Rarity awoke from her sleep by way of a knock on her door.
With a minimum of grumbling about beauty sleep, Rarity made her way to the mirror, intent on making sure her mane was at least presentable, if it is an important matter.
‘Which it had better be, it’s-‘ Looking at a nearby clock Rarity found herself frowning even deeper. ‘Five in the morning. Who wakes up that early?! I mean sure Applejack does, but she has no choice really. She has ever so much work to do. I hope for her sake, her first job of the morning is pleasant. I wonder what it is.’ As Rarity began to go on a mental tangent that would make Pinkie Pie proud, she made her way downstairs to the door.
Shaking her head softly as to clear her thoughts and avoid mussing her mane, Rarity cleared her throat and opened the door.
“Welcome to the Carousel Boutique, I’m afraid, however, that I’m closed.” As she took a good look out her door, she felt her eye twitch once. There was nopony there. Just as she prepared to close the door a smidgen harder than would be strictly necessary, she took notice that, while there may be nopony there, there was indeed something.
A small book lay in front of her door innocently.
Looking around a couple times, she took the book in her magic and retreated back into her home. Her interrupted sleep long forgotten.
Turning the book around once she took notice that there was no title, indeed nothing about the book's exterior gave indication to either its purpose outside her door or what it could be about.
“Well, it seems that there is only one course of action.” With excitement building, the curious fashionista opened the mysterious book.
Research Notes One:
The following research and experimentation have been done to understand and if need be, properly deal with, strange symptoms that my body has been exhibiting within the past months.
Experiment One:
Go about usual routine and note where, when and what I am doing when the symptoms show.
‘Now what could some of Twilight’s research be doing here? What could she mean by symptoms? Oh! There’s more. Oh good, it looks like a translation.
Personal Notes One:
I’ve been feeling really odd recently. Not bad per say but, odd. In fact, sometimes it feels quite nice. I can’t really explain it well. I’ll take note of when I feel this way and hopefully I’ll figure something out. Maybe it’s just a cold.
’I do hope she is feeling better, though looking at the length of this, it couldn’t have lasted too long.’ She thought as she turned the page.
Research Notes Two:
Proper amounts of experimentation has revealed that the symptoms have to do with a specific subject. After a small amount of thought exercises, this has been proven. Each time the subject has been thought of, the symptoms return. Strength of symptoms seems to be relevant as to the distance between myself and the subject.
Experiment Two:
Engage other possible subjects, gauge my bodies’ reaction.
’Well, that certainly doesn’t sound like a cold anymore. What could this subject be? Ooh! This is more exciting than a mystery novel.’
Personal Notes Two:
After about a week, I still keep getting these weird feelings. I took note of everything I was doing when I started feeling a certain way. Only one thing was a constant. A pony. I don’t know what to make of this. I’ll have to see if it’s only when I’m around this pony or if it’s just a fluke. I don’t want to think I might lose a friend because my body acts up every time I’m around them.
Rarity’s eyes sparkled as she reread the entry. ’Oh, my dear Twilight. That is so like you. Researching your own feelings. If you had only come to me, I’m sure I could have told you what you’re feeling. Now who could this friend of yours be?’ Rarity’s newly procured mystery novel had now gained a possible subgenre of romance.
Research Notes Three
Conclusive testing has deduced that the original suspected subject is the cause of the strange symptoms I feel, further testing has concluded that it is the subject itself, or the thought of the subject that causes the symptoms, not a physical cause such as smell, though sight does seem to cause an increase in intensity of symptoms, the symptoms themselves need nothing more than the thought of the subject to reappear.
Experiment Three:
Research into possible illnesses, mental and, though unlikely, physical, which exhibit such reactions.
‘Oh my. Twilight my dear, after over a week I would think that you would have already understood what you were feeling.’
Personal Notes Three:
Two weeks of experimentation, three more weeks of feeling like this. I just can’t explain it. It’s like I just want to be near them. It’s like a longing. It sounds like something that Fluttershy was talking to me about a little while ago. But, that can’t be it. It just can’t. With all the research I’ll be doing, I’m sure I’ll find an explanation.
‘Three weeks on top of some months? I do believe that you are falling rather hard for whomever this pony is. I just wish I had a clue who it was. Perhaps she will explain who it was in the end?’ Flipping to the last page Rarity began reading. ’Twilight would have a fit if she knew I had skipped to the end of a book.’ She thought with a giggle as she began to read.
Final Notes:
With failure after failure, I’ve decided to give up. It’s obvious that the idea of being with me has never crossed her mind, no matter how obvious I tried to be, how much I tried to make myself more attractive, how much more time I spent with her. Nothing has worked. I only hope that with time, I can feel like I used to around her.
“What?!” Rarity said aloud as she reread the passage. ’That’s not how it’s supposed to go. She’s supposed to be swept off her hooves and ride into the sunset with her prince, wait, fellow princess? What would they be called? Twilight is already a princess and if she had fallen for a mare…Bah! I’ll figure it out later. I must know what happened!’ With a small grumble about never skipping ahead again, Rarity found her place
Research Notes Four:
I was unable to find anything specific to my symptoms, aside from a possible fever, which is ridiculous in any case with how the symptoms are brought about, in any medical books, however, due to a previous conversation with an acquaintance I have discovered a wealth of books that all seem to deal with the symptoms I have been feeling. The entire romance section of the library I live within seems to point to me having feelings of affection towards the subject. A few small mental experiments have aided to the validity of the hypothesis.
Experiment Four:
Spend time around the subject and see how myself, and to a lesser extent, the subject react to my presence and the bringing up of the idea of having affections towards somepony.
’I knew it! I knew she was falling in love’ Rarity was nearly bursting with excitement at the thought of one of her friends being in love, until she remembered the final page. The page that said that her feelings not only were never returned, but never even noticed.
Personal Notes Four:
All those weird feelings I’ve been having around them seemed to be explained, word for word in almost every book in the romance section and how Fluttershy explained it. This is not good. she's my friend! I can’t fall in love with my friend! I don’t know what to do. Will she notice and push me away if I bring it up too obviously? Will she just act awkward and ignore it, and me? I don’t know. But I’ll find out what their thoughts are. I’ll gather the opinions of my friends. Hopefully it’ll all be positive and this worry is unfounded.
’I thought her smile was quite large for what she had said was simply a survey and innocent questions.’
Research Notes Five:
With a very large majority of the reactions to my questioning in the positive, I have decided to take a chance and attempt to invite the subject with me to what is hopefully a mutually intriguing social outing.
Experiment Five:
Ask subject to the outing.
’Oh no. Is this where it all went bad? I hope the mare wasn’t too hard on her. Oh, if she was and I find out who she is…’ Rarity mentally grumbled on as she read the next passage.
Personal Notes:
My friends were all so supportive of the idea. Almost all the ponies I asked said that most couples start out as close friends.
That settles it. I’m going to try. There’s a nice lecture on the societal importance of clothing in the earlier periods of Equestrian history in Canterlot later this week. I’m sure she’d like that idea. Maybe I’ll dress myself up a little when I ask. A little more attention to my mane and coat couldn’t hurt, right?
Rarity was frozen in place as she made connections and went through her memories.
A knock reverberated through the boutique as Rarity worked on yet another dress.
“Coming!” She called as she got up from her sewing table.
Opening the door, her first thought was that the sun was much higher in the air than it should be. Meaning, she lost track of time while working again. Squinting, she was able to make out the nervously smiling face of her close lavender friend, though the sun behind her was making it hard to properly make out what face she was making sometimes.
“Twilight, darling. How are you today?” Rarity asked, causing Twilight to jump very slightly.
“Oh, just wonderful.” Twilight said as her smile grew, becoming less nervous in the process. “I actually came by to ask you out.” Her eyes widened at what she had said but did nothing to correct it.
Missing Twilight’s cue “Oh? Out to where if I may ask?” Rarity asked looking back towards a clock to check what time it was, missing a flinch from Twilight.
“W-well, there’s a lecture this weekend in Canterlot that I thought you would like.” Twilight stuttered slightly as her smile began looking more like it did when she arrived.
“That’s very kind of you Twilight, really, but, I’m afraid I’m busy this weekend.” Rarity explained as she was able to make out Twilight’s ears droop further.
“O-oh?” Twilight stuttered out.
“Oh, yes. I’m dreadfully sorry. I’m afraid I was asked out on a date for this weekend. I’m sorry but perhaps Fluttershy would like to go?” What Rarity expected was for Twilight to be excited for her having a date, the same way she had been when she found out the reason that Rarity was unable to make their group lunch get together a few months or so ago but, what she got was Twilight seeming to do her absolute best not let Rarity on to how down she left. The absolute most forced smile she had ever seen, coupled with ears flat against her head and glistening eyes. Rarity immediately felt as though she had kicked opal. But before she could mention the possibility of changing her schedule around, Twilight spoke up.
“Y-yeah. Have a good…date Rarity. I- I have to go” With a pop of magic, Twilight was gone.
Rarity couldn’t think straight. If she was right, Twilight had fallen in love with her and without even knowing it, she turned her down. For what? Another date that she knew would end badly?
Research Note Five:
The experiment failed.
The subject had a previous engagement on that day.
Aesthetic changes went unnoticed.
Tickets were refunded and reservations canceled.
No monetary loss suffered.
Relaxing exercises have been performed.
Will inquire later on the how the subjects outing went.
Rarity didn’t know what to think. Either it was just a habit of Twilight’s to be emotionally distant in her research or she really only thought of it as a simple ‘experiment.’ But then, why would she have looked so down? There was also the fact that Twilight had still been gone that weekend. But if she returned the tickets, then why would she still go? Beginning to read the personal log revealed with answer it was.
Personal Note Five:
How could I had been so stupid? Of course, she would have a date on the weekend! With how beautiful she is, that shouldn’t have surprised me. I shouldn’t have let it show so much. I feel so dumb. I’ve never even heard of her dating a mare. I wish she would have noticed the hairpin I had in at least…I’ll still go to Canterlot for the weekend; see the princess’ and my parents. I’d rather not be around to catch a glimpse of their ‘date’.
With a blush, Rarity went on reading. More attempts at getting a date, more failures. In what seemed like a short time, Rarity was once again on that horrid final page.
Rarity stared at the page for what seemed like an eternity until a knock on the door brought her out of her thoughts.
Opening the door, without her usual greeting for once she beheld the same mare that had been in her thoughts since she began reading that book.
“Hey Rarity. You, uh, are you okay?” Twilight asked with concern as she took notice to a kind of faraway look in Rarity.
Shaking her head quickly, Rarity remembered why this mare was sitting on her doorstep. ’I asked her over to help with a dress fitting, of course.’
“Did you forget that I was helping you today? If you did, that’s fine. I can come back another time if you need me to.” Had Rarity not just read what she did, she might not have noticed the way Twilight’s smile was slightly forced or the nice shine on her coat. It was time to make sure of her idea. It was time for an experiment of her own and if she turned out to be right, well, maybe it was time to try something new.
“No, no. I do remember but…” as Rarity held the last word she noticed Twilight’s ears begin to droop before the instantly perked back up again. A telling sign of when a pony was forcing themselves to look happy. Rarity cursed herself for being the cause of such a look on her friends face, even if she had felt this experiment necessary. “Before we do that how about we go for some breakfast, just the two of us?”
Twilight’s smile was no longer forced. “I would love to.” The slight red on Twilight’s muzzle made Rarity smile with what she had achieved through merely inviting Twilight to a morning breakfast.
’I do believe that was a resounding success.’ Rarity thought as they made their way out of the Boutique. Looking Twilight over once discreetly, Rarity remembered the book again. “Your coat looks very nice this morning darling.”
The blush that spread across Twilight’s face made Rarity beam with a kind of pride from causing such a thing.
“Thank you Rarity but, it still nowhere as beautiful as yours.” Twilight said quietly.
“Thank you dear but, beauty is in the eye of the beholder and if I say your coat looks lovely or your mane looks gorgeous, then you can believe that I mean it completely. Being a fashionista, I would know after all.” The pride that Rarity held at making Twilight blush increased tenfold and was nearly making her squeal in joy as she saw her friend do, what would have been an award winning impression of a tomato.
“S-so.” Twilight squeaked out. “Have, uh, have any stallions asked you out recently?”
“No, they have not. I would probably say that it’s a good thing however.” Rarity said, keeping an eye on Twilight’s reactions.
“Oh?” Twilight said louder than she most likely meant. “Why is that?” She finished at a more normal volume.
“None of the stallions I have been on dates with have been very, enjoyable.” Noticing Twilight’s confused look, Rarity kept talking. “It’s always about them, and why they are the perfect date or the perfect stallion. If at least one of them had talked less at me and more to me, maybe I would not have come to the conclusion that I have.” It wasn’t a lie either. When on a date with what many ponies considered to be a mare of the highest standards, they had a habit of doing little aside from talking themselves up.
“What conclusion did you come to?” Twilight asked, her eyes brimming with confusion and what looked to be a bit of hope.
“I’m going to give up on dating stallions for a while. Perhaps they just aren’t for me. Maybe I will attempt to date a mare once and see how it goes.”
“Really?!” The hope and excitement in Twilight’s voice was near palpable to Rarity and caused her a give a small giggle before stopping.
“Yes, really. Do you happen to know of any mares that may be interested?” Rarity asked as innocently as she could manage.
“I-I might.” Twilight said, giving a nervous chuckle.
“Excellent. Let us talk about it over breakfast, shall we?” Before Rarity could take a step, she noticed Twilight pointing a hoof ahead of them.
“Ladies first.” Twilight said, causing both the mares to laugh.
Rarity didn’t know for sure what would come of this, but so far, this had been the most fun she had ever had on what could be considered a ‘date’ and she hoped there would be more.
A little ways away a small dragon walked away from the bush he had been stationed in, speaking to himself with a bittersweet smile as he went. “Ya done good spike. Ya done good.”
