It was a bright sunny day in Canterlot. Perhaps it would have been a good day too, had the mare known as Moonlight Raven slept well last night.
"Friend is that all she is to me?"
Raven sighed, walking over to her wardrobe and using her magic to open it up, she stepped inside. She searched through the different dresses and outfits, looking for one in particular. "Come on, where is it?" Looking at the shelves above her eye fell upon a white box, using her magic to levitate it down to her she read the brand name on the box, it read. "Cantorlot Carousel! This is it."
Lifting off the lid, Raven pulled out a beautiful dress that resembled Luna's night sky, it was adorned with small white gems that sparkled like stars when they caught the light. She remembered how wearing it made her feel like a princess, holding it up to he chest as she looked at herself in her bedroom mirror.
"I wonder if she will like it?" She sighed a small smile gracing her lips. KNOCK! KNOCK! KNOCK! Her train of thought was interrupted by a knocking at her front door. "Just a second!" She called down as she placed the dress on her bed, exiting the room she made her way down the stairs and towards the front door.
Unhooking the latch Raven opened the door and was met with the ever stoic face of her friend. "Maud? You're early, I wasn't expecting you for another thirty minutes."
The eldest Pie sibling replied in her usual calm tone. "Yeah, my train arrived in Canterlot ahead of schedule so I decided to come straight here. I hope you don't mind"
Raven merely nodded, stepping aside she motioned for her friend to enter. "Just make yourself at home. I just need to finish getting ready, then we can head out."
"That's OK." Replied Maud as she strolled over to one of the couches in the living room, once she was seated she turned back to Raven and said. "Take your time, I'm not in any hurry."
Trotting back upstairs and into her bedroom, Raven levitated her hair brush over and began working on her mane.
"Alright, that's my mane taken care of. Now to brush my teeth."
After she had finished getting ready, she headed downstairs to her waiting friend, who was still sitting in the same spot she had left her, were it not for her breathing anypony might think she was a statue.
"So," Raven said, causing Maud to turn and face her. "Are you ready to go?"
The grey earth pony nodded before getting to her hooves and walking through the front door and into the streets of Canterlot. Raven followed after her turning to the door and locking it.
"So, where to first?" Asked Maud in her typical nonchalant manner.
Raven lifted her hoof to her chin thinking it over. "How about we get something to eat. I haven't had breakfast yet."
Maud nodded, looking along the street before pointing a hoof towards a small cafe further up named, the crazy stallion. "How about there? Their breakfast deals are so good you'd be crazy to pass them up... At least that's what the flyer says."
Looking the cafe over, Raven then turned to face Maud before replying. "Sure. I haven't been in there yet, let go in at check it out."
walking inside and looking around, the two noticed that the inside was decorated with paintings, some depicted beautiful hills and valleys, others showed a quaint little village next to a lake with a castle ruin on a nearby hill as the sunset was casting shadows.
A young unicorn mare walks over to them, carrying to menus in her magical grip, she shows them to a table in the corner of the room next to the window.
Looking over her menu quickly, Raven turns to the waitress and orders a BLT (beet, lettuces and tomato) sandwich and a glass of Colt a Cola, Maud after being informed that they do not serve rock soup settled on carrot and coriander with a half sandwich and a glass of non alcoholic, Apple family cider.
Waiting for their food to arrive the two sat in silence, this didn't bother Maud, being a mare of few words she enjoyed the quiet, Raven enjoyed it to except it hard to enjoy when you brain is screaming a million thing at once.
"What if she says no? What if she thinks I'm weird and doesn't want to be friends anymore? What if."
She was knocked from her train of thought by the sound of plates being placed in front of her, turning around she saw the waitress smiling at both of them before saying. "Enjoy your meal, if you need anything don't hesitate to ask." And with that she trotted of to greet the other customers.
Maud lifted up the salt shaker sprinkling some over her soup before mixing it into the broth.
"Okay, so after lunch we'll head to the market, see if there's anything worth buying. Then we can head to the gardens, that's where I'll tell her how I feel." Thought Raven as she chewed her sandwich.
After finishing the last of her Colt a Cola, Raven looked over to her companion. "Are you ready to leave?"
Maud nodded. Standing up the two walked to the counter to pay for their meal, the owner a slim unicorn stallion with a white coat and blue mane and tail stood by the register, he smiled at the two before greeting them. "Good afternoon ladies, how was your meal?"
"It was filling." Said Raven as she pulled out her bit pouch.
"It was okay." said Maud beside her doing the same.
"So." asked Raven "How much do we owe you?"
The stallion levitated a slip of paper from the wall and began looking it over.
"Let me see. One BLT and a glass of Colt a Cola and one soup and half sandwich with a glass of cider." He looked over the price list on the wall next to the register before saying. "All together that will be twenty bits."
Placing the bits on the counter, the two mares turned towards the exit.
"Have a nice day ladies." The owner called out as the left.
"Where to next?" Asked Maud as she slid her bit pouch back into her pocket.
Raven tapped her hoof on her chin as she thought. "How about Trot Topic? They should have some new stuff in."
"Sure I could look at stuff." Said Maud as she and Raven headed along the streets of Canterlot towards their next destination. After a ten minute trot, the two mares stopped outside the store. The windows had various pieces of merchandise on display, including two ponyquins, both wearing the latest shirts the store had to offer. One had a depiction of Celestia and had in old Canterlot font the words, SUN WORSHIPER. The other had a depiction of Luna, and in the same font read, MOON WORSHIPER.
Entering the store the two began to look around. Maud had come across a small leather-bound journal with the face of a dragon burned into the leather. "I'll get this. I've been needing a new poetry journal, all my other ones are full." Walking over to the register to pay for the journal something caught her eye.
"Hey how can i help you today?" Asked the salespony, a tall white mare with a two-tone black and grey mane and tail.
"I'd like this journal please, and that too." Said Maud pointing at something in the display case.
"Okay, here you go that will be fifteen bit's please." Said the mare placing Maud's purchases into a bag.
"The closer we get to the gardens the tighter the knot in my stomach gets." Thought Raven as she looked at the shirts on the rack. As she flipped through them one caught her eye. "I'll get this, and this coat." The coat was black with belts running down the front and along both the sleeves, at the base of the sleeves and around the neck was white fluff that jutted out making it look like spikes
Hoofing the shirt and coat over to the cashier, Raven waited as she tallied the price
"That will be twenty-two bit's please." said the salespony as she placed the items in a bag and passed it back to Raven, who placed the bit's down on the counter turned around walked back to Maud who was waiting by the door.
"So, where to next?" Asked Maud as they left the store, Walking along the street Raven thought it over.
"Is there anywhere you'd like to go Maud?" Raven asked her friend.
"Do you know any good bookstores? My sister Marble asked if I could pick her up some Daring Do books before I came home."
"Yeah there's one on the way to the gardens, it's called Written Word. It's named after the owner." Said Raven as she led her companion there.
The bookstore was quite spacious, rows of shelves filled with books of all kind covered the walls. In the corner there was a small area for ponies to sit and read, the owner a light brown stallion with a mustache and graying mane and tail was stacking new books on one of the many shelves.
"Just give me a moment and I'll be with you." He said as he placed the last few books in their proper place. "Now, what can I do for you fillies this evening?"
"I'm looking for some Daring Do books for my sister, do you have any?" Maud asked the stallion who smiled warmly before asking.
"Any particular book in the series you were looking for?"
Reaching into her pocket Maud pulled out a small piece of paper, glancing down she began to read off the names on it.
"I'm looking for Daring Do and the serpent of spite, Daring Do and the Siren's song, Daring Do and Cave that time forgot and Daring Do the curse of the Mearhwolf. Do you have any of those?" Asked Maud looking up from the list.
The old stallion tapped his chin with a hoof in thought. "Hold on just a second and I will take a look." And with that he disappeared behind some bookshelves. A few moments later he appeared again holding several books in his magical grasp.
"Here you are young filly, everything on your list is right here. Is there anything else you needed?" The stallion asked placing the books next to the register.
Maud shook her head. "No that's everything."
"Very well then." He said as he checked the prices and put them into the register before turning back to Maud. "That will be forty-five bit's please."
Maud gave the stallion the bit's and then proceeded to place the books into her saddle bags.
Leaving the store, the two mares headed to their next destination. "The gardens!" Raven shouted internally, this was the moment she was dreading, the moment that all her feelings would be laid bare.
Soft music could be heard coming from the bandstand nearby as ponies danced together into the night. The moon was beginning to rise bathing the garden in its majestic light. Raven and Maud found a quiet spot out-of-the-way of anypony but still close enough to here the music.
Raven sat in silence as she ran her hoof through the grass, desperately trying to work up her courage. "Why is this so hard?" She thought to herself. "It's just four little words. Maud I love you, and that's it." She sighed and gazed at the moon.
"Hey Raven are you alright?" Asked Maud looking towards her friend "You've seemed distracted today, is something bothering you. You know you can talk to me about it right."
Maud gave Raven a small smile, something she very rarely does. Seeing this gave Raven the confidence she needed. Taking a deep breath she let her feeling out.
"Maud we have been friends for over a month now, and I've come to see you as one of my best friends. But lately I've been feeling something else deep inside me and I feel like if I don't let it out I'm gonna explode, so here it goes. Maud I'm in love you. I have been ever since we met that night in the poetry club over a month ago, and as time went by the feeling got stronger and stronger until I couldn't stop thinking about it. I wanted to say it for a while now but couldn't bring myself to because I was worried you wouldn't want to be my friend anymore."
Tears began to form in the corner of Ravens eyes as she hung her head.
"Go on. Say it." Raven pleaded her tears causing her vision to go blurry as she waited for the words she had dreaded to hear. But they never came, instead a single hoof touched the bottom of her chin and raised her head so she was looking into her friends eyes. Raven opened her mouth to speak but was silenced when Maud pressed her lips against hers. Raven could have sworn her heart had stopped beating in that moment. The kiss lasted only a moment but to Raven it felt like a thousand years had come and gone. Breaking the kiss the two separated from each other.
"I love you too." Said Maud the small smile still on her muzzle. Raven returned the gesture with one of her own.
Walking up to Maud Raven offered her a hoof and asked. "Would you care to dance?"
Maud nodded her head before replying. "Sure."
Leaning against one another their hooves holding one another as they slowly danced the night away, losing themselves to the moment, that perfect happy moment. The music continued to play into the night as the two mares danced with one another, before Maud broke the silence.
"You know tonight kinda reminds me of the night we met." Maud said continuing to dance.
"What do you mean?" Raven asked curious about what Maud had meant.
"Well after we met we both went to grab something to eat, after that we took a look around some of the stores and then we came here to the gardens to relax." Said the grey mare as she looked into her marefriends eyes.
Raven thought about it as it all came back to her besides the bookstore her confession and the dance it was pretty much just like that night. Raven smiled at this. "Yeah I guess you're right. OH! before I forget. I got you something in Trot Topic."
Reaching into her bag Raven pulled out a black shirt with a picture on the front of a rock climbing up a ladder with the words Rock climbing beneath it.
Taking the shirt in her hooves, Maud turned around and walked over to her bags, placing the shirt in and pulling out a small black box.
"Thanks for the shirt, I got you something as well." Said Maud as she hoofed the box to Raven
Opening it Raven gasped at the contents. It was a silver raven with its wings spread clutching a round white stone made to look like the moon in its talons.
"Thank you Maud it's beautiful." Using her magic Raven took the necklace out of the box and tied it around her neck. The stone and metal reflecting the moonlight.
The music had stopped and everypony in the park was headed back home. Raven and Maud left the park and walked along the empty streets of canterlot. Stopping outside of Raven's house Maud waved her friend goodbye and was about to leave when Raven called after her.
"If you like you can spend the night at my place." Said the unicorn mare a light blush forming on her cheeks.
"Sure. sounds good to me." Said Maud as she ascended the stairs and entered the front door.
Raven hoof pumped the air with a soft "Yes." Before entering her house and shutting the door behind her.
Author's Note
Well fillies and gentlecolts here it is my first ever romance/shipfic I hope that you enjoyed reading it.
Thanks for reading 
