She Was Mine

by Dimondium

Rating: everyone
Tags: Tragedy, Twilight Sparkle, Main 6, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic, Sad, Romance, Octavia, Princess Celestia, Pinkie Pie
Length: 10071

She was mine...

Some ponies have some things to say...

TAGGING SYSTEM PLEASE READ.
[Story]
This is something following the main linear style, after all chapters of the next tag are finished.

[Poem]
A stylized poem retelling the patterns of a relationship, how it came to be, and how each pony feels.

[Extra]
Little, non-linear and hardly referenced in [Story]. Often for nothing but pure d'aw, or just highlighting different points in a relationship/deepening what is said in [Poem] chapters, or adding small strings and morals to what already exists.

[Alternate Ending]
I think you know what this means. It will be tagged accordingly to the pairing/story bridge, I.E. [Alternate Ending (Pairing)], or [Alternate Ending (Twenty Walruses In A Bucket)]. These DO NOT SERVE ANY PURPOSE but to provide another window. Unless I get really creative, in which case...
[Alternate Story (Chapter)]
Another storyline, branched off the chapter listed.

Published 2012-04-20 05:24:02 UTC
Last updated 2012-12-09 22:09:34 UTC

Her (Twilight Sparkle) [Poem]

She was mine.

She used to bounce cheerfully around the area, bringing smiles to every pony in the room.

She was joy.

The sound of her hoof steps approaching me made my heart leap, for only I knew how I felt about her. Her voice could scare away all of my troubles, and leave a smile on my expression, as she did with the others. But only mine was a starstruck one.

She was love.

She threw parties for each and every new resident to the town I resided in, whether they were pony or not. She did so for me, a long, long time ago. I feel that I was wronged for brushing her festivities aside...despite all of that...

She was fun.

She was the one who made my brain melt as she did what no other pony could, predicting both pratfalls and alligators in bathtubs.

She was confusing.

She had a smile unlike any other, which sometimes even seemed to stretch her cheeks wide. It could even pull some of the most gruff ponies out of their dark facade, or get somepony who had just lost everything, to smile too. But her smile made my knees weak. Regardless, I tried to smile back anyways.

She was kind.

Her body was incredibly lean, and perfectly toned. Though she ate copious amounts of sugar and sweets, her teeth remained unstained, being a perfect pearl white all the time. Her mane curled and bounced upon itself, giving the impression that even her hair wanted to have fun with her. Her glimmering cyan eyes never met mine for long, but I always relished every second that they did.

She was absolutely beautiful.

She was the one who one day walked up to me, asking if we could talk. She had stammered, until eventually those eyes looked up at me, pleading. They quickly shut after that, and I felt a soft pair of sugary lips pressing up against mine. It only lasted 3.42 seconds, but it was enough.

She was passion ponified.

She was so apologetic, pulling away and apologizing. Her cheeks had been the most unflattering shade of red, as she spoke the fastest that she ever had, hoping to redeem herself. Those deep cyan eyes brimmed with liquid as she went.

She was innocent.

She was the one who only eagerly responded as I walked up to her, and drew her into an embrace. She had silenced her words, instead squeezing me tighter. I did not know, but I could have sworn that her smile grew bigger.

She was delicate.

She was the one who I loved, and she was the one who loved me back. She was the one who released herself from my grip, and gazed at me with those eyes.

She was hesitant.

She drew in a breath, the smile worming out onto her face yet again as she did so. She was the one who spoke the most wonderful words I'd ever heard: "I love you, Twilight."

She was mine.

She was the one who from then on lived with me, always brightening a day with her energy, her jokes, or simply her silent smiles.

She was as sweet as the candy that she ate.

She was the pony who lay by me on a quiet night, as I rest my head on her shoulder. A lone hoof resting around me, she would do nothing but breathe ever so slightly, and stare silently into the beyond. Intervals found us gazing at each other, smiling warmly.

She was kind.

When I came back from my long trips to Canterlot, she was waiting with a huge smile, and a hug. Her breath smelled of cotton candy almost all the time, and her body was warm. It was soft, and each hug seemed to feel just as good, if not better than the last.

She was enjoyable.

She was the pony who comforted me when I lost a friend. I wept for hours over her accident, which had been over a silly little trick. Even through hours, she held me tight as I whimpered still, whispering reassurances that weren't true, but still helped.

She was caring.

She was one who never failed to throw a party, or to chatter for weeks on end. But the silent moments were when she was best, allowing her inner beauty to show.

She was amiable.

She was the pony who, on a complete whim, would even bake me cupcakes, and we would both sit, relishing every bit of those pastries.

She was a baker.

She was the one who followed me through life, and entirely unexplainably, she passed away in her sleep. She still smiled, even in death, and my heart had done a nosedive when I saw what she clenched to her chest.

It was none other than a plush effigy of myself, of which I'd never even seen.

She was Pinkie Pie.

Even now, as I tiredly write this, my favorite quill dragging across this very paper, I still feel her love. She was joy, love, fun, confusing, kind, absolutely beautiful, passion ponified, innocent, delicate, hesitant, as sweet as the candy she ate, enjoyable, caring, amiable, and a baker.

She was Pinkie. She was my one and only, the one who I loved, and her, I. She loved me even through her old ages, and my own.

I'm the only one left. All of my other friends have blown away, leaving holes in my heart that almost nopony can replace. But Pinkie Pie was that pony, she was the best mare I'd ever met. You can probably tell from the tear stains on this page.

But most importantly, she was mine. Pinkamena Diane Pie was mine, the pink pony who always smiled and never had time for a frown. The partying parader who could throw an entire town a party found time to love a little, naive pony like me.

It will come time to close my eyes soon. They will not open in Equestria, however-instead they will open in the promised land, where me and my friends can once more hop and play, no more burdened by the chains of age. Friendship is magic, but it is also forever.

I will be able to gaze once more into her eyes. And she will be mine, and I will be hers.

But until then, only four things matter.

I was hers.

I was theirs.

I was happy...

But...

She was mine.

A/N:What if Dimondium contracts insomnia?

He writes a one hit.

Thoughts?

Dream Pony (Pinkie Pie) [Poem]

Twilight is my dream-pony.

I always thought of her in this big old boat, just carrying me across the river of bad dreams and stuff, because that's what she did. She was in my dreams almost every night, and I loved every second of it.

I wanted to just hug her so badly, just wanted to spendtime with her so much. But as friends, we couldn't do the stuff that I wanted to. She always talked about 'personal boundaries', which made me a scared little Pinkie Pie, especially when it came to my ideas.

So in my dreams, I kept hugging her as much as I could, since I probably wouldn't get to do it when Mr. Sun began a brand new day. Each single time, I tried to imagine how it would feel. I did have a teeny moment to remember, after she'd just escaped the big ol' meany Hydra. That quick little hug was all I needed right then. It was pretty much the only one with just us two.

But as an awesome party pony, my job was to cheer everypony up, even her, without making anypony uncomfortable. So I did what I could. I made my friends smile, which felt good. I made friends, which was even better. But every time my Twily smiled, it felt the best. Nothing could change that.

I remember walking around singing songs about her, and I wanted to sing one to her one day. I had it in my head, and it was perfect:

"Parties are fun,
And violets are blue,
If my mane isn't pink,
Then I don't love you."

Oh no no, wait. I forgot, that was a poem! And I think it's the wrong one...didn't seem right...hang on a sec...oh yeah! Here-

Oh wait. Gosh darn. I guess they're all poems. Then again, songs are just musical poems!

Anyways.

I went up to her, and wow! She looked pretty that day, and I mean really pretty! So much that my knees nearly started wobbling, and my heart started thump-a-dumping! My brain went ker-splat, and I guess I listened to my heart after that. And it didn't want to sing, it wanted to finally tell her how I felt. My brain was all like 'no!', but my mouth had already started, so I had to go through with it.

I didn't hug her, because that wasn't enough to show how much I loved that silly filly. So I gave her a sweet short little kiss instead! She seemed all stunned, and I was worried, and I was all upset that we weren't friends anymore, but I told her that I loved her anyways.

We ended up hugging, and she said that she loved me too! That silly little filly! She acted like you had to keep who you loved a secret! I mean, I did, but only 'cuz I was worried about what she might think. I guess she thought the same way.

So me and Twilight started doing all the fun stuff that I really only dreamed of before, the stuff that was just 'awesome' as Dashie might have said. She had a nice coltfriend that she did stuff with, his name was something foreignish, uh...started with an N...oh yeah, Noteworthy! He was this pony who made all this cool swingy 'boodley-doo!' music, and it was cool. Did I mention it was cool?

Anyways, of all the time we spent together, I think our two year anniversary was the best. We were sitting by the fire at her library – our favorite spot – and we were all snuggled up and stuff, and it never lost its appeal. It felt especially good after we got in a little fight, but made up afterwards.

So we were playing a rhyming game, and I was being like the world champion with this! I had to rhyme her last sentence ending with 'try'.

"Up on the roof, with a great big goof, tickling a loof until you wanna' cry."

Twily smiled, and then her horn-y magic stuff brought out this teeny box, and when she opened it, and I saw this ring, my heart literally burst into happy little Pinkie Pieces. I could feel my eyes getting all these happy tears, and I was just so, so happy! And not like Gummy's tears, because he's a crocodile, and they're fake. But isn't he an alligator? Well, crocogator tears or not, I wanted to just jump up and throw a worldwide party because of what she asked (or rhymed) me:

"While that's very nice, of you I implore, will you marry me, Pinkie Pie?"

In the words of Twilight herself, I had to say 'Yesyesyesyesyesyesyes' like, over and over and over! I'm surprised she didn't stop me until like, a whole minute later. I guess I'd said it so much that even she got tired of it.

The wedding was awesome! Twilight planned the actual thing, and since she's good at being all formal and organized, it worked great! You should have seen the look on the marrying-guy's face when we went through our vows and said 'I do'! When he said 'you may now kiss the bride', I was like, 'which one?'

He was all red and said something about "forcive habit", which was weird. Maybe he meant to say "forced it, habit". Anyways, we did do a little smoochy, and everypony cheered afterwards, and it felt so good! All my friends were there, and the girls, and even a few ponies I didn't know!

The reception was the best, though! I got to do that one, and it was off the hook! I had like a DJ, and all these banners, and a huge buffet table and stuff with deserts and all the great things! But then Twily had Ms. Scratch turn down the awesome beats for a nice slow song. I was in the middle of a super fun dance move, when she tapped me and I noticed that the music had changed. She held her hoof out to me, and asked if she could have that dance.

We danced together that time, with just us on the dance floor that time. Maybe it was a dance field. But it still didn't change how...magical that moment was. We were just slowly moving around, and I had my head on her shoulder, and hers on mine as we went in slow, itty bitty circles.

I'd never felt more happy in my life, and when she told me again that she loved me, I was even more happy.

Those happy tears from a while ago finally did come out. She was my dream-pony, she was my partner-in-partying, she was mine. And I couldn't have been happier.

We spent so much time together after that night, and it was all nice. We had a great honeymoon in Colta Rica, and we had what were called 'fiestas', and that was a lot like a party, but sometimes some ponies would play in a 'mariachi' band. I liked their music like, a lot.

When we got back, I remember that I stayed awake the whole entire night, just smiling to myself. I couldn't believe it, and I was that happy. I spent the whole time just breathing slowly, feeling her do the same, and just hugging her close. Did I mention she liked to cuddle a lot? I didn't really need sleep anyways. She was my dream pony, and just being with her was my dream.

The first time she went off to Canterlot for a trip, I was lonely. I kept waiting for her to come back, and when I heard the carriage had arrived, I ran outside as fast as I could, hugging her and nuzzling her and saying how much I missed her and stuff like that. I did kind of admit that I felt lonely without her, but she just told me not to be, since she was never gone from my heart.

D'awww...Twily is so cute when she's philosophical.

And when Dashie was gone...I was sad, because my friend was gone. But she was even more upset, just crying and saying how the good die young, how mean nature could be, and so on. She just kept going and going, and it didn't feel good on my already achy-breaky heart. It was another long night that night, but this one felt sad. We just stayed up until maybe 1:00 in the morning, as I just reminded her that everything would be OK, and just stroking her mane; which I'd learned that she liked that quite a while ago.

And everything would be. Friends come, and they have to go away sometimes. I was sad too, and I wanted so badly to just bring her back, but even I can't do that. The best thing to do would to be happy, and live life. Twilight did eventually get it, and by the time I got back to bed, I fell asleep instantly.

As lovably cute and smart as she is, Twily sure is tiring.

...

Those happy times were so many years ago. I'm no longer an itty bitty twinkie Pinkie. If anything, I'm just...a great big old Pinkie. I can't even rhyme that.

Me and Twilight have been together for 60 years now. We've fought a whole bunch on the way, and she's threatened for a divorce multiple times. That always tore my heart in two, and I was brought to near tears as I just kept trying to keep us together. I don't even know what I'd do if she were gone now.

In fact, she was just seconds away one time. The quill was just a teeny bit from the paper, and I had to call out 'Wait!' before she signed the thing that would tear both us and my heart apart. She looked at me with a 'what now?' glance, and I had to say it. I was already crying, so what did it matter?

"I'm sorry...p-please, don't leave me alone..."

I'd already apologized so many times, and she had shrugged it off each time. But that time, she stood for a long time, just staring at the little line that would separate us, not even looking back at me.

I just looked down at the floor. I knew it was all over. I'd lost my dream pony, I'd been cast aside, all because I made one little comment too many.

R-r-r-r-ip!

I'd snapped my head towards Twilight, who held two separate sheets of paper with her magic, instead of one. There wasn't a smile on her face, but not a frown either.

"You're going to have to make some big changes, Pinkie."

That was the last time it ever happened, and it was 5 years ago. Me and her have learned to get over our arguments, since she just couldn't stand how much I talk, apparently. If she starts getting cranky, I walk to another room, and that's mostly the end of it.

Speaking of walking, it's getting harder. I can't party like I used to, or hop around, which was crazy fun. I've sort of accepted it, though-I guess it's part of the last part of your life. You have to change.

It's late at night now. I don't remember why I'm – oh, right. I'm just thinking. I do that a lot now, since those happy moments always make me smile. Though the sad ones come back too...

I'm tired, so I snuggle up to a small little plushie I made of her a looooonnnngggg time ago. She doesn't know about it, but I always hug it instead of her when she's off on a trip. It's almost as soft as her, but...somehow it helps me feel closer to her.

Twilight is my dream pony. We fight, but we hug and get through it eventually. I haven't had a single bad dream in a whole long while, because she protects me. She doesn't do it herself, but being with her does.

I can feel myself slowly getting into a sleepy trance. It feels better than most sleep somehow, almost warm.

I wonder if I'll dream this time. It'll be a happy one, probably. Because she's my dream pony. She's in my heart, always.

She's my dream pony. And I love her, I love making her smile, but I mostly love her.

She is mine.

Two Names (Princess Celestia) [Poem]

Twilight Sparkle, and Pinkie Pie.

Alone, these names, when uttered by any tongue, will sound entirely different. And all ponies alike will each think of either of the names they said, but never both.

When one happens to say both, however, it conjures up a phantom image. One that only the wise and thoughtful see, and throughly relish and enjoy.

An image of love.

It is beheld in just the simplest, yet most affectionate of actions: a hug here, a nuzzle there, and a tiny boop of the nose, even.

But to be such exemplary examples of the thing that there is only one word for...

...is a wonder-filled thing indeed.

...Twilight Sparkle. The name itself brings to mind the night sky itself; wise and ever watching in its own way, encompassing the world in a soft, bright grip.

To me, however, that name means so much more. The name 'Twilight Sparkle' means to me 'student', and one that I couldn't help but grow to admire.

I do admire Twilight Sparkle, and the mark that she did leave in my world. She was the next in line to bear the tough task of being the bearer of the element of Magic. But yet...

...she left something else behind.

An unliftable veil of sorrow.

I've seen many ponies come and go, and each loss swipes at my heart. But none lingered so much as she did when she went.

She...she even went as far as to write me a final letter. I...I just felt humbled somehow. And the letter...

'Dear Princess Celestia,

I think I have one final letter of friendship to write you. I'm an old mare, but...I still have one last thing to say.

Your friends will never, ever leave you. Throughout my life, I've felt myself remembering Pinkie Pie's cheerful demeanor when I was sad. Applejack's honesty and true heart brought me to light in times of doubt and deceit, while Rainbow Dash's loyalty reminded me to follow through with what I start. Rarity's generosity reminded me to give a little to those in need, and Fluttershy's kindness only pushed me to be the pony that I needed to be.

Your friends stay with you, even when they pass on. Their messages, their memories that they shared...

Even their love.

Princess, I'd like to say I always thought you were a friend as well. You listened to me, you fixed my own mistakes I made as a young mare, and you were the best figure I could ever look up to. Teacher and ruler you might be, but I prefer 'friend'.

My time is near, but that's OK. I look forward to my passing in a way...call it a new start. Finding peace.

I hope you understand what I mean...

Your faithful student forever, wherever I may go...
Twilight Sparkle.'

Friend...

She...she called me...her friend.

As a royal ruler, I have many ponies whom I share earnest relationships with. But it's all professional, and...

...to think I had so few friends...to think that I was seen more as an ungodly figure of power than just a pony...

And as for Pinkie Pie...

Spoken aloud, her name might remind a pony of gumdrops and clouds, and general playfulness.

They honestly wouldn't be wrong, in a way.

But to think...behind that smile, behind those glistening eyes...to think that something so innocent and pure as 'love' resided within...and to think that such a perfect representation was there as well...

...most might call that unbelievable, unlike me.

Pinkie particularly enjoyed making other ponies happy, both an easy and a difficult task.

The one thing she loved beyond that, however, was making her one true love happy.

They say love has power, which indeed it does. But no love was like the love of Pinkie Pie and Twilight Sparkle.

The simplicity, yet power of their actions beheld only one thing: a simplicity to yearn for another, free of any deceit or misintent. As with any other case, love had its bumps. But the fact that they could resolve them better than any other pony could...

...brings a whole new meaning to 'two hearts beating for one'.

And it's hardly anything a pony will see anymore, nor experience. The innocence in asking for a simple cuddling time, and receiving it without question. The tenderness and sweetness in just a few exchanges of kisses, and the very way one's mane is stroked can say 'I love you'.

This isn't to say, of course, that ponies do not love one another. It is simply to say that no example is more perfect than those two ponies.

As both of them disappeared, Ponyville held its breath. It would certainly be quiet without the quirky librarian, or the peppy pink pony. But they didn't know what they had truly lost.

A pure, rare case, of true, unconditional, entirely out of circumstantial context...love.

To be able to lay claim to another, and to be claimed by them over in such a manner is but something you almost never see in a lifetime. Unfortunately, I've lived many lifetimes, yet fortunately as well.

And to see those two mares go saddens me indeed, as does every fleeting life. Love can be defined simply with those two names. There is simply no other way to put the word 'love' into a definition.

But if somepony asked me to sum up what I thought of those two ponies, those two ponies who simply won't disappear from my conscience?

It would be simple.

Twilight Sparkle was Pinkie Pie's own.

Pinkie Pie was Twilight Sparkle's own.

But they were both my little ponies, and they did, indeed, love each other.

A love untainted through all time...

...as it shall be said, and has been done, through my eyes, and through theirs.

...

Rest in peace, my little ponies. Together. You...you definitely deserve it.

[Poem] Heart (Rainbow and Fluttershy)

She fixed my broken heart.

It was never meant to have been that way. In fact, it was quite the opposite-it was going to be the best day of my life. The pony I'd sought after for so long, the very love of my life, with her elegant twirling mane, her soft lavender eyes, her bookish demeanor, and the ever so subtle curves that her body produced...was finally going to know how I felt.

I remember the day as clearly as anything. I'd woken up to the most warming feeling, and actually took the time to comb my mane. I grabbed a few bits before heading down to the market, and getting the most fitting bouquet of lavender daisies. I'd heard they were quite rare-well worth the extra 10 bits spent. They were special, just like her. She deserved the best.

Right before I decided to finally tell her, I stopped by my reflection in a window, and took myself in. Neatly groomed to at least attempt to get close to her level of beauty, even if I hated the procedure required. A bouquet clenched between my teeth, and a noticeable height to my stance. I was ready, more than anything.

She would love me back today, after all the years of waiting.

I turned from the window, trotting off towards the giant tree that loomed in the distance. My attention drifted as I began to envision-daydream, if you would-what might happen in the future. We could spend an evening on a cloud, her body on top of my own to stay atop the land only I could traverse, simply drifting as we lay in each others' arms. Her warm breath would tickle my nose with the scent of gentle berries as she leaned in, gently pressing onto me with the most gorgeous pair of lips I'd ever laid eyes on. She would pull back, staring at me with those gorgeous lavender eyes, her mane slightly ruffled but still just as breathtaking, before smiling, and saying what she would say as soon as I told her, what I could only dream of.

"I love you, Rainbow Dash."

I finally allowed myself to refocus as the area around her library home came into clearer sight, and sure enough, there she was. I recognized her just as well from a distance, as she engaged in conversation with one of my best friends, the pink prankster I so often hung out with.

But that was unimportant. All that mattered was her for today.

I took a deep breath, feeling suddenly nervous despite the bouquet between my teeth. I took a step forward, then two, then four, and then eight. I could do this. I would finally tell her, and everything would be fine. I was Rainbow Dash, fastest flier in Equestria, Element of Loyalty, and on the side, aspiring Wonderbolt. I wasn't afraid in the least, because she would like me back.

It was on the sixteenth step that my heart shattered into a metaphorical million irreparable bits.

I wasn't sure as to whether either of them had seen me, but either way, it was no less stunning as my best friend suddenly leapt forward, attacking my crush with a fervent kiss that I myself might have given.

That was the exact moment that my heart broke, completely and certainly in two.

I didn't dare take another step, torn between leaping forward with a simple extension of the wings, tackling my friend to the ground and demanding to know why she had done what she had done, and simply running. The only reason I didn't tuck tail and do just that, was that perhaps it was unrequited. Maybe a magic spell gone awry, maybe just a case of 'one-sided love'.

Any hopes I had were smashed the instant she pulled away, and the object of my attention made not even the slightest protest.

So there I stood, on what had started as the best day in my life, which had now transversed into the very worse. I didn't even admit to myself that I felt tears slowly welling up in the corners of my vision, as one of my dreams shattered right before my eyes. All I could process was the fact that she loved another pony, and not me. Rather, my best friend. Still not me.

And despite myself, my set-in-stone goal, my pride, my certainty, and my love for the pony who now loved another...I ran.

I felt the first tear slide onto my cheeks, and everything went from there. Something inside me snapped, and my wings did pop out, before propelling me forward. I didn't tackle anypony, but instead did the quickest U-turn I'd ever pulled off, shooting off in the exact opposite direction from the memory. Perhaps I could escape it if I flew far enough away. The tears streamed freely down my face now, not even in the least from the sub-sonic speeds I found myself reaching. I left two things behind, past every single building that passed in a blur, past every pony that barely escaped being plowed over.

I left my broken heart, and a very special bouquet of flowers lying on the ground.

By the time I saw fit to stop, I was crying full-force, like a foal who had lost her favorite toy, and wept for its absence. Under any other circumstance, I'd have chided myself, but at the moment, it was all I could do to add some stability to my now torn apart world. I just collapsed onto the ground, content to stay there for as long as it took to digest the reality. That she would never feel the same about me. And that of all ponies, my friend, who I trusted and cherished spending time with, had taken her from me. I had half the mind to go back and even hurt her, as she had me...but I just didn't find it in myself, or even my element, to follow through. All I did was let my grief spill out, the best that it ever could.

The last thing I expected was for a voice to cut through my pained sobs, laced with heavy amounts of both concern and comfort.

"Rainbow! What happened?"

It was just those three simple words that somehow gave me enough courage to briefly shake off my heartbreak; to throw a desperate glance upwards and hope that the voice was friendly, and not faking.

As my eyes met another, teal-blue pair of the very same, I knew instantly that the pony behind the eyes was friendly indeed, maybe to the fullest extent ever possible. It was that notion that allowed me to first stare, stunned for no discernible reason, before giving a great shuddering sob, and burying my face into a shoulder I could only guess as to the whereabouts.

It took only two seconds before I could feel the other mare reciprocate some of the only comfort she could offer, drawing a hoof around me and pulling me closer, gently patting my back and whispering things like 'there, there' and 'everything will be OK' (which I found hard to believe). It was quite enough, however, and I was able to finally take a deep, trembling breath, before composing myself the best I could.

I would, reluctantly, admit to myself that I wanted the embrace to last longer, since it was a lot safer and warmer than the heart-breaking world that lay outside, but I knew I had to face it eventually, and so I allowed myself to pull away. The pony who had just been my on-the-spot comforter paused, and took a deep breath of her own, as if to say something else, but instead sighed, and invited me inside to talk it over.

The conversation that followed was no less hurtful, especially for the first ten minutes in which I wrestled between flooding her cottage with tears, and refusing outright to tell her exactly who had been my, 'special pony' as she called them, once the subject arose.

But she happened to be a natural at coaxing things from anypony or thing, and it was only a matter of time and soft reassurances that I finally uttered two simple words in response to her question, before turning and promptly burying my face into the couch that I lay on.

"Twilight. Sparkle."

It seemed to take at least a few seconds to sink in, seeing as I received no response from outside the cushion for quite a while. The simple mention of her name was almost enough to set me going again, but the other mare (relatively) quickly recovered, and I could feel her take the spot next to me, before draping what I assumed was her wings around me, and grab me into another hug.

What most ponies tend not to know, however, is that such an action is deemed accurately as a 'pegasus hug', because 'most ponies' don't have wings attached to them.

The one that I received was just enough to prevent me from going over the edge, the soft feathery grip in addition to the close, comforting notion helping to abate my tears enough for her to continue.

She went on to say that she 'hadn't meant to hurt me', and...it made sense. Not that it was why I was upset, but somehow the idea was enough to comfort me. She probably honestly didn't, since she...well, didn't know about me.

She didn't speak for a while after that, instead she just rocked back and forth, humming a light tune that I could almost call a lullaby. I could actually feel myself relaxing, lifting my head from the cushion, even, and in my emotionally shocked state, it was an odd experience indeed. It eventually came to the point where I was just blank and limp, allowing myself to be swayed back and forth. I felt just like a little filly, being rocked back to bed after a bad dream had scared her awake.

Ordinarily, I'd protest vehemently at such situations, but I didn't have it in me to protest at all as I finally relaxed completely, giving in to the 'motherly' comfort that I'd lacked for...years, in fact.

"There's...always somepony else."

The words are both almost enough to shake me completely out of my trance, and to make me agree completely. Somepony else? Somepony else?

She obviously didn't realize the depth of what had happened. I'd loved her ever since...buck, I don't even know when it started. And then she just...happens to...have an interest in...

It's then that I realize how stupid I've acted up to that point. I had gotten upset over something normal-I couldn't expect her to love me back at first sight anyways, right? She...did have a life and separate interests, even if they happened to hurt me in themselves. I wouldn't get anywhere crying over spilled milk, and I wouldn't ever find myself loving another pony if I did. There were more ponies, just as great as her. I should have felt lucky just to have such a wonderful mare as a friend in the first place, anyways.

It was through those thoughts that I finally picked myself up, breaking the hug and hopping to my hooves in one fluid motion. I smiled-it was a weak one, but a smile nonetheless-before quickly thanking Fluttershy, and dashing out the door just as quickly.

Maybe my heart would still ache fiercely every time I saw her, and maybe she would always be my first taste of what I couldn't have. But I did owe it to Fluttershy that maybe I could finally face both her and her marefriend without openly bursting into tears. I did have a reputation to preserve, after all.

It was the next day sooner than I thought, and it was that day that everything changed.

Twilight had invited all of the girls over, crowding us in the library for reasons unknown. I took refuge in the back, as far from her as I could get. I had thought I was over her, but just the simple casual nuzzles that her and her pink partner traded, or how they held hooves when leading up to the 'reveal', were enough to attack my heart with such a fury again. She should have been mine. She still could be.

Luckily, nopony noticed me fighting over myself in the corner. I almost missed her explanation-apparently, she had discovered a spell allowing two ponies to share their innermost thoughts about each other. But, as per her words, "I don't think it would quite work on us, since we're already quite open, so I was wondering if I could ask two of you guys to help me out?"

There was a general chorus of agreement from everypony but me, and I could vaguely make out both Rarity and Fluttershy stepping forward.

There was no time wasted- Twilight lowered her horn, and shot a little purple bolt at Fluttershy, who immediately froze and stared straight ahead. I was already on my way to ask if she was all right, but Twilight waved it off, saying that she was now 'phased into the spell-zone', and just needed another pony to connect with her. She would instantaneously be back to normal, but would have new things to ponder.

What I least expected was for Pinkie to shove her as she cast the next bolt, only to send it hurtling straight at me.

Being hit by the lightning bolt didn't hurt a bit, rather, it was confusing. One second, I was in the library, and the next, images were flashing before my eyes, and sounds and what I could only assume were thoughts drifted by too.

I was inside Fluttershy's mind.

The images were strange, however-I saw a split-second flash of a rainbow, and the next, it was on to some random place I didn't realize, and it went endlessly on. It focused only for brief seconds.

"RAINBOW!" A 'thought' louder than the rest pierced through, and I recognized the speaker as Twilight. "You have to FOCUS, or else it will take over! You won't be Rainbow Dash if you don't FOCUS!"

Well, that was comforting.

Still, I trusted her the most right then, seeing as how I was stuck in some ethereal plane only she knew about. I focused as hard as I could, and the first thing I grabbed hold of was my memory of her. Maybe I couldn't have her, but I could love her all I could in this strange...thing.

Suddenly, the thoughts blaring in my ears retreated, and the image refocused to a clear sky. I could see animals going about their daily business, a cottage all too familiar. Instinctively, I stopped focusing, and found myself perfectly fine.

"Oh, how am I ever going to tell her? I...I don't know how she'll react."

The voice puzzled me. It sounded a lot like Fluttershy.

As soon as the realization hit me, thoughts began swamping all over the place, and images began flashing again, but somehow, I understood them all. And what I saw truly shocked me.

I saw Flight Camp through her eyes, how the stupid doofuses messed with her and how I defended her. "She's...brave..." Was the only thought she seemed to have, but...it was thought almost admiringly.

I saw our first time meeting on the ground, and I saw every single moment up until that very instant. Each thought pieced together a pony I'd never known.

I knew Fluttershy, timid animal caretaker. But...I came to know Fluttershy, the victim of the same thing I had been. The quiet, tortured soul who was forced to watch their crush go about their life, who was forced to keep their feelings secret. Who took delight in every single second spent with that pony, and who whispered their name as she went about her own day. Fluttershy, the pony who fell head over hooves in love, and both enjoyed and hated every second of it, who dreamed of spending long afternoons cuddling with her marefriend by the fire, who kept quiet for fear of ruining the 'friends' relationship she already had with her special somepony. Fluttershy, the pegasus who re-enacted countless scenarios of confession, only to give up with a frustrated sigh and throw her hooves up in the air, torn hopelessly between loving the most beautiful thing she had ever laid eyes on, or keeping absolutely quiet.

What was the most shocking, however, was who she had her eyes on.

It was only when the memory-stream...thing...reached yesterday, and slowed down, that it hit me in full. I saw myself through her eyes, how devastated I had truly been. And she jumped instantly to comfort me, as any 'friend' would.

It was only when she said that there was always somepony else that things truly changed. A single thought struck my subconscious, and everything slowly faded to black as I came to ponder the most life-shattering change I ever had.

"Like...me. Rainbow Dash, I love you so much...why can't you just see...?"

By the time my senses returned, and the girls came into focus, I couldn't move. I didn't.

"Rainbow? Are you all right? Rainbow!"

Even Twilight's frantic hoof-waving and shouting didn't sway me. Instead, I could feel my head slowly turn to Fluttershy. The world seemed to disappear as everypony collectively realized the nature of the situation, and fell silent.

She only stared back, a blush first developing, before deepening even more as she backed away, as if she could hide behind her own mane. "I-I-I can explai-"

"I...I had no idea..." Even though my own voice sounded strange and echoing, and unusually stuttering, it easily cut the air. And it cut to her, too-her eyes shrank nearly instantly.

She began speaking even faster, slowly backing up until she hit the wall. "Right, y-you had no idea because it d-doesn't existokthanksforcomingyoucangonow!"

Even though that was the fastest I'd ever heard her speak, something in me made me take a few steps forwards to follow her, ignoring the protests she'd so quickly made. "You...you actually...feel that way?"

That seemed to send her into a tailspin. She slinked even further against the wall, her face now almost as red as a tomato. "No, not-I mean yes, but no-and sometimes, I just-..." She sighed, lowering her head in defeat after cutting herself off numerous times. "...yes..."

Maybe it was just the way she seemed pressured at the moment, and perhaps it was just me lusting for love itself about the moment. But I'd seen my fair share of things in the spell-thought...thing, and I'd felt something different. I'd come to think different.

Love was something I'd taken underhoofedly. It wasn't about looks, or even personality. It was about what you and the other pony shared, and me and Fluttershy had shared everything from foalhood. From Flight School to the very previous evening, I'd shared my deepest self with her, her likewise, and we both accepted each other for it.

It was for that reason that I leaned forwards, brushing past her mane and finally meeting her in what she'd wanted all along, and all I ever needed as well.

A kiss.

She remained tense for a few seconds, but relaxed soon enough, allowing her eyes to close as mine soon did themselves, melting into the kiss, returning it with a gentle passion I'd only ever heard of, much to the delight of the other ponies who still remained-a collective 'oooh' arose from the congregation. I'd neglected the memory of them, and I felt a flaming come to my own cheeks, magnified by nearly twice its intensity as my wings sprung open in both embarrassment and excitement.

She intended to make it worth my while of advancing to her, however, and so I felt myself pulled even closer by a lone hoof across the back of my head, her tongue pressing into my mouth with a courage that spoke entire years' worth of words, in just a few simple seconds.

And deep down, I loved every single second of it.

By the time Fluttershy pulled back, almost every single memory I'd had prior was gone. All I could do was stare, panting, as she leaned in one final time, leaving only one tiny peck on my nose. And even as we stared back and forth, blushes of equal size on each of our expressions, not a single word was said beyond that. It had already been said.

And even amongst the cheers, the well-wishes, and the cries of 'I knew my Pinkie Sense was telling me there was a doozy! I knew it!', I didn't once break the stare. Gazing into those teal eyes, I saw a new depth of love and caring, and there came an understanding in that moment, that incredibly magical moment.

As long as we knew each other, from this moment forward, things would be different.

I would be hers.

And she would be mine.

Hurricane [Story: Chapter 1, Part 1 of 3]

The word 'hurricane' is a word known by everypony, and for good reason - once every five years, Princess Celestia sends one through Equestria. It only took me a week on the weather squad to realize that she was not, in fact, completely insane and/or an evil villain who wanted to destroy ponykind.

It was this reassurance that kept me high above the cumulonimbus layer, leaning against the edge of the bottommost cloud that my ever so awesome home resided on. The storm clouds boiled and churned thousands of feet below, creeping up on the town that looked nearly like a single ant from my height. Ordinarily, I never allowed my house to drift so high, as to be way over ten thousand feet off the ground, but an exception would have to be made today, unless I liked fighting for my life.

I was safe, and everypony else would be too - while pegasi often took refuge above the hundred-mile-per- hour wind and pelting rain, and all the unicorns and earth ponies would be stuck on the ground, the 'Head Honcho' had thought of that too. So, every time the big storm would sweep through, all the unicorns in Equestria would collectively pool their magic to fuel a magical shield around each home on the ground - eternal ruler and her sister included.

Of course, it was an immense effort, and the shields held up invincibly for about 20 minutes before weakening. They would still divert much of the wind and rain, but any sufficiently heavy debris could get lucky and smash through, shattering both the protection the unlucky pony's domicile once had, and likely, a window. It was all part of nature, though - some stuff had to get smashed for other stuff to renew itself, so that everything lived in harmony once more.

And believe it or not, a giant storm rolling with thunder and brutal winds did represent harmony. While the storm itself seemed scary, even from afar, and destroyed everything it could, the effect it had was enough. The clean-up effort afterwards was something that had everypony in on it, repairing their friends' homes and sheltering their special someponies while they waited for their house to be fixed. It brought ponies of all races, gender, color, and even social classes together, which was very rare. Normally, a Canterlot pony wouldn't be caught dead in Ponyville, but after the storm, they would be readily available to assist the whole town. It was a magic spell in itself.

There was no spell, sadly, to alleviate my boredom, however. As good as everything was, it wasn't quite...interesting at all from my height.

And so I turned, breaking my gaze from the storm that I knew would hit within seconds. Part of me worried for a brief second, thinking of my friends, who were stuck on the ground, but I quickly shook it off. They would be safe.

I pushed open the door slowly, stepping into my house and hardly even hearing the 'click' that signaled my door's closing. The entire place looked too empty, too bare, too...lonely.

I groaned to nopony in particular but myself, before flopping onto the couch. The perfect relaxation cushion, yet...somehow, it held so many memories. The time that I finally managed to do a double backflip onto it and almost broke it, the time I learned that hanging upside down for too long could make you dizzy, and even fall off what you were hanging on...good times. Later, I would remember this moment as 'the time I was bored'.

Then again, that wasn't exactly rare.

My thoughts began drifting, because they tended to do that in boring moments. First to the Wonderbolts - come on, what don't I have that I need? - to gravity - man, I hate it sometimes - and even to Angel, Fluttershy's pet bunny or something - he seemed to have a mind of his own, which was very odd for a rabbit bunny thing.

My mind quickly backed up to Fluttershy, and I grinned beyond my own power.

Fluttershy. Ah, where could I start? It had been about four months since everything changed, and...truth be told, I loved it. I didn't even care if some of the girls occasionally poked at me, because I hated being 'sappy', yet they said I was all the time.

But I let it go for two reasons. One: they obviously didn't realize there are two types of 'sappy'. The first one is the whole gross, 'cute' name calling, weird baby voice talking 'sappy'. And then the second is the one where you actually aren't being sappy in a way that is actually sappy. You know, you're allowed to enjoy hanging with somepony who you just like like that, who can just...pull you into a trance, and you forget what time it is, so you spend 2 hours sitting together and whispering to each other, and just staring into their eyes for so long that you're late for work by over an hour, and you almost get fired, but when you explain to your boss, she looks at you funny and just lets you off the hook.

And two: I didn't obsess over her the same way most ponies did with their special someponies.

...honest.

Despite all that, I felt my heart ache a bit as I realized she wasn't with me, and likely, she wouldn't be out and go through the weather just to see me. I mean, I could live without her...I think...but I always just felt sort of lonely when she wasn't around. I wasn't dependent, but...I guess that once I'd had a taste of the good life, I wanted it all the time.

In my emotional frustration, I rolled off the couch onto all fours, and trotted slowly outside again. I peeked over the edge, to find the storm boiling dangerously below. It was a seething, roiling mass of black, peppered with flashes of white, and it constantly emitted a low howl from its strong wind. There was no denying: a hurricane lived up to its destructive power.

No, there was no way any pony was even outside at the moment, especially not her. Anyways, she'd said she would be out later to fetch some b-

In that instant, I forced myself to pull the emergency brake on my brain train, and had a team of bull-ponies push it back to that thought. Later?! There was no later with the dudecadal hurricane! It lasted from 8:00 in the morning to 12:00 at night! She...she could be outside this moment!

I forced myself to stay calm, realizing I had been pacing back and forth on the edge of my cloud and nearly falling off while hyperventilating. She couldn't possibly have forgotten, right? I mean, it's the same day every year, so nopony...ever really talks about...it...

I peeked nervously at the storm clouds again. I'd braved some suckers of storms before, but...a hurricane? Would I really pit myself against the most destructive storm type in Equestria (besides a 'chaos storm'), just to check on her?

...of course I would.

I don't know whether I was thinking properly or not, but my heart was racing faster than I did myself. It was probably that fact that sent me jumping off the ledge, plummeting towards the storm with a vengeance. I would easily punch through at such a speed, even through strong-as-steel hurricane clouds, but the question would be whether or not I could survive once inside the storm.

The thundering black mass drew within inches of my muzzle, and I clenched my eyes shut as tight as I possibly could, hoping for the best.

CLIFFHANGER, BITCHES!
But yeah, here we go. Apologies for the wait.

A Scratch (Octavia and DJ Pon-3) [Poem][Extra]

She was mine,
She was sublime.
She was life,
She was my strife.

She was a DJ,
Her name was insane,
Yet behind the insanity
She was just DJ PON-3.

Her sound had a break, a dissonance:
But something about her struck love's consonance.
And I, the cellist of dignity
Fell head over hooves for antonymity.

But time after time, love would waver
And shiver and quake, fracture and quaver,
But yet my heart remained on its course,
An unstoppable, infatuated force.

To bar, to club, to joint, to house,
Each time quicker and lighter, like a mouse
The music was horrid, but I have to admit:
Some crazy part of me loved it.

The 'Art of Wubs' she called it one day,
After introducing herself and asking, 'you gay?'.
And appalling as the question was in reality,
I just had to admire her conciseness and brevity.

Two slaps, twice the drinks,
And a bar-side brawl later,
I found myself sprawled on a low set couch,
Watching 'The Poninator'.

Though my mind was foggy,
And any sense had since deserted me,
I was still very much awake when DJ Pon-3
Leaned over and kissed me.

It was a short affair, something timid and tomboyish,
But the intention was clear, it was to lavish.
And though I'd wonder later why she felt so too,
I smiled and said back "I love you too".

I saw a new side to things, a parallel universe
(Though sometimes I'd look at it and curse),
But yet I wouldn't trade it,
Not for anything at all.

DJ Pon-3 is annoying, clueless and rude as can be,
But there's something she holds over every other pony:
Her heart's in the right place,
Even if she's sometimes about-face.

It's all worth it, annoyance time after time,
Something proven time after time,
Though she'll always walk a narrow line...
Vinyl Scratch is mine.

The following is an 'interview' set up by Octavia Philharmonica for Vinyl Scratch. Disclaimers follow.
THE FOLLOWING TRANSCRIPTION DOES NOT CLAIM TO BE ACCURATE. THE TRANSCRIBER HAS DONE HIS BEST TO TRANSCRIBE SPEECH FROM THE RECIPIENT TO THE AUDIENCE (normal text) AND FROM THE RECIPIENT TO HER COMPANION (text in parenthesis). READ AT YOUR OWN DISCRETION.

Uh...

Is this where I write? ...oh, I talk? Huh...I wonder what you did...I can? All right.

Do I have to talk in...poems or somethin'? 'Cause you wrote in them...

Oh, OK.

...oh my Celestia no way...

...that's just...

HA! I knew it! Nopony can resist my awesomely rugged charms! I mean, I've yet to find a pony who doesn't fall head over hooves in love with me.

But...I suppose Tavi's a bit different.

(Oh hey, so this is what I'm supposed to do! I get it now - HEY! Watch where you lay your hooves! My face is valuable, so don't go smackin' it like I'm some hobo on your overly classy doorstep!

...I didn't mean smack yourself.

OW! Okay, okay!)

Right, I'd suppose I'd better get on with it before she smacks me. Again.

See, Tavi's different because...well...I dunno'. I was just DJ'ing at some bar...Element's Rest or something...when I noticed her sitting at the back of the normal venue club. Normally, I'd have just gone 'huh, another snooty moron' and gone back to pumping bass.

(Hey! I said normally! Don't raise that hoof! I didn't think that, honest!)

So anyways - no, you can't slap me for that until I'm done - I thought different 'cuz I'd seen her before. Like, at all my recent gigs. I thought she was stalking me, which wasn't unusual when you had fans, but I gave her a chance. When I got a chance, I snuck away from the mix-table, and gave her my patented greeting:

"Hey, I'm DJ Pon-3! What're you doin' at the back? Come up front and go wild! This is me you're talkin' bout!"

It wasn't patented, really, because that was the first time I had ever used it. I managed to get a bit of a mumble, a surprised blink, and then more mumbling. I took that as sonething good, since by that point I'd normally been slapped. I decided to ask question 2.

"So...you gay?"

(I'm not asking you now! Don't give me that look!

...quit laughing, seriously. So I got knocked flat on my butt before, so what? Betcha' couldn't do it again!

OW! MERCY, MERCY! Just let go of my tail! And get my leg out from behind my head!

I don't care if you took Tae-kwon Pony, get off of me unless you're making a move!

...okay, I deserved THAT one.)

RIGHT SO I'LL JUST SKIP TO THE IMPORTANT PARTS.

Apparently, telling a story with your own thoughts gets you slapped. A lot.

(What are these? Questions? Ugh, as long as you don't slap me.)

OK, so Tavi' just gave me some question card...thingies...I guess I'll answer them.

'What do you hate most about me?'

...I have a feeling that's a trap, but...eh, might as well say it. She slaps me WAY too much. She says it keeps me in line, but I think she just does it to be a jerk.

(Yes, Tavi', it HURTS. Pff, you tell ME to think twice.)

'What do you like most about me?'

(Tavi', are you SURE nopony will here this? I...don't feel comfortable answering that to an audience. I have a reputation, y'know?

Well, all right... As long as it isn't STRANGERS...I guess it's fine.)

I'd have to say...well, everything besides the slapping. She's classy, so I can get into high venues, she's my own sister in a really sarcastic clone way, I do have to admit her cello sounds good.

(I am NOT telling them about Friday! Yes, I know, it was, quote from me, 'the best thing since dubstep', but nopony needs to know about the bow, the box, and the bi-

...they can hear me when I yell, can't they? Right.)

And I suppose that she's hot in her own way. Li'l bit of eye candy, y'know?

(No, not beautiful. I meant hot. It's a compliment, Octy - take it.)

Alright, last one.

'This isn't a question, but by the time you finish reading this, I'll have snuck into your room and stolen your actual thoughts, which I know you keep in your dresser. Love, Octavia.'

...

OK I GOTTA GO. DJ PON3 SIGNING OUT GOTTAGOBYE

*clunk*

(OCTAVIA! DON'T YOU DARE OPEN THAT BOOK! I SWEAR, THE INSTANT I GET TO YOU, YOU'RE DEAD. YOU WILL BE MINE.)