Well-fed after eating a large gem sandwich minutes ago, Spike was lying on the couch.

The blankets were warm, and he nestled into them.

It was afternoon, and as it was quite common to be tired after consuming food, and as there was nothing wrong with napping, he was not trying to nap, but he also was not trying not to.

His thoughts drifted idly as his eyes slowly began to droop closed.

His breathing slowed a bit, and he was juuuuuuuuuuuuuuuust about to doze off when-

“AAAAAAAAH!” Spike fell off the couch, instantly wide awake.

Tangled in the blankets, he struggled for a second before extracting himself and running upstairs.

Because that scream? It was Twilight’s voice.

When he got to her bedroom door, the sound of her screams still audible, though they continued to be muffled by the heavy wood door and the walls, he didn’t hesitate, flinging it open- because what if she was in trouble?

Of course, if she couldn’t save herself, if she- the analytical one, who struggled with emotions but always saved the day- was helpless and afraid, then there was certainly nothing he could do to help, but he wasn’t thinking it through, not really.

What he saw inside, however, was not what he had expected: someone kidnapping her, maybe Sombra, Tirek, or Chrysalis, or Discord playing a prank on her, despite the fact that it wasn’t April.

Instead, Twilight Sparkle sat in the middle of her bedroom, surrounded by heaps of papers covered in scribbled words, nothing like her normal neat hoofwriting.

On the wall behind her, there was a bulletin board containing photos and more scribbles, with tacks connected to each other by red string.

Her eyes were wide, looking around her room, as she continued to yell.

Frantically, her eyes moved from looking down at her hooves to up at the bulletin board to the papers on the floor- pausing at each individual one- back to her hooves.

Blinking in confusion, Spike cleared his throat, Twilight’s eyes flitted up to him standing in the doorway.

Immediately, she stopped screaming.

After clearing her throat, she spoke.

“Oh, hi there Spike!” she said, smiling widely, although it didn’t reach her eyes.

“Um… are you okay?” he asked with alarm.

“Oh, fine. See you later! Bye! Au revoir, as they say in Prench!”

Waving her hoof, she shooed him out the door.

Rubbing his head in confusion, Spike headed back to take that nap.

Meanwhile, as soon as the door closed behind Spike, Twilight slumped down, putting her head in her hooves.

She had a bit of a dilemma. Or, well, perhaps it was a large dilemma, she thought.

You see, the research- it just matched up with everything she had been feeling, and it was obvious.

She couldn’t deny it, couldn’t stop it either.

She had made lists and read every medical and/or romance book in the castle library twice, had studied memories and photos.

It was clear as day that she was in love with Rainbow Dash.

And she had absolutely no idea what to do about it.

All the symptoms were there- fast heartbeats, blushing, dizziness, having a hard time breathing…

At first, when she had first noticed the symptoms, she had thought they might be caused by a panic attack, but then she had realized they only happened near Rainbow.

Rainbow, with her raspberry eyes, and wild tail and mane, and bold personality, and…

Twilight vigorously shook her head.

Stop it, Twi!

You can’t like Rainbow Dash!

You just can’t!

Because…

Hmmmm.

Why not?

Scientifically speaking, she not only could but did.

She just…

Didn’t want to.

But what was wrong with not wanting to be in love? thought Twilight frantically, trying to reason with herself.

She was busy, with many duties as princess of friendship, not to mention the facts that her basement needed dusting, her books needed reorganizing, her bed needed to be made, she needed to spend time with friends…

Come on, Twilight!

This is getting ridiculous!

Stop making excuses!

The truth was, Twilight Sparkle was scared to be in love.

Not just specifically with Rainbow, although that was scary too in its own ways, but to love anyone at all in a more-than-friends sort of way.

Scared to have a crush, scared to admit it, scared of what would happen if she did or didn’t.

But she knew she did.

Have a crush, that is.

Now, what to do about it…?

She could ignore it, of course.

Pretend to herself and everyone else that her heart didn’t beat faster than Rainbow’s wings at the presence of a certain light cerulean pony.

Pretend not to notice, or not to care…

No, it wouldn’t work.

She wouldn’t be able to bear it.

Twilight was almost certain, after all, that she had read about ‘death from a broken heart’ before, or at least heard about it, and that was what would happen to her if she chose that option.

So she crossed it off the list.

Next up…

Trying to make it go away.

She could cast a spell on herself, maybe?

Some sort of reverse love spell.

No, no, love spells never worked well, and a reverse one was sure to be even worse.

Maybe Zecora could make some kind of potion…?

That sounded like it might work.

But then Twilight pictured herself without loving Rainbow Dash.

She had loved her for a long time, or at least that was the most plausible thing according to the romance novels she had been reading for research.

Maybe as soon as they met, although the memory was fuzzy, but she could remember a strange fluttering feeling, unique to only when she was with Dash, that she had dismissed as nothing but hunger.

So yes, now that she thought about it, she had loved Rainbow Dash since they had met.

And without that love…

It consumed so much of her, though she had just consciously realized it.

It was etched into her bones, it flowed through her blood.

Without it she would be hollow, empty, unfeeling.

She would become an emotionless robot.

So that too was scratched off the list.

What else was left?

Come on, Twilight! Think!

Almost unknowingly, she flapped her wings, which she was still adjusting to, and soon found herself hovering several feet above the floor.

Her papers blew around from the wind created by her wing flapping, but thankfully her list and quill were being held in place in the air by the tendrils of her magic.

She furrowed her brow for a moment, trying to remember what else she could do.

Wake up, brain!

Hmmmmmmmmmm…

Aha!

She suddenly remembered- realized? it was hard to tell- the last option and scribbled it down.

Once done, she looked at the paper.

Twilight blinked.

She tilted her head one way and then the other.

She started to look away and then did a double take.

Really?

That was the only option?

Yes. Yes, it was.

She would have to confess.

Though it scared her, there was nothing else to be done.

What if she says no?

She might hate me forever! The friend group will never be the same! Everything will be ruined!

Or she might friendzone me, and I’ll be embarrassed forever!

What if I get over her?

What if I don’t?

Oh Celestia, what if she says yes?!

Twilight was breathing fast now, about to have a panic attack, when she got an idea.

She didn’t have to admit right away and risk a multitude of terrifying things, things worse than all the villains she had faced combined.

No, she simply had to approach this scientifically.

She would need a hypothesis.

Hmmmmm…

‘Twilight Sparkle is in love with Rainbow Dash.’

Okay, that would be her hypothesis.

Now, she would need to conduct experiments to figure out whether that was really true.

Certainly, she had researched the broad subject of love extensively.

But testing the hypothesis in the environment of real life would yield tangible evidence about the specific ponies involved in the hypothesis.

Besides, she really wanted to see Rainbow again in person.

She had been alone in the castle, researching love, for weeks on end, and had not seen any of her friends, other than Spike of course, but she especially wanted to see her crush- for purely scientific reasons, of course!

Stop blushing, Twilight!

Sigh.

Author's Note

Chapter one! Next up: Twilight's first experiment! When I have time, of course. Probably next Sunday.