Just a Joke
Twilight hummed a merry tune to herself as she busied herself around her home, feather duster held in her magical grasp. Spike was doing the same on the other side of the library, dusting the shelves and books and tables and just about any other surface available. Today was a day of cleanliness. Today was a day for cleaning. With a fond smile Twilight looked back over the area she'd already dusted, admiring her positively sparkling handiwork. If she didn't know better, she'd have sworn the library actually was sparkling.
Then she turned her head, saw the area she had yet to dust, and groaned, her shoulders slumping. Even with Spike's help, cleaning the entire library was going to take all day, especially if she was going to clean the basement as well. That was a whole other headache she didn't want to deal with.
A sudden thud rang through the library as the front door was thrown open, allowing the warm spring breeze into her house.
“Hey, Twi?”
Speaking of headaches she didn't want to deal with.
“What is it, Rainbow Dash?” Twilight asked as politely as she could, turning and giving her unexpected friend a small smile.
“What, no 'hello' or anything? I'm beginning to think you don't like me coming over,” Rainbow said, pouting slightly.
“No! No that's not what I meant!” Twilight backpedalled, fearing she'd unintentionally insulted her friend. “I was just-”
“Relax, Twi,” Rainbow interrupted with a chuckle, “I was just kidding.”
Twilight rolled her eyes, glancing back at the calendar on her wall. “Of course you were. Now, what would you like?”
“Well...” Rainbow trailed off, her demeanour changing. Her brash and cocky attitude changed to a stance that looked similar to something Fluttershy would do when confronted with a personal question. “There's this thing that I gotta ask ya...”
“Whatever it is, could you get on with it?” Twilight urged impatiently, seemingly not noticing Rainbow's change in tone. She was convinced this was somehow going to end up as another joke.
“Right... right.... I should do that...” Rainbow laughed nervously, scratching the back of her neck sheepishly. “Well, I kinda wanted to ask you...” after that she trailed off into incoherent mumbling, leaving Twilight thoroughly confused, and a little impatient.
“I'm sorry, could you repeat that?” Twilight asked, temporarily putting her duster down on a nearby table and taking a few steps closer to her pegasus friend. Even Spike stopped his dusting to listen in on the conversation.
“Right, sorry.” Rainbow swallowed thickly, only now realizing the corner she'd backed herself into. There was no way Twilight would let her out of this. Well, there was one way. The entire reason she was asking today of all days; the ultimate fail-safe. But she had to ask the question before she could use it. “Well I... uh... I wanted to know something?”
Twilight lit up at the words, before practically deflating like a balloon and giving Rainbow a deadpan look. “You mean you want to learn something?” She asked skeptically.
“Well... kinda... but not from any books or anything. I just need to ask you a question,” Rainbow explained awkwardly, keeping her eyes glued safely on the floor.
“Ask away,” Twilight prompted eagerly. “I'll do whatever I can to help.”
“Here goes nothing...” Rainbow muttered quietly. She took a deep breath, straightened her posture and looked Twilight in the eyes. “Will you go on a date with me?” She asked as loudly as she could manage, which was surprisingly loud considering her nerves.
For a moment, Twilight was silent, frozen with an expression mixed between shock and thought. She blinked, then again, then a third time before grinning at the pegasus and saying, “Of course I will!”
“Before you say anything, you need to know that- wait, what?” Rainbow asked incredulously, shaking her head to knock loose whatever was in her ear that made her hear what she thought she heard.
“I said yes,” Twilight elaborated with a smile. “What time?”
“Well I uh...” Rainbow stammered, staring wide-eyed at her crush for the better part of three weeks. “I'll be back at 6 to pick you up for dinner,” she replied numbly, still not entirely sure of what had just happened.
“Sounds great! I'll get ready. See you then!” Twilight called, showing the pegasus to the front door. Rainbow, still shell shocked, could only nod. “Great! Bye!” Twilight said chipperly, before closing the door.
Rainbow stood outside the door for a moment, her brain struggling to process what had just happened. “I... got a date... with Twilight Sparkle....” she whispered to herself in disbelief. Was it really that easy?
“I... I got a date with Twilight Sparkle,” she repeated a little louder, trying to convince herself of the previously unimaginable prospect.
“I got a date with Twilight Sparkle!” She cheered, jumping into the air victoriously.
“I gotta go get ready!”
In a panicked blur she shot off through the sky towards her house.
Twilight, meanwhile, returned to her cleaning inside, much to the surprise of her draconian assistant. “Play an April fool's joke on me huh?” She chuckled to herself. “Let's see how she reacts to a prank of my own.”
-_-_-_-
Twilight sighed contentedly, relaxing in her chair with a good book floating in front of her. All thoughts were banished under the powerful spell the story had placed on her, and she was oblivious to Spike running about the house, shuttling returned books to their proper places. The dragon stopped mid-step during one of these journeys, looking up at the clock before over to Twilight.
“It's 5:30,” he said expectantly. Twilight didn't even register his existence. He sighed in annoyance, finishing the delivery of his current load before walking over and tapping Twilight on the shoulder. When that didn't work he took a step back and let out a fake burp.
“A letter from the Princess?” Twilight asked excitedly, peaking over the book in front of her.
“No; it's 5:30. Aren't you going on a date tonight?”
Twilight laughed, closing her book and sitting up straight. “Spike please; she was just playing a prank on me – it is April 1st. It's not like she's actually going to follow through; I got her pretty good by agreeing. I bet she thought I'd freak out or something.”
The purple dragon nodded skeptically. “Right... but what if she does follow through? You know how stubborn Rainbow Dash can be.”
“Hmm...” Twilight hummed softly, rubbing a hoof to her chin as she thought over that possibility. It certainly was a viable idea; Rainbow Dash was one of the two best pranksters in town, and she would let very little stop her from getting a prank off. “Then I guess I'll have to be ready to do her one better. Time to get ready,” she said after a while, getting off her chair.
She walked to the stairs and paused, turning back to Spike. “Go get my Galla dress out of the closet and put it on my bed. She won't be expecting that.”
Spike rolled his eyes at Twilight's determination – almost comparable to Rainbow's own – but did as he was asked.
-_-_-_-
Rainbow flitted about her house nervously; it was almost time. She'd come this far, she couldn't just back out now! She had to do this. Her fail-safe had proved unnecessary, and her question had been met with a better response than she'd been anticipating. But now was the defining moment of her night, and possibly her foreseeable future; her first date with Twilight Sparkle.
“C'mon, Dash,” she muttered, straightening the wrinkles in her dress – the same one she'd worn to the Galla. While fancy might not be her, this was an important night, and if a dress would help, she'd wear a dress. It just so happened to be the only one she owned. “Get a hold of yourself.”
She glanced over at a mirror, examining herself closely. She'd even done up her hair for this; there was no way she was going to screw it up.
Taking a deep, calming breath, Rainbow glanced one more time up at her clock, confirming the time, before taking off out her front door. It was now or it was never. She'd spent weeks planning this, and spent the better part of the day worrying about it. It was time to put and end to all of it; her anxiousness, her nervousness, her fear. She was done being scared. It was time to take Twilight Sparkle out on a date.
The flight was fast and as smooth as she could make it to avoid ruining her dress or hair too much. While the dress was slightly wrinkled from the less-than-ideal storage conditions in her house, it wasn't noticeable, and was more than acceptable by her standards. Before she even knew what she was doing she was faced with the greatest obstacle she'd ever met; Twilight's front door. It was this door that had prevented her from knocking countless times when she'd thought she'd gathered the courage to ask the unicorn out. It was this door that made her heart flutter every time she passed the library and gazed longingly at it, yearning for the strength to knock. It was this door that stood before her now, making her hooves shake even as she reached up to knock.
Three solid, quiet thuds rang through the library, and she remembered why she hadn’t bothered knocking the first time she came to the library that day; the waiting. Waiting at this cold, emotionless door for an answer was quite possibly the worst feeling she'd ever experienced. In the time between the knocking and the door opening anything could happen. She could chicken out and fly away – which she'd done on more than one occasion – or she could start hyperventilating, a trait normally attributed to Twilight rather than herself. For all she knew, with how fast and hard her heart was beating, she could have a heart attack.
But she didn't do anything like that, because the hard part was over. She'd already asked Twilight out. All she needed to do now was hold up her end of the deal.
The door opened to reveal an absolutely stunning sight.
Twilight Sparkle stood in the doorway, smiling brightly in her own Galla dress. Her mane wasn't done up, but that didn't matter one bit to Rainbow Dash as she simply stood in awe of the unicorn before her.
“She actually did her hair!?” Twilight thought incredulously, just as shocked as Rainbow, but for a completely different reason. “She's really determined to top me on this... She must have realized what I was doing.”
“H-hey, Twilight,” Rainbow greeted anxiously. “You ready?”
Twilight smiled brightly, shaking herself from her surprise. “Yep! Where are we going?”
Smiling nervously, Rainbow stepped to the side as Twilight exited her house, closing the door behind her. “It's a surprise,” she explained.
“Well, we'd better be going; I'm starving,” Twilight said, already trotting away from her library, forcing Rainbow to catch up. Side by side they walk through the town, quickly getting closer to their destination. While Twilight was eager to take the lead, she allowed Rainbow to guide them when she realized the pegasus had set something up. While she was determined to get the upper hoof in this prank, she wouldn't let the Rainbow's efforts go to a complete waist. For all she knew, Rainbow still thought she was falling for the joke, which was how she intended to keep it.
“So... we're going to the park?” Twilight asked knowingly as they passed the final restaurant on this side of town. “A picnic?”
Rainbow sighed in disappointment. “Can't keep anything from you, can I?” She asked rhetorically. “Yeah, I made us a picnic.”
“Sounds romantic,” Twilight cooed, doing her best impression of a love-sick teenager. It seemed to do the trick, as Rainbow nodded and turned away. She even saw a light blush on the pegasus's cheeks, meaning she was finally getting the upper hoof.
“So why did you say yes?” Rainbow asked suddenly, just as the park came into view down the street.
“She's testing me...” Twilight thought, giving a mischievous smirk to the path in front of her before looking over to Rainbow. “I won't be losing this lead now.”
“Well,” Twilight started slowly. “I... uh... I always kinda had this thing for you,” she said nervously, hiding her face from her pegasus 'date' as though she were hiding a blush. From the surprised look on Rainbow's face, the ploy was working. “I've never had a marefriend before, so I wasn't really sure what I felt towards you. A little while ago... I figured it out. I was going to ask you, but I could never gather the courage. Guess I didn't need to, huh?”
Rainbow struggled to keep her jaw from falling open. Twilight had a crush on her too? This was almost too good to be true – like something straight out of a cheesy romance book. “I guess not,” was all she could bring herself to say in response as they entered the park.
“So... food?” Twilight asked, looking around the lush green grass, freshly freed from the snowy grasp of winter.
“Over there,” Rainbow replied, motioning with her head towards a blanket laid out under a tree, a basket resting atop it.
As they approached, Twilight noticed that the park was deserted. It was a surprise that such a beautiful place would be empty on such a wonderful day. Scanning the area curiously, she shrugged it off as coincidence and ponies being home for dinner as she sat herself down on the classic red-and-white checkered blanket. “How original,” she thought as Rainbow opened the basket.
“Sandwich?” Rainbow offered, holding out a plate with said sandwich on it. From the smell alone Twilight recognized her favourite type; daffodil and daisy with mustard. Rainbow really went the whole extra mile.
Twilight nodded in thanks and took the proffered plate, setting it down in front of her before lifting the sandwich in her magic and taking a small bite, smiling as the familiar flavours washed over her tongue. “How did you know these were my favourite?”
Rainbow shrugged, taking a bite from her own sandwich. She chewed and swallowed before answering, the manners greatly surprising Twilight. “I remember a lot more than ponies think I do, and pay even more attention. But you know that; you've never once treated me like I was stupid or slow or anything. I like that about you,” she explained with an embarrassed blush. If Twilight didn't know any better, she'd have sworn the confession was genuine.
“So why me?” Twilight asked, taking another bite of her food. “You asked me, so now I get to ask you.”
“Well...” Rainbow started awkwardly, “Aside from what I just said, you're just the type of pony I really admire; dedicated, hard-working, all of that. You're kind to anypony and everypony, and just all around an awesome pony,” she finished with a shrug and a grin, adding, “And not hard on the eyes, either.”
Twilight felt her cheeks heat up significantly at the explanation. This wasn't good; Rainbow was gaining the advantage again. With how hard she was trying, Twilight was pretty sure Dash was on to her at this point, but she wouldn't let that stop her. She would not be pranked without putting up a fight.
So she countered, saying, “Neither are you,” in the most suggestive tone she could muster, which probably wasn't very good. Surprisingly enough, though, Rainbow seemed to buy it, as she blushed heavily and turned away, rummaging again through the picnic basket.
After a moment of searching, she brought out two bottle of Apple Family cider, making Twilight's eyes grow wide. “Want some?” She asked, noticing the look of surprise on Twilight's face.
“I... how did you get these? Cider season isn't until the fall!” Twilight stammered in disbelief.
Rainbow shrugged. “I saved 'em from the last season. Wanted to use them for a special occasion, and I figured this was good enough.”
Twilight was still trying to comprehend the fact that Rainbow Dash, Equestria's most notorious cider-addicted pony, could manage to save not one, but two bottles of cider, and then expend them on a prank where she wouldn't even be drinking both of them. Was she really that determined? Thinking quickly, Twilight accepted on of the bottles. “I... thanks, Dashie,” she said, smirking a the very evident blush on Rainbow's cheeks that always came with ponies using her arguably adorable nickname. Pinkie Pie approved and tested.
After that, silence descended upon the pair. Twilight was happy she was ahead and wasn't going to risk it by saying something stupid, and Rainbow was still too embarrassed by her nickname to say anything more. Eventually though, she regained control of her blush, and started talking again. Nothing important; just mindless chatter while they ate their meal. This continued on for an hour or two. When the sandwiches were done Rainbow brought out a cake for dessert, something Twilight was quite thankful for. When the cake was mostly eaten and the cider was gone, so too was the sun, having sunk below the horizon just as the meal was finished.
Rainbow packed away the plates as Twilight stretched herself out on the blanket, staring up at the stars in the night sky above her. The tree next to them blocked a portion of the sky, but as an avid astronomer what Twilight couldn't see she could picture in her mind. She brought a hoof down, resting it on her stuffed tummy, moaning gently. “That was delicious,” she said quietly as Rainbow finished packing everything away, minus the blanket.
The pegasus smiled, laying down next to her date and sharing her view of the stars. “I'm glad you thought so. I spent a lot of time planning this, not to mention trying to gather the courage to ask you out. But it payed off in the end,” she said with a contented sigh. In a moment of boldness, comforted by the wonderful night they'd shared so far, Rainbow leaned over, and kissed Twilight gently on the cheek.
The unicorn froze, not expecting something so drastic from Rainbow Dash. But she couldn't deny it; Rainbow had kissed her. The ultimate one-up of the prank. She was defeated. With a heavy sigh, Twilight sat up and straightened her dress. “You win.”
Rainbow tilted her head curiously, still lying back on the ground. “Win?”
Twilight groaned in annoyance. “You're really going to make me say it, aren't you?” She asked, only bringing more confusion to Rainbow's features. “Fine. You won; you, Rainbow Dash, out pranked me, Twilight Sparkle.”
“Prank? Twi, what are you talking about?” Rainbow asked, pushing herself from the ground and watching with mild concern as the unicorn grunted.
“This!” She said, waving her hooves about. “What, did you think I wouldn't know it was a prank? I have news for you, Dash; I know better than to believe that you had a crush on me. I thought I could get you back by agreeing to it, but that didn't work out so well...”
“Th-this... a prank?” Rainbow was truly struggling to comprehend what Twilight was saying. This was all a joke to her? Twilight thought... she was trying to prank her? After everything that had been done and what they'd both said? But that meant...
“Y-yeah... haha... I got you...” Rainbow laughed weakly, remembering Twilight's confession. Her false confession.
“Just try not to rub it in too much,” Twilight grumbled, standing up. She glanced around the darkened park, before sighing. “I'm just glad it's over; this dress is not the most comfortable thing I could have worn...” she noted, lighting her horn and teleporting with a flash. She reappeared a few feet to the side of where she started, her dress falling to the ground without her body to hold it up. She picked it up in her magical grasp and draped it across her back.
“April fool's joke or not,” Twilight started, “It really was a nice dinner; you went all out for this one. I'll see you around, Dash.” With that, Twilight turned, and started walking out of the park.
“S-see ya...”Rainbow said, waving weakly as the unicorn exited the park. She stared blankly as Twilight left her sight, turning down the street and making her way back home. For a while she didn't move, unable to take her eyes away, some little part of her mind hoping Twilight would come back and explain how that was a joke, and not the date or her confession. Instead, a lone, gentle breeze rolled through the park, and nothing else. Twilight was gone.
“But it wasn't a joke...” Rainbow whimpered, falling onto her back and staring up at the sky, partially hidden behind the leaves of the tree. She choked back her tears, laughing bitterly. “A prank, huh Dash? She really got you good...” She wanted to feel anger. She wanted to get up and fly after Twilight, to give the mare a piece of her mind, but she just couldn't find it in herself. She didn't have the will left to feel angry about it.
“Happy April fool's day...”
-_-_-_-
Twilight hummed quietly to herself as she walked through the quiet evening streets of Ponyville. The moon provided enough light for her to see her way home and added a gentle, pale glow to everything. The quiet, cool night air was wonderful against her coat, having been stuck in that dress for most of the evening. It was a beautiful dress, that was a fact she would never argue with, but comfort was something she sorely missed whenever she put it on for more than a few minutes.
As she made her trek back through town, she started thinking back to the prank Dash had tried to pull on her. While the pegasus might have won in the end, Twilight was quite proud of the fight she'd put up, hopefully discouraging Rainbow from trying to prank her again for a while. Of course, she knew such a hope would never come true – Dash was a stubborn pony, and would want revenge for her prank not having the full intended effect.
“Hiya Twilight!” Pinkie chirped happily, bouncing along beside the mare.
Twilight jumped, letting out a surprised squeak at the sudden appearance of her friend. “P-Pinkie Pie!? How did- never mind. What's up?” She asked as calmly as she could, slowing her racing heart and shoving the unexplained appearance into the same category that held everything else Pinkie did.
“Oh silly,” Pinkie giggled brightly, patting Twilight on the head while still somehow bouncing along the path. “That's what I was about to ask you! Well, not really. Kind of-sort of. It's close to the same question. Like, if the questions were towns, they'd be right next to each other. But not, like, so close they were touching, but close enough you could see one town from the other town. Unless it was really really foggy out, then you wouldn’t be able to see anything! Well, obviously you'd be able to see the fog. If you couldn't see anything you'd be blind and you would need to go to the doctor!” Pinkie rambled.
Twilight had tuned her out after the first couple sentences, waiting for the white noise to stop before asking, “What did you want to ask?”
“Oh, right! How was your date with Dashie?” The pink mare asked excitedly, her bouncing seemingly speeding up to match her eagerness on the subject.
Twilight rolled her eyes. “Figure's she'd have you in on it too,” she muttered. “You can drop the act; I figured it out as soon as she asked me.”
Pinkie tilted her head curiously, stopping her bouncing. “Figured what out? Were there other ponies in the park? I thought I made sure you'd be all alone and it'd be super perfect...”
Grunting in annoyance at Pinkie's persistence, Twilight said, “I know it was a prank. I only agreed to go to prank her back.”
At that Pinkie stopped moving all together, simply staring ahead as Twilight kept walking. Upon noticing the worried expression on Pinkie's face, Twilight stopped as well. “Pinkie?” She asked, taking a couple steps towards the frozen earth pony. “She ended up out pranking me in the end, if it makes you feel any better.”
“Makes me feel better?” Pinkie asked quietly, looking deep into Twilight's eyes. “Me feel better?” She repeated, a little louder.
“Pinkie?” Twilight asked nervously, taking a few anxious steps away under the influence of the pink mare's intense gaze.
“Twilight,” she said lowly, her mane flattening slightly. “It... it wasn't a joke...”
Twilight snorted, turning away. “Right, because Rainbow Dash obviously had a crush on me,” she laughed with a roll of her eyes as she started walking away. “Just give up the act Pinkie.”
Pinkie reached out suddenly, grabbing Twilight's shoulder and spinning the unicorn around. “I'm not acting,” she said dangerously. “Dashie's had a crush on you for a long time. She asked you out today because if you said no she could say it was a joke to keep your friendship without it getting uber awkward, not because it was a prank.”
“W-what?” Twilight stammered, staring in shock at the pink mare.
“She really does have a crush on you, Twilight,” Pinkie repeated sadly.
Twilight felt like she might be sick as the realization dawned on her. Suddenly she saw the entire night in a very different light. Everything Rainbow had said was true... and she'd spit in her face with lies and deceit, all because she thought it was a prank. Her mind swam with self loathing and guilt as the truth came crashing down on her. Like a ball and chain wrapped around her soul a sudden weight was added to her mind; the burden of her mistakes.
“I have to go find her...” Twilight muttered, before whipping around and taking off down the street. Pinkie watched with a hopeful smile as the unicorn ran down the street.
“I have a good feeling about this,” she chirped, beginning to once again bounce down the street now that she was sure everything would be alright. Her Pinkie sense had told her when Dash had a crush, and now it was telling her everything would turn out fine.
Twilight ran as fast as her hooves could carry her, her dress had fallen off her back some time ago, blown away by the wind. She'd either find it later or get Rarity to make another one; at this moment, she couldn't care less about some piece of fabric. She needed to find Rainbow Dash. Now. She didn’t know how she felt, and had she not assumed it was a prank she wouldn't have even said yes to the whole thing. At the same time, she had a feeling she wouldn't have said no either.
The park was coming into view again as Twilight ran. There was only a slim chance Rainbow would even still be there after what Twilight had done to her, but she could hope. With a final burst of speed Twilight ran out into the park, across the smooth grassy hills and around the large trees to the one spot she was looking for. She got there, and sighed in relief. Rainbow was still there, laying on the blanket and looking up at the stars, nothing but a dark silhouette under the night sky.
“Rainbow!” Twilight called, teleporting the remaining distance to the pegasus, reappearing next to her with a flash of light. Rainbow jumped, quickly wiping a hoof across her eyes and cheeks before smiling brightly as she sat herself upright.
“Hey Twi, what's up?”
“I'm sorry,” Twilight said breathlessly, falling onto her haunches as the run caught up to her. Too ashamed of herself to say more and too breathless to continue apologizing, she simply sat there, panting.
Rainbow tilted her head curiously. “Sorry? What do you have to be sorry for?”
Twilight took a moment to catch her breath before answering. When she was about to speak again, she looked up, only to fall silent a moment later, stunned to silence by what she saw. Rainbow Dash stood before her with red, puffy eyes and dark trails running down her cheeks. Her dress was wrinkled and tattered, while her hair was matted and messy. On top of it all she wore a clearly forced smile, only adding to the sorrow held in her eyes. Twilight swallowed thickly before saying, “Rainbow, I... I talked to Pinkie on my way back home... she told me this wasn't a prank.”
Rainbow was silent for a time, before breaking down in laughter. “And you believed that?” She laughed uproariously. “Twi, it's April Fool's day! The mare's probably been out pranking everypony, including you. Just like... just like I was...” Rainbow seemed to choke on her last words, but managed to force them out as she stopped chuckling.
“You were pranking me?” Twilight asked skeptically. She doubted highly it was all a joke after the way Pinkie had told her what she assumed was the real truth.
“Haha, yep. Beat ya, too. I figured you knew it was a prank a while ago, but I kept going just in case,” she explained with her signature smile. This one didn't quite reach her eyes.
“And everything you said to me? They were all lies?”
Rainbow faltered, losing her smile and looking down to the ground. “Y-yeah... just... just like everything you told me...”
“Rainbow...” Twilight sighed, hanging her head. With a heavy sigh, she leaned forward and wrapped the pegasus in a hug. “I know you weren't lying. I know you thought the date was real. I... I'm sorry, I wasn't thinking when I did what I did. It was a mistake.”
Rainbow stiffened in the embrace, not expecting it, but eventually relaxed as she welcomed it. “I-it was just a joke...” She whispered, even as she returned the hug.
“Of course it was, but not all jokes are lies,” Twilight replied. “Were you lying?”
Rainbow swallowed the lump in her throat, remaining silent as she debated her answer. She knew the true answer, but she wasn't sure if she wanted to tell the truth anymore. After what happened the last time she told the truth...
“N-no,” she said eventually in a quiet, shaky voice. Twilight squeezed her tightly.
“I was... and I'm so sorry. I promise I won't do it again.”
“Doesn't matter,” Rainbow muttered miserably, refusing to remove herself from Twilight' warm embrace. “I know your real answer now.”
Twilight knew what she was talking about, but bit the bullet and asked anyway. “What's that?”
“If agreeing to go out with me was a prank then... then you don't think of me... like that...” Rainbow explained hesitantly.
Sighing, Twilight released the mare from her arms and sat back, frowning. “Rainbow, I only did it as a prank because I thought you were trying to prank me. On any other day I would have known it wasn't a prank... and I wouldn't have said no.”
“You... you're saying you wanted to go out with me?” Rainbow asked, her surprised tone evident and the very edges of her lips started to twist up into a smile.
“I can't say I’d have said yes either,” Twilight continued, making Rainbow's hopeful smile fall from her muzzle. “But... after tonight, looking back on it as a date and not a prank...” she paused, looking around the calmness of night all around them. “Now... I think I know for sure what my answer would be.”
“What is it?” She asked carefully, not really wanting to know the answer, but at the same time, she needed to.
Twilight took a breath, before asking, “Rainbow Dash, would you like to go on a date with me?”
“W-what?” Rainbow gasped, staring in shock. “Y-you want to go out with me? Not as a joke?”
“Yes, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight answered with a gentle smile. “I would like to go out with you.”
Rainbow smiled gleefully. The previous attempt was still in her mind, but she pushed it aside. Twilight wouldn't do that to her now. Twilight wouldn't lie to her again. “When?”
Twilight thought for a moment, contemplating a question she hadn't expected. “How about... now?”
“Now!?” Rainbow was positively ecstatic. What had started as the greatest day in her life had turned to the worst, and now was changing back to the best.
“Yep. Although... I don't think you want to be in that dress for any longer,” Twilight noted with a small chuckle. Rainbow nodded in agreement.
“Just wait here and I'll-” Rainbow was cut off with a loud pop and a bright flash as her dress was magically teleported away from her and laid down gently on the picnic blanket.
“Shall we?” Twilight asked with a smile, motioning with her hoof for the pegasus to follow her. Rainbow stood from the ground slowly.
“Where are we going?” She asked curiously as Twilight started leading them deeper into the moonlit park.
Twilight shrugged. “Wherever we go. We've already had dinner, so for this date, we're just gonna... walk.”
“Just walk?” Rainbow repeated, glancing around the nighttime darkness before smiling. “I like that idea.”
And so the pair walked aimlessly through the dim light of the moon. The grass, normally a bright green, was a much duller tone, pleasant to look at but not distracting. The sky's blackness complimented the darkened colours all around them, blending with the leaves of the trees and the far-off horizon, making the line between earth and sky hard to see. Stars twinkled brightly in the night sky, far away from the big cities and away from the dimmer but still noticeable lights of Ponyville. All around them was the kind of silence that was anything but quiet. Wind whispered through the trees, the leaves rustling in response. Crickets sung their songs as the birds finished their encores before a long night of quiet rest.
In the distance the creek separating Ponyville from the Everfree could be heard, adding a low murmur of noise to the air of night. All was quite, yet at the same time, nothing was silent.
“I really did have a good time today,” Twilight noted quietly as they kept walking. “I'm glad I said yes, even if it was for the wrong reasons. Can you ever forgive me for it?”
Rainbow sighed, looking up to the stars they walked beneath. “Do you know why I asked you today?”
“Pinkie told me it was so you could say ti was a joke if i said no, so we could still be friends without any awkwardness,” Twilight explained.
“This entire mess was my fault.” Rainbow admitted quietly. “It was my own cowardice that made me ask today of all days; I should have known you would take the obvious answer. I know I would have.”
Twilight shook her head vigorously. “It's not your fault! That's a fear anypony would have; it's only logical that you'd want a way to stay friends should the worst happen. I should have realized you wouldn't play such a prank.”
Smiling, Rainbow turned and looked over to her date. Her real date this time. “I'll forgive you if you forgive me.”
“I like that deal.”
The pair came to a large field of grass in the center of the park. The silhouette of a bridge could just barely be made out in the distance, and all around were the noises of the night. A breeze blew through the open area, making Twilight shiver almost imperceptibly. Rainbow noticed the tremor, and in a moment of boldness and compassion, she wrapped her well-insulated wing around the unicorn mare, who shuffled closer to the new source of heat in response, nuzzling into Rainbow's neck in thanks.
Twilight had never considered being marefriends with Rainbow Dash. She'd never even considered having a marefriend. But she'd never considered having friends, either, and that had turned out to be an option she should have given more thought. So as she walked through the loud silence of the night, She walked as close as she could get to her pegasus companion, and smiled. This option was looking better by the second.
They crossed the bridge in silence, the babbling stream reaching its crescendo before quieting down as they distanced themselves, walking along the boarder of the Everfree. From within the forest even more noises could be heard, some identifiable and some not. The birds and the beasts sang together from the depths of the forests The croaking of frogs filled the air as they walked along the river bank, and the buzzing of insects could be heard from the long, uncut grass along the path they walked.
“Why did you say yes a second time?” Rainbow asked curiously, watching the water low by beside her.
Twilight shrugged from beneath the downy wing across her back. “Because... I've never had a marefriend before. I've never even dated before,” she admitted quietly. “But... I figured I could give it a shot; after all, I never gave much merit to friendship either, and look how that turned out for me.”
Surprisingly, Rainbow seemed to deflate at the response. “Oh... so you would've said yes to anypony who asked; I was just the first...”
“What? No! No that's not it at all!” Twilight insisted quickly. “I meant that I figured I'd give it a try if it was with somepony I already cared about; like you. I said yes to you, Rainbow; not because you were the first but because I honestly care for you, and... after today...” she trailed off, but her silence said everything Rainbow needed to hear, making a grin spread across the pegasus's already smiling face.
They walked together until they found their path blocked by the creek as it turned, snaking its way into the Everfree, a place neither of them wanted to go at night. So they turned back, back to the bridge and back through the sights they had seen. The second time walking this path did not diminish the beauty of the view. In fact, it enhanced it. What they did not see on their first pass they saw instead on their second. The cattails littering the side of the water, waving in the gentle wind. The dark figures of fish swimming through the water. The way the moonlight refracted off the water, making the banks glow with an eery white light.
They crossed back over the bridge, and made their way out of the park, in silent agreement that the walk was over, and that it was time to go home.
As Twilight's tree became visible in the distance, she moved just a little closer to her date. Unwilling for the night to end, she slowed her pace, walking as slowly as she could down the street and through the beautiful night.
All too soon they were at her door, and were forced to say their goodbyes.
“That... was awesome, especially for something so... mushy,” Rainbow said as she removed her wing from Twilight's back, allowing the unicorn to walk up and unlock her door. “So... I guess I gotta ask... would you like to be my marefriend?”
Twilight smiled, opening the door and glancing inside to the clock. “It's past midnight,” she said quietly. “April fool's day is over...” Pausing, Twilight debated how to answer the question posed to her. She saw Rainbow fidget nervously, and smiled even wider. Leaning forward, she gently kissed Rainbow, doing the only thing she could think of to one-up her kiss from earlier. She kissed Rainbow Dash on the lips.
Their eyes fluttered closed in unison as they both pushed into the kiss, enjoying the feeling. Eventually they separated, each smiling brightly at the other.
“I would love to be called your marefriend, Rainbow Dash,” Twilight confirmed eagerly, making her friend – her marefriend – smile joyfully.
Author's Note
Ugh. Got this idea on the night of the 30th, wrote until... 12:34 AM on the first. Talk about cutting it close...
It's a fluff one-shot that has no point other than to be fluffy, what else do you want from me?
The plot was thought out in less than an hour as I was writing it, so don't expect gold from it or anything. Editing is sparse, so expect mistakes.
Other than that... I got nothing. Post you opinions below and let me now if I missed anything in my hasty editing.
EDIT: This fic has been edited on 07/09/2014. Mostly minor changes, but everything's been smoothed over and about 200-300 words have been added.
