In social circles, when two friends from the same group embarked on a romantic relationship, they occasionally opted to keep it secret for a brief period before divulging the news to the rest of the group. Typically, this secret would only be kept for a couple of months, at most. The reasons for their secrecy varied, each with their own motivations. However, it could lead to awkward situations when they were not particularly adept at hiding their newfound connection. Rarity wasn’t even sure they were bad at hiding it in this particular case because it seemed they were not hiding it at all!
Seated in Sugarcube Corner, all her friends gathered around a single table. The group appeared somewhat divided, with four of them huddled together on one side while the remaining two occupied the other. Twilight and Rainbow Dash were talking about something that happened earlier today, giggling together while their friends were staring at them awkwardly.
“Then Derpy’s letters fell all over Spike right when he sneezed! I wish I could have seen Princess Celestia’s face when she got all of Ponyville’s mail!” Rainbow Dash snickered as Twilight playfully hit her shoulder with her hoof.
“Stop it, Rainbow! You’re making me laugh when I should feel bad for her!” Twilight chuckled while holding a wing over her mouth.
“Hey, it’s not my fault it was funny! But really, it was either that or your tail getting caught on fire! I kinda saved you!” Rainbow Dash puffed up her chest pridefully while smirking.
“It wouldn’t have happened if it wasn’t for your prank, but thank you, my hero,” Twilight grinned while squinting, then moved her face closer. It seemed the pegasus quickly understood her intentions since she made a similar gesture. They affectionately nuzzled each other, completely forgetting they weren’t alone.
"Ahem," Rarity cleared her throat with a hint of seriousness, interrupting their public display of affection. As they turned their attention toward her, the unicorn softened her expression, offering a warm and welcoming smile. “So, darlings… That was a fun little story, but don’t you have anything else to tell us?” She tilted her head forward, encouraging them to respond, only for Rainbow Dash to shrug.
“Um… I don’t think so? Did something happen?” Rainbow Dash asked Twilight in confusion, who looked just as perplexed as she was.
“Nothing, I think. At least, to my knowledge,” She replied before focusing back on their friends. “Were we supposed to bring something?”
“Ya sure ya don’t have any idea what we’re talkin’ about? Maybe there’s an announcement ya would like ta make?” Applejack asked with a raised eyebrow, which only increased their confusion further.
“A happy development that happened in the recent month?” Fluttershy suggested as their two friends shrugged again. It really seemed they had no knowledge of what they were referring to.
“Something that would be worth celebrating with a party?” Pinkie Pie added with a wide and excited smile.
“Are you girls alright? I think I would have remembered if we had something to announce,” Twilight arched an eyebrow while scratching the top of her head.
“Actually… Oh, right! I can’t believe we didn’t tell you guys!” Rainbow Dash suddenly exclaimed. “And it’s so important, too! Don’t you remember, Twi? They still don’t know about us,” She clarified to the alicorn who opened her mouth in an ‘o’ as she finally realized.
“I was sure we told them! Sorry, girls. I guess we were so excited we forgot,” Twilight apologized as the others breathed out in relief.
“It’s okay, Sugarcube. Ah guess anypony would be a bit preoccupied by somethin’ so special!” Applejack reassured them as the two friends nodded in agreement.
“I, for one, am grateful that I can finally say how happy I am for you. Your life is just starting,” Rarity stated wholeheartedly. She hoped that her friends would find a special somepony for so long, partly because she wanted gossip, but mostly because she was ecstatic to see love blooming. Especially if it was between two of her friends!
“We were beginning to think you were too scared to tell us, but you shouldn’t, we could never get mad at you or reject you for something like this,” Fluttershy smiled warmly as Twilight cocked an eyebrow in response.
“Oh, I can’t wait to get that party started!” Pinkie Pie jumped out of her seat in joy.
“Wow, girls… I wasn’t expecting those reactions, but you know, it’s not that serious. A-And you don’t even know what we were about to say,” Twilight responded while blushing, flattered by their overwhelming support.
“No way! It is that serious, Twilight!” Rainbow Dash hovered, nearly as excitedly as Pinkie, which was heartwarming to see for the other girls. The rainbow-maned pegasus looked so joyful! It was evident this heavily weighed on her mind, and she was glad that they could finally talk about it. The pegasus grabbed Twilight under her hooves and held her up above the air with one foreleg. “Me and Twi…” She started before being interrupted.
“Twi and I,” Twilight corrected with a shit-eating grin.
“Twi and I,” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes in slight annoyance before smiling again. “Are going to Manehattan to see the first Daring Do movie! This. Is. Going to be. AWESOME!” She shouted in delight while Twilight was chuckling.
“I’m sure it will, Rainbow, but you can let go now,” She snickered as she used her own wings to hover above her seat, and then sat back down. “You should have seen her when I told her I managed to get us tickets! She was as excited as a little filly!” She remarked as Rainbow Dash quickly went back to her seat, with reddened cheeks.
“D-Don’t tell them that, Twi! They’ll think I’m so uncool,” Rainbow Dash muttered embarrassingly as she hung her head low.
“So what? I won’t think you’re uncool. Actually, I would say you are the coolest mare in the world!” Twilight nuzzled her cheek comfortingly.
Noticing that her other friends were strangely silent, she stopped what she was doing and glanced at them. To her surprise, their reactions were far from what she had anticipated. Most of them appeared utterly bewildered, their jaws hanging slack in astonishment, while Pinkie's eyes darted around as if she suspected being pranked.
“Is something wrong?” Twilight cocked an eyebrow as Rarity nervously chuckled.
“No, no… It’s just… We were expecting something else… Are you sure you’re not hiding something from us?” Rarity grinned hesitantly while the alicorn and the cyan pegasus remained silent, confused as ever.
“Oh, for the love of Celestia, Ah had enough! When are ya going to tell us yer dating?” Applejack interjected, having enough of beating around the bush. Their two friends immediately gasped in surprise, madly blushing at her sudden query.
“W-What? We’re not dating!” Rainbow Dash retorted with red cheeks and with flapping wings.
“What gave you that idea?” Twilight stammered, even more embarrassed than Rainbow Dash. Especially since dating was something she never even thought about in the past.
“I understand you were scared we wouldn’t accept you, but you don’t have to be… If anything, we’re happy for you, so you don’t have to hide it anymore,” Fluttershy reassured them, which only served to make Rainbow Dash blush even more.
“Not that you were good at hiding it at all,” Rarity cringed as a few memories resurfaced.
“My tail twitched like 5 times in a row, too!” Pinkie added excitedly.
“Again. What possibly gave you that idea?” Twilight questioned with an eyebrow raised, her blush subsiding.
“It’s starting to get embarrassing…” Rainbow mumbled while looking away.
“Darling, please. You haven’t really been discreet, you know,” Rarity sighed, making Twilight frown in frustration.
“Can you please tell me what are the signs you thought you saw?” The alicorn grunted, getting impatient.
“You nuzzle each other abnormally often,” Rarity noted as Twilight jerked back offendedly.
“Rarity! I nuzzle all my friends! You know that!” She replied as Rarity arched a dubious eyebrow.
“Sure, you nuzzle us, too. But not all the time like you do it with Rainbow Dash. You-You’re doing it, right now!” Rarity exclaimed as she pointed a hoof at her two friends, who had suddenly paused in their conversation to nuzzle each other.
“Twilight’s just a big affectional egghead! Nothing weird about that!” Rainbow Dash retorted as Applejack looked surprised to hear the word ‘affectional’ from Rainbow Dash of all ponies.
“Trust me, girls. I love Rainbow Dash, but only as a friend,” Twilight calmly added as Rainbow Dash scoffed.
“Although I love her more, it’s also only as a friend,” She remarked, making Twilight snicker.
“Come on, Rainbow, don’t turn this into a competition. I love you more, but that’s not the point,” She rolled her eyes in amusement as the cyan pegasus crossed her forelegs as if she had just been challenged.
“Nuh huh! I love you way way more!” Rainbow Dash denied her claim stubbornly.
“Rainbow Dash, please. This is getting silly,” Twilight let out a light laugh while shaking her head. “I literally dream of you every night! You can’t possibly beat that,” She added, only to receive a cocky grin in return.
“Except I do the same! Plus, at the next Wonderbolt show, I’ll spell out ‘I love Twilight Sparkle’ in the sky just for you!” The wonderbolt assured her.
“Is that so? Then I’ll use my power as a princess to make today a holiday called ‘I love Rainbow Dash’!” Twilight proudly stated, and before Rainbow could retort, Applejack cleared her throat and stopped their little competition. “Oh, right! Sorry, I forgot about you girls. Anyway, I really don’t see the signs you think you’re seeing,” Twilight apologized.
Meanwhile, Rarity's right eye twitched uncontrollably as she extended her hoof, gesturing back and forth between the two ponies and the rest of her friends. The sight left her in a state of utter bewilderment, rendering her incapable of forming coherent words, reducing her to desperate stammering.
“There, there,” Fluttershy comforted her while rubbing her back.
“They’re pranking us, right? Are they pranking us or is my pinkie sense wrong? I can’t trust myself anymore!” Pinkie Pie shouted as she began strangling her tail in panic.
“Alright… Let’s forget this just happened. What about the sleepovers?” Applejack asked as Twilight tilted her head.
“What about them?” Twilight questioned, prompting Applejack to facehoof.
“Ya know what Ah am talkin’ about! Ya have a whole castle, multiple rooms, and beds, so why the hay are ya and Rainbow Dash always sleepin’ together if ya aren’t datin’!?” She inquired frustratingly while the alicorn and her pegasus friend were nuzzling again.
“Pfft! Friends can sleep in the same bed, AJ! There’s nothing weird about that,” Rainbow Dash rolled her eyes.
“Besides, didn’t you sleep with Rarity at my first slumber party?” Twilight added, making Applejack’s eyes widen in shock as she vividly remembered that day. The farm pony didn’t even reply and turned into a stuttering mess.
“Yes, but we didn’t have a choice, Twilight. Moreover, don’t you remember how much we fought because of that? I don’t think it’s a fair comparison,” Rarity chuckled nervously. “Okay, let’s see… Why are you so close during your reading session, then?”
“Reading the same book would be hard if we aren’t close,” Twilight replied followed by a shrug.
“Fair point, but why are you always covering each other’s back with your wings? Not that you don’t look cute together that way!” Rarity raised her hooves as Rainbow Dash gazed at her offendedly, not liking being called cute.
“It’s warmer and better than a blanket. And we’re really close friends,” Twilight argued confidently.
“You have a fireplace,”
“It doesn’t do much when you’re in the middle of winter,”
“You also do it in the summer,” Rarity narrowed her eyes with growing impatience.
“The castle is big and cold even in the summer,” Twilight grinned.
While the others were just plain confused and began wondering if they were wrong, Rarity was fuming. They must have been lying! There was no other way! But Twilight wouldn’t look so sure of herself if she was, wouldn’t she? Wouldn’t Rainbow Dash also brag everywhere that she had a marefriend? She wasn’t giving up until they told the truth!
“Why are you always sharing food then? You even buy couple’s milkshakes!” Rarity remarked.
“Sharing is caring. I would share with any friend,” Twilight grinned.
“Sometimes you’re sleeping at Rainbow’s place even if there is no sleepover…” Fluttershy pointed out.
“Her cloud house is comfy and it’s a nice change of pace from the castle,”
“Basically, my house is awesome!” Rainbow Dash bragged with a puffed-up chest.
“My tail twitched five times!” Pinkie attempted to argue, only for Twilight to quickly answer.
“Your power works in mysterious ways, don’t question them because the only thing that makes sense about Pinkie Pie is that nothing makes sense. If nothing makes sense, then it would make sense that your tail twitching doesn’t make sense or mean anything, or rather, it could mean a whole other thing than what you’re thinking about! Basically, your tail twitched because your cake is ready. Which makes sense,” Twilight replied without missing a beat as Pinkie’s oven rang at the exact same time, notifying her that the cake was done.
“Okay… She got me,” Pinkie shrugged as she stood up and walked over to the oven to take the cake out.
The other girls’ jaws dropped, hardly believing that they even managed to outplay Pinkie Pie!
“See? We are not dating. So please, drop the subject,” Twilight breathed out, seemingly relieved that it was over.
“You… You literally kissed each other, yesterday! On the mouth!” Rarity stomped the floor in anger, making the cyan pegasus arch an eyebrow.
“And? You know, in some cultures, kissing on the mouth isn’t just for couples but for friends and family too,” Rainbow Dash argued nonchalantly.
“You’re from Cloudsdale and she’s from Canterlot!” Rarity retorted in annoyance as Twilight raised her hoof.
“Rarity, calm down. I would let you know that, coincidentally, both our families practice this way of showing affection. We simply didn’t know until recently,” Twilight explained while Rarity’s anger was slowly turning into confusion.
“But… But we never even kissed on the cheek, so why…” She started, about to ask them why they started doing it on the mouth of all places on the face.
“Well, that’s partly the reason! Can’t we show some affection to a friend without being labeled a couple?” The alicorn princess cocked an eyebrow.
“I just… You’re right. Maybe… Maybe we were overthinking things, but it’s just so strange… I was sure!” Rarity shook her head, still not believing what they were saying.
“We apologize, Sugarcube. We never thought about it that way,” Applejack tipped her hat in shame.
“Yes, we shouldn’t have assumed things. I suppose there’s nothing wrong with being really close with a friend,” Fluttershy fiddled with her hooves and wings while Pinkie slammed her head into the cake she just prepared in the background.
“Finally! You get it! That was annoying. Let’s bail, Twilight. I need some fresh air,” Rainbow Dash retorted with an eye roll before hovering off her seat.
“We’ll see you later, girls,” Twilight notified them before following behind Rainbow and exiting the shop.
“They really weren’t dating, after all,” Fluttershy mumbled under her breath.
“I didn’t know they were such close friends, though… Should… Should we start doing the same thing?” Rarity questioned the others, whose blood quickly got to her cheeks.
“Ah mean… Ah suppose if ya aren’t afraid other ponies will think we’re a couple…” Applejack replied while looking at her. Rarity stayed silent, simply staring into her eyes. Then, without warning, they both moved their heads closer and kissed on the lips, making Fluttershy squeal in surprise and faint.
After breaking the kiss, both blushed and looked away in embarrassment.
“Let’s not do that again. Ever,” Rarity stated, keeping the rose tint on her face.
“Agreed,” Applejack coughed into her hoof before hiding her face behind her hat.
Meanwhile, in Ponyville’s sky, Twilight and Rainbow Dash flew side by side until they landed on a lone cloud and stretched their wings.
“You know, we really should tell them we’re dating at some point,” Twilight said to a grinning cyan pegasus.
“Let’s wait a bit more! Their reactions were priceless!” Rainbow Dash sniggered while holding her sides.
“I guess it was pretty funny,” Twilight chuckled before sitting beside her marefriend. “And I didn’t forget your promise earlier. I’m fully expecting to see you write ‘I love Twilight Sparkle’ in the sky at the next Wonderbolt show!” She grinned in amusement.
“I’ll be sure to keep my promise once I see you write a letter to Princess Celestia for that holiday,” Rainbow Dash retorted, keeping her face serious and impassive until her expression slowly turned into a grin.
Thus, they both shared a final laugh.
Author's Note
Hope you liked it
