Que la raison ignore
"Rarity?"
"Yes, darling?"
"Why did you agree to go out with me?" Twilight took a pause and searched for her next words. "By that, I mean, why did you choose me specifically?" she clarified.
The white unicorn stopped her sewing and raised her head. The two mares were inside Carousel Boutique's main workroom. They were sitting a few feet apart from one another, Rarity's back facing Twilight, each lost in their activity—sewing for Rarity and reading for Twilight—until the alicorn interrupted their comfortable silence.
Rarity turned her head toward her lover, then raised an eyebrow and smiled. "Why not, dear? Is there something wrong with us being together?" she asked.
Twilight quickly shook her head to dismiss the notion. She put her book down to focus on the unicorn before her.
"No, Not at all! It's just; I've been wondering why you chose me and not somepony else. It's more curiosity than anything." She took on a casual tone as if she were merely talking about the weather. "You could be with whoever you want. You're beautiful and successful—"
"And you're a princess, darling," The white mare interrupted, "I don't think my successes are above yours in any way," she chuckled. "Actually, it would probably be the other way around. You're the princess of friendship, one of the four rulers of Equestria, you have beaten some of the greatest foes this world has known, and yet you're asking me if I think you're not worthy?"
Twilight giggled. "So you're just with me for my crown, is that it?" she inquired with a grin that made it clear she was joking.
The fashionista put a hoof on her chest and batted her eyelashes. "Well, you can't blame me for being attracted to royalty! You know I'm all about the glamour and sophistication of the upper classes of society."
Twilight rolled her eyes playfully. "Despite what you want us to believe, I know you're not that superficial, Rarity."
"An what if I am, Twilight Sparkle? Maybe my intentions aren't as pure as you think," Rarity said with a mischievous smirk.
Twilight took a smug expression. After all, she knew her marefriend well enough not to fall into the misconceptions ponies had of her. "You're not the type to be with somepony just because of their social rank," she stated pragmatically.
Rarity smiled, satisfied by the faith her marefriend had in her. "Well, then you have your answer."
Twilight raised an eyebrow. "No, I don't. I know you're not with me because I'm a princess, but I still don't see what else could make you attracted to me. I'm not a social butterfly like you, and I care even less about interacting with the higher echelons of society. I'm not very artistic. I don't take care of my appearance the way you do. I'm not a rich foreign prince, and I'm not charming like the characters in your books..." She enumerated all of their differences as if it were just one of her checklists. Which it probably was.
"My oh my, are you that insecure Twilight Sparkle?" Rarity cut her marefriend's rant short, "If I remember well, you're the one who confessed to me. Was it not because you thought we were compatible in some ways?"
"I'm not insecure! Just… curious is all," Twilight defended herself. After all, it was true. She was merely curious. Not at all wondering why a mare as amazing and beautiful as Rarity would ever date somepony as awkward as her. No. She was just interested in what the pretty dressmaker thought of her for scientific purposes.
Rarity kept watching Twilight, her expression showing she could read the alicorn like a book. "Well then, princess, answer my question first. Why did you fall in love with me?"
Twilight thought for a second, "Mmh… well..." she started but struggled to follow up.
Rarity chuckled. "Not that easy to answer, is it, darling?"
Twilight kept her eyes down as she raised a hoof and shook it agitatedly to shush her partner. "No, no, just wait for a bit. I'm trying to organize my thoughts." She stayed deep in thoughts for a few more moments. "Well, for starters, you're nice."
"Many of our friends are. That doesn't make me special," Rarity pointed out.
"I know, I know. I have to start somewhere." Twilight admitted. "Still, you're nice, and I think that's important to highlight. Many ponies are nice, sure, but you do your best always to be kind to everypony you meet. I think you enjoy helping ponies even more than you love making dresses. In fact, maybe what you like about it, despite the obvious artistic fulfillment, is making ponies happy by creating something nice that they can wear and which caters to their specific needs."
Twilight took another pause. "You're brave, self-assured, determined," she continued. "You always push yourself and your limits. When you work, you never settle for anything less than perfect. You're ambitious, passionate, and dedicated to your craft…"
Rarity giggled. "Thank you for your kind words. You know, I do feel like that last part also applies to Rainbow Dash, though."
Twilight frowned, then rubbed her chin with her hoof. "I guess it does kinda sound like Rainbow Dash too! You guys are not that dissimilar. What does it have to do with anything, though?"
"Twilight, dear, I'm flattered that you think so highly of me! But even though I can see your admiration for my work ethics, I'm still no closer to understanding why you fell for me. All of our friends have many of the qualities you just enumerated. For example, Pinkie Pie is very dedicated to the 'craft' of partying and loves to make people happy through it. Fluttershy is the kindest pony I know. Applejack works just as hard as me, if not more. And when it comes to bravery and ambition, Rainbow Dash is second to none."
Twilight slowly nodded her head in agreement. "Yes, we have awesome friends. But you're not like them, you're... you, and that's what I like, well, about you…" she lamely said.
The white mare chuckled at that. "How eloquent, darling."
Twilight rolled her eyes with a smile. "Yes, well, it's not that easy figuring out what exactly makes you so amazing," her cheeks took on a light pink tint.
Rarity beamed. "But that's precisely my point, darling!" she exclaimed triumphantly. "Yes, I could rant about how adorable you are, how I love you for your looks, your intelligence, your bravery, that cute frown you make when you're slightly embarrassed. Yes, that same one you're making right now…"
"I'm not cute…" Twilight grumbled.
"Yes, you are!" She pinched Twilight's cheek despite the alicorn's protests. "But none of that matters. All of those things are not enough to explain why I am so utterly and hopelessly in love with you."
Twilight's whole face became redder than a tomato. "Why wouldn't they be enough?" she whispered.
Rarity put her hoof on her chest and took a dazzling pose. "Because 'le coeur a ses raisons que la raison ignore', my dear Twilight." She took a dramatic pause. "It means..."
"'The heart has its reasons, which reason does not know,'" Twilight cut in. "The original quote is 'le coeur a ses raisons, que la raison ne connaît pas'," she stated matter-of-factly.
"Twi…" Rarity pleaded, some annoyance creeping through her voice.
"It was written by famous Prench philosopher Blaise Pascal," Twilight lectured.
"Twilight—"
"By the way, many people think incorrectly that this quote is about love and relationships, when in fact, Pascal was referring to faith and religion, opposing René Descartes's méditations métaphysiques in which he…"
"Twilight Sparkle!" Rarity raised her voice.
"Y… yes, Rarity?" the purple alicorn answered, eyes wide. She knew something was usually up when Rarity used her full name.
"I. cannot. believe you." the unicorn declared, insisting on each syllable.
"Wh… What's wrong?" the purple pony inquired with a panicked look. Was Rarity angry with her? Had she said something wrong?
"Twilight!" Rarity whined. "You just ruined my dramatic build-up! I can't believe you just did that!" she scolded. "And how come you can speak Prench?"
"Oh, um… I'm sorry? I don't even know Prench. I just know the quote." Twilight confessed. "I just thought it might enrich you to know the origin of that sentence so you can use it correctly next time..." She smiled sheepishly.
Rarity sighed loudly. "Twilight," she repeated. "You just ruined a lady's tirade! Nothing you may say will set that right!" she groused. "Anyways, even if Blair Cheval…"
"Blaise Pascal," Twilight corrected.
Rarity shot a glare in her lover's direction. "Yes, well, even if he didn't mean it like that, I think his quote works quite well in this situation." Her frown turned into an amused smile. "I don't need to know the reasons for being so smitten by you. What matters is that I do love you, and not somepony else, even if I can't pinpoint why exactly."
Twilight pondered Rarity's reply. "Even if it does make sense in some ways, I must say, it's not the answer I would've expected from you."
"Why so, my dear?"
"Well, with you being the eternal romantic, I thought you'd be less down-to-earth about it," the princess of friendship admitted.
Rarity smiled. "There's a time for being romantic and a time to soothe your partner's doubts with tact and seriousness, darling. As much as I like flustering you, you wouldn't like me to treat everything as a joke now, would you?"
Twilight grinned at that. "I guess I can appreciate that! Thanks for listening, And I'm sorry for being silly," she pecked Rarity on the cheek.
"You're indeed very silly, but you're more than welcome, dear," Rarity said, returning Twilight's gesture with a nuzzle.
Rarity quickly went back to her work. She put her head down and focused on her stitching with a small smile on her lips.
"Rarity?" Twilight called.
"Mmmh?"
"I love you."
Rarity's smile grew. "I love you too, darling."