The sidewalk was lively with the bustling activity of unicorns as they walked along. They spent their afternoon in discussions, some talking in groups and in others only two conversing with one another. However, Rarity continued onward with her own objective of the day. This task was hers alone to deal with. ‘Of course, I wouldn’t mind the company of my friends… it’s just that this is a personal matter. One I will tend to in a closed and secure fashion with Twilight Sparkle.’

The sun hat upon her head shifted slightly while she looked around the many buildings that filled the fine city of Canterlot. Yet the building she searched for was not located in the lower depths of this large civilized community. Rarity continued to scan the buildings farther up, her walking pace picked up slightly to a steady trot. She scoured the right side, her eyes steadily moving from building to building. She then turned her attention to the left side. She smiled and walked across the street to the other sidewalk before she continued upwards along the cement ground.

She turned left, her step slowing as she reverted to a slow walk. The concrete path that her hooves once walked upon now turned into a dirt path which lead up to a tall, palace-like building. Rarity smiled and stopped, a moment that she used to marvel at the establishment where Twilight lived. It was a wonder that Twilight had been granted access to such a place, yet since Twilight was a student to Princess Celestia, Rarity could easily see why their country’s beloved princess would allow her prized pupil access to an outlet of information such as this.

Rarity took a step up the stairway, and that led to another step. Before long she began her ascent, albeit at a slow pace. She needed this time to go over the plan at least once more. ‘So remember, Rarity. You shall simply strike up a conversation with her. No big deal, of course, we can possibly just talk about her birthday party that happened last night? But once you have lulled her in, throw the question about romance in a subtle fashion, and she won’t see that as an advancement. Perfect plan, right?’

Or was it? This uncertainty continued to haunt her plan an hour after she surmised it to be a good strategy. She stopped walking and turned to face the ground. This idea simply was the best that Rarity could come up with. In the romance novels she constantly read, the subtle approach had seemed to be the best way of discovering what interests the love interest had. But what type of romantic advice from a book could help her now? ‘Maybe… I’m a bit over my head with this? The timing just seems too fast, and I don’t know if I am ready for a swift rejection yet.’ Rarity looked up to see Twilight’s door a couple feet away from her now. ‘Oh… so I have already made it to her front door… lovely.’

She took a deep breath in. ‘Focus, Rarity. You have been preparing yourself for this moment. Maybe not months in advance, or even a week before… but just be brave.’ Yet Rarity coughed as her own breath began to choke her. ‘Oh, who am I kidding? This plan is going to be a complete disaster. I just know it! Why didn’t I spend more time prepping an escape plan, or some kind of backup idea to not make myself look like a total fool!’

Once she regained her breath, Rarity shook her head. It was too late to turn back now. She raised a hoof, shaking a little as she reached for the door. A few knocks echoed against the wooden frame. It was only a few moments before the door opened. “Welcome to-- oh hey, Rarity!” Spike stood in the doorway. His smile brightened at the sight of her. “What brings you here?”

“Ah, yes. Hello there, Spike.” Rarity returned the greeting and hugged him before she pulled away. “Is Twilight inside?”

“Of course. Right this way, m’lady.” He bowed and ushered her in with a gentlecolt-like pose. Rarity couldn’t stifle a giggle, adoring his little gesture as she walked in through the door.

As Rarity followed Spike up the stairs, she frowned. ‘Oh… of course. How can I forget Spike’s feelings?’ Although she never showed it, Rarity knew how much he cared for her. There were some moments when she did forget those undisguised romantic gestures, and even a few occasions, ones she regretted, where she played with those feelings. It wasn’t meant in a mean and unloving type of way, but it was a little tendency that she mentally began kicking herself for. ‘Poor Spikey-Wikey. I do hope the poor dear can forgive me when I announce my feelings to Twilight.’ She just hoped that the revelation would not come back to bite her.

But yet there was another matter she needed to review again. Everything she knew about Twilight to this point was going to be important, especially for what was about to play out. ‘Just remember. Subtlety right now is better than honesty at the moment. Although… Applejack would nail me to the wall for that kind of notion.’

Spike was the first to reach the top. “Hey, Twilight. You got company.”

As the mare he addressed turned around, her smile perked up. “Hey there, Rarity,” Twilight said, descending from the ladder in an orderly fashion. She walked up to her friend and wrapped her hooves around the other mare. “It’s good to see you again.”

“Yes… of course.” Rarity’s smile faltered. A nervous giggle escaped her breath.

Twilight pulled away from her friend, then turned around and walked over to one of the tall bookshelves. “So how are you doing? Oh, and what brings you here?”

“Well… you see I, uh.” Rarity felt her throat tighten, the words she tried to form coming out as voiceless movements of her mouth. ‘No, no, Rarity. Please just calm down.’ It was the moment she feared: her body felt like a wobbly balance beam, ready to crash down any minute.

‘You see, this was a bad idea from the beginning!’ a voice hissed in her head, her own voice.

‘Now just hold it, Rarity.’ she argued back with her voice of reason. ‘Yes, it wasn’t the best idea to rush into a situation such as this, but if I cannot do this, then what type of mare of romance am I?’ All she needed to convince herself, just a little push in the right direction. Rarity took a quiet breath in, and softly exhaled out. She returned her attention to Twilight, who was standing there, still eager to hear her response. “Well, you see, I just felt like visiting you today. You know, have a little discussion about the party yesterday, if that is alright with you?”

“But of course, Rarity.” Twilight smiled brightly. “So what did you want to ask me about?”

“Oh just a little bit of info. Hopefully nothing too personal, but where did you go after your birthday party?”

Twilight giggled. “And you call that personal information?” Twilight laughed again, and Rarity joined in. “Well, since you seem so interested. After my birthday party, I visited my parents for our own little party. It wasn’t all that different, but I was glad to celebrate the day with my parents.”

“And how was it?”

“It was pretty fun. I had some time to relax with my parents, tell them all the wonderful things that happened at the party.” Twilight brought a hoof to her muzzle as she suppressed another giggle. “They even asked me about my dress, wondering who made such a beautiful thing. I couldn’t help but be honest and say that you worked on the most gorgeous dress I’ve ever worn.” At the mention of this, Rarity blushed, a little embarrassed that her friend would embellish her work so much.

“It certainly sounds like you enjoyed yourself at the party.” Rarity walked over to an open chair, sitting down as she made herself comfortable.

“Yes, I certainly did.” Twilight’s smile faded as she gently kicked at the ground with her right foreleg. “I just wish my brother had been there, though.”

“Your brother?” Rarity raised an eyebrow.

Twilight looked up to her friend and rubbed the back of her head. “I never did tell you or the others about him, did I?”

Rarity brought a hoof to her chin. “I don’t recall you ever even mentioning your brother. I didn’t even know you had one.”

“Right... my bad.” Twilight walked over to a desk near her bed and lifted a framed picture up. She levitated it over to Rarity, who scanned the picture for a moment before she stopped at the sight of what she believed to be Twilight’s brother. “His name is Shining Armor,” Twilight said.

Rarity turned her attention to her friend. She watched as Twilight’s ears fell against the sides of her head. “He seems like a nice gentle-colt.”

“Well, he is. In fact, Shining Armor was my only friend when I was a little filly.” Twilight rubbed her foreleg and turned her attention to the floor. “But he went away and joined the Royal Guard, and he didn’t show up for my birthday last night. When he left… I felt like I lost a friend…”

Rarity looked away, biting her lip while she chose her words carefully. “Oh… so do you resent him for not showing up?”

“No, not really. I just wanted to see my BBBFF again on my birthday.”

“BBBFF?” Rarity titled her head at the odd acronym.

“Big Brother Best Friend Forever.” Twilight glanced over her shoulder. “It’s what my brother and I came up with before he left for the Royal Guard.”

‘Oh… poor Twilight.’ Rarity turned her attention to where Spike stood only a couple feet from her. “Spike. Could you be a dear and leave me and Twilight alone for a few minutes?” He nodded quickly, jogging down the stairs to the first floor of the house. Rarity looked back to her friend. ‘Alright, Rarity… I believe it is high time to begin the subtle questioning.’ “So… after Shining Armor left, you said you felt alone for the longest time?”

“Yes…” Twilight flicked her ears up, but the frown upon her muzzle did not go away.

Rarity hummed and rubbed her chin. ‘Okay, Rarity. The next question should be easy to ask’. “So… would you say you still feel lonely?”

“I… I guess.” Twilight sighed. “I don’t mean to say that you and the others don’t help fill this gap. But--”

“Do not worry, darling. I won’t take something like that too personally.” Rarity reassured her friend. ‘Now… for the more... difficult question’. “Okay. So with all this loneliness you have been feeling, did you ever think about trying to fill in that gap with something else?”

“Fill… the gap in?”

“Yes. Like…” Rarity tapped her chin for a brief moment until her eyes lit up. “Like, let’s take a hypothetical situation here. Say you wanted to fill in that gap with… I don’t know, love?”

“Love? You mean like as in friendship?” Twilight asked.

“No. Not friendship. Romance.”

“Romance?” Twilight could only chuckle, a slight tinge of pale pink flushing her cheeks. “Rarity, I haven’t ever thought of anypony else like that… at least, I don’t know if I am ready to say it yet…”

“Say what?” Rarity saw an opening, yet when she asked the question, Twilight froze up. “I can understand if it is personal. As somepony who’s read many romance novels, I can at least help you if you need any.”

Twilight let out a quiet sigh. She looked to the wall next to Rarity and closed her eyes. “I… l-like mares.” The last words of the sentence were almost barely audible, almost like she was copying Fluttershy’s quiet voice.

“I’m sorry, Twilight. I didn’t quite catch that.” Rarity leaned forward and cupped a hoof behind her ear. “Can you please repeat that?”

Her friend gulped. Twilight opened her eyes and met Rarity’s gaze; the pale flush on her cheeks seemed to glow a little brighter. “I… like… mares.”

Rarity simply stared at Twilight. “Oh… well, that’s not a bad thing to worry about, Twilight.” She stood up and reached a hoof over to her friend’s shoulder. “You and I both know that there are plenty of other mares who are into the same gender. I don’t believe Lyra Heartstrings and Bon-Bon are any different, hm?”

“Yeah… you’re right about that.” Twilight smiled, although the expression was weaker than the earlier grin. “But…” Twilight turned away, however, she still held Rarity’s gaze. “Can you just keep this between us? Please?”

Rarity shook slightly, but she was glad that she could contain her own excitement. “Of course. There shall be nopony who could ever take this information from me.”

Twilight sighed once more before she wrapped her hooves around Rarity. “Thank you… for being such a great friend and listener.”

“But of course, darling.” Rarity giggled. She pulled away from Twilight and smiled. “I’m glad we could have a personal conversation together.” Rarity turned to the stairway and continued, “Alas, I must take my leave. However, it was nice spending time with you today.”

“Yeah, thanks for coming over, Rarity.” Twilight waved her friend goodbye, which Rarity did the same before taking her leave.

Spike bowed as she walked past; a giggle escaped Rarity at the sight of her favorite little dragon. “See you next time, Rarity.”

“But of course, darling. I shall see you two again soon.” Rarity closed the door and stood at the entrance to her friend’s home for a brief moment. She gave a squee of joy and trotted down the next set of stairs until she was on the dirt path again. “What a momentous day this is, Rarity. You have just learned that Twilight is into other mares!” With how much her body shook, she thought she would be bouncing along like Pinkie Pie would. “This just furthers the cause for me to try and win her over.” She stopped in her tracks and shook her head. “Now, now, Rarity. Let’s not become too hasty. You have not even set up a reservation yet, nor have you figured out the timing for such a delicate event.”

As Rarity had watched Twilight, she could tell the obvious of her friend. It would not be easy to ask her to go out on a date with her, considering how sensitive Twilight sounded to the idea of romance. ‘Maybe it might be best to wait a couple of days or more before we address Twilight.’ With this idea at least set, she resumed her trot, smiling as she made her way home. ‘This has to be the best thing ever. Soon, Twilight and I might become an item. Oh, how wonderful it is to be a mare these days.’

Author's Note

Although things may be going smoothly... I can guess that there are a few readers here who know a hasty decline may happen. Could next chapter... could be the next after the next... who knows?