Twinkling Gem

Rarity laughed while she opened the door, a skip in her step as she walked into her temporary home. Her eyes brightened with her smile widening as well. “Yes! Another day of success, Opal!” She turned her attention to her cat, who simply stared back. “You may be wondering why I am being so celebratory this evening. What I have discovered from Twilight will, ultimately, proceed upon a path that will bring me closer to her.”

She spun herself around and closed her eyes. A giggle escaped her lips. Rarity leaned backwards and fell onto her bed. She let out a sigh after the mattress ceased its movements. Sitting up on her shoulders, she looked over where Opal stood by the closet door, who brought a paw to her face as she facepalmed. “Oh don’t be so rude, Opal.” Her cat rolled her eyes at the banter. “Guess what I learned today today from my dear friend, Twilight Sparkle?” She crossed her forelegs, almost in a hug-like position that she did to herself. “She is into other mares! How could I not stop myself from expressing my excitement at this revelation?”

Based on her success with each attempt, it felt like there was some hidden force behind this that seemed to be bringing them together, almost as if destiny had fated them to be together. “Oh… how romantic,” she gushed, while she lowered her eyes and blinked them repeatedly at the window above the workdesk. “This is like a romance novel, where the lucky mare finally has the stallion of her dreams almost within her grasp.” She rubbed her chin with a hoof. “Well, not a stallion this time, but a mare. And a beautiful one at that.”

Rarity lowered lowered herself fully back onto the bed and breathed out a sigh as she considered how well all of this had been going. ‘This is all absolutely wonderful.’ She blinked once and turned her gaze to the closet where Opal stood. Her eyes scanned through the dresses before she stopped on one. She smirked at the specific dress she stared at, giggling a little. ‘You are becoming absolutely mischievous, Rarity… and that is undeniably wonderful.’

But was it too soon for such an idea? She shook her head and sat up again. ‘Yet aren’t you rushing into all of this? It has only been an hour since you last visited Twilight. Do not let your fantasies get in the way of the bigger picture.’ The plan did seem a little much. However, she hummed and tapped a hoof on the bed. Her eyes brightened, and another little giggle escaped her lips. “Yes. However eager I am for this to come closer, I cannot risk the trouble of ruining everything I have been working for.”

So in the end of it all, she needed to wait for a little while. But in all that time, Rarity had a long interval to add to and refine this new idea. ‘Yes… in two days’ time, which seems appropriate at least, I shall reveal my feelings to Twilight Sparkle. And once she agrees --hopefully she is ready to further our relationship-- I will take her somewhere splendid. Maybe the Prancing Pony? Yes, most certainly.’ The Prancing Pony, as Rarity had heard from her fellow noble friends, was a place where ponies of her kind would gather to celebrate.

It was a fine restaurant indeed; Rarity could only dream of the look Twilight would have on her muzzle. ‘But that place is, at least to my knowledge, a dining experience that is just a bit hard to come by. The only way to get in is with a reservation.’ And with the small amount of influence Rarity had gained, she could easily set one up. ‘So… Tuesday, two days from now, is when the reservation will be set. That sounds manageable.’ She returned her gaze to the dress she had stared at for a few moments, and with a sly smile, one only a fox could ever wish he had, she chuckled. ‘Which means that I have enough time to gain the courage and expertise to tell Twilight of my own feelings towards her. Oh, how glorious this shall all be.’

~~~

Spike stepped out of the door with a hum while he scribbled away on a small parchment of paper. He walked through the front entrance and turned back to Twilight. “So. All you need is a few groceries, more quills, more ink and…”

Twilight smiled and murmured, “And just a few more parchments. I want to keep up on my stock and make sure that I don’t run out of any necessities any time soon.”

“Okay.” He scribbled the pen before he handed her the feather pen. “I’ll be back as soon as I can.” With that, he walked down the stairs. Twilight watched him reach the concrete path and go down the right side of where the street began. She followed his path until he disappeared behind the buildings.

“Alright, then.” Twilight closed the door. She locked it, double checked, pulling against the door, and nodded. “Now there’s no chance for anypony to come in and interrupt my practice session.” She turned back to her stairway and walked up it. She turned to the window and focused her magic on the curtains. She pulled them to close until her room was dark, but she blinked her eyes and smiled that it wasn’t completely pitch black.

The smile brightened even more when she turned to her bed, her eyes gazed at the mattress underneath its sheets. She walked over to her bed and pushed her hoof to the side, lifting up the mattress and moving her left hoof around. As she continued to move her hoof, she smiled when she felt her hoof brush past something rectangular and rough. Twilight pulled the book out and let go of her bed.

She looked over the book and sighed when she saw that it was unharmed. The cover was a bit wrinkled and slightly torn, which revealed the age of this book. The symbol of the cover took a strange form: its base looked like three handles of swords, one going straight up while the other two curved around a circle that the center sword went through. “Now then… onto business.”

The pages crinkled as Twilight flipped through the book. She stopped on one page and looked over the text, her eyes scanning over each word until she paused over a set of words. “Hmm… I studied another form of teleportation already… although I don’t know how safe it actually is. But this… ‘dark haze’ spell.” She leaned a little into the next set of words. “A spell of agility; locked in a mist of blackness, the user can fade into the shadows of night and gain the speed of the wraiths themselves…” Twilight shuddered at the description. “It would be amazing to see what this spell could do.”

She nodded and looked over the next set of words. “Alright… shouldn’t be too difficult. Hopefully...” Twilight closed her eyes and exhaled out. Her horn glowed with that same magenta aura. She let out another breath of air and closed her eyes tighter. A cold breeze of air moved over her, and she shuddered a little. Another blast of air hit her; the chill she felt traveled up her horn. The magenta light that was once there disappeared in a flash of green and purple light.

“O-okay… just a little more…” Twilight murmured to herself. This was a completely different feeling she’d had from that teleportation spell. The air was cold before, but not to this degree. ‘It’s… like it’s almost chilling me to the bone.’ She opened her eyes and gasped. A dark fog began to swirl around her body. She smiled and glanced over her shoulder to see more of the black mist floating around her. “I… I did it. I can’t believe I--”

She yelped at the sound of knocking on her door. “Hey Twilight! I’m back!” Spike called from the entrance to her house. Twilight looked down the stairs before she returned her gaze to the fog, only to see it was gone. ‘No! It’s gone!?’ In that moment, she knew that the lapse in her concentration had led to the downfall of the spell.

“W-what? No, come on,” she growled. “Why did he have to come back so soon?” Twilight closed the book and levitated it back underneath her bed. “So much for finding out the extent of what it could do.” Twilight frowned and opened the curtains again, allowing the light to shine in the main room again. More knocks echoed against the door downstairs. ‘In a moment, Spike.’ She took in a deep breath of air and exhaled out. It really wasn’t his fault, although she wished she knew what that spell did.

Twilight walked back down the stairs and opened the door. “Sorry. I was busy shelving a few books that I didn’t hear you until the second knock, Spike.” She smiled.

“It’s alright. I got all the items you needed.” He lifted up a few bags to show her all the items he acquired from the market.

“Thanks, Spike.” Twilight rubbed a hoof over his head. “I can always count on you.” She let him in and closed the door behind the two. Today was unfortunately not a successful test run of the spell, but there could be another time, Twilight thought. She just had to be patient.

~~~

Hoofsteps echoed off the stairs, Rarity hummed as she walked up that flight of stairs, the twilight rays of the sun shone delicately upon her frame. Two days had passed, and her plan had been coming together nicely. ‘Thankfully, the Prancing Pony had open seats on Tuesday, so the amount of ponies there won’t be so overwhelming.’ She glanced down at her dress. Rarity smiled at the way the light illuminated her ensemble. ‘And you will definitely work for an occasion such as this.’

The gown she wore was a gold and purplish color mix, one strap wrapped around her left foreleg which left her right one exposed. Her chest was slightly covered, with the ensemble reaching over her whole body. She also styled her mane such that her couture covered the right side of her face, slightly covering her eye. All that time she had spent preparing herself, she kept going over the idea of how she would approach Twilight with her declaration and thought this might have been the best idea. ‘Let us just hope this will work.’

Rarity knocked on Twilight’s door and hummed as she waited for an answer. The door opened, and Spike stepped out into the open. “Well, hello there, Rar--” He stopped and his eyes widened at the sight of the mare before him. He gulped, then coughed as he cleared his throat. “Well, hello there, Rarity.” He leaned against the door and looked at his clawed hands. “What brings you here, m’lady?”

“I have come to speak with Twilight. It is an urgent matter, and of the highest importance.” Rarity giggled at the way Spike was acting, although she would have not expected any less of her favorite little drake to act such a way. ‘He is just so adorable when he tries to act cool. It is rather cute’. “May I come in?”

“But of course, Rarity.” He bowed and ushered her in like last time, waiting for her to come through the door before he closed it behind her. And like the visit from a couple days earlier, she followed the same stairway up to the second floor. Once she reached the top, she smiled at the sight of her friend. Twilight was laying on a few pillows, her eyes entranced by book she had in a raspberry aura. “Good evening, Twilight.”

Twilight flipped a page of her book with her magic, scanning each word she followed down. “Hey there, Rarity,” she said without turning to face her friend, her voice unusually monotone for this situation.

“So how has your evening been?”

“It’s been pretty good.” Twilight spoke in that same emotionless tone.

“That’s so good to hear.” Rarity smiled, walking over to where Twilight lay. “But I have an important announcement to make.” She swiveled her ears at the sound of footsteps behind her and turned to smile at Spike. “Spike, would you be a dear and grant me and Twilight a moment of privacy?”

Spike widened his eyes from their droopy state he had been staring at Rarity with. He bowed and walked back downstairs. Once he had disappeared, she returned her attention to Twilight. “So… I have a confession I would like to make.” Rarity breathed in and exhaled slowly. “I… am in love with you, Twilight Sparkle.”

Another page crinkled as it was turned for the next page. Twilight still held her gaze on the book. “That’s nice.”

“R-really? You think it’s nice.” Rarity smiled brightly as Twilight turned to face her, nodding her approval.

“B-but I am… oh my, I can’t believe that you are so accepting.” Rarity giggled while she clapped her hooves together. “This is just amazing. So if you are truly humbled to be my marefriend, then I have something for you here.” She pulled out an envelope from underneath her dress, the paper lit in a light blue aura. It landed on a desk next to Rarity, who continued, “The envelope I just put on your desk is for the Prancing Pony. The date is not until later tonight.”

Twilight nodded. “Of course.”

Another giggle emanated from Rarity as she clasped her muzzle with a hoof. “Well then…” She walked over to Twilight and leaned close to her ear. “I hope to see you at our date,” Rarity whispered and turned around.

Twilight flicked the ear where Rarity spoke, she raised an eyebrow until she brought her attention from the book to her friend. “Wait… what?”

But Rarity did not notice the two syllables that Twilight had said. She was already walking down the stairs again. She hummed to herself, happy that all of this had gone so well. She heard a hiccup and looked to her left. Spike had his back turned to her, his gaze only to the wall next to the fridge. She was going to say goodbye to him, but he seemed to be busy, so she left without another word. The door opened in a light blue aura, and Rarity exited her friend’s home. Her normal pace turned into a skip, and her giggle turned into a laugh. ‘I cannot believe it. She said yes!’

It was the luckiest event Rarity had ever experienced, one she would have thought she would not have escaped without an emotion or two left scarred. Maybe her life was destined to end up with Twilight; if it was, fate had predicted her future very well. ‘My life is like one of those happy-ending romance novels. Ooohh!’ This indeed could have been the happy life she had hoped for. For Rarity’s sake, she hoped this dream would never end.