Twilight's First Valentineby Lotus MoonChaptersWhat's Valentine's Day?Party TimeHappy Valentine's DayWhat's Valentine's Day?Author's Note I wanted to do something special for Hearts and Hooves Day (aka Valentine's Day) and what better way than to give Twilight a new experience. Sorry if it seems amateurish...I've...never had a real Valentine's Day myself What's Valentine's Day? Twilight Sparkle was wandering through her castle since she uncharacteristically had so much free time now. She had read all the books in her library (many more than once of course), completed organizing then reorganizing her books and scrolls, and taken care of anything else she had planned. As much as she would've liked to spend time with her friends, they were all previously engaged. Rarity was making new designs for her latest fashion line, Applejack was helping out with an overflow of farm chores, Fluttershy was caring for serval sick animals, Pinkie Pie was making deliveries while the Cakes handle Sugar Cube Corner, Rainbow Dash was at the Wonderbolts Academy, and Spike was in Canterlot hanging out with Minuette and Lemon Drops for the day, helping them plan some kind of event. "I'm bored. And this castle is so big and quiet with just me in it." Twilight mumbled to herself. She happened to pass a room she hadn't been in for a while and opened the door. Inside was the makeshift portal she used to get back to the alternate world. The journal that Sunset Shimmer used to contact her about the sirens was still hooked up and everything. Using her tail, Twilight gently dusted off the machine and stood in front of it. "It wouldn't be harmful if I pop in for a visit. I won't be there long." She mumbled to herself. Teleporting herself to the throne room, Twilight quickly scrawled out a letter to her friends before going back to the other room. Powering up her horn, Twilight activated the machine and went through the portal. ***** In the alternate world, Sunset Shimmer was helping Pinkie Pie and Applejack in the gym set up for their annual Valentine's Day party. Pinkie Pie was her usual bouncy self, blowing up balloons one after another before bouncing off to set up streamers. Applejack was helping to set up tables while Sunset was checking inventory. Rarity was in the fashion club room designing new dresses for all of her friends while Rainbow Dash restlessly posed for her own dress and Fluttershy was in there helping out however she could. "Ok, everything looks like it's coming along on our end. We just need the other girls in here to move things along a bit more quickly." Sunset sighed. "You're right. There's only so much the three of us can do. RD would probably be more than happy to help out, but Rarity's holding her prisoner in the fashion room and Fluttershy is off somewhere." Applejack said. "Hey, why don't we ask Twilight for help?" Pinkie Pie popped up. "Pinkie, Twilight's back in Equestria. She's probably got a lot of princess responsibilities to take care of at the moment. And besides, the portal between worlds is closed...why would she be here?" Sunset rolled her eyes. "Well because she's standing right there." Pinkie pointed to the gym doorway where Twilight was standing and waving awkwardly. "Hello, girls." Twilight chuckled anxiously. "Twilight!" Applejack, Sunset, and Pinkie ran over and hugged her. "Hey. I missed you, girls, too." Twilight said, smushing between the three girls. "What are you doing here? What about Equestria? Your princess duties?" Sunset asked. "Yeah, isn't it irresponsible for a princess to just up and sneak away from her kingdom?" Applejack asked. "Yeah because you could be gone for only a few minutes and then next thing you know BAM! Instant catastrophe! The whole town is in chaos! And then everyone will say it was your fault!" Pinkie Pie said, earning a confused stare from the other three girls. "O...K then...getting back to Sunset's question. Twi, why are you here?" Applejack asked. Twilight shrugged. "I was bored...my castle is pretty empty. All of my friends, your counterparts, are all off doing things." She rubbed her forearm a bit. "I've read pretty much all the books in my castle library. And I figured since it's been a while, I'd come to visit. I used enough magic to keep the portal open for at least a day or two. Where are the other girls? And what's with all these decorations?" "Oh, this is for our usual Valentine's Day party. Nothing special." Sunset said, earning a confused look from Twilight. "Oh, right. In Equestria, it's called something different." "What do you mean? Isn't it the same in any world?" Applejack asked. "For us, it's called Hearts and Hooves Day. It's where we give a gift to our special some pony...or someone we consider our special some pony." Twilight explained. "Well it's the same here, only we call it Valentine's Day. And this party is like a little festival. The guys are pretty clueless about it, but the girls are all excited. Aaaaaand that's because we get to bake stuff!" Pinkie Pie grinned big. "Cakes, cookies, pies, muffins, chocolates, gummies-" "I think she gets the point." Applejack said, covering Pinkie's mouth. "But since Valentine's Day isn't till tomorrow, the actual party isn't till tomorrow. For today, as Pinkie stated, there's a lot of baking that goes on today. And most girls see it as a contest. Some girls make homemade chocolates or cakes and other stuff to give to guys they like or even just their close friends." "We shouldn't keep her to ourselves. Let's go see the others." Sunset started pulling Twilight out of the gym, followed by Pinkie and AJ. They walked through the halls, Twilight getting greetings from everyone they passed until they caught up with the rest of their friends. All of which were more than happy to see Twilight. "Twilight, darling! You're here just in time." Rarity pulled Twilight into the club room and quickly took her measurements. "Though your arrival is unexpected, I can pull something together for the party." "Why are you here Twi? Shouldn't you be back home kicking monster butt?" Rainbow Dash asked, squirming around in the dress Rarity had her tied up in. "Is there some threat we don't know about and you came to solve it?" Fluttershy asked, innocently twirling her hair. "Nope. No troubles here or back home. I just came to visit because I was lonely and bored." Twilight said honestly, Rarity all the while keeping her still while holding up different fabrics to see what would work for a new dress. "Bored? Darling, you're a princess. In a castle! How can you possibly be bored?" Rarity asked, only imagining herself being pampered in luxury by servants. Wearing the finest gowns, her fashions were worn by all sorts of celebrities. But in reality, it wasn't all that grand...especially in Twilight's case. "Well, I was bored. Being in a castle isn't really all it's cracked up to be...even if I am the Princess of Friendship." Twilight brushed some hair from her face. "I mean, I don't mind being a Princess, I'm still just a normal pony and prefer my friends to treat me as such. Just so things don't seem so different." "Look Sugar Cube, we aren't judging. We were just curious. Did you leave a note saying where you were?" AJ asked. "Of course! Though I'm not sure when some pony will see it." Twilight smiled. "Well if you've taken that much into account, then it wouldn't hurt for you to stay." Rarity said. "Hm, better go with a slightly darker color...then we'll tend to your hair." "Well, maybe she can be your new model. I'm getting antsy and I'm gonna be late for soccer practice." Rainbow Dash groaned, making an excuse just to escape. "Oh alright." Rarity rolled her eyes and took the unfinished outfit off Rainbow Dash, setting it on a clothing model stand. And as soon as she was free, Rainbow bolted right out. "Some people are just unappreciative of the struggle to create great fashion." "Rarity, we don't need a new outfit for every occasion at the school. Besides, the party is starting right after school tomorrow. Where would you have the time to design let alone completely finish seven new dresses before the last bell?" AJ folded her arms. "Well if she's anything like the Rarity I know from Ponyville, and she is, she'll get them done in no time," Twilight said. "In fact, I have a story almost like this situation. Wanna hear?" "Oh yes, it would be nice to hear stories of ourselves from your world, Twilight." Fluttershy smiled. Just then, the lunch bell rang. "Well looks like it'll be a lunch story, and it'll help to pass the time." Sunset smiled as Twilight carefully placed the unstitched fabric on a nearby table before they all filed out of the fashion room. "So tell me what this story, which is obviously about me, was about," Rarity smiled brightly. "Ok so my Rarity was designing herself a brand new dress for this huge event called the Grand Galloping Gala and she got the grand idea to create dresses for all of us. It didn't really go as planned." Twilight rubbed the back of her hand nervously. "How so?" Sunset asked then blinked. "Did you do something?" "Well...let's just say the first designs were pretty much perfect, but not what we were expecting. So we stressed her out with multiple revisions till she came up with the ugliest dresses ever. But that's not even the worst part." Twilight sighed. "That's not?! How could it possibly get worse! I can feel my face breaking out just thinking about it." Rarity said, dramatically placing the back of her hand on her forehead. "It got worse because-umph!!" Twilight had bumped into someone but was caught before she hit the ground. Looking up to see her caught her, it was Flash Sentry. They stared at each other for a minute before Twilight started blushing wildly up to her ears and straightened herself up. "H-hi." "Twilight, it really is you. I had heard you were back. I-It's really nice to see you." Flash rubbed the back of his neck nervously as a light pink blush formed on his cheeks. "I-It's nice to see you too." Twilight twirled her hair nervously. She had been thinking of seeing Flash again, even though she did have some brief encounters with his pony alternate, this Flash had a bit more of a connection with her. Before their awkward staring became...well more awkward...Fluttershy spoke up. "Um, Twilight..." "Huh?! Oh, um..right. I-I guess we should be going. Right girls?" Twilight said. "Wait, Twilight, um...well if you don't know, we're having a little party after school. A-And, if it's ok, would you like to come as my date?" Flash asked. "I..I...-" "She'd love to." Sunset jumped in, answering for Twilight. "I think that's what she was going to say, right?" Twilight nodded. "Yep. She's right. I'd love to come as your date." "Great. See you after school" Flash said and started off down the hall. "Oh my goodness, Twilight, now this definitely calls for a new dress!" Rarity squealed. "I don't normally agree, but Rarity's right this time. A new get-up would make the night a bit more interesting." AJ said. "Well we have plenty of time to make a new outfit...or we can simply go shopping instead," Sunset suggested. "Oh alright, but it's my treat. For right now, continue your story." Rarity said as they entered the cafeteria and Twilight continued telling them the story. Party TimeAuthor's Note I would hate that this seem rushed. I'm pretty nervous to know what everyone thinks of this story. And Valentine's Day is really very near too. Party Time The last bell began to ring at then end of the day and students started filing into the gym. It was decorated in light and dark shades of pink, hearts, some confetti and Vynyl Scratch at the DJ table. Guys sat bored in the corner while the girls were all fussy and giggly. Pinkie Pie was at a make shift baking stand with several other girls decorating little cakes and cookies. Applejack was with Rainbow Dash at the Bobbing for Love stand, making it a competition as usual. Fluttershy tried getting out of coming, but was by Rarity's side at the lottery table. It was kind of popular with the girls since whoever drew a winning lot would get to "claim" any one boy for a week. Most girls has their eyes set on the jocks and musicians. Twilight and Sunset were by the punch table, nibbling on finger foods. "So I know it's been a while since I've been there. But how's Hearts and Hooves day go in Equestrian again?" Sunset asked. "Certainly not like this. But it mostly is a lot of nose nuzzling, couples being romantic, and other stuff. There was this one time where the Cutie Mark Crusaders tried pairing Big Mac with Cheerile using some kind of love spell, which they found in one of my books. It didn't exactly go as they planned." Twilight chuckled. "How so?" "Well...word around town was that they were..a bit too lovey dovey. Like calling each other tongue twister like pet names." Sunset blinked. "Ok...that's way more than too much love." "I know, but somehow they managed to break them out of the spell. And it all turned out good." "Guessing they got in trouble though?" "I don't really know." Twilight shrugged. As time went on, many of the girls were done with their baking. The gym was filled with the sweet scents of homemade chocolates, every kind of cookie, mini cakes, muffins, and so on. Even though they were bored, the guys couldn't wait to see what girl or girls would give them the sweet treats tomorrow. Some of the girls put finishing touches on the sweets such as sprinkles, written messages in frosting, or just boxing it up and writing out a card. "You know, we could probably get you over there to make something special for Flash. What do you say?" Sunset suggested. "Me? Bake something for Flash Sentry? I-I don't know. I hardly know the first thing about baking, here and back in Equestria. Pinkie Pie and Applejack are the best bakers." Twilight said, then noticed Flash walking into the gym from band practice. "Come on. It's not like we'd leave you to figure it out on your own. We'd all help you. And seeing as I used to date Flash, as cold hearted as I was before, I know what he'd like. You've got nothing to lose." Twilight thought for a moment and then gave in. "Ok, it wouldn't hurt to try. I mean, if there's a recipe to read, then I'm sure I can figure it out. And with my friends helping me, I know it'll come out great. But what should I make?" Sunset grinned. "I have a pretty good idea." ***** After the mini-party (well mixer) was over, the Mane 7 went to Pinkie Pie's house where Sunset told everyone else about helping Twilight make something for Flash. It didn't take any convincing for them to agree that it was an excellent idea. "Well shoot, Twi, we'd be happy to help. What did you have in mine to make?" Applejack asked. "That's just it. I don't have a clue what to make. There's just too many choices" Twilight sighed. "Which is why I think we should make a small mixed basket." Sunset smiled, but earned confused stares from everyone. "Ok so everyone else has made pretty much any and every dessert under the sun. But we'll just do something simple since Flash likes very few sweets. So we'll make cookies, chocolates, and a mini cake in different designs." "What designs did you have in mind, darling?" Rarity asked. "The chocolates can be heart shaped and big enough to draw little faces on them. The cookies can be flower shaped and decorated with sprinkles and sugar. And finally, the mini cake can be circular with his special insignia drawn on it in frosting." Sunset explained. "That sounds really good. I'm sure he'll like it." Fluttershy smiled. "That sounds kinda boring, but that's only because I don't get into Valentine's Day like everyone else." Rainbow said, rolling her eyes. "But hey, if it'll help Twilight, then I'm down. Can't say I'll help with baking, but I'll be the taste tester." "Just be sure to not eat everything." AJ rolled her eyes. "I'm with Rainbow Dash. I'm not much for...baking. So I will design the basket." Rarity grabbed her sketchpad. "Just don't go too overboard" Sunset said. "So let's get going to the store." "No need, I've got everything right here." Pinkie Pie zipped around her kitchen like a tornado. When she settled down, everyone saw pretty much everything they needed to execute their sweets basket. "Ok so since we have everything, we should each have a specific thing to make. So, Pinkie Pie, you make the cake." Applejack said. "I'm on it!" Pinkie said and saluted. "Fluttershy, you're with me making the cookies." "Ok, I do have good design idea." Fluttershy hid most of her face behind her hair. "Could we try it?" "Of course, Sugar Cube. And that leaves Twilight and Sunset to make the chocolates." "We're on it, AJ." Sunset said, grabbing aprons for everyone. And with that, they got to work. It wasn't difficult for them to make all of the sweets. Pinkie Pie took care of the cake in her usual playful way, multitasking between mixing the cake ingredients and the frosting ingredients. Applejack worked with Fluttershy, but instead of using the flower shaped cookie cutter, using the bottom of a glass that had a floral like pattern. Sunset helped Twilight with the chocolate, mostly with the consistency of the mixture. Once everything was done, everything was popped into the over. "Before we decorate, Rainbow will taste everything to make sure it's all good." AJ reminded everyone. "I've been looking forward to this." RD ruled her hands together. "Of course you have. And I'm happy to say, I'm finished." Rarity smiled proudly, showing everyone her design for the basket. "Rarity, it's amazing. And it'll work perfectly. We can pick up the basket we need on the way to school tomorrow." Fluttershy beamed. "They're ready~" Pinkie Pie sang as the oven timer went off. She pulled the desserts out and set them to cool. "Ready to have a taste Rainbow?" "Born ready." Once the desserts were cooled off, Rainbow took her time tasting each dessert while the others looked on with anticipation. After a little time, Rainbow cleared her throat. "After careful tasting and consideration, I declare that these desserts are..." Happy Valentine's DayFinally it was Valentine's Day. The entire school was decked out in anything love related. Even the normally bare lockers were decorated in hearts and frills. Many of the girls could hardly contain themselves, slipping anonymous notes into lockers throughout the day, only to get the guys who received them very curious. The Mane 7 were in the fashion club room during lunch assembling the Valentine's Day basket for Flash. It was a light blue basket, decorated in a ribbon matching one of the highlights in Twilight's hair. The cake was placed in the center with the cookies and chocolates strategically placed around it, as directed by Rarity. When it was finished, Twilight set a card neatly in the basket before wrapping it in clear wrapping plastic. "There, all done. Can't believe we were able to get it done" Twilight smiled. "We would've been able to get back to work on making a second batch if Rainbow Dash weren't such a clown" AJ mumbled. "Hey, I heard that! It's not my fault you guys can't take a joke" Rainbow defended herself. "Saying my cookies tasted like plastic wasn't a very nice joke" Fluttershy folded her arms. "And saying my cake tasted like it came from a secondhand bakery was really crossing the line" Pinkie protested. "And saying the chocolates tasted burnt was really low. It was Twilight's first time baking in this world...and with me helping, there was no way they could've come out burnt" Sunset said. "Ok ok, so even I have to admit that saying those things was a little mean. But hey, aren't you happy they came out really good? And I bet the second batch tastes better than the first" Rainbow shrugged. "Flash will be blown away." "I hope so. Now all we should have to do is keep this basket hidden till time to give it to him" Twilight said. "Oh that won't be long. After lunch, we only have two more classes then it's the big party. We can just hold onto the basket till then" Rarity said."Let's go eat lunch." And with that, they went to the cafeteria, hoping to keep the basket well hidden from Flash till the right time. ***** The entire student body and faculty filed into the gym and the party was in full swing. There were games being played such as Guess your Partner, Pin the Heart on Cupid, Bobbing for Love, etc. Even Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna joined in on the fun. The Mane 7 helped out around the party and soon the time finally came. "Alright students, it's the time you've all been waiting for. Time to exchange Valentine's Day gifts" Principal Celestia said. "I know you girls have worked very hard on what you've made and I know you boys have been anxiously waiting for these presents. Remember to be mindful of everyone around you so accidents don't happen." With that, the girls started giving their presents to the boys. Some girls, like Lyra and BonBon exchanged gifts with each other. Flash had gotten sweets from several girls but he was really just waiting for Twilight's gift. He scanned the crowd for her till they locked eyes with each other. "Looks like he spotted you, no backing out now" Sunset said, gently pushing Twilight in his direction. "O-Ok" Twilight held the basket carefully and walked over to Flash. In the background, the other girls cheered her on. Everything was going well until Twilight felt someone bump hard against her back, causing her to lose her balance. Flash tried to get to her in time, but she had already fallen, ultimately and accidentally ruining the present she had for him. "Oh my goodness, Twilight I am so sorry. I didn't see you" Someone said, helping her up. "I-It's ok" Twilight smiled, but her smile faded when she saw the ruined gift. The cookies were smashed, the chocolates had shattered, and the cake was nothing but a chocolate splat spread all over the plastic wrapping mixed with white from the frosting and apparently some marshmallows Pinkie Pie baked in. "Oh...Oh no" Twilight mumbled and her eyes started to water. "Twilight, are you ok? That was a nasty fall" Flash said reaching down to help her up. Completely embarrassed and upset, Twilight ignored Flash and ran straight out of the gym before Flash or any of her friends could stop her. Looking down at the floor, Flash picked up the messy gift, having to look hard to distinguish the cookies and chocolates from the cake. "Was this...supposed to be for me?" He asked. "Yes, and we worked really hard on it. Twilight was even up most of the night working up the courage and what she would say when she gave it to you" Sunset said, rubbing her arm "Now it looks like all that effort might've been for nothing." "All those delicious treats ruined within seconds" Rarity said, dramatically. "What'll you do Flash? She ran out pretty upset" AJ said. Before he could answer, Sunset gently pushed Flash. "He's going to go comfort her, of course. Right?" "Yeah, I feel awful this happened. But I can't leave her like this" And with that, Flash left to go find Twilight, which was a little harder than he expected. Flash searched the library, a few club rooms, the cafeteria, and called for her in the ladies bathroom before finally finding her out in the quad by the statue. "Twilight!" Twilight was just inches away from stepping into the portal when she turned around to Flash calling her name. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be inside?" She asked, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Not after I saw you crying. Sunset told me all of you worked really hard on those treats. It's a real shame they got messed up like that" He said. "Yeah...I doubt they might've been really good anyway" She mumbled as more tears came to her eyes. "Hey Valentine's Day isn't only about candies and sweets. It's about showing love and affection any way you can" Flash said and took Twilight's hand "Even the smallest acts have significant meaning." "Such as?" "Such as things like this." Flash gently wiped the tears from Twilight's face and kissed her cheek before handing her a rose. "I wanted to give this to you inside, but after what happened, I'm pretty sure you'd like to avoid being around other people now." Twilight's cheeks turned bright red as she accepted the rose. "It's so beautiful. Thank you so much, Flash." She smiled. "I couldn't leave you with such a sad expression. Hey why were you out here anyway?" He asked. "Oh, the portal could close soon...I only gave it enough power to stay open for about a day or two. I have to go back home." "Oh...well even though it wasn't exactly what you'd like it to be, I'm glad I got to spend a little time with you on this special day." "Me too, Flash." "Happy Valentine's Day, Twilight Sparkle." "Happy Valentine's Day, Flash Sentry. I'll try coming back again if I should ever get bored." "I wouldn't mind" Flash rubbed the back of his head. "I'd love to show you around next time." "That would be great. Well...I should get going. Goodbye" Twilight turned to leave while Flash waved. Last minute, she turned back to run to Flash and kissed him. It was just a spur of the moment choice before she ran back and through the portal. Flash blinked pretty shocked for a moment before sighing. "Goodbye...Twilight." ***** Back in Equestria, Twilight exited the portal seconds before the last bit of magic drained from it. Carrying the rose Flash gave her, she left the room and trotted through the castle till she was in the map room. It was still as empty as it was yesterday. She placed the rose in a vase Rarity left to give the room a bit more decor and sighed. "Well...at least I had fun. And it's a memory I'll always cherish" Twilight mumbled to herself and smiled contently. Happy Valentine's Day, every pony Author's Note Thanks everyone for all the likes you gave this story. It really supported me Well I'm gonna show this story to my special some pony and I do hope all of you have a good day/night wherever you are. Oh and Happy Valentine's/Hearts & Hooves Day to all of you. Spend this day with you significant other, friends, or family. Cherish the love around you and know nothing can ever take it away
What's Valentine's Day?Author's Note I wanted to do something special for Hearts and Hooves Day (aka Valentine's Day) and what better way than to give Twilight a new experience. Sorry if it seems amateurish...I've...never had a real Valentine's Day myself What's Valentine's Day? Twilight Sparkle was wandering through her castle since she uncharacteristically had so much free time now. She had read all the books in her library (many more than once of course), completed organizing then reorganizing her books and scrolls, and taken care of anything else she had planned. As much as she would've liked to spend time with her friends, they were all previously engaged. Rarity was making new designs for her latest fashion line, Applejack was helping out with an overflow of farm chores, Fluttershy was caring for serval sick animals, Pinkie Pie was making deliveries while the Cakes handle Sugar Cube Corner, Rainbow Dash was at the Wonderbolts Academy, and Spike was in Canterlot hanging out with Minuette and Lemon Drops for the day, helping them plan some kind of event. "I'm bored. And this castle is so big and quiet with just me in it." Twilight mumbled to herself. She happened to pass a room she hadn't been in for a while and opened the door. Inside was the makeshift portal she used to get back to the alternate world. The journal that Sunset Shimmer used to contact her about the sirens was still hooked up and everything. Using her tail, Twilight gently dusted off the machine and stood in front of it. "It wouldn't be harmful if I pop in for a visit. I won't be there long." She mumbled to herself. Teleporting herself to the throne room, Twilight quickly scrawled out a letter to her friends before going back to the other room. Powering up her horn, Twilight activated the machine and went through the portal. ***** In the alternate world, Sunset Shimmer was helping Pinkie Pie and Applejack in the gym set up for their annual Valentine's Day party. Pinkie Pie was her usual bouncy self, blowing up balloons one after another before bouncing off to set up streamers. Applejack was helping to set up tables while Sunset was checking inventory. Rarity was in the fashion club room designing new dresses for all of her friends while Rainbow Dash restlessly posed for her own dress and Fluttershy was in there helping out however she could. "Ok, everything looks like it's coming along on our end. We just need the other girls in here to move things along a bit more quickly." Sunset sighed. "You're right. There's only so much the three of us can do. RD would probably be more than happy to help out, but Rarity's holding her prisoner in the fashion room and Fluttershy is off somewhere." Applejack said. "Hey, why don't we ask Twilight for help?" Pinkie Pie popped up. "Pinkie, Twilight's back in Equestria. She's probably got a lot of princess responsibilities to take care of at the moment. And besides, the portal between worlds is closed...why would she be here?" Sunset rolled her eyes. "Well because she's standing right there." Pinkie pointed to the gym doorway where Twilight was standing and waving awkwardly. "Hello, girls." Twilight chuckled anxiously. "Twilight!" Applejack, Sunset, and Pinkie ran over and hugged her. "Hey. I missed you, girls, too." Twilight said, smushing between the three girls. "What are you doing here? What about Equestria? Your princess duties?" Sunset asked. "Yeah, isn't it irresponsible for a princess to just up and sneak away from her kingdom?" Applejack asked. "Yeah because you could be gone for only a few minutes and then next thing you know BAM! Instant catastrophe! The whole town is in chaos! And then everyone will say it was your fault!" Pinkie Pie said, earning a confused stare from the other three girls. "O...K then...getting back to Sunset's question. Twi, why are you here?" Applejack asked. Twilight shrugged. "I was bored...my castle is pretty empty. All of my friends, your counterparts, are all off doing things." She rubbed her forearm a bit. "I've read pretty much all the books in my castle library. And I figured since it's been a while, I'd come to visit. I used enough magic to keep the portal open for at least a day or two. Where are the other girls? And what's with all these decorations?" "Oh, this is for our usual Valentine's Day party. Nothing special." Sunset said, earning a confused look from Twilight. "Oh, right. In Equestria, it's called something different." "What do you mean? Isn't it the same in any world?" Applejack asked. "For us, it's called Hearts and Hooves Day. It's where we give a gift to our special some pony...or someone we consider our special some pony." Twilight explained. "Well it's the same here, only we call it Valentine's Day. And this party is like a little festival. The guys are pretty clueless about it, but the girls are all excited. Aaaaaand that's because we get to bake stuff!" Pinkie Pie grinned big. "Cakes, cookies, pies, muffins, chocolates, gummies-" "I think she gets the point." Applejack said, covering Pinkie's mouth. "But since Valentine's Day isn't till tomorrow, the actual party isn't till tomorrow. For today, as Pinkie stated, there's a lot of baking that goes on today. And most girls see it as a contest. Some girls make homemade chocolates or cakes and other stuff to give to guys they like or even just their close friends." "We shouldn't keep her to ourselves. Let's go see the others." Sunset started pulling Twilight out of the gym, followed by Pinkie and AJ. They walked through the halls, Twilight getting greetings from everyone they passed until they caught up with the rest of their friends. All of which were more than happy to see Twilight. "Twilight, darling! You're here just in time." Rarity pulled Twilight into the club room and quickly took her measurements. "Though your arrival is unexpected, I can pull something together for the party." "Why are you here Twi? Shouldn't you be back home kicking monster butt?" Rainbow Dash asked, squirming around in the dress Rarity had her tied up in. "Is there some threat we don't know about and you came to solve it?" Fluttershy asked, innocently twirling her hair. "Nope. No troubles here or back home. I just came to visit because I was lonely and bored." Twilight said honestly, Rarity all the while keeping her still while holding up different fabrics to see what would work for a new dress. "Bored? Darling, you're a princess. In a castle! How can you possibly be bored?" Rarity asked, only imagining herself being pampered in luxury by servants. Wearing the finest gowns, her fashions were worn by all sorts of celebrities. But in reality, it wasn't all that grand...especially in Twilight's case. "Well, I was bored. Being in a castle isn't really all it's cracked up to be...even if I am the Princess of Friendship." Twilight brushed some hair from her face. "I mean, I don't mind being a Princess, I'm still just a normal pony and prefer my friends to treat me as such. Just so things don't seem so different." "Look Sugar Cube, we aren't judging. We were just curious. Did you leave a note saying where you were?" AJ asked. "Of course! Though I'm not sure when some pony will see it." Twilight smiled. "Well if you've taken that much into account, then it wouldn't hurt for you to stay." Rarity said. "Hm, better go with a slightly darker color...then we'll tend to your hair." "Well, maybe she can be your new model. I'm getting antsy and I'm gonna be late for soccer practice." Rainbow Dash groaned, making an excuse just to escape. "Oh alright." Rarity rolled her eyes and took the unfinished outfit off Rainbow Dash, setting it on a clothing model stand. And as soon as she was free, Rainbow bolted right out. "Some people are just unappreciative of the struggle to create great fashion." "Rarity, we don't need a new outfit for every occasion at the school. Besides, the party is starting right after school tomorrow. Where would you have the time to design let alone completely finish seven new dresses before the last bell?" AJ folded her arms. "Well if she's anything like the Rarity I know from Ponyville, and she is, she'll get them done in no time," Twilight said. "In fact, I have a story almost like this situation. Wanna hear?" "Oh yes, it would be nice to hear stories of ourselves from your world, Twilight." Fluttershy smiled. Just then, the lunch bell rang. "Well looks like it'll be a lunch story, and it'll help to pass the time." Sunset smiled as Twilight carefully placed the unstitched fabric on a nearby table before they all filed out of the fashion room. "So tell me what this story, which is obviously about me, was about," Rarity smiled brightly. "Ok so my Rarity was designing herself a brand new dress for this huge event called the Grand Galloping Gala and she got the grand idea to create dresses for all of us. It didn't really go as planned." Twilight rubbed the back of her hand nervously. "How so?" Sunset asked then blinked. "Did you do something?" "Well...let's just say the first designs were pretty much perfect, but not what we were expecting. So we stressed her out with multiple revisions till she came up with the ugliest dresses ever. But that's not even the worst part." Twilight sighed. "That's not?! How could it possibly get worse! I can feel my face breaking out just thinking about it." Rarity said, dramatically placing the back of her hand on her forehead. "It got worse because-umph!!" Twilight had bumped into someone but was caught before she hit the ground. Looking up to see her caught her, it was Flash Sentry. They stared at each other for a minute before Twilight started blushing wildly up to her ears and straightened herself up. "H-hi." "Twilight, it really is you. I had heard you were back. I-It's really nice to see you." Flash rubbed the back of his neck nervously as a light pink blush formed on his cheeks. "I-It's nice to see you too." Twilight twirled her hair nervously. She had been thinking of seeing Flash again, even though she did have some brief encounters with his pony alternate, this Flash had a bit more of a connection with her. Before their awkward staring became...well more awkward...Fluttershy spoke up. "Um, Twilight..." "Huh?! Oh, um..right. I-I guess we should be going. Right girls?" Twilight said. "Wait, Twilight, um...well if you don't know, we're having a little party after school. A-And, if it's ok, would you like to come as my date?" Flash asked. "I..I...-" "She'd love to." Sunset jumped in, answering for Twilight. "I think that's what she was going to say, right?" Twilight nodded. "Yep. She's right. I'd love to come as your date." "Great. See you after school" Flash said and started off down the hall. "Oh my goodness, Twilight, now this definitely calls for a new dress!" Rarity squealed. "I don't normally agree, but Rarity's right this time. A new get-up would make the night a bit more interesting." AJ said. "Well we have plenty of time to make a new outfit...or we can simply go shopping instead," Sunset suggested. "Oh alright, but it's my treat. For right now, continue your story." Rarity said as they entered the cafeteria and Twilight continued telling them the story.
Party TimeAuthor's Note I would hate that this seem rushed. I'm pretty nervous to know what everyone thinks of this story. And Valentine's Day is really very near too. Party Time The last bell began to ring at then end of the day and students started filing into the gym. It was decorated in light and dark shades of pink, hearts, some confetti and Vynyl Scratch at the DJ table. Guys sat bored in the corner while the girls were all fussy and giggly. Pinkie Pie was at a make shift baking stand with several other girls decorating little cakes and cookies. Applejack was with Rainbow Dash at the Bobbing for Love stand, making it a competition as usual. Fluttershy tried getting out of coming, but was by Rarity's side at the lottery table. It was kind of popular with the girls since whoever drew a winning lot would get to "claim" any one boy for a week. Most girls has their eyes set on the jocks and musicians. Twilight and Sunset were by the punch table, nibbling on finger foods. "So I know it's been a while since I've been there. But how's Hearts and Hooves day go in Equestrian again?" Sunset asked. "Certainly not like this. But it mostly is a lot of nose nuzzling, couples being romantic, and other stuff. There was this one time where the Cutie Mark Crusaders tried pairing Big Mac with Cheerile using some kind of love spell, which they found in one of my books. It didn't exactly go as they planned." Twilight chuckled. "How so?" "Well...word around town was that they were..a bit too lovey dovey. Like calling each other tongue twister like pet names." Sunset blinked. "Ok...that's way more than too much love." "I know, but somehow they managed to break them out of the spell. And it all turned out good." "Guessing they got in trouble though?" "I don't really know." Twilight shrugged. As time went on, many of the girls were done with their baking. The gym was filled with the sweet scents of homemade chocolates, every kind of cookie, mini cakes, muffins, and so on. Even though they were bored, the guys couldn't wait to see what girl or girls would give them the sweet treats tomorrow. Some of the girls put finishing touches on the sweets such as sprinkles, written messages in frosting, or just boxing it up and writing out a card. "You know, we could probably get you over there to make something special for Flash. What do you say?" Sunset suggested. "Me? Bake something for Flash Sentry? I-I don't know. I hardly know the first thing about baking, here and back in Equestria. Pinkie Pie and Applejack are the best bakers." Twilight said, then noticed Flash walking into the gym from band practice. "Come on. It's not like we'd leave you to figure it out on your own. We'd all help you. And seeing as I used to date Flash, as cold hearted as I was before, I know what he'd like. You've got nothing to lose." Twilight thought for a moment and then gave in. "Ok, it wouldn't hurt to try. I mean, if there's a recipe to read, then I'm sure I can figure it out. And with my friends helping me, I know it'll come out great. But what should I make?" Sunset grinned. "I have a pretty good idea." ***** After the mini-party (well mixer) was over, the Mane 7 went to Pinkie Pie's house where Sunset told everyone else about helping Twilight make something for Flash. It didn't take any convincing for them to agree that it was an excellent idea. "Well shoot, Twi, we'd be happy to help. What did you have in mine to make?" Applejack asked. "That's just it. I don't have a clue what to make. There's just too many choices" Twilight sighed. "Which is why I think we should make a small mixed basket." Sunset smiled, but earned confused stares from everyone. "Ok so everyone else has made pretty much any and every dessert under the sun. But we'll just do something simple since Flash likes very few sweets. So we'll make cookies, chocolates, and a mini cake in different designs." "What designs did you have in mind, darling?" Rarity asked. "The chocolates can be heart shaped and big enough to draw little faces on them. The cookies can be flower shaped and decorated with sprinkles and sugar. And finally, the mini cake can be circular with his special insignia drawn on it in frosting." Sunset explained. "That sounds really good. I'm sure he'll like it." Fluttershy smiled. "That sounds kinda boring, but that's only because I don't get into Valentine's Day like everyone else." Rainbow said, rolling her eyes. "But hey, if it'll help Twilight, then I'm down. Can't say I'll help with baking, but I'll be the taste tester." "Just be sure to not eat everything." AJ rolled her eyes. "I'm with Rainbow Dash. I'm not much for...baking. So I will design the basket." Rarity grabbed her sketchpad. "Just don't go too overboard" Sunset said. "So let's get going to the store." "No need, I've got everything right here." Pinkie Pie zipped around her kitchen like a tornado. When she settled down, everyone saw pretty much everything they needed to execute their sweets basket. "Ok so since we have everything, we should each have a specific thing to make. So, Pinkie Pie, you make the cake." Applejack said. "I'm on it!" Pinkie said and saluted. "Fluttershy, you're with me making the cookies." "Ok, I do have good design idea." Fluttershy hid most of her face behind her hair. "Could we try it?" "Of course, Sugar Cube. And that leaves Twilight and Sunset to make the chocolates." "We're on it, AJ." Sunset said, grabbing aprons for everyone. And with that, they got to work. It wasn't difficult for them to make all of the sweets. Pinkie Pie took care of the cake in her usual playful way, multitasking between mixing the cake ingredients and the frosting ingredients. Applejack worked with Fluttershy, but instead of using the flower shaped cookie cutter, using the bottom of a glass that had a floral like pattern. Sunset helped Twilight with the chocolate, mostly with the consistency of the mixture. Once everything was done, everything was popped into the over. "Before we decorate, Rainbow will taste everything to make sure it's all good." AJ reminded everyone. "I've been looking forward to this." RD ruled her hands together. "Of course you have. And I'm happy to say, I'm finished." Rarity smiled proudly, showing everyone her design for the basket. "Rarity, it's amazing. And it'll work perfectly. We can pick up the basket we need on the way to school tomorrow." Fluttershy beamed. "They're ready~" Pinkie Pie sang as the oven timer went off. She pulled the desserts out and set them to cool. "Ready to have a taste Rainbow?" "Born ready." Once the desserts were cooled off, Rainbow took her time tasting each dessert while the others looked on with anticipation. After a little time, Rainbow cleared her throat. "After careful tasting and consideration, I declare that these desserts are..."
Happy Valentine's DayFinally it was Valentine's Day. The entire school was decked out in anything love related. Even the normally bare lockers were decorated in hearts and frills. Many of the girls could hardly contain themselves, slipping anonymous notes into lockers throughout the day, only to get the guys who received them very curious. The Mane 7 were in the fashion club room during lunch assembling the Valentine's Day basket for Flash. It was a light blue basket, decorated in a ribbon matching one of the highlights in Twilight's hair. The cake was placed in the center with the cookies and chocolates strategically placed around it, as directed by Rarity. When it was finished, Twilight set a card neatly in the basket before wrapping it in clear wrapping plastic. "There, all done. Can't believe we were able to get it done" Twilight smiled. "We would've been able to get back to work on making a second batch if Rainbow Dash weren't such a clown" AJ mumbled. "Hey, I heard that! It's not my fault you guys can't take a joke" Rainbow defended herself. "Saying my cookies tasted like plastic wasn't a very nice joke" Fluttershy folded her arms. "And saying my cake tasted like it came from a secondhand bakery was really crossing the line" Pinkie protested. "And saying the chocolates tasted burnt was really low. It was Twilight's first time baking in this world...and with me helping, there was no way they could've come out burnt" Sunset said. "Ok ok, so even I have to admit that saying those things was a little mean. But hey, aren't you happy they came out really good? And I bet the second batch tastes better than the first" Rainbow shrugged. "Flash will be blown away." "I hope so. Now all we should have to do is keep this basket hidden till time to give it to him" Twilight said. "Oh that won't be long. After lunch, we only have two more classes then it's the big party. We can just hold onto the basket till then" Rarity said."Let's go eat lunch." And with that, they went to the cafeteria, hoping to keep the basket well hidden from Flash till the right time. ***** The entire student body and faculty filed into the gym and the party was in full swing. There were games being played such as Guess your Partner, Pin the Heart on Cupid, Bobbing for Love, etc. Even Principal Celestia and Vice Principal Luna joined in on the fun. The Mane 7 helped out around the party and soon the time finally came. "Alright students, it's the time you've all been waiting for. Time to exchange Valentine's Day gifts" Principal Celestia said. "I know you girls have worked very hard on what you've made and I know you boys have been anxiously waiting for these presents. Remember to be mindful of everyone around you so accidents don't happen." With that, the girls started giving their presents to the boys. Some girls, like Lyra and BonBon exchanged gifts with each other. Flash had gotten sweets from several girls but he was really just waiting for Twilight's gift. He scanned the crowd for her till they locked eyes with each other. "Looks like he spotted you, no backing out now" Sunset said, gently pushing Twilight in his direction. "O-Ok" Twilight held the basket carefully and walked over to Flash. In the background, the other girls cheered her on. Everything was going well until Twilight felt someone bump hard against her back, causing her to lose her balance. Flash tried to get to her in time, but she had already fallen, ultimately and accidentally ruining the present she had for him. "Oh my goodness, Twilight I am so sorry. I didn't see you" Someone said, helping her up. "I-It's ok" Twilight smiled, but her smile faded when she saw the ruined gift. The cookies were smashed, the chocolates had shattered, and the cake was nothing but a chocolate splat spread all over the plastic wrapping mixed with white from the frosting and apparently some marshmallows Pinkie Pie baked in. "Oh...Oh no" Twilight mumbled and her eyes started to water. "Twilight, are you ok? That was a nasty fall" Flash said reaching down to help her up. Completely embarrassed and upset, Twilight ignored Flash and ran straight out of the gym before Flash or any of her friends could stop her. Looking down at the floor, Flash picked up the messy gift, having to look hard to distinguish the cookies and chocolates from the cake. "Was this...supposed to be for me?" He asked. "Yes, and we worked really hard on it. Twilight was even up most of the night working up the courage and what she would say when she gave it to you" Sunset said, rubbing her arm "Now it looks like all that effort might've been for nothing." "All those delicious treats ruined within seconds" Rarity said, dramatically. "What'll you do Flash? She ran out pretty upset" AJ said. Before he could answer, Sunset gently pushed Flash. "He's going to go comfort her, of course. Right?" "Yeah, I feel awful this happened. But I can't leave her like this" And with that, Flash left to go find Twilight, which was a little harder than he expected. Flash searched the library, a few club rooms, the cafeteria, and called for her in the ladies bathroom before finally finding her out in the quad by the statue. "Twilight!" Twilight was just inches away from stepping into the portal when she turned around to Flash calling her name. "What are you doing here? Shouldn't you be inside?" She asked, wiping the tears from her eyes. "Not after I saw you crying. Sunset told me all of you worked really hard on those treats. It's a real shame they got messed up like that" He said. "Yeah...I doubt they might've been really good anyway" She mumbled as more tears came to her eyes. "Hey Valentine's Day isn't only about candies and sweets. It's about showing love and affection any way you can" Flash said and took Twilight's hand "Even the smallest acts have significant meaning." "Such as?" "Such as things like this." Flash gently wiped the tears from Twilight's face and kissed her cheek before handing her a rose. "I wanted to give this to you inside, but after what happened, I'm pretty sure you'd like to avoid being around other people now." Twilight's cheeks turned bright red as she accepted the rose. "It's so beautiful. Thank you so much, Flash." She smiled. "I couldn't leave you with such a sad expression. Hey why were you out here anyway?" He asked. "Oh, the portal could close soon...I only gave it enough power to stay open for about a day or two. I have to go back home." "Oh...well even though it wasn't exactly what you'd like it to be, I'm glad I got to spend a little time with you on this special day." "Me too, Flash." "Happy Valentine's Day, Twilight Sparkle." "Happy Valentine's Day, Flash Sentry. I'll try coming back again if I should ever get bored." "I wouldn't mind" Flash rubbed the back of his head. "I'd love to show you around next time." "That would be great. Well...I should get going. Goodbye" Twilight turned to leave while Flash waved. Last minute, she turned back to run to Flash and kissed him. It was just a spur of the moment choice before she ran back and through the portal. Flash blinked pretty shocked for a moment before sighing. "Goodbye...Twilight." ***** Back in Equestria, Twilight exited the portal seconds before the last bit of magic drained from it. Carrying the rose Flash gave her, she left the room and trotted through the castle till she was in the map room. It was still as empty as it was yesterday. She placed the rose in a vase Rarity left to give the room a bit more decor and sighed. "Well...at least I had fun. And it's a memory I'll always cherish" Twilight mumbled to herself and smiled contently. Happy Valentine's Day, every pony Author's Note Thanks everyone for all the likes you gave this story. It really supported me Well I'm gonna show this story to my special some pony and I do hope all of you have a good day/night wherever you are. Oh and Happy Valentine's/Hearts & Hooves Day to all of you. Spend this day with you significant other, friends, or family. Cherish the love around you and know nothing can ever take it away
