Moonlight

Moonlight
by milesprower06

Rekindled Flame

"I think it's time for us to go, Moondancer." Twilight announced, as her 'new' old friend released her sister from a hug.

"Thank you for helping me make some new friends. Even if they are my old friends."

"Ohh, we'll come back and visit soon." Twilight replied, the two of them sharing another brief hug.

"That would be great! You still gotta teach me that Haycartes technique."

"Deal."

Spike stepped forward.

"Uh, Moondancer? It got kinda banged up, but here's a little something I wanted to give you back at your first party."

Moondancer took the partially crushed, gift-wrapped box in her magical grasp, tore open the wrapping, and teared up a bit as she looked at a framed photo of their old group of six sitting at a table in a cupcake parlor in Canterlot. Spike had taken this one. From right to left sat Lyra, Minuette, Twinkleshine, herself, and Twilight, who was standing on the left, completely engrossed in a book, and was the only one without a cupcake. Her gaze traced up to herself, who was standing right next to Twilight, looking and wondering what the lavender unicorn couldn't tear herself away from to enjoy something as simple and quick as an after-school snack.

Moondancer wiped her eyes of pricking tears once again, and saw that Pinkie Pie was hopping away with Spike.

"Well, see you around, Moondancer. I'll be back as soon as I can!"

The feelings that were bubbling up inside since looking at the picture threatened to boil over again, and her heart wanted to reach out of her chest, telling her not to let this moment slip by. It had stayed inside for too long.

"Um, T-Twilight?" Moondancer called.

"Hm?" Twilight stopped and turned around.

"I've... Been meaning to ask... Has... Has there ever been anypony else? A special somepony?"

If Twilight found the question odd or surprising, she didn't let it show long enough for Moondancer to notice.

"Uh, no. Not really. Not that I've had time for that sort of thing anyway. Why do you ask?"

"Well, it's just that... At my first party, I was thinking of asking you... I mean, I threw that party to... Uh, you know what? Never mind, forget I said anything. Have a good night, Twilight!" Moondancer said, becoming flustered, blushing furiously, and quickly trotting away towards her neighborhood.

Twilight stood there confused as she watched Moondancer leave the castle courtyard and turn the corner to the street toward her house.

'Just what was that about?'

Moondancer trotted up to her house, dug out her key, poked it into the keyhole and unlocked the door, hastily making her way inside.

'Just one party. One fantastic party, and this time, you were the one who screwed it up. Nice going, bookworm.'

Moondancer shut the door, checking the integrity of the plywood she put over the hole until she could replace it. The stipend she got from the School of Gifted Unicorns wasn't much, but if she set a little aside, it shouldn't take too long. To be fair, it was hardly Twilight's fault. She just knocked. She had neglected so much of this place she was amazed that more of it wasn't falling apart from dry rot.

'I'm never gonna be able to look her in the eyes again...' Moondancer fretted around her den for a few moments, afraid that the awkwardness that she had just created had snuffed out the rekindled flame of friendship with Twilight.

She threw herself onto her couch, and took a deep breath. Maybe, just maybe, this would blow over, and things would get back to normal, albeit with friends.

'Way to dive off the deep end...'

'Of course... She wanted to ask me out,' Twilight realized, now that she had a chance to analyze things in her old tower as Spike snored away the first hours of the night. Puzzle pieces didn't make much sense on their own, but when you take a little time to put them together the right way, the whole picture becomes clear.

Ever since they had met in the Elementary class of Celestia's School for Gifted Unicorns, Moondancer had taken after Twilight almost immediately, primarily in the way she styled her mane. Back then, she had just assumed Moondancer was being a copycat. At that age, who wouldn't be envious of Celestia's personal protege? There couldn't have been any real connection back then, but if it had turned into something more...

Minuette told her that Moondancer didn't seem to be disappointed in her party's attendance until she found out that Twilight wasn't coming.

"She was going to tell me how she felt at her first party, and I didn't show up. I didn't even say goodbye when I left... She kept that bottled up inside all this time, no wonder she lashed out at me..."

Twilight still considered herself lucky that she hadn't caught the business end of that pinata stick, nor had anypony else when she flung it away in anger. Not being a good friend was one thing, but if Moondancer never got the opportunity to tell her how she really felt, and had been holding it in all this time, well, that made this even worse.

She felt she was being honest when she had told Moondancer, "Not really," in response to her question about having a special somepony. The closest she had ever gotten to anypony else was Flash in the parallel world, and that was just a high school dance, nothing really serious at all. Since then, she had barely even gotten a glimpse of his pegasus counterpart.

Above all right now, she didn't want to hurt Moondancer's feelings. Not again.

'But, I've never considered the possibility that I was into mares. Do I even 'go that way'?' Twilight wondered to herself.

She never considered herself curious, but she didn't deny the fact that her mind wasn't immediately backing away from that side either.

A nice chat over dinner couldn't hurt, right? Repair more bridges, maybe find out why she felt this way? Perhaps it would help her delve into her own feelings.

She knew one thing, after everything that had transpired over the last four days, she didn't want to deny Moondancer now that she was coming out of her shell, and had reached out again.

Moondancer was still laying on the couch, fighting her inner conflict for over an hour, when she heard a very soft knock on the door frame. She got up, glancing at the clock, which reported a time of 10:45 PM. She walked out to the foyer and opened the door, where Twilight stood to greet her.

"H-Hey Twilight. Um, listen, about earlier, I just-"

"Yes." Twilight interrupted with a smile.

Moondancer blinked.

"'Yes'? 'Yes' what?"

"Yes, I'll go on a date with you."