’ve heard a lot of great things about all the companies around here.”

The unicorn waved away the offer. “No no, it’s ok. I can still walk and it’s not that far. Good night Pinkie Pie.”

The pink mare walked over to the balcony door, holding it open for the other with a small grin. “You too Twilight. Be…” She gulped quietly, limbs shaking minutely. “Be safe, ok?”

The two mares shared another smile before the purple pony left, using the ramp ways to trot down. Once the unicorn was on her way, the mare left behind shut the door quietly. She leapt for her bed, slowing her descent enough that the mattress frame didn’t shake as she landed, and grabbed her pillow, holding it against her chest as she sobbed into it’s fluffy depths. She kept the sound low and used her tail and back hooves to shift the blanket to cover her.

It doesn’t feel right! It isn’t right! And… And it might never be right again…!

But I have to try…

-NKP-

Subject demonstrates minor restraint when it came to a physical contact moment. Releasing first and after 2.3 seconds*, Subject maintained constant twelve hooves distance from the Investigator.

*(-13.7 seconds from previous ‘friend’ hugs as recorded before Subject and Investigator joined in a mutual physical partnership which resulted in longer and different types of embraces.)

To restate for the purposes of this log, the investigation is to see if Subject Pinkamena “Pinkie” Diane Pie has indeed made any progress towards reformation. After every encounter the investigator, Twilight Sparkle, will record any and all findings with an unbiased view point.

A.N.: I will find proof to show the others that Pinkie is just putting on another ‘act’ to try and get close to Spike and myself. I won’t let us get hurt by her again.

Satisfied with the entry, Twilight shut the blue book and put it away on the laboratory shelf. Nodding to herself, the librarian walked back upstairs to her desk. She levitated the books resting there back into the air and reached for the stack of papers on the left side. There was a soft snore coming from upstairs. Ignoring how the dragon was asleep in his proper bed, the unicorn checked that the brawny owl was nearby and waiting for book requests.

“Let’s get down to work Owlicious.”

The pet hooted tiredly in response and resettled in place, already exhausted.

The large white doors burst open, slamming into the pristine walls with little care for the intricate designs on the molding lining the top and bottom. The night guards, used to some of their princess’ moments, did a basic sweep of the room with their sharpened eye sight and found there wasn’t any danger. Though the lunar princess was a fearsome presence on her own.

“Sister!”

The white alicorn looked up from her paper slowly, expression weary. “Yes Luna…?”

“This has NOT gotten any better for our friends Twilight Sparkle or Pinkie Pie!” The navy blue mare stomped her hoof as she stood in the middle of her sister’s room. “Now Pinkie Pie is having her own nightmares, though she is more adept at chasing the fears away after realizing them for what they are.”

Celestia rubbed her forehead, eyes scrunched shut. “And Twilight is still having her own night terrors, correct…?”

“Yes. When are we going to intervene?” Princess Luna scowled. “This cannot continue for the two of them.”

“Spike’s latest letter was about the dragon migration.” The solar princess lifted the paper once more, scanning its contents. “I imagine that we will be getting a letter soon and we can deal with the situation accordingly. Though if this continues on for much longer, we might have to take more drastic, and direct, measures.”

Luna scowled darkly. She fumed silently, watching her older sibling serenely read the multitudes of scrolls sent in. The princess of the night inched backwards quietly, brow clearing as an idea came to her mind. She smiled smugly, about to make her escape to the small town, when Celestia spoke up from where she sat on her cushion.

“No Luna, you can’t just go down there and tell them to make up. That’s not how to fix broken relationships.” The solar alicorn sighed, looking up from her reading. “Ponies have to talk about their problems. And notice that there is a problem before it becomes an issue. Like we should have, eons ago.”

The reminder made the younger alicorn pause with a light blush. She ducked her head as she absorbed the lesson, agreeing after a moment of silence.

“I suppose you are correct in this instance Sister.” Luna nodded and trotted out to the throne room, putting on a performance of acceptance and regal behavior. She felt every minute of the night pass by as she focused on her other duties, shoring up the belief that her sister would indeed intervene when it was needed. “Or it’s back to my plan…” The mare grumbled to herself as she sorted out another double booking conflict for local businesses.

XXII - Observation and Conclusion

View Online

Mid-September, 1005 A.D.

Observation number 23
Subject shows further stability, a marked difference from when Subject and Observer first met. Instead of wildly leaping about*1, Subject walks to and from various stores*2, seemingly performing tasks for the Cakes for the day. When queried, Subject stated that she ‘no longer set up parties’, since she wasn’t ‘up to it’. This further shows that there is something that is not correct. More observation is required for the day to see if this is truly a fact.
*1(leaping to describe in one word for jumping, skipping, hopping, trotting, strutting, and twirling.)
*2(needed stores did not include the party supplies, ribbons, or little trinket toy store.)
A.N.: There’s no way that she’s given up the things she loved to do. It’s part of her cutie mark! Even more lies! I’m hot on this trail of deceit!

Observation number 29
The Subject displayed a darker tone all day. Watched through the front window and door, found that the Subject stayed ‘busy’ all day. When visiting, Subject seemed to cheer up slightly. Discussed how the day’s sales were and how the various migrations had affected business. Tone of voice stayed neutral, with only a few moments of her previous attitude cropping up.*
*(The topic of upcoming Nightmare Night and the start of Cider Season were the cause of this swell in ‘cheeriness’.)
Discussed potential costumes. Subject seemed especially happy to hear that I the Observer was going to take part in the festivities. Once outside, the Subject returned to previous state of mind. This shows that she is indeed putting on an ‘act’ to appear ‘normal’. This consisted for the rest of the day.
A.N.: While I was watching, there seemed to be physical repercussions that were not expected on my side. Considering the consistency and how it occurs only when observing the subject, I have decided to write it down. Chest pains is the most predominant of the issues. Heaviness in hooves and back. Itchy ears. I can’t think of much else at this time. I may be coming down with some kind of sickness, which may hamper future observations.

Observation number 49
Subject hasn’t shown any signs of talking with inanimate objects since the ‘incidence’. According to others’ reports of the incidents previous to the one that caused the split, Subject would ‘speak’ to them while alone. Each observation is done while Subject is both surrounded by others and when alone.
So far, Subject isn’t left alone for more than a few hours unless she is asleep. While unconscious, she seems to lose more of her colorization. During her Rem cycle, the Subject seems very unsettled. Crying slightly in her sleep. I It was difficult to watch. After 25.6 minutes, the subject settled back down and continued sleeping.
A.N.: It’s been 39 days since we broke up. While she seems to have an outward appearance of being in a more stable state, when alone she shows the most of the problems. She hasn’t been sleeping well. Due to my studies and observations, neither have I. The signs of sleep depravity have begun to show for Pinkie. I, luckily, have found a magical stimulant that helps my focus and energy. I am tempted to tell or maybe even offer the solution to her, but in her sleeplessness, I may find more evidence of her old habits. Spike’s overreacting.

Observation number 61
The Subject has continued her evening walks as first described in Observation number 50. As a result, Observer has also begun to trail further behind, at a distance of 9.7 klicks.*1 Subject has not interacted with anyone during these walks, though she does pause at specific intervals.*2 During these moments, she consults a piece of paper, often breaking into sobs.*3
*1(Distance increased after Observation number 53 when Subject’s ear twitched when Observer stepped in puddle. Each evening afterwards, an extra klick was added as more twitches occurred, displaying how Subject still knew she was being followed.)
*2(These intervals do not seem to be for Subject’s benefit as she has yet to show signs of exhaustion while on these ‘walks’. Exact timing of these pauses are difficult to determine as Observer has to maintain stealth with difficulty.)
*3(Several attempts have been made to see this ‘paper’ but all have failed. These attempts are as recorded previously; spyglass, magical copying, levitation, searching private domistary, and approaching while Subject was in the middle of crying. After the last attempt (which failed, as noted in Observation number 58), Observer has stopped trying to read the note and waits the required distance away.)
Observer has increased indoor research as a corresponding action. Still no signs of the ‘imaginary friends’. Considering how the parchment Subject reads during these walk often appear from midair*4, Observer will suspend questions or disbelief and accept the possibility of these ‘friends’ being any and everywhere at once.
*4(After previous studies on ‘Pinkie Sense’ and various skills have proven to be futile, it wouldn’t be advisable to try and start that particular observation notes.)
A.N.: I don’t know how much longer

The scratching of quill on parchment came to an abrupt halt when a purple claw rested against purple fur. A single blood-shot orb rolled slowly towards the interloper.

“Twilight, I think you’ve gone overboard.” Spike spoke firmly. “You haven’t slept in days. You look really bad.”

The rumpled unicorn half-glared at the drake. Her mane was a mess of knots and incorrectly layered strands. Her pelt was in clumps, flecks of dirt and mud darkening it. The purple orbs were riddled with red lines while large heavy bags rested underneath. The mare didn’t respond and turned back to her large blue book. The dragon growled lightly at the dismissive action.

“Twilight, I wrote to Princess Celestia. She knows how ridiculous you’ve been acting and-”

“You WHAT?!?” Twilight swung back around before her eyes shrank to pinpricks, searching the tree library. “I don’t have enough notes to prove my point! I need more time- I have to get ready to present my findings! Why did you do that Spike!?! It’s too soon!”

“No way! It’s been way too long!” Spike clenched his fists as he shouted back. “You aren’t even trying to really see what’s been going on! Pinkie Pie is trying to get better and you are getting worse without her!”

“AM NOT!” The unicorn shouted back, eyes closed as she wobbled in place, mind darkening for a moment. She opened her gaze slowly with a shake of her head. “I’ve… just been busy with research.”

There came a solid knock from upstairs. Two sets of eyes shot towards the balcony where the sound came from. Without waiting for anyone to answer, the door opened with a flash of white magic, showing the solar princess standing there. Her gaze was guarded and face neutral.

“Princess!” Twilight bent one leg while stretching out the other, bowing low. “I’m so sorry, I’m unprepared for your visit!” The mare tried to grab her notes and papers with a beam of magic but instead scattered the papers as her magic backfired due to exhaustion. A single eye twitched at the mess. Lunging, she tried to manually grab the notes, leaving dirty hoof prints on each one.

Celestia remained impassive as she hopped down from where the balcony met the stairway. She trotted over to the frantic unicorn, looking towards the young dragon. She gave him a slow nod before focusing on her student.

“Twilight, stop.”

The studious mare stuttered to a halt. A muscle in her left back hoof spasmed. She didn’t meet her mentor’s gaze, searching over the papers instead.

“Look at me, please.” The solar ruler spoke sternly.

Twilight flinched. Timidly, she turned in place, ears flat. Seeing the lavender orbs staring back with concern and displeasure shining in their depths. “I… I can explain.”

“You and Pinkie Pie have broken up.” Celestia flatly stated as she stared down her immense height. “And you haven’t finished talking about what went wrong.”

“Yes! Right, exactly!” The lavender mare perked up briefly as she clutched the wild stacks of papers. “It’s all here for why we broke up and how she is still not progressing and -”

“Actually my student, it is you who are not progressing.”

“W-what…?” Twilight spoke softly, her heart clenching painfully at having failed her teacher.

The white alicorn levitated over a single paper that had escaped the unicorn’s grasp. Looking over it critically, she explained. “Pinkie Pie has for the past few months been talking with professionals about her tendency to talk with objects. She’s made great progress from what I understand.” Letting the paper float down slightly, she gazed flatly towards the smaller pony. “And she has reached out to friends and family about what has happened, gaining their advice and acting upon it.”

The mare slowly brought her two hooves closer to her barrel, mouthing a silent response. When it became obvious that there were none forthcoming, the Princess kept on.

“You’ve even marked upon it in your… ‘observational notes’.” When she caught sight of confusion in the bloodshot eyes, the solar alicorn waved a hoof towards the purple lad watching behind the desk. “Spike has sent me a copy of every note you’ve made. I also checked with the professionals that Pinkie had sought help from, to be sure every pony in the kingdom is happy and doing well.”

Twilight scuffed a hoof along the ground nervously. Her mind felt lighter and ever more floating as the minutes passed that she didn’t desperately write in her notes. The room went quiet as everyone focused on the swaying unicorn. Each motion got worse until finally she crashed on her right side. Spike rushed forward, sliding to a stop by the purple shoulders.

“Twilight? Twilight?!” The young drake leaned down to listen to the lavender chest, exhaling in relief. “She’s ok. Probably just asleep.”

Celestia trotted over and bent down to lay beside her student. She cast a scanning spell to be sure that it was merely ‘sleep’. Her breath caught at what she found. Worried, she began to cast remedial enchantments.

“I’m afraid not. That ‘stimulant’ Twilight found has only suppressed her exhaustion and mental stress. Without proper sleep or any sort of relaxation, she has passed out with very low stability.” The Sun Princess smiled tensely to the dragon. “I’m casting some spells that will help her recovery. We’ll have to wait for her to get better before doing the intervention.”

Spike leaned back with a tight smile of his own. Together, the unlikely duo waited in the middle of the library for the foolhardy mare to get her much needed rest.

-NKP-

The darkness seemed even heavier as various octaves of wailing rang through the air. The purple mare had hunkered down, both hooves covering her face. Scrap paper flew around her, causing her sides to sting painfully. Inside, tucked into a corner of her body that the unicorn tried to ignore, was a familiar whimper.

The monotone voices still tried to drone out an answer to the unicorn’s problems. The voice deep inside the purple barrel shouted back counterpoints.

Twilight’s mind was a swirl of pain, half-formed thoughts, and confusion. Her ears, when they weren’t hit by the whizzing pages, twitched and flicked to each of the voices ringing out. Tears pricked the corner of her eyes.

The winds continued to rise, turning slowly into a fierce roar like those found in tornadoes. Just as the mare was about to shout out in frustration, there was a blinding flash of light, dissipating the winds, darkness and parchments. In the center of the sphere stood a proud navy alicorn, wings flared as she stood stiffly. Her long trim horn was lit with a light blue aura. Her gaze, stern and guarded, swept over the area as she trotted closer to the huddled mare.

“Twilight Sparkle, stand.”

The unicorn hesitantly rose, eyes looking uncertainly about the landscape that was now a pale gray. The room took on a more hazy feel as her mind floated up and away from its previous terror.

“Pr-Princess Luna…? Why are you…? Am I… dreaming?” Twilight inched closer to the large mare.

“You are Twilight Sparkle. You have had this particular dream many times now.” Luna looked dispassionately around. “But do you know what it stands for? What causes this to haunt your mind?”

“What? What do you mean?” The studious mare didn’t look at the night princess as her heart sank. “I-I’ve never remembered this dream after I’ve woken up.”

“Hm, this I’m not sure of, but I can feel that there is more to this dream. Coming from deep in your mind. Something you do not want to acknowledge.” Luna’s voice seemed to echo in the emptiness.

Twilight’s ears flattened. She looked up when there was a flash of blue light coming from the other mare. Seconds later, the prevalent wailing appeared. Except this time the sound was clear and easily defined. It brought to mind a set of sky blue orbs that overfilled with water. Pink mane straightened to flat rows.

“Pinkie Pie…”

Luna tilted her head thoughtfully. She hummed with a nod. “Indeed, I suppose so. And what of this one?” She used another spell, sending away the one sound of crying to focus on the other one; one that was much more restrained and stifled.

It took the dreamer longer to recognize the sound. When she did, she flinched back half a step, eyes shrinking. “I… I don’t know why it’s…”

“Do you not? Truly? There is no pain you could image that would cause your inner mind to cry out?” Luna didn’t let up, stepping closer with her stern look firmly in place.

Twilight clenched her teeth painfully. “I-She- There was a reason why I thought we should stop dating! Really!”

“But your mind cries out in pain and sorrow.” Luna looked off to the murky distance, letting the wails fade and the monotone voices return. “And these, are they your reasons? The sounds that grate on you in your dreams and that command the very parchments themselves to attack you?”

“Well-I mean, yes but-I-there was-it seemed-”

“Wake now Twilight Sparkle and remember this moment. Think and reflect on ALL that has happened, not only your fear; a thing that drives many ponies to ruin and to create enemies where there were none before.” The lunar princess’ voice boomed out as she flew into the air.

The dream world swirled wildly as the purple unicorn felt her body fly towards the ground which dropped away. The wind howled in her ears as she reached out towards the floating alicorn. Her words were quickly lost in the noise while the darkness rapidly brightened to a blinding white.

“Think about what your dreams were trying to tell you!”

“Twilight? Princess Celestia, I think she’s waking up!” A gentle claw gripped the purple shoulder, moving to help the mare upright.

Twilight groaned, moving her right hoof from under her to rub at her temple. Mind clearer than it had been in weeks, she blinked in the bright light provided by the candles lit around the room. Moving slowly, the unicorn tilted her head, giving it soothing cracks as the kinks cleared out. Once completely upright, she looked around the library, freezing when she noticed the large white mare staring directly at her.

“Princess Celestia! I’m sorry, I don’t know what happened, uh, were you waiting long?” The studious unicorn struggled to stand properly. A firm white hoof and purple claw prevented her from doing so.

“It doesn’t matter how long it was. You need much more sleep, though for now, we must talk.” The solar princess didn’t smile and instead pulled over the neatly organized stack of papers and notebooks. “I believe, considering how your fretful dreaming turned gentle, you spoke with my sister while you slept.”

The lavender unicorn blushed and nodded as her mind flashed back to what they had talked about. “Y-yes… Uhm, I… I think I need to review some of my notes…”

“Yes. However, I want you to read them out loud. And wait for my word before you continue to the next entry.” Celestia wore a tiny frown as she eyed the pile.

Twilight blushed as she lifted the first and read it out loud. Afterwards, the room went quiet. The silence built until the pressure made the unicorn flatten her ears anxiously. Only then did the older royal sister issue the word to go to the next one. This extended silence after each reading continued all afternoon as the three listened to how far the unicorn went as she ‘observed’. The more recent the entry, the further upset Twilight grew as she looked back with a much clearer mind.

After she realized that her coldness towards Pinkie had caused the color loss and long crying sessions for the party mare, the librarian’s stomach sank into her back hooves. Noticing that her own ‘symptoms’ were not so much random as a subconscious reaction to her misbehavior, most of her innards filled with lead and dropped away, leaving a gaping ache in her center.

Finished with her recitement, Twilight hung her head in shame. The ruler of the day lost most of her neutrality, and frowned sternly instead.

“Twilight, do you realize how your actions appear? The watching, the spying, the coldness, the unfair treatment?” Celestia leaned down to catch her pupil’s eye. “Can you see how all of this has been affecting you my student?”

Hot tears streamed down the purple muzzle. “It… hurts! She… What she did…”

“It hurt your feelings and betrayed your trust.”

“Yes!” Twilight wailed as she threw her head to the left.

“But what you did in return was just as hurtful. Betraying and injuring a one time lover, and even worse, a close friend, is just as hurtful.”

“Yes…” The younger mare whimpered as she thumped to the ground, hooves around her barrel while silent tears continued their trek down her face. The dragon, chewing his lip anxiously, stepped up and put a sympathetic claw on the shaking form.

Celestia sighed. She closed the distance and wrapped a large wing around the sobbing mare, pulling her close. “There, there… It’s going to be ok.”

“Is it? Because I don’t know if it ever will be!” Twilight leaned back just longer enough to look tearfully to her teacher before ducking forward once more, her breath turning to hiccups. “I just don’t know what to do Princess… What do I do now…?” The muffled question was weak and drawn out as the questioner felt the remainder of her paranoia shatter away.

The solar ruler sighed and shook her head. The motion caught the distressed unicorn’s attention. “My little pony, I nor anyone else can tell you what you must do now.” The princess waited until dual orbs peeked upwards then kept on. “You must look inside and decide for yourself; do you try to reform the relationship you had with Pinkie Pie before or do you stay as friends? Either way, you should speak with her, the treatment you have shown her is not becoming of anypony.”

The purple mare shivered as her heart screamed out. She shook her head, hoof going to cover her muzzle. Her mind tried to present facts of what happened while another side of her argued back that she had not been clear-sighted when she first made those ‘observations’. The confused mare shook her head with a half-whimper.

The alicorn shook her own head in return. “Twilight, you must decide before you go to talk with her. If you are not clear on what you’ve decided, you will continue to hurt her and yourself.”

“What… What if we don’t get back together in a more… romantic relationship…?” The unicorn faced forward, not noticing the rest of the room or the young lad hiding in a corner. “How could we ever be ‘just friends’...?”

“It’s happened before. If both parties try, they can remain social with one another in a friendly manner.” The alicorn mused. “It can be difficult at first, especially as feelings do not always listen when you are around the one you used to want to be romantically involved with. But you must think about the future and how much you can stand being or not being with the other pony involved.”

The room went quiet for a time. Twilight thought, each one floating up and disappearing in a pop, unable to corral them in line. She grit her teeth, trying to keep things orderly while her heart sobbed openly. She looked up through a river of tears to a clean stack of papers on her desk and hesitated. The sun princess leaned closer to the mare beside her.

“Twilight, do not fear your notes or studies. Just realize your state of mind when you do make those notes.” The calm, collected tones of the royal mare helped to ease the uncertainty in the other’s mind.

Assured, the studious mare levitated over a few sheets of paper and a favored quill. Labeling the top with ‘pros’ and ‘cons’, the mare went down the list, adding a line for every thought that came to mind. Soon, the quill was moving nearly at the speed of light, the list leaning further into the positive side until her mind went silent and it was her heart that spoke on the papers. The positive side was quickly filled with how the blue orbs had sparkled, the pink mane flew through the air, the light hooves skimming along the ground and the unicorn’s side and more. Twilight stopped looking at the page as she continued to cry, mentally picturing each word to correspond with the feature that floated up from the depths of her heart.

Celestia leaned in to whisper in the purple ear. “I think it’s clear what you want to try and do.” She nudged the other mare then pointed with her nose towards the scattered stack of ‘cons’ and the large pile of ‘pros’ still upright.

Twilight looked to where her mentor pointed. She bit her lower lip as the last of her anxiety that held her back drifted away. She felt a shy claw on her right side. Spike stared upwards with caution shining deep in his eyes.

“Are… What are you going to do…?”

As the purple unicorn stared at the lad, she noticed that he had large bags under his eyes and his whole body sagged in place. The librarian reached out and pulled the drake close for a hug.

“I’m going to do what I should have done a while ago. I’m sorry you had to put up with… all this…” Twilight jerked her head to the desk where her notes overflowed. “I hope it’s not too late to try and get Pinkie Pie back…”

The Sun Princess smiled and stood up steadily. She nodded to the pair and flew upwards back to the balcony she had arrived in, silently. She gave one last parting farewell. “Take care and if you need help, please, ask before it gets too out of hoof. Good work Spike, you take care of Twilight just as much as she does for you.”

Twilight gave the the dragon in her hoof grip a gentle shake. “Alright Spike, let’s get another good rest.” The mare glanced out the window and winced at the darkness she saw out there. “ And then, after a nice breakfast, we’ll try and see if Pinkie is still willing to put up with a just as crazy mare and her great friend dragon.”

Spike nodded with a large grin, following closely as the duo went upstairs. He watched, uncertain that the mare would actually follow through, and relaxed in place when she did lay down. The lad went to his own room, dropping into the bed with a gusty sigh.

“It’s about time…”

The morning seemed brighter when the occupants woke up the next day. Anxiously, the dragon went to check on his guardian and found she wasn’t there. An herbal scent came from below. Frowning, he went for the kitchen, his fears mounting as he thought to the last time the purple unicorn had tried to cook.

Inside, Twilight held a steaming cup of wake up tea in her hooves. She smiled guiltily towards the lad. “Good morning Spike. I was going to make us a nice little breakfast but uh… heh heh… I remembered what happened last time.” She put a hoof to her head sheepishly.

Spike sighed playfully. “It took me and Pinkie an hour to get the burnt stuff off the ceiling.” He froze when he realized who he mentioned. Seeing only a sad smile instead of the extreme paranoia of the last few weeks, he tried to perk up the mare. “Anyways, I’ll make us the best ‘starting over’ pancakes ever and… uh…”

“And I’ll go and try to find Pinkie Pie, if it’s not too late.” Twilight looked determinedly upwards as she spoke before going back to her warm mug.

“Right!” Spike agreed heartily. He stepped further into the room but paused as he felt his throat work up a burp. A lick of flame came with the sound, revealing a small scroll addressed to the pony. “Message for you Twilight!”

The unicorn’s eyebrows twitched as she levitated it over. Opening it, she read the message quickly, brows furrowing as she did. Without looking up, she magically pulled over several dictionaries, searching through their pages before slumping in place.

The dragon, his claws full of cooking supplies, watched over his shoulder. Catching sight of now exhausted purple orbs, he faced her head on, drawing closer when she offered the paper towards the lad. Spike set the supplies down and grabbed the page.

Twilight,

I had meant to say it last night but you and Spike both needed the rest. The next vocabulary word you should learn about is ‘confirmation bias’. I believe it will be helpful in understanding.

Your mentor, available for any questions should something come up,

Princess Celestia

Spike looked at the different text books on the table and found they were already opened to the term. He read those to himself as well.

“Confirmation bias refers to a type of selective thinking whereby one tends to notice and to look for what confirms one's beliefs, and to ignore, not look for, or undervalue the relevance of what contradicts one's beliefs.”

The boy thought hard about that line before his mind cleared as he thought about what the purple unicorn had been doing recently. “Oooooh…”

Twilight sighed, rubbing her forehead. “Yes. And it makes sense… Now that I’m thinking more objectively and not in such a biased way.” She pulled at the lids under her eyes with a half groan. “I can’t believe how I acted.”

Spike scrunched his face but didn’t comment. Instead, he turned away and went back to cooking. The studious mare sighed and wrapped her hooves around the mug once more.

“Thanks again Spike.”

The two went back to their own devices. It wasn’t long before they had a large stack of pancakes, and for the unicorn another cup of tea, feeling more confident of the day’s outcome. Twilight made sure Spike knew he had the whole day to himself while she went to find the keeper of her heart.

The day seemed brighter than it had been for weeks. No one in Ponyville seemed to notice the recently reclusive mare strolling about. She went straight for the local bakery, knowing that the pink pony usually worked at this time.

A tiny bell rang as the unicorn pushed open the door. She wore a timid smile, preparing to greet those at the counter, when she felt the temperature of the shop drop to freezing. As early as it was in the day, nopony else was there except the two Cakes and Twilight. The married couple, having heard the sound, came from the kitchen with careful grins of shopkeepers but dropped them to instead glare at the librarian.

Mr. Cake drew himself to full height, casting an intimidating figure even if he was slimmer than the average stallion. He reached out and held onto his wife’s hoof to reassure and restrain at the same time. Mrs. Cake had instead leaned forward, scowl heavy, as she planted herself solidly in front of the stairway and opening to behind the counter space.

“What do you think you are doing here…?” The low, scornful threat veiled pitifully as a question came from Cup Cake. She barely noticed how her husband tightened his hold for a second as she spoke.

“We aren’t going to let you continue hurting Pinkie Pie.” Carrot Cake’s voice was more neutral than the mare’s but no less stern. “It would be best if you kept away if you don’t plan on making a proper apology.”

Under the harsh stares, Twilight hunkered down, ears flattening. “I’m… I came to talk with Pinkie Pie… I mean, really talk. I know I’ve been very foolish and I’m very sorry…” She gulped as tears pricked at the corner of her eyes. “If… If it’s not too late, I’d like to talk with Pinkie…”

The two didn’t lessen their stiff stances.

“You have made a serious mistake Twilight Sparkle. A very big mistake.” The female baker raised her tone slightly from the low octave of before. “Pinkie Pie is like a daughter to us. And you’ve hurt her far worse than needed.”

The orange stallion kept his brows furrowed. “And until Pinkie says otherwise, you aren’t welcomed here. Please leave.”

Even though he had said ‘please’, the studious unicorn could tell it wasn’t request but a demand. Slowly, backing up the entire way, she left. Before she exited completely, the unicorn asked a question softly.

“Where is Pinkie Pie…?”

Mrs. Cake sniffed as she turned her head away. “We said she should go for a morning walk as well as one in the evening.”

Twilight perked up slightly. Her mind flashed to the party pony’s well traveled park path. She nodded silently and finished leaving the bakery. She didn’t linger and rushed for the park. Her hooves twitched to go into the bushes. Snorting in annoyance to her previously demented methods, she kept on, glancing to each of the benches dotting the landscape. The usual ponies were sitting about, but no shocking pink or even dimmed pink fur was to be seen.

The unicorn rushed to the tallest hill, about to magically enhance her sight to further the search, when she heard a quiet sob from the other side of the large oak tree that rested on the crest. There, oblivious to the world, was a pile of dim pink fur.

Pinkie was curled up, her face buried in her center and under her hooves. Her cries were dampened by the layers of limbs over top of her muzzle. There wasn’t any sign of the usual parchment that would cause the torrent of tears.

Seeing the distress up close caused a sliver of fear to run through the purple form. Twilight had to remind herself that she came to stop these sorts of outbursts and forced one hoof in front of the other. Not wanting to go overboard in her need for forgiveness, she stopped just beside the huddled mass.

“P… Pinkie Pie…?” Twilight kept her voice soft as she reached out. When the mass of half-poofy mane twitched back, the unicorn winced with one eye closed. “Please… I just… want to talk… I mean, really talk…” The mare looked up from under her bangs, tears starting to build once more.

The distressed earth pony rubbed at her eyes, though it didn’t manage to clear much from her eyes. “Tw-Twilight…?” Her crying slowed as she got a better look at the mare who haunted her every moment. Spotting that the unicorn looked much more rested, Pinkie sat up slightly. “You look better… Were you able to finally get some sleep?”

The librarian raised a single brow, curious, before her mind shouted that it didn’t matter how the other mare knew that. “Yes. And I had a talk with… with the princesses. And realized how I’ve been acting…”

Pinkie Pie sniffled slightly, breaking eye contact as her heart pinched. She scuffed a hoof on the ground right before her. “You… It wasn’t…”

“No. I know I was acting and behaving badly. And… it’s been very hurtful to you.” Twilight shook her head with a grim frown. She ducked her head to the left. “And I’m really sorry. Please don’t cry.”

The pink mare shook her head, biting her lip. “I’m not crying about… about that…”

“You’re not…?” The unicorn frowned concerned before sighing sadly. “But you’ve cried before about it.”

The baker didn’t refute the statement. Instead, she reached blindly for what had been causing her sobs before. “I… I know you said you wanted to be friends- or at least work on it.” Pinkie cut herself off when she saw the unicorn look up. “But I… I can’t help how I feel about you T-... Twilight. I wrote to my family, asking about their advice.”

Twilight sat down, inching a little closer to the earth mare. “What… what did they say? Because I’ve been… very horrible to you…” She closed her eyes, wanting to explain in a rush. “I only said we could be friends so I could watch and observe you, trying to prove that you still weren’t better and that I was right.”

Pinkie, her gaze on the letter, rested her head back on her hooves. “I know.”

“You knew…!?” The librarian whispered ashamed. Her cheeks flushed as even more pieces of understanding fell into place.

“I knew… I always know when you’re about.” The young baker closed her eyes, listening to her heart race inside her chest. “I… It’s part of my Pinkie Sense… And even though I… I doubted my Sense, it still worked just like always…”

Twilight shifted closer, pausing just shy of touching the dimly colored fur. “You doubted your own Sense? How… W-why…?”

In response to the question, the pink earth pony pushed her letter before the other mare. Her heart kept up its marathon while her hooftips tingled, sending the center of her body skyrocketing into the air with hope. She clenched her hoof with tightly closed eyes, willing the hope away lest it destroy what little peace she had achieved.

“My family, well, some of them, have had their own kinds of Senses. And since… I wasn’t trusting mine, I asked them about previous Pie Senses… About special someponies.”

The unicorn glanced bewildered to the pink pony before looking over the letter. The style and wording was a little old fashion but the message was clear enough.

Pinkamena Diane Pie,

Thou shalt not doubt thine Senses. While our own senses are weaker, needing the aid of a more magically connected Choosing Stone, thine Senses are stronger, as strong as thine’s grandmother. Grandmother Pinkie has only had her Sense about her Special Somepony once, after she had already knew and loved your grandfather. While she mourned his passing, being with her true love helped her move forward, as thou must also move forward.

This mare may not be with you right now, but our family’s Senses are never wrong. Stay as strong as a rock, and thou shalt withstand any storm.

Thine father and mother,

Igneous Rock Pie and Cloudy Quartz

“What’s a Choosing Stone…?” Twilight went with the simplest question instead of the harder one that caused another split in her mind. One, the more logical side, argued there was no thing as ‘true love’ nor could it be predicted if there was such a thing. The other felt that she had to accept the earth pony’s words; having already seen the effects of doubting ‘Pinkie Sense’, as well as being comforted as to why she still needed the party pony in her life.

Pinkie’s ears flicked on their own while her inners clenched. “Some of my family don’t have a strong sense like me and my Granny. So we found a very special kind of rock that helps us connect with the magic of the world and find the one that would be our special somepony.” The earth pony stopped, paying close attention to what her body’s Sense was telling her. As each second passed, her stomach relaxed slightly as her hooves lit on fire, spreading a pleasant warmth up the limbs.

Twilight shook her head clear of the argument and leaned up against the trembling pink side. “I… don’t understand… but I’m willing to let it go. Does… Does that mean that you’ve gotten a Pinkie Sense about us being together?” The unicorn kept her eyes closed while relief flooded her veins. Her attempt at talking things over with the baker was going much better than she thought.

The earth pony stiffened slightly as dread filled her mind. Speaking slowly, she tried to gauge the other’s reaction. “Y-yes… When you first came to town, I had the Sense that you would be my very special special somepony…” She rushed on, noticing how the unicorn flinched away. She reached out, grabbing a hold of a purple hoof as she stared up to the purple eyes with tears forming in her own. “I didn’t start trying to date you right away! I knew we would have to be friends at least and you might not want to anyways so I just wanted to make everything the greatest ever for you and it was working and I thought you were happy and I was happy and it seemed like my Sense was right but then things got worse and we broke up and I thought that my Senses must have been wrong and even if you don’t want to get back together I could understand I just want you to be happy and I know you’re not and I don’t know why and I’m sorry and-”

The studious unicorn leaned back at the first few rushed words only to stop when the other pony continued in a very familiar style of ranting. She closed her eyes briefly, absorbing the words and accepting that her paranoia was trying to turn her away from potentially regaining happiness once more. Once her mind unraveled the ranting for what the frantic earth pony was trying to say, an old feeling built in the center of her chest, urging her to embrace the frantic pony. She waited a moment, to be sure of her feelings, and leaned forward, giving the pink mare a kiss on the forehead. She used her left hoof to half hold the now silent mare as she rested her muzzle along the pink neck.

“I understand… And the others were right… You have changed and are trying to not be as possessive.” Twilight spoke softly, reaching with her other hoof complete the hug as she felt the earth pony shiver with more tears landing on the purple back. “And now it’s my turn to not be as paranoid about every action and reason… You’re right. I haven’t been very happy. Because I didn’t have somepony there to always cheer me up.”

Pinkie continued to shudder, afraid to believe this wasn’t a dream and that her ears and senses were right. She slowly moved her own hooves to hold onto the unicorn, biting at her lip to prevent another outburst that could potentially cut off what the other mare had to say.

The librarian took heart from the return of the embrace and rushed on. “You’ve… You’ve always cheered me up and reminded me to get outside instead of drowning in my studies. Even… Even when I was following you, you made sure I had breaks from those extremely long walks you went on.”

The baker couldn’t help herself. She giggled, remembering those moments and how unaware her watcher had been of why she had stopped. Twilight smiled at the sound, growing braver with the sound.

“And even if your Pinkie Sense DIDN’T say we are supposed to be special someponies, I can’t think of anypony better to be with.” Twilight had to pause as the pink hooves wrapped around her barrel tightened while the other mare shook. She tightened her own side of the hug, moving her head to be within reach of an trembling pink ear. “I know I’ve been really horrible to you… Please let me make it up to you? As your special somepony?”

The last line was nearly a whisper, the wind louder. Tears flowed freely from the blue orbs as Pinkie nodded rapidly against the lavender fur. Twilight sighed in relief. She began to stroke the pink back, trying to soothe the distressed mare.

“Thank you… Please don’t cry Pinkie… Please don’t cry…”

“I’m just… so happy…!” The muttered response was almost lost in the purple shoulder but attentive ears managed to catch it. “You want to be with me, even though I made a mess of us being in Canterlot, and even if I do… do pointless pursuits that… nopony really cares about…?” Pinkie’s sobs grew stronger. “Nopony wants me to throw them parties anymore anyways!”

“What?! It’s not pointless, your parties are the best ever! They make every pony happy!” Twilight argued as she turned in place to bring their two bodies closer. “Who said that!?! I’ll prove them otherwise in a heartbeat!”

“F-Fluttershy!” Was the sobbed reply, throwing off the unicorn for a moment.

“What? Fluttershy? But she’d never say something like that. Is that why you were up here crying this time?!” Understanding started to bloom in the usually astute mare. She started to pepper tiny kisses along the pink muzzle and neck, trying to get her marefriend into a state that she could think a little clearer. It did stop most of the waterworks, except the party pony continued to shiver in the purple hooves. “There, a little calmer…?” Twilight smirked as she looked at the other mare.

“P… Please don’t stop…” Pinkie murmured, leaning forward a few inches. Her center had reached temperatures that she couldn’t feel any of her insides. They may have also started to do a conga dance of joy and worry. Her mind, previously filled with more negative thoughts, had slowly cleared away, leaving only a buzz of happiness in it’s place.

When Twilight complied with a half smile, the rest of the baker’s mind filled with warmth, a ghost of laughter, free and joyous, echoing there. Memories of brighter times, with her special somepony and her best friends, with townsfolk and family, burst through the previously constant haze of depression. With a bright flash, the pink mare’s colors returned in force, her mane and tail curling as the deep kiss continued. The two mares inched closer with every passing second, reveling in the feel of the other.

Finally, Twilight started to move back, with Pinkie Pie doing the same a half breath behind, though she moved faster. Her eyes were still closed with a heavy blush on her cheeks. Both swallowed as their hearts and bodies craved more of the long missing touch.

“Do you think parties and making others happy is still pointless?” The unicorn spoke gently, prepared to take more action if her mare still doubted herself. It wasn’t needed as the party mare shook her head with a tiny smile.

“No way! Everypony needs some happiness in their lives. And one of the best ways is having a super duper fun party for whatever they need!” Pinkie’s grin grew larger with every word. At the last second, her smile dropped away as she lunged forward to peck at the other’s muzzle. Leaning back once more, her cheeks were dark red against her fur. “And a good friend never gives up on their friends. I’ll… I’ll go and talk with Fluttershy.”

Twilight wore a goofy smirk at the touch that grew stern as she thought. “There has to be a reason for the change… What has Fluttershy done recently before she talked to you like that?”

Pinkie pulled at her bottom lip. “Weeeeellllll, she did go to some assertiveness seminar…”

“Then that’s where the problem might be coming from.” The librarian assured her marefriend, holding a single hoof. “Do… Do you want me to go with you to-to help?”

“No, it’s ok. I’ve… I’ve got you right here.” The earth mare tapped her chest with a hoof with a sheepish glance. “Can… Can I meet you back here after… afterwards…?”

“Of course.” The lavender unicorn smiled gently to the mare of her heart. She resettled in place to show how she wouldn’t be moving. “I’ll be right here waiting for you.”

“Heey! That’s my song line!” Pinkie Pie stuck her tongue out playfully before skipping down the hill, heart as light as her hooves. She hummed to herself with a tiny grin. “Whatever it takes, or how my heart breaks, I will be right here waiting for you…”

“‘Heh heh… But in the end, if I’m with you, I’ll take the chance…” Twilight murmured as she watched the other mare go. She laid down her head onto her two hooves, content smirk in place. With a single thought, she teleported over paper and a quill to write the princesses with.

Dear Princess Celestia and Princess Luna,

You were right.

Clouds had tried to take over the sky but failed. Even if there had been pouring rain, the librarian was determined to stay right by that tree. Her mind drifted freely, pleased and weightless finally. It was as a sudden extra warmth beside her that caused the lavender mare to look up, already guessing who was there.

“Welcome back, Pinkie Pie.” Twilight beamed up, waiting for the inevitable large embrace.

Instead, the earth pony hung back, scuffing a hoof on the ground. The top edge of her body swayed, wanting to be closer, but her hooves seemed stuck in place. Noticing the purple hoof patting the ground beside its owner, Pinkie allowed herself to fling forward, giving the unicorn a hug briefly and laying down beside her.

“I’m back…”

The studious unicorn leaned into the warm body with a large smile. “I’m glad you’re back… That you are willing to forgive me and take me back…”

“I’ll always be here for you Twilight-... my star…” Pinkie murmured the nickname softly, feeling a pang far in the corner of her mind. A loving kiss chased away the sting.

“I… I never thought I would hear that name again…” Twilight kept her voice low as the warmth lulled her into a cozy haze.

“I can call you that as many times as you want… my star… My lovely star, star of my heart, star of my sky…” Pinkie felt extra awake as she fought the dark voice saying it was all a dream.

She kept watch as her marefriend slept, memorizing each line, strand of fur, and movement of the unicorn. Her body released the tension as the afternoon wore on, growing accustomed to the happiness and warmth she felt coming from the unicorn, a marked difference from a few days earlier.

It was a wonderful sight for the usually hyper pony to see the love of her heart wake up beside her. She hadn’t known if she would be lucky enough to see it ever again. Even as she wanted to give the unicorn space, Pinkie couldn’t help but nose nuzzle her marefriend once she was more aware.

“Have a good nap my little star…? Do you think it’s about time for some dinner…?” The pink pony helped provide a stable shoulder as they stood up.

“Would… Would you like to come by my house and… we could cook up something?” Twilight’s mind scrambled to plan rapidly. Seeing the agreeing nod, she lead the way back to the local library.

The duo trotted into the large tree house slowly, adjusting to the feel of the other beside them. Twilight blushed when she saw that she hadn’t put any of the ‘observation notes’ away from the previous night. Using a rapid spell, she sent it on downstairs. Pinkie, knowing exactly what they were based on how it looked and being left out overnight, hunched down with flat ears. The feeling of a loving nuzzle along her maneline brought her out of her worries.

“I wanted to fix… ‘this’... as soon as I could, so I hadn’t thrown the papers away, that’s all.” Twilight smiled when she saw that her words helped.

Before either could say much more, there was a happy yelp from the stairway. Looking over, the two mares were quickly engulfed in a tight hug by sharp claws that tried to not prick on their fur.

“Please say you two made up…” Spike whispered with tightly shut eyes.

The earth pony bit her lip happily as she put out a hoof to hold him back. “You bet little buddy.”

Twilight wore a bright grin and clasped the lad happily. “Yes, and I’m very happy we did. We were about to cook dinner, want to help?”

“You bet!” The dragon let go gruffy, a blush staining his cheeks.

Together, the three went for the cozy kitchen and started a simple meal. The atmosphere was full of jokes, joy, and delicious smells. With the baker present, they made prench toast and waffles. Sitting around the little table, it felt like they were a family. Natural. The two mares saw the lad to bed, promising no more crazy things, for the next two days at least. When Spike frowned, confused and concerned, Pinkie merely shrugged.

“You never know in Ponyville!”

Twilight couldn’t fault the logic and nodded solemnly. Once the drake was safely in his room, the unicorn looked towards the earth pony who was already heading downstairs, though she stopped when she noticed the purple gaze on her.

“It’s everypony’s bed time my star. You still have a looooooot of sleep to get back.” Pinkie returned to the librarian’s side, rubbing her muzzle along the purple one.

“I… guess so… I’ll… walk you to the door.” Twilight tried to keep the disappointment from influencing her actions and led the way to the front.

Their steps were both familiar and yet hesitant. Pressed up against one another, they knew the situation was ok, and yet, things weren’t quite like it was before. When they reached the exit, both went still, trying to extend their time together.

“I’ll… see you tomorrow, right, my star…?”

“Yes. And as many mornings as you want.”

“Then I won’t need to say goodbye…” Pinkie pressed up her body against the other mare’s. “Just… ‘goodnight’. Goodnight my little star.”

“Goodnight, my sweartheart…” Twilight’s words drifted off as she moved in for one last kiss of the night. The touch was short but full of meaning.

While the earth pony walked back to the bakery, she kept looking over her shoulder, unsure if the image of her unicorn bathed in candlelight would still be there. The unicorn didn’t move from her vigil in the doorway. She watched, making sure to savor each line of the mare she almost lost due to her foolishness. That night, she made a promise. To always forgive, and always learn from her mistakes.

A New Kind Of Party

by Wolfie 03

I - The next morning

II - The 'Perfect' Date

III - Telling Others

IV - Frowny Faces and Paranoia

V - Prank Wars

VI - The ultimate night for free candy!

VII - Having A Big Ol' Harvest Feast

VIII - Telling Others (on purpose this time!)

IX - Happy Hearth's Warming Day!

X - Finding the 'right' kind of name

XI - Cheering up

XII - A date in the desert

XIII - A surprise

XIV - Learning about the start

XV - Worries of the future

XVI - One Year Anniversary

XVII - General Raisin's advice

XVIII - Ruined Surprise ... Or was it Surprise Ruin?

XIX - Nothing is working

XX - Reflecting on what's missing

XXI - Migration of Thought

XXII - Observation and Conclusion