A signpost shook in the soft breeze, swaying back and forth with a gentle creak to its chain. Tiny flakes twirled in the wind and fell to the ground in a slow pour of snow. But shadows flittered across the ground while the feathery crystals poured down from the sky. The color had returned, gray clouds that once ruled the air above were finally gone; the evening light broke through the holes of the clouds that hovered over Canterlot.

In the contour of the dark overshadow, Twilight Sparkle sat on a wooden bench underneath the train station's roof, eyes closed while she refrained from stepping out into the light’s silhouette. It felt like a surprise, Twilight thought, as she sat there in the quiet air of the evening. There was no movement at all, which was unexpected; nopony was waiting alongside her for another train. The only pony she saw was the attendant inside their booth reading the day’s paper, who showed no interest in the lone mare at the station.

Yet Twilight was glad it was this way. She felt that this silence helped her to concentrate and to keep her thoughts in check. ‘Just breathe. There is no reason to freak out.’ Although truly, she knew there were so many possible reasons to lose her cool. This was the first time she had ever done something like this. She had a date with another mare, one of her closest friends, Rarity. She had never been a part of something like this before, which gave way to many of the panicky thoughts that whirled through her mind.

‘So many things can go wrong… the place I chose: the restaurant I want us to go to might end up having terrible food, or the service could be awful, or our walk there might be awkward and quiet, or I could even say something stupid or behave in a way that Rarity might not like…’ So many worries, yet Twilight felt there was so little time to even try and fix it. This was the make or break, and she was distressed at the thought of failing her friend again. ‘I can’t disappoint Rarity. I… I just can’t.’

Twilight opened her eyes and gazed at the ground below where she sat. “What if I screw this up… what will Rarity think of me after this? I know she likes me… but can I truly apologize after what I did… after what I said… Can I even make it all up…” Even after she had apologized for what she had said to Rarity, she still felt that her friend resented her.

And even after that, she was just so happy that she could make Rarity smile again. But with what little time she had, could she really make this work? ‘Twilight. There’s no real reason to worry, dear.’ Twilight couldn’t hide the faint smile that replaced her frown; the voice she’d heard was not her own, but of somepony else. Somepony whom she could rely on, and the one who helped her not only prepare what makeup worked for her, but who gave her advice.

She hummed quietly. “Well… I’m just glad she was there for me.”

~~~

“Oh, I’m so excited for my daughter. She’s going on her very first date!” Twilight blushed at the words her mother were saying. She looked into the mirror and saw the gentle smile. Her mother’s light-blue eyes glimmered with joy, and her mane style swayed a little. “It’s just so sudden, but I am so proud of you, honey.”

“Stop it, Mom. You’re embarrassing me.” Twilight’s blush grew slightly brighter.

“Oh, you know I’m just so happy for you. I always wondered when you were going to go on your first date, but never did I come to think that it would happen while you were still in Celestia’s personal study.”

“Well… I know it is still so unexpected. But I really considered Rarity’s feelings. I had to apologize for what happened… what I said…” Twilight frowned as she stared into the mirror. She looked at the dress she was wearing, the same one that Rarity had made for her. It was the first sign of her friend’s feelings for her. Yet Twilight felt like she couldn’t wear it because of what she had said.

“Oh… sweety...” Velvet’s own smile softened, faint and yet with a hint of sadness. “You mustn't beat yourself up over it anymore, Twilight. I understand that you were… afraid of something you had never done before. But you can’t hold it over your head.” She looked to a brush on the desk in front of them and levitated it up in a brilliant deep red aura. Velvet raised it over to her daughter’s mane and gently began to brush it to the left. “If you keep holding in the pain, it may end up ruining your night.”

“I know…” Twilight turned her gaze to the counter below the mirror as her mother brushed her hair. “But it just hurt so much… knowing what I did, and what could have happened if I didn’t repair the damage I caused… I don’t even know if I can--” She yelped a little as Velvet slightly tugged at her mane. “Mom? What was that for?”

“Twilight you have to stop your fretting.” Her mother’s smile quickly turned into a faint frown. “You keep worrying over the possibility of what could have happened… but look where you are now.” Velvet smiled at her daughter once again. “You’ve regained trust with a friend, who's now something you may want to see as something more.”

“I know, but I’m just so scared. What am I going to do if I screw it all up?” Twilight fretted and rested her right hoof against her left foreleg.

“You won’t,” Velvet assured her with a soft smile.

“But what if I--”

“Twilight, you won’t.” Velvet lifted the hairbrush over to the other side and gently stroked it a couple times before her daughter’s right side had a slight curve her mane hanging below her neck.

Twilight looked into the mirror at the style her mother concocted. She couldn’t help but giggle a little. “If I didn’t know any better, I’d feel like you were getting me ready for some ‘Princess’ Coronation or something.”

“Oh, stop it, Twilight. You know that this hairstyle will go just as well with your date.” Velvet teased. She set the brush down on the counter. “Now, if you’ll close your eyes, I’ll put some makeup on you.” Twilight opened her mouth to speak, but her mother raised a hoof. “Yes, I know how you feel about these. But if you’ll let me do it for you, I’ll find a color that will go great with not only the color of your coat, but your eyes as well.”

A sigh escaped Twilight before she reluctantly closed her eyes. “Alright…”

“Thank you, dear.” Velvet moved to the right side of where Twilight sat. “You know, I think you need some advice for this date with your friend, Rarity.”

“Mom, please…”

“Just hear me out, sweety.” Twilight could only nod in agreement as she awaited to hear what her mother was going to say. She swiveled her ears to the right and heard clinking and clattering nearby. “You remember some of those times when you were only little? When you constantly pestered me about how your father and I met?”

“Of course.” Twilight smiled while she kept her eyes closed. “Although I only ever got the same response over and over when I was little.”

“Well, that’s because you were only a filly,” Velvet pointed out with a chuckle. “You wouldn’t have fully understood it in the first place.” She continued, “But as you remember, your brother, Shining Armor, was inspired by your father because he was in the Royal Guard as well. I met Night Light after his first year in the service, and at first, I thought that it would never work out between me and him. We both had completely different lives. He was a well-trained pony equipped to deal with situations that required a physical touch, while I was still trying to figure out what I was going to use my special talent for in Canterlot.”

“Right. You told me that before,” Twilight said.

“Well, what I never told you was the day we went on our first date together. He approached me one day; I would have thought his training would have prepared him to have some kind of steel vice around his nerves. But you should have seen how flabbergasted and nervous he was; I thought he was going to pass out on the spot.” Velvet quietly chuckled once more. “But even after I accepted his feelings, I still thought I was in over my head. I was just a simple unicorn mare in Canterlot who had no sort of noble blood dating a pony from the Royal Guard. Of course it wasn’t frowned upon. But the anxiety you inherited from me took over, and I just imagined all those possible dire scenarios where it just didn’t work out between us… and they frightened me.”

“So… what did you do?” She fidgeted slightly as a small pressure pressed against her right eye. The sensation of the tiny brush tingled a little.

“Well. After all that constant worrying, I just gathered my courage and faced the challenge head on. But as it would turn out, our first date didn’t exactly go according to plan. Sometime later and after a disastrous bucket of water, I thought for sure that it was over between us. But little did I know that Night Light actually enjoyed the date. So even after what I thought was just simply a night I would be horrified of forever, I ended up on another date, and then another, and pretty soon we became engaged.”

Twilight heard a soft giggle from her mother, the pressure she felt on her right eye changed to her left, and she slightly flinched again. “All along, I had been worrying so much when I shouldn’t have in the first place. It was during my time with your father that I began to realize that I truly was destined to be with him. And after we dated for quite a few months, I soon found myself to be married, yet finally saw that the whole time, I was just myself. There was no need to be anypony else.” Velvet went quiet for a brief moment before she spoke again. “What I am meaning to say Twilight. Is that the best pony you can be… is yourself. And I believe that Rarity will truly thank you for just being yourself.”

Twilight smiled when her mother had finished speaking. Every word she heard stuck to her. Even though it was sort of like a second date, since the first one was not exactly the best, she knew that this would help. “Alright, sweety. You can open your eyes now.”

And she did. Twilight saw the world once more and the first thing she looked at was herself while the glass mirror reflected her image. She gasped at the sight before her, and leaned forward. Twilight blinked once and saw the sapphire-blue eyeshadow. But there was only a small amount, not gaudy and overdone, yet not too little for it to be unnoticeable. She could only stare at the image she saw of herself in the mirror. Was this her? Had she become somepony else, and just couldn’t tell it yet? Whatever the case may have been, she was completely astounded. “Mom… this is… amazing.”

A gift like this was just so unexpected. Twilight had never really felt that makeup was necessary; she felt that cosmetics were really just for show and nothing more. But only now did she see that her mother wanted her not only to look great, but to help Twilight show how unique she is. She turned to her mother and smiled brightly. “I… I don’t know what to say…” Twilight quickly wrapped her forelegs around Velvet, who returned the embrace with a quiet hum. “Thank you… thank you so much… not only for helping me with my makeup. But for the advice, too.”

Velvet pulled away, yet she still hung on to her daughter’s shoulders. “A parent will do anything for their foal, Twilight. And you’re no exception. I love you… both you and Shining Armor.” The two hugged each other once more and fully separated moments later. “Now… I believe somepony has a date with their own special somepony.”

Twilight smiled. She gently nodded and followed her mother out the door from her parent’s bathroom, hopeful that this preparation would ultimately pay off.

~~~

Twilight sighed after the memory ran its course. “Right… be yourself.” Although the words did bring some comfort, and the advice that her mother had given her had some effect to her courage, she just didn’t know how prepared she could be for this. She took a deep breath in, and breathed out. The small relaxation exercise helped a little; at least that was something going her way for the moment. A loud screech echoed from the tunnel down a ways from where she sat. Twilight froze up at the sound of the train. ‘This is it… this is her train.’

She followed the train as it came to the station. The wind brushed a part of the jacket her mother advised she wear and clenched the cloth that rested over her left foreleg. Once the train stopped, she would meet with Rarity any moment now. But the thought of it set her on edge. ‘Just breathe. Don’t freak out, just breathe. Everything will be alright.’ Steam shot out from underneath the wheels, and a final whine from the whistle echoed out to the air. Twilight covered her ears with her hoofs until the sounded ended and she brought them back to her lap.

The doors opened from the other side. She watched ponies file out from the sides of the train as they took different paths into the city. A more quiet whistle echoed from the train before it slowly moved further up and past Canterlot’s train station. Yet her eyes never wavered at the sight in front of her, the mare on the other side of the railway. ‘Rarity…’ Her back was turned to her as she looked up one of the streets in search of where Twilight was.

But Twilight could hardly move. The mare wore a dress that covered her backside, and she saw no straps around her forelegs. “R-Rarity?” Twilight called to her friend, and watched as she turned around to meet her gaze. She wore her mane back in a braid that rested in front of her right shoulder, with a small portion of her mane that hung beside her right eye. The dress she wore was mostly black, but there was a shade of a blue that reminded Twilight of some of the blue stars from the worlds above her own. Blue light glinted from underneath Rarity’s ears; the two same earrings that she had worn from two days ago dangled slightly.

If Rarity could have seen through the shadow that she was hiding in, Twilight honestly would have blushed brighter. The mare a few meters in front of her smiled. “Good evening, Twilight,” Rarity tilted her head and murmured. “Um… are you going to come out from the shadow there and let me see you?”

“Could… you come over here, please?” Twilight ushered to a spot a few feet away from the overhang.

“Of course, Twilight.” Rarity walked around the railway and stood a few hoofsteps away. “Alright. Now could you be inclined to let me see you?”

Twilight shakily nodded and took one step. Then another, and then another. The blush she wore on her muzzle grew only brighter at the sound of Rarity’s gasp. She looked into Rarity’s eyes, only to find it difficult to keep her focus on her friend’s gaze. Twilight blinked a couple times, a faint smile on her lips. “S-so… what do you think?”

She realized a moment later that the question was unnecessary. She could see Rarity’s own bright pink blush on her cheeks, a sign that gave away what her friend must have thought. “Wh-why Twilight… I… I just don’t know what to say. You look so… a-amazing…”

“Thank you. I… I had a little help,” Twilight murmured as she approached her friend. She stood a couple feet away and stopped. The two mares stared at one another; both found it hard to look away from each other, what with how beautiful they looked. Twilight’s eyes fluttered slightly as a small feeling of lightheadedness overcame her. She tripped over her hooves. She yelped and fell, but the ground never came. Slowly she opened her eyes and blushed a little at how close Rarity was; her friend had held onto her before she hit the ground.

“Are you alright, Twilight?” Rarity asked, a frown on her muzzle while she helped her friend back onto her hooves.

“Y-yeah, I’m fine.” Twilight nodded as Rarity helped her back up. She let out a quiet sigh before she continued, “Sorry… I’m still trying to keep myself calm.”

“It’s quite alright, darling. You’re not the only one who’s a little anxious at the moment.” Rarity giggled with a smile. “How do you think I fared on the way here? I could hardly believe I would be on a date, especially since it was with a mare whose company I deeply enjoy.” Twilight returned the smile and hugged Rarity once more until her friend pulled away. “Now, let us take this elsewhere. It is rather cold, and I forgot to bring a jacket with me on this cold evening.”

She returned her attention to the dress Rarity wore. Unzipping her coat, Twilight levitated it over Rarity and placed it on her. “Here,” she said, revealing the dress she wore on her birthday.

“But Twilight, it really is alright.” Rarity tried to take it off, but Twilight brought a hoof to her friend’s and shook her head.

“It’s alright. I’ll be fine without it.”

“But Twilight. I mu--”

“Don’t worry, Rarity.” Twilight then turned her friend around and the two mares slowly began their ascent up into the town. “Besides, the place we’re going to isn’t very far.”

“Oh yes. I did forget that we’re not heading to the Prancing Pony.” Rarity leaned forward a little and asked, “But where did you get a place for us, if you don’t mind saying?”

“Well. I had a little trouble finding someplace that was better than some of the restaurants here. The ones I found all needed a reservation one day ahead of schedule, or some annoying time constraint.” Twilight rolled her eyes, but she let out a chuckle afterwards. “But then I passed by one part of the city here and ended up meeting an old friend of mine. You know Lyra Heartstrings, right?”

“Why of course. She’s a friendly mare indeed. But how does this relate to the restaurant?” Rarity raised an eyebrow.

“Well, Lyra actually works there on the weekdays. She told me about it earlier before but… that was when I wasn’t a very attentive friend… or good at being one.” Twilight still hurt a little at the thought of her friends in Canterlot being ignored by her own book studious personality of old. ‘I really hope I can fix my relationships here… maybe with time.’

“Oh don’t beat yourself up over it, Twilight.” Rarity brought a hoof to Twilight’s left shoulder and smiled. “You’ve changed quite a bit since I first met you. And that means more to me and everypony else that you opened up to relationships like this.” She blushed a little before she continued, “And especially that you helped reconnect us.”

Twilight glanced away, flushed and embarrassed at the words Rarity said. She turned her attention back to the mare beside her, but smiled as she spotted the place farther up. “There it is.” She took a quick look back to Rarity and watched as she saw the building ahead of them.

“Oh. It’s the Appleloosan Remedy. I’ve heard about it, but I never actually thought of going there.” The building in front of had a wreath located on the front door, possibly for the Hearth’s spirit. The exterior had a cabin feel to it, with wooden logs that gleamed with a shine to the structure. Lights poured out the windows, and the roof had a Canterlot-like feel to it.

“Well, it’s been awhile since I was last here. So I thought that this would be a good place for us to eat and spend our second date at,” said Twilight. ‘I just hope Rarity will enjoy it.’ Of course she would, Twilight thought; she needed to stop worrying about the negative scenarios. She led Rarity up to the door and opened it for her, ushering her in first before she went in. The voices of other ponies greeted the two, but the tone felt a little quiet, what with there being so few ponies seated at different areas of the restaurant.

Twilight smiled and scanned the interior of the building, which held the same nice wooden design that it had on the outside. Seats had a nice oak brown color, the floors a maple brown, and the lighting was just right; not too dark, not too that bright either. Just the right tone, and the setting was perfect for tonight. “Welcome!” She spotted the mare she had mentioned, a pale green unicorn standing a few feet to their right with a bright smile.

“Hey, Lyra.” Twilight said back as she approached Lyra with Rarity by her side.

“Rarity, it’s so good to see you again.” Lyra’s smile brightened a little more at the sight of another friend.

“And it is a pleasure to see you again, Lyra. How’s Bon-Bon doing?” Rarity asked with a gentle tone.

“Oh she’s doing fine. We’ve never been happier since the snow came along.” Lyra looked between the two mares in front of her before she squealed quietly. “I can’t hold it in any longer. It’s so amazing to see you two together. After Twilight told me about you and her coming here for a date, I just couldn’t pass up the chance to see it.”

“Well, that is quite kind of you, Lyra. It’s a little embarrassing, but your excitement is still appreciated.” Rarity nodded and wrapped a hoof around Twilight’s shoulders, the two leaning closer together with Twilight blushing once more.

Lyra giggled a little before she said, “Alright. I’ll bring you two to your table; I know exactly where you two might feel comfortable.” She levitated two menus to her right hoof and held them against her chest, ushering Twilight and Rarity towards the back area while she followed behind. She moved ahead of the two mares and said, “Here we are.”

Twilight and Rarity’s eyes widened slightly, and their smiles brightened a little. The room Lyra had guided them to was a little smaller, but not by much compared to the main room. There were private booths on both sides of the room; candles flickered slightly as they lit the room, the only light source available. ‘Wow… this is great.’ She scanned the other booths, only for her smile to grow a little wider with relief that there wasn’t another couple in here at the moment.

“My word… this is quite amazing, Twilight,” Rarity whispered to her friend. Twilight turned to meet her gaze and nodded.

“Yeah… it’s great that we can be alone. It definitely makes this second date a little more comfortable.”

Rarity chuckled a little. “Oh don’t worry, darling. So far everything is going well.” She watched Lyra move over to one of the booths, setting down their menus. “But let’s talk about that when we’re settled in. We should take our seats and not keep Lyra waiting.”

Twilight nodded and walked alongside Rarity towards the booth, then sat down on the opposite side of Rarity who sat across from her. “So what would you two like to drink for tonight?” Lyra asked, while a pen and notepad floated in front of her in a golden aura.

The two lifted up their menus. Rarity scanned the list of items, then she set it down. “I’ll have a glass of your chardonnay, please.”

Lyra nodded and wrote it down before she turned her attention to Twilight. “And what about you?”

“I…” Twilight rubbed her chin with a hoof before she said, “Well, I think I’ll have a glass of water.”

“Certainly.” Lyra wrote the two orders down and continued, “And what would you two like to start off with tonight?”

Rarity gazed down at the menu again. Her eyes glimmered for a moment before she said, “I’ll have your zucchini alfredo.”

Another nod came from Lyra. “And what about you, Twilight?”

“I… I think I’ll try your chickpea salad.”

“Okay. I’ll ring these orders up and bring your drinks momentarily.” Lyra levitated the pen back onto her left ear. “Have fun, you two,” she called out before leaving the room.

The blush Twilight once had rose up again. She waved her friend goodbye, then she breathed a sigh of relief. She returned her attention to Rarity, who rested her hooves on the table. She smiled at her, and Twilight returned the expression. “I… I’m glad you came, Rarity.”

“Oh but I would have never missed this for the world, Twilight,” Rarity said as she rested a hoof against her chest. But she returned it to the table with a soft smile on her lips. “But to tell the truth. I must thank you for coming to my aid… even though I should have picked myself up long before.”

“But Rarity… that was my--”

She shook her head, interrupting Twilight. “Twilight, darling, you must stop blaming yourself for what you said.” Rarity brought a hoof to her friend’s left hoof. “I’ve already forgiven you. You simply must let it go and stop putting yourself down. I know I did not react in the best way, either… but please, just stop.” She sighed and stared down at her hoof, turning Twilight’s hoof up until the flats of their hooves met together. “Let us enjoy this night, together, instead of remembering the awful days that should be behind us.”

“I’m sorry…” Twilight murmured, looking away after she spoke. Her eyes widened slightly as she felt a pressure on the right side of her muzzle, turning with the hoof to meet Rarity’s eyes again.

“We both said awful things. Words that should never have been spoken. But it’s all behind us now. We’re two mares who had a rocky start to a relationship far more than friendship. But look where we are now.” Rarity ushered to the building around them. “I am about to eat dinner with the mare I love. Even after all the things that were said, you and I are together now. And I wouldn’t have it any other way.”

Twilight looked away, smiling with a faint blush. ‘I’m glad… I really am happy that we’re doing this.’ And she was glad to see that Rarity was enjoying herself. ‘Right… now I just need to stop worrying so much.’ But the idea of her apology still had not come to mind. She thought of some way to truly show that she was sorry, but she didn’t have a clue as to what that could have been. ‘But enough worrying about that. Let’s just enjoy what we have now and figure that out later.’ So she shelved that problem in the back of her mind; for the moment, she was ready to just talk with her friend. Maybe they were more than friends now.

~~~

Rarity laughed as she opened the door, walking out with Twilight as they exited the restaurant. “Thank you again for the help, Lyra,” Twilight said while she and Rarity went down the steps.

“No problem, Twilight. I’ll see you two some other time.” Lyra waved them goodbye and disappeared behind the restaurant’s front doors.

A sigh escaped Rarity while they walked down the sidewalk. “That was a rather good dinner. I must thank you for bringing me to Appleloosan Remedy, darling.”

Twilight smiled with a nod. “It’s no problem, Rarity. I’m just happy that this turned out so well.”

“But my gratitude doesn’t really stop there, Twilight. The food was amazing, and I especially liked their choice in wine. That chardonnay they had was absolutely wonderful!” Rarity embellished a little more with a quiet chuckle. “I’d say that it might actually have better food than The Prancing Pony.”

“And I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed yourself.” Twilight leaned closer to Rarity; the two mare’s coats almost touched with how close they were to one another. “I was pretty worried whether or not it would impress you, but seeing how both of us enjoyed it, I’d say this second date was perfect.”

“Indeed.” She chuckled again until she spoke. “Which I must add that I find it amusing that you’ve never had a single drop of alcohol. Seeing how you just wanted water at the restaurant.”

“What? I’ve had alcohol before.”

“Oh really?” Rarity raised an eyebrow, walking in front of her friend with a playful roll of her eyes. “And just what kind of beverage did you drink before this night?”

“Well, I, uh… I…” Twilight looked away from her, a small sign she was lying.

“So that’s a no, I take it?” Rarity tilted her head, giggling a little.

“Oh... yeah. What about you?” Twilight turned the accusation towards her by pointing her right hoof at her.

“It was a while ago. About a couple months before you came to Ponyville, actually. My parents were having a party and they bought some apple cider; the alcoholic kind, not the juice version. I had quite a few for my first time and ended up getting a little tipsy. But not enough to make myself look like a complete fool.”

Twilight took her turn to tilt her head a little, only to laugh moments later. Rarity soon joined in, and the two mares continued to laugh while they walked down the sidewalk. Their laughter faded when they saw the late evening train slowly enter the station. “Well…” Twilight turned to face Rarity. “I guess this is the end of this night.” She blushed before she said, “Thank you, Rarity. I really enjoyed tonight.”

“But you were the mare to make this possible, Twilight.” Rarity gently smiled and levitated her friend’s jacket back to her. “Without you… this never would have been happened.”

The door slid open, and the conductor stepped out and called, “All aboard for Ponyville!”

“Well… I guess you’ve got to go,” Twilight murmured. She held Rarity’s gaze and asked, “Rarity… after tonight’s dinner, does this make us… well, does it make us--”

Rarity leaned forward and brought her lips to the right side of Twilight’s cheek, holding the kiss until she pulled away. Twilight’s face flushed brightly, and she brought a hoof up to her cheek and held the area where Rarity had kissed her. “Yes, Twilight,” said Rarity. “This has definitely made us marefriends.” She wrapped her hooves around her newly-acquainted marefriend and hugged Twilight. Rarity felt the other’s hooves wrap around her shoulders. This was possibly the best moment she could have imagined, and it was finally coming true.

She pulled away, gently smiling at the sight of tears trickling down Twilight’s muzzle. Rarity brought a hoof to her marefriend’s cheeks and murmured, “Now, now. Don’t ruin your eye shadow, Twilight,” she said in a soft tone. “I promise to visit you soon.” Rarity waved Twilight goodbye and entered the train, watching as the image of her marefriend disappeared slowly until the tunnel separated their gazes. With a sigh, Rarity walked down the empty cabin and took her seat. A bright smile flashed across her muzzle. “This night… was absolutely fantastic.” She had finally gotten the mare of her dreams, and truly that was all she could ask for.

Author's Note

Thank you again for reading! I hope you enjoyed this rather long chapter. As always if there are any errors, just let me know and I'll get right to them.