She Makes Me Laugh

Twilight awoke, groggily. Multicolored balls danced in her head, and for some reason her hooves felt sore. Blinking gently, she turned her head over to find both Princesses watching her.

For once, that didn’t make her angry. Instead, she gave a wistful sigh.

“That was him?” Twilight asked.

Luna smiled, tears in her eyes. “A bit more modern in his dialect, but I think he found that hilarious.”

Twilight nodded. Then, without missing a beat, threw herself at the older alicorn, hugging her.

“M-mom!” She cried. “I’m sorry! I’m so sorry!” Luna just held her tight, as if she intended to never let go, tears falling onto the smaller pony’s head as her whole body shook with sobs.

“You’ve nothing to apologize for, my little star. After a thousand years, I’m just glad to have you back.”

Both of them stood there for what felt like hours, before Twilight finally broke the hug, wiping away her tears.

“Is Pinkie Pie still here? I… I need to talk to her. It’s important.”

“Celestia managed to convince her to stay. Do you want us to take you to her?”

Twilight opened her mouth to say something, then paused.

Be sincere.

Be honest.

Tell her how you feel.

Easier said than done for that last bit.

But before she faced the party music, first thing’s first…

Twilight walked over to Celestia, eyeing her. The princess, her mentor, her aunt, wasn’t wearing any of her usual raiments or gold jewelry. Without them, she somehow looked smaller, sadder.

“Princess Celestia.”

“Twilight,” responded Celestia quietly. “I know you’re— Oh!”

Twilight pulled Celestia in for another hug.

“I don’t blame you,” she said gently. “You were a great teacher, but from now on, I’d rather have an aunt.”

She felt white wings fold around her, felt another set of tears on top of her head. She could feel Celestia sobbing now, as her mentor stroked her back gently.

“Y-you don’t know how happy I was when I saw you in that classroom, Twilight. I’ll always be proud of you, always.”

“Can I call you auntie now?”

Celestia sniffed. “Of c-course you can!”

Twilight looked over at Luna, Celestia followed her gaze, opening up her wings and beckoning.

“This is your family too Luna, get over here.”

With another cry, Luna rushed forward into her sister’s embrace, all three alicorns hugging each other. Twilight tried to think of something to say, but her train of thought had been derailed by the rush of happiness. She let it lie there, she’d send a mental cleanup crew once she got over the high of being held by her aunt and mother.

This time, the good mood didn’t go away.

Twilight stared at the heavy oak doors in front of her. It had taken an hour more than she would have liked, but no matter what her father had said, she still needed to plan. She had established, at least in her head, possible courses of action. Courses that would lead to, with luck, a reconciliation with her best friend.

And past that? Well.

Well.

Well first thing’s first she needed to say how sorry she was. And she was. The apology was the important thing.

Then, after she’d apologized maybe, maybe bring up the idea of going to dinner together. Or seeing a movie, just the two of them. Or staying in and ordering something from the kitchens while they read books. Yeah. That last one felt like the best route to take.

A course charted and a plan of action decided upon, Twilight strode through the doors, and immediately seized up at the sight of the desaturated party pony in front of her.

“Hey Twilie…” Pinkie Pie said weakly. “Are… you doing any better?”

Twilight froze. She had seen this only a few hours before, but with her mind clear, she could process it in full. She had done this to Pinkie. She had drained the cotton and the candy out of the pony she cared most about in the world. The earth pony looked so sad, so colorless.

And her first thought was whether or not Twilight was happy.

And she was still so amazing.

And she needed her color back.

And all those little mental notecards were thrown out the windows of Twilight’s brain as she panicked and did the only thing she could think of. Striding forward, worries over social cues forgotten, she did the one thing she could think of that made any sense and brought her lips to Pinkie Pie’s.

When she finally broke the kiss and pulled back, Pinkie sat there, a look of shock on her face. Then, she began to vibrate a bit, before a splotch of color in her hair appeared with a jump and a kernellike *POP*, followed by another, and another, and soon Pinkie Pie was a veritable movie theater’s worth of pink cotton candy mane-restoring emotions. As the popping died down, the earth pony sat there blinking, until one final *POP* brought her coat back to its glorious pink color.

And left her face bright cherry red.

“You…” She sputtered. “You ki— You and me—”

Twilight’s face went white. “Pinkie… I didn’t mean to—”

Her own sputtering was cut off by a blur as Pinkie tackled her to the ground with a happy cry. She began planting kisses all over the other mare, hugging her tight as tears of joy streamed down her face.

“I knew it! I knew it! I knew you liked me! I like you too!”

“I’m sorry Pinkie!” Twilight sobbed. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean it. I’ve just been so mad and so lost lately, I thought if maybe I was alone then maybe I could at least figure things out but I… I can’t do that. I need my friends, I need my family. I need you in my life Pinkie. I need you.”

“I need you too! I don’t care about anything else. I want to be there and make you happy and hold you and and—”

“I know. I mean I don’t know. I’m new to all this, Pinkie. Princesshood, you and me. I want it all, but promise me something. Promise me we’ll take it one step a time.”

“Only if we take that step together, always!”

“It’s a deal.”

Both of them got to their hooves, lost in a mutual fit of giggles, each nuzzle or gentle kissing bringing in another round of laughter, until both were spent and breathless. Pinkie rested her head underneath Twilight’s muzzle, fitting in there like a perfect puzzle piece.

“We still have to tell all the others, Twily.”

“I know.”

“And your parents and your BBBFF. Oh and Cadance.”

“I know.”

“Oh, and Spike. He’s probably worried sick. Oh I’ll have to tell my parents and the Cakes and—”

“Pinkie?”

“Sorrrrry. One step at a time, right?”

“If you don’t mind that.”