Let's Dance!

by PrincessTwilightSparkle1

Rating: teen
Tags: Starlight Glimmer, Romance, Spike, Discord, Slice of Life, Twilight Sparkle, Main 6, My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic
Length: 5808

Hearts and Hooves Day is a week away. How will Twilight Sparkle and her friends handle the upcoming festivities? Will they choose to seek out companionship on this day of romance? A party may be just what they all need, whether they know it or not.

There is only a week until Hearts and Hooves Day. With none of the girls having anything big planned for that day, the Mane 6 come up with the idea to throw a huge ball to be held at the Castle of Friendship. The evening will be fun and filled with laughter and of course love of all kinds. But will our heroes find love themselves this evening?

*Story is set after Season 5 and some time early in Season 6, so it's still early into Starlight Glimmer's reformation and Friendship Lessons.

*Note: Rating, character tags, and subject tags are subject to change as story progresses.
**Note 2: I've upped the rating to Teen just to stay on the safe side. I have also added the Slice of Life tag.

Published 2016-07-10 21:00:01 UTC
Last updated 2020-05-17 20:39:52 UTC

Prologue: We Shall Have a Dance!

Let's Dance!

Prologue: We Shall Have a Dance!

“So, everypony, anything new happening that you'd like to share?” The Princess of Friendship, Twilight Sparkle addressed her friends.

The lavender alicorn sat in her throne alongside her five best friends and faithful dragon assistant. The group were all gathered to catch each other up on their lives outside of their little circle and just chat and gossip with each other.

Surprisingly, it was Fluttershy who spoke up first. “I'd like to share something...Um...if that's alright…”

Twilight smiled encouragingly at the shy mare, “Go ahead, Fluttershy.”

Fluttershy perked right up at her friend's prompting. “Thank you, Twilight. I just wanted to tell all of you that a new litter of kittens were born just a few days ago. They are oh so cute!”

“AWW!!!” All the girls chorused together.

“Oooh! Oooh! Me next!! ME NEXT!!” Called the hyper-active ball of joy known to all as Pinkie Pie.

Twilight nodded her head, “Go ahead, Pinkie.”

Pinkie Pie took in a large intake of air then, all in one go, excitedly let it all out in a torrent of words, “Mr. and Mrs. Cake just received a huge order of cakes and cupcakes for Hearts and Hooves Day next week. *GASP* And I get to help make them!!” She finished with a huge grin.

“And speaking of Hearts and Hooves Day --” Rarity started, but was rudely interrupted.

Rainbow Dash scoffed, “Really, Rarity?” The prismatic pegasus rolled her eyes, already having suspicions as to what the white unicorn was going to bring up.

“Oh hush, Rainbow Dash. I was simply going to say that I always look forward to the surge in business I receive around this time of year. You’d be surprised at the number of orders for formal wear I've gotten, not to mention all the orders for more...ahem...intimate apparel.”

This last statement left the other mares in the room speechless, and a couple of them (mainly Twilight Sparkle and Fluttershy) were sporting bright red blushes on their faces.

“Okay...well...that was quite the bit of information I didn’t expect to hear.” Twilight stammered out. “However, I am pleased to hear business is going well for you, Rarity.”

Rarity’s eyes lit up and she positively beamed at the praise her friend laid upon her. “Why, thank you, Twilight. Business is indeed going well for me. In fact, it’s going so well, I’m actually ahead of schedule. I was even considering, with some of the extra time I had, creating each of you brand new dresses!” She punctuated the end of her sentence with a light toss of her curly mane.

Twilight Sparkle brought a hoof up to her chest and smiled at her fashion-forward friend. “Oh, Rarity. You don't have to go through all that trouble for us.”

Rarity smiled back and waved a hoof dismissively at the alicorn’s comment. “Oh, nonsense, Twilight Sparkle! I absolutely insist!”

“Well, if you're sure, Rarity.” The princess replied unsurely.

The white unicorn was grinning from ear to ear. However, her personal victory was cut short due to the next question asked; not by any of the mares present, but by the lone dragon in the room.

“Not that you need a reason to make what will no doubt be more brilliant masterpieces, Rarity, but, is there a special occasion going on that I'm not aware of? It would be a shame to let such beautiful dresses go to waste, don't you think?”

Rarity was caught off guard for a couple of reasons; the first one being, Spike was completely silent up until this point and, truth be told, she kind of forgot he was still there. The second one being, Spike brought up an excellent point with the dresses.

“That’s an excellent point, Spike.” Twilight smiled at her draconic assistant then turned her attention to her fashion-minded friend. “I'm with Spike on this. Wouldn't it be a better idea to wait until we've been invited to some big event or the like before getting too ahead of yourself? I don't want you to be overwhelmed.”

“Uh...just one question, Twi. This is Ponyville we’re talkin’ about. What are the chances of there being a big, fancy party the likes of the ones in Canterlot being thrown here?” Rainbow Dash began hovering in front and just above the lavender princess when she posed her question.

Before Twilight could respond to Rainbow’s rhetorical question, Fluttershy surprised everyone in the room by speaking up for the first time in quite a while. “Um...we can...we can have our own...um...party…” Fluttershy hid behind her long, petal pink mane and tried to look as small as possible.

Pinkie Pie let out a gasp of mix happiness and surprise. She had the largest grin anypony in the room had ever seen on the pink mare’s face. “Oh my goodness! A big fancy party for Hearts and Hooves Day!? How amazingly super-duper funtastic would that be?” Pinkie bounced around, excited at the prospect of planning such an event. She then let out another loud gasp. “But, what kind of party will it be? What will we do at said party? Inquiring minds want to know!!” The poofy-maned pony was panting by the time her mini rant was over.

All eyes in the room were on Pinkie, looking on in bewilderment. All except Rarity who already looked to be deep in thought about the current conundrum. All the cacophony of chatter came to an abrupt halt with the next loud outburst; this time coming from a certain violet-maned unicorn.

“I GOT IT!!” Rarity glanced around at all the eyes of her friends that were now on her. “Ahem. What I mean to say is, I know what we are going to do!”

“Well, don't leave us in suspense like this.” Applejack urged her friend on impatiently. “What’s this big idea of yours?”

“Patience, my dear Applejack. I was getting to that.” Rarity chided. “As I was saying, Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie were onto something with the party idea. But, I figured why not take it a step further than that?”

“What did you have in mind?” asked a very confused princess.

At this, Rarity’s grin grew quite wide. “Why, I'm glad you asked, Twilight Sparkle.” The white unicorn mare climbed down off her throne and began trotting back and forth in front of the others, like a drill Sergeant rallying her troops. (All for dramatic effect, of course) “We are not going to throw just any old party. NO! We are going to throw a spectacular Hearts and Hooves Day celebration the likes of which nopony has ever seen before! In short, we shall have...A DANCE!”

The room was simply buzzing with excited chatter at Rarity’s announcement. “We need to get planning right away if we expect to pull this off.” Twilight spoke as she summoned her list making supplies; a full ream of parchment, and plenty of quills and jars of ink perfect for the task.

“Ohmygosh! This is gonna be so AWESOME!” Even a rough-and-tumble mare like Rainbow Dash could admit this was going to be a lot of fun.

“Indeed.” Rarity nodded in agreement. “I can hardly wait.”

Elsewhere in the castle, a certain mismatched being MAY or MAY NOT have been nearby where the Friendship Council was holding their meeting, and he MAY or MAY NOT have been eavesdropping on their conversations…

It’s not like he wanted to find out what the girls’ plans for the upcoming holiday were...That was a lie. He totally wanted to know what his friends were up to. And from the sound of things, it was going to be quite the shindig.

Author's Note

Oh my gosh! This one chapter alone has taken me several months to write but, I think I finally got something out worth all the those late nights with next to no sleep. The next chapter is in the works. Let's just hope updates start coming faster. I can't promise anything though.

Please enjoy! :twilightsmile:

Chapter 1: Putting a Plan in Motion!

Let’s Dance!

Chapter 1: Putting a Plan in Motion!

With only a week until the party, there was a lot of hustle and bustle about the Castle of Friendship, and all throughout town as well. Pinkie Pie was in charge of making invitations and getting them delivered on time. It was a simple task which she was glad to do. After that, she would help Applejack with the food preparation.

Meanwhile, Rarity had finished all her previous work and was hard at work designing the brand new, spectacular ball gowns for her friends that she had promised, as well as one for herself. She enlisted the help of Fluttershy for this endeavor.

As for the Princess of Friendship herself, she was making her rounds; checking and rechecking her lists and making sure everyone involved in helping make all this possible was on task.

Word had gotten around quickly about the ball being held at Princess Twilight’s castle. All of Ponyville was buzzing with excited chatter about the big event coming up. None were more excited about it than the Element of Laughter herself, Pinkie Pie.

The energetic ball of pink fluff was working hard with Mr. and Mrs. Cake and Applejack to plan the perfect menu for an evening filled with happiness and fun and, of course, love.

The first stop on Twilight Sparkle’s list of places to visit today was Carousel Boutique. Rarity told her to come in for a fitting for her dress at her earliest convenience. Rarity let Twilight know she wanted to run some design ideas by her as well. Twilight Sparkle figured this worked out well with what else she had planned on getting done today, and dress fitting AFTER taste testing cupcakes and other goodies probably wasn’t a good idea.

The princess arrived at the Carousel Boutique. The tinkle of a bell signaled her entry into the quaint shop, alerting the two other ponies to her presence.

Rarity peeked up from her current project to see that it was Twilight Sparkle had walked through her door. “Ah, Twilight, darling! Please, come in and have a seat. I’ll be with you in a moment.”

Twilight Sparkle sat down on one of Rarity’s couches in the sitting area of the Boutique and waited for her friend to finish up what she was doing. She didn’t have to wait long.

“So sorry to have kept you waiting, darling. There was a last minute order that I could not put off,” Rarity fussed. She smiled at the princess to make sure there were no hard feelings. She was happy to receive a smile in return.
“It’s no problem at all, Rarity. I wasn’t waiting long at all.” Twilight Sparkle reassured. “I’m here for my fitting, whenever you’re ready.”

This put Rarity in a very good mood. She was practically prancing in place. “Please follow me. Now, if I’m not mistaken, it has been quite some time since I last took your measurements. Am I right?” The fashionista inquired.

“Um...I think so…” Twilight nervously answered as she followed the pale unicorn to the area of the shop with all the mirrors. When they got there, Twilight Sparkle was asked to step up onto the pedestal and she immediately felt multiple measuring tapes stretch and tighten across different parts of her body.

“So, dearie, how are preparations coming along on your end?” Rarity inquired while she was measuring Twilight’s inseam of her right hind leg.

The suddenness of the move made Twilight jump slightly. “Whoa!”

“Sorry about that, darling.”

“It’s alright, Rarity. And as for your question, things are going great so far. This is actually my first stop for today before heading over to Sugarcube Corner.”

“Splendid!” Rarity beamed. “Fluttershy and I have been hard at work getting all these dresses done. I’ve learned my lesson not to over-do it from our first gala.”

The two mares loved how they could now look back on those past mishaps and laugh about it. And laugh they did.

“Speaking of Fluttershy, where is she?” Twilight Sparkle inquired about their quiet pegasus friend.

“She went into the kitchen to make some tea just shortly before you got here. Ah! And here she comes now.”

Just as Rarity said, Fluttershy stepped out of the kitchen balancing a tea service complete with freshly brewed, steaming tea served in a decorative teapot, matching teacups, and a platter of small tea sandwiches. All of this was on a large serving tray the butter colored pegasus had carefully balanced on her back and wings. “Tea is ready. Oh! Hello, Twilight.” Fluttershy greeted the princess in her usual quiet voice.

Twilight smiled when she saw her shy friend. “Hello, Fluttershy. How is every -- AH! -- thing?” Rarity had accidentally stuck her with a pin.

“So sorry dear. But you shouldn’t move too much. Now, I’m going to need you to extend your wings for a moment. I’d like to get an accurate measurement of your full wingspan in case I need it here as well as for future uses.”

Twilight did just that. She looked at herself in mirrors surrounding her. She had various fabric swatches pinned to her frame, in a multitude of hues. Twilight Sparkle looked baffled. “What is going on here?” She asked.

Rarity ran the measuring tape across Twilight’s wings and let out a giggle at her friend’s reaction. “Don’t worry, Twilight. When I’m done here, you are going to have the most stunning gown there.”

Fluttershy also smiled at Twilight Sparkle. “It’s ok, Twilight. I’ve seen what Rarity has planned for your dress and her dress designs are absolutely gorgeous. As for your earlier question, I’ve been helping Rarity out wherever I can, and making snacks to keep our energy up.”

“Yes. Fluttershy certainly has been a big help. We’ve gotten quite a bit done today.” Fluttershy blushed at Rarity’s praise. “I do believe a break is in order. Would you be able to stay for tea, Twilight?”

Twilight Sparkle thought about for a moment. “I can stay for a little while, but then I must get on with the things I have planned for today.”

A quick burst light blue magic from Rarity’s horn and the fabric draped over Twilight’s body was carefully removed.

Another flash, this time from Twilight’s horn, and tea was back up to proper drinking temperature and served into three cups. Three mares, all good friends, all took seats on cushions around Rarity’s coffee table and began chatting about mundane topics while fixing their tea to their liking.

“So Twilight,” Fluttershy spoke up as she sipped her tea. “How is Starlight Glimmer coming along in her lessons?”

Twilight beamed at the mention of her student. “She’s coming along great. Just the other day though, I had her help out Daisy, Lilyvalley, and Roseluck at their flower shop. I don’t know all the details of what happened, but Starlight said she got quite the tongue lashing from those three. Well, after they woke from having fainted of course.” Everypony in the room giggled at this.
“And then what happened?” Asked Rarity. She sat and listened with rapt attention.

“When Starlight returned home,” Twilight continued, “she was quite despondent. Which reminds me, I managed to convince her that attending the Hearts-and-Hooves Day Ball would be a wonderful way to make new friends and let ponies see she’s changed. You wouldn’t mind making her a dress as well, would you Rarity?” Twilight smiled hopefully.

“Of course not, darling! You know I’d be delighted to do so. And I’m glad to hear everything’s going well...for the most part that is…”

Fluttershy nodded in agreement.

“Me too.” Twilight chose that moment to look up at the clock. “Oh my! I should get going to Sugarcube Corner now. Thank you for the tea. I’ll see you girls later!”

Twilight Sparkle waved to Fluttershy and Rarity as she exited the shop.

After leaving Carousel Boutique, Twilight Sparkle made her way down the dirt paths of Ponyville until she arrived at one of the the most recognizable buildings in town, Sugarcube Corner.

Twilight pushed the door open and stepped inside. Her senses were immediately welcomed by the wonderful smells of caramelized sugar, cinnamon, and of course, apples. Which came as no surprise, considering who was in charge of baking the treats.

“Twilight!” Came a sudden loud and hyper voice, followed by a pink blur which knocked Twilight right off of her hooves. “You’re here! You’re here!” The blur revealed herself to be none other than Pinkie Pie, who now had the poor purple princess playfully pinned. Her muzzle was just inches from Twilight’s and she wore a very wide grin that almost split her face in half.

“Um...hello to you too, Pinkie.” Twilight managed to get out. “Now, could you please get off of me?”

“Oops…” Pinkie said apologetically as she climbed off her friend. “Heehee! Sorry, Twilight. I guess I just got a little carried away. Here, let me help you there.” The energetic pink mare reached out her hoof to help Twilight back onto her hooves.

“Thank you, Pinkie. So, what have you and Applejack been up to?”

A wide smile once again spread across the pink mare’s face. “Why don’t I show you!” Before Twilight could respond, Pinkie Pie had already wrapped her hoof around the confused Alicorn and dragged her to the kitchen where all the commotion was going on.
The moment Twilight had stepped into Sugarcube Corner, she was curious as to why there was such a cacophony of noises coming from the kitchen. When Pinkie brought her to the epicenter of all the ruckus, she was only somewhat surprised to see that the cause of it was Applejack along with a small number of her very large extended family.

As soon as Applejack spotted Twilight Sparkle entering the busy kitchen, she immediately greeted the princess. “Well, howdy Twilight!” She shouted over the clatter of pots and pans banging and oven doors opening and closing. “Ya here to see how everythin’s goin’?”

Twilight nodded. “Sure am!”

Applejack smiled widely at her. “You’re her just in time then. We’ve just whipped up a number of tasty treats for ya to try. Here! Try this!” And, yet again, Twilight was unable to say anything, this time due to Applejack having had shoved one of the many confections that were baked into her mouth.

Twilight slowly chewed the dessert in her mouth to ascertain what made that delectable treat so delicious. Just as she thought she had it figured out, her thoughts were interrupted by none other than Pinkie Pie.

“Silly Twilight. Heehee! Desserts are for enjoying. Not thinking too hard about.”

“Pinkie’s right, Sugarcube. We’ve still got a heap o’ other things we’d like ya to try.”

So Twilight resigned herself to at least an hour and a half more of non-stop pastry tasting. Even though the young princess was now completely full with pastries (and had some fun doing it), she was glad to have gotten that part of her day over with and she could now head home to her castle and sleep off said pastries.

One thing that puzzled Twilight though, was why Pinkie Pie had given her those parting words, as well as the box containing a single raspberry cream-filled chocolate cupcake, just as she was leaving the shop. The very cryptic words she spoke were, ‘You’re not as alone as you think.’ Twilight just shrugged it off as she left, but not before grabbing the order of gem cupcakes she placed beforehoof for Spike as thanks for being a wonderful assistant.

As Twilight trotted leisurely down the road toward her castle, a sudden bright flash halted her mid-step, causing her to nearly topple over backward. Fortunately for the startled mare, a long, red serpentine tail caught her in her fall. Also fortunately, the boxes of cupcakes were equally unharmed. The one who had stopped her descent was the Spirit of Chaos himself.

“Greetings, my dear princess! How are you this fine day?” He asked with his usual toothy grin on his face.

Twilight blushed mostly out of embarrassment at her earlier stumble. “I’m...uh...fine, Discord. It’s nice to see you too.” She was being truthful. She really was happy to see the Draconequus in such high spirits, she just really wanted to get down now. So, she let him know.

“Um...Could you set me back down now, please? I’m ok now. Promise.”

Discord had begun checking her over for injuries. “I’m just making sure, Princess. One can never be too certain.” He set the bewildered princess safely back on all four hooves.

Twilight just stared awkwardly at Discord for a moment. No sound passed between the two, other than the awkward scuffling of Twilight’s hooves on the dirt road beneath her.

Finally, it was Twilight Sparkle who broke the silence surrounding the Alicorn and Draconequus. “So, what brings you to town, Discord? Did you come looking for Fluttershy? She’s with Rarity at the --” Twilight’s sentence was cut off by Discord placing the finger of his lion paw over her lips, effectively silencing her.

“On the contrary my dear princess. I’ve actually come to see you.” Discord said with his ever present smirk in place.

Twilight was confused. “Me? Why me?”

Discord just continued smiling at her. “I wanted to see how my dear friend Princess Twilight was doing today, that’s all. Merely a friend concerned that one of his dear friends is working herself too hard.”

Twilight smiled at this. “That’s sweet of you, Discord. But, I’m doing just fine. All I’m doing is making sure all the plans for the Hearts and Hooves Day Ball coming up go smoothly.”

Discord recalled the girls discussing the upcoming ball they were planning. “So, about this ball…” Discord searched for the right way to say what he wanted to. “Just out of curiosity, you don’t happen to have a date for this event, do you?” A slightly hopeful look crossed his face.

Twilight shook her head. “Everypony in town are being pared off with everypony else, but no. Nopony has asked me to be their date.” Twilight fiddled with her hooves for a moment and got really quiet. Then she straightened up again, giving Discord a small smile. “That’s ok though. I’ll be too busy mingling and entertaining guests to be able to spend any real time with any would-be date anyway.”

Discord was perplexed at what Twilight was saying and her body language. They just didn’t seem to match up. Her dismissive attitude said one thing, but the strange emotion that Discord couldn’t quite get a read on said something else. However, he had no time to continue figuring it out. Twilight had lifted off into the air, getting ready to leave.
“I still have plenty to do today, so I better head home.” Twilight told Discord. “Oh, um...before I go, I think I was meant to give you this…” She levitated the smaller pastry box containing the solitary cupcake over to a very confused Draconequus.

“What’s this?” He asked, taking the box.

Twilight giggled. “Just a little something from Sugarcube Corner. See you around, Discord!” And with that, the Alicorn flew off toward her castle.

Discord continued standing in place and watching Twilight fly off until what happened just moments ago truly sunk in. He stared at the small box gently grasped within his paw and claw before finally opening it and gazing at its contents.

For there inside that box was the most delicious looking chocolate cupcake he had ever seen. It had from what he could smell, a cream cheese frosting on top instead of the usual buttercream and a small pink heart decoration on top. But there was something else...Discord sniffed...then took a bite. His tastebuds danced when he bit in and tasted the raspberry cream filling inside the cupcake.

As Discord chewed the cupcake, he thought back to his conversation with Twilight. More specifically, he thought about the look on her face when he had asked her about having a date for Hearts and Hooves Day. And that’s when Discord realized what that look was…

Loneliness…

Discord thought this over for a bit and came to the conclusion that he couldn’t allow somepony as lovely -- err...wonderful -- uh...well, something was telling him he couldn’t let this continue. He had to do something...He just...didn’t know what...

Author's Note

Hello everypony! I've finally gotten this thing out. I apologize for the long delay between updates. I hope you all enjoy this new chapter. It was a labor of love. :heart:

Chapter 2: Bit For Your Thoughts?

Author's Note

I said I would get this out Friday, but I was unable to because I was spending time with my mom on her day off work. I was able to get it out though, so there's that. I hope y'all enjoy this long awaited chapter.

Chapter 2: Bit For Your Thoughts?

Let’s Dance!

~Chapter 2: Bit For Your Thoughts?~

Discord couldn’t forget that look on Twilight Sparkle’s face nor get that tone she had used out of his mind. It was the sound of somepony who was just going through the motions, and that didn’t sound like the Twilight Sparkle he knew at all! The Twilight he knew was always so spunky and full of life.

As soon as Twilight had flown off back to her castle, the Draconequus snapped his talons and instantly appeared in his house within his chaotic dimension. He was deep in thought. With a flick of his tail, Discord was transported into the high branches of his Thinking Tree. There, he continued to ponder what he could do to cheer his friend up.

Discord was at a complete loss of what to do in this situation. Dealing with the feelings of others did not come easy to him. Discord stroked his goatee with his talons, waiting for some possible solution to present itself.

As luck would have it, Discord was going to have tea with Fluttershy the next day. It was their scheduled day after all. Perhaps he’d get some answers about Twilight’s strange behavior...

Discord then had a realization. The mood had become far too serious for his tastes. Discord snapped his claws and disappeared from the branches of his tree, then reappeared on the ceiling in his living room and started pacing.

The next day…

Tuesday afternoons are usually the highlight of Discord’s week. On this day, however, the excitement of spending it with his closest friend and confidant wasn't there. This had Fluttershy more than a little concerned.

“Discord?” Fluttershy paused to gather her thoughts on how best to address the issue at hoof. She settled on the most direct approach. “Is there something bothering you? You know you can always talk to me about anything. That is...if you want to…” She trailed off, allowing her long pink mane to fall into her face.

Discord exhaled deeply and slumped over, resting his elbows on his knees. “Fluttershy,” Discord began hesitantly. He took a deep breath before starting again. “Fluttershy, my dearest friend, I fear I am in a bit of a pickle.” Discord, on instinct, snapped his fingers and transformed his body into something resembling his usual self and a pickle; all green and lumpy. He snapped again and was, at once, returned to what passes for normal for the Lord of Chaos. “There is somepony whom I've taken a liking to and I have no idea how to tell her.” Discord slumped over in his seat once again.

A sunny smile crossed Fluttershy’s face at her friend’s revelation. “Oh? And who is this pony you've taken a liking to? Um...if you don't mind telling me that is…” She began fidgeting with the ends of her mane which had fallen like a pink curtain, obscuring a portion of her face. “Perhaps it will help you feel better if you told somepony?” She looked at Discord hopefully.

Discord smiled in gratitude at Fluttershy’s offer of a friendly ear. “Well, alright…” He sighed again. “It’s...TwilightSparkle…” He mumbled out, but Fluttershy heard him clearly. This elicted an excited gasp and a happy flutter of her cheery yellow plumage.

“Oh my gosh! This is wonderful news! Have you told her yet? Does anypony else know? Have you asked her to go t--” Discord cut her off mid-rant with a well-placed paw to her muzzle.

“Yes, yes. How exciting.” He said with an eye roll. “As for your questions, no, I have not told her yet, nopony but you knows, and I haven’t asked her to the little --” He stuck his tongue out and pretended to gag. “--Hearts and Hooves Day shindig you girls are putting together yet because I haven’t told her I like her yet!” Discord blurted out. “I was hoping you’d be able to help me in figuring out how I would go about doing just that.” Discord slumped over once again after venting out his frustrations.

Fluttershy got up off the sofa she was sitting on, walked to where Discord was sitting, and placed a comforting hoof on his shoulder. “I would love nothing more than to help you with this, Discord.” Her face held a warm, encouraging smile. “The first thing you should do is…”

Meanwhile, at the Castle of Friendship…

Twilight Sparkle had returned from her trek around Ponyville and was now sitting on her throne, slumped over with her head resting on the map table. The exhausted princess let out a deep sigh followed shortly by a very unprincess-like yawn; mouth wide open for all to see. And, indeed, somepony did see.

“Oh my. You must have had quite the day to be yawning like that.” It was Starlight Glimmer. She giggled when a light pink blush appeared on her friend's face out of embarrassment to have been caught like that. “Do you want to talk about it?” She offered.

Twilight hesitated for a moment; opening and closing her mouth as if trying to decide whether or not to tell Starlight the part of the day before that included a very confusing encounter with a certain Draconequus. Twilight took a deep breath to get her bearings straight.

“I've been getting these strange feelings lately.” Twilight stated.

Starlight quirked her eyebrow up. “What kind of feelings? If you don't mind my asking.”

Twilight thought it over for a moment. ‘Starlight brings up an excellent question.’ She thought to herself. ‘What are these strange feelings I've been experiencing?’

Starlight was growing increasingly concerned about her teacher and friend. “Twilight? Are you alright?”

Twilight was startled out of her internal monologue by her student's worried tone. “Huh? Oh…Starlight…Sorry about that. Got lost in my own head for a moment. And about your question, I…I really don't know what it is I'm feeling…”

This surprised Starlight. For the relatively short time she's known Twilight and studied under her, she's never known the princess to NOT have an answer to a problem. But like with any problem, whether it be learning a new spell or figuring out complicated emotions, the best way to figure this out was to take it one step at a time.

“Okay then…” Starlight said after recovering from her minor shock. “Maybe you could answer a question for me, Twilight?”

The only response Starlight got from Twilight was a nod of her head.

“My question is this: Is there anypony in particular that you get these feelings around?” Starlight Glimmer had a hunch what was going on with Twilight, but needed her to answer her question first.

Twilight Sparkle gained a pensive look on her face. She tapped her hoof against her chin in thought. “Well…there is one…he isn't exactly a pony per se…” A frown formed on Twilight's muzzle. “...but I doubt he shares the same feelings…” Her shoulders slumped in defeat and her head once again made contact with the map table.

Starlight gave her mentor a look of sympathy and wrapped her forelegs around the downhearted mare in a comforting embrace. “It'll be okay, Twilight. Things like this often have a funny way of working themselves out. Don't give up just yet, okay?” She gave Twilight her most reassuring smile.

Twilight returned the smile, albeit a little shakily. “Thank you, Starlight…I don't know what I would have done if you hadn't talked me off the ledge so to speak.” She tightened the hug.

“That's what friends do, right? And besides, it's the least I could do after everything you've done for me.”

“Oh, Starlight.” Twilight squeezed the Unicorn even tighter. You don't have to do anything for me. Just knowing I could help in any way I can is enough for me. I do appreciate it though.” Twilight quickly released her grip when she realized her student wasn't making any noise. She also noted that Starlight had turned a deep purplish-blue from lack of air. “Oh my goodness! Starlight, I'm so sorry!”

Starlight sputtered and coughed as she tried to suck in some much needed air. “It's… *cough* “...okay…” *gasp* “...Twilight.”

Twilight checked Starlight over with her magic. Once it was determined that nothing else was amiss, the princess let out a sigh of relief. “I really am very sorry for squeezing you so hard, Starlight.”

“Hey.” Starlight Glimmer placed a hoof on Twilight's shoulder. “I said it was fine and I meant it.”

Twilight giggled. “I know. Oh!” She suddenly remembered something. “Starlight, you said earlier you have a couple of questions for me. What was the second one?”

“That's right! I did. I was just curious about who it is you have a crush on?” Starlight grinned. Her question got quite the reaction out of the lavender Alicorn before her.

Twilight blushed a bright red in response to this question. “What…Huh?” She stuttered. “What are you talking about, Starlight?”

“What you've just described to me is that you have romantic feelings for a certain individual. So, who is he?” Starlight's grin grew larger, almost predatory.

Twilight sighed and slumped her shoulders in defeat. “It's…Discord…” She mumbled out; her blush only spreading and causing her to more resemble a tomato rather than a pony.

Starlight's grin was replaced with a look of surprise. “Discord? Wow…Honestly, I wasn't really expecting that…How did this come about?”

Twilight though about it for a moment. “Hmm…I really don't know how it happened…”

“No matter.” Starlight pulled Twilight into a hug. “What matters is what you plan to do about it.”

Twilight was in deep thought again. “Well, there is the ball coming up. I guess I could always tell him then…”

And so, the two mares set to work coming up with the perfect plan to woo a certain Draconequus.

Chapter 3 : Dresses and Teatime Confessions

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