“Worthless.”

Misty was trapped, her hooves feeling as if they had been merged with the stone floor of Opaline’s castle. Opaline was slowly walking towards her, her blazing wings fully extended. Misty desperately sparked her horn, trying to hit Opaline away, but the fire Alicorn did not stop moving forward.

“Did you really think you could escape me?”

“S-Stay back! I-I’ve got my friends with me!” She yelped.

“No you don’t… gaze behind you, you little whelp.”

Misty’s bottom lip quivered as her head turned around to see translucent images of friends walking away from her into the darkness. “N-No! Come back! P-Please!”

The image of Zipp paused, glancing behind her. Misty's face filled with hope, only for it to be demolished by the sight of Zipp spitting on the floor.

“You never were anything to me.“ her echoed voice rang throughout the castle. Crying now, Misty felt herself being forced to turn back around.

Opaline was right there.

“This will serve you right for betraying me, Traitor.”

The fiery wings of Opaline Arcana went into a full blaze, and the scorching heat blasted its way onto Misty’s petrified form.

Zipp shot up out of bed as soon as she heard the screaming, wings spread. Who was screaming?

Misty!

NYOOM.

As she flew, she surveyed the room. Everypony else was out tonight; they had been invited to the opening of a new hotel over in Zephyr Heights. Misty didn’t like crowds, and Zipp would take any excuse not to be around her mother. So it was just them.

Zipp was fully hooved and ready to take on any assailant that might be hurting Misty. Hurting HER Misty.

As she pulled back the curtain surrounding Misty’s bed she was ready to strike!

But there was nopony there. Yet Misty was still screaming.

Zipp looked down, mystified.

Oh.

Oh no.

A nightmare.

A nightmare was something she couldn’t just punch.

Misty and Zipp had been ‘together’ for about a week now. They had agreed to make it more of an exploration of feelings than proper dating: Misty didn’t know what a crush felt like and Zipp had no idea how to deal with her feelings surrounding the Unicorn. It had been a nice few days, with them doing various activities together. They had even kissed! Not real kisses, more like pecks, but that was more than enough for both of them.

Zipp was hesitant to land on the bed… what if Misty saw it as too forward?!

Misty screamed again.

To hell with fear.

She landed on the bed beside Misty, and began to shake her.

“Hey! Misty! Misty, you with me?”

It took a few moments for Misty to regain herself but when she did she sat up with the force of a lightning bolt, her horn accidentally releasing a firework of energy. She let out a loud yelp, but was immediately brought into reality to realise that Zipp was sitting next to her. Zipp flinched at the yelp, but stayed by her side.

Misty you idiot. You woke up Zipp. She’s going to hate you now. She’s going to hate you and you’ll stop hanging out and then you’ll get kicked out the bright house and you’ll have to live in a wet cardboard box all alone. Oplaine will return and then she’ll burn you and you’ll be in so much pain.

“Misty! Are you okay?” She asked worriedly as Misty turned her head to face away from her, burying her head in a pillow. She was too caught up in her own anxiety spiral to really comprehend what Zipp said, so just shook her head.

“What is it? What’s wrong? Did you have a nightmare? What was it about?” Zipp asked, hurriedly asking questions. Misty tensed as the questions flew around her mind all at once with her being unable to unscramble the words that she was trying to make her response with.

“I… Im… I…” she said, feeling herself start to hyperventilate. She was so overwhelmed. She wanted to scream and thrash around violently.

But something else happened instead.

“Misty… I’m-“

Zipp had placed her hoof on her shoulder. Misty flinched, flipping around to look at her with panic as her horn accidentally touched Zipp’s forehead. Both Misty and Zipp’s eyes shone white.

Within the space of about 5 seconds… Zipp experienced the entire nightmare.

Once it was over, Zipp fell backwards, wide eyed and confused. “W… W-What happened?”

Misty watched her fall back, and immediately began shaking again. She covered her eyes with her hooves and curled up. “M-My p-power… I c-can show other p-ponies my memories…. A-And see other ponies… feelings and thoughts… but I didn’t… m-mean to… show you that…”

Zipp laid on her back, staring at the quivering ball of Misty, breathing very quickly.

Zipp was dumbfounded. Misty had powerful magic. So powerful she didn’t even know how to start reckoning with it.

Misty had the ability to essentially read minds! That was awesome! This could be so useful! This could-

Misty let out another whimper.

This couldn’t wait.

Very carefully, she moved over to her. “Would you…..” she stalled. She had dealt with some of Zipp’s nightmares before, but never something this extreme. How the hell was she meant to comfort her!? She bit her lip in frustration as she felt tears start to form in her own eyes. No. Not today. No crying today, Zipp!

“Would you… l-like to…. Talk about it?” She asked slowly.

“No.” Replied Misty shortly, followed by a sniffle. She remained curled up in a ball, her form jolting from the occasional sob.

Shoot.

Zipp was stuck.

She tensed in anger. Come on Zipp. What do you say! Come on, You’re a detective! You solve mysteries! You’ve worked out so many things before so why can’t you solve the mystery of how to comfort your girlfriend?

She made a tiny little gasping noise at realising what her brain had just thought. Girlfriend.

Her eye twitched a little.

What would a girlfriend do…

Silently, Zipp looked down at the gently sobbing Misty.

She had a realisation.

“Misty, may I hug you?“

Misty was still for a few moments. She then gave a little nod, and unfurled herself from her ball.

Zipp wasted no time in laying down next her, wrapping her forelegs around her shoulders, and using her wings to embrace her entirely.

“I don’t… really know what t-to do to help you.” She admitted through tears. “But I do know that I’m here, and I’m never going to leave your side.”

Never going to leave my side?

Misty took a sharp inhale of breath.

Ever since she had arrived at the brighthouse, this had been the fear that had driven her.

She had only ran away that night because she thought everypony hated her. She was terrified that the the others would do the same thing that happened to

Slowly, she raised her head up, and looked directly into Zipp’s softly smiling face.

“You… you mean it?” She asked quietly, quivering.

“Would I lie about this?” Zipp replied.

Misty felt something stir inside of her. Something she knew she hadn’t felt before as she felt her cheeks grow warm. She was blushing.

Oh hoofness.

She understood.

“Zipp…” she said quietly.

“Misty.” Zipp replied, still hugging her, and gently rubbing her back.

“I think I’ve worked it out.”

“Hmm? Worked out… what?”

“… You know how we said that we would wait and see how we were feeling…”

“Yeah…”

Misty gulped.

“I think… I know how I’m feeling.”

Zipp’s eyes widened. She opened her mouth to speak, but nothing came out. Misty panicked a bit. Was that the wrong thing to say!?

Misty saw the blush grow on Zipp’s cheeks, and her shocked expression slowly shifted to one of joy. Misty tried to ask her to confirm, but the words got tangled up.

Zipp smirked, and nodded.

Misty started shivering with excitement and joy.

Zipp moved a little closer, her eyes darting down to Misty’s mouth, then back up to her eyes.

Misty understood.

She nodded.

Zipp let out a little sigh.

And they kissed.

Misty’s horn let out a spark or two.

Both their eyes closed, and for that moment, everything was perfect and tranquil, as they communicated exactly how they felt.

Because sometimes, words aren’t enough.

“UUuuuuuggghhhhh… I don’t even LIKE pasta!” Izzy groaned as her, Sunny and Pipp entered the brighthouse in the morning. The restaurant opening had been long and boring, and the food had been, as Pipp had described it, ‘Mid af skeleton emoji skeleton emoji.’

“But all you do is make pictures and models out of pasta, Izz! How can’t you like it?” Moaned Pipp, doing her best to stay standing as the three headed up the stairs.

“That’s art, dummy! You don’t eat art. Unless it’s drawings on edible paper. In that case you can munch munch munch!!”

Sunny let out a little chuckle as she heard her friends playfully bicker. Entering the bedroom area, she tilted her head. She could see Misty’s privacy curtain was up, so she was probably in there. But… Where was Zipp?

“Pipp, did Zipp say she’d be going anywhere last night?” She asked curiously, glancing around the room for her.

“Nnnope. She was probably just avoiding mother’s questions of ‘when are you getting a boyfriend, we need to continue the family line’ as always. Don’t blame her.” Said Pipp, who had already crashed onto her bed and was absent mindedly browsing horse tumblr.

Sunny looked over to Izzy who had already hopped into her corner and seemed to be constructing some sort of catapult made of rocks and dry spaghettini.

Smiling, she glanced over at Misty’s curtain. She would double check there; Misty had said it was fine for anypony to wake her as long as they called her name first.

“Hey Misty! Am I good to come in?“ she asked through the curtain. No response. She was probably still asleep. Sunny was about to turn away, but realised she should probably double check just in case.

“I’m coming in!” She said cheerfully and stuck her head in.

Zipp and Misty lay on the bed in an embrace as they peacefully slept, one of the Pegasus’s wings slid underneath Misty with the other tucked away by her side. Misty’s hind leg was wrapped around Zipp’s, intertwined in her tail. Their muzzles were touching as they slept.

Sunny gasped, taking a step back.

This looked like a little more than just friends.

At the gasp, Zipp’s ear flicked, and her eyes opened. Even when asleep, she was always on high alert.

She seemed very chill at first as she turned to smile at Sunny. Her head tilted as she looked at her shock but she quickly realised why she looked so confused.

“I… uh…” she started, blushing wildly as she tried to think of an explanation. Sunny just smiled and shook her head.

“You don’t need to explain, Zipp. I’ll let you two rest~” she said with a grin, and slipped away.

As she moved away, Pipp looked up. “Did you say two?”

“I’ll tell you later.”

Author's Note

happy pride month :)