Till Summer's Endby Next Gen WonderboltChaptersPreparations&Problems From Bad to WorseParty FavorsPreparations&Problems Author's Note Big Thank You to my Proofreader Sam Cole Preparations&Problems Twilight and Rarity stood in the basement of the library. Rarity had brought over variously colored fabrics and string at Twilight's request. All the alabaster mare knew was that Twilight planned on making a special kind of cloth that would mimic the sun's light. This would create the perfect banner for this year's summer sun celebration and this year's festival would be a big one. Applejack and Pinkie had been assigned catering, Fluttershy on music, and Rainbow on weather duty. Rarity was doing the decor again and she was having trouble finding the best material to use for this year's celebration, at least until Twilight showed up. "So, what exactly are you doing again?" Rarity asked. "I already told you, Rarity!" Twilight replied. "Yes, but I just want to make sure. These materials were very expensive and I'd hate to have them ruined in some silly experiment!" "It's not silly, but I'm trying to create a solution that will simulate a ruby's luster, that way the fabric will shimmer just like the sun!" "And how do you plan on doing that?" "By using this stone," Twilight held up an orange stone that resembled a sun, "and mixing it with the aluminum oxide in the ruby, then adding a bit of lucid magic and voila! A fabric that shines just like the sun! Perfect for the Summer Sun Celebration." Rarity nodded in understanding. When she had first told Twilight of her problem, all her friend had told her was that she had the perfect solution to her problem, however this wasn't quite what she had in mind. Nonetheless, Rarity appreciated Twilight's help and if this worked it would turn out to be an amazing display. Twilight lifted a beaker full of aluminum oxide and placed it on a table. She then broke the sun stone into very tiny pieces, then dropped them into the aluminum. After the pieces had dissolved, Twilight then picked up a ruby from a box underneath the table. Upon closer inspection Rarity found that the box was filled to the brim with the red gem. "Twilight, how in Equestria did you acquire all of these rubies?" "Oh, uh I sorta had Spike hold on to some while you guys were on your gem hunts." Twilight smiled sheepishly. "What!?" Rarity cried. SoTHAT'S why I was missing some! I knew that my count was off! Twilight dropped the ruby in the beaker and watched as it's color and luster were drained from the stone leaving it dull. Twilight then removed the stone from the beaker and watched the chemicals mix and swirl. There was a ferocious bubbling, then the liquid simmered down to still waters. "Now, all we need to do is add some magic," Twilight's horn lit up and enveloped the beaker. Rarity watched as Twilight fused the magic with the solution and create a sparkling pink water, "and now we'll leave it out in the sun for a bit." Twilight grabbed the beaker and walked upstairs. Rarity followed her friend up into the foyer of the library. It was relatively quiet, save for Spike's faint humming in the kitchen. Rarity peered in and saw the baby dragon wearing his signature apron and hat while mixing a bowl of batter. He had a gentle smile on his face and he was doing a little dance while he worked. Rarity grinned, then followed Twilight up to the balcony. Twilight opened the doorway to the balcony and placed the beaker on the stand outside. The sun was very intense, so this would be the most opportune time to allow some of the sun's UV rays to mix with the potion. "With this intense heat, it shouldn't take long for the potion to mix. We'll just need to keep an eye on it so nothing happens." Twilight stated matter-of-factually. "Uh, Twilight?" Spike called from the doorway. "What?" Twilight asked. "Where's the sugar?" "It should be in the cabinet." "Which one?" "The one next to the stove." " Already checked that one and there was nothing there!" "Are you sure? Did you double check?" "Yes and yes!" Twilight sighed. "Alright, hold on. Rarity, do you think you could keep an eye on this and make sure nothing happens?" "Of course, darling! I'll make sure nothing happens to it!" Rarity replied confidently. Twilight smiled and walked with Spike down to the kitchen. Rarity turned back to the beaker. It wasn't very big, maybe a 6 inches at best. Rarity wondered how in Equestria Twilight was planning to use this tiny amount of solution to make ALL the fabric she was using sparkle, that is if it even worked. Rarity had faith in her friend's endeavor granted that most of the time Twilight knew what she was doing, most of the time. Rarity zoned out, not paying any attention to the beaker which was now starting to bubble viciously. Twilight and Spike were still in the kitchen, the former questioning where exactly her sugar had gone and the latter beginning to lose his patience. The beaker continued to bubble and started to rattle on the wooden stand. The violent shaking drew Rarity out of her ruse. Her eyes widened a bit when she focused on the beaker, uncertainty and panic starting to creep into her head. Before she could call for Twilight's assistance, the beaker exploded into a vibrant pink cloud. Shards of glass and water shot everywhere some hitting Rarity. Her vision and mouth were covered by the pink smoke cloud and threw her into a coughing fit. Twilight was at the door in mere seconds. "RARITY!" Twilight shrieked. "What happened!?" Spike shouted. "I don't know, I don't know!" Twilight flung open the door and used her magic to clear the air of the debris. "Rarity!? Are you alright!?" Twilight called. Rarity was still coughing, but it subsided quickly and she was busy rubbing her eyes. Her coat had various pink wet spots all over it, as well as tiny cuts on her legs and face from the glass. "Oh goddess, Rarity I am so sorry! Are you OK?" Twilight asked. "I'm fine, Twilight! I just wish you could warn me if something like that happens again. I'd rather not have to spend the day trying to get pink spots out of my mane and coat!" Rarity teased. "Yeah, sorry about that." Twilight rubbed the back of her head with her hoof. "I don't know what went wrong. The aluminum was supposed to fuse with the sun stone's mineral composition. It wasn't suppose to explode!" Twilight stated frantically. "It's best not to fret about it now, especially since the Summer Sun Celebration is a week away and I still have to decorate!" "Here, let me get you a towel." Twilight started for the door. The librarian entered into library heading towards the bathroom. She opened the door and lifted a towel from the pile on a shelf. She turned around and took a look at herself in the mirror. She took a moment to notice her straight edge mane, not a single hair out of place, one pink stripe in a sea of indigo. Her eyes shifted to themselves, taking in the bright violet irises surrounding the pitch black pupils. Twilight breathed a heavy sigh and turned to leave, but instead came face to face with one Rarity. Twilight jumped, the sudden appearance of her friend scaring her. "Jeez, Rarity! You scared me. I thought you were waiting for me to get the towel?" Twilight stated. "Yes, but I thought I'd accompany you." Rarity smiled warmly. Twilight handed her friend the towel. Rarity wiped it all over her torso and forehooves, drying off the wet patches in her coat. Twilight opened a cabinet and took the band-aids out. She opened the box and removed a couple handing them to Rarity. After the bigger cuts had been covered up, Twilight and Rarity both headed down into the lobby where they found Spike sitting at the table. He immediately stood up when he saw Rarity and walked over to her to inspect her himself. "Rarity, are you alright? All I heard was an explosion, and why are you covered in band-aids?" Spike questioned. "Yes, I'm quite alright, and Twilight gave me these to cover up the cuts." Rarity answered. "The explosion was from my latest experiment going wrong. Spike, did you notice anything off about some of the rubies downstairs?" Twilight asked. "Nope, they all looked like rubies to me!" Spike replied confidently. Then why didn't it work? "Well, now that that is over," Rarity started. "I do hate to cut our time short, but I must get started on town hall! It will take some time to make it look as dazzling as last year!" Rarity walked towards the door, Twilight in tow. Twilight opened the door for her friend and said her farewell. "I'm really sorry my potion didn't work out and that you got hurt because of it." Twilight's ears flattened against her head. "It's ok, Twilight! We shall put this behind us! Now I really must be going before I fall behind schedule and we can't have that!" "Of course!" Twilight said happily. "I'll see you later, Rarity!" Goodbye, Twilight!" Rarity leaned in and gave Twilight a quick kiss on the lips and left. Twilight, not expecting the sudden gesture, stood frozen her mind trying to process what had happened, her cheeks beginning to turn crimson red. Twilight closed the door and turned towards the kitchen, nothing but Spike's humming could be heard. After a few moments of silence, she finally muttered something under her breath. "Something tells me Rarity isn't alright after all." The unicorn's eyes shifted towards the basement where her potion was concocted. Suspicions arose as her eyes lingered on the wooden doorway. Ultimately she decided against it, waiting to take it up with Rarity later tonight when they were supposed to meet their other friends at Pinkie's for some cupcakes. She put the matter aside for now and instead refocused her attention on the day's work. She picked up her clipboard which was conveniently left on the table and looked at her first thing on the list. "Ok, weather!" Twilight drifted back to her first day in Ponyville, when she had first met the speedster. "Spike!" Twilight called. "Yeah?" Spike called back. "I'm going to be out for a bit! I'll be back later." "Alright, try not to make anymore explosions while you're gone. Kinda hard to have a Celebration when half the town is full of craters." Twilight rolled her eyes. With her checklist at her side and Rarity's kiss on her mind, the lavender mare opened the door and left to find Rainbow Dash. From Bad to WorseTwilight walked steadily towards town square. She wasn't really paying attention to where she was going and she almost bumped into a couple of ponies. She hastily apologized and returned to her meddling. Her mind was still back at the library, replaying the kiss over and over again. Twilight had never harped on anything this much and in some cultures ponies exchanged kisses all the time when greeting and saying goodbye; so why was she so concerned with her friend giving her a kiss on the cheek? The reason eluded her and would continue to thanks to Rainbow's insistent calls. "Earth to Egghead! Watch where you're going!" Rainbow called. "What?" Twilight asked as she walked right into a wall. "Ow..." Twilight moaned as she rubbed her throbbing nose. "I tried to warn ya! So what's got you're attention this time? Is it another late friendship report?" Rainbow joked. Twilight flushed when she remembered her little "incident". "No, it's-" I don't know if I want her to know about Rarity yet...let's just keep this between me and her for now... "-just that I lost some of my uh books! Yeah, I was up studying a new spell and I can't find it now!" Twilight replied. Rainbow rolled her eyes. "So, typical Egghead stuff?" Twilight nodded. "Yep, by the way how's the weather coming along?" "We got clear skies and sunshine all the way through! We should be good until the middle of next week, that's when we'll be getting one heck of a downpour to make up for this week." "Excellent." Twilight placed a check mark next to the weather cloud. She looked underneath it to the cupcake with sprinkles. "Ok, time to head over to Sugarcube Corner and see how Pinkie Pie and Applejack are handling things. I'll see you tonight?" Twilight asked. "You know it!" Twilight watched as Rainbow sped off towards another cluster of clouds shifting them into various shapes and sizes. Twilight turned and started walking towards Sugarcube Corner. Try as she might, her mind inevitably wandered back to the library again. Twilight could recall every minute of it, even though it was very short. The more Twilight thought about it, the redder her face got until she could have sworn it was scorching hot outside. Twilight shook her head vigorously to clear her head. She looked up and found herself right in front of City Hall and the place Rarity was currently decorating. Maybe I could try talking to her about it now...Plus it'll save me the trip Twilight continued towards City Hall and entered the massive building. Yellow, orange and white streamers were hung all over the place and a giant sun logo hovered above the balcony from which the princess was to appear on. Folding tables were all laid out with white coverings on them, and sun banners littered the walls. Twilight caught Rarity up on the balcony fiddling with some golden ribbon. Ones just like it looped around the guardrails and the one Rarity had would complete the chain. "Rarity!" Twilight called. "Twilight!" Rarity shouted happily. A pop, a flash, and a second later and Rarity was on the ground in front of Twilight, the golden ribbon left hanging on the railing. "How are the decorations coming along?" Twilight asked. "Oh they're going just fine, darling! I've been having a problem with that troublesome ribbon up there, but it shouldn't be too much of a problem." "That's good to hear...um, Rarity?" "Hmm? What is it dear?" Twilight's face was already a light shade of pink. "About what happened in the library..." "What about it?" Rarity asked. Her face showed her concern. "Why did you kiss me?" Twilight's face was now crimson. "Why wouldn't I? Twilight dear, did you forget that we're dating?" "D-DATING!?" Twilight shrieked. Twilight felt herself start to fall backwards and her eyes droop shut. Rarity barely had anytime to react as the lavender unicorn in front of her had lost consciousness. Twilight awoke in the library. She was in her bed with the covers draped over her body. Sunlight seeped through the blinds into the dimly lit room. Books littered the floor like sleeping bodies, some open to random pages while others were closed in giant piles. Twilight flung the covers off and swung her hooves to floor. She immediately withdrew her hooves when the sound of pages crunching hit her ears. She looked down to see what book she had desecrated with her carelessness. The book's pages had a complex diagram on it with a list of ingredients and steps on how to brew a potion. The longer Twilight stared at it, the more familiar it looked. I remember this! This is the book that gave me the idea for the sun cloth! Maybe I can find out what went wrong that caused it to implode. Twilight picked up the book. She read over the instructions once more checking them off as she went along. "Step 6: Let the solution sit in the sun for approximately 5 minutes. Check! What did I miss?" Twilight was about to read through the steps again when she heard the door creak open. "Twilight! You're awake." Rarity exclaimed happily. "Oh, hi, Rarity! I didn't realize you were here, um why are you here again?" "You don't remember, darling? You fainted after I had told you we were dating." "Oh, r-right." Twilight mentally kicked herself for that. "After you had passed out, I brought you back to the library to recover. I already explained everything to Spike." "You what!? Oh no, no, no, no! What did he say?" "He said when in Equestria did this happen!?" Spike shouted from the doorway. "Seriously, Twilight, what the hay! You can't just do that to someone especially since you knew how I felt!" "Spike, will you relax! I don't even know how or even when this happened myself!" Twilight shouted back. "No I won't 'relax'. One minute I'm making a gem cake and the next Rarity is over here telling me you two are dating!" Twilight shot a frazzled glance at Rarity, who in return sheepishly smiled. "Spike, I didn't know we were dating! That's the whole reason why I came back unconscious! I don't know why she's acting like this or even how it happened, but I'm trying to figure that out and coming in here screaming at me ISN'T HELPING!" The trio stood in silence for what seemed like an eternity. Eventually Spike sighed and dragged his claws down his cheeks. "Alright, alright. I'm sorry for yelling." Spike said. "Believe me when I say I wasn't trying to hurt you, Spike. Like I said I'm still trying to figure out how this happened in the first place." "Just...figure it out, please!" Spike walked over and hugged Twilight. Twilight returned the embrace. "Now, if you'll excuse me. There is a cake waiting for me down in the kitchen." Twilight laughed as the young drake walked back downstairs leaving the two mares alone in Twilight's bedroom. Twilight's eyes shifted to Rarity who had a downcast look on her face. "Rarity?" Twilight asked. "Did you really forget?" Rarity asked gloomily. "Forget what?" Twilight asked. "Th-that you loved me..." Even in the dim lighting Twilight could see the faintest drops of tears as they fell onto the wooden floor. Horsefeathers "No! Of course not! I just didn't want Spike to know until I was ready to tell him myself!" Twilight said hastily. Rarity's tear-stained eyes met Twilight's. The lavender unicorn saw the doubt hiding inside the alabaster's eyes and she could tell she wasn't very convincing. "Then why were you surprised when I told you at City Hall, and why you were concerned that I had kissed you before I departed earlier?" Rarity asked. Twilight cringed. Rarity had her there. Twilight's brain frantically searched for a reason to give Rarity. "I, uh...I..." Every minute she wasted trying to come up with a reason meant that every minute Rarity's faith in her supposed lover's feelings for her dwindled. Twilight watched as more tears built up in Rarity's eyes. Twilight couldn't take it anymore and something inside her snapped. She walked right up to Rarity inches away from her face. Twilight felt Rarity's hot breath against her muzzle as she looked the fashion designer right in the eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't sleep well last night. You know, late night studying." "How do I know you're telling the truth?" What Twilight did next was something she had never considered in her life up to that point. She leaned in close, placing a hoof on Rarity's cheek. In an instant Twilight placed her lips on Rarity's for a brief second, but a second was all she needed to convince Rarity. The fashionista's crimson blush shone through her pearl white coat like a flashlight in the dead of night. Twilight had her own blush, but it wasn't as visible as Rarity's. The two stood in silence for a moment, each one at a loss for what to say. "I believe you." Rarity said softly. Her voice was just barely audible. Twilight smiled on the outside, but on the inside she was mentally sighing. "But no more late night studying sessions! I'm absolutely fed up with having to clean up all of these books!" Twilight laughed. "Alright, I promise." Rarity turned towards the door and headed downstairs. She flicked Twilight's nose with the tip of her tail grinning while she trotted downstairs. Twilight's smile held until her friend was out of the room. Phew, crisis averted. So that's what it's like to kiss somepony. I wish it had been under different circumstances, but... Twilight stared at the open doorway. At least Rarity's happy now. I'll have to keep it that way until I can figure out how to fix this whole thing. Twilight sighed heavily and ran a hoof through her mane. She placed the book she was reading on her bed, a white feather as her page marker. She started towards the kitchen, but stopped short of the hall to look back at the book. It's contents beckoned to her, tempting her to turn back and pick it up again, possibly finding a solution to her dilemma. Twilight shook her head, however, stepping outside and promptly closing the door. She walked down the stairs down to the lobby. She glanced up at the clock. It was currently four thirty-eight and she was expected to be at Pinkie's around nine to celebrate the day they all became friends. Twilight would have liked the celebration to actually be on the exact day, but given that it was the same as the Celebration, that was a no-go. The lavender unicorn took a seat on one of the couch cushions, grabbing a random book off the shelf. Twilight didn't bother reading the title or the cover, anything to distract her from reality right now. She opened up to the first chapter and began reading, allowing her mind to wander in the words. Author's Note Much love to my epic prereader Sam Cole Go check him out for some more awesome Rarilight stories! Party FavorsTwilight looked up from her book. The clatter of plates on the table brought her attention away from the book and to the table. Spike set down a few more plates while Rarity came out carrying a large platter in her blue aura. Twilight bookmarked her page with one of her quills setting it down on top of the bookshelf. She sniffed the air in an attempt to find out what Spike had cooked this time. Whatever it was, it's scent didn't give it away, so Twilight had to wait patiently for Spike to finish up. "Spike, this smells amazing! What did you make?" Twilight asked. "It's spaghetti and garlic bread. There's also some parmesan cheese if you guys like that sort of thing." Spike replied. Twilight picked up a plate full of noodles in her magic and dropped them onto her plate. She then took the ladle and scooped up some tomato sauce. She was about to set it down when she felt someone else grasp the ladle. Rarity was smiling sheepishly as her and Twilight's magic duked it out for control of the ladle. Eventually Twilight relented and her magic withdrew. The two laughed while Spike groaned. "Twilight, what time did we have to be at the party?" Rarity asked. "Nine o' clock. Why?" Twilight asked. "Just curious, darling." Twilight glanced back at the clock to see what time it was. It was currently six thirty-seven. They had roughly two hours and twenty minutes to get to Sugarcube Corner which gave Twilight plenty of time to finish the book she was reading. The trio ate in silence for the majority of their meal. Twilight had asked Rarity if she had any new projects she was working on to which the fashionista replied that she had at least three orders to fill. Spike had offered his assistance, but Rarity politely declined much to the young drake's disappointment. When they had all finished, Twilight returned back to the couch to continue her reading. She opened her book to the marked page, reimbursing herself into the story. Velocity had been waiting for this moment. His wings spread wide and his hind legs ready to launch. This was his chance to make it up to his sister. Her life was on the line here, if he lost she wouldn't be able to get the treatment she desperately needed. Foul Play stood next to him, a devious grin on his face. Velocity's anger built up as he resisted the urge to kill the other racer. It was his fault his sister was in the hospital and today he'd pay it for. Velocity redirected his anger towards the race at hand. The timer counted down 5, 4, 3, 2, 1- Twilight's story was briefly interrupted by a certain unicorn laying herself against Twilight. Twilight looked down to see Rarity, with a novel of her own, laid up against her with her head laying on her chest with a content smile. "Uh, Rarity?" Twilight asked. "Yes?" Rarity replied. "Why are you laying up against me?" "Whatever do you mean?" "Why are you using me as a pillow?" "It didn't bother you before so I just assumed that..." Rarity drifted off. Before? What exactly does Rarity remember? Twilight was drawn from her thoughts by a grunt coming from the kitchen. Upon inspection she noticed Spike giving her a glare. Twilight was confused at first, but the realization quickly sunk in once he motioned towards the love struck fashion designer currently in her lap. Twilight groaned inwardly. She'd have to keep up this act of hers not only to keep Rarity smiling, but Spike as well. Twilight noticed Rarity trying to reposition herself off of her chest, but before she could Twilight made a bold move and wrapped a hoof around the alabaster mare keeping her in place. Rarity looked up at her with a confusing look. "You're right, I'm just a little stressed out. I was really worried when that potion went off in your face." Twilight said. Rarity's eyes scanned Twilight's for any hint of a lie. Twilight prayed to Celestia that Rarity would buy her act. Much to her relief, she did and if she didn't then she definitely didn't show any signs of suspicion. The smile returned to her face and she continued reading, as did Twilight. The lavender mare glanced towards the kitchen and she noticed the faint smile on Spike's face. Twilight rolled her eyes and continued reading where she had left off. Twilight and Rarity started down the road to Sugarcube Corner. Spike stood in the doorway waving them off, albeit a little bitter that he couldn't come along too. Twilight had asked him to go to the basement to inspect the ingredients she had used to make the potion. The sooner they found out what exactly had gone wrong, the sooner things could get back to normal. The night air was cool and brisk, a gentle breeze blew through the open streets of the village. Rarity had left little more than a few millimeters between her and Twilight which made Twilight a little uncomfortable. She hadn't had any experience with romance nor had she ever considered it at all! She always convinced herself that there were always more pressing matters at hand than a silly love story starring her. Looking back on it she didn't consider it so silly now that she was actually in one. She sighed. Her eyes turned towards the stars up above and the moon illuminating the world below. Twilight always admired Princess Luna's handiwork, it's like she knew just what arrangement to put the stars in to make her night even more beautiful. She could lose herself in that sky for hours on end and never get bored, reading the stories that each constellation told. Aries, Capricorn, Pisces, all of them had their own tale. Rarity took note of Twilight's gazing. She was acting very strange lately, and Rarity didn't know why. Had she done something wrong? Did Twilight not feel the same anymore? Was she just putting up an act to keep her happy? "Are you alright, Twilight?" Rarity asked. "Huh?" Twilight asked drawing her eyes away from the night sky. "I said are you alright? It seems like something is bothering you." "O-oh nothing! Nothing at all! I just zoned out again hahaha..." "Are you sure? You know you can tell me anything, darling." Twilight hesitated for a moment, confirming Rarity's suspicions that something was bothering her even if she didn't want to admit it. What do I say!? I accidentally made you fall in love with me and remember events that never happened!? Luckily she was saved from any sort of response as they approached Sugarcube Corner and the bubbly pink mare waving them inside. "You guys made it!!!" Pinkie squealed from the entrance. She continually bounced up and down as they approached. "It's good to see you too, Pinkie Pie." Twilight greeted casually. "You know I wouldn't miss one of your soiree's Pinkie Pie." Rarity chimed. "Swaryay's?" Pinkie said butchering the pronunciation of the word. "It's another word for party." Twilight explained. "Ohh! Well what're we standing out here for let's get to the swaryay already!" "Pinkie it's soir-" She was cut off by Rarity's hoof in her mouth and a facial expression that read just let it go. Twilight's brow furrowed, obviously annoyed that she couldn't give Pinkie the correct punctuation their language deserved. Alas, some things can't be helped and she ended up sighing in her friend's hoof. Rarity giggled as she followed Pinkie Pie in, flicking Twilight's nose playfully with the tip of her tail. Twilight flinched, giving Rarity a scowl to which she replied with a mischievous smile. Twilight couldn't help but return a smirk and stifle a laugh of her own. She rolled her eyes and followed her "marefriend" in. There was already a table set up with food scattered all around it. Rainbow Dash and Applejack were already at it arm-wrestling while Fluttershy sat idly by and watched. The meek mare looked up and smiled warmly when she saw Twilight and Rarity walk in. She fluttered over to Twilight and wrapped a hoof around her and then around Rarity. "Oh, I'm so glad you two could come! But where's Spike? Did he not want to come?" Fluttershy asked looking towards the door. "He just...you know him he had to...uh..." Twilight trailed off. I've been so busy trying to keep Rarity happy that I forgot to ask Spike if he wanted to come! I've still got to explain this whole situation to him when I get back...and what a fun conversation THAT will be. "He's reorganizing Twilight's mess of a lab. You know how she can be when she gets that adorable mad scientist look in her eyes, Fluttershy." Rarity cooed. "Oh my, did something happen today?" Fluttershy asked. "There was a minor accident while creating a potion for the festival." Twilight replied. "Spike said he'd clean it up for me while we were gone." "That's so nice of him, I'm glad nobody was hurt." Twilight felt something brush against her tail and saw Rarity's looping ever so slightly with her own. Twilight began to panic. She hadn't told any of her friends about Rarity's situation yet, but given how they were all together in one spot now was a better time than any. Beggars can't be choosers "Rarity, why don't you go freshen up?" Twilight suggested. "That sounds like a wonderful idea, Twilight." Rarity skipped towards the bathroom upstairs. As soon as she was out of sight, Twilight turned towards Pinkie and Fluttershy. "Okay girls, listen up real quick I have to tell you all something." "What's up, Sugarcube?" Applejack asked as she pinned Rainbow's arm to the table. The cyan mare glared at her which was returned with a smug look. "Ooooh is it a present!? Is it a super amazing cake that Spike made!? Is it a new book!?" Pinkie asked excitedly. "No, none of those things. You all know that there was an accident this morning at the library correct?" "Yes, you were just telling me about it." Fluttershy said. "What about it?" Rainbow asked. "Well, Rarity and I were trying to make a potion to help out with the decorations when something went wrong with the mixture. While it didn't have any physical affects, it did have some mental ones." Twilight explained. "Like?" Applejack inquired. "Rarity thinks she's dating me, she's got false memories of us together as a couple. I haven't been able to find out what the cause of it was, but for the time being I'm going along with her fantasy." Rainbow Dash broke out laughing. "You made Rarity fall in love with you!?" Rainbow shouted through tears. Twilight angrily shushed her, pointing a hoof towards the stairs. "Oh, sorry." Rainbow said sheepishly. "Yes, I did. For now I'm going to play along, however uncomfortable it may be, and I'm asking you girls to help me keep her happy." "I don't know about this, Twilight." Applejack crossed her forelegs. "It's not mah place to meddle in someone's love life. Especially mah friend's love life. Ah don't know how Ah feel about ya'll being together too. It's...well it's a little weird to me." "It's not official, Applejack. We only have to keep it up till the potion wears out or I find an antidote." Twilight replied. "Sorry, Twi, Ah'm still on the fence about this." "Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, what about you two?" "I'm not sure how I feel about it either, but if it makes Rarity happy then I'll do my best to help!" Fluttershy asserted. Twilight smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Fluttershy." "This is one doozy of a doozy you're in, Twilight! If it means I get to throw more parties for you two then I'm all for it!" Pinkie exclaimed. Twilight then turned her attention to Rainbow who sat quietly. She looked fidgety and uncomfortable much to Twilight's surprise. If there was anyone she didn't think had a problem with helping her out it was Rainbow Dash. "Dash?" Twilight called out. "What?" Rainbow asked curtly. "Will you help me?" Rainbow went quite again, looking at the blue floorboards. Finally she sighed and looked up at Twilight with a look she'd never seen before. "You can count on me, Twi." Rainbow reassured. "Thank you all so much!" Twilight reached out and hugged all four of her friends. She let go just as the door swung open upstairs and a lovestruck voice called downstairs. "Pinkie Pie there seems to be something wrong with your toilet paper. I tried to fix it as best I could." Rarity explained as she descended down the stairs. She laid her eyes on her friends all huddled together staring up at her anxiously. "Did I miss something? Why are you all huddled together?" "I'll tell you later." Twilight said. "Yeah, right now let's party!" Rainbow shouted energetically launching into the air. "Finally! Weeee!" Pinkie shouted as she jumped for the jukebox in the other room. Twilight smiled watching Rarity retreat back to her side. The two unicorns looked at each other and shared a brief kiss before sitting down at the table full of delicious food. Within seconds loud electronic music was blaring in the lobby. Rainbow and Applejack went back to arm-wrestling to settle Rainbow's grudge match while Pinkie dragged a reluctant Fluttershy into the living room to dance. Twilight rolled her eyes and smiled. Well that went better than expected, maybe tonight won't be so bad after all... Unbeknownst to Twilight, however, the night would get very bad and very uncomfortable for her. Author's Note I've been playing Final Fantasy X a lot lately, same with Pokemon Moon. FFX frustrates me though because there's a boss that can 1-hit KO my whole party like 4 different ways. There's a bunch of snow everywhere too and it's cold. Illinois is a bipolar weather state I swear. Wonder how long it'll be before I update the two lovecorns again. Might even have a love triangle. Who knows! A love triangle would be interesting. More sex for everyone!
Preparations&Problems Author's Note Big Thank You to my Proofreader Sam Cole Preparations&Problems Twilight and Rarity stood in the basement of the library. Rarity had brought over variously colored fabrics and string at Twilight's request. All the alabaster mare knew was that Twilight planned on making a special kind of cloth that would mimic the sun's light. This would create the perfect banner for this year's summer sun celebration and this year's festival would be a big one. Applejack and Pinkie had been assigned catering, Fluttershy on music, and Rainbow on weather duty. Rarity was doing the decor again and she was having trouble finding the best material to use for this year's celebration, at least until Twilight showed up. "So, what exactly are you doing again?" Rarity asked. "I already told you, Rarity!" Twilight replied. "Yes, but I just want to make sure. These materials were very expensive and I'd hate to have them ruined in some silly experiment!" "It's not silly, but I'm trying to create a solution that will simulate a ruby's luster, that way the fabric will shimmer just like the sun!" "And how do you plan on doing that?" "By using this stone," Twilight held up an orange stone that resembled a sun, "and mixing it with the aluminum oxide in the ruby, then adding a bit of lucid magic and voila! A fabric that shines just like the sun! Perfect for the Summer Sun Celebration." Rarity nodded in understanding. When she had first told Twilight of her problem, all her friend had told her was that she had the perfect solution to her problem, however this wasn't quite what she had in mind. Nonetheless, Rarity appreciated Twilight's help and if this worked it would turn out to be an amazing display. Twilight lifted a beaker full of aluminum oxide and placed it on a table. She then broke the sun stone into very tiny pieces, then dropped them into the aluminum. After the pieces had dissolved, Twilight then picked up a ruby from a box underneath the table. Upon closer inspection Rarity found that the box was filled to the brim with the red gem. "Twilight, how in Equestria did you acquire all of these rubies?" "Oh, uh I sorta had Spike hold on to some while you guys were on your gem hunts." Twilight smiled sheepishly. "What!?" Rarity cried. SoTHAT'S why I was missing some! I knew that my count was off! Twilight dropped the ruby in the beaker and watched as it's color and luster were drained from the stone leaving it dull. Twilight then removed the stone from the beaker and watched the chemicals mix and swirl. There was a ferocious bubbling, then the liquid simmered down to still waters. "Now, all we need to do is add some magic," Twilight's horn lit up and enveloped the beaker. Rarity watched as Twilight fused the magic with the solution and create a sparkling pink water, "and now we'll leave it out in the sun for a bit." Twilight grabbed the beaker and walked upstairs. Rarity followed her friend up into the foyer of the library. It was relatively quiet, save for Spike's faint humming in the kitchen. Rarity peered in and saw the baby dragon wearing his signature apron and hat while mixing a bowl of batter. He had a gentle smile on his face and he was doing a little dance while he worked. Rarity grinned, then followed Twilight up to the balcony. Twilight opened the doorway to the balcony and placed the beaker on the stand outside. The sun was very intense, so this would be the most opportune time to allow some of the sun's UV rays to mix with the potion. "With this intense heat, it shouldn't take long for the potion to mix. We'll just need to keep an eye on it so nothing happens." Twilight stated matter-of-factually. "Uh, Twilight?" Spike called from the doorway. "What?" Twilight asked. "Where's the sugar?" "It should be in the cabinet." "Which one?" "The one next to the stove." " Already checked that one and there was nothing there!" "Are you sure? Did you double check?" "Yes and yes!" Twilight sighed. "Alright, hold on. Rarity, do you think you could keep an eye on this and make sure nothing happens?" "Of course, darling! I'll make sure nothing happens to it!" Rarity replied confidently. Twilight smiled and walked with Spike down to the kitchen. Rarity turned back to the beaker. It wasn't very big, maybe a 6 inches at best. Rarity wondered how in Equestria Twilight was planning to use this tiny amount of solution to make ALL the fabric she was using sparkle, that is if it even worked. Rarity had faith in her friend's endeavor granted that most of the time Twilight knew what she was doing, most of the time. Rarity zoned out, not paying any attention to the beaker which was now starting to bubble viciously. Twilight and Spike were still in the kitchen, the former questioning where exactly her sugar had gone and the latter beginning to lose his patience. The beaker continued to bubble and started to rattle on the wooden stand. The violent shaking drew Rarity out of her ruse. Her eyes widened a bit when she focused on the beaker, uncertainty and panic starting to creep into her head. Before she could call for Twilight's assistance, the beaker exploded into a vibrant pink cloud. Shards of glass and water shot everywhere some hitting Rarity. Her vision and mouth were covered by the pink smoke cloud and threw her into a coughing fit. Twilight was at the door in mere seconds. "RARITY!" Twilight shrieked. "What happened!?" Spike shouted. "I don't know, I don't know!" Twilight flung open the door and used her magic to clear the air of the debris. "Rarity!? Are you alright!?" Twilight called. Rarity was still coughing, but it subsided quickly and she was busy rubbing her eyes. Her coat had various pink wet spots all over it, as well as tiny cuts on her legs and face from the glass. "Oh goddess, Rarity I am so sorry! Are you OK?" Twilight asked. "I'm fine, Twilight! I just wish you could warn me if something like that happens again. I'd rather not have to spend the day trying to get pink spots out of my mane and coat!" Rarity teased. "Yeah, sorry about that." Twilight rubbed the back of her head with her hoof. "I don't know what went wrong. The aluminum was supposed to fuse with the sun stone's mineral composition. It wasn't suppose to explode!" Twilight stated frantically. "It's best not to fret about it now, especially since the Summer Sun Celebration is a week away and I still have to decorate!" "Here, let me get you a towel." Twilight started for the door. The librarian entered into library heading towards the bathroom. She opened the door and lifted a towel from the pile on a shelf. She turned around and took a look at herself in the mirror. She took a moment to notice her straight edge mane, not a single hair out of place, one pink stripe in a sea of indigo. Her eyes shifted to themselves, taking in the bright violet irises surrounding the pitch black pupils. Twilight breathed a heavy sigh and turned to leave, but instead came face to face with one Rarity. Twilight jumped, the sudden appearance of her friend scaring her. "Jeez, Rarity! You scared me. I thought you were waiting for me to get the towel?" Twilight stated. "Yes, but I thought I'd accompany you." Rarity smiled warmly. Twilight handed her friend the towel. Rarity wiped it all over her torso and forehooves, drying off the wet patches in her coat. Twilight opened a cabinet and took the band-aids out. She opened the box and removed a couple handing them to Rarity. After the bigger cuts had been covered up, Twilight and Rarity both headed down into the lobby where they found Spike sitting at the table. He immediately stood up when he saw Rarity and walked over to her to inspect her himself. "Rarity, are you alright? All I heard was an explosion, and why are you covered in band-aids?" Spike questioned. "Yes, I'm quite alright, and Twilight gave me these to cover up the cuts." Rarity answered. "The explosion was from my latest experiment going wrong. Spike, did you notice anything off about some of the rubies downstairs?" Twilight asked. "Nope, they all looked like rubies to me!" Spike replied confidently. Then why didn't it work? "Well, now that that is over," Rarity started. "I do hate to cut our time short, but I must get started on town hall! It will take some time to make it look as dazzling as last year!" Rarity walked towards the door, Twilight in tow. Twilight opened the door for her friend and said her farewell. "I'm really sorry my potion didn't work out and that you got hurt because of it." Twilight's ears flattened against her head. "It's ok, Twilight! We shall put this behind us! Now I really must be going before I fall behind schedule and we can't have that!" "Of course!" Twilight said happily. "I'll see you later, Rarity!" Goodbye, Twilight!" Rarity leaned in and gave Twilight a quick kiss on the lips and left. Twilight, not expecting the sudden gesture, stood frozen her mind trying to process what had happened, her cheeks beginning to turn crimson red. Twilight closed the door and turned towards the kitchen, nothing but Spike's humming could be heard. After a few moments of silence, she finally muttered something under her breath. "Something tells me Rarity isn't alright after all." The unicorn's eyes shifted towards the basement where her potion was concocted. Suspicions arose as her eyes lingered on the wooden doorway. Ultimately she decided against it, waiting to take it up with Rarity later tonight when they were supposed to meet their other friends at Pinkie's for some cupcakes. She put the matter aside for now and instead refocused her attention on the day's work. She picked up her clipboard which was conveniently left on the table and looked at her first thing on the list. "Ok, weather!" Twilight drifted back to her first day in Ponyville, when she had first met the speedster. "Spike!" Twilight called. "Yeah?" Spike called back. "I'm going to be out for a bit! I'll be back later." "Alright, try not to make anymore explosions while you're gone. Kinda hard to have a Celebration when half the town is full of craters." Twilight rolled her eyes. With her checklist at her side and Rarity's kiss on her mind, the lavender mare opened the door and left to find Rainbow Dash.
From Bad to WorseTwilight walked steadily towards town square. She wasn't really paying attention to where she was going and she almost bumped into a couple of ponies. She hastily apologized and returned to her meddling. Her mind was still back at the library, replaying the kiss over and over again. Twilight had never harped on anything this much and in some cultures ponies exchanged kisses all the time when greeting and saying goodbye; so why was she so concerned with her friend giving her a kiss on the cheek? The reason eluded her and would continue to thanks to Rainbow's insistent calls. "Earth to Egghead! Watch where you're going!" Rainbow called. "What?" Twilight asked as she walked right into a wall. "Ow..." Twilight moaned as she rubbed her throbbing nose. "I tried to warn ya! So what's got you're attention this time? Is it another late friendship report?" Rainbow joked. Twilight flushed when she remembered her little "incident". "No, it's-" I don't know if I want her to know about Rarity yet...let's just keep this between me and her for now... "-just that I lost some of my uh books! Yeah, I was up studying a new spell and I can't find it now!" Twilight replied. Rainbow rolled her eyes. "So, typical Egghead stuff?" Twilight nodded. "Yep, by the way how's the weather coming along?" "We got clear skies and sunshine all the way through! We should be good until the middle of next week, that's when we'll be getting one heck of a downpour to make up for this week." "Excellent." Twilight placed a check mark next to the weather cloud. She looked underneath it to the cupcake with sprinkles. "Ok, time to head over to Sugarcube Corner and see how Pinkie Pie and Applejack are handling things. I'll see you tonight?" Twilight asked. "You know it!" Twilight watched as Rainbow sped off towards another cluster of clouds shifting them into various shapes and sizes. Twilight turned and started walking towards Sugarcube Corner. Try as she might, her mind inevitably wandered back to the library again. Twilight could recall every minute of it, even though it was very short. The more Twilight thought about it, the redder her face got until she could have sworn it was scorching hot outside. Twilight shook her head vigorously to clear her head. She looked up and found herself right in front of City Hall and the place Rarity was currently decorating. Maybe I could try talking to her about it now...Plus it'll save me the trip Twilight continued towards City Hall and entered the massive building. Yellow, orange and white streamers were hung all over the place and a giant sun logo hovered above the balcony from which the princess was to appear on. Folding tables were all laid out with white coverings on them, and sun banners littered the walls. Twilight caught Rarity up on the balcony fiddling with some golden ribbon. Ones just like it looped around the guardrails and the one Rarity had would complete the chain. "Rarity!" Twilight called. "Twilight!" Rarity shouted happily. A pop, a flash, and a second later and Rarity was on the ground in front of Twilight, the golden ribbon left hanging on the railing. "How are the decorations coming along?" Twilight asked. "Oh they're going just fine, darling! I've been having a problem with that troublesome ribbon up there, but it shouldn't be too much of a problem." "That's good to hear...um, Rarity?" "Hmm? What is it dear?" Twilight's face was already a light shade of pink. "About what happened in the library..." "What about it?" Rarity asked. Her face showed her concern. "Why did you kiss me?" Twilight's face was now crimson. "Why wouldn't I? Twilight dear, did you forget that we're dating?" "D-DATING!?" Twilight shrieked. Twilight felt herself start to fall backwards and her eyes droop shut. Rarity barely had anytime to react as the lavender unicorn in front of her had lost consciousness. Twilight awoke in the library. She was in her bed with the covers draped over her body. Sunlight seeped through the blinds into the dimly lit room. Books littered the floor like sleeping bodies, some open to random pages while others were closed in giant piles. Twilight flung the covers off and swung her hooves to floor. She immediately withdrew her hooves when the sound of pages crunching hit her ears. She looked down to see what book she had desecrated with her carelessness. The book's pages had a complex diagram on it with a list of ingredients and steps on how to brew a potion. The longer Twilight stared at it, the more familiar it looked. I remember this! This is the book that gave me the idea for the sun cloth! Maybe I can find out what went wrong that caused it to implode. Twilight picked up the book. She read over the instructions once more checking them off as she went along. "Step 6: Let the solution sit in the sun for approximately 5 minutes. Check! What did I miss?" Twilight was about to read through the steps again when she heard the door creak open. "Twilight! You're awake." Rarity exclaimed happily. "Oh, hi, Rarity! I didn't realize you were here, um why are you here again?" "You don't remember, darling? You fainted after I had told you we were dating." "Oh, r-right." Twilight mentally kicked herself for that. "After you had passed out, I brought you back to the library to recover. I already explained everything to Spike." "You what!? Oh no, no, no, no! What did he say?" "He said when in Equestria did this happen!?" Spike shouted from the doorway. "Seriously, Twilight, what the hay! You can't just do that to someone especially since you knew how I felt!" "Spike, will you relax! I don't even know how or even when this happened myself!" Twilight shouted back. "No I won't 'relax'. One minute I'm making a gem cake and the next Rarity is over here telling me you two are dating!" Twilight shot a frazzled glance at Rarity, who in return sheepishly smiled. "Spike, I didn't know we were dating! That's the whole reason why I came back unconscious! I don't know why she's acting like this or even how it happened, but I'm trying to figure that out and coming in here screaming at me ISN'T HELPING!" The trio stood in silence for what seemed like an eternity. Eventually Spike sighed and dragged his claws down his cheeks. "Alright, alright. I'm sorry for yelling." Spike said. "Believe me when I say I wasn't trying to hurt you, Spike. Like I said I'm still trying to figure out how this happened in the first place." "Just...figure it out, please!" Spike walked over and hugged Twilight. Twilight returned the embrace. "Now, if you'll excuse me. There is a cake waiting for me down in the kitchen." Twilight laughed as the young drake walked back downstairs leaving the two mares alone in Twilight's bedroom. Twilight's eyes shifted to Rarity who had a downcast look on her face. "Rarity?" Twilight asked. "Did you really forget?" Rarity asked gloomily. "Forget what?" Twilight asked. "Th-that you loved me..." Even in the dim lighting Twilight could see the faintest drops of tears as they fell onto the wooden floor. Horsefeathers "No! Of course not! I just didn't want Spike to know until I was ready to tell him myself!" Twilight said hastily. Rarity's tear-stained eyes met Twilight's. The lavender unicorn saw the doubt hiding inside the alabaster's eyes and she could tell she wasn't very convincing. "Then why were you surprised when I told you at City Hall, and why you were concerned that I had kissed you before I departed earlier?" Rarity asked. Twilight cringed. Rarity had her there. Twilight's brain frantically searched for a reason to give Rarity. "I, uh...I..." Every minute she wasted trying to come up with a reason meant that every minute Rarity's faith in her supposed lover's feelings for her dwindled. Twilight watched as more tears built up in Rarity's eyes. Twilight couldn't take it anymore and something inside her snapped. She walked right up to Rarity inches away from her face. Twilight felt Rarity's hot breath against her muzzle as she looked the fashion designer right in the eyes. "I'm sorry. I didn't sleep well last night. You know, late night studying." "How do I know you're telling the truth?" What Twilight did next was something she had never considered in her life up to that point. She leaned in close, placing a hoof on Rarity's cheek. In an instant Twilight placed her lips on Rarity's for a brief second, but a second was all she needed to convince Rarity. The fashionista's crimson blush shone through her pearl white coat like a flashlight in the dead of night. Twilight had her own blush, but it wasn't as visible as Rarity's. The two stood in silence for a moment, each one at a loss for what to say. "I believe you." Rarity said softly. Her voice was just barely audible. Twilight smiled on the outside, but on the inside she was mentally sighing. "But no more late night studying sessions! I'm absolutely fed up with having to clean up all of these books!" Twilight laughed. "Alright, I promise." Rarity turned towards the door and headed downstairs. She flicked Twilight's nose with the tip of her tail grinning while she trotted downstairs. Twilight's smile held until her friend was out of the room. Phew, crisis averted. So that's what it's like to kiss somepony. I wish it had been under different circumstances, but... Twilight stared at the open doorway. At least Rarity's happy now. I'll have to keep it that way until I can figure out how to fix this whole thing. Twilight sighed heavily and ran a hoof through her mane. She placed the book she was reading on her bed, a white feather as her page marker. She started towards the kitchen, but stopped short of the hall to look back at the book. It's contents beckoned to her, tempting her to turn back and pick it up again, possibly finding a solution to her dilemma. Twilight shook her head, however, stepping outside and promptly closing the door. She walked down the stairs down to the lobby. She glanced up at the clock. It was currently four thirty-eight and she was expected to be at Pinkie's around nine to celebrate the day they all became friends. Twilight would have liked the celebration to actually be on the exact day, but given that it was the same as the Celebration, that was a no-go. The lavender unicorn took a seat on one of the couch cushions, grabbing a random book off the shelf. Twilight didn't bother reading the title or the cover, anything to distract her from reality right now. She opened up to the first chapter and began reading, allowing her mind to wander in the words. Author's Note Much love to my epic prereader Sam Cole Go check him out for some more awesome Rarilight stories!
Party FavorsTwilight looked up from her book. The clatter of plates on the table brought her attention away from the book and to the table. Spike set down a few more plates while Rarity came out carrying a large platter in her blue aura. Twilight bookmarked her page with one of her quills setting it down on top of the bookshelf. She sniffed the air in an attempt to find out what Spike had cooked this time. Whatever it was, it's scent didn't give it away, so Twilight had to wait patiently for Spike to finish up. "Spike, this smells amazing! What did you make?" Twilight asked. "It's spaghetti and garlic bread. There's also some parmesan cheese if you guys like that sort of thing." Spike replied. Twilight picked up a plate full of noodles in her magic and dropped them onto her plate. She then took the ladle and scooped up some tomato sauce. She was about to set it down when she felt someone else grasp the ladle. Rarity was smiling sheepishly as her and Twilight's magic duked it out for control of the ladle. Eventually Twilight relented and her magic withdrew. The two laughed while Spike groaned. "Twilight, what time did we have to be at the party?" Rarity asked. "Nine o' clock. Why?" Twilight asked. "Just curious, darling." Twilight glanced back at the clock to see what time it was. It was currently six thirty-seven. They had roughly two hours and twenty minutes to get to Sugarcube Corner which gave Twilight plenty of time to finish the book she was reading. The trio ate in silence for the majority of their meal. Twilight had asked Rarity if she had any new projects she was working on to which the fashionista replied that she had at least three orders to fill. Spike had offered his assistance, but Rarity politely declined much to the young drake's disappointment. When they had all finished, Twilight returned back to the couch to continue her reading. She opened her book to the marked page, reimbursing herself into the story. Velocity had been waiting for this moment. His wings spread wide and his hind legs ready to launch. This was his chance to make it up to his sister. Her life was on the line here, if he lost she wouldn't be able to get the treatment she desperately needed. Foul Play stood next to him, a devious grin on his face. Velocity's anger built up as he resisted the urge to kill the other racer. It was his fault his sister was in the hospital and today he'd pay it for. Velocity redirected his anger towards the race at hand. The timer counted down 5, 4, 3, 2, 1- Twilight's story was briefly interrupted by a certain unicorn laying herself against Twilight. Twilight looked down to see Rarity, with a novel of her own, laid up against her with her head laying on her chest with a content smile. "Uh, Rarity?" Twilight asked. "Yes?" Rarity replied. "Why are you laying up against me?" "Whatever do you mean?" "Why are you using me as a pillow?" "It didn't bother you before so I just assumed that..." Rarity drifted off. Before? What exactly does Rarity remember? Twilight was drawn from her thoughts by a grunt coming from the kitchen. Upon inspection she noticed Spike giving her a glare. Twilight was confused at first, but the realization quickly sunk in once he motioned towards the love struck fashion designer currently in her lap. Twilight groaned inwardly. She'd have to keep up this act of hers not only to keep Rarity smiling, but Spike as well. Twilight noticed Rarity trying to reposition herself off of her chest, but before she could Twilight made a bold move and wrapped a hoof around the alabaster mare keeping her in place. Rarity looked up at her with a confusing look. "You're right, I'm just a little stressed out. I was really worried when that potion went off in your face." Twilight said. Rarity's eyes scanned Twilight's for any hint of a lie. Twilight prayed to Celestia that Rarity would buy her act. Much to her relief, she did and if she didn't then she definitely didn't show any signs of suspicion. The smile returned to her face and she continued reading, as did Twilight. The lavender mare glanced towards the kitchen and she noticed the faint smile on Spike's face. Twilight rolled her eyes and continued reading where she had left off. Twilight and Rarity started down the road to Sugarcube Corner. Spike stood in the doorway waving them off, albeit a little bitter that he couldn't come along too. Twilight had asked him to go to the basement to inspect the ingredients she had used to make the potion. The sooner they found out what exactly had gone wrong, the sooner things could get back to normal. The night air was cool and brisk, a gentle breeze blew through the open streets of the village. Rarity had left little more than a few millimeters between her and Twilight which made Twilight a little uncomfortable. She hadn't had any experience with romance nor had she ever considered it at all! She always convinced herself that there were always more pressing matters at hand than a silly love story starring her. Looking back on it she didn't consider it so silly now that she was actually in one. She sighed. Her eyes turned towards the stars up above and the moon illuminating the world below. Twilight always admired Princess Luna's handiwork, it's like she knew just what arrangement to put the stars in to make her night even more beautiful. She could lose herself in that sky for hours on end and never get bored, reading the stories that each constellation told. Aries, Capricorn, Pisces, all of them had their own tale. Rarity took note of Twilight's gazing. She was acting very strange lately, and Rarity didn't know why. Had she done something wrong? Did Twilight not feel the same anymore? Was she just putting up an act to keep her happy? "Are you alright, Twilight?" Rarity asked. "Huh?" Twilight asked drawing her eyes away from the night sky. "I said are you alright? It seems like something is bothering you." "O-oh nothing! Nothing at all! I just zoned out again hahaha..." "Are you sure? You know you can tell me anything, darling." Twilight hesitated for a moment, confirming Rarity's suspicions that something was bothering her even if she didn't want to admit it. What do I say!? I accidentally made you fall in love with me and remember events that never happened!? Luckily she was saved from any sort of response as they approached Sugarcube Corner and the bubbly pink mare waving them inside. "You guys made it!!!" Pinkie squealed from the entrance. She continually bounced up and down as they approached. "It's good to see you too, Pinkie Pie." Twilight greeted casually. "You know I wouldn't miss one of your soiree's Pinkie Pie." Rarity chimed. "Swaryay's?" Pinkie said butchering the pronunciation of the word. "It's another word for party." Twilight explained. "Ohh! Well what're we standing out here for let's get to the swaryay already!" "Pinkie it's soir-" She was cut off by Rarity's hoof in her mouth and a facial expression that read just let it go. Twilight's brow furrowed, obviously annoyed that she couldn't give Pinkie the correct punctuation their language deserved. Alas, some things can't be helped and she ended up sighing in her friend's hoof. Rarity giggled as she followed Pinkie Pie in, flicking Twilight's nose playfully with the tip of her tail. Twilight flinched, giving Rarity a scowl to which she replied with a mischievous smile. Twilight couldn't help but return a smirk and stifle a laugh of her own. She rolled her eyes and followed her "marefriend" in. There was already a table set up with food scattered all around it. Rainbow Dash and Applejack were already at it arm-wrestling while Fluttershy sat idly by and watched. The meek mare looked up and smiled warmly when she saw Twilight and Rarity walk in. She fluttered over to Twilight and wrapped a hoof around her and then around Rarity. "Oh, I'm so glad you two could come! But where's Spike? Did he not want to come?" Fluttershy asked looking towards the door. "He just...you know him he had to...uh..." Twilight trailed off. I've been so busy trying to keep Rarity happy that I forgot to ask Spike if he wanted to come! I've still got to explain this whole situation to him when I get back...and what a fun conversation THAT will be. "He's reorganizing Twilight's mess of a lab. You know how she can be when she gets that adorable mad scientist look in her eyes, Fluttershy." Rarity cooed. "Oh my, did something happen today?" Fluttershy asked. "There was a minor accident while creating a potion for the festival." Twilight replied. "Spike said he'd clean it up for me while we were gone." "That's so nice of him, I'm glad nobody was hurt." Twilight felt something brush against her tail and saw Rarity's looping ever so slightly with her own. Twilight began to panic. She hadn't told any of her friends about Rarity's situation yet, but given how they were all together in one spot now was a better time than any. Beggars can't be choosers "Rarity, why don't you go freshen up?" Twilight suggested. "That sounds like a wonderful idea, Twilight." Rarity skipped towards the bathroom upstairs. As soon as she was out of sight, Twilight turned towards Pinkie and Fluttershy. "Okay girls, listen up real quick I have to tell you all something." "What's up, Sugarcube?" Applejack asked as she pinned Rainbow's arm to the table. The cyan mare glared at her which was returned with a smug look. "Ooooh is it a present!? Is it a super amazing cake that Spike made!? Is it a new book!?" Pinkie asked excitedly. "No, none of those things. You all know that there was an accident this morning at the library correct?" "Yes, you were just telling me about it." Fluttershy said. "What about it?" Rainbow asked. "Well, Rarity and I were trying to make a potion to help out with the decorations when something went wrong with the mixture. While it didn't have any physical affects, it did have some mental ones." Twilight explained. "Like?" Applejack inquired. "Rarity thinks she's dating me, she's got false memories of us together as a couple. I haven't been able to find out what the cause of it was, but for the time being I'm going along with her fantasy." Rainbow Dash broke out laughing. "You made Rarity fall in love with you!?" Rainbow shouted through tears. Twilight angrily shushed her, pointing a hoof towards the stairs. "Oh, sorry." Rainbow said sheepishly. "Yes, I did. For now I'm going to play along, however uncomfortable it may be, and I'm asking you girls to help me keep her happy." "I don't know about this, Twilight." Applejack crossed her forelegs. "It's not mah place to meddle in someone's love life. Especially mah friend's love life. Ah don't know how Ah feel about ya'll being together too. It's...well it's a little weird to me." "It's not official, Applejack. We only have to keep it up till the potion wears out or I find an antidote." Twilight replied. "Sorry, Twi, Ah'm still on the fence about this." "Fluttershy, Pinkie Pie, what about you two?" "I'm not sure how I feel about it either, but if it makes Rarity happy then I'll do my best to help!" Fluttershy asserted. Twilight smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Fluttershy." "This is one doozy of a doozy you're in, Twilight! If it means I get to throw more parties for you two then I'm all for it!" Pinkie exclaimed. Twilight then turned her attention to Rainbow who sat quietly. She looked fidgety and uncomfortable much to Twilight's surprise. If there was anyone she didn't think had a problem with helping her out it was Rainbow Dash. "Dash?" Twilight called out. "What?" Rainbow asked curtly. "Will you help me?" Rainbow went quite again, looking at the blue floorboards. Finally she sighed and looked up at Twilight with a look she'd never seen before. "You can count on me, Twi." Rainbow reassured. "Thank you all so much!" Twilight reached out and hugged all four of her friends. She let go just as the door swung open upstairs and a lovestruck voice called downstairs. "Pinkie Pie there seems to be something wrong with your toilet paper. I tried to fix it as best I could." Rarity explained as she descended down the stairs. She laid her eyes on her friends all huddled together staring up at her anxiously. "Did I miss something? Why are you all huddled together?" "I'll tell you later." Twilight said. "Yeah, right now let's party!" Rainbow shouted energetically launching into the air. "Finally! Weeee!" Pinkie shouted as she jumped for the jukebox in the other room. Twilight smiled watching Rarity retreat back to her side. The two unicorns looked at each other and shared a brief kiss before sitting down at the table full of delicious food. Within seconds loud electronic music was blaring in the lobby. Rainbow and Applejack went back to arm-wrestling to settle Rainbow's grudge match while Pinkie dragged a reluctant Fluttershy into the living room to dance. Twilight rolled her eyes and smiled. Well that went better than expected, maybe tonight won't be so bad after all... Unbeknownst to Twilight, however, the night would get very bad and very uncomfortable for her. Author's Note I've been playing Final Fantasy X a lot lately, same with Pokemon Moon. FFX frustrates me though because there's a boss that can 1-hit KO my whole party like 4 different ways. There's a bunch of snow everywhere too and it's cold. Illinois is a bipolar weather state I swear. Wonder how long it'll be before I update the two lovecorns again. Might even have a love triangle. Who knows! A love triangle would be interesting. More sex for everyone!
