Twilight’s eyes widened as she stepped into the great hall of her castle. “Spike! You said they were bringing in a few bouquets!”
“What do you mean? There’s only—” Spike stopped short and blinked. “H-hey!” He ran over to Roseluck as the flower pony walked in through the front door of the castle pushing a wheelbarrow overflowing with bouquets ahead of her. “You said there were a few more bouquets! Not a whole wagonload!”
Roseluck dumped the bouquets onto the pile in the corner of the room and smiled. “Don’t worry; there’s more where these came from. This is just the first trip!” Roseluck said cheerfully.
Flowers were everywhere. Roses lay stacked on carnations. Chrysanthemums peeked out from behind the columns. Lilies clashed with lilacs, poppies were nestled in with thyme, and tulips of every color bracketed a pony-wide passage that stretched from the front doors halfway to the library.
“I can’t believe this. Where did they all come from?” Spike bent over to pick up the nearest bouquet.
“All over Equestria,” Roseluck said as she made her way back towards the door, squeezing herself against the bouquets on one side as she made way for Lily to pass by in the other direction with another bundle of flowers.
“What, really?” Twilight’s eyes flickered between the piles of flowers. “And they all got here at the same time?” She sniffed at the nearest pile. “They smell fresh.”
Lily spat out the bouquets she was carrying onto the end of the pile in the hall. “Oh, no. The flowers are all from Ponyville. Ponies ordered them from us by telegram, and told us what to write in the cards.”
Twilight’s horn glowed as she plucked a bouquet from the pile to examine it more closely. “Wait. There are cards?” She twirled it slowly in her magic until she spotted the heart-embroidered card on the other side.
“How else would you know who sent them?” Lily turned around, deftly maneuvering around Daisy as the third mare awkwardly drug in an extra-large arrangement.
“This one says it was from somepony who lives in Trottingham!” Spike said as he pawed through a bouquet, peering inside it. “Didn’t send any gems though.”
Twilight fell back on her rump and rubbed her eyes with her hooves. “Did they order your whole shop?”
“Mmmhh hhnn hhns,” Daisy said muffledly, before setting her huge bundle of flowers against the wall by the kitchen door. “Three whole shops!”
Twilight groaned. “Why?”
Daisy lifted a hoof in front of her mouth and giggled. “I guess you haven’t seen the latest issue of Pony Magazine.”
“Well, I did give them an interview a month or so back…”
Daisy giggled again. “Well, what did you think would happen when you were declared Equestria’s most eligible bachelorette?”
“Wait, that’s what this is all about?” Twilight covered her face with her hoof. “They didn’t tell me that! Is this normal? I didn’t give them an interview because I was looking for a date!”
“Maybe you should have thought of that before you said you were hoping to find your special somepony someday soon.” Daisy beamed.
“But… I didn’t… agh! This isn’t what I meant!” Twilight flopped backwards into the nearest pile of bouquets. “How many of these are from Ponyville?”
Daisy blinked. “Well, none of them. Ponies here know you, Princess.”
Twilight’s ears fell back against her head. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
Daisy took a step back towards the door, her own ears drooping. “Oh, I stuck my hoof in my mouth again. What I meant to say was—”
“What the heck is going on here?”
Twilight jerked her head towards the front door. Rainbow Dash was hovering in front of Roseluck, slowly winging her way backwards as Roseluck carried in another mouthful of bouquets.
“I’ll just go get the rest of the bouquets,” Daisy said, quickly fleeing past Roseluck towards the front door.
“Nopony needs to give Twilight this many bouquets. What are you trying to pull, huh?” Rainbow Dash jabbed her hoof at Roseluck’s face.
Roseluck crinkled her snout and spat the flowers out onto the pile beside the narrowing walkway. “I told you outside, they’re not from me. They’re from ponies from all over Equestria.”
Rainbow Dash scowled. “A likely story. Why are you delivering them if they’re from a bunch of different ponies?”
Roseluck gave Rainbow Dash a flat stare. “Because that’s my job.”
“Rainbow Dash, it’s okay,” Twilight said, sighing.
“Really?” Rainbow Dash whirled in the air, her ears pinned back against her mane as she flew over and landed next to Twilight, her tail lashing behind her. “Because from where I’m standing, your castle looks like a flower shop.”
“It kind of does.” Twilight smiled briefly, before her expression fell. “There’s a lot of flowers here.”
“Flowers from a bunch of creeps who don’t know you.” Rainbow Dash paused. “They… don’t know you, right?” She glared at the card on the nearest bouquet. “Maple Leaf? From Vanhoover? You don’t know them, right?”
“I don’t know if I know any of these ponies,” Twilight said, staring at the enormous pile of blossoms crowding her hallway.
“I’ve never heard of them,” Spike said helpfully as he pawed his way through another bouquet, then sighed. “They’re all pretty cheap, though. Not one gem so far.”
Twilight rolled her eyes. “It’s not like I can eat gems.”
“But I can. Who wouldn’t want to put their best foot forward with their new marefriend’s number one assistant?” Spike tossed another bouquet to the side.
Twilight sighed and hung her head. “Spike. You need to keep them in organized piles. And start making a list of ponies I need to send thank you cards to.” She paused for a moment, then swallowed hard. “And... set aside any cards that seem really sweet.”
Rainbow Dash growled. “You aren’t seriously thinking about shacking up with one of these ponies, are you?”
“I’m not thinking about ‘shacking up’ with anypony. But you heard her!” Twilight jabbed a hoof at Daisy as the flower mare carried another bundle of bouquets into the castle. “She said that not a single pony in Ponyville bothered to send me something!”
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “So what? Since when do you care about who sends you a bunch of roses, or whatever? ”
“It’s a romantic gesture! If nopony in Ponyville is even willing to put in the effort to send me something, then…” Twilight pulled her wings in tight against her sides, her eyes glistening. “Then… well, that says a lot, doesn’t it?”
Rainbow Dash took a step forward. “C’mon, Twi. That doesn’t mean that nopony in Ponyville likes you!”
“Yes, it does! It means that nopony who even knows ponies who know me would think about dating me!” Twilight’s chest heaved. “Cadance started dating my brother when she was younger than I am, and Princess Celestia and Princess Luna have never had anypony at all!” Twilight rubbed at her eye with the back of her hoof. “I don’t want to be a thousand years old and think, ‘Oh, gee, I guess I should have started dating nine-hundred years ago.’”
Rainbow Dash’s mouth opened and closed, her wings shuddering before she turned away. “Okay, fine. Whatever. I still think it’s dumb. I mean, how are you even going to go through all these? There’s gotta be like, a thousand of them.” Rainbow Dash waved her wing at the piles of bouquets.
“And probably more, when the train comes in,” Roseluck said as she straightened a pile of bouquets with her hoof. “We ran out of stock, so we had to tell some of our customers that they’d have to deal with Orchid Blossoms and Little Flowers up in Canterlot.”
Rainbow Dash whirled on Roseluck. “Wait, you’re out of flowers? How is that even possible? That’s, like, the only thing you do!”
“We’re all out of flowers. Every flower in Ponyville that’s for sale is here.” Lily said, setting some flowers against the rapidly diminishing space on the wall.
“Well, except for Caramel’s bouquet for Sassaflash. It’s a good thing he ordered it ahead of time,” Daisy added as she tossed more of her bouquets onto one of the piles.
Spike threw his claws up into the air. “This is crazy! There’s no way we can get through all these flowers by ourselves.”
Twilight nodded. “You’re right, Spike. We’re going to have to get some help. Why don’t you go out and ask Rarity and Fluttershy if they can come help. Rainbow Dash—”
Rainbow Dash started. “I, uh, just remembered I need to go do a favor for the weather crew. I’ll be back later. Bye!”
“Uh, bye,” Twilight said, biting her lip as her friend zipped out of the front doors of her castle. “I guess that means I get to go round up the rest of our friends.”
“Before you go, Princess, where do you want the rest of these?” Roseluck asked, gesturing towards the all-too-full carts resting by the front door of Twilight’s castle.
Twilight groaned.
“So, how’s everypony doing?” Rarity chirped as she stepped out of Twilight’s kitchen, the scent of roses following her out to mix with the panoply of floral smells in the hallway.
“Not so great, truth be told,” Applejack said, wiping her brow as she stepped away from a pile of discarded bouquets. “How’s Twilight doin’ in there?”
“Worrying, as always. I’m afraid she is none too impressed, the poor dear.” Rarity shook her head.
“I don’t get what she’s so worked up about. It ain’t like I expected much from these anyway.”
“She’s worried because no one in Ponyville sent her any flowers,” Rainbow Dash called from the end of the hallway.
Rarity turned towards the sound of Rainbow Dash’s voice. A messy pile of bouquets lay in a heap against the front corner of the hallway. Even as Rarity watched, another bouquet joined them, its card thrown into a smaller pile at Rainbow Dash’s hooves.
“So glad you could join us, Rainbow,” Rarity said, inclining her head. “How was the weather patrol?”
“Weather patrol?” Rainbow Dash blinked, glancing up from the pile of bouquets in front of her. “Oh, right! Uh… it was fine. Everypony’s doing fine. I mean, obviously they can’t clear the sky in ten seconds flat, but uh, they’re doing the weather and stuff without me okay.” She plucked a card from another bouquet with her teeth before tossing the flowers onto the stack.
Rarity stomped her hoof. “Rainbow Dash! Are you even writing down the names of the ponies who sent the cards?”
Rainbow Dash spat the card out onto the smaller pile. “Wait, we’re supposed to write down the names?” She rubbed her mane with her hoof. “Sorry, I got here late.”
“Yes, Rainbow. That’s why I gave you that sheet of paper,” Fluttershy said levelly from behind her own much neater stacks of flowers.
“Right, right. Uh, sorry. I forgot?” She smiled sheepishly.
“You’d best get started. We are trying to help Twilight, after all.” Rarity sighed before turning back to Applejack. “Have you found any cards worth showing Twilight?”
“Just one.” Applejack shook her head, taking a few steps away from her own muddled pile of chrysanthemums, lilies, and daisies to point towards a lone bouquet fetched up against the door to the library.
Rarity’s horn glowed as she floated the bouquet over. “Okay, let’s see here,” she said as she slowly spun it. “Hmmm… roses. I thought Twilight and I managed to grab all of those.”
“Well, you missed a few,” Applejack said, shaking her head. “Sure ain’t a nice surprise neither, reaching into a stack of flowers only to get a thorn in your nose. Don’t get why ponies think they’re so romantic.”
“I don’t know, they are pretty tasty!” Pinkie Pie said, setting a pink card on top of a pile of identical-looking cards before pronking over to the group.
“When did somepony send you roses?” Applejack asked, shooting Pinkie Pie a look.
“Oh, it happens. Ponies sometimes get the wrong idea when I throw them a party.” Pinkie Pie frowned. “I always feel kind of bad telling them no. But the roses cheer me right up!”
“They’re really more of a unicorn thing. Hence why Twilight and I tried to take care of them.” Rarity’s horn glowed as she pulled out a big white card with silver borders from the midst of the roses. “Hm. One of Rose’s cards.”
“How can ya tell?”
Rarity arched an eyebrow. “A lady does receive flowers from time to time.” Her ears fell as she glanced back down at the card. “Plus, Spike thinks he is being very clever in having somepony else write his cards for him.”
“Hoowee, that’s awkward.” Applejack said, sitting down.
“Yes, well…” Rarity cleared her throat.
“Hi. I always knew you were really smart from reading the papers and were a great magical researcher from your papers in the journals, but I never knew you liked the Daring Do books. I really like pulp fiction, too. Have you ever read the Count Vallant stories? If not, I could lend you my copy of the collection from Amazing Stories. Maybe we could go out for coffee and talk about books the next time you are in Vanhoover.
“Signed, Blue Stocking.”
Rarity lowered the card to stare at Applejack. “Really?”
“What? He seems like Twilight’s type. More’n these other ponies, anyway.” Applejack waved her hoof vaguely towards the discarded pile of bouquets.
“It’s hardly romantic,” Rarity said, folding the card back up and returning it to its place in the bouquet.
“So what? He said what he thought and even suggested a date. Most of these ponies just put in a bit of poetry or somethin’.” Applejack wrinkled her snout.
“What’s wrong with poetry?” Rainbow Dash asked, abandoning her own pile to fly over and join the group.
Applejack arched an eyebrow. “I never took you for the poetry type.”
Rainbow Dash rubbed her leg. “I’m not! I’m just, you know, wondering. For the, you know, sorting and stuff.”
Applejack snorted. “I just meant that it was all empty-headed fru-fru nonsense that didn’t have a lick of a thing to do with Twilight.”
“Oh. That makes sense.” Rainbow Dash landed next to Applejack. “So, uh, nothing good yet, huh?”
“I wouldn’t say that,” Rarity said, smirking as she produced a light pink card. “And you’ll never believe who it is from!”
Applejack tilted her head to read the card. “Lilting Refrain?”
Fluttershy dropped the bouquet she was holding. “Oh my goodness, Lilting Refrain sent a card?” The pegasus spread her wings and flew over to the group. “He’s very famous.”
“I know!” Rarity beamed.
Applejack glanced at the card, then through the open door to the kitchen. “Now hold on a tick. You were in there with Twilight. If this card is so good, why didn’t you show it to her?”
“It is a very nice poem, but, uhm…” Rarity glanced at Fluttershy, then sighed. “I must admit I am not as familiar with his work as Fluttershy, and I wanted to make sure it was an original poem before I showed it to her. It might be, you know…” Rarity rolled her hoof in the air.
“Might be what?” Applejack quirked an eyebrow.
“Sometimes, ponies take other ponies’ work and pretend that they sent it,” Fluttershy said, rolling the tip of her hoof against the floor.
Rarity set her mouth in a line. “Indeed. It wouldn’t be the first time.”
“What? Ponies do that?” Rainbow Dash scowled.
“Yes. And it can be most embarrassing if you don’t realize what happened.” Rarity’s cheeks flushed.
Fluttershy stepped over to gently rest a hoof on Rarity’s shoulder. “There, there. It isn’t your fault. I’m sure Hoity Toity doesn’t hold it against you.”
“Wait, Hoity Toity?” Applejack tilted her head quizzically. “Ain’t he—”
Rarity loudly cleared her throat as she unfolded the card and held it up in front of her face.
“My Muse! I behold you behind my eyes,
I hear you whisper in my ear each day.
Each morn, as the Sun compels me to rise
Lingering dreams of you show me the way.
“Words bleed from my quill, they echo your splendor,
The black blood of my veins floods cross each page.
The poetry that your form engenders
The key to the bars that form my heart’s cage.
“Your mark inspires, it lays my heart bare;
Spark of destiny that showed your soul’s light.
Soaring before me, I try not to stare
As each block to the mind your figure smites.
“Oh muse, how I long to capture your spark,
And let the world know that you are my marque.”
“Uh, wow,” Rainbow Dash said, taking a step back, her ears falling. “That’s uh…”
Pinkie Pie bobbed her head enthusiastically. “It sounded nice!”
Fluttershy stared at Rarity for a moment, then ducked her head, hiding half her face behind her mane. “Uhm, yes. Nice.”
Rarity sighed as she lowered the card. “Oh dear. You recognize it, don’t you?”
Fluttershy shook her head, her mane swaying back and forth as she did so. “Oh, no. It isn’t that. It sounds just like a poem he would write, but I’ve never heard it before.”
“Then what is it, darling? It seems like a very nice poem. Even better when read out loud.”
Fluttershy pawed at the castle floor. “It’s just… uhm…”
“It’s just a mighty fancy way of saying he wants to touch her butt,” Applejack said dryly.
Rarity whirled towards Applejack. “What?”
Applejack shrugged. “I mean, that’s what it’s about, right? Talking ’bout grabbing her spark—”
“Capture!” Rarity corrected.
“What about that bit about staring at her behind?”
“Yeah!” Rainbow Dash said, stepping forward and flaring her wings challengingly. “What kind of weirdo are you trying to set her up with?”
“That’s not what it was saying at all!” Rarity sputtered.
“Sure sounded like it!”
“It’s metaphorical! He’s talking about how inspiring she is!” Rarity said, stomping her hoof.
Rainbow Dash snorted. “How inspiring her flank is, yeah.”
“Uhm.”
Rarity jerked towards Fluttershy. “Fluttershy. Please tell me you don’t agree with them.”
“Uhm… well... no.” Fluttershy shook her head. “But doesn’t it sound a little generic? It doesn’t talk about Twilight at all, or anything about her, really.”
Applejack tilted her head, then nodded slowly. “You’re right, come to think of it. You think he might have written that for some other pony?”
“Or maybe just for one of his poetry collections he hasn’t published yet,” Fluttershy said quietly.
Rarity’s horn glowed brighter as she lifted the card back up to read it again, her eyes flickering over the text before her shoulders fell. “Oh.”
Fluttershy smiled weakly. “But it is a very nice poem! It uhm, had a nice cadence to it. I’m just not sure if it really is for Twilight.”
Rarity sighed. “I’ll keep that in mind for when I show it to her,” Rarity said as she folded the card back up.
Applejack glanced over at Fluttershy. “How ’bout you? You find any good ones?”
“Oh. Well, there was one, but I don’t think Twilight would really be interested.” Fluttershy glanced back over her shoulder towards a tasteful bouquet of lavender and pink carnations.
“Well, why don’t you bring it over and let us see it,” Applejack said. “Y’all already heard mine.”
“Uhm, okay.” Fluttershy spread her wings, slowly flying back to her station. Landing by the bouquet, she carefully gathered it up in her hooves before winging her way back over to the group. “Could you take this, Rarity?”
Rarity nodded, her horn glowing as she pulled the bouquet out of Fluttershy’s hooves and examined it for a moment. “Oh, I see.”
“What is it?” Rainbow Dash asked, tilting her head.
“This was sent by a mare,” Rarity said as she slowly turned the arrangement with her magic before plucking a gold-embroidered card out from the side.
“Wait, how can you tell? You haven’t even read the card yet!”
Fluttershy lifted a hoof to lightly tap one of the pink carnations. “These usually mean a mare’s love. Usually a mother’s love, but when one mare sends them to another…”
Rainbow Dash groaned and flopped over onto the nearest pile of bouquets. “Why are flowers so complicated?”
“Because ponies are complicated, and there’s a flower for every occasion,” Rarity said, unfolding the card. “Hm…”
“Well, what’s it say?” Applejack asked, leaning forward.
“Yeah! What’s it say?” Pinkie Pie said as she crowded in on the other side, peering over Rarity’s shoulder.
“Hem-hem.”
“You don’t know me, but I’ve always admired you. You’re so smart, and pretty, and you’ve saved us all so many times. Reading in Pony Magazine about how you used to have no friends, but then discovered your special connection to a bunch of ponies and learned how to make friends, just made me admire you more. I don’t really have any friends. I sometimes dream about meeting somepony special, and finding out I have a special connection to them, but it never happens. But my big brother told me that I should send you something. I hope you like carnations. I read in a book that they’re the right kind of flower.
“If you’re ever in Las Pegasus, I would really like to meet you.
“Ground Cherry”
“And then there’s an address.” Rarity lowered the note, wincing. “She sounds very…”
“Lonely?” Applejack asked.
“More like lame!” Rainbow Dash tossed her head. “I mean, who says that the only reason they’re sending you a bouquet is because their brother told them to?”
Fluttershy smiled sadly. “I don’t think she’s really right for Twilight. But I think she could use a friend. I’m sure Twilight could give her some advice.”
Rarity frowned as she returned the card to the bouquet. “Perhaps. Though I’m not sure if a lecture on how to make friends is quite what she’s looking for.”
“I don’t know. I think a generic thank you card might just make things worse.” Fluttershy dragged her hoof across the floor.
“Perhaps. Though she must make sure not to string along the poor dear.” Rarity’s horn dimmed as she gently deposited the bouquet against the wall. “How about you, Pinkie Pie?”
“Nope! I haven’t found a single one that made me laugh, or even smile, really. They’re all way too super serious.”
Applejack chuckled. “You do know that we’re pickin’ out cards to show Twilight, right? They ain’t for us.”
“Oh, I know! But making somepony you love smile is like, the most important thing! If just thinking about them makes you frown, then you’ll never want to nuzzle!”
“Hmm…” Applejack rubbed her chin with her hoof. “Can’t really argue with that.”
“You can’t be serious,” Rarity said, shaking her head. “Honestly, laugh?”
Applejack shrugged. “Half the cards they have down at Barnyard Bargains are silly. Somepony’s gotta be buyin’ ’em.”
“But they’re so… vulgar.”
Applejack arched an eyebrow. “That ain’t true. They’re nice and family friendly. Ain’t nothin’ in ’em worse than what my Granny would say.”
“I think she meant they were kind of lowbrow,” Fluttershy said.
“What do you mean? My Ma and Pa gave each other those kinda cards all the time. Heh, I remember one card she gave him for his birthday made some kinda joke ’bout him bein’ hungry enough to eat a horse, but he’d still have to wait ’til…” Applejack stared blankly into space. “Huh. How’d I miss that?”
Rarity sighed loudly before glancing over at Rainbow Dash. “I don’t suppose you’ve found a card ‘awesome’ enough to show Twilight either, then?”
“Actually, I totally did.” Rainbow Dash puffed out her chest. “And get this: it’s from Ponyville!”
Fluttershy smiled. “Oh, that’s wonderful! Who’s it from?”
“Uh, well, the card doesn’t have a name…” Rainbow Dash rubbed the back of her mane.
“So how do you know it’s from here?” Rarity asked, trotting over.
Rainbow Dash flew back to her pile of discarded bouquets, reaching down to the wall beside the pile before gathering up some flowers in her hooves. “I found it outside the front door. Plus, it is all hoof-picked flowers from around here. I mean, just look at it!”
The flowers drooped as Rainbow Dash held them out in front of her friends. A sunflower with a crushed stalk loomed over the other flowers in the bouquet. Small white windflowers were mixed in with dandelions, with a dozen daisies sticking out at various angles.
“And look at this!” Rainbow Dash lifted a long strand of purple flowers with her hoof, all attached to one another on a stalk.
“Ah, yes. Beardtongue. So named because that’s about what they taste like.” Rarity sniffed.
“But they look nice, right?”
Fluttershy winced. “Yes. Very nice.”
“It looks like somepony just rooted around in a field until they found some flowers.” Applejack smirked. “I remember when I used to do that when I was a filly.”
Rarity lifted her head high. “Yes, well, I’m sure we all had our moments when we were little fillies playing with flowers out by the Everfree Forest. I simply would have hoped that somepony who was trying to impress a Princess might have put a little more effort into it.”
“What do you mean?” Rainbow Dash swung her hoof through the air. “Picking flowers is way more work than going to some dumb flower shop and picking out a bouquet.”
“Yes, but it should be attractive. Elegant. This looks like somepony was weeding.” Rarity narrowed her eyes at the bouquet. “And I think I see aphids on a few of these flowers.”
“So what? At least they tried.” Rainbow Dash landed. “I’d like to see you do better.”
Rarity arched an eyebrow. “I’ll have you know that I do, in fact, ‘do better’ on a regular basis. How did you think I got the flowers for the vases and hats in my shop?”
Rainbow Dash’s ears fell. “Yeah, well, but you’re you. Most ponies don’t know anything about flowers.”
“Most ponies know that if you are trying to impress somepony with flowers, they must at least look nice.” Rarity sniffed again. “You said it came with a card?” She spun the flowers slowly, peering at them.
“Oh, right, the card.” Rainbow Dash zipped back over to her pile of discarded flowers, returning with a folded piece of paper in her hooves.
Rarity plucked it away from Rainbow Dash with her magic. “Well, now, let’s see.” She peered at the card. “Is this written in… red crayon?”
“What’s wrong with that?” Rainbow Dash landed in front of Rarity, scowling. “We always used to give ponies cards written in crayon back in school.”
Applejack snorted. “Yeah. In school.”
“Maybe it was written by a little colt or filly,” Fluttershy said quietly.
“Would explain the flowers.” Applejack stepped over to inspect the bouquet before glancing over at Rarity. “So, what’s it say?”
Rarity sighed as she unfolded the card with her magic.
Twilight, I got you some flowers
Because you have really cool powers.
You’re one of the coolest ponies in Equestria
Even cooler than Princess Celestia.
And you’re super cute
Like a
You’re prettier than a cloud.
You really stand out from the crowd!
You know, you’re super smart, too,
You’d say there’s somepony who is smarter, but you’re wrong, it’s you.
So I’d really like to be your special somepony
Or else I’ll be moaning.
Pinkie Pie snorted loudly, then toppled over backwards, her chest shaking with poorly suppressed laughter. “Haha! They rhymed somepony with moaning!” She suddenly jerked upright, her smile vanishing. “Oh, no! They tried to rhyme somepony with moaning! If only they weren’t too shy to ask Twilight for a rhyming dictionary.” She shook her head sadly.
Rainbow Dash growled. “Hey! At least they tried!”
Applejack chortled, wiping at her eye with the back of her hoof. “Yeah, gotta admit that whoever wrote that tried.” She snickered. “Maybe they shouldn’t’ve.”
“Applejack!” Fluttershy hovered up into the air, crossing her forelegs across her chest. “This was probably written by somepony Apple Bloom’s age. It isn’t nice to laugh at them.”
“Oh come on, it’s not that bad,” Rainbow Dash said defensively.
“Fluttershy is probably right,” Rarity said as she carefully folded the card back up with her magic. “It is likely from some lovestruck little colt in town too shy to even put his name on it.”
“Or her,” Fluttershy added quietly.
“Yes, I suppose. Still! We can’t show Twilight that, it would just be awkward.”
“Why not? You’re all showing her the cards you picked!” Rainbow Dash jabbed an accusing hoof at Rarity.
“Not me!” Pinkie Pie beamed. “I haven’t found any good ones!”
Rarity bit her lip. “Rainbow Dash. How would you feel if you were feeling alone and unloved and the only pony who sent you a card was one of Scootaloo’s classmates?”
Rainbow Dash rubbed a hoof up and down her other front leg. “Well, okay, bad.” She looked up. “But it could be from an adult, right? I mean, it doesn’t sound like something that a little kid would write.”
“It kind of does,” Fluttershy said quietly.
Applejack nodded. “Yeah. I mean, I might not be a poet, but even I could tell there was somethin’ seriously wrong with that poem.”
“Oh, yeah. The meter was way off. And those half rhymes?” Pinkie Pie tsked. “Still, it was nice of them to try. And hey, it made me laugh!” She grinned.
“Since when do you know about poetry?” Rainbow Dash growled, flying over in front of Pinkie Pie.
“Since I learned how to write songs. Duh!” Pinkie Pie grinned. “Poems are basically songs that you say!”
Fluttershy smiled weakly. “Well, it’s a little different.”
“Yeahhhhh. I’m much better at singing. Ohh! You want to hear my new song? It’s about how being single isn’t so bad. I was going to sing it to Twilight, but it’s kind of a work in progress.”
Rainbow Dash smacked her hoof into her face. “No, Pinkie, I don’t want to hear it.”
“I think we have more important things to do at the moment, such as finishing going through these cards.” Rarity set the card to the side before picking up another bouquet.
“So what, you’re just not going to show it to her?” Rainbow Dash flared her wings. “Come on!”
Applejack walked over to put a hoof on Rainbow Dash’s shoulder. “It ain’t your fault, Rainbow. Nopony here expects you to be an expert on poetry. But it ain’t gonna help Twilight out of her funk, either.”
“I’m not sure anything will,” Rarity said, sighing. “She does seem rather distraught at the fact that nopony seems to actually be very sincere in their affections.”
“But this card is sincere!” Rainbow Dash shook off Applejack’s hoof and flew over to grab the card, waving it in front of Rarity’s face.
Rarity sniffed again. “It came with a bouquet of weeds and sounds like it was scrawled down in five minutes using the first words to come to mind.” She shook her head. “Honestly, Rainbow, I’m sure you can find something better to show Twilight.”
Rainbow Dash’s lips trembled for a moment before she hurled the card to the ground and stomped on it with her hoof. “Well, fine! If I don’t know what I’m doing, then maybe I shouldn’t help at all! I’ve got lots of other stuff I could be doing!” Whirling round, she launched herself into the air once more, soaring over the flowers and out the front door.
“Wait! She didn’t mean—” Fluttershy lifted a hoof into the air after the retreating pegasus, then sighed, dropping it to the floor.
Twilight poked her head out of the kitchen. “What’s going on out here? I heard shouting.”
“Eh, Rainbow Dash weren’t too happy that we didn’t think much of the card she liked.” Applejack turned back to the pile of bouquets before her, reaching in to tug another bunch of flowers out of the pile before spitting them out at her hooves. “Though truth be told, we ain’t found much either.”
“Oh.” Twilight’s ears fell. “Rainbow Dash came back? She said this morning she had to do some favor for the weather team.”
“Yeah, guess she got it done,” Applejack said, flicking her tail as she opened up the card in the bouquet at her hooves, wrinkling her snout.
“We should probably go talk to her later. She was kind of upset,” Fluttershy said, poking at one of the piles of flowers with her hoof before reaching in and delicately extracting one of the bouquets.
“Yeah!” Pinkie Pie chimed in helpfully. “It isn’t her fault she doesn’t understand anything about poetry!” She paused. “Well, maybe it kind of is. Don’t they teach you about that in school in Cloudsdale?”
“Uhm…” Fluttershy shuffled awkwardly.
“Oh, Twilight, before I forget,” Rarity said as she trotted over to the cards and bouquets she set aside, “these are the ones that Applejack, Fluttershy, and I found most interesting amongst the ones we read.”
“You found some that weren’t terrible?” Twilight’s ears lifted slightly. “Well, that’s a relief. I actually found three different bouquets with the same poem about roses on them.”
“Yes, well, these are certainly not like that,” Rarity said as her horn lit up, lifting the three bundles of flowers up into the air.
Paper crinkled underneath Twilight’s hoof as she moved forward to get a better look at the flowers. “What’s this?” Twilight asked, glancing down at the piece of paper on the floor. Her horn lit up as she picked up the wrinkled card. “Was Rainbow Dash writing something?”
“Hm? Well, we did ask her to keep a list of the names of the ponies who sent you cards.” Rarity said as she fluffed up the flowers floating in front of her with her magic.
“You sure? This doesn’t look like a list of names.” Twilight opened the card, furrowing her brow. “It actually looks like a poem.”
Rarity glanced over at Twilight and giggled. “Oh, no. That’s the card Rainbow Dash liked.”
“Why did Rainbow Dash write me a card?”
“Well, it isn’t from her,” Rarity said, trotting over, the bouquets floating in tow. “It was just the card she liked best.”
“It’s in her mouthwriting,” Twilight said dryly, flipping it around and holding it up to Rarity.
Rarity froze in mid-step. “It is? Are you sure?”
“I’ve helped her fill out enough paperwork for the Wonderbolts, I’m pretty sure I’d recognize it.” Twilight flipped the card back around so she could read it again. “Plus this reads like something she’d write.”
Fluttershy’s eyes widened, the pegasus dropping the card she had been reading to the floor as she whirled around and flew to Twilight, hovering over her shoulder and peering down at the card. “Oh, no! You’re right, this is Rainbow’s mouthwriting!”
Applejack slumped. “And we all made fun of it, too.”
“Oh, come on. She was probably just trying to cheer me up because nopony in Ponyville sent me flowers.” Twilight folded the card up again. “Right?”
Her friends glanced at each other.
“I dunno. She wasn’t too happy that Rarity wasn’t gonna show you her card,” Applejack said as she adjusted her hat.
Rarity winced. “And I might have implied that she didn’t really try at all in writing it.”
“And we might have maybe kinda sorta laughed at her instead of with her.” Pinkie Pie hung her head low.
Fluttershy took a deep breath, then let it out in a long, quiet sigh as she stared down at the floor. “She was pretty upset when she left.”
Twilight groaned. “Are you seriously saying that Rainbow Dash wrote me a love letter? She was here this morning, why didn’t she just tell me?”
“I dunno, sugar cube.” Applejack walked over to sit next to Twilight. “She ain’t always the best at showing her feelings.”
Fluttershy nodded. “Remember the Best Young Flyer’s competition? Or when Tank hibernated? She doesn’t like other ponies seeing her when she’s nervous.”
Twilight threw her hooves up in the air. “But she’s known me for two years! Couldn’t she have told me sometime before now?”
Her friends glanced at each other and shrugged.
“Couldn’t rightly tell you, Twi. But I’m sure she didn’t mean to upset you,” Applejack said, putting a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder.
“Ugh!” Twilight slumped forward. “It’s just… I… ugh!” She glanced at Fluttershy. “Did you know about this?”
Fluttershy shook her head. “If I’d known she liked you, I would have told her to say something.”
“We all would have, dear,” Rarity said, stepping forward.
“And you’re sure this isn’t a prank?” Twilight flipped the card around in her magic, examining it more closely.
“Pretty sure!” Pinkie Pie said, nodding rapidly. “I don’t think she’d pull a prank like that. Of course, that would be the perfect prank, pulling a prank I’d never ever think she would pull.” She put her hoof to her chin.
Twilight stared at the card for a moment longer before quickly folding it in half with her magic. “You know what? I don’t even want to think about it! I’m just going to go back into the kitchen, eat some roses, and spend the next hour not thinking about any of this!” She turned on her hoof. “You can all have as many flowers as you want.”
“But Twilight! What about the other—”
“Not thinking about it!” Twilight slammed the door to her kitchen shut behind her.
Her friends stared at the door for a moment before Pinkie Pie spoke.
“Anypony find any hydrangeas?”
Twilight stormed into the kitchen, her hooves thumping loudly against the crystalline floor.
Spike peeked his head over a pile of roses. “Nothing good out there either, huh?”
Twilight plastered her ears against the back of her neck as she strode over to her thick sitting mat and threw herself on it. “Rainbow Dash sent me a bouquet!”
“Uh, what?” Spike picked up another bouquet in his claws, carefully avoiding the thorns as he glanced at the card. “Like, as a prank?”
“No!” Twilight flared her wings before rolling over onto her side. “As in, ‘I have a crush on you and wrote you some bad poetry to show it!’”
“Huh.” Spike stuck the card back into the bouquet and tossed it over onto another, larger pile. “I never figured her for a poetry type.”
“She isn’t! She doesn’t even understand the basics of meter and rhyme!” Twilight rolled over onto her back, growling. “But that’s not important. What’s important is that one of my best friends apparently has a crush on me and didn’t even bother telling me until my whole castle looked like a garden!”
Spike stepped out from behind the pile of roses, his claws clicking against the floor as he made his way over to Twilight. “Well, you were worried nopony in Ponyville liked you.”
“What, that’s all you have to say?” Twilight rolled over to glare at Spike, thrusting out a hoof accusingly at him. “Did you know about this?”
“Who, me? Nah. Rainbow Dash didn’t tell me anything.” He put a claw to his chin. “Though it does explain why she tried giving you her trophies when we were redecorating the castle.”
“She what?” Twilight rolled back onto her feet and stood up.
“Er, I guess you weren’t here for that. Everypony brought in some stuff they thought you’d like earlier, but they got rid of it because… well, everypony brought in some stuff that they thought you’d like.” Spike rubbed the back of his head with his claws.
Twilight took three quick steps towards him. “Was one of them a big golden cup with a lightning bolt and pegasus wings on either side?”
“Uh… yeah, I think so. Why?”
“Why?” Twilight’s wings swept out from her sides. “Why?” Twilight thrust a hoof towards the door. “Because that’s the trophy she won for winning the Best Young Flyer’s competition, that’s why! That’s like, her most important trophy! Her most prized possession!”
Spike smiled awkwardly. “Heh. Guess that means she really does like you, huh?”
Twilight’s wings fell back against her side as she whirled on her hind hoof and walked back to her sitting mat, flopping face-first into the thick fabric and giving voice to a muffled scream.
“Uhhh… you okay there, Twilight?” Spike cautiously tiptoed over next to her mat.
Twilight turned her head to the side and groaned. “No. That means she’s had a crush on me for what, almost a year now?”
“At least.” He arched an eyebrow. “Does that… bother you?”
“Yes!” Twilight rubbed the side of her face against the mat. “No.” She groaned. “I don’t know.” She fell over, the mat whoomphing as her weight came down on it all at once. “It’s just… ugh! Why?”
Spike shrugged. “I dunno. Why are you asking me?”
“Have I been leading her on? Have I been flirting with her without realizing it?” Twilight rolled over again, looking up at Spike. “Have I been a bad friend?”
“What?” Spike shook his head. “Of course not. That’s ridiculous! You’re the Princess of Friendship. I’m pretty sure you have like, an entire castle devoted to you being a good friend.”
“But that’s just it! Rainbow Dash must have been pining after me for months. Why didn’t she say anything? Why didn’t I notice?”
“I’m pretty sure she hasn’t been pining after you,” Spike said, kneeling next to Twilight and setting a claw on her shoulder. “I mean, it’s not like she’s been really obvious about it. She’s probably good at hiding it, like I am with Rarity.”
Twilight buried her face in the mat once more. “I am a terrible friend,” she said muffledly.
Spike sighed, his shoulders falling as he sat down on the mat next to Twilight, throwing one arm over the alicorn’s shoulders. “You’re not a bad friend. You just didn’t notice, that’s all. Come on, it’s not like I’m mad at Rarity because she doesn’t like me like that. I’m sure if you tell Rainbow Dash you don’t like her like that, she won’t be angry.”
Twilight sighed heavily into the mat, her wings drooping out to either side.
“Er, unless you do like her, I mean.” Spike fidgeted.
“Mph.” Twilight rolled her head over to the side, her horn poking at the mat as she looked at Spike from underneath her bangs. “I don’t. It’s just… she’s the only pony in Ponyville who sent me anything. Should I really say no?”
“Uhhhh…” Spike stared at her. “I’m pretty sure you shouldn’t say yes if you don’t want to date her.”
“But I don’t not like her. It’s just… I don’t like her like that.” She rolled over onto her side again. “Maybe there could be something there, you know? It isn’t like I’ve got a whole lot of other options.” She blinked, clearing the shimmering moisture from her eyes.
“Come on, Twilight. Just because nopony else in Ponyville sent you a card doesn’t mean you have to date Rainbow Dash.” He patted her on the back. “You don’t have to date anypony. I mean, you have plenty of time to ask somepony else out.”
“But I don’t, Spike!” Twilight thumped her hoof into the mat. “I won’t ask anypony else out! I’ll just sit around reading my books and not think about it and then everypony else will get married and have foals and I’ll be like ‘Why didn’t I ever get married?’ but then everypony my age will be old and it will be awkward and then I’ll never date anypony and end up like Princess Luna and Celestia and rule over Equestria and never kiss anypony or anything!”
Spike frowned. “You’re overreacting. Heck, you got asked out by Flash Sentry after knowing him for what, two days?”
Twilight rose to her hooves, shrugging off Spike’s arm. “That’s just it! He didn’t know me at all! The only ponies who want to ask me out are ponies who don’t know me at all, who have never seen me before or only have known me for a few days!”
“Well, Flash wasn’t a—”
“That means there’s probably something wrong with me. Something that makes it so anypony who knows me for a long time won’t even think of asking me on a date.” Twilight began to pace back and forth in front of her mat. “In fact, I’m so unappealing that only one pony who has known me for more than two days has ever expressed any romantic interest in me.” She turned sharply towards the door to the kitchen. “That means I pretty much have to say yes. In fact, I should go ask Rainbow Dash out right now, before she changes her mind and—”
“Twilight, stop!” Spike flung himself against Twilight’s front leg, clinging to her neck and shoulder. “Listen to yourself! You’re freaking out!”
“I am not ‘freaking out’!” Twilight shoved Spike away, flaring her wings as her chest heaved. “I’m having a perfectly logical panic attack, and…”
Tears glistened in her eyes, her vision swimming as Spike got back up to his feet and wrapped his claws around her again in a hug. She lowered her head, resting her chin against the dragon’s back as warm tears trickled down the sides of her muzzle.
Spike squeezed his arms around her shoulders as he leaned his cheek against the side of her neck. “Don’t worry, Twilight.”
She breathed raggedly, her sides rising and falling as she sucked in air, closing her eyes as she leaned into the smaller dragon, the warmth of his body soaking into her chest as she slowly regained control. Shuddering, she took half a step backwards, rubbing at her cheeks with the back of her hooves before she opened her eyes again. “Sorry.”
“It’s alright. I just didn’t realize how much it was bugging you.”
“Me neither.” Twilight laughed quietly, shaking her head. “Ugh, what’s wrong with me?”
Spike chuckled, giving her a pat on the shoulder. “You panicked?”
“Heh. I did.” She bobbed her head before taking another step back, breaking the embrace. “Ugh. I thought I was over that.”
“Eh. You’re a lot better than you used to be.” Spike grinned. “Remember when you went back in time just to tell yourself not to worry about you going back in time?”
Twilight laughed. “Don’t remind me.” She took a wobbly step forward. “I guess I just got it in my head that I needed to choose somepony today.”
“Heh, yeah.” Spike rubbed the back of his neck with his claw. “Pretty silly.” He glanced over at the pile of roses. “Still, I mean, you gotta admit, for a pony who nopony likes, you sure got a lot of love letters.”
“Oh, please.” Twilight rolled her eyes. “They just sent those because of a magazine article.” She sighed again, glancing back at the pile of roses before biting her lip.
Spike tilted his head, walking towards her. “What?”
“I still have to talk to Rainbow Dash.”
“Oh, right. That.” Spike gave her another pat on the shoulder. “You don’t have to go right now.”
“Actually, I kind of do.” Twilight rubbed at her face again with her hoof. “Everypony else kind of laughed at her poem, so she’s probably pretty upset. I can’t just ignore that.”
“Oh.” Spike’s claw fell to his side. “You sure you can’t ask somepony else to go apologize first?”
Twilight rolled her shoulders, then shook her head. “I’m just going to worry about it if I don’t. Besides, I’m not the only pony who’s worried about being rejected right now.” Straightening up, she walked towards the door.
“So, uh, what should I do about the rest of the flowers? You want me to keep going through the cards?”
Twilight paused at the door. “No, that’s okay. I’ll figure something else out later.”
Twilight’s wings wavered as she landed on the polished patch of skystone that lead to the front door of Rainbow Dash’s cloud house. She glanced up at the stylized representation of her friend’s cutie mark that hung over the front door and sighed. Tucking her wings in against her flanks, she bit her lower lip for a moment before stepping forward to the front door. “Here goes.”
Twilight lifted her hoof to rap on the front door three times. “Rainbow Dash? Are you here?”
The muffled sound of wingbeats made Twilight’s ears twitch. The door cracked open just wide enough to reveal Rainbow Dash’s face. “Oh, hey Twilight. Sorry I took off, but I wasn’t helping much anyway.” She smiled weakly.
Twilight shook her head slightly. “I know you wrote me a card, Rainbow.” She frowned. “Mind if I come in?”
Rainbow Dash’s smile vanished as she backwinged away from the door. “Sure, whatever.”
“Thanks.” Twilight drew her wings in close to her sides as she walked through the ornate doors, her eyes slowly travelling over the inside of Rainbow Dash’s house, lingering on the statue of the Wonderbolt. “You know, you have a really nice house. It’s too bad it’s so hard to get Rarity, Pinkie Pie, and Applejack up here.”
“Heh, yeah. I don’t really get many guests.” Rainbow Dash rubbed her mane awkwardly, her ears pressed back against her mane.
Twilight sighed again. “Sorry. I shouldn’t change the subject.”
“You sure you don’t want a drink? Maybe a snack?” Rainbow Dash spread her wings and flew up to the second floor. “I’ve got some stuff in my fridge.”
“No, Rainbow. Besides, I just ate.”
Rainbow Dash landed on the floor above and peered down over the railing. “Ate what?”
Twilight’s cheeks colored slightly. “I grabbed some flowers on my way out.”
“Oh. Heh. I thought you smelled good.” Rainbow Dash quickly brought up her hooves. “Not that you don’t always smell good!” Her eyes widened. “Not that I smell you normally! Just, like, you know. We’re around each other a lot, and—”
“I know what you mean.” Twilight spread her wings and followed Rainbow Dash up to the second floor, landing a few step away from the other pony. “So, uh…”
“Wanna go see my trophy room? I’ve added a few there since I joined the Wonderbolts. The Fillydelphia Fifty. The Mareapolis 500.” Rainbow Dash tried to walk past Twilight, only to find a purple hoof pressed against her chest.
“No, Rainbow. We need to talk about this.” Twilight’s horn glowed as she pulled out the wrinkled note, the red writing marred by a hoofprint.
“Right. That.” Rainbow Dash’s ears pressed back against her mane. “Look, I already heard how bad it was from everypony else. You don’t have to tell me that it sucked.”
“That’s… not why I came up here.” She tucked the piece of paper under her wing.
“So, wait, you liked it?” Rainbow Dash’s eyes lit up, her eyes sparkling as she pumped a hoof. “Yes! I knew it was awesome!”
“No, actually, it was pretty terrible.”
“Oh.” Rainbow Dash deflated, sinking back down to the floor.
Twilight moved forward to put a hoof on Rainbow Dash’s shoulder, then hesitated. “Spike told me you tried to give me your Best Young Flyer’s trophy when you were redecorating my castle.”
Rainbow Dash winced. “I… look, we were all trying to make you feel at home, and I was like, ‘Well, looking at my trophies always makes me feel awesome,’ so I thought—”
“Did you have a crush on me back then?”
Rainbow Dash paused and closed her mouth with a quiet click. “Uhm…”
Twilight sighed and lowered her hoof. “I haven’t been leading you on, have I?”
“No!” Rainbow Dash swung her hoof through the air. “No way! It’s not your fault. I knew you weren’t really into me. I just thought that, you know, maybe someday, we might, you know.” Her wings twitched.
“I just don’t understand. Why me? Why now?” Twilight searched her friend’s eyes.
Rainbow Dash looked away. “I realized that you were like, actually looking for somepony, and I kind of panicked.”
Twilight bit her lip. “I wasn’t. Not really.”
“But the magazine—”
Twilight chuckled nervously. “They uh, might have misquoted me a bit on that.”
“But you were freaking out this morning!”
“I might have had a bit of a panic attack.” Twilight rubbed a hoof over her own foreleg. “I’d thought I had gotten over them, but I guess somehow the prospect of being alone forever kind of set one off again.”
“Seriously?” Rainbow Dash raised an eyebrow. “You’re like, super famous and super cute, and you’re worried that nopony likes you?”
Twilight frowned through her blush. “Then why hasn’t anypony else ever asked me out? Why didn’t you ask me out?”
“Well, you didn’t seem that into me.” Rainbow Dash shrugged, rubbing her mane with her hoof.
Twilight’s wings fell. “I didn’t realize you even liked me.” She took a step forward. “How… long have I been ignoring you for?”
“Oh come on, Twi. It’s not like I was like, pining after you or something. It was just something that was nice to think about.” Rainbow Dash waved a hoof at her friend, then sighed and lowered it to the floor. “It isn’t like I like, super had a crush on you or something. I just kind of… you’re like, maybe the pony I’d end up with someday. You’re awesome, I’m awesome, it just kind of fit, you know?”
“You didn’t answer my question.”
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes. “What does it matter?”
Twilight stomped her hoof. “It matters because you’re my friend, and I’ve been ignoring how you’ve been feeling for what, a year now?”
Rainbow Dash flinched. “Something like that, yeah. Ever since you got your wings, pretty much.” Rainbow Dash shrugged her own, before spreading them and taking to the air, slowly gliding in circles along the roof of her house.
“Since I got my wings?” Twilight glanced at the offending appendages for a moment, then took to the air after her. “Why then?”
“Well, it was more when I was giving you flying lessons, really,” Rainbow Dash said, turning around in midair to look back at Twilight. “I mean, I’m not really attracted to wingless ponies.”
Twilight paused in mid-flap, then rapidly beat her wings as she began to fall to regain altitude. “Really?”
“Hey! I’m not racist! It’s just what I like!”
“No, no, I didn’t mean that.” Twilight flapped her wings, powering herself forward to glide alongside her friend. “I just meant… well, I have to admit, I thought you had a crush on Applejack back when I first met you.”
“Applejack. Right.” Rainbow Dash’s eyes fell down towards the floor. “Look, Twilight, do we really have to talk about this? I asked you out, you said no, can’t we just drop it?”
“Well, technically, you just sent me a poem. And technically, I never said no.”
“Whatever. We both know you’re not really interested.” Rainbow Dash tucked her wings in against her sides, rapidly descending back down towards the second floor before landing.
Twilight closed her eyes for a moment, then shook her head before landing behind Rainbow Dash. “I just want to understand. You like me because I have wings?”
“It’s not just because you have wings, Twilight.” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes as she pushed open the door to her bedroom with her hoof.
“So why does it matter?”
Rainbow Dash growled. “Because you can actually fly with me!” She glared back over her shoulder. “Yeah, I used to have a crush on Applejack, okay? And it was totally cool and all until we did the Iron Pony competition and I realized that there’s no way a wingless pony could ever keep up with me. I’d always be flying away from her, and flying is like, 80% of my life!”
Twilight blinked. “Wow.”
“Yeah.” Rainbow Dash flopped face-first onto her bed, her tail lashing behind her.
“So why did you decide you liked me? I’m not much like Applejack.”
Rainbow Dash groaned. “Come on, Twilight. Do I really have to explain this?”
Twilight’s ears fell. “Well, no. But… I’d really like to know. I do care about you.” She took a few steps towards Rainbow Dash’s bed, then stopped. “You know that, right?”
“Yeah, I know.” Rainbow Dash rolled over onto her side, hunching her shoulders as she turned away from her friend.
“Do you want me to leave?” Twilight stood watching her friend cautiously, spreading her hooves out against the cloud floor. As the moments passed, her head slowly fell.
“…You’re awesome.”
Twilight’s ears pricked. “Pardon?”
“You’re awesome. You know, in an eggheady kind of way.” Rainbow Dash rolled over again, pressing her front hooves against her comforter to lift her forequarters and look over at Twilight. “I mean, you can only save Equestria so many times and be totally lame.” Rainbow Dash smirked.
Twilight rolled her eyes. “Har har. But that doesn’t really answer my question.”
“Why not?” Rainbow Dash quirked her brow. “Why wouldn’t you want to date somepony who is cute and awesome? Isn’t that like, exactly who you’re supposed to date?”
“But all of our friends have helped save Equestria! And it’s not like they’re not attractive.” Twilight gestured vaguely with her hoof. “Heck, they’re still selling stuff with pictures of Fluttershy on it from back when she was a model!”
Rainbow Dash crinkled her snout. “That’d just be weird. She’s practically my sister. Plus she’s not really my type.”
“Fair enough. Still… why me? Is it really just because I have wings?” Twilight spread one of her wings and prodded it with a hoof.
“Not really. I mean, like, yeah, I probably wouldn’t have thought about it otherwise, but… I mean. You’re cute. You’re funny. You’re fun to talk to. You spent like, a week studying Wonderbolt history just to help me with my exam.” Rainbow Dash stretched and rose back to all four hooves before hopping off her bed. “Plus, you’re like, really hot.”
Twilight’s cheeks flushed even as her eyes fell. “But is any of that a reason to want to date me?”
Rainbow Dash shrugged her wings. “I dunno. I mean, why does your brother like Princess Cadance?”
“Well, she’s smart, she’s pretty, she’s good with kids and magic—”
“Yeah, okay, but is that really why he likes her? Or is that just, you know, who she is, and he likes that?”
Twilight blinked.
“Look, I like you.” Rainbow Dash pointed her hoof at her friend’s chest. “Not everything has to be a list, Twilight.”
“I… guess that makes sense.” Twilight sat back on her haunches and tilted her head. “But then why didn’t you say anything to me?”
“Ugh.” Rainbow Dash turned away, hunching her wings. “I guess it’s just like…” She sighed, hanging her head. “It’s like the Wonderbolts history exam.”
“The history exam? What do you mean?” Twilight moved forward to sit next to her friend. “I don’t understand.”
Rainbow Dash whirled round to face Twilight. “I was procrastinating, alright? I knew it was going to be like, super hard and I didn’t want to have to deal with it. But then I had to and tried to do it all in the last minute like an idiot, okay?”
“You’re not an idiot, Rainbow.” Twilight briefly touched the pegasus’s shoulder with her hoof. “I mean… I guess you could try a little harder, and actually plan ahead more, but…”
“Yeah, right. I’m this way about everything. Heck, the first time you met me I was goofing off instead of working.” Rainbow Dash sighed and looked at the ground. “But at least then I actually could do it. I knew that you’d say no if I asked you out, so I didn’t. I figured maybe you’d start liking me sometime, and I’d ask you out then.”
Twilight leaned down, trying to catch Rainbow Dash’s eyes. “So why did you send me a card today, then?”
“Because if I didn’t, then you’d just go out with some other jerk, and I’d lose my chance!” Rainbow Dash raised her head to look Twilight in the eye, her voice almost plaintive. “I figured I might as well take a shot, right?”
Twilight bit her lip. “Rainbow…”
“Look, it’s alright. I knew it was a longshot. It just sucks, you know?” Rainbow Dash’s voice cracked as she looked away. “You mind going? I’ve got some stuff I need to do.” She lifted a hoof to surreptitiously rub at her eye.
“I wasn’t going to say no, Rainbow.” Twilight smiled weakly.
“Wait, what?” Rainbow Dash whirled back towards Twilight. “Really?”
Twilight nodded. “Really.”
“Yes! I’m totally—” Rainbow Dash launched herself into the air, pumping her hoof in the air before pausing mid-hoof pump. “You don’t seem very happy about it.”
“What? No. I’m happy!” Twilight spread her wings, taking a step forward and putting on her best smile.
“Nuh uh. Your ears are way back and you like, totally showed up here looking sad. You were going to say no.” Rainbow Dash folded her wings back up as she landed, her own ears falling back against her mane. “I don’t want a pity date, Twilight.”
“It’s not a pity date! I want to go out with you!” Twilight’s smile disappeared as she stomped her hoof on the cloud floor ineffectually.
Rainbow Dash frowned. “Then why do you look sad? You don’t seem happy at all. C’mon Twi, I’m not stupid.”
“I didn’t say you were stupid! I just…” Twilight looked away, staring through Rainbow Dash’s dresser without seeing it. “I want to go on a date,” she repeated, her voice dropping.
Rainbow Dash fluffed her wings. She glanced over at the picture of their little group on her bedstand, then at the small bookshelf in the corner of her room. Sighing, she stepped forward and put a hoof on Twilight’s shoulder. “Look. I want to go out with you. But just because I like you doesn’t mean you have to go out on a date with me. You know that, right?”
“Of course I know that! That’s not why I want to go on a date with you.” Twilight shook her head.
“Then what’s eating you? You aren’t happy about this.” Rainbow Dash’s hoof returned to the floor. “You’re like, supposed to be all blushy and smiling and stuff. Or like, swooning or something. Not staring at my furniture.”
Twilight sighed, her gaze returning to her friend. “It’s just… I mean, I don’t like you like you. But… maybe I could?”
Rainbow Dash tilted her head to the side. “Then why do you want to go out with me?”
“Because I do! I want to like somepony. And I mean… you’re my friend. I’ve read in a few books that friendship can be a solid foundation for a relationship.”
Rainbow Dash stared at Twilight for a moment, then chuckled, the corners of her mouth turning up in a smirk. “A book? Seriously?”
“Hey! I’ve given a lot of thought to this!” Twilight straightened. “How else am I going to learn what I’m supposed to do to attract somepony?”
Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes, stepping up next to Twilight, her shoulder brushing against Twilight’s. “Gee, I wonder. Come on, let’s go get something to eat.”
Twilight’s ears pricked forward. “You mean like a date?”
“No, I mean, like, lunch. I’m hungry.” Rainbow Dash spread one of her wings, brushing the tips of her feathers along Twilight’s back. “We can discuss what we’re going to do on our date afterwards.”
Twilight shivered, her cheeks flushing at the soft touch on her back. “Really?”
“Well, yeah. I mean, somepony has to save you from trying to use dating tips that were written by ponies old enough to be your parents.” Rainbow Dash’s tail swished as she moved past Twilight and walked out of her bedroom door. “And then we can tell all those ponies that you’re dating a smoking hot Wonderbolt instead of some lame pony who sent you some flowers.”
Twilight followed close behind. “You know, if you want to eat, I do have a bunch of flowers back at my castle.”
Rainbow Dash wrinkled her snout as she took to the air. “Twilight. I like you. But if we’re going to date, there’s something I have to tell you.”
“What’s that?” Twilight asked, leaning over the railing as Rainbow Dash descended towards her front door.
“I hate flowers.”
Author's Note
Special thanks to TuxOKC, Garnot, Applespice03, Trick Question, and Winston for helping me edit this story. Thank you all for your help!
