Twilight daintily sipped the last of her tea as she perused a thoroughly worn copy of Ancient Equestria: A History. She inspected each page with as much excitement and interest as if it were the first time she had read the book. Meanwhile, Spike stepped down from the ladder that he was using to stack books and looked at her in confusion.
“Twilight, why do you keep reading that book. You must’ve read it a hundred times! Don’t you ever get bored reading the same thing over and over again?”
Twilight added a bookmark to her page and closed the book carefully. “I know it must seem strange, but honestly, it never gets boring to me. Every time I read one of my old books, I find something that I overlooked before. I love it that even when I think I know it so well, it still surprises me!” She happily hopped off into the kitchen to dispose of her empty teacup.
Spike shrugged his shoulders and continued with his assistant duties. “I’ll never understand her...” He muttered under his breath.
He walked over to the door and began slowly cleaning it with a feather duster. Suddenly, a series of loud knocks came from behind the door, causing Spike to jump back several feet with a loud yelp, his hand clutching his chest.
Twilight giggled as she returned from the kitchen. “Oh Spike, it’s just someone at the door. I think someone’s been reading too many scary stories!”
Spike coughed a few times to regain his manliness and walked down into the basement as Twilight went towards the door, opening it with a cheerful smile. She was greeted by another equally jolly smile, surrounded by a bright pink pony.
“Hi Twilight!” Pinkie Pie said loudly, punctuating her sentence with a playful bounce.
Twilight was surprised to see Pinkie Pie at her door, since usually the only ponies that came to her door at this time of day were there to browse her selection of books, and she certainly wasn’t here for a book. “Hi Pinkie Pie, what brings you here?”
“I’d like to take out a book please!”
She stood corrected. She thought she had hit the jackpot when she convinced Rainbow Dash to try reading, now she had Pinkie Pie too! There was no way that that hyper pony would ever be able to remain seated long enough to skim the first page of a book. Perhaps the allure of the written word was too much for even the most energetic ponies to resist. Maybe it was like a virus, spreading from pony to pony until finally, all of equestria would succumb to the joys of reading!
“Twilight? You okay?”
Pinkie Pie waved a hoof in front of Twilight’s vacant eyes. Twilight quietly let out what Pinkie thought was some sort of maniacal laugh.
Pinkie decided to call out louder. “Twilight?!” She gave the unicorn a few knocks on the top of the head with her hoof, bringing her out of her stupor.
“Oh, uh, sorry Pinkie.” Twilight said with a blush.
“Wow Twilight, you really zoned out there!”
Twilight shook her head a few times to bring herself back fully. Immediately, she realised that they were both still standing in the doorway. “I’m sorry pinkie! Please, come in.” Twilight stepped aside to let Pinkie Pie skip through the doorway. “Would you like some tea?”
Pinkie Pie shook her head. “No thanks Twilight.”
They stood in silence for a minute, Pinkie Pie staring at Twilight with a happy smile still plastered on her face.
“Umm, Pinkie? Didn’t you want a book?” Twilight asked nervously.
Pinkie Pie blinked a few times and giggled lightly. “Oh, right, sorry! I almost forgot!”
Then came another bout of awkward silence.
“Sooo... what kind of book would you like?” Twilight said. She was getting mildly annoyed with Pinkie Pie’s constant staring.
“Umm, cakes! Yes, that’s what I wanted, a book about cakes!” She said confidently.
Twilight looked at her oddly for a second before heading over to the ‘C’ section of her library. She glanced over the array of books that lined the shelf, before deciding on one that bore similar colours to it’s recipient. She levitated it off of the shelf and looked at it. On the cover of the book, a picture of a large layered strawberry cake covered most of the space, leaving only a small amount of room for the title.
“Here you go Pinkie Pie, this book is all about different types of cakes and how to make them.” Twilight said as she hovered the book in front of Pinkie Pie.
“Thanks Twilight.” Pinkie suddenly looked concerned about something. “Uh, Twilight, can I read it here?” The way she asked made it seem like she was afraid of Twilight saying no.
Twilight chuckled softly. “Of course you can Pinkie Pie, this is a library after all!”
She led Pinkie Pie to a cushioned seat at the reading table and picked up a book of her own to read. Both of them sat and read quietly, something that confused Twilight even more. Pinkie Pie was never quiet, if she could help it, so why would she suddenly be so calm? Twilight inconspicuously looked over at Pinkie Pie, who was looking right back at her.
“Is... is everything alright Pinkie Pie?”
Pinkie Pie looked at her for a little while longer. “...No. Can I talk to you Twilight?”
Twilight was startled by the sudden question. “Of course you can talk to me Pinkie Pie! I’m your friend.” She said kindly. She closed her book, as she had a feeling that this was something that needed her full attention.
Pinkie Pie twiddled her hooves as if she was looking for the right words to say. When she did speak, it was in a more subdued tone than she usually used, more akin to Fluttershy than normal Pinkie Pie. “I didn’t really come here for a book, I just said that so I could come in and talk to you, about a problem I’ve been having.” She paused for a moment to assess Twilight’s expression, hoping that she wasn’t mad that she had lied to her. When she saw that Twilight wore a look of mild confusion and concern, she carried on.
“you know Last week, when you came over to Sugarcube Corner to give the Cakes’ that new book about brownie recipes? When I came down and saw you talking to Ms. Cake, my tummy felt all fluttery and weird like I’d eaten too much frosting or something. Then, after you left, I couldn’t stop thinking about you! I even made a cupcake with purple stripes on it and a little piece of chocolate for a horn! I would show you it, but, I ate it... anyway, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about you all this week and I don’t know why, so I thought ‘who better to ask than the person who I can’t stop thinking about’! Besides, you’re the smartest pony I know!”
Pinkie finally stopped long enough for Twilight to process all of the information. Twilight just sat there, mouth slightly open as she thought about Pinkie’s confession. Pinkie Pie took this as a bad sign.
“Oh no! Is there something wrong with me!” She said, now full of worry.
Twilight shifted slightly, as if her brain was slowly giving her back control over her body. “W-wait, Pinkie, do you really not know why you’re thinking about me?” She asked shakily.
Pinkie shook her head. “No, am I sick? I don’t feel sick.” She placed a hoof on her forehead, checking her temperature. Then, she inexplicably pulled a thermometer out from underneath the table and stuck it in her mouth, watching it carefully.
Twilight stood up from her chair. “I have to go upstairs and do... something. I’ll be right back!” She galloped away from the table, almost knocking over a stack of books in the process.
Pinkie Pie watched her dash up the stairs and sighed. She clutched her stomach as the fluttery feeling returned, then grabbed another thermometer and put it in her mouth as well.
twilight ran into her room and slammed the door behind her. She sat down on her bed and thought to herself.
“How can Pinkie Pie not know what’s happening?! I remember my mother used to tell me that she felt the same way when she met dad. It must be, love. Those are the exact same symptoms that I’ve heard any couple talk about on hearts and hooves day. What am I going to do?!”
She lay down on her bed and held her pillow over her face. Images of her and Pinkie Pie together as a couple floated around her mind. The thought of being with a good friend seemed so uncomfortable to her, and yet, part of her couldn’t help but feel, curious.
“Maybe it’s not love. Maybe she just has an upset stomach and it’s just a coincidence that she’s been thinking of me. I just need to analyse her and see if she has anymore symptoms that could point to something else.” Slowly, she stood up from her bed and opened her door.
Twilight walked downstairs to see a very anxious Pinkie Pie, wrapped in numerous blankets with an ice pack placed upon her head. When Pinkie Pie saw Twilight, she pulled the blankets around her tightly.
“She is kind of funny...” Twilight thought to herself.
Twilight walked over to Pinkie Pie and sat down beside her. “Now Pinkie Pie, in order to fully diagnose your problem, I need some more information, okay?” Pinkie nodded and huddled up in her chair.
“So, you said you couldn’t stop thinking about me. What kinds of things were you thinking about?” She tried her best to keep her voice steady.
“Well, I don’t know really, just about how your mane is really nice and how it’s funny when you get all excited when you find a book that you haven’t read which is how I get when I find a new flavour of candy at the store!”
Twilight tried to hide her blush at Pinkie Pie’s thoughts. “Uh, has anything else weird been happening?”
Pinkie Pie shed her blankets and ice pack and thought for a moment. “Hmm, Ooh! The other day, when you came into Sugarcube Corner and asked for that box of donuts. You said thank you to me, and I started to get all hot in my cheeks and stuff.”
“She’s a little oblivious. Kind of like me sometimes...”
“So, what’s the diagnosis? Am I sick? Do I have to go to hospital? I don’t wanna go to hospital!” Pinkie cried. She leapt over to twilight and hugged her tightly, trying her best to ignore the growing tingling feeling in her body.
Twilight felt the warmth of Pinkie’s coat against hers, which caused her to tense up. Her breath caught in her throat as she tried to process the sudden series of events. Surprisingly for her, it wasn’t as uncomfortable as she’d imagined it being, now that she was aware of Pinkie’s feelings. If she had to be honest, it felt quite nice.
Pinkie cracked open one of her eyes when she felt Twilight tense up. Immediately, she pulled away, eliciting a soft moan of protest from Twilight. “Oh no! I gave it to you too! What’s wrong with me!” Pinkie said, bursting into tears.
Twilight looked confusedly at Pinkie Pie. She levitated a mirror over to her face and saw that she was blushing profusely. She then looked over to Pinkie Pie, who was lying on the floor among a puddle of tears.
“Did, did I just enjoy that? It was kind of nice, like a friendly hug, but somehow different. Maybe I was wrong about it being weird.”
Twilight’s thoughts were broken into by the harsh cries of her friend.
“Well, whatever happens, she deserves to know what’s happening to her!”
Twilight picked Pinkie Pie off of the floor and placed her back on her chair. “Stop crying Pinkie. You’re not sick.”
Pinkie Pie’s crying lessened until it was a series of small whimpers. “Really? Then why does my tummy feel so crazy?”
Twilight tried her best to gulp down her nerves. “I-I think, you may be in love with me.”
The room collapsed into a seemingly endless silence. Twilight stared straight into Pinkie Pie’s eyes, too nervous to even move her gaze. Pinkie Pie wore a barely readable expression: Slightly confused and at the same time, seemingly relieved, possibly because she didn’t have to go to the hospital. Eventually, the tension in the room was broken by Pinkie Pie rocking back on her chair in laughter.
“Whew! I’m glad it wasn’t something serious! I thought I was going to the hospital, I must’ve looked so funny!” Pinkie said as she recovered from her giggling fit. “What, so, do you mean the ‘hearts and hooves day’ kind of love?”
Twilight nodded, clearly not seeing the amount of humour in this that Pinkie saw. Pinkie Pie carried on laughing until all of her mirth had left her.
“Now what? My tummy still feels tingly” She pondered the thought with a hoof on her chin. “Ooh! I know!” Pinkie Pie leaned forward and pressed her lips against Twilight’s.
Twilight’s eyes widened in shock as every part of her brain went haywire. She didn’t know what was happening, or what she should do. Her heartbeat quickened so much that she felt like she would faint any second. It was amazing that Pinkie Pie could act so nonchalant about it when she had never felt more confused in her life.
Pinkie Pie pulled away and opened her eyes, giving Twilight an adorable smile. “I think that helped.”
Twilight forced her brain to restart. She stared at the pink pony with whom she had just shared her first kiss. It felt like something needed to be said, but with the amount of willpower it took to just comprehend her situation, all she could manage was a soft croak.
“I still don’t feel completely okay though.” Pinkie said.
Without even thinking, Twilight moved closer to Pinkie Pie. “Maybe this will help.” She said as she pushed Pinkie to the floor and kissed her again.
This time, Twilight allowed herself to truly feel each moment of what was happening, as opposed to the incoherent jumble of thoughts and emotions that was their first kiss. There may have been a part of her that still felt that what she was doing was wrong, but at this point she no longer cared.
After a longer stretch of time than their first kiss, Twilight pulled away, her cheeks a deep shade of red as she smiled softly at Pinkie Pie.
“I think I feel better.” Pinkie Pie said quietly. She wrapped her hooves around Twilight and hugged her tightly.
“Geez you guys, get a room!” Spike said loudly as he walked up from the basement. Both ponies jumped up and chuckled nervously.
They waited for Spike to walk upstairs before Pinkie Pie planted a kiss on Twilight’s cheek.