Hm…let me think…how do I describe dating a royal pony? A roller coaster. Yep. A roller coaster of emotions and nerves and anxiety and sweat and…well…everything. Oh, our first date at The Pizza Pony went splendidly. The pizza was delicious, and Twilight seemed to enjoy every last bite. I adored the way she ate. She was mannerly, as you’d expect a princess to be, yet she also ate with great enthusiasm. She didn’t hide her feelings behind a mask of politeness and daintiness. She came right out and said that it was the best pizza she had ever tasted. I enjoyed my slices as well, but watching her have fun and enjoy living life was probably the greatest experience I’ve ever been fortunate enough to have happen.

Why did I say that pizza changed my life? Well, because from then on, Twilight and I found that our friendship grew extremely close. It was as if something in the dough or the sauce had caused a small fuse to light inside both of us, and for the next few weeks, we did everything together. Even after I began teaching at the School of Friendship, she would pop into Ponyville unexpectedly and surprise me. The way she did so often had me in a fog of love and my thoughts would get jumbled up in a soup of affection. She would giggle and then we would leave and go do whatever it was she had planned.

We never came out and said that we loved each other, but it was becoming rather obvious. We had known each other for so long and lived together for months in the castle, that we could read each other like books; and, if I may say, hers was the most magical and amazing book ever written. I found myself spiraling further and further into this wonderful, warm love that I had for her. I clamored to know her better as the days and weeks passed, and pretty soon, I decided it was time I confessed my affections.

With Rarity’s help, I selected one of the prettiest spots in Ponyville for that occasion. It was the rooftop garden at the school. With all of the fresh blooms and wonderful fragrances, I figured that it would be the perfect location for something so important. Rarity heartily agreed, and so the preparations began. We got Rainbow Dash and Princess Luna to help create the perfect atmosphere, with a beautifully vibrant moon and not a cloud to be found. Pinkie Pie helped by making some small treats for us to share, and Fluttershy asked the birds to softly sing from a tree nearby. Applejack and The Apple Family (whom I got along with wonderfully, considering our shared country roots) created two special thermoses of cider, and Starlight was put in charge of the entire affair.

It’s wonderful to have good friends assist whenever something like this happens, because you find that you’re a nervous wreck and can hardly stand to your hooves without wobbling and falling over. On the afternoon before I was set to lay everything on the table, as it were, I found myself on the floor at Rarity’s. “I can’t do it!” I cried, “I can’t do this! She’s so amazing and wonderful and…I just…she’ll never feel the same! I just can’t do it!”

“Sh…” Rarity soothed, “it’s alright, darling. There’s no need to force anything. Just tell her what’s in your heart, the same way you did before you two started dating.”

“Dating? We haven’t been dating. We’re just two good friends who enjoy doing things together, and we just so happen to be male and female.”

She helped me back up and gave me a look. “Darling, let me ask you something. Do you enjoy doing things with Twilight?”

“Of course!”

“Do you think she’s beautiful, charming, smart, and graceful?”

“Of course!”

“Do you love her?”

“Of course!”

“Do you feel like she feels the same for you?”

I looked at the ground. Of course I wanted to feel that way, but my mind was telling me that things weren’t going well. My heart and head were in a war for my consciousness, and I was the arbitrator between the two. Unfortunately, I wasn’t very good at my job, and neither of them were satisfied. I sighed as I realized that I had no answer for Rarity’s final question.

“I really don’t know, Rarity,” I said honestly, “I mean, when she looks at me, her eyes sparkle with kindness and friendship…but that’s the way they are with everypony! Her smile is affectionate and genuine, but again, she’s that way to everyone. How do I know? I mean, am I making the right choice here?”

Rarity put a hoof on my shoulder and smiled. “From the time you arrived in Equestria, you’ve been unsure of yourself as a pony. Even though none of us aside from Twilight knew you were human, you were always a little nervous. You didn’t understand a lot of things about pony life, but who was always there to explain them? She was. She never did so with anger or frustration. She did them with kindness and understanding.”

“But neither of us are perfect either,” I said, recalling our first fight over my dishonesty, and the other times we had argued. I remembered one particular argument about the proponents of the Element of Loyalty. I thought it was enough to just be around a friend every so often and call that Loyalty, but she harshly reprimanded me. It was as if I had deeply harmed her connection to the Elements. I had never seen such a fire blazing in her eyes. We got into a shouting match with each other and separated to different rooms. Then we were able to come back together, apologize, and return to our friendly ways.

“No, darling,” Rarity said, “nopony is. But when you first arrived, you worshipped Twilight. You kissed the very ground she walked on.”

“I never did!”

“It’s an expression, sweetness. You fawned over her. But now that you’ve known her for a while, you also realize that she can make mistakes. You’re both imperfect ponies…but the affection you have for each other is real. You both realize the flaws of the other and are willing to help with them. You’ve both grown in your friendship, and for me, her love for you is demonstrated in her patience with you. No offense, but you can have a short temper. I remember you yelling at Pinkie once when she played her Yovidaphone too loudly.”

I smiled, remembering that visit to Ponyville. I’ll never forget Pinkie’s deflated nature the next day, and I felt so horrible about things that I ran up to her, gave her a hug and apologized profusely. It was torture seeing the happy pink mare so sad. “Yeah,” I said, “I really messed up with that one.”

“But through it all, Twilight’s never once given up on you, nor have you given up on her. You’ve made mistakes, she’s made mistakes, but you’ve both come together regardless of things. That’s what makes your friendship special, and that’s what has cemented your love for each other. True, she might not have said it yet, but she never had to. Her actions over the past few weeks have spoken of a deep and gentle affection for you, and you do the same to her. Your bodies, hearts, and minds need to become one, and this is just the beginning of that. As I said on the day you first asked Twilight out, your heart will tell you exactly what you need to say. Be honest and truthful with her, and I imagine she will be the same with you. Your love is real…and there is nopony in the world who can stop it.”

I smiled and hugged my friend and wing pony. “Thank you,” I said as the tears came, “I needed to hear that. It was the most beautiful advice you’ve ever given me. I cherish our friendship, Rarity.”

“As do I, Stony Tail,” she said as she returned the embrace, “as do I.”

Author's Note

For those of you wondering why Princess Luna made an appearance in this chapter, all will be answered in tomorrow's entry. As always, thanks for reading!