Felt Heart

Chapters

The Art of The Doll
Model Behavior
A Wonderful Figure
Toying with Feelings
Epilogue
author's notes

The Art of The Doll

Canterlot continued to fulfill Rarity’s expectations at every turn. The opulent ballroom she found herself in was fit for a king—or, rather, a princess, as was actually the case. And she certainly felt like one, as she dazzled the surrounding ponies with her newest creation. She’d toned down on the gemstones, feeling the Stalliongrad Benevolent Society's Charity Ball was perhaps not the best place to display a wealth of precious gems, unless they were being donated to the cause itself.

Unfortunately, the same couldn't be said for most other attendees—as far as Rarity could see, each and every noble mare in the room sported a glitzy, glamorous, gem-studded piece that bore the signature craftsmanship of Hoity Toity. In fact, it was the exact same design. The exact same dress.

She had nothing against the design of the dress itself—it was as beautiful and glamorous as the rest of his craft. But she knew the wearers cared nothing for the amount of work that had been put into it. If Hoity Toity were to appear at that moment with yet another new piece, there would be a hoof fight to wrest it from his grasp, right then and there.

While Canterlot itself was a glorious testament to ponykind’s artistic side, the Canterlotian elite remained haughty, aloof, and arrogant.

The donations flowed, but it was merely for the sake of appearance. Here, bits bought prestige, a reputation for good deeds. Such a reputation often hid the true pony behind the mask. Rarity shuddered as her mind drifted back to the Grand Galloping Gala. That despicable prince was the worst of the lot, and he unfortunately proved to be a rule, rather than the exception.

Thankfully, Rarity knew some of these exceptions personally. She smiled at the thought of one, likely already asleep—if her nose wasn’t buried in yet another book. Rarity mentally chided herself; she’d spent so many years pining for that boorish oaf, she’d completely overlooked something—or rather, somepony—much closer. After all, Ponyville’s library was just a stone’s throw away from the Boutique.

“I do believe the ball is quite a success, would you not agree?”

The voice tore Rarity away from her thoughts, and she smoothed away the wrinkle that had formed on her nose as she gazed at the other attendees. She smiled, turning to face another of the exceptions—blue gray mane, a monocle, and a jacket to die for; it could be none other than Fancypants himself.

“All thanks to your generous contribution,” she replied, beaming at the stallion. “Your donation has put everypony else to shame!”

Fancypants waved the praise away with a hoof. “Nonsense. How does one say it nowadays?” He cleared his throat. “ ‘If you’ve got it, flaunt it?’ ”

Rarity let out a very unladylike snort, blushing as she noticed the stares it had caused. “Y-yes. Well.” She didn’t have the heart to explain that wasn’t quite how the phrase was meant to be used. Thankfully, the stallion took no notice.

“I can think of no greater cause than helping an orphanage. The Society deserves every bit they will get.”

“Indeed! I–” A wide yawn interrupted her, which she quickly covered with a hoof. “Oh, I am so sorry! I had a very early start, and must catch an even earlier train tomorrow…"

Fancypants smiled. “I understand perfectly. You are staying at the castle again, are you not?” he asked, to which Rarity nodded. “I’ll hold down the fort. Do say hello to your friends for me, will you?”

The mare smiled gratefully. “I shall. Good night, Fancypants.”

Rarity’s hoofsteps echoed along the corridor, belying the activity that usually existed within the castle’s halls. After a thousand years of diurnal rulership, castle life and society had not yet fully adjusted to the return of Equestria’s second princess. Luna herself had opted to be active during the day for the time being, eager to keep close to ponies after her millenium of solitude, but had started to shift towards her natural nighttime schedule. Rumor had it that she’d gotten acquainted with the Canterlot nightlife, and had started changing her waking hours accordingly.

But for now? The Royal Castle was very much asleep, apart from the occasional guard patrolling the halls, or posted at a door. The silence was oppressive, and Rarity felt herself speed up, hoping to reach her suite as soon as possible. She just had to take a left here, and down the red carpet…

She paused after the first few steps, looking down at her hooves. She didn’t remember there being carpet from her previous nights at the castle. I must have taken a wrong turn. Clearly, she needed her beauty sleep. She turned back to retrace her steps, but froze as her ears caught the sound of something out of place.

Voices.

Rarity glanced down the corridor. At the very end stood a pair of large doors, a sliver of light shining through the small crack. Somepony had apparently forgotten to close them. She quietly drew closer, her curiosity driving her forward, even though her mind was telling her not to snoop around. The voices grew clearer as she got within a few steps of the doors.

“I haven’t forgotten that look, Lulu. What are you hiding?”

Lulu? Rarity recognized that warm, pleasant voice. She’d somehow stumbled on none other than Princess Celestia herself. But who was she talking to?

“I-I am not hiding anything, sister!”

Rarity could barely stifle her gasp. She’d stumbled on not just one, but both princesses. She stepped back. I should go. It is late, and I need my sleep.

“Yes you are!” Celestia insisted. She then laughed. “Maybe… some colt has caught your eye?”

Well. Maybe I should stay just a bit longer… This was entirely too juicy to pass up. Rarity inched closer again, and peered through the small opening.

Luna was blushing, glaring at her sister as the pair relaxed in front of a fire. “No. And even if I had, I wouldn’t tell a gossip like you!”

Celestia chortled. “Guilty as charged. But you’re still hiding something, Lulu. What is it?”

Luna closed her eyes and sighed, her head bowing in apparent resignation.

“I wanted to surprise you,” she said, as her horn started glowing. Something lifted out of her mane—a small, dark shape that Rarity couldn’t quite make out until the light of the fire hit it. It was a doll, a plush doll of Princess Luna herself.

Celestia’s eyes widened as she took in the doll, numerous emotions playing across her face, none of which escaped the dark alicorn’s gaze.

Luna’s smile faded as her sister remained silent. “You… You do not like it?”

The elder sister seemed to snap herself out of her daze.

“I’m sorry, Lulu. I was just thinking.” She beamed at Luna, her own magic taking hold of the doll, as she placed it between her front legs, leaning it against her chest. “It has been so long since I’ve seen one of these,” she murmured, squeezing the doll tighter. “And the meaning has… changed in your absence.”

Luna tilted her head in confusion, her starry mane shifting on an invisible breeze. “How so?”

Celestia’s smile changed, taking on a more mischievous air. “It is a tradition now, which comes and goes every few hundred years, and the significance seems to change slightly every time.” The princess laughed softly. “Our little ponies have even given it a name. ‘Felt Heart’.”

Luna nodded, but frowned as she kept listening to her sister. “But what does it mean?”

“Oh, I don’t know if I should tell you…"

“ ‘Tiiiaaa!” the younger princess whined, pouting.

Celestia laughed. “I never could resist that face. Very well.” She smiled at her sister. “Nowadays—or, rather, about a century ago, the last time the tradition was practiced—the giver makes a doll of themselves, to give to somepony. However…" She looked down at the doll, then back up to Luna. “It symbolizes giving a piece of their heart to them. It is done to express interest, a desire for a relationship with that pony.” The grin widened in tandem with Luna’s eyes. “A romantic one.”

“I-I didn’t, I don’t mean–” Luna sputtered, a blush visible even on her dark coat.

The sound of hooves echoed on the marble floor, drawing Rarity’s attention away from the door. Probably a guard, making his rounds. But even if it wasn’t, it would simply not do to be caught snooping around. But even as she scanned her surroundings, the words floating from the door were still audible as Celestia continued her conversation.

“I know, Lulu. I accept it in the spirit of the original meaning.”

“You mentioned the significance changed quite often,” Rarity heard Luna say. “Tell me more?”

As much as she wanted to hear Celestia’s answer, Rarity could no longer afford to stay. She hurried back down the corridor, away from the approaching noises, her mind awash with what she’d just heard. With ideas. She might not be getting quite as much sleep as she’d hoped for.

The last thing she heard was Celestia’s sly voice. “Well…”

Rarity’s fears proved to be on the mark. Thankfully, she’d had the foresight to pack her numerous bags before turning in, and after a few meager hours of sleep, a maid had woken her at the time she’d requested. The first thing she did upon waking was spend fifteen scandalously short minutes on her coiffure, making sure to be as presentable and fabulous as possible, even in the early morning.

Few ponies would be up at the time, and fewer still were likely to see her, but that was no excuse to not look good, now was it?

But now that she found herself on the train, its slight sway threatened to lull her back to sleep. She could possibly take a nap on the multi-hour ride, but as tired as she felt, that would risk her missing her stop entirely. And the next stop after it was Appleloosa. Nothing against Applejack’s cousins’ home, but she had work to do, and could ill afford such a delay.

No. Instead, she focused her energy on staying awake, her mind once again wandering over the things that had kept her up all night. The very idea of the dolls, and the tradition it represented, had enchanted the unicorn the moment she’d heard it.

It was well known amongst her friends that she had a passion for romance novels—something her more uncouth friends often poked fun at. But she could not help it; the heroic deeds and impassioned words of the princely stallion protagonist were enough to make her swoon. Even though she knew these were the scribblings of lonely mares, they struck a chord in Rarity’s romantic soul.

But these dolls, this ‘Felt Heart’ tradition? If the novels struck a chord, this had fully strummed a harp. It felt… real. It was heartfelt. She smiled as she realized she’d possibly stumbled on the origin of the tradition’s name. Twilight would be proud.

She’d spent half the previous night twisting and turning a picture of her doll in her mind, until she could picture its every last detail. She’d even gotten up and sketched the doll in excruciating detail. She had then made a list of all the materials she would need, and written down the estimated measurements.

She'd make them about the size of a stuffed toy, around the size of a basketball. It would be small enough to cuddle but large enough to display prominently, similar to Princess Luna’s. The perfect size!

She’d made a checklist, and had organized everything in advance. Twilight was apparently rubbing off on Rarity. She would have been so proud.

Twilight.

Twilight Sparkle.

A picture of the purple unicorn sprang into her mind as she let her eyelids drop; it seemed to happen every time Rarity closed her eyes. Twilight was smiling, surrounded by her friends as they rode the train from Canterlot, freshly returned from the Crystal Empire. Rarity could feel Twilight’s touch as her hoof lay on top of the librarian’s own.

Rarity had always liked the other unicorn, but it was that moment when she knew it was more than just friendship. The adorable smile. The somewhat scary, yet endearing twitch of her eyes when she was annoyed. The gorgeous pink stripe in her mane and tail. And that wonderful laugh.

Rarity knew she’d have to pour every ounce of her skill into the creation of this doll. She’d heard Celestia say it was akin to giving a piece of your heart to the recipient. She’d make it clear that she was giving her entire heart instead.

Rarity smiled gently as she thought of the rest of her group. Others would tell her she was just imagining things, but she thought she’d seen signs. How Pinkie seemed to hug Fluttershy more than any of her other friends, or anypony else in town. How she seemed to slow down, without prompting, just to match the pegasus’s pace. How Fluttershy seemed to bloom when Pinkie was around, a constant smile on her face.

Small signs, but enough to catch her eye.

Rainbow Dash and Applejack, on the other hoof, painted a clearer picture. It was still subtle, but unmistakable to her eye. The glances they shared, the secret smiles, their constant physical closeness. They always seemed to hang around each other, never more than a stone’s throw away. It was quite a telling sign. She briefly wondered if others had caught on as well.

And then, there was Twilight and herself.

Rarity’s smile dipped as she pursued that line of thought. She felt confident in her ability to trace the little lines of love that ran between her four other friends, and surely picking up on anything from Twilight should not have been a problem. But the other unicorn was, ironically, a closed book. As much as Rarity had enjoyed the contact of her hoof on Twilight’s, there’d been little to no reaction.

The fact that Twilight wasn’t showing interest towards any other pony was a welcome comfort… But a meager one, as she’d not picked up on any signs from Twilight toward herself, either.

But what if she didn’t feel the same way?

The very idea put a chill in Rarity’s veins. Twilight could very well say no. Reject her. Or even be offended. Did she truly want to risk their friendship on such a silly notion? Dolls?

The answer was obvious. No. If there was one thing in all of Equestria she would not risk for the chance to be with Twilight, it was the friendship they already shared.

But… maybe there was another way? Yes—she could give her the doll anonymously. It would add an air of mystery, of intrigue, and it would give her a chance to observe Twilight’s reaction. If it was negative, well, nopony had to know. Ever.

And if it was good? Rarity clapped her hooves in excitement at the thought. She could swoop in, admit responsibility, and confess her feelings, all at once. It would be glorious.

But Twilight was smart. Damnably, lovably so. If a doll of Rarity appeared out of nowhere, she’d suspect Rarity herself. Admittedly, it wouldn’t take someone as smart as Twilight to draw that conclusion. The rest of her friends would figure it out just as quickly.

Her friends… the same friends she'd been watching for a while now. The friends that, as far as she could tell, had crossed the line of friendship, and were now residing in the realm of the heart. Applejack and Rainbow Dash had given theirs to each other. Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie might well be on the verge of doing the same—and if not, well, both were the type to enjoy such a gift for its own sake.

But regardless of how they were received, these dolls were an embodiment of the sharing of hearts. Her friends were no less deserving of their own dolls than Twilight. And if everypony got one, then no one would suspect her.

It was perfect.

Rarity released the breath she’d been holding as she snipped off the end of the last thread, then took a few steps back. She blinked blearily, sneaking a hoof behind her sewing glasses to rub her eyes, and let out a large yawn. She could see the beginnings of dawn through her window, and she realized that she’d worked through the entire night. She’d had a late start, as Pinkie Pie had insisted upon throwing Rarity a party for her return to Ponyville, and she could not refuse her friend.

Although she’d arrived home early the previous day, she had very little time to start working on the dolls. She gathered most of the materials and, after an inspiration, gone digging through her gemstone chests. She’d considered using beads as the dolls’ eyes, but in a moment of brilliance, she realized that they would look more lifelike if the eyes were gems instead. Thankfully, her most recent bout of gemhunting had been only a few weeks prior, and she’d refilled her stock quite adequately.

By then, of course, it was time for Pinkie Pie’s party, and it would be rude not to be on time. She was, after all, the guest of honor. And as ever, it had been a joy. Inwardly, she should have seethed at the ridiculous delay with her project, but she could not bring herself to be mad at her pink friend. Pinkie was only trying to make others happy, and she was ever so good at it.

Admittedly, Twilight’s presence might have had more to do with Rarity’s change of heart than anything Pinkie did. Throughout the evening, her eyes had kept returning to the one she was there to see, taking in all her features, her attitude, her personality. Her very soul, if she could manage it. She wanted to capture her essence.

She’d managed to force herself to tear away from Twilight, and had set aside some time to observe her other friends as well, although perhaps not with quite so much zeal. But they deserved just as much effort.

Her effort, she believed, had paid off, as she threw a critical eye on the results of her work, the light of the early morning shining through her window and basking the room with a warm glow.

She’d tackled Rainbow Dash’s doll first. She pictured it as the most complicated one, but had risen to the challenge admirably if she said so herself. Plus, she imagined that the pegasus would enjoy the idea of being first. Her numerous colors had certainly been a chore, but the sky blue doll seemed ready to fly off at any moment, wings eager for flight. Its mane had her model’s typical ruffled air, and as much as Rarity wanted to brush it, she left it as it was. The spinel gems she’d used for the eyes glinted, matching the real mare’s fire.

Applejack, of course, was next. It felt… wrong, somehow, to not follow up on the first doll with its intended partner. She’d used her entire stock of gold thread for Applejack’s mane, and did not regret it in the least, watching it shine brightly in the dawn’s light. The doll’s colors were vibrant with life, just like the pony herself, from the bright orange coat to its emerald eyes.

Rarity had always admired Fluttershy’s grace. She exuded it unconsciously, and wouldn’t have believed it of herself, but her brief career as a supermodel had shown Equestria what Rarity had always seen, and she’d made sure to reflect this in the doll. The well brushed coat, the long, flowing mane and tail, the pristine wings, and a pair of aventurine eyes completed the look. As tired as she was, she could almost swear she was looking at the real thing in miniature.

Pinkie, of course, had been difficult. Despite her eccentricities, Rarity did dearly love the party pony. But she could be terribly frustrating at times, and the doll seemed to take that to heart, as most of the plans she’d made had had to be thrown out. The coat had been a simple matter, and the blue topaz gemstones matched Pinkie’s eyes, similar to Rarity’s own color. The mane, however, had clearly been spawned in Tartarus. She’d struggled with it for far longer than she cared to admit, attempting to recreate the frizziness of the original. She’d finally settled on unravelled yarn, which would likely amuse Pinkie to no end, which imitated her mane’s ‘poofiness’, as Rainbow Dash had once described of Pinkie’s hair.

Her own doll had been a breeze. After all, who knew her better than herself? Pristine white coat, sapphire eyes, and a mane she styled a million times. Admittedly, it was the first time she’d used wire to get it in the right shape, but she made it work.

Twilight was going to love it.

She glanced at the remaining materials, then out of the window, staring at the ever increasing light pouring in. She had everything ready, all the pieces to make her very own Twilight doll. But she was so very tired. She realized, in her state, that the risk of making a mistake was extremely high. And that could not happen, not with this doll.

It had to be perfect.

She blinked blearily, forcing out a yawn. As much as she wanted to create the last doll, she could not let it be anything less than her crowning achievement. And for that, she had to sleep, the sooner the better.

However, that didn’t mean she couldn’t send the rest on their way. Making her way to her storage room, she levitated out five of the boxes she used for sizeable orders. Soon, all five were packed and sealed, with a little padding in each box to keep them in good condition. She’d even intentionally written down everypony’s address by mouth rather than by horn, aware that her horn-writing would be a dead giveaway to the sender’s identity.

Dark cloak? Check. Five boxes ready to be sent off? Check. A bag of bits to cover the shipping costs? Check. All the above items dropped off, without anypony seeing her? A thankfully brief excursion, and check.

Beauty sleep? Check. In triplicate. With immediate effect.

“Well…” Celestia said, hesitating. “You know how it started as well as I do, Luna.”

The younger alicorn nodded. “A gift between family. A sign of love and respect between parents and child, or siblings.” She frowned as she stared into the fire. “Do you remember who started it? It has been so long…”

Celestia shook her head. “It has. Perhaps it is documented in the archives.” She lifted the doll in her magic and perched it on her head, resting against her crown. “I always did like the original meaning best.”

Luna giggled at the sight, and leaned forward, eager to hear more. “What came next?”

“Ponies started giving them to others, outside of their family. It was a sign of trust. It eventually came to mean ‘I consider you family’.”

“That must have been a great honor,” Luna mused.

Celestia nodded. “To some. But it represented more than just honor.” She smiled at her sister’s raised eyebrow. “It was a symbol of great friendship.”

Twilight Sparkle glanced away from the shelves as she heard the knock at the door. Her horn shone as she levitated numerous books around her, busy sorting through the library during her weekly reorganization. With a brief shift of her concentration, the front door was surrounded by a purple glow, and swung open to reveal none other than the mailmare, Derpy.

“Delivery for Twilight Sparkle!”

“I’m here, Derpy. Come on in!” She turned back to the shelves, quickly floating the books back to their respective places, and gave a satisfied nod. Everything was where it should be. She turned around, and jumped back in surprise as a pair of gold eyes stared at her from a horn’s length away.

“That’s soooo nifty!” Derpy was all smiles, her wings fluttering animatedly.

“Um, thanks?” Twilight blinked in confusion. She then noticed the box perched on Derpy’s back. “Is that for me?”

“Huh?” The pegasus twirled around and gasped in surprise. “Oh! Yeah!” She watched as Twilight’s magic grasped the package, then dove her head into her bag to pull out a clipboard. “Sgn hr pf!”

Twilight giggled at Derpy’s quirks. A quill floated to the clipboard, quickly placing Twilight’s signature on the form. The mailpony grinned and stuffed it back into the bag. “Gee. Lots of packages today!”

She frowned, thinking of something only she was privy to, but perked back up again as quickly as she had lowered her head. “Well, gotta go! Bye, Twilight!”

Still grinning, Twilight turned to the box and placed it gently on the table, wondering what it could be. She wasn’t expecting anything. Maybe it was for Spike? But Derpy had said it was a delivery for herself, so that was unlikely. She lit her horn to open the box when she was bowled over by a soft, but heavy object.

“Hiya, Twilight!”

“Pinkie?” The unicorn groaned, her eyes spinning in their sockets. “Why did you knock me down?”

“ ‘Cause I’m excited! I haven’t been this excited since yesterday! Wasn’t Rarity’s party fun? Didn’t you have fun?”

Twilight rolled her eyes at the verbal avalanche. “Of course I had fun, Pinkie. But why are you excited now? Where’s the party?”

Pinkie gasped. “There’s a party? Where? Who organized it? Why wasn’t I told?!”

“Pinkie!” Twilight shouted. “Relax. There’s no party! That’s just an expression!”

“Oh. Silly, don’t get my hopes up like that!”

“I’ll try.” Twilight giggled again. “So what’s up?”

“Oh!” Pinkie grinned again, clearly remembering why she’d come here. She lifted a hoof to her mane and pulled out something yellow and pink. Upon closer inspection, Twilight quickly determined it to be a plush toy, specifically of Fluttershy. The mane, the wings, and the coat color were easily recognizable.

Pinkie kept talking as she lifted the doll towards Twilight. “I just got this in the mail! I don’t know who sent it but it’s adorable and cute and OH MY GOSH DID YOU GET ONE TOO?!”

“Get one? One what?” Twilight flinched as the sudden rise in volume as the pink pony leapt towards the table, staring intently at the box that rested upon it.

The pink pony was bouncing, barely able to contain her excitement. “A doll! Mine came in a box just like this one! Come on, open it!”

“Alright, alright!” She stepped up to the table as well, also eager to see if Pinkie’s prediction was true. Was there a doll in here? Her magic shone, snipping apart the tape that held the box closed. Before opening it, she glanced at the address. She could only see the recipient, namely herself, but no sender. She shrugged, setting the mystery aside for the time being. She wasn’t sure how much more Bouncing Pinkie she could take, and the only way to calm her was to open the box.

Pulling the flaps open, she let her magic delve into the box itself, grabbing hold of the objects inside. A few pieces of padding later, the way was clear, allowing her to lift what had been protected.

It was, indeed, another doll. But to their surprise, it wasn’t like Pinkie’s. Instead of another Fluttershy, Twilight had pulled out a white doll, with a purple mane and tail, and sapphire eyes. Even if she hadn’t immediately recognized it as one of her friends by the color alone, the three diamond cutie mark would have sealed the deal.

Pinkie was beside herself with glee. “Eee! She’s gorgeous!”

Twilight could only agree. “She is. It looks really well made!” She looked at the doll in Pinkie’s arms, and frowned slightly. “But why Rarity? And why’d you get Fluttershy?”

Pinkie shrugged, her smile still wide as could be. “I dunno! Maybe–” She was suddenly cut off by a loud crash. The library’s front door had been flung wide open, the culprit having exerted a bit too much strength in the process.

Rainbow Dash grinned guilty, one of her hooves scratching the back of her head. “Uh. Sorry bout that. So!” She cleared her throat. “I just got this box with a weird–” The words died in her mouth as she saw the objects her friends were holding. “Wait, you guys got one too?”

Pinkie wasted no time in hopping towards the new arrival. “Who didya get Dash? Who, who, who?”

Rainbow leaned back, hoping to put a little distance between herself and Pinkie’s snout. “Uh. A.J.?”

“You got Applejack?” Twilight repeated. “This is strange. Three of us got these dolls. Maybe the others got one too?” She suddenly looked around, searching for her assistant. “Spike? Spike! Where are you?”

The dragon in question walked out of the kitchen, munching on a sandwich. “You don’t need to yell, I’m here.”

“Spike! I need you to go get Rarity. Ask her to come here immediately.” Twilight turned to Dash, missing the little dragon’s salute. “Rainbow! Go get Fluttershy and Applejack.”

“On it!” The pegasus yelled as she ran out of the door and shot into the sky.

“Pinkie, y–” She fell back with a startled gasp, as she turned her gaze to find herself inches away from Pinkie’s blue eyes. What was it with ponies getting in her face today?

“Twilight?” Pinkie asked quietly, her expression eager, hopeful.

The unicorn swallowed, her heart still beating frantically. “Y-yes?”

“Can I… Can I play with it?” The pink pony pointed at the white doll, resting awkwardly on the table. It had dropped out of Twilight’s magic when her concentration was broken.

Twilight blinked, finally calming down. “S-sure, knock yourself out. But be careful! It looks delicate.”

Pinkie had already bounded away, and placed the Fluttershy doll next to the miniature Rarity. She placed her hooves behind each doll’s head, and moved them as she spoke.

“Oh Fluttershy,” she started, in a poor imitation of Rarity’s voice. “This spa is so… steamy!”

Twilight froze. She’s not…

“Too hot for me to wear this towel!” Pinkie continued. “ I hope you don't mind if I… remove it.”

She is. “Pinkie, what are you doing?” Twilight said, attempting to scold the pink mare. Yet Pinkie ignored her completely.

“In fact, Fluttershy, maybe you should remove your own!”

“Pinkie…" Twilight ground out the name, her exasperation rising.

Pinkie kept going. “Um, okay…" she imitated, and Twilight could have sworn that the pegasus was in the same room. It sounded exactly like Fluttershy. Pinkie then switched back to Rarity. “Oh Fluttershy, your wings are so… majestic! Especially, mmm, when they're flared!”

The blush that Twilight had been fighting finally won over her self control. “Pinkie! Stop that!”

“Mwah! Mwah!” Pinkie remained oblivious as she pressed the dolls’ heads together, making sloppy kissing sounds. Twilight was about to light up her horn to wrest the doll away from Pinkie’s grasp, when she heard a voice through the front door.

Rarity stepped into the library, a smile on her face. “Hello girls, what’s going on?”

"O-oh hey, Rarity!" was the shaky response given to Rarity's greeting. It seemed that she had walked in on something, and Twilight was attempting—with not much success—to cover up her embarrassment with a smile.

But Rarity’s smile was just as fake as Twilight’s. On the outside, she looked happy and oblivious, but on the inside, a wide array of emotions swept through her as she tried to figure out what Twilight’s expression meant. Confusion. She looks… nervous. Worry. Does she know? Did she find out already? Excitement. I can tell her, then! Panic. But she’s nervous. Is this a good sign? Or a bad sign? Fear. Maybe the princess already told her about the dolls?

She’d seen how the princess and her protegée acted towards each other. It wasn’t simply a student and teacher relationship, but much more. If Rarity hadn’t known that Twilight did have parents, she would have thought the princess was the young unicorn’s mother. They certainly acted like family.

And family talked. Celestia could well have written Twilight a letter, sharing gossip about how Luna had given her a doll. She'd made her escape back in the castle before she could overhear Princess Celestia detail the other meanings of the doll, and by now, Twilight probably knew all about it. Oh dear. She knows.

Her ear twitched as she suddenly realized that Twilight had been speaking, and she had missed the entire thing. She cleared her throat, hoping that she didn’t sound too perturbed. “I’m sorry dear, I zoned out for a second. Could you repeat that?”

“I said that I’m waiting for the others. We’ve got a bit of a mystery on our hooves.” Twilight glanced at Pinkie, who was still playing with the dolls.

“Oh, the dolls? Y-you got one too?” Rarity asked, disingenuously, following Twilight's gaze. “What are you doing, Pinkie?” She winced internally as she watched Pinkie mash the two dolls together. They weren’t exactly delicate, and could certainly handle a little rough and tumble… but that didn’t mean she enjoyed watching that, on top of all her other worries.

“Oh!” Pinkie perked up, noticing the new arrival. “I’ve just been playing with them! It’s your lascivious spa day sauna activities!”

“Eep!”

Rarity’s indignant retort died in her throat as she turned towards source of the sound: a petrified Fluttershy, standing in the door. Did she just hear that?

“L-l-lasci—oh my goodness!” The poor pegasus cowered behind her mane, her face taking on the hue of a tomato.

Yes, she did.

“I’m sorry, girls!” Twilight pleaded, sounding exasperated. “I didn’t think she’d start doing that! I tried to get her to stop… this is so embarrassing!” She could barely look Rarity or Fluttershy in the eye.

So that’s… oh goodness. It took all of her self control to stop her eye from twitching. That’s all it was? Her relief was almost palpable, and she did not know whether to laugh or cry. Twilight hadn’t uncovered everything. The secret was still safe.

But this, this was an indignation! “Pinkie! You know as well as I do that that kind of thing doesn’t happen at the spa!”

“Aww, but it’s fun to pretend!”

“It’s undignified!” Rarity huffed, glaring at the pink pony.

“I don’t think Fluttershy finds it fun,” Twilight added, pointing at the still-cowering Fluttershy. Pinkie gasped, and immediately bounded towards Fluttershy, the dolls forgotten on the table.

“I’m sorry, Fluttershy!” The pink pony lowered herself to the ground, at equal level with Fluttershy, who peeked out from behind her mane. “I was just teasing Twilight!”

“It-it’s okay, Pinkie…" Fluttershy mumbled, her face still red. She squeaked as Pinkie smiled and drew her into a gentle hug.

“What in tarnation is goin’ on here?” Applejack asked, as she and Rainbow Dash came up behind Fluttershy, taking in the odd scene before them.

Twilight cleared her throat, her expression still a bit strained. “Never mind that! Sit down girls, something strange is going on.”

“This about them dolls?” The farmer ventured. “Dash told me you ‘n Pinkie got one too.”

Twilight nodded. “Correct. And so has Rarity, it seems. Fluttershy, did you get one as well?”

Rarity swallowed as Fluttershy nodded in confirmation with a little ‘Y-yes’. She felt a small wash of guilt sweep through her. Technically, she hadn't lied—at no point before this did she actually say that she had a doll, and Twilight had just assumed. But still, it weighed on her as heavily as if the deceptive words were her own.

Thankfully, everypony seemed to be focusing on Twilight. “Pinkie, you got that Fluttershy doll.” She ignored Fluttershy’s squeak as Pinkie nodded, holding up the doll in question. “I know Rainbow got Applejack…”

“Yeah,” the pegasus confirmed, shrugging. Rarity noted how Applejack’s eyebrows rose up.

Twilight nodded, her horn shining as she levitated the white doll towards herself. “And I got a doll of Rarity. Fluttershy, who did you get?”

Fluttershy stared at the floor as she twisted her hooves. “I. Um. I got… Pinkie Pie.” She squeaked again as the pink pony squealed with delight, hugging first the doll, then Fluttershy herself. For a moment, Rarity’s panic was forgotten as she smiled at the pair. Any reservations she’d had about crafting the dolls for the two was fading.

Twilight was pressing on. “Applejack, you got–”

“Dash,” the farmer interjected, eyeing Rainbow.

“Which means that Rarity must have gotten me,” Twilight finished.

Rarity couldn’t bring herself to answer, and simply nodded in reply.

Twilight tapped a hoof to her chin, deep in thought. “There’s obviously a pattern to these pairings, but what is it?”

Rarity continued to keep a careful watch on her friends as each of them reacted to Twilight’s question. Half of it was out of worry—any of them could start suspecting one another, and she’d be just as easy a target as anypony present—and the other half was due to pure curiosity. She’d originally made the dolls because she thought she’d seen something between her friends, but ever since she finished them, she found herself observing the couples she’d guessed at, as if to justify the time and effort spent making the dolls.

She didn’t miss the glance Applejack threw at Rainbow Dash, nor the small, subtle smirk. Rainbow raised an eyebrow in return, before shrugging. Fluttershy shook her head, looking as lost as the rest.

And Pinkie was grinning.

“Wait. Wait. I think… I think I've got it! I've totally got it!”

Rarity could only stare in horror. Other than Twilight, she hadn't considered that one of her other friends may also know of the tradition. Why that hadn't occurred to her, she'd never know. She desperately tried to think of something to say or do, but her mind was drawing a blank.

All she could do was wait for the other horseshoe to drop.

“Eh, I don't got it.”

What.

“This sounds like your department, Twi.”

“Mine?”

Rarity smiled as Applejack’s words drew her out of her momentary daze. Oh, I could kiss you for that. “Of course, dear,” she said, addressing Twilight. “This is a mystery—a research problem, if you will.”

She smiled as Twilight’s eyes lit up in realization and eagerness.

“And I—we all know how you love those,” she corrected herself mid-sentence. That was too close.

“You’re right. I just need to look at this like a research project! Thanks girls! I’ll get right on it!” Twilight beamed at the group, until her stomach grumbled loudly. “After lunch, I think.” She blushed, earning a giggle from the rest of the group.

Applejack stood up, stretching her legs. “Well, now that that’s sorted, I’m headin’ back to the farm. Those apples don’t pick themselves, much as I’d like them to.”

“Fluttershy, you’ve gotta show me doll-me!” Pinkie asked as she lifted Fluttershy to her hooves. “Pleaaaase?”

“Oh—But—I—I still need to feed some of the critters…" the pegasus mumbled, and fought back a smile as Pinkie hit her with a full-fledged pout, trembling eyes and lip included. “But I guess we could do both?”

“Yaay! And my Flutterdoll can say ‘hello’ too!”

‘F-flutterdoll?’ Rarity heard Fluttershy mumble as the pair left the library, soon followed by Applejack and Rainbow Dash. The fashionista took note how closely Rainbow stuck to the earth pony, as if intending to follow her all the way to the Acres. She nodded to herself. Whereas there’d been some small worry in regards to the pink and yellow pair, she’d never had any doubts about the rambunctious duo.

All too soon, only she, Twilight and Spike remained in the library.

“You want a bite to eat, Rarity?” Twilight asked, a leg lifted in the direction of the kitchen.

Rarity shook her head. “I’m quite all right, thank you. Go soothe the savage beast in your stomach.” She shooed the other unicorn with a hoof. As Twilight stuck out her tongue and left the room, Rarity’s eyes couldn’t help but follow her until she was out of sight. Sighing, she turned to the shelves. Surely, amongst all these books, there must be something that would give Twilight the hint she needed. She might as well make sure that there was something for the librarian to find.

She jumped as the room’s final occupant spoke up. She’d completely forgotten him, too focused on Twilight’s departure.

“You like her.”

“I—what?” Rarity gasped, whirling to face the young dragon, hoping her heart would slow down soon. “Whatever gave you that idea?”

Spike took a moment before he replied, quietly. “I know that look. I’m usually looking at you like that.”

Rarity felt a weight settle in the pit of her stomach. “Oh, Spike…"

Spike took a moment to compose himself before giving her a tremulous smile. “I always knew it couldn't work. You're out of my age range, out of my species, and out of my league.” He shrugged, sighing. “But hey, it was fun while it lasted!”

Rarity could feel her heart twist at Spike’s words. She walked over to him, and wrapped the young dragon in a hug. “Maybe I’m not so far ‘out of your age range’ as you think, Spike. You’re growing up.” She leant down and planted a kiss on his head. “And nopony is out of your league. You are a perfect gentlecolt. Well, gentledragon.”

Spike held on to the hug for a moment longer, before pushing himself away and wiping his nose. “… Thanks,” he said, with a slightly stronger smile.

Rarity hated asking this, but she just had to. Even if it was a twist of the knife in his heart. “Are you going to tell her?”

He grimaced. “No.” He held up a hand before she could reply. “I’m not gonna get in the way. But don’t expect me to help, either.” He shook his head. “That’s a bit too much.”

“I won’t, Spike. Thank you.” She looked away, unable to meet his eye. “And I’m sorry.”

“Don’t be. Just make her happy, Rarity.” Spike took a deep breath, before turning to the kitchen. “For now, I’ll just be making sure she doesn’t burn the kitchen down.”

Rarity waited until she heard the door close, then turned back to the shelves. Any eagerness to confirm the presence of research material in the library had left her, but she still needed to be sure.

D for ‘Doll’. D for… wait, ‘426.71 GRE’? This isn’t alphabetical! How did Pinkie…

“It eventually moved on from just friendship, though.”

“More than friendship?” Luna asked, her eyebrows rising.

Celestia nodded. “Yes. It eventually became a symbol for ‘family’.”

Luna held up a hoof. “Wait. Didn’t you just say it was a family thing before this?”

“I did. But that was between existing family—parents, children, and siblings.” Celestia smiled at her sister, briefly nuzzling her once more, as if to make up for the thousand years without contact. “This was different. It changed to mean ‘I want you to become family.’ ” She stressed the word, emphasising its meaning.

Luna’s eyes widened. “You mean…”

“Not only that. From an adult to a foal, it was an informal declaration of adoption. Between two adults, it meant that they considered each other siblings.” Celestia smiled at her sister, seeing the question in Luna’s eyes. “But yes, there was also a romantic side to this, when between a mare and a stallion.” Celestia frowned briefly. “Or occasionally two mares or two stallions, but such relationships weren’t talked about much in those days. Thankfully, that type of thinking has died out.”

Luna stared into the fire, deep in thought. “This is a lot to think about, ‘Tia.” She raised an eyebrow as her sister giggled. “More?”

“One more thing, yes…”

Pinkie Pie giggled as she charged up Sugarcube Corner’s stairs, heading straight to her room, careful to not let the Fluttershy doll on her back fall off. Once inside, she grinned wider than ever. She’d just returned from Fluttershy’s cottage, where she had finally gotten to see the doll version of herself. She’d probably scared a few of the Fluttershy’s critters with her squeal of glee. The coat, the eyes, the mane and cutie mark had all been Pinkieriffic! She needed to find who had made them, and throw them the best party ever.

Pinkie flicked her rump towards her bed, sending the doll flying with a perfect aim, until it landed on the pillows to join its companions: a horde of small pony ragdolls, made with her own two hooves. She had her family from the rock farm, the Cakes and the twins, Cranky and Matilda, and even the princesses.

And, of course, her five friends.

She’d thought about making a doll for everypony she thought of as a friend, but since that meant all of Ponyville, she’d realized long ago that she didn’t really have the room for that many dolls, so she stuck to those she was closest to.

She bounced to her hooflocker, digging into it to find all the components needed to welcome the newest addition to her fluffy family. Small table. Cups. Teapot. Hat, with the 10/6 label.

Soon, everything was in place, especially her hat. She lifted her cup, and beamed at the new Fluttershy doll, which sat upright with a cup between its hooves. “Fluttershy! Your birthday is in four months. That means today… is your unbirthday!” She pointed a hoof at the doll. “So let’s get this party going!”

“Aaah… AAAAH-choo!” Fluttershy rubbed her muzzle. Was somepony talking about her? She hoped it was nothing bad.

She shook herself, and focused back on the task at hoof—a meal. She was making herself a soup, as well as a little something extra for Angel. He was in one of his moods, and had demanded—politely; he remembered his lesson—something fancier than usual: a ‘Hundred Clouds’ salad. She stood in front of the kitchen counter, ingredients on one side, and cookbook on the other, as she tackled the somewhat difficult recipe.

Angel was present as well, keeping an eye on Fluttershy. But for the most part, he stood with his arms crossed, glaring daggers at the cookbook. Or rather, what was holding it up.

“Oh, don’t be like that, Angel,” Fluttershy cooed to the hare. “Pinkie is just helping me.” The hare kept glaring, sticking his tongue out at the doll that sat behind the cookbook. Fluttershy frowned briefly as she turned back to her meal, stirring the soup as it simmered in the pot. “I should have asked her to stay for lunch…” she mumbled.

She lifted a wing to turn the page, but distracted as she was, her aim was slightly off. The wing knocked the book over, sending both it and the doll tumbling to the floor.

“Ohmygoodness! I’m sorry Pinkie!” She grabbed the doll and placed it back on the counter, brushing it off in an effort to keep it clean. “I’m sorry, I wasn’t paying attention! Are you hurt?” She checked the doll over, lifting each hoof and scrutinizing it carefully.

On the counter, Angel smacked his forehead with a paw.

Spike busied himself around the library, brandishing his weapon at his foe. His mighty feather duster would vanquish all the dust and dirt, and leave the place clean and sparkling. Or at least, as sparkling as a library could get.

He was, however, not alone. Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at Twilight. She’d eaten, and had taken it on herself to start her research. She was surrounded by a dozen books, all pertaining to dolls in some fashion or other. She should have shone with contentment, being deep in her element: reading.

But each time he glanced at her, he noticed something was wrong. Her usual focus was off, and her attention kept wandering from her studies. He’d caught her glancing off to the side, and she’d even turned her head completely towards the table once or twice, her attention fully on the object resting on it—the white doll with the curly purple mane.

Spike turned back to his work, not wanting to dwell on the subject. The wound was still fresh, and if he thought about it for too long, he’d probably start crying. But Rarity had said he was growing up. He wouldn’t disappoint her by shedding tears.

Still, it was strange that Twilight was so… distracted. She tended to lose herself in the written word, ignoring everything around her to the point that she lost track of time. Maybe, since the doll was part of the problem, she was just studying it for reference.

A few shelves later, he glanced at her once more and blinked at the sight. Her focus was back, and she shone with her usual enthusiasm. She seemed much more relaxed, her eyes speeding along the lines of text. The doll sat nestled between her front legs, facing the book, and Twilight’s head was bent down, chin resting on the doll’s mane.

Spike smiled his first real smile since he talked with Rarity. It was Twilight—as long as she was happy, it didn't matter to him if the cause was the doll or not.

“Careful where you’re putting those hooves, Blondie!”

“Ah’m puttin’ my hooves where Ah want to and you’ll like it, Daring!”

“Later, sure, but for now, keep your hooves off the thousand-year-old deadly traps!”

“Oh. Uh, right. Ah’ll get right on that.”

Rainbow Dash grinned as she moved Blondie and Daring Do across her bed, making them leap over the random objects she’d placed on it that simulated numerous traps the duo had to avoid. The pair was totally into each other, even if the books didn’t outright say so. You just had to ‘read between the lines’, as Twilight had called it. Then again, Twilight had also said that Rainbow was just seeing things, as romantic relationships just weren’t suitable in foals’ entertainment. Nothing wrong with the pairing, she’d argued, but the target audience was just too young for such a subject.

Rainbow snorted. There was totally something going on between the two, and she’d seen it. And now that she had this Applejack doll that was such an excellent stand-in for Blondie, she finally had an adventuring companion for her very own Daring Do plush, which she’d bought after reading through the entire series. Not that anypony else could ever learn about it. After all, Blondie pretty much looked like Applejack. Green eyes, orange coat, freckles, blond mane. Even the picture on the cover looked almost exactly like her, just… grayer. And she had a duster coat. Rainbow briefly wondered if doll-sized duster coats existed. Maybe Rarity could make one for her?

Rainbow lifted the Applejack doll, taking a closer look at it. Whoever had made it had done an awesome job. Every last detail, from the hat down to the cutie mark, was as close to perfect as it could be. So close, in fact, that she couldn’t resist pulling the doll into a hug, lovingly nuzzling it. She couldn’t get enough of the feel of Applejack’s coat on her own, the feeling of the earth pony at her side while she draped a wing over her, snuggling every time they were alone.

But as much as she loved cuddling, she could never tell anypony else. Her hard-earned reputation would crumble to pieces, and she’d be the laughingstock of town, perhaps even Equestria. Who had ever heard of a mushy wonderbolt? Luckily, she’d managed to convince Applejack to keep the relationship secret. It had taken a lot of eye-rolling from the honest farmer, but she’d given in. Even though she kept teasing Dash about it every so often.

Rainbow shook her head and tore herself away from those thoughts, focusing back on the adventure. Daring Do had just made a schoolfilly mistake: after safely obtaining the prized treasure—the golden Wonderbolt Goggles—she’d let her attention wander, and sprung one of the deadliest traps known to ponykind.

The giant rolling apple.

Daring and Blondie turned tail and ran, setting off every trap in their wake. Daring turned her head and eyed the immense fruit bearing down on them.

“How did that apple even grow that big?” Dash asked, imparting her own voice on the intrepid explorer. “How should Ah know? Do Ah look like an apple farmer to you?” she answered herself, imitating Applejack’s southern drawl to voice the desperado mare. She then giggled, pushing the dolls along with her hooves as she kept an apple rolling behind them with her wing.

This was entirely too much fun.

Applejack tossed her Stetson onto the hatstand as she trotted into her home. It was bad manners to keep a hat on while eating, even when alone. Apple Bloom was still at school, Big Mac was in the fields, and Granny Smith was asleep in her rocking chair in front of the empty fireplace.

Because she’d run off to meet the girls, she’d missed her noontime meal, but a certain old pony had left a few fritters on the table for her, which she quickly scarfed down. They’d last her for the rest of the day, up to the usual big Apple Family dinner. Until then, she still had a lot of work to do. She stepped back towards the front door, grabbing her hat and flipping it back onto her head, but paused as she put a hoof through the doorway.

She glanced behind her, looking at the stairs that led up to the bedrooms. She turned her head back to the door and looked at the sky, taking in the few leftover clouds—some small, one large with rainbow fountains. She nodded to herself, stepped back inside, and trotted up the stairs.

When she came back down, her hat was still on her head, but it now had a string around it that securely fastened a passenger to the brim—a little blue doll, with a rainbow mane and a pair of blue wings.

Applejack trotted out happily, with a spring in her step as she headed to the orchard. In her delight, she failed to notice that the old mare had woken up and followed her grandfilly with her gaze.

Granny Smith had seen the newest addition to Applejack’s headwear, and had narrowed her eyes. The gears turned, old memories surfacing from long ago. She had a sneaking suspicion of what that doll meant, and there was only one way to find out. It looked like she had to find herself a rainbow pegasus filly.

Right after she finished her nap.

Model Behavior

Granny Smith snorted as a noise tore her from her dreams, making her blink in bewilderment. She squinted at the clock—a couple hours had passed since Applejack’s return. She yawned and stretched, wincing as her joints complained. She then noticed the noise again. Somepony was knocking at the front door, and was being rather insistent about it.

Muttering imprecations at being rudely interrupted from her much needed sleep, she slowly trotted to the door and pulled it open.

“Hey, Applej—Oh. Uh, Hi Granny Smith!” The rainbow-maned pegasus on the other side of the door stirred the older mare’s memory, and Granny Smith smiled as she remembered that she’d been looking for this exact pony. She barely noticed as the young mare kept talking.

“Is Applejack around? I needed to talk to her about some weather.”

Granny raised an eyebrow as she looked over the young mare. Poking out of a saddlebag was a very familiar behatted orange head. Ha! Ah knew it. Nice try, filly, Ah might've even believed ya if Ah hadn't seen that. “Ah ain’t seen her, dear. But you look mighty thin fer a healthy pony, are you eatin’ right?” she asked, an idea forming in her head. What’s her name… Rainy Smash, was it? Her memory was horrible these days. The young mare blinked owlishly at her, seemingly lost.

“I… uh. Huh? I guess? I’m a pegasus, we’re pretty thi–”

“Ne’er mind all that.” Granny Smith waved her hoof around, and stepped away from the door. “Ah’ve got some fritters and apple juice in the kitchen, if ya want some.” That seemed to get the mare’s attention. No… Dashing Crash? The young mare beamed widely, her wings fluttering against her sides.

“Awesome! I am kinda hungry…" The pegasus followed her to the kitchen, and sat at the table as Granny Smith pushed the remaining plate of fritters towards her guest. She quickly grabbed two glasses of juice, brought them to the table, and offered one to her guest. Oh, right—Rainbow Dash! That was it.

“So,” Granny Smith began, as Rainbow Dash chugged down her drink, “yer datin’ my grandfilly, aren’t ya?” She chuckled as her guest’s eyes flew open, and she spat her drink all over the table before dissolving into a coughing fit. That would need to be cleaned later.

“I—n-no, w-what gives you that idea?” Rainbow Dash asked, looking absolutely petrified. Granny Smith held a smirk back. Y’ain't foolin' no one…

“Saw that doll y’made for her. Good for you! Now, don’t you go breaking her heart!” She gave the young mare her fiercest glare, which softened after a moment. “Thought everyone’d forgot that ol’ tradition. Y’missed a bit, though. They’ve gotta have a little heart on their chest,” she added, pointing a hoof to where her heart was. She then waved it at Rainbow Dash, shooing her away. “Applejack’s in the north fields, dear. Have fun, will ya?”

She smiled as Rainbow Dash blinked again, nodded slowly, then walked out on shaky hooves before taking to the skies. The old mare chuckled at the youngsters and their crazy antics, and stepped towards the sink to wash the dishes. Chores still needed doing.

Now usually, Applejack was happy to see Dash. They were both good friends, and had been ever since they met. More than friends, in fact, as they’d finally stopped dancing around the subject, and admitted that their feelings for each other ran much deeper. Every day since then, she felt like she must have had a spell cast on her hooves, because she was walking on clouds. She was laughing more, smiling more, and generally just felt like life was, to borrow a certain pony’s term, awesome. Merely by being present around her.

So when the pony who made her feel that way crashed into her and started babbling incoherently, she was more than a mite surprised, and worried. Rainbow’s voice, that scratchy, slightly high pitched tone she loved, was almost unrecognizable. It had become a squeak that almost hurt her ears, and her words were strung together so quickly that she could barely make out anything the pegasus said.

Her own words had failed to get any reaction from Rainbow as she continued pacing back and forth, so Applejack plucked the hat off her head, unslung the little Dash doll, and flung her Stetson at Rainbow. Her aim was true, and it landed on the rainbow mane, half-covering Dash’s wide-open eyes. She finally stopped talking, came to a halt and lifted up the hat, turning to stare at Applejack.

“You slowed down there, Sugarcube?” she asked, receiving a shaky nod. “Good. Mind tellin’ me what’s eatin’ ya?”

Rainbow sat on her haunches and took off the hat. She stared at it, twisting it in her hooves before speaking. “She knows, A.J..”

“Come again?”

Rainbow looked up, her eyes wide and filled with fear. “Granny Smith! Your grandma knows!”

“Knows what, Sugarcube?”

“A-about us!”

Applejack blinked, then started smirking. “What, did ya tell her?”

“No!” Rainbow almost yelled, glaring at Applejack.

The farmpony held up her hooves, the smile still on her face. "Whoa now, Dash. I was just kiddin'! How'd ya figure–"

“The dolls!” Dash interrupted, nodding to the Applejack doll peeking out of her saddlebags.

Applejack blinked at Dash, her eyes bouncing back and forth between the doll and the pony holding it. “Er… what?” She threw a glance to her own doll, clutched in her tail, and sat it on her back.

“I don’t know! She just gave me some fritters then asked if I was dating you!” Dash’s hooves were now twisting the hat so vigorously that Applejack was slightly worried she’d damage it. “She said she saw the doll I made for you… but I wasn’t the one who made it!”

“I know, Sugarcube.” She glanced at the Dash doll she’d placed on her back. “Looks too nice to be somethin’ you made.”

“Yeah, exact—hey!” Applejack smirked again as Rainbow glared at her. The pegasus pulled out the miniature Applejack from her bags, and placed her in Applejack’s Stetson. “I just wanted to show her to you.”

Applejack fought to keep her grin from getting wider. “Her?”

“It!” Rainbow blushed. “Her. You.”

“Yer adorable, y’know that?”

“Sh-shut up!”

Applejack chortled, shaking her head.The pair remained silent until the farmer broke the silence once more. “So? Gimme the story!” She rolled her eyes as the pegasus tilted her head in confusion. “How’d she take it? Didn’t have a problem, did she?”

“Of course she had a–” Rainbow stopped as she seemed to think about it, then frowned as she stared at Applejack, her expression changing to one of bewilderment. “Actually… she sounded really happy about it.”

Applejack’s grin grew even wider. “Told ya.” She chuckled as Rainbow crossed her legs and huffed, the doll still in the Stetson. “We should tell them, y’know.”

Rainbow jumped back to her hooves, looking more worried than ever. “What? Who? Why?”

“Our friends? About us. They oughta know.”

Rainbow shook her head frantically, creating even more of a mess with her mane. “N-no! I have a reputation to maintain!”

"Dash, they care about you, just like I do. They don't care about your reputation."

“But I do! Others ponies do!”

Applejack rolled her eyes again, and sat down next to her friend, gently placing her Dash doll next to the miniature Applejack in the Stetson. She’d been a bit surprised by Rainbow’s attitude when they first began their relationship. She did understand how Dash felt—she herself had the image of being the dependable, honest pony, and Dash held on to her own reputation in much the same way.

Applejack just hadn’t expected the pegasus to take it quite so far. There were no public displays of affection, and no revealing of their relationship, not even to their closest friends. Rainbow did not want to ‘look mushy’ to others. Applejack had humored her, knowing that Rainbow would eventually come around.

And if she was honest to herself, Applejack had to admit that she enjoyed some of the secrecy. She knew things about Dash that nopony else did. "All right. We don't need to tell them that you're a lil' cuddlebug who loves having her ears nibbled and her wings stroked." She held back a laugh as Dash’s face became redder than a tomato, and leaned in to nuzzle the Rainbow’s neck. "That's our little secret. But our friends oughta know about us, at least."

The physical contact seemed to calm the other mare down, and Applejack felt a wing wrap around her.

“… Just your family.” Rainbow leaned back to stare Applejack in the eyes. “I’m not ready to tell anypony else yet.”

“Granny already knows, Dash.”

“I mean Big Mac and–”

Applejack’s snort cut her off. “You wanna tell Bloom? Really?” She watched her marefriend hesitate, giving it some thought. “Give ya three reasons why that’s a bad idea. Th’ first is she’s a bit young for this sort of stuff. The other two hang around with her, going on ‘crusades’.”

Dash shuddered.

“Right, thought not.”

“Just your brother, then.”

“Alright. That's fair, Sugarcube.” They sat in silence, enjoying each other’s closeness. But as much as she wanted to stay like this, a thought nagged at the back of Applejack’s mind. “So Granny knows what these dolls are?”

Rainbow nodded. “She seemed to. Why?”

“Maybe she can tell us what they are, then. And we can tell the girls later.” She raised an eyebrow at Dash’s sudden grin. “Why are ya so happy?”

Rainbow’s giggled. “We found something out before Twilight! Oh, I’m so gonna rub her muzzle in this.” She bounced into the air, her wings keeping her aloft. “Let’s go!”

“It now no longer has anything to do with siblings, or parents. It’s a purely romantic gesture. Where a horn ring or a cutie mark earring would signify an engagement to marriage, the dolls could be considered a first step. It shows the desire for a serious relationship with another pony.”

Luna fell deep in thought as Celestia finished her tale. “I see now why you reacted that way. I’m sorry for the confusion.”

Celestia shook her head, smiling gently. “But you couldn’t have known, Lulu. I know what this means to you, and I love it. Thank you.” The younger princess’s smile warmed Celestia’s heart.

“But wait,” Luna asked, tilting her head. “Cutie mark earrings? What is this?”

“Something that popped up quite recently!” Celestia giggled, holding a hoof to her muzzle. “It’s something pegasi and earth ponies came up with, since they lack horns. An earring is crafted with gemstones, in the shape and color of their own cutie mark, and given to the pony they wish to marry.”

“I see.” Luna nodded. “I have missed much.”

“You have no idea.”

“… and that's what it means. Had one m’self, from yer gran’pa, but Ah buried both our dolls with him before either of ya were born.” The old mare fell quiet as she wiped away a tear. “It was an old-fashioned thing ta do even when Ah was a schoolfilly, but he was always a sweet ol' fool, and Ah loved him for it.”

Rainbow Dash had tuned Granny Smith’s voice out once the older mare had started talking about Applejack’s grandfather, now that she’d heard the answer to the burning question. Rainbow stared at their two dolls, propped together in the middle of the table—the dolls that pretty much told the entire world they were together.

Granny Smith said that this type of thing had died out when she was still young, which came as a bit of welcome information. No one else was likely to recognize it unless they were Granny’s age, and Granny and Big McIntosh had already promised to keep the secret. This was good; things could have gotten awkward very quickly otherwise.

Rainbow’s ears perked as the old mare smacked a hoof onto the table, glancing up to see Granny Smith staring at the two of them. “Now, remind me why Ah’m keepin’ yer relationship a secret?”

“‘Cause we haven’t told anyone else, Granny.” Applejack replied.

“Why not?” The elder mare asked, glaring at Rainbow. “You ashamed of my granddaughter?”

The fire in Granny’s eyes would have made most ponies flinch, but Rainbow prided herself on resisting the urge. Mostly. “N-No ma’am. I’m just not ready to tell others yet.”

Unfortunately, that didn’t seem to satisfy Granny Smith. “Why?” She pressed, her gaze never moving from the pegasus.

Rainbow’s own eyes flicked towards Applejack. Thankfully, the orange mare seemed to catch Rainbow’s desperation, and answered her grandmother’s question.

“ ‘Cause she thinks she’s the cock of the walk, and doesn’t want anypony else thinkin’ she’s a big softy.” Applejack smirked as Rainbow glared at her, before the smile softened. “Helps she's got the skills to back it up.”

“Ain’t nothin’ wrong with bein’ sensitive,” the eldest Apple countered, before shrugging. “Ain’t no skin off my nose. That there’s you two’s business.”

Rainbow sighed in relief. That wasn’t so bad.

“So,” Granny Smith continued. “How are you two gonna give me great-grandfoals?”

Okay, it isn’t bad. It’s worse.

Applejack sputtered, her face as red as the apples on her flank. “G-granny!”

Rainbow thought quickly, glancing around for any distraction, until her eyes fell on Big McIntosh. They’d found him in the orchard and dragged him into the discussion. He hadn’t said a word the entire time, but she could see him smirking slightly at his sister’s discomfort.

She knew how to wipe that smirk off his face. “Eh. That’s Big Mac’s job!” Aaaand there it goes. Hah.

The old mare focused on her, raised eyebrow and all. “So you’ve got eyes for Maccy too, now?”

That… wasn’t what she’d expected. “Wait, what–”

Granny Smith eyed all three of them, but seemed to spend more time peering at Rainbow herself. Finally, she shrugged. “Ain’t no sweat off my back. You youngsters and your funny new relationships…"

“Granny!” Applejack groaned, pulling her hat down to hide the increasingly vivid blush.

“I-it’s not like that,” Rainbow stuttered. “I mean, he can find a mare for himself!” She grinned as an idea struck her, and turned to the stallion. “Tell you what, I’ll set you up with Fluttershy. She’s quiet, just like you! You’ll love her!”

Suddenly, she felt a sharp pain in the back of her head, and turned towards the source. Applejack was glaring at her, a hoof still in the air. “Don’t you go settin’ my brother up with Fluttershy like that!”

Rainbow rubbed the back of her head as she glared at Applejack. “You could’ve just said!” She turned back to the stallion, who looked like he wanted to be anywhere other than where he was. “Fine, not Fluttershy, then. Rarity’s too fussy, Twilight’s too much of an egghead. Ooh, how about Pinkie? She’s loads of fun—ow! Quit it!”

“I’ll stop smackin’ ya when you stop buttin’ in on mah brother’s love life!”

“But it’s fun!”

“I’m home!”

Everypony froze as they heard Apple Bloom’s voice through the door. Applejack pointed at the dolls, giving her family a pointed look. “Remember, not a word ‘bout this. She’d tell everypony.”

Rainbow quickly nodded, and sagged with relief as the other two ponies seemed to agree. If the three fillies knew about her and Applejack, she’d probably never hear the end of it.

“Howdy, y’all!” Apple Bloom greeted her family as she walked into the room. She then noticed Rainbow with the rest of them. “Howdy, Rainbow Dash! What’re you doin’ here?”

“I, uh, I’m here about the weather! Aren’t I, A.J.?” Rainbow turned to the farmpony, mentally smacking herself. That’s still the best I can come up with?

Applejack didn’t seem to have any ideas either. “Uhh, yup. That rain. And wind. And stuff!” Her smile was beyond awkward.

Thankfully, the filly seemed satisfied. “Oh, okay.” She craned her neck to the side, looking straight at the table. “Hey, what’re those dolls? They look like you!”

Horsefeathers. Rainbow had absolutely no idea what to say. Not good. She glanced at Applejack, who looked just as lost. But their salvation came from an unexpected source.

“They made them so Miss Smartypants would have some company,” Big McIntosh explained, and Rainbow Dash blinked. She’d heard about the doll from Twilight after the Want It Need It incident, but hadn’t known where it had ended up. The big stallion had clearly taken it, and the rest of the Apple family knew of it too, judging by their lack of reaction.

Wait. Made them? Oh no…

“Ooh!” Apple Bloom’s eyes lit up as she ran to the table, taking a closer look at the dolls. “They look great! Can y’teach me how to make ‘em?”

Rainbow had hoped she wasn't going to say that. “Uhh…" Her eyes were wide, and Applejack’s expression probably mirrored her own. “I dunno kid, it’s not easy.”

“Aww, please? I really wanna try making one of these… uh…" she paused. “What’re they called, anyway?”

“Felt Hearts!” croaked Granny Smith.

“Tell ya what,” Applejack said loudly, throwing a hoof around Apple Bloom’s shoulders to turn her away from their grandmother. “How ‘bout you try ta make your own? Then we can give you tips afterwards?” Rainbow nodded in approval. Hopefully that would stall the filly. But she was quickly proven wrong.

“Okay…" Apple Bloom’s ears drooped, then sprang back up as her expression brightened again. “Hey! Maybe I can get Scoots and Sweetie t’make one too! Then we can be Cutie Mark Crusader Dollmakers!”

“There you go!” Applejack grinned, pushing her sister towards the door. “Now go have fun, and don’t forget to be back for dinner!”

As the filly sped away, Rainbow let her head drop to the table. “That was way too close.”

The rest of the Apples could only agree, and Big McIntosh summed it up perfectly. “Eeyup.”

“C’mon girls! This might get us our cutie marks!” Apple Bloom groaned. This wasn’t going as well as she’d hoped.

Scootaloo snorted. “Dolls? Seriously? What are you, eight?”

“Only fer another month!” she groused. She turned to her other friend. “C’mon. Sweetie? Whaddya think?”

“I think it’s cute!” the young unicorn gushed. “And it’s safer than zip-lining again.”

“You’re never gonna let that go, are you?” Scootaloo grumbled, glaring at the other two.

“Nope!”

“Nuh-uh.” Apple Bloom giggled. “Look, it can’t be that hard. Applejack and Rainbow Dash each made one!” She jumped as Scootaloo suddenly appeared in front of her face.

“Wait, there’s a Rainbow Dash doll?” the pegasus’s eyes shone with excitement as Apple Bloom nodded. “Awesome! Do you think she’ll make me one?”

“I dunno, Scoots. They wouldn’t even teach me how to do it.” She sighed before perking back up. “Hey! Maybe y’could make one yourself?”

“Maybe…" Scootaloo shrugged, frowning. “But it wouldn’t be made by her! It’s not the same!”

“My sis said to make one first, then she’d help out afterward.” Apple Bloom grinned, and leaned towards Scootaloo, nudging her side. “Maybe y’could get Rainbow to help with yours.”

The shift was immediate. “I’m in!”

“All right!” Apple Bloom cheered, and lifted a hoof into the air for the other two to bump and join in with their usual catchphrase. “Cutie Mark Crusader Dollmakers, yay!”

“So… How do we do this?” Sweetie Belle asked.

“I dunno.” Apple Bloom shrugged.

Scootaloo held her hooves out in front of her. “Hey, don’t look at me!”

Apple Bloom stared at the ground, lost in thought. She lifted her eyes back to her friends, and uttered one word.

“Library?”

The other two nodded. “Library.”

“Cutie Mark Crusader Researchers, yay!”

Rarity winced as she flung the door to Carousel Boutique open, having put a little more force into her magic than she’d intended. But she didn’t care. She’d even galloped home, and she knew that never helped her mane. But she still didn’t care.

All of her other frustrations were overshadowed by one thing—she was annoyed. At herself.

She’d managed to find what she’d been looking for—a book that explained the entire tradition, and its history, in detail. It was everything Twilight needed to figure everything out. Rarity just hoped that Twilight would be able to find it, as she herself had only known where to look because of what she had overheard from the princesses.

Still, this was Twilight. She was bound to find the book eventually, even if she had to go through every single tome in her library.

But finding the book first, however, was a good thing, and wasn't in any shape or form the source of her annoyance.

That came from two distinct sources.

Firstly, she’d discovered that she’d missed a crucial detail while reading about the Felt Heart dolls. She had overheard plenty from the princesses, but they’d never mentioned one thing: the heart itself. As it was, every doll was supposed to have a little heart sewn onto their breast, to convey the meaning of the gift. The tradition had even been named around that detail, centered around it.

And none of the dolls she’d made had one.

The second source of her annoyance was none other than herself. Out of all her friends, she was the only one without a doll. She’d done it again. She’d been in the zone, caught up in the moment, and hadn’t thought it through. She’d been so eager to share the dolls, and share herself with Twilight, that she’d sent them out before she could start on the last one.

At the time, she’d simply been too eager. Why not share this wonderful idea with her friends, as soon as possible? But now, it singled her out. She alone did not have a doll, and that made her suspect.

She had to correct this immediately.

She trotted back to her room, and her eyes settled on the remaining materials. A few pieces of the other dolls were still strewn around—here and there, after she’d snipped them off.

In fact, quite a bit had been left over. She had enough material to craft an entirely separate doll. She shuddered as she pictured the end product. An amalgam of six different coat colors, a dozen mane colors, a few wings and a horn. It would, frankly, be an abomination.

She shoved those thoughts aside, levitating several pieces in front of her eyes and focusing on them. The dark indigo of her mane, with the small strips of purple and pink. The amethyst gemstones, for her shining purple eyes. The lavender of her coat. The pink and white of her cutie mark.

She stared at them, prompting herself to start her work. To put every effort into crafting her masterpiece. To make a doll of the one she loved.

The one… I love.

She couldn’t.

She couldn’t do it. Especially after having read the book—she now knew the depth of the emotions the dolls were meant to convey. She’d already understood it, as a giver. She’d shown her heart to Twilight, even if the dear didn’t know it yet.

But the other way around? It would be presumptuous. The doll of Twilight was supposed to be a symbol that Twilight reciprocated the feeling.

As much as she wished it was so, Rarity simply did not know if this was the case.

Her eyes widened as she realized her possible faux-pas. Had it been such a good idea to make the dolls for her four other friends? Had she, in a sense, undermined their relationships by crafting them herself?

No, she reasoned. She knew what she’d seen. What existed between Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie. The sparks between Applejack and Rainbow Dash. She’d just… helped them along. And if push came to shove, they could always make another set of dolls of their own.

But Twilight?

She couldn’t. She couldn’t presume that her friend felt the same way. Rarity couldn’t make the doll herself.

Only Twilight could do that.

“Oh Opal, what shall I do?”

“Mrow?”

The knock on the door to her room shook her out of her reverie, but the muffled voice that accompanied it froze the blood in her veins.

“Rarity? Are you in there?” came the familiar voice.

Twilight! What is she doing here?

“O-one moment please!” Rarity called out, frantically searching for a place to hide the materials. She spotted one of her open closets out of the corner of her eye, and swept everything into it. Scraps, manes, coats, and gems all flew through the open door. She spun around as it slammed shut, and trotted over to the door, opening it with a flick of her magic.

“Hello, darling! What brings you here?”

The other unicorn smiled. “Hey Rarity. Your sign said the boutique was open, but nopony was around, so I figured you might be back here.”

Rarity dipped her head. “I... was cleaning up. I apologize. But again, what brings you here? We only saw each other a few hours ago.”

Twilight nodded, her horn shining as she opened the saddlebags she was carrying. A moment later, the Rarity doll floated out of it. “I was just doing some research on these, and I wanted to ask you a few questions.”

“Y-yes? What about them?” So soon? She thought, dismissing a vague sense of déja-vu. She looks happy… maybe she’s found the book already?

“Well, the books I read listed a number of different materials that this could be. I think I narrowed it down though. Is this fabric minky?” Twilight asked, floating out a notepad and quill.

“I—why, perhaps! Let me have a look.” She lifted a hoof, and Twilight floated the doll closer. Of course, Twilight was right. She’d chosen minky because of its softness, and how closely it matched the feel of a real pony’s coat. She ran her hoof over the doll, wishing that she could touch Twilight’s coat instead. Her mind drifted back to that time on the train when they were returning home from Canterlot after their adventure in the Crystal Empire. The memory of Twilight’s hoof on her own—that touch—still burned brightly.

She blinked, catching herself before her mind wandered too far. Hopefully Twilight hadn’t noticed. “You’re right. It is minky.”

“I knew it! She’s so soft!” Twilight floated the doll back to herself, and giggled as she ran a hoof over its back. Rarity’s eye twitched. It was a strange sensation, but she could have sworn that as Twilight did so, she felt a touch on her own body where Twilight was stroking the doll. Once again, she had to forcibly pull herself away from her fantasies.

“I love the eyes, too. The gems totally match all our eyes!” Twilight gushed.

Rarity watched as the doll floated next to her, until she felt it against her cheek. Twilight giggled behind a hoof, as she compared the doll to Rarity. "See? Two pairs of sapphires!"

Rarity wasn’t sure how much more her heart could take. Her entire being was screaming at her to come clean, to reveal herself as the source of the dolls.

But still, she held back. She couldn’t. Not until she knew how Twilight felt.

“Any idea where they came from?” Twilight asked. “You’re the only gemhunter I know.”

“Er, not offhoof, no. There is also Jewel Bearing, he runs the jewelry shop in town.” Rarity explained. “I sometimes bring gems to him to get them cut, if the ones I find aren’t good enough.” She shrugged, hoping it looked nonchalant enough. “He might be of help.”

Twilight nodded as she wrote into her notepad. “All right, I’ll check with him.” She stuffed her writing implements back into her saddlebag, along with the doll. “Thanks Rarity!”

“You’re welco—wait, that’s it?” Rarity asked, surprised.

“Yep! Why do you ask?”

“Uh…" Perhaps I shouldn’t have stopped her. “It just seems like very little to go on. Did you not find anything else?”

“Not really,” Twilight huffed, visibly disappointed. “All I’ve found so far are various guides or how-tos. Nothing to explain where they came from, or what’s up with the pairings. Not that it wasn’t interesting!” she added. “At least now I understand just what goes into making them.”

“They are rather good, aren’t they?” She swelled with pride—she couldn’t help it—but the feeling was suppressed by the realization of just how little progress Twilight had made.

Maybe… Maybe she could give a helping hoof.

But was that wise?

It was a considerable risk. If she wasn’t careful, she’d be drawing attention to herself. Twilight might ferret her out as the culprit, before finding out what the dolls meant.

But if she pulled it off, she’d be pointing Twilight down the right path, saving both Twilight and herself much frustration.

Well. As Applejack would say... ‘You’ve gotta break a few eggs to make an omelette.’

She decided to break an egg. “Twilight, perhaps you are looking in the wrong place?”

Twilight looked at Rarity, confusion plain on her face. “Uh, what do you mean?”

“W-well. You’re looking for who made these, correct?” Rarity asked, earning a nod from Twilight. “Does that matter?” That got her a raised eyebrow. She gulped. Careful. Don’t overplay your hoof. “I mean, couldn’t you look at the ‘why’, instead of the ‘who’?”

Twilight tapped her chin with her hoof as she thought. “You’re right. And if I can find out why, that might lead me to the who!”

Rarity held back her sigh of relief. “Exactly!”

“I don’t have much to go on, though. The books didn’t really help much.”

Rarity couldn’t tell what disappointed Twilight more—the lack of information, or the fact that her precious books hadn’t been of use.

She had to do something. But what hint could she give, without admitting she knew what the dolls meant already? There was nothing about the dolls to reveal their purpose. The name ‘Felt Heart’, perhaps? But how… A thought struck her—Twilight had never seen her fictitious doll. Did she dare risk it?

“I may have something that could help.” She swallowed the lump in her throat as Twilight’s eyes locked on her. “My doll has a little heart sewn on it, made of felt.”

“Really?” Twilight interrupted. “That's odd. The others don't have that. Why is yours different?”

Rarity could only shrug. “I don’t know, dear. I’m sorry.”

Twilight beamed. “Don't worry! This is a good piece of information! Certainly something worth looking into!”

“Good, good.” Rarity smiled back. It looked like it had worked. She’d given Twilight a much needed hint, without rousing suspicion.

“So, can I see me?”

“I beg your pardon?”

“Your doll! Can I see her?” Twilight’s grin was wide, and filled Rarity’s heart with warmth. But her words chilled it right back. Her ears fell flat against her head.

“I-I don’t have her,” she said, before perking up. “Sweetie Belle has her!” she blurted, tossing out the first excuse that came to mind.

Twilight seemed to buy it. “Aww. I wanted to see how I looked!” She pouted.

Rarity smiled at the adorable gesture. “Perhaps later, dear–” She froze as her eyes caught sight of what Opalescence was doing.

“Er, say! Do you want some tea?” Rarity blurted. “I have some lovely tea!”

“Uh, sure?” the other unicorn replied, confused at the sudden switch in topics.

“Come along then!” She smiled, holding open the door. She quickly closed it behind them, hiding what she’d spotted as she’d glanced behind Twilight.

She couldn’t let her see what Opalescence was playing with: a piece of minky, sticking out of her closet.

A piece embroidered with Twilight’s cutie mark.

Two thoughts held sway on Spike’s mind at that moment.

The first was an idle musing: when would Ponyville realise that the Library was just as much a public building as it was Twilight’s home? She’d often told everypony that there was no need to knock, that they could enter without announcing themselves. Still, the vast majority of Ponyville stubbornly continued to be polite. Not that this was a bad thing.

The second thought was directly related to the first, as he opened the door to see who had knocked.

Now, Spike prided himself on being able to stay calm under pressure. Usually. Not counting the time he’d thought that Fluttershy had exploded twice. Or the entire fiasco with Owlowiscious. But pretty often, he’d been the calming presence next to Twilight’s frantic outbursts, and had remained level- headed.

Seeing the Cutie Mark Crusaders standing on the doorstep to the library, however, did warrant a bit of panic.

Their arrival tended to herald chaos. Not just the Discord kind, but the kind that would leave a mess he’d have to clean up afterwards. The best way to deal with them was to nip the situation in the bud, and engage in preventative measures.

“Hey, girls!” he said, standing firmly in the doorway. He wasn’t very big, but hopefully his presence would deter them from barging into the library. “What brings you here?”

“Books!” Sweetie Belle cried out, bouncing in place, as Scootaloo rolled her eyes at her friend.

“Uh, yeah? This is a library!” The pegasus filly turned back to Spike. “We’re looking for books!”

“Hey, I just said tha–”

“Felt Hearts!” Apple Bloom interjected, rolling her eyes at her friends. “We’re lookin’ for books on ‘Felt Hearts’!”

“Never heard of it,” Spike answered. “Stay here a sec, I’ll go see what I can find.” He shut the door, ignoring the complaints. He remembered Twilight’s instructions for what to do if the Crusaders ever showed up together and unescorted: be polite, get them what they wanted, and get them out of the building as quickly as possible.

He rushed over to a catalogue, and leafed his way through the book. He quickly found something on the subject, and ran a finger down the list of books. He then darted from shelf to shelf, amassing a dozen books on the subject—every book he could find.

He then opened the door once more, and dropped the books in the fillies’ cart. “There you go! That’s everything. Have fun!” he said, and slammed the door shut.

He sighed as he sat down against the door, wiping his brow. The crisis had been averted. He’d followed Twilight’s instructions to the letter. He figured he’d done so well, in fact, that he deserved a treat. Once he was sure that the fillies were gone and he had marked the loaned books into the library’s ledger, he was going to pay a visit to Sugarcube Corner.

He’d earned it, after all.

“Really, Rarity. Spike and I can find the book! You don’t need to tag along.”

“I insist! Since I can’t show you my doll, the least I can do is help!”

That was, at least, what she’d told Twilight. The truth of the matter was slightly different. The tea had just been a pretense, to get Twilight as far away from the risk Opal presented as possible. Twilight herself had been quite animated, discussing her plans for her research, now that Rarity had dropped her hint. Twilight was still planning on visiting Jewel Bearing at some point, but had prioritized the research of the felt hearts instead.

Rarity had seen it as an opportunity—not only could she help Twilight directly, but she’d also be right there when Twilight finally discovered what the dolls meant. She’d see, first-hoof, how the other unicorn would react.

For better or for worse.

“You’re sure you’re not busy?” Twilight asked again.

“Not at all! I’m glad to help.”

“Okay. Thanks.” Twilight smiled.

If nothing else, Twilight’s smiles made it all worth it.

Yet she couldn’t help but be filled with trepidation as they approached the Golden Oaks library. When Twilight magicked the door open, she fought the desire to turn tail and run, to hide in her room and bury herself under her blanket.

But that would simply be delaying the inevitable. And now that she’d followed Twilight into the library, and her friend had closed the door behind them, that option had vanished. She took a deep breath, and attempted to shake off her fears. It was time to face the music.

While Rarity was lost in her thoughts, Twilight had busied herself. She was already checking the library’s catalogue, and quickly turned towards the relevant shelves. But she soon started frowning, and it grew deeper with every shelf she checked. “That’s odd.”

Odd? That doesn’t sound good. “Is something wrong?” Rarity asked.

“Yes, I can’t find any of the books on the subject! They’re all gone!”

“G-gone?”

“Not a single one here.” Twilight trotted to a large ledger at the back of the room, and gave it a quick glance. “Oh! They were checked out today!”

“Can you get them back?” Rarity asked, glancing at the shelves. She knew exactly where the book she’d found was supposed to be. Her eyes narrowed as she found the empty spot where it had once stood. It was gone. She turned back to Twilight, only to be met with silence. The other pony was staring at the ground, unable to meet her eye. “Twilight?”

“I…" Twilight hesitated. “I shouldn’t. It wouldn’t end well.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Well, you know how I can get a bit, um… particular about books? Intense, maybe?”

“I believe the word you’re looking for is ‘obsessive’, my dear.”

Twilight winced theatrically at the friendly barb, before continuing on. “Well, I’ve learned that I have to be very careful about not letting myself go too far when books are involved.” Another wince, genuine this time. “My family has never let me forget the Paper Golem incident…" she finished in a mutter.

“ ‘Paper golem incident’?”

Twilight scratched the back of her head with a hoof, clearly embarrassed. “Well, when I was a foal, I couldn’t stand to be parted from my personal library for long. So I started carrying books everywhere. At first I just took the book I was reading. Then I started bringing along a spare, in case I finished that one. Then a couple more, so I’d have some choice of what to read next.

“By the time I was hauling around books by the wagon-load, my parents put their hoof down: when I went to school, I could take no more than I could carry by myself. Well, that obviously wasn’t enough, so I got to thinking: What if the books could carry themselves?”

“Oh, my. I think I can see where this is going.”

Twilight nodded. “Suffice it to say, it didn’t end well. The golem made something of a mess at home. And at school. And, ah, everywhere in between. It followed my every command literally, you see, and I hadn’t really thought things through. I don’t think Shining has ever quite forgiven me for that. You know, nopony believed him when he said it ate his Guard Academy term paper? Well, not until I offered to demonstrate it for his professor—that was the first time I got published! … also the first time I got arrested.”

“Arrested?”

“In retrospect, after what happened the first time, it was rather foalish of me to do it again. In a room full of military reference manuals, no less! Oh, the princess took care of that one in the end. Covered the damages and got me off with community service.”

“Oh. Well, that’s good to hear. How’d it get you published, though?”

“Well, once everything was over, the professor approached me, and we coauthored On the Military Applications of Animate Paper. I covered how to make and control them; he covered how to use and fight them. But, yeah, getting back on topic: I can’t let my book-hoarding instincts get away from me. If I started going after legitimate loans just because I wanted to read them, well, I’d never lend anything.”

Rarity chuckled along with Twilight, once again marvelling at the mare’s quirkiness and passion to anything relating to books. But she fell silent once again, a question on her lips. “So… you won’t go get the books?”

“No. I’ll just wait for them to be returned in due time. It’s only a one-week loan, anyway.” She shrugged. “I still have other avenues of research, and other projects for that matter. Have you read Mollusks and You? It’s fascinating!”

Outwardly, Rarity smiled, eager to let Twilight bend her ear.

Inwardly, she was screaming with frustration.

Applejack couldn’t help herself, breathing in deeply as she burrowed her nose in between Rainbow’s feathers. They covered her face, tickling gently, but she paid it no mind. It was a simple nuzzle, but she couldn’t get enough of the sensation. Not even Rainbow’s wonderful mane or her soft coat could match the feeling of those feathers caressing her face. It sent shivers down her spine every time.

And Rainbow knew just how she felt, often caressing her jaw with a wing when they were alone. She’d even joked that Applejack could always ask Fluttershy to do the same thing if Rainbow wasn’t around, but the cowpony had vehemently rejected the idea. If it wasn’t Rainbow’s wings, it wouldn’t be the same thing.

She breathed out, snuggling closer against Rainbow’s body, as the pair lay on a pile of hay in one of the barn’s lofts.

“Enjoying yourself?”

Applejack opened an eye, and stared up at Dash’s grinning face. “You know it.”

Rainbow chuckled, shaking her head. “Never seen a pony enjoy wings so much.”

“Not even yerself?”

“Well, yeah. I’ve kinda always had them though.” Rainbow shrugged. “But you’re just funny.”

Applejack tried to fake a pout, but the attempt was ruined by her grin. “Funny, am I?” She ran a hoof along Rainbow’s primaries, and snickered as Rainbow shivered with delight. “So you sayin’ you don’t like that?”

“I-I never said that.” Rainbow closed her eyes, clearly enjoying the sensation. She then leaned closer to Applejack, burying her head against the farmpony’s neck. “Remind me to thank Granny Smith for inviting me to dinner.”

“Y’already did that, Sugarcube.”

“Well, I need to do it again!” Rainbow leaned away to stare Applejack in the eye. “I haven’t had a dinner like that in ages.”

“That’s just her way of welcomin’ ya to the family, Dash.” Applejack nuzzled the blushing pegasus’s cheek. “See what happens when you open up to folks?”

“Yeah, well…" Rainbow fell silent. “I still wanna wait on telling anypony else. I’m just not ready yet.”

Applejack nodded, knowing to not press her luck. “Take your time.” She grinned as her eyes fell on the two dolls sitting next to them, leaning against each other. “After all, it looks like we were made for each other.”

“That was awful.” Rainbow rolled her eyes, but her grin matched Applejack's. “Yeah, they’re pretty cool.” She poked the Dash doll with a hoof. “I’d say they got my good side, but all my sides are good.”

Applejack chuckled at her marefriend. “Whoever made ‘em did a really good job.”

“Yeah, whoever.” Rainbow’s grin suddenly faded, as she stared intently at the dolls, then directly at Applejack. “A.J., you didn’t make these, right?”

“Nope.”

“Neither did Granny, or Big Mac?”

“ ‘Course not!”

“And I know I didn’t make them.” She paused, her words hanging in the air. “So… who did?”

“Ain’t that what Twilight is tryin’ to figure out?” Applejack asked, not seeing Rainbow’s point.

“Yeah but that’s not the point!” Rainbow paused, a hoof in the air. “Or wait. It is, but not the main point.”

“Then what is?”

“The dolls mean a relationship, right?” Rainbow asked, to which Applejack nodded. “I mean, if we each got a doll of ourselves, I wouldn’t worry about it. But this sounds exactly like that thing Granny Smith was talking about.”

“Felt Hearts?”

“Yeah. You got me, I got you.” Rainbow stared at the dolls again. “That means, somepony else knows.” She glanced back at Applejack, her eyes wide. “Somepony else knows about us.”

Applejack remained silent, finally having caught up to Rainbow’s thought process. When she put it that way, it made sense. “Huh. Guess so.”

“You guess so?” Rainbow repeated. “That’s it?”

Applejack shrugged. “What do you want me to do?”

“We gotta find out who knows!” Rainbow exclaimed, getting to her hooves and pacing about.

“Twilight’s already on the job, remember?”

Rainbow paused mid-step. “Oh yeah. Well, maybe we could help?” She flexed her wings in preparation of flight, before her face fell and her wings drooped. “Wait. Bad idea. We’d have to tell her about us.”

“Is that really so bad?” Applejack asked, rolling her eyes. Rainbow was becoming more paranoid by the minute.

“Yes! No! I-I don’t know.” Rainbow glared at Applejack. “Not yet, okay?”

Applejack shrugged. “Well, not much else you can do other than hunker down, is there?”

Rainbow slumped down onto her haunches. “Yeah, you’re right.” The barn was silent for a few moments before she perked up once again. “You’re right! That’s exactly what I’ll do!” Applejack could only stare as Rainbow leapt off of the loft, and flew out of the barn.

Before Applejack could drag herself out of the hay, Rainbow returned, and pressed her lips against the farmpony’s, pushing her back through the sheer force of the kiss. She was breathless as they parted, staring with wide eyes at her lover.

Rainbow was beaming at her. “I love you,” she whispered, leaning in close. She then lifted herself away, before speeding off with a yell. “I’ll see you tomorrow!”

Applejack shook her head, once again wondering how her heart had settled on the incorrigible pegasus. She made her way back to the barnhouse and the comfort of her bed, to dream of feathers, rainbows, and dolls, and to look forward to a day of good, honest work.

She hadn’t, however, expected to wake up to see a cloud above her home. It was huge, with rainbow fountains and a large tower. But Rainbow’s home, for it was indeed the pegasus’s mansion, had taken on a few changes. Not only had it moved itself above Applejack’s barnhouse, but a cloud-wall surrounded the home, extending to the fences surrounding Sweet Apple Acres. Towers dotted the walls at lengthy intervals, with enough room for a pegasus to sit in each.

Sweet Apple Acres had apparently become the home of a cloud-fortress.

“Y’gotta be kiddin’ me.”

Being the Royal Archivist had many perks, Footnote mused. First and foremost, of course, were the books. So many books.

An entire library’s worth of books. The Castle’s Royal Library, to be precise.

He loved his role. It was his passion, his life’s calling, as the stack of books on his flank pointed out so readily. His job was to make sure that all the documents—be they scrolls, books, or even tablets with writing chiseled onto it—were in the right place in the Library. He made sure that they were sorted, categorized, organized, and accessible to whoever may have need of them.

This meant he had to read them all. Maybe not thoroughly, and in most cases, he could only skim them, but the fact still remained: he was being paid to read all day.

Yes, the perks were truly great.

It was a benefit that some of his subordinates didn’t seem to appreciate. They seemed to stick to the organizational aspect of the job, taking pleasure in keeping everything sorted and proper, rather than delving into the mountain of knowledge available at their hooftips.

It’s a shame, really, he thought. Few ponies seemed to take pleasure in the simple joy of reading. Except for that one filly he’d met years ago. She was young enough to be his daughter, yet her appetite for knowledge rivaled the greatest scholars of history. It took her a scant few years to read several entire rows of books. Such a feat had taken him more time than the filly had then been alive. It had been both a shock, yet utterly unsurprising to find out that she was Celestia’s student. She would be a grown mare by now, he figured, briefly wondering where she was. She hadn’t visited in quite a while. He chuckled. She was probably still embarrassed about the book fort incident.

Footnote’s growling stomach reminded him that there were still some drawbacks to the job. Such as the library being on the opposite side of the castle from the kitchens. He’d barely had time for a piece of toast that morning, and had completely missed the castle’s breakfast hour, lost as he’d been to one of the many volumes on the shelves. He’d only been snapped out of it by his stomach growling so loudly that it had caused a few nearby snickers.

Thankfully, the kitchen remained open all day, so a trip there would solve this minor problem. If only the trip wasn’t quite so long, he grumbled, as the corridors flowed past him. He paused as he approached the doors to the Royal Throne Room. It seemed like Princess Celestia was having a late breakfast as well, if the unicorn hoofservant with the large floating tray was any indication. Footnote briefly watched the hoofservant, wondering what was under the domed lid they carried, before his eyes wandered towards the princess.

Footnote squinted, trying to make out the small object that was currently floating in Princess Celestia’s magical grip. It had an equine shape, with a sizeable barrel, four long legs, and the beginnings of a neck. A doll, he realized, in its early stages. He’d also noticed something on what would have been the doll’s chest. It looked like… a heart.

He blinked as the door slowly swung shut, startling him out of his thoughts. He cleared his throat and trotted off, escaping the guards’ raised eyebrows. He’d been staring at the throne room for a while, and couldn’t fault the guardponies for thinking something was off.

As he made his way to the kitchen, he couldn’t help but think about what he’d just seen. Something about the doll tickled the back of his mind. It felt familiar, but he couldn’t quite place any of it.

More than anything, it was the little heart that stood out most prominently. He felt that it reminded him of something. A book he’d recently perused in the archives.

The heart of felt was tantalizingly familiar. That book had been about… Festivals, was it? Or traditions? Yes, old traditions, long forgotten. Words crawled from the depths of his memory.

A stanza from a poem.

And bear a heart of reddest felt,
sewed tightly as can be,
upon its breast, to show the world
your love for all to see.

Felt Hearts. An old tradition, that hadn’t been mainstream for nearly a hundred years.

He tried to recall what he’d seen in the throne room. The doll had been white, larger than the average pony, with long, graceful, slender legs.

Typically found on an alicorn. A tall, white alicorn.

Princess Celestia was making a Felt Heart doll. Of herself.

The princess… is in love?

“Wait, the princess is what now?”

Footnote jumped, his eyes focusing on the pony in front of him. He’d somehow ended up where he’d wanted to go: the castle kitchens, and was standing in front of one of the cooks. But instead of ordering some food, he’d apparently spoken out loud.

He really needed to stop doing that.

Several cooks had overheard him, and were now crowding close. “The princess is in love? Which princess?” one voice said.

“Who’s she in love with?” asked another.

“Who told you?” asked a third.

By then, the entire kitchen staff had crowded around him, blocking any route of escape. But he found he didn’t actually mind. He was surrounded by ponies, eager to learn, eager to listen to knowledge he had gleaned from the library.

Who was he to deny them this knowledge?

“Well,” he started, his voice reaching everypony present, “I just walked past the throne room, and let me tell you what I saw…”

Scootaloo wasn’t sure what she was reading was even in Equestrian anymore. It probably was, but the words had started to run together and turn into random squiggles, but that was probably because her eyes had glazed over a while ago.

She still thought that dollmaking was a dumb idea, and would much rather have been outside doing something cool, but the possibility of a Rainbow Dash doll, hoof-crafted by her idol herself, was much too strong a temptation to resist.

Still, she could practically feel her mind oozing out of her ears from sheer boredom. In fact, it was so quiet, she was quite sure she could hear it happen. The clubhouse tended to be either completely silent, because they were off crusading in and around Ponyville, or noisy, because they were inside thinking up plans for more crusading.

But right now, the clubhouse was in a rare state of being both occupied and quiet at the same time. All because of some stupid research. She’d tried, she’d really tried, but after the first few books, she just couldn’t focus anymore. She let her head sink towards the floor, burying her face into the book. “This sucks! There’s nothing here!”

“Found something!” Sweetie Belle cried out.

Scootaloo lifted her head back up, squinting at the unicorn. That seemed awfully timely. “Really?”

Sweetie Belle nodded. “Felt Hearts. There’s even a little poem.” She cleared her throat and began reading. “ ‘A symbol used by rich and poor / to show love true and great. / To make a doll that means much more, / your replica create.’ ”

Scootaloo groaned loudly. “ ‘Love true and great’? Ugh, boring!” Her face once more met the book in front of her.

To her side, Apple Bloom sighed. “That don’t sound right at all. 'Your replica create'? What does that mean? This ain't tellin’ us anything 'bout how to actually make these dolls!”

Sweetie Belle shrugged, and tossed the book aside. “So what do we do now?”

Scootaloo saw this as her chance to escape. As much as she wanted that Rainbow Dash doll, if she spent another minute reading, she’d scream. “Hey, how about–”

“I know!” Apple Bloom yelled. “How ‘bout we just make the dolls anyway?”

Scootaloo lifted her head and frowned at the interruption, but her curiosity was piqued. “What, just like that?”

The earth pony filly nodded. “Yeah! I mean, my sis and Rainbow Dash made one. How hard could it be?” She stood up and trotted to the clubhouse table, and grabbed a pencil in her mouth. She scribbled on a sheet of paper for a few seconds, and turned back to face the other two Crusaders. “So we need fabric, thread, needles, and gems. Where’s the best place to get all that?”

Sweetie bounced where she stood. “Oh! Oh! Rarity’s boutique!” She grinned at her friends. “She probably won’t mind!”

Scootaloo felt a smile spreading on her face. This actually was starting to sound fun. She quickly joined her friends, and bumped hooves with them.

“Cutie Mark Crusader Boutique Raiders, yay!”

Big McIntosh once again rolled his eyes as he caught sight of the large cloud above his home. Or rather, the home above his home. The rooster had only just crowed a few minutes before he’d first caught sight of it, the light of dawn only barely lighting the path as he strode towards the orchard.

But as he’d returned with the first set of baskets, filled to the brim with apples, he’d nearly dropped them in shock. The cloud had turned out to be one of those fancy pegasus homes, with a huge tower and several rainbow fountains. The latter of the features had made it pretty easy to guess whom it belonged to, if he hadn’t known already. Only one pony in town had a home like this.

He’d shrugged and gotten back to work. It wasn’t as if he was able to do anything about it.

No, he’d leave that to his sister, and her… marefriend.

The sprig of grass in his mouth twisted around as he chewed on it. The revelation of his sister’s relationship with the colorful pegasus had been a bit of a surprise to him. Though when he thought about it, he should have seen the signs. The other mare was always hovering around Applejack, who seemed to tolerate the other’s presence, even while working. Especially while working. And whenever Applejack talked about her friends, the conversation inevitably found its way towards one in particular.

There were a dozen other signs he should have picked up on.

But it didn’t matter. While he thought that Rainbow Dash was a loud, brash pony, she clearly made his sister happy, and that was the most important thing.

He smirked. It also made the pegasus Applejack’s responsibility.

As he approached the apple cellar, a pair of voices from inside the barn told him that Applejack was already on the job.

“Dash,” his sister began. She sounded calm, but he could tell she was anything but. Her marefriend responded quickly.

“Yeah?”

“Why is there a cloud-fortress above my farm?”

“This is a defensible position, A.J.! If anypony tries to come here to find out if we're together, we can keep them away!”

It took all of Big McIntosh’s self control to not put a hoof to his forehead. And clearly, Applejack felt the same way.

“So, ya' practically moved in with me, to keep folks from findin' out about us?”

“Yeah! … wait. Uh. I may have to rethink this.”

This time, the hoof did indeed meet his forehead.

“I’ll give ya somethin’ else to think about. What do trees need to grow?”

“Huh? Uh, water?”

He could practically picture Applejack nodding slowly. "Yeah, and?”

“Er… earth?”

“Good. And?”

“Uhh… Oh! Sunlight, of course.”

He resisted the urge to snort. He’d always thought his sister would fall for another farmer. Clearly, this filly was anything but.

“Eeexactly,” Applejack continued. “Now, have a look at them there trees. Which of those do they have?”

“Well, they've got plenty of earth, and I did the rain just yesterday, and there’s plenty of sun—see how clear the shadow of the… cloud… oh. Ohmygosh I’m sorry A.J. I wasn’t thinking–”

“Y’don’t say?”

“I’m sorry! I’ll move it now!”

“You better. I’m still gonna ban you from our dinner table for a month though.”

Big McIntosh couldn’t hold back a snort at that threat. After seeing the pegasus’s appetite the previous night, she’d clearly acquired a taste for the traditional Apple family meals. The threat was probably a good thing though—if they had to feed both Applejack and Rainbow Dash regularly, the orchard might not have enough apples to keep up with their stomachs.

Rainbow’s gasp covered the sound of his laughter. “A month?”

“Yup. That’ll teach ya to come up with these featherbrained ideas.”

“But! But! A month?”

Big McIntosh rolled his eyes. She must have really liked the dinner.

Applejack’s voice was firm. “A month.” The pair fell silent, and Big McIntosh turned to get back to work, but paused as he heard his sister’s voice again. “Dash… Dash, stop. Stop. Not the puppy-dog eyes. No. Stop.”

He blinked. It sounded like Applejack was wavering.

“Darn it Dash, stop lookin’ adorable!”

He smirked gently. By the sound of things, Rainbow Dash was using every trick in the book against his sister. He knew precisely her expression right now, as it was one that both Applejack and Apple Bloom often used against him.

And it usually worked.

“Stop makin' it hard for me to be mad at ya!” Applejack growled. Big McIntosh heard her sigh. “Fine! A week!”

“Awesome! You’re the best!”

“I know. Now get movin’!”

“You got it, boss!”

Big McIntosh shook his head, smirking, and trotted down to the cellar. As sweet as that might have been, there was still work to do.

A Wonderful Figure

Pinkie Pie’s lips curled into a smile before her eyes flew open. Her nose had detected the delicious smell of baked goods, and she decided that this day, right here, was going to be a good day.

It was true that most of her days were good—with the few dark and lonely exceptions, usually fixed by a smile from her friends or herself—but it was these types of days that she particularly liked. Contrary to popular assumption, Pinkie wasn’t always the first to wake in the mornings at Sugarcube Corner. Some days, she could even give Rainbow Dash a run for her money in rising late.

On those days, the Cakes’ morning routine would wake her up instead. The smell of oatmeal, coffee, and the occasional muffin would waft through the house, soon followed by the delightful scents of the first batch of baked goods, destined to be sold to Ponyville’s early risers. And when that smell reached Pinkie, it was the best thing in the world.

She blinked as the world came into focus, and smiled even wider as her eyes took in the pile of dolls sitting a hoof’s distance away from her nose. This was the second best thing in the world—waking up to all her friends and family. “Morning, Mommy, Daddy, Inkie, and Blinkie! Morning, Cranky and Matilda! Morning, Princess Celestia! Sleep well, Princess Luna! Morning, Mr. Cake, Mrs. Cake, Pound, and Pumpkin! Morning, Gummy and Spike!”

She then bent down, and swept one of the dolls into a hug. “Morning, Applejack!” She set down the orange pony, then hugged the next. “Morning, Dashie! Morning, Twilight! Morning, Rarity!” Her smiled widened even more as she hugged the last doll. “And good morning, Fluttershy!”

Her own morning routine done, she rolled to the other side of her bed, ready to leap off and start the day, when her hoof brushed something soft. Puzzled, she glanced down, and gasped. There sat the other Fluttershy doll, looking as if it was peering up at her with those gemstone eyes. She’d almost forgotten about it! She quickly grabbed it into its own hug. “I’m sorry Fluttershy! Good morning to you too!”

She hugged it tightly, rubbing her cheek against the doll’s own, almost losing herself in the feeling of its soft texture. She snapped out of it as the smell of cakes wafted from below, startling her out of her daze. She’d been hugging the new doll for a long time.

Her eyes drifted to her pile of ragdolls, gasping again as she noticed her ragdoll Fluttershy had fallen on its face, almost curled up. It looked sad, even lonely. She set the new doll down, and pulled the old one into another hug. “I’m sorry, Fluttershy! I didn’t mean to hug the other one so long!” She held it in her forelegs, counting down in her head until the old doll’s hug quota matched the new one’s down to the second.

She nodded to herself as she set it down, sitting next to the new Flutterdoll. Now there’d be no hard feelings, no jealousy between either of them. Her smiled wavered slightly as she eyed the two dolls again. She’d have to be careful not to let this happen again, or it would make them sad. And she couldn’t make them sad! It wasn’t as if she had to choose which doll she had to love more, did she?

Her eyes widened as the question repeated itself in her mind.

Did she?

She’d never run into this problem before. She’d always only had one doll to love unconditionally. But now… now she had two of the same pony. Of Fluttershy, even. Somehow, that detail felt important.

And she loved them both. She really did. But she’d never had to split her attention before. Should she love her old doll more? The one she’d crafted with her own two hooves? Or the new one, which was so gorgeous and lifelike and cute and adorable that she almost expected it to come to life?

This was a really, really tough question. She’d need help answering it, and she knew exactly who she’d ask.

“Pinkie? Are you awake?”

Pinkie’s eyes widened as Mrs Cake called from below. She’d gotten distracted with the hugs, and had forgotten about the cakes! And the Cakes!

“Coming!” she sang back, leaping off her bed. She’d have to wait until her lunch break to visit the one pony she knew would have an answer to this Flutterproblem.

Fluttershy!

Twilight was normally a very focused pony. Especially where books were concerned. So focused, in fact, that it sometimes took quite a bit of effort to distract her from her reading.

Other times, though, it was a simple thing to do so. A rumbling stomach did the job quite well as a matter of fact.

She blushed as she glanced around the library, but to her relief, nopony was around to hear. She stretched as she stood up from her cushion, levitating a bookmark to keep her spot in Mollusks and You. The more she read, the more fascinated she became, and she couldn’t wait to get back to it.

She reviewed a few facts she had gleaned from the book as she made her way to the kitchen, but paused as something caught her eye. There, on the shelf, sat the doll of Rarity, observing its surroundings with its muzzle slightly upturned as the real thing might do.

She giggled at the thought, marvelling once more at how accurate the dolls were. But as she gazed at the doll, Rarity’s words floated to the front of her mind.

“My doll has a little heart sewn on it, made of felt.”

Twilight frowned as she gave the statement more thought. Why didn’t the other dolls have the heart?

Or perhaps, what made hers so special? After all, the doll of herself was the only one with this heart.

She clucked her tongue as she fought the urge to check the library’s catalogue. The books weren’t there, and she wasn’t going to track them down. It was best for everypony if she just let them come back in due time.

Maybe she could ask for relevant copies from the Canterlot Library. All she needed to do was send a request letter, and the documents would be sent to her door.

The more she considered this, however, the more she realized that the plan had a flaw. In the time it would take for the request to arrive and the texts to be packaged and shipped, the checked out books would likely already be returned, rendering the whole point moot. Maybe if she sent the request through princess Celestia, it could speed things up.

The unicorn gasped, her eyes widening.

The Princess was a living repository of knowledge, old or new. Surely she could put her on the right track?

Twilight fairly galloped to her desk where a quill and a blank scroll waited. She dipped the quill in one of the nearby pots of ink and began her letter.

Dear Princess Celestia, she wrote, my friends and I have all received these odd dolls recently, and I was wondering if you knew anything...

The quill stopped as Twilight looked over the words she’d just written. Not only had she phrased it in an entirely too familiar tone, the subject itself gave her pause.

She remembered the last time a letter had been sent to the Princess regarding a doll. While in the end, thanks to her friends, it had all turned out well... For a while, she’d thought her time in Ponyville had come to an end.

She couldn’t imagine that this new set of dolls had anything to do with that incident. Nor did they seem to have some nefarious purpose—she’d checked her doll for any type of enchantment, and there had been none.

Despite all of that, she hesitated. And hesitated some more.

I think I’ll just wait for the books to be returned.

She sighed as her magic crumpled up the now wasted scroll, and threw it into the bin. If only there was another avenue to research, she thought, her eyes wandering back to the Rarity doll.

As the gemstone eyes glinted, she realised there was, in fact, another option.

Rarity had mentioned the town’s jeweler. Perhaps he could lend some insight on the subject?

Twilight’s horn shone as her magic quickly grabbed the doll and her saddlebags. Lunch could wait, she had some research to do!

She knew it was just her imagination.

After all, it was just a doll. There was no way it could be watching her, could it?

Watching, from the couch where Pinkie had left it the previous day.

Watching, with its gemstone eyes. Tracking her everywhere she went.

Had it just moved? No, it couldn’t have. Not unless it was enchanted. Was it enchanted? She’d have to ask Twilight.

But who would send an enchanted doll?

“I-I’m just being a scaredy cat…" Fluttershy mumbled, earning herself a raised eyebrow from the kitten sitting nearby. “Sorry!”

She hurried to the kitchen, eager to escape the doll’s gaze, and grabbed a bowl of carrots. Even if it was just noon, a few of her animal friends had adapted to her eating schedule, most notably Angel and the other bunnies. Perhaps she’d make herself something quick once she’d fed them.

She took a deep breath, and stared at the door to the living room. It’s just a doll, she thought. Get a hold of yourself. She steeled herself, and pushed the door open. She flew over to the door, and was about to lift a hoof to open it when she glanced back at the doll.

And it stared back.

She squeaked in fright, which turned into a full blown shriek of terror as something knocked on her front door. The bowl flew into the air, carrots landing everywhere as she curled up on the floor, trembling.

“Fluttershy? Are you okay?”

Pinkie…?

She scrambled to her hooves, and grabbed the door, inching it open. On the other side of the door stood Pinkie Pie, the worried look on her face disappearing into a wide grin as she caught sight of Fluttershy. “Hiya!”

Fluttershy smiled back, feeling herself calm down ever so slightly at the presence of her friend. “H-hi Pinkie…" Fluttershy stepped back, opening the door wide, letting the pink pony trot in.

Pinkie paused in the middle of the room, her eyes roving around. “Ooh, is it easter for the bunnies?”

“Easter…?” Fluttershy repeated, lost.

“You hid the carrots for the bunnies to find!” Pinkie pointed at the vegetables poking around the furniture. “You didn’t do a good job though, I can still see them.” She grinned as she turned to face Fluttershy. “Can I help?”

“Oh… Um, no thank you, Pinkie.” Fluttershy shook her head. “You just startled me and I dropped the bowl…"

Pinkie giggled, hopping closer to the pegasus. “That makes a lot more sense! And it explains this!” Fluttershy’s eyes widened as Pinkie stopped right in front of her, and moved her muzzle closer to Fluttershy’s own. She felt the heat creep onto her cheeks.

Is she…? Fluttershy closed her eyes, fear and anticipation warring inside her. She had no idea what to think right now, and could only wait.

And wait.

And wonder why she wasn’t feeling anything.

Fluttershy jumped slightly as she felt something ruffle her mane. She felt Pinkie’s presence move away, and slowly opened her eyes, to see Pinkie sitting in front of her, a carrot in her mouth.

“It was in your mane!” the earth pony explained. Fluttershy blinked, then blushed once again as she realized what exactly she’d been expecting. Hiding her face behind her mane, she attempted to look at Pinkie, but couldn’t quite make eye contact.

“Th-thank you, Pinkie.”

Pinkie grinned, scarfing down the last of the carrot. “No problemo!”

Ears drooping at the strange twist in her gut, Fluttershy nonetheless smiled back, taking comfort in Pinkie being Pinkie. “What brings you here, Pinkie?”

“Oh yeah!” The pink pony turned around and dropped the saddlebags she’d been wearing to the floor. There, she opened each flap, and pulled out two dolls. One was the same mysterious doll from the anonymous sender that Fluttershy had seen the previous day. She glanced at the couch, and flinched as her eyes met the Pinkie-doll’s. She quickly turned her gaze back to the other doll Pinkie had pulled out. It looked like… her?

“Pinkie, what is this?”

Pinkie giggled. “It’s you, silly!”

Fluttershy nodded, then blinked. That hadn’t answered anything. “But where did it come from?”

“I have no idea!” Pinkie replied, still smiling. “Well that’s not really true. Somepony mailed the big doll to me, but I have no idea who! You know, just like yours!” Pinkie pointed to the doll version of herself on the couch, and Fluttershy’s eyes couldn’t help but follow. She quickly looked back, not trusting herself to look at the doll for very long.

None of that had been news, though. She’d been there when the rest of the girls had talked about the dolls’ sudden arrival, after all. “A-and the other?”

“Oh! I made that!”

Fluttershy felt her cheeks grow warmer once again. “Y-you made a doll of me?”

“Yepperoonie!” Fluttershy could feel her chest swell, before Pinkie continued talking. “And of the other girls! And the princesses! And the Cakes! And Cranky and Matilda!”

“Oh…" Fluttershy mumbled, her expression falling ever so slightly. “It’s… very nice.”

“And that’s the problem!” Pinkie exclaimed, flinging her hooves in the air. “They’re both cute and adorable and pretty and fun! Just like you! And I dunno what to do!”

“Do?” Fluttershy couldn’t help but hear the words repeat themselves. Cute? Adorable? Pretty?

“I dunno which to like more! And that’s a big problem!” Pinkie lifted the Fluttershy-ragdoll to the pegasus’s face, then pressed it into Fluttershy’s hooves. “I made this one myself and I love it to bits!”

Fluttershy could see the truth of Pinkie’s words. The smaller doll looked cruder. It definitely had the touch of being hoof-made, but Pinkie had done an excellent job. Fluttershy could easily recognize herself, down to the tiny butterflies on the doll’s flank.

“But this new Flutterdoll is great, too! She’s so pretty and bigger and I don’t know which to love more!”

Fluttershy looked at the second doll as Pinkie kept talking. The larger doll looked almost professionally made, and the attention to detail spoke of a keen eye. The coat, the mane, the tail, and even the wings appeared almost lifelike.

And the eyes.

She couldn’t help it—her gaze flicked over to the Pinkiedoll. She shuddered as she met its eyes, unable to repress the reaction. She almost didn’t hear the other pony talk.

“Fluttershy? Are you okay?”

Fluttershy jumped, startled out of her thoughts. “H-huh? Oh, y-yes, I-I’m fine,” she said, trying to convince herself almost as much as Pinkie.

But the earth pony wasn’t buying it. “No you aren’t! You’re stuttering! You only stutter when you’re scared!” Pinkie moved closer to Fluttershy and sat down next to her. She put a leg around Fluttershy’s withers and drew her close. “Whatcha scared of?”

Fluttershy sighed as she leaned into Pinkie, feeling the warmth of the other mare’s body. “It’s silly…"

“Then you came to the right pony!” Pinkie giggled, nuzzling Fluttershy’s mane. “I’m a professional silly!” She paused, tilting her head. “Or is that silly professional?”

Fluttershy smiled, nuzzling Pinkie’s neck. The earth pony always knew how to calm her down. She sighed again, knowing she shouldn’t hold back. “It’s… it’s your doll.”

“My doll?” Pinkie asked, leaning her head away to look Fluttershy in the eye. Fluttershy nodded, lifting a hoof towards the couch.

“It’s… scary.” She felt a pang in her chest as she saw Pinkie’s expression fall, and her ears droop. “But you aren’t!” she said in a rush, leaning in to nuzzle Pinkie’s cheek. “Never you.”

Pinkie's smile was small, but strong. “So then why…?”

“I-I don’t know!” Fluttershy blurted out, closing her eyes. “It’s just staring at me and following me with its eyes and–” She stopped as a pink hoof touched her lips. Her eyes flew open, and she stared into Pinkie’s blue ones. The pink pony held her gaze for a moment, then winked before turning to face the Pinkiedoll.

Pinkie trotted over to it, her stare turning into a glare. She lifted a hoof, and poked the doll in the stomach. “Now listen here, me! Stop scaring my best friend! She’s too sweet for that!” Pinkie paused, lifting a hoof to her chin. Suddenly, she gasped, and spun around to face Fluttershy. The earth pony rushed to her side, grabbed the bigger Fluttershy doll in her mouth, then rushed back to the couch. She placed her own doll next to the other, and stared at the pair a moment. She then turned the dolls around until they faced each other, and spun around to beam at Fluttershy.

“There you go! Now you can keep an eye on me while you’re not here!”

Fluttershy could barely find the words for what she felt. “But that’s your doll, Pinkie! Don’t you want to keep her?”

Pinkie shook her head, smiling wide. “Nope! If this makes you feel better, then I’m happy!”

Fluttershy could only grin. Maybe Pinkie was right. “Okay. I’ll keep her for you.” She laughed as Pinkie swept her into a hug, nuzzling her cheek at the same time. Fluttershy put her own forelegs around the Pink pony, returning the hug, feeling comfortable in the other mare’s embrace.

All too soon, Pinkie pulled away, looking sad. “I gotta go back to Sugarcube Corner. Can I come back later?” She threw a mock glare at the Pinkie doll. “I gotta keep my eye on me!”

Fluttershy giggled, nodding. “You can always come by.” She blinked as a thought struck her. “But, um, not today? I’m meeting Rarity at the spa this evening.”

“Ooh! Then how about tomorrow?”

Fluttershy nodded again. “Tomorrow sounds perfect.”

“Yay!” Pinkie hugged the pegasus again, burying her face in Fluttershy’s mane. The pair stayed there, completely at ease, but the silence had to end at some point.

“Pinkie?”

“Hmm?”

“Weren’t you supposed to head back?”

“Ack!”

"What should we use for eyes?"

"I thought you already added the eyes?"

"No, those are nostrils."

"Um, maybe we should fix that."

"Scoots? Y’put the wings on backwards."

"No I did- Oh yeah you're right."

"Here, let me-"

“Careful, you’ll-”

"Ack! Uh, I can fix that..."

"Hey, how should we do the legs?"

"...Seriously?"

"Well I don't know where to put the joints."

"Sweetie, I don't think y’put joints on a doll."

"We put nostrils on it, we might as well spring for joints."

"Okay, do we have the wings on right now?"

"Yeah, they match the horn perfectly, too."

"Wait, when did we put a horn on it?"

"Back near the start?"

"I thought that was just a piece of its mane."

“That’s because that is a piece of mane! Look!”

"Uh, is this a stallion or mare?"

"Stallion!"

"Mare!"

"..."

"Wait, who were we even making again?"

"..."

"Should we just start over?"

"We're gonna need more staples..."

"Alright, we better hurry an' find some. We gotta have this done by tomorrow..."

CELESTIA COURTING MYSTERY PONY?

Early this morning, the castle walls were abuzz with a new rumor: Princess Celestia’s eye has been caught by somepony. A guard wishing to remain anonymous informed our reporter that the princess was seen preparing for a date, while another denied those allegations as ‘bunk’, to paraphrase the stallion’s more colorful choice of words. A third stated….

Rarity rolled her eyes as she levitated the paper back to the table. She knew the Equestria Daily was just a trashy gossip rag—if a rather popular one—but the feature article in this morning’s edition was simply ludicrous, even for them. She couldn’t even bear to read the entire thing.

She’d picked it up to keep her mind busy, but it had been to no avail. She kept thinking back to earlier that morning. She’d just come out of the fabric store, having spent a solid hour trying to discern which colors would best complement her current client best. It had proven more dificult than it ought to have, as several rolls of her best fabric had mysteriously vanished while she’d been keeping Twilight company the previous day. She suspected a certain trio of fillies. But despite her worries surrounding the librarian, she still had a job to do.

Yet who else had she met as she stepped out of the store but Twilight herself? Rarity’s heart had fluttered as they’d exchanged pleasantries, but those flutters had quickly died and turned to ice as Twilight briefly mentioned writing a letter to the Princess to ask about the dolls.

Rarity had nearly fainted in relief upon hearing that Twilight had decided against it. Yet she’d still nearly galloped home, eager to throw herself into her work, anything to occupy her mind, and hopefully drive away the thought that kept coming back.

Every time Twilight seemed close to figuring out what the dolls meant, Rarity felt like she wanted to move Sun and Moon to prevent Twilight from doing just that.

Did she truly fear Twilight’s reaction that much?

The chime of an opening door broke her away from her musings. She brightened as a smiling Fluttershy trotted into the spa. “There you are!” she said, turning to nod at Aloe. The earth pony ran off to get their usual session started.

Fluttershy’s ears folded back as her expression fell. “Oh, am I late? I’m sorry if I’m late!”

Rarity smiled and shook her head as the pair trotted into the next room. “Don’t worry about it. I haven’t been waiting long.”

Fluttershy seemed to relax at Rarity’s words. “Oh, good. I, um, I got caught in a… a daydream? And I lost track of time.”

The unicorn raised an eyebrow as they stepped into their respective bathrobes. She kept her silence until they were both seated in the sauna. “That sounds like quite the daydream. Can I ask what it was about?”

The question had clearly caught Fluttershy off guard as she blushed quite heavily. “Oh! No, nothing bad… Not at all.”

Rarity’s eyes narrowed as she took a closer look at her friend. Her question had been completely innocent, but the Fluttershy’s reaction told volumes. While it could very well just be the heat of the sauna, Rarity suspected something else was on Fluttershy’s mind.

Something pink.

She couldn’t ask directly, though. She knew her friend, and was sure that Fluttershy would clam up if she came out and asked if the earth pony was the cause. But perhaps a hint here or there would work.

“That’s good to hear,” she said, closing her eyes as she relaxed. “Say, I stopped by Sugarcube Corner earlier today. Pinkie was beaming, moreso than usual!” She opened a single eye, watching Fluttershy’s reaction. “But she wouldn’t say a word about why. The nerve!” There’s the hook.

The pegasus’s eyes had widened, and were now looking almost everywhere but at Rarity. “Um…"

“Have you heard anything, dear?” There’s the line.

“Well… Maybe…"

“Don’t hold back. You know you can tell me anything!” And…

Fluttershy swallowed, then shifted her gaze to Rarity. “She did visit me today, and helped me.”

Sinker. Rarity, you are a gem. “Helped you? Darling, is there a problem?” She leaned in, eager to hear what Fluttershy would say as the mare started shaking her head. As the yellow mare made her way through the story, it was all Rarity could do to stop herself from squealing out loud. Fluttershy’s blushes and hesitations told the unicorn as much as her words did, and Rarity’s mind filled in many of the blanks.

The pair had shared a moment. Together.

All thanks to the dolls. It was all going so much better than expected!

Well. One part was, at least. Rarity’s thoughts wandered towards the Golden Oaks library, and the mare it contained.

“… I kept telling her it was silly. Because Pinkie isn’t scary. She’s nice, friendly, and funny.” Fluttershy sighed. “I still can’t believe she left her doll.”

“Yes, quite the matching pair, aren’t you?” Rarity hummed, only half listening to her friend, and her own response. As her brain caught up to her mouth, she glanced at Fluttershy, her eyes wide. I hope she didn’t notice that.

Fluttershy nodded. “Yes, we–” She gasped, hiding her mouth behind a hoof. It did little to hide the returning blush on Fluttershy’s cheeks.

Rarity winced internally. She did. She hadn’t meant to pull things out in the open. This was something that Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie needed to discover on their own.

Since the cat is out of the bag… “She’s a special pony, isn’t she?” she asked. She was still beating around the bush, but she hoped it would prevent Fluttershy from clamming up.

Instead, Fluttershy surprised her. “W-well, what about you? Do you have a special somepony?”

Rarity’s mouth opened, instinctively wanting to say the name on the tip of her tongue, but she slammed it shut before any sound escaped. Fluttershy had turned the question right back on her, and it had almost taken her completely off guard.

Her silence seemed to embolden her friend. “Maybe that nice stallion at the clock store?”

Rarity blinked, snapping out of her daze. “Time Turner?” Why him? “Oh my, no. He’s a gentlecolt, but a bit… eccentric, shall we say?”

“Maybe you’re right.” Fluttershy nodded. “Well, how about Big McIntosh?”

“Too rugged. Though his physique is admittedly divine.” But Applejack would probably kill me.

Fluttershy had a hoof to her chin, clearly trying to think of more names. “Thunderlane? He’s nice. And his little brother is cute.”

Rarity giggled. “Rumble is certainly a darling. I think Sweetie Belle might have a crush on him!” She shook her head as her friend stared at her. “I despise Thunderlane’s mane style.”

“Okay… Um. What about mares?”

Rarity was now beginning to wonder if she had disturbed the proverbial hornet’s nest. What had gotten into Fluttershy? She was offered a brief respite as they moved into the main room, where the twins began lathering her face with the special blend of mud. But even through her mask, she could feel Fluttershy waiting for her answer.

“I…" she started, hesitating as she figured out what, exactly, to say. “I am not opposed to mares.”

“Well, have you considered the other girls? Maybe… I don’t know, Twilight?”

Rarity was thankful that the horn filing hadn’t started yet, or her sudden jolt would have possibly resulted in quite a painful moment. This wasn’t like disturbing a hornet’s nest, but rather like attempting to steal from a dragon’s hoard, with the dragon present and awake.

As much as she wanted to, she knew there was no escape. She was trapped. By a bathrobe, facial mud, and the attentions of two earth ponies who owned her current prison. She could not avoid answering the questions of her pegasus jailor and interrogator.

“Wh—Twilight? Why Twilight?”

“Um… No reason. Forget I said anything,” Fluttershy replied. Even with her eyes covered by cucumber slices, Rarity could still picture her friend’s attempts to hide behind her mane.

She didn’t know what had caused Fluttershy’s sudden reticence, but she wasn’t going to let the opportunity pass. “You said Twilight for a reason.”

“Um…"

“Why Twilight?” She could hear the growing nervousness in Fluttershy’s voice. But she had to know.

“Well…"

“Why not our other friends? Or you?”

“I…"

“Or any other mare in Ponyville! Tell me!” Rarity insisted. Lotus had started filing her horn, but the normally welcome sensation was now merely distracting.

She heard Fluttershy squeak, before taking a deep breath. “I’m sorry I don’t like you that way but I do like you as a friend! And Rainbow Dash could never sit still long enough for you! And you can barely stand how Applejack acts most of the time! And Pinkie…"

Rarity’s mouth fell open as the Fluttershy fell silent. She couldn’t exactly fault Fluttershy’s reasoning. While she did dearly love her friends, strengths and faults included, their personalities would just clash far too often for any long term relationship. She squashed the part of her mind that pictured the fiery, torrid short term relationships between herself and either of her more athletic friends, instead listening to the part that noticed how Fluttershy had stopped at the mention of Pinkie.

She smiled inwardly. The connection between the two was becoming ever more visible, and it was a beautiful thing to behold.

Still, she could humor her friend. "That’s a bit overly negative, don't you think?"

"Um, well. I’m just highlighting the biggest… things. There are other reasons, too. Small details, mannerisms… you know."

Rarity nodded. “I fear you may be right. But what else, dear?”

“Huh?”

“Any other reasons? Positive ones?”

“Positive? Um… Twilight is single?”

“The others aren’t?” she asked. She knew otherwise, but it wouldn’t do to reveal her hoof just then. Twilight hadn’t figured things out yet.

“Um. I think Applejack and Dashie might… not be single? With each other?”

“Oh?”

“Sorry. Maybe it’s just my imagination…"

No, it isn’t. “Perhaps. But again, why Twilight? There are many single mares in Equestria.”

“W-well, she’s a unicorn too, she’s from Canterlot, and she’s purple!” Rarity’s expression must have shown through the mask, as the pegasus quickly continued. “I-I mean, you care about colors a lot. And your hair is purple too…"

“She’s lavender, dear, not purple.”

“Well yes, but–”

“And those are not real reasons for a relationship!” She struck the massage table with a hoof. “Not when there are so many others! Her wit, her intelligence, her naïve charm, her passion, her–”

She shut her mouth abruptly, her mind coming to a screeching halt as she realized just what she was doing. She thanked Luna’s stars and moon for her mud mask, and hoped the heat from her blushing cheeks wouldn’t cook it solid. She couldn’t out herself, couldn’t admit that Fluttershy’s suggestion was, in fact, spot on.

Not yet. Not while Twilight’s feelings were still unknown.

“A-as much of a catch she might be, she’s just a friend.” Rarity nodded at Lotus, and stretched out onto the table. Saying those words had hurt. More than she thought they would.

“S-s-o-o-o-o, ha-a-ave I m-m-mentio-o-oned m-y-y ne-e-ewest ch-e-e-ef d’o-o-oeuvre?”

She hoped the massage would soothe at least some of her aches. At least those of her body.

As divine as Lotus’ hooves felt, the ache in her heart was out of their reach.

“Spike, I’m heading out for a while! I’ll be back soon, okay?”

“Okay.”

Twilight Sparkle held back a sigh as she magicked the door closed behind her. Spike’s response had sounded normal, but she knew something was bothering him. Once she’d gotten out of her research-zone, she’d noticed his change in demeanor.

Normally, the young dragon had a smile on his face, or was humming quietly as he went about his chores. But now, both the smile and the humming were absent. His tasks were still completed on time, and without mistake, but she couldn’t help but feel something was off.

Even when she’d confronted him, asking him what was wrong, he’d waved her concerns away. But he’d hesitated, and she’d seen a familiar crinkle in his brow.

She knew, however, not to press the issue. Trying to force him to talk would result in just the opposite, and she’d get nothing out of him. Instead, she’d try appealing to him. And the best way to appeal to a dragon, or at least one named Spike, was through his stomach.

A Ruby encrusted apple cupcake sounded perfect for the job.

She reviewed her mental checklist. Apples from the market, cupcakes from Sugarcube Corner, rubies from the Boutique. Rarity probably has a few to spare. She made her way to her first stop, easily spotting the apple stall amongst the rest. Big McIntosh was, after all, rather hard to miss.

She smiled as she approached the stallion. “Hello, Big McIntosh! How are you today?”

The stallion grunted, chewing on his usual sprig of grass. “Been better, I reckon’. What can I do for ya?”

Twilight blinked, not having expected a negative answer. “Uh, I need some apples for some cupcakes, any suggestions?” She hesitated before making a quick decision. “Can I ask what’s wrong?”

Big McIntosh shook his head. “Nothin’ you need concern yourself about, Miss Twilight. We take care of farm troubles at th’farm.” He swiftly bagged a half dozen red and yellow apples. “You want gala apples for bakin’. That’s four bits.”

“Trouble? What kind of trouble?” she asked, levitating the coins onto the stand and the apples into her saddlebag.

The stallion drew the money towards him. “Don’t want to pull you into that. Them dolls are causin' enough mess already.”

Twilight eyed Big McIntosh. She was reminded of one of Applejack’s stories, where the giggling farmer had explained that the more annoyed her brother got, the wordier he became. While he wasn’t writing novels yet, it was becoming fairly clear that Big McIntosh was not having a good day.

But more importantly, he’d mentioned something she recognized. “Dolls? Do you mean Applejack’s and Rainbow Dash’s?” she pressed on as the stallion nodded. “What trouble are they causing?”

Big McIntosh snorted. “Not just the dolls, it’s…" He paused, his eyes widening slightly, before shaking his head. “I’m sorry, Miss Twilight. Can’t tell you that.”

“What? Why not?”

“Made a promise not to.”

Twilight squinted at the stallion. She now knew that the dolls were somehow causing trouble at the farm, and it was related not only to Applejack and her family, but Rainbow Dash as well. And it was something important enough to extract a promise of silence from Big McIntosh. She had to get to the bottom of this.

“I understand. Thanks for the apples!” She made to turn around, then paused and faced Big McIntosh again. “Oh, can you ask Applejack to stop by the library? I need to talk to her.”

The stallion nodded. “About what?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.

“Uh…" I guess subtlety isn’t my strong suit. “She’s got an overdue book!” She grinned sheepishly at Big McIntosh, who stared back silently. He finally nodded, and Twilight breathed a sigh of relief.

“I’ll tell Miss Dash to bring her overdue books too if I see her.”

Twilight’s smile cracked as she mumbled her thanks. Her cheeks burned as she trotted away, making her way to the next place on her list: Sugarcube Corner.

‘Bout as subtle as a brick wall, that one. Big McIntosh shook his head as he started packing the empty baskets into his cart. Still, he couldn’t exactly blame the mare for trying. She clearly cared about her friends, and had immediately offered her help once she heard the mention of trouble. Even to the point of attempting to trick him.

He understood why Applejack had accepted them as honorary family members during the whole cider trouble with those two thieving brothers. He’d been too busy at the time to question the decision, and had not spent much time afterwards on the subject. But he knew, to an Apple, that family was one of the most important things in life. The Apple family was extremely tight knit, every member supporting the other, be they an Apple by birth, or marriage.

But there hadn’t been a new honorary member since the time his pappy was alive. Sure, the family had friends, but few ever set themselves apart. But these five mares, who stood by each other and his sister through thick and thin, at times facing things from nightmares, or simply by trying to be a good friend, they truly deserved to be part of the family. And at the rate she was going, the rainbow pegasus was on the path to becoming an official family member, too.

If only she could stop having some of her bone headed ideas.

“Consarn it, Dash!” Applejack yelled next to him, throwing her hat on the ground. “What in Celestia’s name do you think you’re doin’?!”

The pegasus in question was hovering in the air, slamming a nail into the farmhouse’s walls with a hoof. She’d just finished barricading Applejack’s window, and grinned down at the pair of farmponies. “Making this place awesome!”

“How th’heck are sandbags around every door and planks on the windows awesome?”

“What? This was your idea!”

“My ide—what in tarnation are you talkin’ about, Rainbow?” His sister shook her head as he stared at her. She looked as confused as he was.

“You said all we could do was bunker down! Well, now your place is a bunker!”

“Hunker down, not bunker!” Applejack yelled. “Them dolls is making you jumpier than a rattlesnake in a pickle barrel!”

“Ooh, I’m a snake now? Awesome!”

“That ain’t a compliment, Dash!” Applejack said, smacking her forehead with a hoof. “If you don’t start pullin’ this stuff down right now, I’m banning you from dinner for a year!”

The stallion shook his head again at the still fresh memory, and chuckled. He knew that Rainbow Dash was fast, but she must have shattered records once Applejack made her threat.

He kept chewing on his sprig as he started on the path home, deep in thought. His resolve had weakened at seeing how far the unicorn was willing to go for her friends, reminding him of the bond he shared with his family. He made it clear, in his own way, that he was allowing her to help.

He just hoped that she could.

A familiar voice greeted Twilight as she walked into the bakery. “Heya Twilight! Why the red face?”

“Hi Pinkie. I just learned I’m about as subtle as a herd of stampeding buffalo,” Twilight replied, before laying her head on a table. Maybe she could hide her mortification like that.

Pinkie Pie giggled. “Silly, I could have told you that!”

Nope. Table isn’t helping. “Thanks, Pinkie,” Twilight replied, sarcasm lacing every word.

“No problemo!”

The unicorn let her mind wander as she rested on the table, until a sugary, sweet smell reached her nose. She glanced up, only to catch sight of Pinkie sliding a tray of cupcakes onto the display counter. With a gasp, she was reminded just why she was here. “Oh, Pinkie! I need your help.”

Instantly, the pink pony was by her side. “Oooh, whaddya need? Balloons? Streamers? Emergency mustaches?”

Twilight shook her head, smiling. “Nothing like that. I just need cupcakes. Can you do a special order?”

Pinkie beamed, raising a hoof in salute. “You’ve come to the right place, ma’am!”

“I know I have.” Twilight grinned. “I need some Apple Cupcakes with Ruby Sprinkles, pronto!” she said, levitating the bag of apples towards Pinkie. “I'll get the rubies from Rarity; we can add them at my place.”

The earth pony’s eyes widened. “Ooh, fancy! Was Spike a good boy?”

The unicorn sighed, shaking her head. “No… something’s bothering him, and I don’t know what it is. Thought this might cheer him up.”

“Good idea!” Pinkie gasped, her eyes wide. “I should make one for Fluttershy too.”

Twilight blinked at the sudden shift of topic. “Fluttershy?”

“Yeah! She was a saddy-waddy scaredy cat yesterday, and I bet a cupcake would be great for her too!” She paused, tilting her head in thought. “Maybe without the rubies. Those hurt to eat. Unless you’re Spike!” She giggled.

While hearing that Fluttershy was scared was not a particularly new or unexpected thing, Twilight’s curiosity was nonetheless piqued by Pinkie’s description of the pegasus being sad. “What was the matter with Fluttershy?”

“Her Pinkiedoll was stalking her and making her all scared and jumpy, but I left my Flutterdoll there and now she’s all better!” Pinkie’s smile dipped slightly as she looked out of the window. “I’m still gonna check on her later.”

Twilight frowned, missing the change in the earth pony’s expression. As soon as Pinkie had mentioned the dolls, her jaw had tightened. As interesting as they were to study, she couldn’t in good conscience let them trouble her friends as they seemed to be doing.

If the dolls were causing problems not only with Applejack and Rainbow Dash, but Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie as well, so soon after their arrival, then she could not leave things as they were. Something had to be done.

“Pinkie, can you bring Fluttershy to the library when you go visit her? We need to talk.”

“Oki doki loki!” Pinkie replied, grabbing the floating bag of apples with her mouth. She then hopped into the kitchen, leaving Twilight alone to consider her next course of action.

She quickly realized her original list was still the best plan of action. She’d stop at the Boutique, get some rubies, and get Rarity to the library at the same time. It was a perfect plan!

It would give her time to figure out what to do with the dolls.

Toying with Feelings

It had started as worry.

The moment she’d seen Twilight’s expression as she entered the boutique, Rarity had known something was weighing on the other unicorn’s mind.

That worry had turned to concern once Twilight had told her why she’d dropped by. Rarity had a fairly good idea as to what was affecting Spike, and had immediately given the unicorn all the rubies she had available. It did little to alleviate the guilt she felt, but she’d have done almost anything to help cheer Spike up.

And then, Twilight had asked her to drop by the library later that evening. Once she had explained the issue, Rarity’s concern had become trepidation, which had only grown worse in the following hours.

She’d thought that everything was going well. Apart from the little snag with Twilight’s inability to decipher the truth behind the dolls, their effect had been quite positive. What she’d heard from Fluttershy had almost caused her to cheer on the spot, and she’d heard of no negative effects from either Applejack or Rainbow Dash. In fact, she’d seen neither hide nor hair of the pair since the dolls had first been ‘discovered’. Hopefully, no news wasn’t bad news.

As she made her way towards the library, her trepidation suddenly became fear. She couldn’t help but wonder—if it wasn’t an issue with Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, or Rainbow Dash and Applejack, could the trouble Twilight had mentioned stem from her doll?

Had Twilight made a discovery—found out everything? Was this a way to reject her affections?

Calm down, she scolded herself. She’s not like that. She would never do something so mean.

But Twilight had definitely mentioned trouble. Rarity’s mind filled with increasingly bizarre visions, and she tried to suppress them as best she could. They weren’t prospects she wanted to consider.

As she opened the library door, however, she discovered something she had failed to imagine.

She saw no sign of either Spike or Twilight, but the smell wafting from the kitchen gave her an idea where they might be. More surprising than that, however, were the two ponies sitting in the middle of the library.

She’d wondered if something else had happened after she’d parted company with Fluttershy at the spa. After Twilight’s visit, she’d feared that Fluttershy’s good fortune had vanished, and that she’d find the pegasus cowering behind her mane, or perhaps hiding under some pillows—back to how Fluttershy had described herself yesterday, jumping at the slightest thing.

Instead, Rarity found Fluttershy sitting barrel to barrel next to Pinkie Pie, giggling so hard she had tears in her eyes.

The pair were holding their dolls in their hooves, clearly playing with them. Pinkie was holding her Fluttershy doll, and Fluttershy was holding her Pinkie doll, making it gesticulate wildly, the motions becoming increasingly silly as Fluttershy fought her giggles.

When Pinkie opened her mouth, though, Rarity had to stifle her own laughter. The earth pony sang a familiar song, but her voice was deep. Or at least, as deep as Pinkie Pie could manage, which wasn’t very deep at all. It sounded like an odd warble, and it was incredibly funny.

“Then what would she do? She'll mix up an evil brew! Then she'll gobble you up In a big tasty stew!” Pinkie leaned closer to Fluttershy, grinning as she stared into Fluttershy's eyes. “Soooo… Watch out!”

The Pinkie doll flopped forwards as it tumbled out of Fluttershy’s hooves, which flew up to their owner’s mouth. She was desperately trying to hold back her giggles, but it was a lost cause. They slowly quieted down, and stopped as the pair glanced at the door, noting the new arrival.

Rarity shook her head, chuckling at the pair. “Oh, please, don’t let me interrupt you.”

“You’re not! We’re just waiting for everyone else!” Pinkie said, beaming at Rarity. “Oh! Do you have your doll? She can have fun too!”

“I’m afraid not, Pinkie.” She glanced around the room, and lowered her voice as she approached the pair. “I hope you don’t mind me asking, but… was bringing them such a good idea?”

Pinkie tilted her head in confusion. “Huh?”

“Fluttershy told me that she was scared of hers.” Rarity explained, pointing at the pink doll between the two ponies. But Fluttershy was shaking her head.

“It’s okay, Rarity. I’m fine now.”

“Yeah! Doll-me behaves herself around Flutterdoll.” Pinkie pointed to the two toys, as if the matter was obvious. “I decided to bring them because I didn’t want Doll-me getting any mean ideas while nopony was watching.” The pink pony stared at her miniature counterpart. “She’s a sly one!”

“Ah, of course.” Rarity nodded, briefly wondering if Pinkie’s high sugar intake was the reason she was so sweet, or if it was the giggling pegasus next to her. The more she watched the pair, the more she suspected it was the latter. “Do you know when Rainbow Dash and Applejack are coming?”

Pinkie shook her head. “I dunno! I didn’t even know they were coming! Oh!” She gasped, clopping her hooves together. “Do you think they’ll bring their dolls too? We can have a big play date!”

Those two? Not likely. “We’ll see. They should be here soon.”

As if her words had been a summons, her ears picked up a pair of familiar voices from outside. A pair of rather loud voices, in fact.

“Oh come on! Please? I said I’m sorry!” Rainbow Dash whined, her scratchy voice carrying through the wood. “I’ll do all your chores for a month!”

“Nothin’ doin’!” Applejack’s voice shot back. “Tryin' to dig a secret passage through my apple orchard… You won’t learn from your boneheaded ideas if I don’t do this!"

“Fine! You’re right! I’m an idiot!”

“Darn tootin’! Those things really pulled a number on ya. You’re worse’n Twilight when she thought she was tardy!”

“Hey! I’m—uh. Hi, guys!”

Rarity had opened the door with her magic, revealing the farmer and the weatherpony arguing on the other side. But as much as she hoped otherwise, what she saw did not offer her any comfort. Applejack was glowering, staring straight ahead and refusing to meet Rainbow Dash’s eyes. The pegasus, on the other hoof, had been staring straight at the earth pony, looking dismayed, her ears flat against her head. As soon as she’d noticed the open door, she’d tried to look disinterested, but kept glancing back at Applejack.

Rarity was aghast. This is not good at all. The pair were fighting, and if Twilight was right, this was all because of the dolls. Her dolls. This was her fault.

She glanced at Pinkie and Fluttershy, then back to Applejack and Rainbow Dash. Thanks to her, the relationship she’d been unsure of looked to be blooming beautifully. But on the other hoof, the other two, of which she’d been so sure, were fighting.

Had one couple come at the cost of another?

This isn’t what I intended at all.

“Uh, Rarity? You okay there?”

Applejack’s voice snapped Rarity out of her daze. She blushed, realizing she’d been staring at her friends. “Yes, I’m fine. My apologies. Do come in!”

Applejack nodded her thanks as she and Rainbow Dash stepped in. “Where’s Twi? Big Mac said she wanted to talk ‘bout somethin’.”

“I’m here!” Twilight said as she trotted down the stairs. “Thanks for coming, girls. Spike, is the food ready?” she called out to the kitchen.

“Yep! Here you go!” The little dragon chose that moment to burst out of the kitchen, tail first. He held several plates in his arms, each piled high with hay fries, which he promptly placed in a circle in front of the sitting pairs.

Applejack and Rainbow Dash sat in front of another plate, bending down to bite a few fries, leaving Rarity to seat herself next to Twilight. Where this would normally have been cause to smile, she felt nothing of the sort. She was simply too filled with guilt.

She did, however, notice crumbs and small pieces of ruby on the corners of Spike’s mouth. He also seemed moderately more cheerful than when she’d seen him last. But considering when that had been, his mood could only have improved from there. Still, she mused. That’s one gift that went over well, at least.

Applejack swallowed her food and broke the silence. “As tasty as these are, what’s all this about, Twilight?”

“These,” the unicorn replied, floating her Rarity doll towards her. The real Rarity felt a weight in the pit of her stomach. If the other dolls had caused problems with the other two pairs, she couldn’t imagine what on earth could be troubling Twilight. But she didn’t have long to wait before finding out. “I heard from Big McIntosh that they were causing trouble, Applejack. With you and Rainbow Dash.”

Well. She certainly isn’t beating around the bush, Rarity thought. She quickly glanced at the two ponies in question. With any luck, she’d be able to piece together the issue, and then try to fix it if she could.

Applejack was frowning, a hoof held to her face. More interestingly, Rainbow Dash’s eyes were wide. She looked to be panicking, which worried Rarity to no end. Was the trouble that bad?

“That big galoot, pokin’ his nose where it don’t belong…" The farmer grumbled, and stared at Twilight. “Don’t you worry ‘bout it, Twi. It’s all under control.”

“Really?” Twilight asked, looking skeptical. “Big McIntosh made it sound a lot more serious than that. He wouldn’t even talk about it!”

“ ‘Cause we asked him not to. But you still poked your nose into it, didn’t you?” She smirked at Twilight, who blushed at the accusation. “I know your heart’s in the right place, Sugarcube, but it’s fine. Dash was just overdoin’ things, that’s all.”

“Hey! I was just trying to help!” Rainbow shot back, glowering at the earth pony.

“Yeah, well next time, ask first.” Applejack rolled her eyes at Rainbow before turning back to smile at Twilight. “This is farm business, Twi. I’ll take care of it.”

“Are you sure?” Twilight asked, to which Applejack nodded. “Okay… Fluttershy?” Twilight turned to the other pair. “Pinkie told me your doll scared you, are you okay?”

Fluttershy nodded, ignoring the snort from the other pegasus. “Oh, I’m fine now, Twilight. Pinkie took care of it. But, um, thank you for asking.”

“She did?” Rainbow asked, her face the picture of skepticism. Rarity couldn’t entirely blame Rainbow, to be honest. Pinkie’s ideas were often a bit bizarre.

“Yep!” the pink mare replied, leaning in to rub her cheek against Fluttershy’s. “And now she’s all better!”

At this point, Rarity could no longer hold in her curiosity and worry. “But what about you, darling? Is yours causing problems?” Have I caused an even greater mess than I thought?

Thankfully, Twilight shook her head. “No, I’m fine. I was just worried about you guys.”

Rarity couldn’t stop the smile from spreading on her face. Once again, she felt herself falling in love with the selfless mare next to her. Twilight’s soul was truly a beautiful thing.

“My research has pretty much stalled though,” Twilight sighed. “I asked Jewel Bearing about the gemstone eyes, but he couldn’t really help. Only told me the names of the gems, which I already knew. I need the books the Crusaders took to find out more!”

Rarity’s throat suddenly felt as dry as a desert. “Th-the Crusaders?” she croaked, desperately hoping she’d heard wrong. They'd had the book all this time?

“Yeah, Spike told me they came in yesterday, asking for everything we had related to ‘felt hearts’. I–”

Twilight was interrupted by the sound of coughing. Rainbow Dash was holding a hoof to her chest as Applejack pounded her back. The pegasus eventually caught her breath, her eyes wide. “S-sorry. Swallowed something wrong. Thanks, A.J..”

The farmer nodded, sharing a look with Rainbow as Spike brought a glass of water.

“What’s a ‘felt heart’, Twilight?” Pinkie asked, her eyes gleaming. “Sounds like fun!”

“Well, Rarity told me her doll has a heart made out of felt sewn on it. I’m not really sure why hers is different, but it was worth looking into.”

Rainbow seemed to perk up at that. “Heart? There’s a heart on hers?”

Twilight nodded. “Yes, that’s what I said. Why, does that mean anything to you?”

Rarity’s eyes narrowed as she watched the Rainbow’s ears twitch. Her eyes briefly shifted towards Applejack before snapping back to look at Twilight. She looked nervous, and her voice betrayed as much. “N-not that I know of!”

Rainbow, my dear, you’re almost as bad at lying as Applejack. The pegasus clearly knew something, but what?

“Are you sure?” Twilight asked, drawing Rarity’s attention. She’d apparently also seen through Rainbow’s attempt at deflection. “Anything would help at this point.”

“N-nope, I don’t know anything about it!” Rainbow protested, leaning back in an attempt to escape scrutiny. An attempt which would have obviously failed, had the door not opened at that moment.

“See? I told ya they were here! Mah brother said so!” A yellow filly stood in the door, grinning at the assembled ponies. “Hi, Sis!”

“Howdy, Apple Bloom!” Applejack called back. “What brings you here?”

“Bringin’ back these books. But they were pretty usele—ack!”

Apple Bloom jumped aside as Twilight appeared next to her in a flash of magic, her face lit up in anticipation as she began levitating the books around her head. “Oh girls, your timing is perfect! We were just talking about these! I–” The unicorn fell silent as she stared at the bottom of the fillies’ cart. “Girls, what is this? Why does this doll have my cutie mark?”

Rarity’s eyes widened in horror. They wouldn’t have. They couldn’t have! Had they been capable, her eyes would have widened again as Twilight floated the doll out of the cart. Hideous could not begin to describe it.

“And my—uh, one of my wings?” Rainbow asked. The other wing was one of Fluttershy’s, which clashed garishly with the first.

“And mah hat?” Applejack chimed in. Rarity stared at it. It had been her first attempt, slightly too small for the doll’s head, but only barely noticeable as such.

Pinkie was giggling at the sight. “And my mane!” She added. Somehow, the fillies had found more pink wool. Where had that come from? Rarity could have sworn she’d run out of it.

The three fillies grinned proudly at their work. “It’s a Felt Heart doll!” they chorused together.

Rarity could only stare in continued horror. How did they…

Twilight frowned. “Where did you hear that name?” she asked.

Apple Bloom’s smile faded. She’d noticed the older ponies’ expressions. “Uh, from Applejack and Rainbow Dash?” she said, pointing at the now wide eyed pair. “Those two made a pair!”

The attention of everypony was now squarely on the pair frantically shaking their heads. “What’re you looking at us for? We didn't make those! We’d never make those! If I’d made that for A.J. it would be as good as blurting out to everypony that we're dating!”

For a few seconds, the library was blissfully quiet. Quiet enough that the sound of Applejack’s hoof meeting her face was clearly audible to everypony in the room. Dash sat, wide eyed, her hooves in front of her mouth.

And then, the bit dropped.

"Oh my gosh you guys are dating?!" Pinkie cried out, her smile a mile wide. "You need a party! Toot-sweet! I'll need cake and zap apple jam and-"

Rainbow was shaking her head again. "We're not da-" She was cut off by a tightly hugging Fluttershy.

"That's wonderful! I'm so happy for you!"

"But-"

"Ohh, streamers! You can't forget streamers! And music and-"

"Wait, was that supposed to be a secret?" Applebloom asked, her brow furrowed in confusion.

Rainbow's eyes could hardly have gotten wider. "You knew?"

"Well, yeah. You started comin' round the farm all the time, an' Sis was acting real happy when she was near ya. So I figured you were dating. Didn't anypony else see it?" The young filly looked around, raising an eyebrow at all the stares pointed her way. Even Pinkie had stopped talking to gawk at her. "Seriously? I thought everypony knew!"

Applejack's guffaw followed Rainbow's groan as the pegasus buried her face under her hooves. "Give it up, Sugarcube. Cat's outta the bag now." She chortled, laying a hoof on Rainbow's shoulder.

Rarity's mouth snapped shut, as she realized she was still slack-jawed. As she watched Applejack try to comfort a defeated Rainbow Dash, she couldn’t help but feel conflicted.

On one hoof, she was happy to have been proven right—despite her earlier worry at the tense situation between them when they’d first arrived at the library, the pair were clearly together, as she'd suspected. She made a mental note to ask about Rainbow’s attempts to deny it, though.

On the other hoof, they knew. Somehow, they’d figured out what these dolls meant, before even Twilight. Had they found the book amongst the Crusaders’ possessions?

But no, the fillies had said they’d heard it from the two mares. Even though Rainbow had used the term ‘dating’, it was clear that they were aware of the dolls’ significance.

They’d seemed as clueless as the rest those few days ago, when they’d first gathered to discuss the appearance of the dolls. But between then and now, they’d figured it out.

How? And why did they stay quiet about it?

“Not that I’m not happy about the news, but what does this have to do with the dolls?” Twilight asked. “Am I the only one still confused here? Did you guys make them or not?”

“No! We didn’t!” Rainbow insisted.

“Then who did?” Twilight yelled, her frustration apparent. “And what do they have to do with dating?”

Rarity knew she had to say something. Anything. She had to stop this. But every time she opened her mouth, the lump in her throat stopped any sound from coming out.

“Now, calm down Twi-” Applejack began, frowning at the unicorn.

"I am calm!” Twilight barked, throwing her hooves in the air. “I just don't know what's going on! And you two seem to know something!" She said, pointing a hoof at Applejack, then Rainbow Dash.

The pegasus bristled, her feathers fluttering against her sides. “Oh can it, Twilight! You’re just jealous we figured it out before you did!”

“Aha!” Twilight smirked triumphantly, as Applejack’s hoof met her forehead once again. “You are hiding something!”

Rainbow’s eyes widened as she realized her mistake. “Oh horseapples.”

Rarity could only stare in horror as the two argued.

This is all so wrong.

It was all her fault. She’d given in to her penchant for theatrics. It had seemed like such a good idea. A mysterious gift. A nudge, here and there, to set Twilight on the right track, hidden by the veil of anonymity—all to protect herself, to save herself from shame, if her feelings went unrequited. She loved Twilight, but if Twilight didn’t love her, nopony needed to know.

She hadn’t wanted this.

Applejack stood between Twilight and Rainbow as the pair continued their argument. Pinkie was staring at them, looking worried.

Fluttershy had buried her face in Pinkie’s mane. She’d inched closer to the pink mare, as if Pinkie could hide her from the growing tension.

It was a small, tiny silver lining on the rift that she was causing between her other friends.

She had to do something to protect that. To fix her mistake.

The time for silence had passed.

“I did it!” She yelled, raising her voice above the others’. “I made them!” She forced the words out, her eyes scrunched shut. She hadn’t realized she’d even closed them.

As the silence dragged on, she opened her eyes, dreading what she’d see. Pinkie still looked worried, but her head was tilted, as if she was trying to process what Rarity had said. Fluttershy stared at Rarity, her eyes wide. Applejack’s eyebrows were raised.

And Rainbow was glowering at her.

The silence was broken by the most unexpected pony. “Rarity?” Fluttershy whispered.

“It was you?” Rainbow growled, taking a step towards the white unicorn. “It’s your fault? I oughta-”

“Oooh oooh!” Pinkie jumped up, knocking Rainbow aside as she waved her forelegs in the air. “I know this one! Ahem: No! I made the dolls!”

“Pinkie!” Rainbow yelled, before Applejack put a hoof on her shoulder. The pair shared a look. Rarity couldn’t make out their expressions, but something unspoken seemed to pass between the two. Rainbow sighed, and sat back down.

Pinkie continued giggling. “C’mon, Applejack! It’s your turn!”

“This isn’t a game, Pinkie.” Rarity shook her head. “I really made them.”

“Oh yeah? Prove it!”

The unicorn pointed at the floating doll. “That monstrosity my sister is holding is made from the scraps of the ones I made you.”

“Hey!”

She ignored the indignant squeak from the fillies, and stared back at Pinkie. Anywhere but at Twilight. “I made them all, and sent you each one.”

She was startled when Pinkie pointed an accusing hoof at her. “Ah-ha! But what about yourself! Did you send yourself one?”

“Pinkie…" Rainbow groaned, rolling her eyes at the earth pony. “If she made the dolls, she wouldn’t have to send her own anywhere!”

“Oh yeah…"

Rarity could no longer meet anypony’s eye, and was now staring at the floor. “Actually, Rainbow, she’s right. There is no Twilight doll.”

“There isn’t?” the mare in question asked. Even without looking at her, Rarity could hear the offended tone in her voice. And it hurt. “Why not?”

“I… I did not feel comfortable making something to give to myself. It would have lost its meaning.”

“What meaning?” Pinkie asked “There’s a meaning?”

Rarity nodded, glancing at Twilight, then back to the floor. The other unicorn was frowning at her, and she could not bear to look back. “Twilight, look in The Complete Almanac of Pony Rituals and Traditions. Page… three hundred forty-eight, if I remember right. The last paragraph.”

She heard Twilight open the book, every noise emphasised by the silence in the library. Everypony was staying quiet, as if they were holding their breath.

“ ‘In conclusion’,” Twilight began, reading out loud, “ ‘the Felt Heart dolls are an expression of love. By creating a replica of oneself, and sewing a heart onto the doll's chest, the giver is making a gift of their heart to the recipient. The time spent crafting the doll with one’s own hooves shows the dedication towards the one who has captured one’s heart.’ ”

As Twilight finished reading, Rarity finally dared to look up. Twilight now had all the pieces of the puzzle. She now knew what the dolls meant, and more importantly, how Rarity felt. If she looked, she might be able to see what Twilight was thinking.

All she saw was shock, confusion, and doubt.

“Um… Rarity?”

Fluttershy’s voice reluctantly tore Rarity away from Twilight’s gaze. “Yes, dear?”

“It said ‘a replica of themselves’,” Fluttershy repeated. “So… why did you make dolls of the rest of us?”

“And why didn’t you tell us sooner?” Rainbow added, still glaring at the white unicorn.

Rarity winced. “Because I was scared.”

“Scared?”

She nodded. “I saw some… indications. A few hints, some evidence.”

Applejack rolled her eyes. “Of what? Get to th’point, Rarity.”

The unicorn’s ears flopped backwards, but she nodded in acceptance. “Of how you felt about each other, Applejack. How you feel about Dash, and how she feels about you.”

She was surprised by the earth pony’s chuckle “I figured we’d hidden it pretty well!” She smiled at Rarity, then smirked at Apple Bloom. “That’ll teach me to underestimate my lil’ sis.”

Rainbow, on the other hoof, had a powerful blush on her face, and could barely meet Rarity’s eyes. “W-were we really that obvious?”

The white unicorn smiled as she shook her head. “Only to those who knew where to look, darling.”

“Does that mean…?” Fluttershy asked, her eyes wide as her eyes flicked back and forth between Rarity and Pinkie Pie.

“You two as well. It was harder to see, but it was there.” Rarity smiled at Fluttershy, who was now blushing almost as strongly as Rainbow Dash.

Fluttershy turned to face Pinkie, who seemed lost in thought. “Pinkie…?”

Pinkie gasped, her smile wider than ever. “That’s it!”

“What?” Rainbow asked, startled at the outburst. “What?!”

“I didn’t know which of my Flutterdolls to love more! If I loved the first more, the other would get jealous! If I loved the second more, the first would get jealous! And I don’t want them to be jealous!” She turned to face Fluttershy, her muzzle inches from the other pony’s. “So instead, I’ll just love you the most!”

And then, she kissed Fluttershy.

The pegasus’s eyes flew open, and everypony’s jaws dropped. As Fluttershy’s wings flared wide, Rainbow facehoofed. “How the hay did we miss that, A.J.? We knew what our dolls meant. Of course the others would have to mean the same thing.”

“Y’all had other things on your mind, Dash.”

“Well, why didn’t you think of it?” She pointed an accusatory hoof at Applejack.

“Ah was busy cleaning up after those ‘other things’,” the farmpony replied with a smirk, eliciting a blush from her marefriend.

The pink mare eventually broke the kiss, leaving a dazed but smiling Fluttershy behind. “Oh my goodness, oh my goodness…" she mumbled, her eyes rolling around in their sockets.

Rarity could not hold back her smile. Everything had been worth it, just for this moment. Everything was fine, everything was perfect. The chorus of ‘Awww’s from the three fillies seemed to agree with her.

“Wait—dammit!” Everypony stared at Rainbow Dash, surprised by her outburst.

“Sugarcube? What’s wrong?”

“Well, who are we going to set Big Mac up with now that Fluttershy and Pinkie are together? … ooh, unless–”

A thump to the back of the head interrupted her. “What’d I tell you ‘bout leaving mah brother’s love life alone?”

“What? Granny said she wanted lots of grandfoals. What better way than with two–”

As another thwack from A.J. started an impromptu wrestling match, Fluttershy blushed and “Meep!”ed, and Pinkie just looked thoughtful.

Rarity could only grin at their antics. Fine, everything is nearly perfect.

“Rarity?”

She sighed. Well, maybe things could stand to be a touch better.

Twilight was staring straight at her, her expression neutral. “You never said what you were scared of.”

“I… I didn’t, did I?” Rarity asked. Twilight shook her head slowly, sending a shiver of worry down Rarity’s spine.

That shiver hadn’t gone unnoticed. “Gals, I think these two deserve a lil’ privacy,” Applejack broke in, tearing the attention away from the two unicorns. She held up a hoof as Rainbow started to argue. “I’ll drag you out by your tail if you try t’stay, Dash.” Her gaze swept to the Crusaders. “That goes for you three as well.”

Rainbow threw her hooves in the air as the fillies groaned dejectedly. “Fine!” she grumbled, and flapped out of the library, followed by the Crusaders, then Pinkie Pie pushing a still dazed Fluttershy. Applejack brought up the rear, briefly glancing back at Twilight and Rarity. The fashionista gave her a weak smile, grateful for the all too brief reprieve.

Twilight, however, kept staring at Rarity. Once the door closed, she finally spoke up. “What were you scared of, Rarity?”

She didn’t know what to do. Should she keep staring at the ground, and remain unable to meet Twilight’s eye? Or should she hold her head high, and try to discern Twilight’s thoughts?

She chose the latter.

But she still could not read Twilight’s expression.

“Of… of what all secret admirers are scared of, Twilight. I was scared of how you might react—of rejection. I know how the others feel about each other. I know how I feel about you.” She swallowed the knot that had suddenly formed in her throat. “I don’t know how you feel about me.”

Twilight was silent, her once-blank expression flitting from understanding, to brief panic, before finally settling on confusion. Her eyes betrayed how unsure she was about what to say. “… why do you like me?” she eventually asked. “Me, of all ponies?”

“Because… Because you’re beautiful, Twilight.” Rarity held up a hoof as the other mare tried to speak. “You are. Every part of you is beautiful. Your personality. Your charm. Your wit. Your mind. And, ehem, your body too, of course. You've got curves in all the right places, darling.” She smiled as a blush darkened Twilight’s cheeks. “You are an amazing pony, Twilight. You are kind, generous, loyal, honest… and you definitely bring laughter with you. You are the sum of all the Elements, but you are so much greater than that.”

She snorted, her eyes meeting the floor once more. “Listen to me. I must sound so shallow.” She closed her eyes and steeled herself, then once more met Twilight’s gaze. “You shine brighter than the most precious gem. You’re a talented, graceful, and humble pony. You are so… so noble, Twilight. A true gentlepony.”

Her eyes never left Twilight’s. “Since I was a filly, I wanted to find my noble prince. I chased that dream for so long… and I finally met him, and his name was Blueblood. That’s when I found out just how ‘noble’ the so-called nobility really is. But you, Twilight? You're everything they're supposed to be. Everything I dreamed about.” She took a deep breath, and smiled at the other unicorn. “I like… no, I love you for who you are, Twilight Sparkle. A beautiful princess in disguise.”

There. Everything was now said and done.

All she could do was wait.

As the silence stretched on, that became harder and harder to do. She took note of Twilight’s every little movement. The gentle expansion of her barrel as she breathed, the slight twitch of her tail. The way her mouth opened, as if to speak, before closing again. The way her eyes flicked in many directions, her mind clearly trying to understand what was going on around her.

Rarity could hold it in no longer. “Twilight?” she asked, hesitating, desperately trying to find the right words. “How do you feel?”

“I don’t know, Rarity.” The lavender mare suddenly snorted, frowning. “One of my best friends just bared her heart to me. How the hay should I know how to feel?”

That’s it, then. Rarity thought, feeling the weight bleed away from her shoulders. It instead settled in her heart, which felt heavier with every passing moment. She let her eyes wander, taking note of little details around the library. The odd coloring of some books, and how mismatched the ordering system made them look. It would look so much nicer if it was sorted by color. The stray quills, always a moment’s notice away from use.

She glanced to the side, where a mass of purple and green had been sitting at the edge of her vision. Unlike the others, Spike had remained in the library, off to the side, but still close to Twilight. He was still staring at her, even now.

She suddenly understood the little dragon, far better than she ever had before.

“I’ll show myself out.” She sighed, turning towards the door.

“Rarity, wait.”

The white unicorn stopped, glancing back at Twilight. She stared at Rarity then, took a step forward, but paused mid stride. She looked back at Spike, who was staring at them both. The little dragon gave Twilight a tremulous smile, and nodded slowly.

The mare returned his smile, trotting back to give him a hug. She squeezed him once, then turned to face Rarity. She closed the distance between them and placed a hoof on Rarity’s own. The white unicorn flinched at the contact, but held still. Every muscle in her body was telling her to leave, but she could not move.

That single hoof, and the mare it belonged to, were holding her in place.

And then, Twilight smiled at her, and spoke.

“This is a lot for me to take in. I'm… not the most attentive pony, when it comes to certain things. When it comes to this.” Twilight drew a breath, gathering her thoughts. “I'm not angry, and I'm sorry if it seemed like I was. I've just… never thought about this before, and then suddenly you confess these feelings for me? I'm, well, not the best with unexpected events sometimes. Sudden friendship report deadlines, for example.” She withdrew her hoof from Rarity's own, and the seamstress almost lamented its absence, but for it coming to rest in gentle caress on her cheek instead. “But Rarity… I'm not saying no.”

Rarity took a few moments to process what she’d just heard. After the past few grueling, agonizing minutes, she wasn’t sure anymore whether her mind was simply trying to play tricks on her.

Is she… ”Y-you mean?”

Twilight nodded, a slight blush creeping onto her cheeks. “I can get a bit snippy when I'm confused, and I'm sorry. I don't really know much about romance—I mean, I've read some books, but I don't know how much that will really help me here.” She chuckled, and looked right into Rarity's eyes. “I'm not really sure how I feel about… this. About you. At least, not yet.”

Not yet. The words could be taken either way. They could have crushed her, and made her weep.

But instead, they offered her a glimmer of hope. Slowly, she felt a smile spread, one that Twilight matched.

“But you’re one of my best friends, Rarity. And for you, I'm willing to give it a try.”

Rarity knew there were tears on her cheeks, but she didn’t care.

They were good tears.

Epilogue

The rumors surrounding Princess Celestia had long since been blown out of proportion. The list of sources claiming to have discovered her 'feelings' had reached a dizzying number, and the potential suitors could now fill an entire royal army battalion. As much as she and Luna had enjoyed tittering at the misconceptions, she would eventually have to make a statement to clear the matter up. An exclusive newspaper interview might do the trick. The Foal Free Press would be a good start.

In the wake of these widespread rumors, the princess's mail had doubled, if not tripled overnight, with communiqués ranging from foreign diplomats to starry eyed foals swamping the overburdened Royal Mail Division.

When a number of large boxes arrived at the castle, they sent the Guards in a frenzy of activity. Despite the sender being the princess's student, the packages were subjected to a barrage of tests, magical scans, and even prodding only marginally less time-consuming than that for the general public. Finally, they found themselves within Princess Celestia's chambers.

Events in the last few days had clearly been hectic for Twilight and her friends. Her student had, of course, attached a letter, detailing the events since Rarity’s departure from Canterlot. The young designer herself had written an entire page of her own, filled with profuse apologies for her until-then unnoticed eavesdropping.

As Celestia looked down at her bed, however, she knew that their troubles had all been worth it.

Six dolls sat on her mattress, paired into three separate groups. On one side sat Fluttershy and Pinkie Pie, with the latter’s arms thrown around the pegasus’s body in a tight, but adorable hug. In the middle were Applejack and Rainbow Dash, one relaxing on top of the other as they appeared to laze about. And finally, on the right, Twilight Sparkle and Rarity were side by side, laying down next to each other as closely as possible. And every doll was sporting a small but colorful felt heart on their breast.

According to Twilight’s letter, these were all the original dolls, those which had caused the group much trouble, but also such joy. They’d decided that, while the gesture was indeed well intended, they’d preferred to stay true to the tradition, and make the dolls with their own hooves instead. Celestia giggled at one of Twilight’s margin notes, where the unicorn shared that Pinkie and Fluttershy had already started on their own dolls, but Applejack and Rainbow Dash had taken much cajoling and teasing before they eventually agreed to make their own.

By the sound of things, Rarity had been the most eager supporter of the idea. Twilight herself had suggested sending the first set of dolls to Celestia, both for safekeeping and to share the news of the relationships. But she’d insisted on sending the entire set, and that meant convincing Rarity to craft a doll of Twilight. It had taken a bit of prodding on the librarian’s part, but the wonderful little lavender doll was a testament to her success.

Celestia’s gaze wandered over to her desk, where another pair of dolls stood proudly. The replica of Luna matched her sister’s air, exuding all the grace and mystery that the younger alicorn projected with ease. Opposite to it sat Celestia’s own doll, which she’d finally completed the previous night. She allowed herself a mental pat on the back, smiling at how lifelike it appeared, though she had to admit Rarity’s touch of gemstone eyes was a wonderful addition she wished she’d thought of.

A small smirk formed on her lips as she levitated the midnight blue doll towards the others, and sat it in front of the lavender and white pair.

“Twilight Sparkle!” she said, imitating Luna’s tone. “I have heard of thy good news. I have decided to give thee a gift!” She then attempted to match Twilight’s voice. “Oh thank you, Princess! Is this a book?” Her smile grew as she switched back to Luna. “It is indeed. It is the Pony Sutra, a book I co-authored many millennia ago! You can practice its lessons with your marefriend!”

“It was only fifteen hundred years ago, ‘Tia, and you know it. Besides, I recall you posed for several of the plates.”

Celestia jumped as the voice spoke up from behind her, flaring her wings wide and latching her hooves around the dolls, in a pitiful attempt to hide them. Her face growing increasingly warm, she twisted her neck to look at Luna, standing in the doorway.

“What… What did you see, Luna?”

The young alicorn’s expression was neutral, but Celestia could swear she saw the hint of a smirk at the corner of Luna’s mouth. “I did not just see you playing with dolls, nor did I see you put my doll in an awkward situation with your student’s.”

“… Very well. Carry on.”

“I shall.” But Luna did not move, still staring at the white alicorn.

Celestia sighed, asking the question she might regret. “What is it, Luna?”

Luna’s cheeks colored slightly. With her dark coat, it tended to be very hard to see if she blushed, but after so many millennia together, even a millenium apart could not prevent Celestia from seeing it as clear as day.

“Can… Can I play too, ‘Tia?”

Celestia stared, then smiled gently at her sister. “Of course you can, Lulu. Always.”

A symbol used by rich and poor
to show love true and great.
To make a doll that means much more,
your replica create.

There are two rules you must obey
at any and all cost:
It must be made by you alone,
else magic will be lost.

And bear a heart of reddest felt,
sewed tightly as can be,
upon its breast, to show the world
your love for all to see.

Now take this gift straight to your dear
and change it for its pair.
And with this trade, you'll forge a link
that you shall always share.

author's notes

Yes, I know there's an author's note function built in. No, I don't plan on using it. It's ugly, and draws too much attention from the chapter itself. Bah to that!

First off, thanks to... way, way, way too many people. I've had a legion or prereaders, editors, and just friends to read the fic and offer feedback on it. Ranging from help with dialogue, to brainstorming ideas, and even to the poem at the very end. I find poetry to be the devil, so I had much outside help on that. I do think it turned out quite well, though!

As well as thanks to the artists that generously provided art for each chapter. Probably not something I'll repeat (unless they're willing? ;) )

This fic was an entirely different beast than the previous two. For Blue Wings, I didn't honestly know where I was going with it. I had the idea at the first chapter, then puttered my way through the remaining others. The quality shot up drastically when I took on the help of my editor/quasi-coauthor Macdjord, but it was still a chapter by chapter thing with not much of a plan beyond the next chapter.

Mood Wings, by dint of being much shorter, was an easier affair - it was easier to outline it, and write it all out in one go. After edits, it ended up like it is now - my most popular story by a fair margin. Though I do believe there are some aspects of it I'd like to have had when I first wrote it. Ah well, hindsight, 20/20, blah blah.

Felt heart was my first fic without a wing fetish!

...in all seriousness, it was a fun thing to work on. I couldn't even begin to tell you where the idea for it first came from. I was chatting in an irc channel with a few other authors, and out of the blue, the idea of "giving dolls of themselves in a romantic fashion" was a thing. Later brainstorming added a lot more depth to it - in the end, the outline document was several thousand words on its own, and 20ish or so google doc pages.

Despite that, I'd estimated around 15k words for this story.

Instead, we got 34k. Yeah, my estimations suck.

I actually wrote the entire thing before publishing a single chapter. It's changed since that first draft, mind you (it was 29k at that point, so it's gained a solid 5k words), but it felt so, so, so much more comfortable to write it that way, rather than post a first chapter, see where that goes, and work on the next. It'll be something I'll repeat later on for sure. Makes for a whole lot of work, though! (which is why I'm mildly bummed out at not getting in the "update feature box" despite getting #2 spot with chapter one. Maybe the mechanics changed recently? Oh well.)

Thank you again for reading, and look forward to my blog for hints at what I'm planning on next ;)