A Love Sweeter Than Candy

"TWILIGHT!"

Of all the ways I expected to be woken after the previous night, being struck in the head by a hard impact was not on the list.

I darted up, holding a hoof to my head as I suddenly felt dizzy. "Pinkie, quit-"

I froze. Pinkie still had her forelegs draped around me, and she was slumbering happily away next to me. What in...

I answered my own question as a sudden dark object flew through the window. On instinct, I caught it with a simple levitation spell. As I held it before my eyes, I couldn't see well, but...was it...a rock?

Being careful not to wake her, I dislodged her forelegs from myself, ignoring her sleepy protests as I made my way to the window.

Just in time, too.

I caught sight of a figure on the ground, seemingly ready to toss another rock straight at me. "Hey! What is the meaning of this? You hit me on the head with a rock!"

Unexpectedly, after the figure touched back to the ground from its 'flinging pose', it spoke. "Sorry, Twilight. But it's me! Rainbow Dash!"

I blinked. "Rainbow? What on earth are you doing at this ungodly hour?! I just got through s-...ome important business with Pinkie, and I'm trying to catch some sleep! Is it that important?"

Ignoring my speech blunder, or just not even hearing it, Rainbow continued. "I just want to talk to you, but it is important!"

I sighed, suddenly remembering that I probably had to lower my voice. "All right, just come on up." I paused. "Wait, why didn't you just fly-"

Already, though, she had landed inside, interrupting me as quickly as possible. She spoke in a whisper too, at the sight of Pinkie sound asleep (...and rather frazzled herself). "I need your help, OK? I've been killing myself over it, and...it's kinda' why I didn't go to the wedding."

Was this Rainbow? Here she was, asking for help...and on top of that, piquing my curiosity even more was the fact that she could possibly tell me why she was absent...

I sighed, squinting through the darkness to try to see anything more than shapes. "What is it?"

"Well...how do you do it?"

I frowned. "Do what?"

"You know, hold a...relationship and all that junk. Because, see..." I didn't need light to tell when her head dropped. "...she-AJ-dropped the whole thing off, biting the loose ends as if she were trying to chew through steel. We...haven't even talked lately, and it's just been this whole ride for me, and..." It may have been lack of adequate sleep, but...she sounded close to...tears. "...I didn't want to go because I was...afraid. I just can't even stand to see her, because it just hurts that much...I didn't go because I didn't want to ruin your own day by breaking down into wimpy tears in front of everypony..."

As she'd went on, I slowly went from doubting, to curious, to...'oh'...quiet realization. "Rainbow, why didn't you just-"

"Because I thought you'd call me weak, alright?" she sighed, a wavering sound that only confirmed my earlier suspicions. "And I thought against even talking to you, but...I feel like I'm dying, all right? I...just...don't know where to go..."

"Calm down, Rainbow." I stepped forward, laying a hoof on her shoulder to attempt to calm her. The first step, definitely, was to make sure she was calm-I saw a teachable moment, and a moment to help a friend, but...I wouldn't get anywhere with an emotionally loaded pony.

It worked, to an extent. I heard her sniff, and she hauled herself just a bit higher, which was good- bravado preceded courage. "Now...did she tell you why? Chances are, she was upset with you for some reason."

Dash sighed, and...well, I half expected the answer, yet it also half shocked me. "She said that...I didn't spend enough time with her or something...that I spent too much time running all over the place...said that I probably loved the Wonderbolts more than her."

...OK, this might have sounded really snotty to myself, but...that definitely sounded like her.

I, however, resisted the impulse to say that aloud, instead turning back to my position as counsel. "Rainbow, I'm not going to go poking at specifics, but a relationship means giving up some of your own time to spend it with that other pony that you're willing to. It's more than a fancy title...you actually have to let them know how much you care about them, even if it's just spending that extra afternoon with them."

"Woah, Twi'. I didn't know you knew so much."

I chuckled. "You come to learn eventually." My gaze instinctually returned to Pinkie, who twitched in her sleep, as if noticing the 'mention'. She may not have noticed, but the glance meant all that it had meant to.

"But uh...how do I even get time to practice for the-"

I rolled my eyes. "I didn't say it had to take up all your time, just a little bit more."

With that, she turned away. "Yeah, thanks for the help, Twilight." she trotted carefully back to the window. "Maybe next time I won't buck it up...I don't think I even deserve Applejack even more."

"That's only in your head."

That was enough to cause her to stop, even as she was halfway into the night. "The chances are, if she ever considered any sort of relationship with you, she actually liked you, and it's probably hurting her too."

She sighed. "I'd like to believe that, Twilight, and I want nothing more than to be back with her. But she just doesn't want to talk to me. I was a jerk, and I got what was coming to me. I see now."

I raised an eyebrow. "Have you said that you were 'sorry' yet? That one word means a lot more than you think."

"Well, uh..."

I shook my head. "Then just tell her! Every pony makes stupid choices, but the best thing to do is apologize. If she holds it against you-" I paused. "-which she won't, then that's entirely her fault, and you can come off as the better pony."

It took a few seconds, and I could tell she was chewing it over in her head. But there could only be one conclusion... "You know what? I will!" She stood taller, puffing out her chest in a display of bravado all too familiar. "First thing tomorrow, I'm going right over there! This isn't over!"

And just as quickly as the first rock had woken me, she was gone in a flash, and a burst of wind. Well, she'd certainly regained her motivat-

I jumped as she zipped back even quicker, managing to stop before she crashed into the window I happened to be in the middle of closing. "Oh yeah, I just wanna thank you, Twi'! I definitely owe you one! Just call me when you need a favor, like either something with books or whatever-you definitely deserve it!"

I didn't say a word, because I knew I wouldn't get to. She was gone again, in a flash of color and wind. Again.

Reluctantly, I finished closing the window and making sure everything was in place. I went back to the bed, carefully slipping back in-between the sheets, perfectly unnoticed by my new bride, as cute as could be when sleep-

"Aw...that was sweet..."

Aw crud. I had forgotten her knowledge of nearly everything, but...I didn't think she would be up. "Pinkie, go to bed. I only woke up because a rock smacked me in the face."

"Okay!"

"...you do realize we're talking tomorrow, right? We still are."

"..."

Of course. Good old Pinkie Pie. As she had been before, was now...

And always would be.