Curls

Chapters

1: Sparkle
Zero: Rarity
2: Checkmate the Queen
3: Starry Sky, Gentle Breeze
4: Mission
5: Cherry Sorters' Sleeping Quarters
6: Aerial
7: Feel For Good Measure
8: Cuisine Fashion
9: Strike
10: Calm Before a Joke
Bonus: Dreamscape
11: Sabbatical

1: Sparkle

Twilight Sparkle was confused.

After the successful Hearth's Warming Eve performance, the six elements of Harmony settled down in their hotel room in Canterlot to rest before taking the train back to Ponyville the next day. As they snuggled into their separate beds, Twilight looked around to see if everypony was ready for the lights to be dimmed.

"I'm going to turn off the lights, everypony ready?"

"Sure ah am, sugarcube!"

"I'm quite ready to get my beauty sleep, darling."

"Okay... Goodnight Twilight, goodnight girls...” Fluttershy said softly.

"WHEEEEE!!! I'm so tired I can only talk for ten more seconds! Night night, sleep tight, don't let the bed bugs bite! Wait, is that ten seconds already? Just on time!" Pinkie Pie began to snore immediately, although whether the strangely loud snores were genuine or not, the other ponies did not dare to question.

"Rainbow? Oh my, she really can fall asleep really quickly... so, goodnight girls," said Twilight as she turned off the lights with a flick of her magic.

Because Twilight's brain usually whizzed at extremely high speeds during daytime, she needed a bit more time to shut down her thoughts.

What a great day, the performance really was a great success! Though the rehearsals weren't always that fun…

Twilight rolled her eyes as she thought of some bloopers that had happened backstage. There was that time when Pinkie stole everypony's helmet and piled them all on her head; and Rarity wanted me to carry her a gazillion times! Thank Celestia I had that cape on during the real performance... Otherwise I'd have to feel Rarity's bare rump on my back again.

She suddenly felt her body temperature rise a few degrees. Oh, I guess I shouldn't be thinking of that…

She tossed and turned, and finally fell asleep. But another memory, brought up by her musings, came in her dreams to haunt her. The look Rarity had thrown her when she ordered Twilight to 'stoop down'...

A few weeks had passed after the six friends arrived back in Ponyville from Canterlot, and Mr. and Mrs. Cake were having a baby. Naturally, they had invited their employee Pinkie Pie and all her friends to the hospital to see the new-born foal.

"Can you believe the new baby is finally here?" Applejack gushed excitedly.

Twilight couldn't wait to see the foal as well. "Cup Cake and Carrot Cake must be so proud!" she said, the same level of adoration in her voice as Applejack’s.

The ponies kept making guesses about the baby until Mr. Cake appeared behind the glass. "Meet our son, Pound Cake." He lifted Pound Cake's blanket for all the ponies to see. "And our daughter, Pumpkin Cake!"

The Cakes had twins! Twilight watched as Pinkie Pie popped up on the other side of the wall and started to sing and celebrate for the babies despite the warning looks of Nurse Redheart.

Pound and Pumpkin were just so adorable! With Pinkie around, they were both sure to grow up as very happy ponies, and Twilight knew that her friend would be just the perfect playmate for them. After all, Pinkie was just like a daughter to the Cakes as well.

Rainbow Dash was talking to Mr. Cake about baby pegasuses, and the bookworm felt she should also give Mr. Cake a pointer on taking care of baby unicorns.

"And be careful around Pumpkin Cake-" She started to advise, but Rarity beat her to finish the rest of her sentence.

"-Baby unicorns get strange magic surges that come and go."

Um.... How did Rarity know exactly what I was going to say? Twilight looked sideways at the fasionista, careful not to let any of her curiosity show on her face. Unbidden recollections of Hearth's Warming Eve resurfaced in her mind.

Back in the library, Twilight was getting more and more frustrated, trying to drag up memories that she had not thought much of before; but the more she tugged up, the more confused she got. The first time they had met... Twilight scrunched her nose, trying to remember what had happened during that encounter with the fashionista.

Rarity put lots of outfits on me... then took- no, ripped- them off? No, that's not very strange... it should count as normal? Because she was just trying to find the best look for me, that is her profession, after all... But now that I think of it, it was a bit intruding, since we were total strangers then. But if she hadn't so generously taken me to her place, we might not have become friends…

Unable to glean any more information from this memory, Twilight racked her head for more instances when the white coated unicorn had contacted her too physically for comfort to analyze.

Then there was that time everypony was buttering me up for the extra ticket to the gala... She was practically kissing me, urgh. Twilight's mind almost short circuited when she remembered how Rarity had rubbed her mouth against her face, and how tightly Rarity had pressed her to her chest.

Unable to keep on examining her friend's past behavior on four hooves, Twilight dragged herself up to her bed and flopped down on it.

And during Hearth's Warming Eve... Whenever the other groups were merely high-hooving or chatting, she'd always snuggle right up to me and put her hoof over my shoulder... and I always returned the gesture because I never thought much of it...

Come to think of it, when we were singing the carol at the end, Applejack and Fluttershy had their hooves around each other too, but I remember they had a distance of about three hooves between them, while Rarity and I... were practically glued together!

Feeling weak, Twilight didn't have the strength to think about this anymore. When it came to studying and conducting experiments, she could easily continue until late in the night; but unfortunately, confusing behavior between her and another mare was an exception, and so Twilight decided to call it a night. She pulled the sheets over herself and fell asleep almost immediately.

The next morning, Twilight woke up to find that the rays of Celestia's sun were already shining through the windows of the tree library.

"What, have I overslept?" She trotted to the window and peeked out. A quick glance at the angle of the sun told her it was about an hour before noon.

"Who'd have known I could get so worked up thinking of... whatever I was thinking about last night?" she muttered as she shook her head of the remaining sleepiness, trotting down the stairs to get a quick breakfast. Tossing some flower petals together with some toast, she chewed slowly as strength gradually spread through her limbs.

Now that my head is much clearer, I should resolve this confusion so it doesn't nag me in the future... Last night was completely unpractical! The baffling behavior of a mare... no matter how close I may be with her, should be treated as mere theory.

And so Twilight decided to continue organizing her thoughts, but with a more scientific approach. She quickly skimmed the shelves of the library, drawing out books she thought would be useful with her magic.

"Hmmm. This looks interesting." Adding 'The Body Language of Ponies and What They Tell You' to her small pile of books, she plunked herself down and started what she hoped would be a brief research session that would clear her questions away.

Already two-thirds of the book pile had been worked through by Twilight – most of them had been unhelpful starting from their table of contents.

"Yeah, this chapter looks just right!" she exclaimed, when she saw 'Private space between friends' listed on the contents list of one volume. Flipping quickly because she didn't want to waste any more time when more important things could be done, she read the passage.

‘While occasional hugging and snuggling is perfectly normal between friends, there may be instances when a simple gesture may mean something more.’

Twilight skimmed through the more unimportant parts.

... ‘For information on romantic relationships originating from friendships, please turn to page 156.’

Excited that she might have found something that could solve her confusion, Twilight continued reading on the indicated chapter. But her excitement quickly died down.

What? This only mentions romantic relationships between a mare and a stallion.

Twilight furrowed her brow. Urgh, waste of time, waste of time! Next book!

Two hours had passed and the pile of books had all been reshelved by Twilight, and she felt she could finally come to a temporary conclusion.

Now, summarizing everything I learned from those books, the fact Rarity snuggles me quite a lot is perfectly normal. Although she seldom seems to do so to my other friends, it may be that she just feels more comfortable about touching me. We both are unicorns, after all.

Twilight smiled briefly when she thought of all the generosity her unicorn friend had shown her. Rarity was always eager to make Twilight dresses, and to give her makeovers... Compared with Fluttershy or the other ponies, Twilight was sure she was probably the pony that cared the least about her appearance, despite growing up in Canterlot.

While there may be small indications that she may like me a little bit more than our other friends, that was still no reason for me to get worked up like last night. I admit that sometimes our contact is just too close for comfort, but well, everypony's idea of personal space is a bit different.

Satisfied she had gotten her emotional tangle brushed down, Twilight started setting up apparatus for the chemical experiment she had planned for the day.

I guess I'll just have to pay more attention to what Rarity is doing next time we hang out. I definitely have to observe more, although I know now that my suspicions may be completely untrue.

And so the scientist in Twilight's mind dipped her confusion into ice-cold water, and then stored them away. Little did she know that her new aloofness would possibly cause one of her best friends to suffer.

Another three days passed, and Twilight and her friends were having yet another one of their pony pet playdays.

"Okay Owloysius, let's go!" Twilight said to the owl on her back as she opened the library door.

"Who."

"Spike, I know you've never wanted to come, but how about this time? Want to come play with us?"

"No thanks. I'm sure you'll be too busy playing with your pets, pity Rarity already has Opal..." Spike replied in a dreamy but wistful tone.

"But Opal has such a mean temper sometimes; you know that Rarity has her hooves full with her when that happens. Perhaps she could use some... help?" Twilight said.

"Alright, alright! Just this time though, since you insist," Spike tried to remain disgruntled, but the mention of Rarity had captured his interest. The truth was, he knew that Twilight just didn't want him to feel left out when she left with Owloysius. "But just, you don't have to pay much attention to me, I'll be okay."

They walked to the meadow and saw that Applejack, Pinkie, and Fluttershy had already arrived with Winona, Gummy, and Angel.

"Howdy, Spike, glad ta see you could join us today!" said Applejack, trotting up to Twilight, Spike, and Owloysius.

"Twilight wanted me to come, so here I am," replied Spike.

"And Twi' was always saying how ya never wanted to come."

"Well, um, I guess I used some more persuasion on him this time." Twilight glggled, shooting a side glance at the baby dragon.

Spike glared at Twilight, annoyed, and she grinned awkwardly.

Just then, Pinkie Pie came springing over. "Oh! Spike's here! Is he your pet now, too? Is he, Twilight? Ooh I'm so glad, now he can play with our pets every week!"

"No, Pinkie, he's just joining us for this time." Twilight smiled as she looked to the brink of the meadow to see if Rainbow Dash or Rarity had arrived yet. As if on cue, she spotted Rainbow Dash zooming in with Tank from the right, and Rarity trotting closer with Opal from the left.

"Oh, I'm terribly sorry we're late girls, but Opal here was a bit... uncooperative today." Rarity pouted, looking at Opalescence's smug face.

"Hey Tank! You've gotta control your tanki-copter better when we go so fast!" Rainbow Dash complained as she and Tank touched down, and headed towards her five friends and their pets.

After chatting for a few minutes, they started the playday, ceasing the conversation to play with their respective pets.

But instead of spending time with her cat, Rarity seemed to have other ideas. She immediately trotted up to Twilight, who was watching as Owloysius flew.

"Oh, Twilight darling, it seems like ages since I've last seen you!" said the elegant unicorn in her expressive, musical voice.

"Hi Rarity! Well, I've been quite busy these few days, and I suppose you were too," Twilight replied in a friendly, calm manner. Wow, she comes right up to me, and here I was worrying about how I could get to observe her behavior more.

She chuckled in her mind, but then berated herself. Twilight Sparkle! How could you think of Rarity as an experiment subject? A scientific approach is what you need, but that does not make emotional detachment to her right!

The two ponies were distracted by a grumpy Opalescence, who tried to catch Rarity's attention by swiping her claws at her owner.

"Oh dear, it seems Opal is bored..." Rarity seemed unhappy for some reason, perhaps the prospective that her conversation with Twilight would have to be cut short, but then she spotted Spike lounging on the grass nearby.

"Spikey Wikey, would you please be a dear and take care of Opal for a while?" said the designer, nudging her cat towards the purple dragon.

"Of course Rarity!" Spike sprang up, clearly willing to do anything at Rarity's bidding, especially when she had uttered the magic nickname.

Twilight watched the scene with some amusement. Clearly Rarity wants to talk to me alone... No, wait, don't jump to conclusions again, you remember where that got you last time!

"As I was saying, Twilight," said Rarity, sidling up to Twilight, "Why don't you come over to my boutique this afternoon? Your mane looks like it needs a good treatment." She paused when Twilight didn't say anything. "Oh, not that I'm saying it's not gorgeous, but even the most beautiful of diamonds need polishing, do they not?"

Twilight Sparkle was touched yet again by the generosity of her friend. True, Rarity cared a lot about her own looks, but she was also equally concerned about the beauty of her friends. But you don't see her wanting to give the others makeovers or hoof-made dresses every other week...

"Of course, I'd love to!" she replied, but then her new clarified mind stopped her. "But come to think of it... I think I have this report I have to finish today."

Rarity immediately looked put down, but still a bit hopeful. "Then tomorrow, perhaps?"

Twilight was about to refuse again, but the look in Rarity's eyes was so sad, she couldn't. There was no harm in getting yet another makeover anyway... " If I get the report finished today, I'd love to visit your place tomorrow."

Zero: Rarity

For a fashion designer, it was an essential ability to discover the natural beauty in anypony – and their profession as well as their obligation to take that beauty and reveal it for the whole world to see.

Rarity knew she could not turn a blind side to the hidden gloriousness Twilight embodied since the first time she had ever set eyes on the studious mare, and vowed that she would do her utmost to unearth the gem shrouded by Twilight’s disregard for dressing up.

As the two unicorns got to know each other better, Rarity further discovered that Twilight was also the smartest, most courageous pony she had ever met. During their many adventures, if it weren’t for Twilight Sparkle’s leadership and encouragement, Rarity felt that she might have given up a few times.

The thought that Twilight would always lead her friends out of every situation had always comforted her, and whenever Rarity was almost out of her mind, Twilight was usually the pony that had brought the sophisticated unicorn back to Equestria.

After the fiasco with Prince Blueblood at the Grand Galloping Gala, Rarity was certain that she did not want to pursue another romantic relationship for a long while, and resolved never to have such airheaded fantasies about romance again. However, much like the erosion of a boulder by a steady drip of water, things could change slowly, but once the revelation struck, there was no going back.

Rarity awoke, and looked out the window of her bedchambers to find that the sky was raining drops of an eerie brown color. After finishing breakfast, she groomed her mane, applied her makeup, put on her raincoat and levitated her saddle umbrella onto her back.

Stepping out of her boutique, she was stunned to find that the rain smelled like chocolate. Making her way gingerly, she passed by the market and heard that Applejack was having some trouble down at Sweet Apple Acres due to the choco-milk rain. Perhaps I should head there to see if there is anything I can do to help. Without getting my mane or coat dirty, that is.

At Sweet Apple Acres, Rarity was starting to hope that Twilight would come over. Her mane was starting to become sticky, the wind blowing the sugary rain in her face. Just then the librarian arrived, releasing a powerful wave of magic.

Rarity’s hope leapt as she witnessed yet again the talent of her dear friend – but when the tide of magic receded, nothing had happened! She immediately offered her umbrella to the other unicorn, and suddenly she did not care at all about her own mane or coat. Pfft, the mundane matter of my coiffure can wait. Twilight shall find a solution to this, I am sure of it.

“What do you think you are doing? Get away from my gem!” Rarity barred her teeth in a most un-ladylike growl. Her once-friends were trying to snatch her precious diamond, Tom!

She was pinned down on the ground, and Twilight Sparkle, obviously the ringleader, approached her with a devious grin. Writhing in anger, Rarity released a flow of magic, trying to free herself, but was helpless against the surge of power that had just erupted from the horn of the evil Twilight Sparkle.

Unicorns were much more sensitive to magic than the earth ponies or the pegusi, and so when Twilight’s memory spell entered Rarity, she felt everything, compared with Applejack and Fluttershy who had experienced the spell before her.

Twilight’s magical aura mingled with Rarity’s, and the latter’s spell, originally aimed at Applejack, dissolved. Rarity could feel Twilight’s energy spreading throughout her body, warm and fuzzy at first, but it soon strengthened into a strong tingling and electrifying sensation, thrumming along with every fiber of her being. To Rarity it felt… simply magical.

Along with the thrumming caress, the spell let her see through the haze that had covered her mind before. She now remembered every moment, every bond of friendship that she had shared with her friends. Her eyes fluttered open, and the first thing she saw was Twilight’s welcoming smile.

“Oh, dear,” was all she could utter.

Twilight’s relief spread across her face. “How do you feel, Rarity?”

“Well darling… I feel marvelous!” Rarity blurted out. She had meant the tingle that had spread over her body, and was horrified, but there was no taking it back.

Luckily, her comment was interpreted differently. “I’m so glad you’re happy to be in the right state of mind again,” said Twilight, grinning in response.

A thousand thoughts were flitting through Rarity’s mind, most of which were regretful, but some were of an unknown emotion. My friends… have already forgiven me. But my behavior was still inexcusable! Especially to poor Twilight, I have insulted her and ridiculed her, but she was the only one that offered to help me carry that… ugly monstrosity!

She let out a sob of grief when she realized what she had done to her friend, and what her friend had done for her. Twilight had never succumbed to Discord’s trickery; she had only succumbed to losing us!

Rarity snapped out of her thoughts and sneaked a look at Twilight’s expression, almost half-hoping it would be repulsed; she felt she deserved Twilight’s anger. But no, the smile was still on the face of the unicorn with a cute stripe of pink in her mane.

The fashionista couldn’t control herself anymore, and flung her hooves around Twilight’s neck. The other unicorn felt warm and nice, and after experiencing her magic, Rarity felt closer to her friend than ever. Clinging harder to Twilight, she also realized that she was quite thrilled when the violet unicorn returned the gesture…

Rarity blushed quite furiously when, right then and there, a multitude of revelations hit her. Her heartbeat skipped to a staccato. Can this be? Is this what my heart is telling me?

Desperately glancing around for something to distract herself before she lost her composure, her eyes found the chunk of rock. There are more important issues at hoof now; the ruffian Discord is still at large. I shall dwell on my emotions later.

Releasing her hold on Twilight and leaping to her hooves, Rarity opened the door and rolled the rock out with a swift motion.

“Let us never speak of this again.”

2: Checkmate the Queen

Twilight spent the night studying. She hoped she could get to the end of the matter by tomorrow, before she went to Rarity’s in the afternoon. ‘The Art of Persuasion’, ‘A Pony’s Courting Manual’, and other such titles were spread around her. And if she was wrong and Rarity didn’t like her that way, the designer was still acting somewhat strangely recently; and as her friend, Twilight still had to make sure that there was nothing worrying the sophisticated unicorn.

She thought back to a conversation she had had with her mother when she was a filly.

“Mommy, how did you know that daddy was the stallion for you?”

“Well, Twilight dearie, most mares have a sixth sense when stallions like them. I knew your daddy loved me, but I could chose whether or not if he was the one I would spend the rest of my life with.”

“I don’t understand, mom.”

“You will, soon, when you grow up. But just remember, if you feel somepony likes you, most of the time you will be correct. But the most important thing is to consider long and hard if you like them back.”

Twilight rolled her eyes. Bah, but Rarity’s a mare, a mare, a mare! I must be wrong! But I just keep on having this annoying feeling that tells me she likes me! And the last part of mom’s advice… do I like her back? I guess so? Blah blah blah, I really am so confused again! I need a plan!

The light of the sun shone through the windows of the Carousel Boutique. Rarity spread herself on her fainting couch, or ‘chaise longue’, as she preferred to call it, drawing a hoof over the crimson velvet lovingly.

Submerged in her thoughts of a certain purple coated mare, she gazed dreamily at nothing in particular. Twilight would be visiting in the afternoon, and this made Rarity not want to do anything for the entire day except get ready for the mare of her dreams.

She still felt a bit apprehensive, though. Twilight had seemed more distant than usual when Rarity approached her yesterday… I mustn't think too much, I know this. I must act naturally, it is most essential! She threw a hoof up dramatically with a sigh. What if Twilight could not accept her feelings? It would most possibly ruin their friendship. I shall try, I must! She is the most beautiful, most understanding pony anypony could ever hope to meet.

Twilight trotted up to Rarity’s boutique. As the magnificent structure came into view, she slowed her hoofsteps slightly. I’ll just act normally today… I think I was a bit too unkind to Rarity yesterday; that was bad of me, since she never did anything to deserve it. But, I’ll still try to get to the end of this matter, and I think I can do it.

Arriving at the door, Twilight knocked. Rarity answered it almost immediately with a beatific smile on her face.

“Hi Rarity, I hope I’m not late…”

“Of course you aren’t, Twilight, oh please do come in.”

Twilight entered the boutique and noticed that it was tidier than usual. Even Rarity looked more stunning than she ever had before, which was already virtually impossible. A fragrance lingered in the air, catching Twilight’s interest.

“Rarity, is that a new perfume?”

Rarity flushed slightly, but quickly controlled her facial temperature. Aha! So she has noticed it! she thought triumphantly. “Why yes, it’s the new parfum that I ordered from Canterlot.”

“It suits you, I think it’s lovely!”

“I’m truly flattered darling, but why don’t we start with your mane? We can chat as I… tend to you.” Rarity’s sweet expressive voice wavered a bit at the last three words.

In truth, Twilight seldom noticed what Rarity did with her mane – it was mostly just a blur of beauty products with Rarity’s magic. But she enjoyed it immensely nonetheless, because of Rarity’s skilled but tender touch, and they kept a steady conversation amidst the whir of bottles, brushes, and various lotions.

Rarity, on the other hoof, had a hard time controlling her hooves… it could be said that she touched Twilight’s neck and back more often than necessary. No, I mustn’t let her see my expression; a lady should always control her grin… Why, I must look grotesque!

“There you go darling, now take a look at your mane!” cooed Rarity, wheeling Twilight over to the mirror.

“Rarity, it looks great!” Twilight ran a hoof over her mane, which was now sleek and soft, flowing like a waterfall. Rarity had also trimmed off some of the mane that had grown over the months so it was back to its original length.

“I’m glad you like it.” Peeking out the window in an attempt to hide the furious blush that had crept up her cheeks because of Twilight’s compliment, Rarity noticed that the sun had already set, and she realized that time really did fly fast when she was with the studious mare.

“Hey, I’ve got an idea,” said Twilight, also noticing the time. “Why don’t I treat you to dinner later for what you’ve done for me?”

Rarity gazed at Twilight, who was smiling a truly sincere smile of gratitude. Oooooh my oh my oh my. She wants to take me to dinner. Triumph! A dream come true! But truth be told, I shouldn’t be so happy unless it’s a date.

“I’d love to join you for dinner, Twilight,” she said. “But really, you don’t have to. It was no trouble at all.”

“We’ll see about that.” Twilight laughed. “But since it’s not really suppertime yet, why don’t we wait here for a while? We could chat more, or something.”

“Of course,” said Rarity, levitating two cushions over. “Here, we can rest on these.”

She set the cushions as close as possible beside each other, and instantly settled herself on one, so that Twilight would have no choice but to hunker down very close to her.

Again with the close proximity, though it seems I have no choice. Rarity must have done that on purpose, that smart mare, thought Twilight, as she also lay down, very close to Rarity.

Rarity stared at a small spot on the ground, trying to appear nonchalant, but she was enjoying that Twilight’s body was pressed against hers tightly very much indeed. Suddenly she felt a hoof over her shoulder, and glanced up to see Twilight looking at her.

“Rarity, is there something, anything that you want to tell me?” Twilight paused, as if thinking of what to say next. “It kind of seems you have been acting a bit strange recently… is everything okay?”

“Um, there is n-nothing, nothing at all that is bothering me at the moment,” stammered the fair unicorn. But she felt Twilight’s hoof add a bit of pressure on her shoulder, pulling her closer, then the hoof released her.

“Ok, I won’t press you for it,” said Twilight earnestly. “But now I know for sure that there is something.”

“All right, very well then,” replied Rarity after taking a deep breath. “There is something on my mind, and I am quite willing to tell you, once I’ve had a few minutes to compose myself.”

“I can wait for all the time you need, as long as it makes you feel better. I’m your friend after all, and I’m sure whatever you tell me won’t change that.” Twilight emphasized the last part in her sentence, and rested her head on her hooves as if to further prove her point that Rarity could take all the time she required. If my assumptions are correct, this is probably it… I hope I’ve encouraged her enough, oh no, what if I did it wrong? What if she doesn’t say a word? She’ll probably keep that bottled up forever, and I really don’t want that. I’ve also thought this over long and thorough, and I hope my mom’s right when she told me mares have this sixth sense when it comes to this kind of stuff…

Beside Twilight, Rarity was thinking as hard as her brainy friend. How shall I break it to her? That I have these… feelings for her? I have planned for this for a long time, but now all plans seemed to have failed me! Woe is me! If I don’t do it now, I might never get this chance again! It doesn’t matter if she doesn’t want me, at least I tried. No, it does matter, but I shall deal with that later. And she did say we’d stay friends… although I doubt she anticipated a situation of this kind. Take a deep breath. Just. Say. It. Now.

Rarity inhaled deeply to calm herself, prompting Twilight to lift her head up and look at her. “Very well then, there is something that I want very much to tell you.” Checking to see if she had Twilight’s full attention, she continued. “I-” But then she hesitated, her courage failing a little, it was as if her tongue had suddenly dried out. “I-”

Twilight put a hoof around Rarity’s shoulders again. “It’s okay, it’s okay, just calm down,” she reassured the other unicorn. “But can I take a guess?”

Rarity nodded her agreement, not trusting her dry throat to make a coherent sentence.

In response, Twilight hugged her friend close, and then nuzzled her intimately. “Is it something along the lines of this?” Letting go of Rarity, her demeanor turned uncertain as she waited for an answer.

Rarity was dumbfounded. Slowly she said, “Yes, it is something like that…” Her sentence trailed off as she felt her heart chasing her mind around, muddling her thoughts. It had felt good, Twilight’s embrace, and if Twilight had meant what Rarity assumed she had meant, then… then what? So she brought herself to finish her sentence. “Twilight Sparkle, I like you very much, and I want to be with you.”

Twilight laid her front hooves in front of her and plunked her head down between them, letting out a sign of relief. “Whew, thank Celestia I guessed right!” But then she turned serious. “So, I guess…”

“How could you have known?”

“Well, I guessed. My mom told me that most mares have this sixth sense when other ponies like them. But I suppose I never thought it also worked on… other mares. To tell you the truth, this is the first time that this has happened to me. That somepony likes me.”

Twilight continued, “I know it sounds really silly to say that I’ve also given this a lot of thought, and research, but I have, not even sure if you had these feelings or not. And I realized it doesn’t matter. So… I guess we’re together now or something?”

Rarity threw her hooves around the other pony, rolling her onto her back on the cushions. “I thought that I had kept my feelings subtle,” she prodded Twilight playfully from up top. “But I don’t want to do that now.” Twilight lay helplessly sprawled on her back while Rarity nuzzled her neck, then her face.

Oh, nononononono, thought Twilight as she felt her face heat up. She shut her eyes. I’ve never been in this situation, what do I do? What if I don’t do it right and Rarity thinks I’m some clumsy fool? It’s too late to learn or research or whatever, I was so focused on getting Rarity to admit her feelings that I totally forgot to prepare for this! Arrrgh! She gathered the nerve to look at Rarity again, and found that Rarity was already gazing at her though her stunningly mascaraed lashes, their noses almost touching. “Um, Rarity, I have to remind you that, I’m not experienced at all…”

“Never worry darling, you soon will be.” Rarity’s eyelids fluttered shut, and she pressed their mouths together.

Twilight felt as if her brain had seized up, and Rarity’s sweet scent was everywhere. She could feel Rarity’s body close against hers, moving to their breathing; her hooves on both sides of her face, and lastly, the soft touch and movement of Rarity’s mouth on hers. After a few seconds she emerged from her stupor and decided it might be good if she kissed back.

They broke their kiss after what seemed like a long time to Twilight. She still felt light-headed and almost could not find the words to speak. “Wha- what about… we go get… some dinner… oof.”

Rarity looked at her tenderly. “Of course, Twilight darling. It’s… a date.”

Still weak, Twilight rolled to a more comfortable position on the cushions, with Rarity in her forehooves.

“I’ll treat you, like I said?” The ‘Pony’s Courting Manual’ had said stallions should treat mares on the first date, and Twilight had decided since Rarity was more ladylike than her, she would have to treat Rarity.

“Oh Twilight, you are so adorable.” Rarity smiled. “You are not a stallion; it is not necessary, although it is our first date.”

“Ha, but you did my hair. It’s only right.” Twilight knew she had Rarity on that one.

3: Starry Sky, Gentle Breeze

Twilight and Rarity stepped out of the boutique, both in a simple necklace adorned with a single gem; Twilight’s was violet, and Rarity’s was light blue. The fashion designer had levitated them out and put them on Twilight and herself; if they had more time, Rarity would probably have made them both glamorous gowns just for the occasion.

I shall design us matching outfits next time~ sang Rarity in her mind. She looked happily at Twilight, who was walking beside her, and made a mental note to update her measurements next time she stopped by. And now she’ll be stopping by a lot more, and I shall be visiting the library quite a lot more, too.

Twilight looked sideways at Rarity, smiled when their eyes met, and gave the designer a quick nuzzle. They had discussed at the boutique that they should keep their relationship quiet at first, at least until they went out a few more times. I’m not used to the whole ‘going out’ thing yet… must read a few more books after I get home. And I’m sure Rarity will be kind if I make a few mistakes… I’ll just act like it’s a special dinner with a really close friend tonight.

Under the dark purple sky illuminated by Luna’s moon, they arrived at Twilight’s favorite restaurant. It was quite classy, and Twilight used to come here often when she had just moved to Ponyville, because it reminded her of the food in Canterlot.

“We’re here, Rarity.” She chuckled when she thought of something, and added in a whisper, “The waiter is a bit snobby to ponies he doesn’t recognize, but I used to come here often. Let’s hope he remembers that.”

“A table for two, outdoors dining section please.” The words came out naturally from Twilight’s mouth, since she was once a frequent visitor… with Spike.

Huh…? Spike! Urgh! Twilight let out an inward groan. I totally forgot about his crush on Rarity… Oh no. This is officially on the ‘problems to deal with later’ list!

True to Twilight’s word, the waiter smiled briefly and, leading them to their seats, had said, “Welcome, ladies. It seems like a while since you last visited.”

He presented them both with a menu and left them to decide on their orders.

The two unicorns looked at each other, beamed, and started looking at their menus. The outdoors dining section had a truly amorous atmosphere, with its warm glowing garden lanterns and a scattering of fireflies hovering near the neatly trimmed hedges.

“Twilight darling, you really do know how to pick the place for a first date,” breathed Rarity. “The lighting is so romantic!”

“Um, yeah…” Twilight blushed, and smiled her cute dorky smile. “Well, I remember you once saw me eating here during the daytime… it was raining but Rainbow Dash had opened a hole in the clouds for me.”

“Ooh, of course I remember too! I had just made us matching outfits and couldn’t wait to get you home.” They had both refrained from mentioning the ‘gala ticket’ and they both knew it.

“Well, perhaps you could make us more… matching outfits now that we’re… yeah.” Twilight had the dorky smile on again, which made Rarity want to throw her hooves around her.

“I’d love to, Twilight.” Rarity said her marefriend’s name like it was her favorite word, with a characteristic intake of breath that Twilight had never found so attractive until now.

Just then the waiter came back to take their orders. Twilight requested her favorite dandelion combination, while Rarity opted for the rose gourmet set. The waiter smartly jotted their orders, and then left them to resume their conversation.

“The night sky’s really beautiful, isn’t it?” said Twilight, taking in the moon and the constellations sprinkled across the vast canvas up high. “I really like watching the stars… I have a telescope in my room.”

“Yes, Luna’s really pretty, is she not?” Rarity smirked, fluttering her eyelashes. Rarity you bad mare, teasing Twilight…

“Yeah, she is… Um-what?” Realizing her mistake, Twilight tried to backtrack. “Um, yeah! She’s a princess, so of course she’s pretty! But I was talking about the stars and stuff… ha ha ha.” She grinned nervously.

“Twilight darling, I was only teasing you, I’m sorry for making you stressed.” Rarity reassured her with a sad puppy eyes look. Then she smiled radiantly, and reached over to put her hoof on Twilight’s. “But that means that you must like me a lot.”

The waiter arrived with their appetizers, and they started their dinner. Between bites, Twilight asked, “So, when was it that you… realized that you…?”

Rarity nibbled on her salad daintily. “Well, ah, I recall it was about the time you rescued my mind from Discord’s petty trickery.”

Twilight looked at Rarity curiously. “But, we were all in so much danger then.” Then something seemed to dawn on her. “Oh my Celestia. Was it- was it my memory spell?”

Rarity nodded slowly. They looked at each other, both blushing furiously. They were rescued from the moment by the arrival of their main courses.

“Well, yeah… I guess I felt something special too, you know.” Twilight said tentatively, the blush still on her face. “But since we’re both unicorns, and everything, I didn’t pay much attention. Plus, there was still Discord to stop.”

“I didn’t think that much until we had defeated Discord. But after it was over and I got home, I started to think… do you remember when I hugged you right after you rescued me? You hugged me back and that… simply set my heart afire.”

“Actually I don’t think I rescued you Rarity, I just, reminded you of the times we had,” said Twilight with a quizzical look on her face.

“Of course you did. You don’t always have to be the modest hero you know.”

“I’d deny that if I were talking with somepony else, but when it’s you that says that, I like it.”

Rarity blushed, giving Twilight a shy look. Then she thought of something. “Twilight, would you mind if I asked you… how you came to decide that you were willing to be with me? I know it couldn’t have been an easy decision to make.”

It was Twilight’s turn to turn shy. “Well, uh, I think I already liked you pretty much, Rarity, it was just a new perspective of our relationship, I think. And I’ve heard of plenty of same-sex pony couples in Canterlot, so it wasn’t a really weird… or freaky thing for me, actually.”

“Thank you for telling this, Twilight… and… I really appreciate it.” Rarity smiled, happiness in her eyes.

They finished their meal with herbal tea, then Twilight rose to pay the bill, placing some bits as a tip on the table.

Twilight walked Rarity back to the boutique, savoring the wonderful night that they had spent together. They shared a brief but sweet kiss at the door.

“Wait, I just remembered,” Twilight tried to take off the necklace that Rarity had put on her before their date, but was stopped by Rarity’s hoof.

“No, darling, it’s yours now.”

“Wow… well, thanks.” Twilight smiled, but she secretly hoped that Rarity wouldn’t pile her with trinkets in the future.

Rarity sneaked another kiss. “See you tomorrow?”

“Of course, let’s go do something together after we send off Applejack to the rodeo, okay?”

Trotting home, Twilight saw that her number one assistant was already sound asleep. I seem to spend my nights these days pondering stuff that I’ve never had experience with, thought Twilight with a small sigh.

She did not want to hurt the baby dragon’s feelings, so she decided to make thinking of a way to break the news to Spike the priority, and put off reading more books on dating until next time. I think today went pretty well… Rarity’s really cute when you realize it.

4: Mission

It was the morning that Applejack would be leaving for Canterlot to compete in the Equestrian Rodeo. After her send-off at the town square, her friends and family accompanied her to the train station to give their favourite cowgirl their encouragement.

Twilight and her friends chased the train until the platform ended as it started towards Canterlot. I’m so happy for her, and we all believe in her, she’ll do great! But the mayor - all she could mention was money, money, money… That’s strange. Why doesn’t Ponyville have enough funds itself? She frowned slightly.

Rarity saw the small change in her marefriend’s expression, but decided to ask about it later. They had agreed that they would act as they always had done around their friends for the time being, until they could find a suitable time and way to reveal to the rest of the ponies that they were dating.

The Apple family and the mayor left the train station and Pinkie and Rainbow Dash had already disappeared, leaving only Fluttershy, Twilight, and Rarity on the platform.

“So, Fluttershy, where are you going? Home?” asked Twilight.

“Um, yes, I think so, I need to set out some seeds for the birds…” replied the shy pegasus.

“Well, see you then!”

“Bye Twilight, bye Rarity.” Fluttershy smiled, spread her wings and took off in the direction of her home.

Twilight caught Rarity’s eye, and they both grinned.

“So, shall we proceed as planned?” asked Rarity.

“Yeah, let’s go to your place and pick up the stuff.”

Leaving the train station together the two unicorns slipped away to the Boutique, where they had stashed some picnic supplies before Applejack’s send-off. Sneakily leaving at a fast trot, they headed toward a small secluded meadow in the woods behind a cliff with a road ending at it.

As they entered the woods Rarity asked, “So darling, why were you frowning at the train station?”

Twilight laughed guiltily. “Uh, actually I was thinking whether the mayor was giving Applejack too much pressure about the prize money.”

Rarity laughed along with her. “To tell you the truth, I think it was a bit… undignified of her as well.”

Twilight glanced at the cliff behind them. “The mayor really should do something about roads that end at a cliff too,” she muttered, recalling all the accidents that might have happened if not for the efforts of Rainbow Dash or the Mare-Do-Well. She winked at Rarity. “Speaking of roads that end at a cliff, I think Mare-Do-Well really has a taste for fashion; I wonder who her designer was?”

“Oh, I wouldn’t know who her designer was, but she looked absolutely stunning, especially when she used her magic to fix the dam!” Rarity giggled, nuzzling Twilight tenderly, only to look up when Twilight suddenly stopped. “Ooh, here we are!”

The meadow was surrounded by trees, and certainly nopony would find this place unless they knew exactly what they were looking for. Twilight used a spell to concentrate the wind on a certain patch of grass, drying it of any excess moisture.

She then grabbed the fluffy towels they had prepared and, together with Rarity, spread them on the grass. After the two lay themselves on the towels happily, Rarity used her magic to levitate a pair of apples from the basket and floated one over to Twilight.

“Hey, I’ve got it,” said Twilight, using her magic to surround both the apple and Rarity’s light blue aura.

“Twilight Sparkle!” Rarity blushed crimson, which was all the more visible because of her pale coat. “I’d never have known you were so naughty, touching me like that, and on purpose!”

Twilight smiled guiltily, pulled Rarity over and put a hoof over her shoulder. “I believe it’s not the first time? I guess I really am bad!”

“You’re not bad darling, you just know too well how to sweep me off my hooves,” Rarity pouted. She put a hoof on Twilight’s face and pulled her close, lightly brushing her muzzle along Twilight’s before leaning in and bringing their lips together in a sweet kiss.

The temperature rose as the sun travelled higher in the sky, so Twilight set up an umbrella beside them, smiling to herself as Rarity sighed in pleasure at the coolness of the shade it provided. “Let’s hope it can also hide us from Rainbow Dash’s eyes if she flies over here,” she joked.

“And Pinkie Pie, too! She can appear almost anywhere!” They laughed together as they thought of the pink and playful earth pony.

“I wouldn’t be surprised if she just popped up, singing ‘A Hop, skip, and jump of my heart’,” said Twilight, unable to stop laughing. “Wait, that’s just a song title I made up!” They both curled up, giggling.

They spent the next few hours snuggling and talking about nothing in particular. It was just nice for the two of them to spend time together, but they still hadn’t decided when or how they would tell the news to their friends. As much as it felt wrong to keep the other ponies in the dark, they both knew that there were bound to be some hardships to come in their relationship, and it would be best to proceed with a certain amount of caution.

Twilight trotted back to the library, fully aware that she hadn’t done anything academic the whole day. I bet Princess Celestia would be surprised at what I learned, apart from making friends. I guess I’ll have to tell her about Rarity soon… and I still haven’t decided how to tell Spike yet. Hmm. Although it seems I haven’t done anything productive today, I feel really happy. And I’ve never thought time spent with somepony could be so meaningful!

A day had passed, and many ponies were getting ready for the party to welcome Applejack home from the rodeo.

“Quiet Pinkie, I think Applejack’s coming.” Twilight peeked out the barn door.

“Don’t worry Twilight. Got my lips all limbered up!” Pinkie tried to seal her lips together, but with no success.

The ponies all ducked behind various tables and banisters, and held their breath. The door creaked open…

“Surprise!” shouted all the ponies. Big Macintosh blew a kazoo.

But it was just a mailpony. He had a letter from Applejack; Twilight took it and went inside, where all the other ponies crowded around her to hear what it said. Twilight read it out loud.

“Family and friends, not coming back to Ponyville. Don’t worry, will send money soon.” There was worry in Twilight’s voice. “That’s all there is.”

Panic followed Twilight’s statement, but Rainbow Dash’s voice broke through. “So, what are we waiting for? Let’s go find her!”

Twilight led her friends out the door, and reassured the other ponies. “Don’t worry. We’ll search all of Equestria if we have to. We’ll bring her back.”

Rarity followed close as Twilight trotted to the barn door, and watched as Twilight snapped a smart salute. I’m so glad to have her to lead us. She gives me strength whenever we go on these missions… and that salute! So dashing, I must convince her to do that again… in private.

Twilight looked out of the window, watching the scenery speed past as the multicolored train carried her and her friends to Canterlot. A small frown was on the bookworm's face as she came up with a million things that might have happened to the cowgirl.

The unicorn suddenly felt Rarity’s hoof on her own.

“Darling, don’t be so worked up. You know it worries me so,” said the fashionista.

“I can’t help it… but I guess I was always the worrywart.” Twilight made a face, but her mood was lighter than before.

Rarity giggled lightly, her laughter an expressive tinkle. “I’m sure Applejack will explain everything when we find her.”

“You’re right. I hope so too.”

“Twilight?” the designer’s voice dropped to a whisper.

“Yes, Rarity?” the purple unicorn played along, speaking softly.

“If I may make a request?”

“Of course you can. What is it?” murmured Twilight.

“Well… ah, you recall snapping a salute back there, at the barn?”

Twilight nodded, a quizzical look on her features.

“I was wondering if you could do it for me again, you were so dashing.”

“Hey! What are you two whispering about?” Rainbow Dash cut in with a chortle.

The purple unicorn suddenly found herself blushing, because of both Rarity’s ‘request’ and the cyan pegasus’ question. “Uh, talking about Applejack, you know. Yeah. And oh! Here are pictures of her, girls, we’ll use them in our search.” Twilight shoved a photo to each of the other ponies, grateful for the distraction to hide her awkwardness.

Applejack set down the last crate. She had found a new job at the Cherry Hill Ranch, owned by Miss Cherry Jubilee, and was starting her new life at Dodge Junction. Having finished the delivery errand for her new boss, she started trotting back to the ranch.

On the way, she stopped by the public toilet of the train station to answer nature’s call, but the experience was somewhat frustrating because some impatient pony kept banging nonstop on the door.

Applejack had barely gotten a few steps away from the station when she thought she heard a familiar, shrill, giggly sound. Nah, ah must be imaginin’ things. But the earth pony couldn’t shake off the feeling that something was wrong. She felt… a presence.

The presence kind of reminded her of her five dearest friends. As much as she hated to admit it, she missed the ponies in Ponyville… and her family. But there was no going back there, ever again; the shame, she could not bear it. Kicking her hoof in the dust, she closed her eyes briefly, dejectedly.

The first thing she saw when she opened her eyes again were five ponies. The five ponies she could have recognized a mile away, so there was no passing them as an illusion. She gulped. She. Was. Caught.

Twilight and Rarity rushed over to the cowgirl, their movements in synch unconsciously.

“Oh, Applejack, thank heavens!” exclaimed Rarity.

Applejack’s five friends all gathered around her, asking her questions, but their reunion was cut short by a mare with a curly, dark red mane, a light coat, and a pink bow around her neck.

“Applejack? Are these some of your Ponyville Friends?” asked the stranger.

Twilight Sparkle trotted over. “Yes, ma’am-”

Rarity immediately went to Twilight’s side, worried that the stranger might not be friendly, and finished Twilight’s sentence for her. “And you are?”

The stranger trotted down the steps. “Why, I’m Cherry Jubilee, boss of Cherry Hill Ranch. Hasn’t Applejack told ya?”

Twilight and Rarity looked at each other with worried and confused expressions. They held their gazes longer then they had to, trying to convey their feelings and reassure each other with the eye contact.

Cherry Jubilee went on to explain how she and Applejack met, and that Applejack was now her employee at the ranch. She then left the girls to catch up with each other. Twilight and Rarity looked at each other again.

Rainbow Dash burst out, “’Change of scenery?’ What’s that supposed to mean?”

Applejack tried to walk away, her expression annoyed. “No big deal, guys. I thought cherries would be a nice change from apples, so I took the job and came here. That’s it. End of story.”

Pinkie didn’t buy it. “That’s it? Well, that’s a terrible story!”

They tried to get Applejack to tell them more, but she didn’t, and left the five ponies. It was obvious that she was hiding something from her friends.

Twilight frowned. “I don’t care what she says, Applejack’s not telling us something.”

Rainbow Dash agreed, concerned about the athletic earth pony. “Twilight’s right. We gotta get her to spill the beans.”

Twilight gathered her knowledge for a while. Aha! I think I know how! It’s lucky that I just read ‘The Art of Persuasion’ recently! Although that was because I wanted to get Rarity to admit her feelings…

Twilight gathered her friends, and together they devised some plans, which involved them getting some work at the ranch.

The five ponies waited outside the cherry sorting barn. They all had hairnets and aprons on.

“Come on in, girls!” They heard Cherry Jubilee calling them. They trotted in, and saw that an unhappy-looking Applejack was already inside.

“What are you all doing here?” she asked in a slightly unfriendly tone.

Twilight replied cheerfully, “We’re your cherry sorters. Shall we get started?”

The girls positioned themselves along the line, and Rarity poked her hairnet, hoping Twilight didn’t think she looked ugly in one.

Cherry Jubilee gave them some directions on how to sort the cherries, and reminded them to have fun before she left.

Applejack was suspicious. “What are you five up to?”

Rarity answered, seemingly nonchalantly, from where she was standing beside Twilight. “Well, ah, you made working on a cherry orchard sound… so delightful.”

After a few moments of working on the cherries, Twilight winked at Rainbow Dash, giving her the signal to start trying to get more information out of Applejack.

5: Cherry Sorters' Sleeping Quarters

Cherry Jubilee hummed to herself as she inspected the cherry she held in her hoof. Noticing a dark dent on it, she tossed it into the bin marked as ‘fertilizer’. But suddenly she was interrupted from her work by a high-pitched squee, followed by a loud splat. The sounds seemed to have come from the barn where her employees were working. Worried that an accident might have happened, she rushed over and saw Applejack, covered in cherry juice, leaving the barn in a huff.

“Whatever has happened? Are any of you girls hurt?” the owner of the ranch asked anxiously.

“No one was hurt, Miss Jubilee,” the orange earth pony answered. “But some of your cherries were ruined, and I’m mighty sorry.”

“No, that’s alright Applejack, I’m just glad nopony was hurt.” Cherry Jubilee looked kindly at the cowgirl. “Now why don’t you go get a shower while I check up on the other girls? You can help me buck the trees when you’re done.”

Applejack nodded and trudged off. The mare with a cherry cutie mark then entered the barn, and saw that the other ponyville folk had already started cleaning the cherries that were splattered everywhere.

A purple pony with a pink stripe in her mane hurried up to her. “We’re terribly sorry, Miss Jubilee, for this to happen on our first day here.”

Cherry Jubilee waved a hoof with a motherly smile. “It’s quite alright girls, everypony makes mistakes. And after you finish the cleaning you may take the day off, as there are no more cherries to be sorted today.”

Their first attempt failed, the five ponies decided to proceed with another plan to wring the truth out of Applejack after they finished cleaning the barn.

Rainbow Dash flew over the farmland cautiously, feeling the soft wind like a caress under her wings. She scanned the ground for Applejack. Usually the cyan pegasus would have soared at a speed that would make the air whoosh, but her present mission was to discreetly find the runaway mare without her knowing. Finally spotting the earth pony, she lightly glided back to the other ponies. “She’s in that direction, bucking some trees.”

“Lead us there Rainbow,” said Twilight. “And everypony, no more sound when we get there. Pinkie, you know what to do. ”

The five ponies quietly made their way to where Applejack was working. Finding suitable hiding places, Twilight winked at ponyville’s top party pony, and mouthed the words, You’re on. She then nodded a signal for the others to put on their earplugs.

Applejack’s friends watched in glee as Pinkie forced her to take one step back, then another. Most of the time the pink hyper-pony was fun to be around, but when her mouth was gabbling nonstop… it could be torture. The cowgirl clenched her jaw and braced a hoof against a nearby tree trunk, shivering in annoyance.

The spying ponies tried not to snicker when Applejack finally threw herself on the ground and clapped her hooves to her ears. She appeared to be shouting; Twilight guessed it was something along the lines of ‘NOOO make it stop!’ judging from the movement of AJ’s mouth.

The element of magic waved her hoof at Rainbow Dash, who rushed from her hiding place and placed a hoof on Pinkie’s mouth. “The only way to make it stop is for you to spill the beans!”

“Never!” was the defiant response.

Rainbow let go of the party pony’s mouth, and this time, the threat worked. Seeing Applejack throw her hooves up in defeat, the remaining three ponies stepped out from behind the trees, and the resigned farmpony made a Pinkie Promise to tell them everything the next morning at breakfast.

Twilight polished off the last bite of her cherry pie and wiped her mouth with a napkin. Around her, the rest of her friends had likewise finished their supper, with the exception of Applejack, who hadn’t showed up; Cherry Jubilee had told the ponies that the cowgirl had turned in early. This worried them, but if the orange mare needed time to herself to think, then it would be best to give her some peace and quiet.

“Girls, all done? Then I’d better show you to your rooms!” came the cheerful voice of their supervisor at the ranch.

“Come on everypony, let’s go.” Twilight led her friends out the dining room.

“Unfortunately, we don’t have a room that can fit all five of you at once, but I’ve asked a farmhand to move an extra bed so three of you can share a room and the other two can share the other,” said Jubilee, as she directed the ponies to two neighboring doors. “Here we are! You’re free to do whatever you want now, and if you can’t remember the way back to your rooms, you can find me at the main cabin.” She then left the five friends to make their rooming arrangements.

The mares opened the two doors and looked inside: one had a queen sized bed, and the other had the same, plus a single bed.

“So, um-” Twilight was cut short by Pinkie Pie.

“I want the single bed!” she sang out shrilly, throwing herself on the bedspread. Noticing everypony’s less-than-amused expressions, she narrowed her eyes in a defense. “What? I roll around too much; I would kick you in your sleep!”

“Not to mention you’d probably bounce around in your dreams.” Rainbow Dash chortled. “Can I sleep with you, Fluttershy? I don’t think the other two are used to bunking with a pegusus.”

“Oh… okay.”

“I think that would be the best. I wouldn’t want to wake up with a mouthful of your ‘rigid wing’, Rainbow Dash,” sniffed Rarity. “Although if it were Fluttershy I wouldn’t mind, of course,” she quickly added, not wanting to hurt the feelings of the shy pegusus. She was quite pleased with the turn of events indeed, and almost bit her lip to stop herself from smiling too widely. Oh, my! Bed with Twilight!

Twilight finally spoke again. “Well, that’s settled, then. I’ll sleep with Rarity in this room, and you two can sleep with Pinkie in that one.” Her face was quite smooth as she said this, but like Rarity, she had a hard time controlling her facial expression.

“Cool! You two can come over if you want to!” Rainbow zoomed into her room.

“Sure, we’ll go over to chat! But we’ve got to go to bed early, remember? Working on a farm means having to get up when the sun rises,” said Twilight as she and Rarity trotted into theirs.

“So,” said the purple unicorn, shutting the door.

The fashionista looked at her expectantly. “This’ll be our first time sleeping together, aren’t you excited?” she teased in a seductive whisper.

“Well, uh, um…” it suddenly seemed as if Twilight’s knees couldn’t hold her weight anymore. “I mean, eek… yeah,” her voice coming out in a squeak.

Rarity kissed the purple unicorn briefly but deeply, and gave her a loving look. “Twilight darling, are you… nervous?”

The studious mare flushed, her face heating up at a disturbing rate. “Can I ask you something, Rarity?”

“Why, of course, my dear.” Twilight’s abrupt uneasiness was alarming to Rarity, and her eyes widened in worry, afraid she had said something wrong to the bookworm.

“Uh, when you said sleeping together, did you mean, um, like, as in sleeping sleeping or just… plain sleeping?” Twilight squirmed; she thought the heat that was radiating from her body could set the house on fire any second.

“Darling! I’m so sorry; I didn’t mean to make you so uncomfortable.” Rarity took the other mare’s face in her hooves and nuzzled her. “I assure you, I am not in a rush for that.” She then brought Twilight’s face up and looked her tenderly in the eyes. “But I do need to tell you something… I’m ready whenever you are.”

“Oh, um, yeah… right.” Twilight looked instantly relieved, and she felt her chest loosen up, letting go of the breath she hadn’t realized she was holding.

“So… why don’t we stop by next door for a while? We can have our… private time later.”

Twilight nodded, and the two mares left their own room and went over to where Pinkie, Rainbow and Fluttershy were already having a rather loud discussion about Applejack.

“If she doesn’t have a good explanation tomorrow, I’m going to whack her in her stomach!” came the raucous sound of the athletic pegasus.

“Oh, no, please don’t do that… I’m sure she has her reasons,” murmured the timid mare.

“I want to eat cherry changas!” Pinkie bounced on her bed, almost bumping the roof. She then noticed Twilight and Rarity entering. “Ooh! They’re here! Ooh, they’re here!”

“Hi, girls!” the two unicorns greeted the three ponies.

“I still think there’s something fishy going on with Applejack!” Rainbow Dash folded her hooves, her eyebrows narrowing.

“She made a Pinkie Promise, if she breaks it, she’s doomed!” A hard gleam flickered for a fraction of a second in the pink earth pony’s eyes. “So I know she won’t break it!” Pinkie smiled as she finally sat down properly on her bed. “Besides, Applejack’s our friend! We’ll forgive her if she really is hiding something!”

Twilight and Rarity joined in the conversation, and after half an hour, the ponies decided to call it a night so as to get up on time the following morning. They took turns brushing their teeth at the sink at the end of the corridor; Cherry Jubilee had provided them all with toothbrushes. The five friends then said their goodnights and headed into their respective rooms.

The door clicked shut, and Twilight and Rarity grinned sheepishly at each other. Wordlessly, they walked to their bed, taking a position on both sides.

“Aren’t you going to get in?” Rarity raised a delicate eyebrow at Twilight.

The other unicorn smiled dorkily and lifted the opposite corner of the sheets with her magic. “After you, milady,” she said, almost rolling her eyes at her cheesy line.

Rarity gave a small sign of resignation and slipped between the covers, feeling Twilight’s weight shifting the mattress as she got in as well. They lay side by side, face to face, not speaking, simply gazing serenely at each other.

“Hey,” Twilight broke the silence with a whisper. “You’re really beautiful, Rarity.”

Rarity’s eyes were sparkling as she reached for the mare lying beside her and pulled her into a close embrace. Running her hoof over Twilight’s coat, she moved her muzzle under her marefriend’s ear and gave it a gentle flick. The other pony giggled, nuzzling Rarity in return. It was getting a bit warm, their body heat rising with their affectionate gestures.

“And you’re the most dazzling unicorn I've ever known,” breathed the white mare.

Twilight felt her breath catch in her throat. She was getting quite swoony, and the only thing she could hear was her own heartbeat and their breathing. Almost dreamily, she bought her mouth to Rarity’s. The sophisticated unicorn matched her every movement as their lips pressed together, again and again.

A rooster cock-a-doodle-dooed in the distance as the morning sun bathed the land in its warmth.

Applejack pawed nervously on the train station platform. Her friends were bound to have found out that she was gone, and were possibly searching for her already.

A distorted roar rang out, making her jump. “Applejack! You! Pinkie Promised!”

Applejack broke out in a sweat, seeing the other ponies charging toward her. She spotted a stagecoach and leapt into it frantically, snapping the reins. Ha! They can’t catch me now! She looked behind her triumphantly - and was terrified to find that her friends had somehow located a pull cart and were fast on her heels.

Rarity felt every jolt and bump of the cart, sometimes painfully. The wind was whipping her mane in all directions possible, and she watched worriedly as Pinkie threw herself in the air, landing beside Applejack. The wind ripped their conversation away, so Rarity couldn’t quite make out what words had exchanged between the cowgirl and the pink pony before Pinkie suddenly launched herself back in the air again.

The fashionista gasped as the earth pony slammed into her, knocking the wind out of her. A whoosh of air followed, and Rarity realized that she had left the cart, Pinkie on top of her. The ground came up to meet them, forcibly.

The cloud of dust caused by the collision with the soil billowed, then slowly settled. Rarity picked herself up, and spat out a leaf. She checked herself for injuries; there seemed to be none, but her mane was ruined, her coat dirty and matted. She glared at Pinkie, who was grinning guiltily beside her.

“Sorry Rarity, I thought you would catch me!”

“Humph! You jumped too fast for me to react! And it seems they have decided to abandon us!” Rarity craned her neck, trying to spot their friends, but in vain.

“I heard Twilight telling Rainbow to get us, but she didn’t want to!” Pinkie’s voice was as perky as ever, for reasons unknown to Rarity.

The fashion designer was in a darkly bad mood at their misfortune. Stranded out in this barren place of nowhere, covered with filth! The only comfort in this situation was knowing that Twilight had not wanted to leave them here. “I certainly do not want to be stuck here, Pinkie Pie. Let’s at least find someplace with shelter, I am sweating, this place is so hot.” Rarity shivered with disgust at the thought of perspiration.

“Okie dokie lokie!” Pinkie did her signature bounce. “But how are we going to get back? There’s like, nothing but rocks and sand and rocks and dirt and no cupcakes!”

“Urgh,” mumbled Rarity. “I’d like to know the answer to that question as well.”

Pinkie flashed, and appeared somewhere in the distance. The indigo-maned mare shook her head. How on Equestria did that earth pony manage to move like a teleporting unicorn?

The energetic pony reappeared beside Rarity, holding a strange piece of machinery with wheels in her hooves. “I found it!”

“Found what? This? And what is this thing anyway?”

“Found the answer to my question, silly! You see those train tracks? We go there, you stand on this end, I stand on that end; you push, then I push! Easy as my last name!”

Twilight’s legs worked furiously, her lungs struggling to reach their full capacity. She had taken a train straight back to Dodge Junction after sending Applejack back to Ponyville, and was now galloping along the route that the orange pony had taken when fleeing her friends.

I hope Rarity isn’t mad at me for not coming back for her sooner, thought Twilight, a drop of perspiration gathering on her brow. Billows of dust swirled around her as she ran at her highest speed. The studious mare had never been an athletic pony, and her chest was soon heaving, her throat turning parched and dry.

But Twilight did not permit herself to stop until she reached the place where Pinkie had knocked Rarity out of the crude coach. Or, rather, where she hoped was the place. The rugged terrain seemed to stretch out infinitely, making it difficult to judge whether this was the exact spot or not. She was panting hard, and tried to slow down her breathing as she squinted, trying to judge her distance from the railway tracks where they had caught Applejack. Oh, no… how am I supposed to find them? And of course they couldn’t have just sat here all day, they must have moved somewhere else.

6: Aerial

Twilight looked in despair at the desolate landscape stretched all around her. She knew she would never be able to cover so much ground with her limited physical abilities.

Urgh, how, how? Think, Twilight, think! The unicorn scrunched her face in frustration, raising her head to the skies. It was late afternoon by now, and if she failed to find Pinkie and Rarity… Twilight facehooved. She could not fail.

Is there a spell for walking faster? Walking tirelessly? Seeing great distances? The personal protégé of the Sun Goddess shook her head; she was getting nowhere. She cast her gaze to the heavens again. Help me, Princess...

Silence answered her plea. A strong gust of wind rippled the dust around her, and she noticed the clouds shifting - another effect of the gale. Clouds… clouds! That’s it! And this will only require simple spells that I already know!

Thinking back to when she had first set foot on Cloudsdale, Twilight cast the spell that enabled her to walk on clouds. Then she levitated a small fluffy cloud in front of her and took a deep breath. Okay, here goes. She clambered to a belly-down position on the cloud. Now, the hard part is controlling its movement while I’m actually on it.

“Whoa!” Twilight almost fell off the floating cloud when she ordered it to move. It’s because I didn’t keep my balance… I should practice a few times before I go higher.

Still a bit wobbly, the unicorn made the cloud drift slowly forwards again. This time the movement was more controlled, but nonetheless far from safe if she were to elevate it; only high up in the air could she get a wide view of the land, and she could not risk falling off.

Trying a few more times before she got the hang of it, Twilight started raising the cloud. It was a bit disconcerting at first, shifting an object that was supporting her own weight, but as she rose higher and higher into the sky, she felt with exultation the freedom that only pegasi could feel.

The bleak wilderness was spread before her like a giant canvas – it reminded her of looking from her hot-air balloon – only now, she was much more agile. This is so convenient! If I become proficient at this, I could probably use it for lots of things!

From her current vantage point, Twilight scanned the ground using the grid search technique. Finding no sign of the two missing mares she drifted to another spot, using the railway as a guide so that she wouldn’t get lost. The brainy mare shivered a bit; it was cold at this height, although it was quite worth it because of the broad view.

After a few more minutes of searching, Twilight finally spotted a dot of pink moving along the train tracks. She zoomed towards it, her hopes rising. Floating closer, she strained to see… and discerned the indigo tinge she adored so much alongside it.

In her excitement, she actually considered leaping off the cloud straight away, but the fact that the color of Rarity’s mane was no more than a pea-sized speck reminded her that her position was a precarious one indeed.

The purple pony started to lower herself bit by bit, keeping her eyes on the ground cautiously.

“Rarity! Pinkie!” she called, when she was about four meters above the two ponies.

Pinkie looked up, and saw a familiar purple pony… on a floating tuft of cotton candy. The pony was shouting their names as she descended. “Hey, Rarity, I think somepony’s calling us!”

“Wha - Twilight!”

Twilight heard Rarity’s voice and almost dropped the cloud, she was so eager and yet worried at the same time. Finally at ground level, she slid herself off. “I’m so glad I found you! Are you all right?”

Much to the other two’s surprise and shock, Rarity immediately leapt off the handcar and flattened herself in the dust, covering her hooves over her face. “Don’t! Don’t come over here! Go away!” she exclaimed, her voice almost a sob.

“Rarity, why are you rolling in the dirt? I thought you hated dirt!” Even Pinkie Pie was nonplussed by Rarity’s behavior; it was even more random than some of the things she herself did.

“Rarity?” Twilight rushed to the distressed pony’s side. “Are you hurt? Is everything okay?” when the pale unicorn didn’t answer, she touched her muzzle to Rarity’s ear.

“No! Don’t touch me! Go away! Shoo!”

The outburst almost broke Twilight’s heart. Rarity was disappointed in her, for not coming back for her sooner. She had left the two ponies all alone in this dreary place, lost and insecure. The purple unicorn knew she had failed the mare that had most trusted and appreciated her.

She dipped her head, ears flattened, tears welling in her eyes from the shame she felt. “I’m… so sorry Rarity. I shouldn’t have left you out here…” Her voice trembled. “It, it was thoughtless of me… I understand if you’re mad at me.”

“I’m not mad at you at all, Twilight, but please, I beg you. Just leave.” The distraught mare still pressed her hooves tightly against her face, hiding it entirely.

“I know you don’t want to forgive me… but I can’t leave you here. I’ll never leave you.” A single tear, the first one to break free from the barriers of Twilight’s eyelashes, fell to the ground with an audible drop.

Pinkie Pie had never stayed so silent in a long time. What was going on? Why was Rarity covering herself in grime? Why was Twilight crying? Her eyes found the moist spot where Twilight’s tear had hit the dirt - and then she was so puzzled, she couldn’t even bounce. “Hey! Twilight! Why is your teardrop the shape of a broken heart?”

Rarity started sobbing too, she couldn’t bear it. Twilight’s crying because of me. But… I just can’t let her see! Pft, I was too selfish. Twilight is not petty like that… I am the petty one.

Slowly straightening to a standing position, Rarity trudged to Twilight’s side. “Please, please don’t cry.”

“You must hate me! I left you out here!” The other unicorn couldn’t even bring herself to look at Rarity.

“I do not hate you, darling… I asked you to go because I… I look hideous.”

“Wha-? But… you don’t look hideous, Rarity!”

“I doooo!” wailed the fashionista. “My makeup is ruined, my mane dishevelled, my coat dirty. I am ugly!”

Twilight wanted to laugh, it was so absurd. “You don’t look ugly at all, Rarity,” she said, wiping her eyes. “Why would you even care? And I’ve seen you muddy before, I’ve even seen your hair green. I still think you’re beautiful.”

“But that wasn’t the same.”

“It is the same! Remember what I told you last night? You’re beautiful. And I didn’t mean you were stunning only then and there. I said, you’re beautiful. And that means anytime, anywhere.” Twilight put a hoof over Rarity’s shoulder and embraced her.

Pinkie was getting bored, and was amusing herself by drawing sweets in the sand when Twilight called her over. “Pinkie, we need to tell you something, but can you please, please promise not to tell anypony?”

The party pony bobbed her head up and down, and, plopping herself on the ground, started to make some seemingly random gestures.

“What is she doing?” asked Rarity quietly.

“Oh, she’s just building a house and burying a key under it,” answered Twilight with a chuckle.

Noticing Pinkie had finished and was now waiting for her attentively, Twilight cleared her throat and said, “So, Pinkie… Rarity and I… are kind of, um, dating now.”

“Whaaaaa- ? Wooow! So you’re a couple! Congratu-ratu-lations!” the hyper-pony did a whizzing spin in mid-air.

“We’ll tell the others when we’re ready,” said Rarity, “but as we have just started, it shall need time.”

“Your secret is safe with me! Ooh, and the next time we have a party, you can make out in my room! Isn't that just sooooo exciting?"

7: Feel For Good Measure

"Spike! I'm leaving!" Twilight called, waking the slumbering dragon. "I'll be back in the afternoon to finish the report on the life cycle of bees, and the checklist of things you need to do in the morning is over there, bye!"

The scholarly unicorn had arranged with Rarity to stop by the Boutique before it opened for business to allow the fashionista to take her measurements, something the elegant unicorn had obviously been eager to do since their first date.

Twilight closed the door of the library, a pair of saddlebags full of books on her back. Taking in the fresh brisk air of the early morning, she trotted to the Carousel Boutique and let herself in.

“Twilight, darling!” Rarity looked up from her sewing machine and instantly scooted to Twilight’s side.

“Hi Rarity.” Twilight pecked Rarity lightly on the cheek, then set down her saddlebags. “So, I’m, uh… looking forward to being measured by you.” She grinned nervously. “And it’s not like we haven’t done it before… um, but we weren’t, um, seeing each other then, so could you please, please not mind me if my face goes really red?”

“I believe that I will blush even harder than you, Captain Sparkle, but I shall try to do as you asked.” They were both pink by then.

“Wait… huh? What’s ‘Captain Sparkle’?” Twilight wanted to find a place to lie down; her face was getting so hot. What she had expected to be just a morning at Rarity's boutique had turned out to be another of these awkward scenes that were also so... suggestive. The purple unicorn did enjoy these moments, but it was so frustratingly hard to keep a calm demeanor.

“Oh…! Well, ah, it’s just something that came into my mind when you organized us at Sweet Apple Acres yesterday to defeat those ridiculous unicorn twins… you were so charismatic,” breathed Rarity. In fact, she had just had an extremely vivid and graphic dream about ‘Captain Sparkle’ and herself the previous night.

“I uh, I really think we should get this out of our systems if we’re going to start my measuring.” Twilight’s voice came out about an octave higher than normal.

“The kitchen, perhaps? I’m afraid if we go to my bedroom we won’t come down again until sunset.” Rarity felt light-headed, and she was sure if she measured Twilight now, the dresses that she would make from those measurements would not fit any pony at all.

They half stumbled, half galloped to the back of the boutique. Rarity grabbed a cushion with her magic and dropped it on the floor of the kitchen. Twilight threw herself on the cushion immediately - and Rarity threw herself on Twilight.

“Twilight, please, kiss me,” whispered Rarity in Twilight’s ear.

“Urphf.” Twilight felt limp all over. She couldn’t move; it was as if her ribcages were stuck, she couldn’t breathe properly. She mustered the rest of her fast draining strength to pull Rarity’s face to hers.

The moment their mouths touched, Twilight could breathe again. She hadn’t realized that her body could go out of control like that, but now that she was back in charge she just wanted Rarity. She placed her hooves on Rarity’s back and pulled her close, pressing the other mare’s body against her own. Rarity’s mane lightly curtained them while they hungrily kissed.

Rarity tentatively slid her tongue to Twilight’s half-opened mouth, not sure if the lavender unicorn would accept. She was thrilled when Twilight’s tongue came to meet hers. They explored, both eager and curious. The fashionista felt her chest heaving in synch with Twilight’s, hoping this would never stop.

Twilight stretched on the cushion, Rarity’s head on her chest. They had laid in this fashion for a while now, sharing passionate kisses then resting, in turn.

The fashionista played with Twilight’s mane, gradually sliding her hooves along the bookworm’s torso. The purple unicorn shivered with satisfaction at the contact.

Rarity traced further down Twilight’s upper body, entertaining some less-than-innocent thoughts… soon she would be running a measuring tape along these fine curves... the fashion designer almost jolted as she suddenly remembered that the Boutique was supposed to be opened twenty minutes ago, and that Twilight’s measurements should have been finished well before that.

“Twilight, darling? I-l think… I should take your measurements now, if you don’t mind,” stammered the white unicorn.

“Oh, okay! Heh, guess we can finally go about our business normally now,” chuckled Twilight.

They headed back to the front of the Boutique. Rarity guided the other mare to a pedestal, and started the procedure of measuring Twilight.

It went well, neither mare losing their composure… until Rarity started on Twilight’s flank. Her face grew quite hot, and she fumbled the measuring tape. She was quite annoyed at this, since the last time this had occurred she had just started her dress-maker apprenticeship.

The studious mare turned her head to look at the fashionista, cocking an eyebrow. “Rarity!” she teased, flicking her tail in amusement. “And you were doing so well!”

The pale unicorn pulled herself together, lifting her head up in a haughty manner. “I shall never use my profession as an excuse to feel ponies up, Twilight. Please forgive that unprofessional slip of my hooves."

Twilight narrowed her eyes in an attempt to look appalled. "I never said anything about 'feeling me up'... so, that's what you were doing, huh?"

Twilight rested on Rarity’s chaise longue, reading the books that she had brought to the Boutique. She occasionally sneaked a glance at Rarity, who was discussing the details of a dress with a client.

Just then Sweetie Belle burst in the Boutique. “Rarity!” she called to her sister.

“Please do excuse me for a minute,” Rarity said apologetically to her customer. She walked towards her little sister. “What is it, Sweetie Belle?”

“Can I borrow a roll of cloth? I need to make this Cutie Mark Crusaders… thingy!”

“Fine Sweetie, just pick one, but let me see which one it is before you leave.”

Rarity returned to her customer, and Sweetie Belle scurried to the back of the room to look at a rack of cloth.

Twilight noticed the little filly coming her way, and said cheerfully, “It’s nice to see you again, Sweetie Belle!”

“Oh, hi Twilight!” Sweetie Belle skidded to a stop when she saw that Twilight was lying on Rarity’s chaise longue. “Hey, why can you use Rarity’s fancy couch? She won’t even let me touch it!”

“Well, Rarity was kind enough to offer that I use it for reading.”

“But she said it was so expensive, she would never ever let anypony touch it! Wow… she must really like you a lot!” exclaimed the filly.

“Uh… yeah, I think she does like me pretty much.” Twilight replied, a little awkwardly.

Luckily, Sweetie Belle didn’t notice, and she leapt towards Rarity’s collection of fabrics again. “Well, I’ve got to get the cloth to our clubhouse quickly, so, bye!”

The rest of the morning passed quickly, and Rarity closed the Boutique for the lunch period.

Twilight placed a bookmark on the page she was previously reading and slid off the fainting couch, her limbs slightly stiff from being in the same position for the whole morning.

"So, Rarity, do you want to get something to eat? Or I could go buy lunch for you if you don't want to leave, I know you've got more clients in the afternoon."

"Actually, I was thinking that I could prepare something for us, here. No, It shall be no trouble at all." Rarity raised a hoof to stop Twilight, who had just opened her mouth to object.

"Well, at least let me help you?"

"Oh, perhaps you could set the table later, but nothing more." Giving Twilight no chance to argue, the indigo-maned unicorn turned and started trotting down to the kitchen.

8: Cuisine Fashion

The radiance of the midday sun gleamed off the sequins and jewels in Rarity’s boutique, making the studio glitter with twinkles.

Twilight Sparkle was dazzled. The Boutique was so pretty with the sunlight streaming through the windows; she was surprised she hadn’t noticed before. But then again, she certainly had not spent this amount of time in Rarity’s shop in the past.

The fashionista had made the scholarly unicorn wait in the front room of the Boutique while she prepared lunch for the two of them. “I wish to make something special for you, darling,” she had said, when Twilight had attempted to follow her to the kitchen. “And I want you to be surprised.”

So the lavender unicorn had continued the study of her books for the better half of an hour, waiting for Rarity’s order to ‘set the table’. What kind of help is that? I’ll only have to place two plates on the table, that doesn’t even count… and she has more work to do in the afternoon, I really shouldn’t let her do everything and tire herself out... but she’ll probably be mad at me for ruining the surprise. Hmm. Okay, when the hour is up I’ll go down, no matter what.

Twilight had flipped a few more pages, pausing frequently to check the time, when she heard the lyrical voice of her dearest calling her. “Twilight, dear, you can come down now!”

The bookworm hastily shut her books without bothering to use a bookmark. Wow, that was pretty fast. With her attention to detail… I thought she would be fussing over something like the placing of an alfalfa leaf.

Trotting down the stairs to the kitchen, the purple unicorn caught whiff of the most enticing aromas. “Rarity, it smells really good!” she exclaimed, her respect and fondness for the elegant unicorn growing.

“I’m flattered that you think so. Now would you please be a dear and take those to the table?” said Rarity, gesturing to two sets of tableware on the far end of the counter.

“Um, okay,” said Twilight, using her telekinesis to set the plates and silverware on the round dining table.

The indigo-maned unicorn started levitating platters holding the most beautiful food Twilight had ever seen to the table. “Lunch is served, my darling,” said Rarity, taking on the air of a pompous waitress. “Please, take a seat.”

Twilight gaped a bit at the dishes being set before her. Not only did they smell wonderful, each of them also looked like pieces of art.

Every leaf and segment of the orange and lavender salad was arranged painstakingly, carefully placed slices of tomato adding the perfect dash of color. Cauliflower and garbanzo beans were exquisitely spread on the vegetable Jalfrezi.

“Wow, Rarity… this looks better than the fancy cuisine that the royal chef prepares on ceremonial banquets!” Twilight was not exaggerating; those she ate along with Princess Celestia on special occasions looked nice, but were usually unsatisfying both in quantity and in flavor.

“Ooh, I know you’re just saying that,” answered Rarity with a dazzling flutter of her lashes. “But I appreciate it nonetheless.” She placed the last platter on the table and seated herself across from Twilight.

“Oh Rarity, I really mean it.” Twilight got off her chair and went to the fashion designer’s side, draping her hooves over Rarity’s shoulders and giving them a warm squeeze.

The fair unicorn nuzzled the scholarly mare, then raised her snout to Twilight’s cheek and kissed her. “Darling… really, it’s just a modest meal.”

The studious mare slowly let go of the white unicorn and seated herself again. “No, it’s not. How about… I take a bite and prove you wrong,” she said with a smirk.

Grabbing both of their plates with telekinesis, she started using a spoon to serve… but then stopped. “Rarity, I can’t bring myself to ruin this, you spent so much time arranging them…”

“Nonsense, darling. If you don’t eat then I will have done it for nothing. Here, I’ll do it myself.” The elegant mare decisively scooped a portion of the salad into her own plate, another portion into Twilight’s. “There you go. Now you can tell me if it is edible or not.”

The lavender mare tried a few bites of the salad. A perfect blend of flavors immediately melted on her tongue: the cool crispness of lettuce leaves, the juicy tanginess of the orange slices, mixed with the sweet fragrance of lavender petals.

“It’s lovely!” she said, almost swooning. “I didn’t know you were such a great cook.”

“Perhaps it is simply because of my love for you,” Rarity replied, a blush appearing on her cheeks. A silence followed as she came to grasp with what she said. How… gauche of me. I just professed my love, over lunch!

Twilight was the same shade of red as the pale mare. “Um, thanks…” Not really knowing what to say in response, she hurriedly dipped her head down and resumed eating. “Wow, this is the best thing I have ever tasted!” she said, chewing a bit louder than necessary. What… what should I say in return? I love you too? Oh, forget it. It was probably just a figure of speech, don’t get all excited!

Rarity was in truth a bit peeved that the studious unicorn had changed the subject so abruptly, but decided that it would only be awkward if she brought it up again. They continued their meal in a relative silence, except for the occasional praise from Twilight.

“Rarity, let me do these,” said Twilight, when they had both eaten their full. She stacked the empty plates together and levitated them to the kitchen sink. “You should go take a rest, you need it.”

Rarity nodded, feeling pretty tired out although she didn’t want to admit it. Applying her magic to array the meal had taken quite a toll out of her, because of the pinpoint precision and concentration needed; she had scarcely used her hooves as they could not be surgically precise enough.

She headed up to the storefront and fell on her chaise longue. There were roughly twenty minutes before she had to open shop again, so she chose to make the most of it and get as much of her energy back as possible.

Twilight came back to the front of the Boutique to find Rarity dozing on her couch and smiled at the sight, but the purple unicorn could not help also being a bit worried.

She must be quite exhausted… but she doesn’t have much more time to rest because of the time she spent preparing our lunch. It’s a pity I have to go back to the library later… wait, actually I think that assignment can wait until tomorrow – if I focus hard and spend the whole day on it, I can still finish it.

The studious mare contemplated some more about changing her schedule, and finally convinced herself that she could afford to spend the rest of the afternoon accompanying Rarity; perhaps she could help make tea when the designer felt fatigued.

Rarity raised her head groggily when she felt that the twenty minutes had passed, and saw Twilight sitting on the floor beside her, reading a book. “Twilight, I’ll have to open the Boutique now… I really had a very nice morning with you.”

“Actually, Rarity, I’ve decided to finish the research tomorrow, so I can spend the rest of the day with you. I think you’re a bit tired…” The brainy mare looked affectionately at the other unicorn. “In fact, I think I can do something to ease a bit of the tension and help you relax.”

Twilight placed her hooves on Rarity’s back as the fair unicorn asked, “But, darling, did you not have an essay to complete?”

“Oh, it’s perfectly okay if I do it tomorrow, you know that I can easily finish that kind of thing on time.” The scholarly unicorn started applying pressure to the fashionista’s back and shoulders.

Twilight had read up on massage techniques in the past; her curiosity had been piqued after a few enjoyable sessions at the spa, and she was grateful that she could now put the knowledge to use.

Rarity melted under her marefriend’s hooves, letting out an expressive sigh of satisfaction that made Twilight’s ears turn quite red. “Wow, it seems you really enjoy it,” she said happily.

“You are simply too good to be true, Twilight,” cooed the white mare. “I feel much better now.”

Twilight lifted her hooves and gave Rarity a quick kiss. “I’m glad I could help. So... I guess you have to open the Boutique now?” Using a flick of her magic, she turned over the ‘closed’ sign on the door.

By the time the bookworm had returned to the library, night-time had long fallen. Her disgruntled assistant was there to meet her. “Hey! Twilight! Where were you all day?”

“Didn’t I tell you I went to Rarity’s to let her measure me?” answered the unicorn, a bit guiltily.

“And then? Did you stop by all your other friends’ houses too?”

“Um, actually, Spike, I spent the whole day at the Boutique… she wanted me to help with… some spells and things, ha ha ha,” laughed Twilight uneasily. She was not very happy about the white lie, though. Spike had been her friend and trusty helper since childhood, and she did not like the idea of deceiving him.

“Huh…? You spent the whole day at Rarity’s helping her? Why didn’t she ask me then? I could have helped her too…” The baby dragon frowned sadly.

“Spike,” said Twilight. When the dragon did not answer, she called him again in a louder voice. “Spike!”

“Wha-?” he asked, snapping out of his disappointment.

“I’ve got something very important to tell you… tomorrow, okay? And now it’s supposed to be your bedtime. Come on, I’ll tuck you in.”

9: Strike

The light of the day pierced Twilight’s eyelids, waking her from her slumber. She rolled in her bed, trying to think of an excuse not to get up – and an even better one not to have to face her number one assistant. Urgh! Why did Spike have to like Rarity? He will hate me! I don’t even think he’ll forgive me, why bother explaining? But I can’t keep this from him. It’s best that he knows the truth before he finds out by himself and gets hurt even more.

The lilac unicorn stared dully at the walls of her room, feeling very apprehensive. But she knew that stalling was of no use, since she would have to deal with her dragon assistant sooner or later. Best to get it over with… Pulling herself out from under the sheets, she took a look at the purple dragon lying in his basket. Oh, Spike…

Twilight trotted down the stairs, thinking through her plan of action. She decided that she should make breakfast and tell Spike the news afterwards. Her heart lurched as the thought of breakfast brought back memories of the exquisite meal that Rarity had prepared for her the previous day.

The lavender pony went to her cupboards and dug out some cupcakes that Pinkie had dropped off for her when she was at the Boutique. Placing them on the table along with two glasses of juice, she heard muffled sounds coming from her room that indicated her assistant was getting up.

"Good… morning, Twilight,” mumbled Spike groggily, trudging down the steps. “Wow… you prepared breakfast?” he asked, rubbing his eyes and stretching. “What’s the occasion?”

"Good morning, Spike!” the scholarly mare gestured to the chair on the opposite side of the table with a wide grin. “I thought that you could take a day off and everything, since… you’ve been such a great assistant!” she pursed her lips, hoping her expression didn’t look too fake due to the sudden anxiety she was feeling.

Spike hauled himself onto the chair, stuffing down the cupcakes and downing the juice in big gulps. Setting down the glass, he said, “Pinkie Pie’s cupcakes are always great! So, does that mean I get to take a rest today?”

“Yeah, you should take the day off! But before that… um… actually, Spike, I have something I have to… talk to you… about.” Twilight heard her voice becoming smaller and smaller as she said this, involuntarily cringing in unease.

“What is it, Twilight?” the baby dragon recognized the tone of the unicorn’s voice, which usually meant that something majorly bad was about to happen.

“Mmmmf.” The librarian was sure that her throat just had an emergency shut-down. She tried opening her mouth to speak again, but only succeeded in making another strange grunt.

“What?”

“I, um, uh,” Twilight wanted to facehoof. Hard. She made a guttural sound when she made another attempt to speak coherently.

“Twilight? Are you choking?” the baby dragon tottered to the lavender mare’s side and patted her.

The unicorn took a deep breath to steady herself and placed both hooves on the table. “Spike, I need to tell you something.”

“Yeah, I know! You told me that already.” The number one assistant couldn’t help grinning. Twilight was obviously freaking out again… but wait. What if it really was something serious? What could put so much stress on the unicorn? “So, what is it? Are we – are we going back to Canterlot?” That was the only thing serious enough that the dragon could think of.

“No. It’s not that.” Twilight Sparkle, you had better do this before you chicken out! “Spike… I-I’m dating… Rarity.”

The assistant’s jaw dropped in a comical look of disbelief. Then he burst out in laughter. “What?! Come on, be serious! Just tell me already!”

Twilight’s expression remained as somber as before.

“Come on! You’re kidding me, right?” Then he noticed his best friend’s look. Her eyes were sad and pleading – they told the truth. The dragon abruptly stopped laughing. “Twilight?”

The mare brought herself to look the tiny dragon in the eye. “Yes, Spike. I… am dating… Rarity.”

“D-dating…? Like… kissing?”said Spike, very slowly. His brow knotted into a hurt and confused expression when the unicorn nodded in response. “But-but… what? But… huh?” Now it was he that was struck speechless.

His mouth agape, he started stumbling backwards, muttering under his breath. “Twilight… Rarity… impossible… why… why?” He blinked several times in succession as something seemed to click in his head.

Then he turned his back on Twilight and scrambled out the door. “NOOOOO!”

Spike kicked at a rock. He had kept himself hidden behind bushes or in the shadows so far while making his way to the Boutique. Twilight had yet to call him back, so far; that was good, because he was running away, never to return. He just had to see the mare he adored so much one last time.

Screened by the foliage near Rarity’s boutique, the baby dragon strove to peer into its windows. It was still quite early in the morning, so the Boutique was probably not yet open for business; this was confirmed when Spike saw that the lights were dimmed and there was no sight of his crush inside.

He grew a bit desperate, knowing that there would never be another chance for him to lay his eyes on the beauty again. He searched for a tree that would allow him view to the upper floors of the home of the elegant unicorn, and found one. Placing his claws on the trunk, he tried to get a purchase on it.

After many increasingly-embarrassing failed attempts, he gave up. He remembered his fantasies of being the heroic knight that would save his lady. Now he just felt useless and inept. He had even nearly become a peeping tom! And he was pining for a pony that was already taken – by the mare he had grown up with.

Feeling betrayed and wronged, he slowly started walking away. Self-exile was the only choice now.

One hour. Twilight sighed as she looked at the clock. She had wanted to stop Spike when he had run out the library, but had decided to give the dragon some time alone. She was unsure if anything she could have said at that point would have comforted the assistant, and was even more certain that she would have made it worse.

But an hour was a bit too long… she had tried to get some work done on the life cycle of bees report, but was too distracted. The scrolls in front of her bore a few crossed-out sentences, nothing more.

Clearing her writing stand, the studious mare let herself out of the library... but then stepped back inside again, trotting to the resident owl’s perch. “Owloysius…? I know this is your resting time, but I have a feeling that I’ll need your help finding Spike… please?” she asked.

“Who?” the owl spread his wings in confirmation, then soared past Twilight out of the door.

“Spike?... Spike?” called Twilight, walking through the streets of Ponyville. A feeling of déjà vu was creeping on her: a memory of once before searching like this, only for Owlowiscious and her to find the purple assistant being assaulted by a fully grown dragon in the Everfree Forest…

The lilac mare shook her head. She had thought Spike would know better than to run away into the hostile forest again, but it seemed she was wrong. By then the growing worry was starting to make her regret not searching for her trusty helper sooner.

If I don’t find him before long, I might have to ask the girls to help me… wait! I have to let Rarity know about this! Twilight galloped to the Boutique while she silently berated herself for not thinking of it earlier.

“Rarity!” the anxious bookworm used her magic on the front door, and to her relief it swung open. She trotted in and immediately glimpsed the fashionista tidying up in the back of the room.

“Darling! Ah, you surprised me!” the fair unicorn was glad she had removed her glasses before Twilight stepped in. “Whatever is the matter? You seem so stressed!” She closed the distance between the two of them and put a hoof to Twilight’s face.

“Rarity…” the lavender mare felt tears streaming down her face and buried herself in Rarity’s embrace. “I just… told Spike about us, and… he ran away.”

“Wha-?” the fashionista couldn’t comprehend at first the connection between Twilight’s distress and her statement... then it dawned on her that the dragon – “Oh, Twilight, you didn’t have to do it alone!”

“I wanted… to apologize for… hurting his feelings…” choked the distraught mare, grateful for a shoulder to cry on. “But… he’s mad at me now!”

The indigo-maned unicorn nuzzled the mare in her hooves gently, cuddling her and trying to soothe her. “Darling… don’t cry… we’ll find him and talk it over, and then everything will work out…I’m sure of it.”

Twilight nodded weakly. “Thanks… I’m really glad I met you, you know. Ponyville wouldn’t have been the same without you…” She closed her eyes, breathing in deeply the rose blossom and skin musk fragrance of Rarity’s coat. She slowly calmed down with the comforting feeling of the hooves holding her close and the body heat from their chests pressing together.

“Twilight, dear, I’ll do anything I can to help you find him,” assured the designer, helping the librarian to her hooves. “I know he will be… in despair, and we have to be there for him.”

The lilac mare chuckled feebly. “And I was the one who made him feel so bad in the first place…”

Rarity held her and stroked her mane until her sobs slowly ceased, then levitated a hoofkerchief to the lavender mare. Twilight wiped the moisture from her cheeks, smiled tremulously at her love, and together the pair set out together to find their heartbroken friend.

Spike treaded wearily over the rocky terrain before him. It was where he and Rarity had encountered the Diamond Dogs... a lifetime ago, or so it felt. If only Rarity were here to show me where the gems are… His tears were blurring his sight and dripping down his face, but he kept stumbling around anyway. All the rubies and gems in the world, none would matter any more – because the most beautiful mare in his life with the three most perfect of diamonds as a cutie mark would not be his.

Finally collapsing into a sitting position in grief, the baby dragon drew a claw along the dust, making the letter R, but then wiped it out angrily. Thinking of the unicorn only made him want to curl up and die. Arrrrgh! Twilight. Kissed. Her! Another bout of sobs escaped the little assistant.

The forest was alive. Faint buzzes and hums surrounded two ponies as they cautiously made their way through the undergrowth. Even the plants themselves seemed to be breathing and murmuring words of warning. Mist hung in the air, humid and heavy.

“I’m scared, Twilight…” Rarity huddled close to the lavender mare as another mysterious shriek rang out through the dense foliage of the Everfree Forest.

The Element of Magic nuzzled the fair unicorn’s neck, running her muzzle through the sleek coat. “Don’t worry,” she assured, feeling more confident than she normally would have been, because of their mission and her responsibility. “I’ll never let anything happen to you… or Spike. We’ll find him. And Owloysius is circling around Ponyville as we speak.”

The fashionista pressed her cheek lightly on Twilight’s in response. “I’m sure you’ll keep us safe… Captain Sparkle.”

The scholarly mare lost herself in the stunning eyes of the gorgeous pale unicorn. Scarlet, lilac and emerald undergrowth brushed their flanks as they went deeper into the forest, but neither of them noticed a brilliant azure plant as they passed by…

Almost three hours had passed since Spike had run out the library and two since the pair of unicorns had entered the Everfree to search for him; so far they had found no sign of the baby dragon. Twilight glanced worriedly at Rarity, who was walking gingerly – it was an indication of fatigue rather than pettiness – and came to a stop.

“Darling?” asked the fashionista, not sure of the reason for the halt. “Have you found something?”

“No… it’s just, I think we need to take a rest… you’re tired. You don’t need to force yourself.” The lavender mare raised a hoof to brush off some grime and twigs that had caught on Rarity’s coat.

“Twilight, I am quite alright,” protested the fashion designer, but her haggard breathing told the truth.

“Let’s just stop for a while, please?” Twilight felt guilty for dragging the fair unicorn along, and she was starting to doubt her assumption that her assistant had come to the Forest when she did not find him in Ponyville.

They settled themselves on what seemed like a clean patch of grass, and the bookworm put a foreleg over the withers of the stylish mare. “Rarity, I’m sorry… I think I’m wrong, Spike probably didn’t come here at all.” She signed apologetically. “I shouldn’t have asked you to come.”

“You couldn’t possibly have known where Spike was, darling,” replied the alabaster unicorn sternly. “And what kind of marefriend would I be, if I had let you go into the Everfree alone?” she said in her usual sophisticated air.

Twilight rubbed Rarity’s shoulder with the hoof that was wrapped around the fashionista. “Kind of a bad one, I think…” she joked.

The indigo-maned unicorn rested her head on the shoulder of the studious mare. “Twilight…?” she asked, hesitantly bringing up something that had been preying on her mind for some time.

“Yes, Rarity?”

“I was wondering… ah, Spike… liked me, did he not?” It was not really a question, but more of a statement. She felt Twilight squirm a little.

“I’m sorry, Rarity… but I… can’t talk about it.” The librarian knew that her response was a confirmation in itself, making her feel even more ill at ease and causing her to release her hoof from around Rarity’s withers. I am such a bad pony! I never consider other’s feelings until it’s too late. I should have at least told Spike before I started dating Rarity… uh… Her thoughts trailed off to a dead end.

Rarity had been alarmed when the lilac unicorn had abruptly let go of her, and she carefully observed her marefriend’s features – Twilight’s expression was one of complete self-blame. “Twilight, darling… you are not to blame for anything-”

“It’s all my fault! I should have thought more carefully about-about everything!” The lavender mare started thumping herself on the side of her head.

Thump, thump, thump.

“Twilight, please-”

Thump.

“Twilight!” The fashionista jumped to her hooves. “I thought you would know better than to take every single responsibility into your hooves. We are together, are we not? Did you not think that I would be with you every step of the way? If you made a mistake, then I am at fault as well. This is not a problem you have to solve; it is something we are going to work out, together!” She finally paused, taking a measured breath and inclining her head regally. “Well, darling, I think I have rested enough…”

Twilight had been utterly shocked by Rarity’s speech. Then, she smiled sheepishly. “Yeah.”

10: Calm Before a Joke

It was well past noon. Spike’s stomach growled. The strong wind on the rocky terrain stung his eyes and his teary face. He curled himself in a ball, the hard pebbled surface pressing into his scales.

Why? Rarity… I would have done everything… anything for her. Why? A fresh bout of tears escaped the assistant as he huddled on the bleak plain.

Didn’t I do enough for her…? No, I could never do enough … I’m just a kid… why?! I’m so hurt! Twilight’s… so much better than me in so many ways… I’ll never be able to compete with her. The dragon scraped his claws on the ground in frustration, not caring about the grime that gathered on the insides of his scales.

Rarity… please… save me. Only you can save me from this pain… Spike’s thoughts turned to a plea. I’ll do anything! I’ll be good … I just wanted you to like me. You’re the best thing that happened to me! Except for-

It was ironic. The two most important ponies in his world just had to fall for each other. The purple dragon heaved a choked sigh, his face scrunching into an expression of even more sorrow. I could mope every day for the rest of my life… but she’ll never, ever know.

“Owloysius!” The lavender unicorn looked at the skies and saw the swooping figure that she had been fervently waiting for.

The owl glided down and landed on Twilight’s shoulder. “Who?”

“Did you find Spike? …Is he in the Everfree?” asked the studious mare, half eager, half apprehensive. If even Owloysius couldn't find him…

Her nocturnal assistant lifted a wing to point a direction, his knowledgeable eyes giving assurance to the worried unicorns. He then slightly shook his head side to side to answer the second question. “Who.”

“Lead the way, Owloysius!” Twilight and Rarity broke into a quick trot, following the owl that had spread his wings and taken to the air once more.

“It seems I was really wrong,” remarked the lilac genius. She wanted to apologize again for letting the fashionista come with her only to have wasted their time, but thought the better of it at the memory of her marefriend’s previous lecture. “Eh… at least we got some… exercise?”

Rarity did not miss the scholarly mare’s guilty glance at her dirty mane and coat, and gave her a warm smile. “Yes, indeed… and I do admit perspiring and getting dirty can sometimes be very, ah, rewarding.”

The lavender unicorn grimaced with a playful exaggeration and lifted her head pompously. “I, on the other hoof, feel quite uncomfortable with all this muck on me.”

The alabaster mare narrowed her eyes sternly. “Twilight Sparkle… is that me you’re impersonating?” Her tone then took on a more evil but flirty edge. “I should warn you that if it is me, I will feel extremely insulted and shall have to think of a fitting… punishment.”

“Um, it was actually somepony from the past but let’s not talk about him… hmm – I should have just said it was you and let you punish me, whatever you were thinking of.” The lilac unicorn pouted teasingly. “Would you mind telling me?”

“No. I would rather not ruin the surprise, as I have full reason to believe that I can carry it out at another time.”

“Um…”

Twilight couldn’t help bursting out in laughter. She was immensely grateful for these moments with Rarity, which she could not have had with her other friends. The peace and confidence that the fashionista gave her whenever she was around; it was something she had never experienced before.

Spike was her friend and family, so she was in quite a dilemma – but her bonds with both the dragon and the fashion designer strengthened her, and she knew she would do anything for a bright future with the two of them. Well – that was the best-case scenario…

Meanwhile, the number one assistant was so tired and drained from crying that he couldn’t even think anymore. It was as if his mind was a blank, only projecting the grey landscape which his eyes saw. The dust swirled in a breeze as he lay motionless, his eyes long dried from the wind and his tears exhausted.

Faint whispers from gusts of air were the only sounds that he could hear. Why? Why?! That one word kept resonating in the walls of his head.

Gradually his tortured thoughts calmed and, as he felt the silence of the world sinking into him, the baby dragon’s thoughts turned back to the last coherent thought that had formed in his mind.

I could mope forever, but it wouldn’t make a single bit of difference.

Things could have been better. The mare he adored… how? How could it have been better?

It could not have *been** better, but it could be better,* answered a very faint voice in his head.

How? Spike asked, inviting the voice to come out and answer him.

Not by sitting here. Nothing has changed.

The answer had been his mind all along. I have to go back. I have to accept it for now. It’s real. I can’t not.

I still can’t believe it… but nothing will get better if I stay here. They’re probably looking for me anyway. I can’t lose either of them – I’ll think later.

As the dragon slowly got to his feet he spotted Owloysius banking in lazy circles overhead. Which probably means…

“Spike? Spike!” Two unicorns with rather unkempt coats galloped into view and, spotting him, hesitantly made their way to his side.

“Twilight… Rarity…” he managed to murmur weakly.

“Spike, I’m so sorry,” gasped Twilight, making as if to step closer but then checking herself, afraid that the purple dragon did not really want to see her.

“Why are you apologizing? Let’s just go home now, okay?”

The seemingly nonchalant tone almost made Twilight choke. “But-”

“I don’t want to talk right now… but can we just go home? Please?”

Rarity gave Spike an apologetic smile. “Spike, I-” She, too, was cut off by a raised paw.

“Please… Rarity, I really want to listen to everything you say, but - not now. Please.”

And so the trio made their way back to Ponyville in silence. Once back at the library, Spike announced that he was going to take a bath and then after a quick supper go straight to bed. “I’m tired, and I really don’t feel like talking today,” he stated firmly in response to the two concerned glances this plan received. “Maybe tomorrow.”

Celestia’s sun set, Luna’s moon rose and Rarity returned to the Boutique, after promising that she would come by the next day. What the next morning would bring none of them knew, but all three of them hoped, and thought - and waited.

“Spike?” The first thing that Twilight Sparkle noticed upon waking up was the empty basket in which her number one assistant usually slept. As she stared, she felt her sight suddenly blur and defocus. What?

She blinked a few times and rubbed her eyes as the room swam around her. Her horn began to throb as she felt a slimy, queasy sensation slither through her stomach. Shaking her head, she managed to focus once again on Spike’s empty basket. Hmm, I guess I should get up if he’s already awake.

Quickly leaping down from her bed and descending the stairs to the main room of the library, she noticed that it had been tidied – books that had previously been strewn around her writing stand had been returned to their respective places on the shelves, and the wooden floor bore a sheen from having been swept and mopped.

There was, however, no sign of Spike. Twilight trotted to the kitchen, still feeling a bit uncomfortable, to see that the dishes had been done and the trash taken out. She frowned, although she was touched that the dragon had finished his chores before she even had gotten out of bed. But where in Equestria is he? I really hope he hasn’t run away again!

Just then the door swung open to reveal Spike, who was carrying several paper bags with various vegetables and fruits poking out of their tops. “Good morning, Twilight! I went grocery shopping!”

“That’s great, Spike! Actually I was wondering where you had gone to, and why did you get up so early?” Twilight asked, her features softening in relief.

“Oh, well, just thought I hadn’t been the best assistant yesterday,” Spike replied in an offhand manner, now unpacking the groceries and storing them away.

“Um, yes, about that-” Twilight braced herself for an argument – surely Spike hadn’t forgiven her so easily? I don’t think he’d accept the situation just like that. Nothing is that easy. “I know you’re … not okay with it.”

“About what?” replied the dragon, with the deliberate air of avoiding a topic. He smoothed the now empty bags and placed them in the recycling bin.

Twilight’s face fell, and she couldn’t find the words to speak. No, of course nothing’s that easy; it’s a lot worse than I thought! A shouting match, she could deal with; but Spike’s unwillingness to talk and her own heartfelt knowledge that thoughts kept inside could easily ferment into something toxic were setting off warning signs that screamed danger!

“About what happened yesterday? What I told you?” prompted the unicorn, her voice almost pleading.

“Oh, that. There’s not really much to say, anyway,” Spike answered, now rummaging around for a gem to snack on. Finding one, he gobbled it down in a single bite and continued, “Really, what good would it do? I-I just want you two to-to be happy.” A choke almost escaped him, but he fought it down.

Twilight pawed a hoof on the ground. It was too much, for Spike to be acting so nice when she felt that it was so wrong. Suddenly her horn throbbed again, her vision swirling around her. She felt nauseous and braced her hoof on the kitchen table, her heartbeat pounding in her ears. “Ooof,” she moaned weakly.

Spike didn’t notice the pain Twilight was in at first, thinking it was because Twilight had just woken up. However, as the unicorn collapsed on a chair, clutching her head, her eyes scrunched up in agony, the dragon realized that there was truly something wrong. “Twilight, are you all right? You look a bit sick.”

“Yeee- my horn, it hurts,” gasped the librarian, stray sparks now running up and down the length of her horn.

“Woah,” exclaimed her assistant, running over to Twilight, but there was nothing he could do except watch as the glow surrounding her horn grew horrifyingly intense, crackling and discharging magenta beams, toppling a row of bottles on the kitchen cabinet. It wouldn’t be long before the room was wrecked if Twilight couldn’t bring her power under control soon.

“Spike, run!” yelled Twilight, despite the pain engulfing her. She gritted her teeth, letting out a snarl as another torrent of energy escaped her and almost hit Spike. “Run! I-I’ll get this under control! Don’t worry!”

“But,” said the dragon, using his claws to shield his face. I can’t just leave her here, like this! Another beam whizzed toward him, leaving him no choice but to flee the room. “I’ll go get the others!” he shouted, dashing towards the door of the library.

Bam! The dragon’s vision went black as he collided forcibly with the door. No - it was the door colliding with him. “Wha-?” he groaned, raising a paw to his forehead.

“Spike?” a melodic voice queried. The dragon felt a hoof on his shoulder. He squinted, his vision not yet recovered, and saw a pale mare standing in front of him. The mare did not have a mane; a crown of indigo feathers extended from her horn to her back.

This must be an illusion… Spike pressed his hands to his eyelids, feeling relieved that he could see properly again when he removed them. Then he looked up to see the mare again, and discovered that it hadn't been an illusion. It was Rarity, and she was covered from head to hoof with feathers!

“Oh, Spike! I’m terribly sorry for striking you like that, I didn’t know you were behind the door,” Rarity gabbled. “But as you can see, a great crisis has befallen my coiffure! Has Twilight awoken… normal?”

Another bang from the kitchen answered her question. Rarity dashed to the door, some feathers drifting away from her ‘mane’, Spike close behind her. As they peered nervously around the door jamb, they beheld the room beyond awash in a flurry of crackling magical energy, singed objects flying across the space; it was a mess. A single lilac unicorn stood rigidly beside a knocked-over chair, her brow knitted in concentration in a futile attempt to control the beams erupting from her horn.

“Twilight!” Rarity put a hoof forward as if to rush into the room, but was pulled back by a claw.

“Don’t go in yet! It might get worse, you haven’t seen her when she loses it like this – it hasn’t happened since she was a filly,” he warned, his expression serious.

“Then whatever shall we do?” asked the fashionista, standing at the brink of the room, looking on worriedly as another beam struck the table and charred a hole in it.

“I was going to get the five of you, but since you’re a unicorn you’re probably the only one that could actually do anything if Twi’s magic gets out of control.”

“Out of control? Is this not out of control?” said Rarity, biting her lip.

“No. If it were, nopony but the princess could stand a chance.” He glanced into the kitchen again and was relieved to see the magical storm had slightly receded - the sparks were noticeably weaker and dimmer, gradually dying down as Twilight finally managed to gather the energy back within her.

“Twilight!” shouted the dragon and Rarity as the bookworm slowly opened her eyes.

“What just happened?” the unicorn moaned as she saw her marefriend and assistant outside the kitchen. Her eyes snapped wide open as she saw that Rarity’s coat resembled – a chicken?

The pieces clicked together within her mind. My magical outburst. Rarity’s coat… oh no! We must have stepped into some poison joke yesterday!

“Don’t come in yet!” she called to the two. “I know why this is happening! It’s poison joke!”

“Poison joke?” Spike’s jaw gaped. “But doesn’t that stuff grow in the Everfree Forest? Since when have you gone there?”

“Well, ah, Spike, we passed through the Everfree yesterday, in fact,” Rarity said, brushing off a loose feather. The things were so annoying, making her look like a molting bird.

“Oh, that explains it… but now that we know, we should get to Zecora’s immediately!” exclaimed the dragon.

“I’m not sure Spike, I think you and Rarity should go first. I don’t know whether my magic will explode again; it would be safer if I don’t walk through Ponyville just yet.”

“But darling-” protested the fashion designer, not wanting to leave Twilight behind.

“Wait!” interrupted Twilight, eyes gleaming. “Didn’t the spa twins ask Zecora for the ingredients to mix up our bath the last time? If they still have some left…”

“Okay, I’ll go there and ask them, pronto!” shouted Spike, already running to the door as fast as his short legs could take him. “Rarity, I think you should stay here in case something bad happens again!”

The dragon exited the tree house and started towards the direction of the spa. Oh, just look at me. I was so mad at them yesterday and now I’m saving them.

Huh. Maybe I should just let Twilight blow up the place…

Bonus: Dreamscape

“Rarity, you've got a discerning eye. Help Granny Smith at the quality control station.”

Twilight’s words radiated authority and charisma. The commanding poise she exhibited was hypnotizing. Everypony obeyed without question.

There were stars in Rarity’s eyes. She almost could not restrain herself from throwing herself at Twilight’s hooves right then and there.

“Wait… huh? What’s ‘Captain Sparkle’?”

Rarity led Twilight up the stairs in the Boutique. The two unicorns were leaning heavily against each other, their bodies swaying in synch with every movement. The bedroom door swung open with a touch of the fashionista’s light blue aura, then closed behind them as they entered the dim room.

They didn’t bother to turn on the lights. The soft moonlight was just enough for them to discern each other’s silhouettes in the shadows.

The fashionista brushed a hoof along the librarian’s back, then wrapped her foreleg around her neck. She leaned in so that their muzzles were so close, they could feel each other’s warm breath.

Twilight lifted a hoof to Rarity’s cheek and pulled her in, closing the remaining distance.

They brought their lips together again and again as Rarity was pressed onto the bed. The pressure of Twilight’s weight upon her was making her body tingle. Rarity sighed with pleasure as Twilight traced her mouth in slow kisses along her jaw, the bookworm’s hooves running lovingly down her back and torso.

Rarity caressed Twilight’s chest, and moaned as Twilight’s muzzle moved down, smothering her neck and chest with wet kisses. Her breathing was labored now, coming in shaky gasps as her marefriend started lapping at her coat. They locked gazes, and Twilight grinned roguishly at her before nipping her neck, her teeth playing with Rarity’s skin.

The temperature was rising between them, and the fashionista wanted, even welcomed the perspiration. She wanted to be filthy, covered in Twilight’s and her own sweat and saliva… Her heartbeat quickening with need, she spread her legs open. She needed Twilight’s tongue, her horn…

The librarian was groping her now, grabbing and caressing her flank and cutie mark; mussing up her well-groomed coat as her hooves strayed lower and lower, finally hitching up the designer’s hind legs.

Rarity felt her body burning, and brushing apart Twilight’s mane, she opened her trembling mouth ever so slightly, and pressed her lips to Twilight’s horn-

And so the night went on…

Note on edits of previous chapters:

I've combined the original chapters 1 & 2, and the new chapter 4 has some new material. The first few chapters should be easier to read now, I can't believe all those typos and weird mistakes! I am so glad that you all gave me a chance and helped my writing improve to what it currently is. And don't worry, this bonus chapter's just a dream... for now.

11: Sabbatical

Magenta sparks winked and danced along the length of Twilight’s horn. She narrowed her eyes in a grimace, tensing her muscles and imagining that her magic reservoir was completely sealed off – but try as she might, her magic continued to leak out in stray flashes or occasional bursts of light.

Rarity, whose coat had been replaced with plumage by the effect of the poison joke, sat on a chair at the other end of the kitchen, her anxious eyes never leaving her struggling marefriend. She desperately wanted to do something to help, but Twilight had warned her not to come any closer.

“I think it’s getting worse again…” said the bookworm, gritting her teeth. She let out a cry of alarm as a sizzling ray of energy discharged without warning, burning a hole in a wall cabinet.

“Darling-” The fashionista was cut off by another burst of energy that narrowly missed her, leaving the tips of her feathers singed from the heat.

Twilight had only enough time to gasp, “I’m so sorry!” before the dams broke, the magic within her bursting out in a torrent. She tried to hold it back, to reconstruct the barriers, but she was fighting a losing battle. Crackling pink energy flared from her horn, growing in intensity as it built up into a hissing and spitting orb around her. “Ru-”

She could not finish her sentence – more and more magical energy just kept flooding out, drowning the lilac unicorn in an ocean of her own power. She could no longer see; or rather, she could see everything, through the blazing white haze that her eyes had become.

If this goes on, not only Rarity, but even Ponyville might be hurt, she thought frantically. But I can’t cast a shield spell – too little control!

The fashionista had jumped to her hooves at Twilight’s magical outburst and was now staring, horrified, at the expanding orb of energy. She was torn between running for help and staying to just be with Twilight if anything happened.

Twilight racked her mind furiously for ideas as her power lifted her off her hooves and suspended her in the air. I need a solution! Think! And in a flash of inspiration, she found it. It was so glaringly simple, but also extremely risky. Unlike the shield spell, which required complete command of her talent so as to spread the magic in a thin membrane, she could still teleport – but it was highly possible that she would have no control over where she ended up.

She focused as much of the wild aura as she could and powered the teleportation spell. The glare around her grew blinding, but then collapsed and was sucked within itself, disappearing in a wink of light.

Unnoticed by her, some of the excess energy leaked out. Passersby outside would notice the flash of light illuminating the library through the windows, then fading just as quickly. But well, the librarian was always trying out new spells…

Twilight groaned, stretching her throbbing limbs before slowly getting to her hooves. As she had foreseen, she could not recognize her surroundings at all. She was on a rugged surface, mist swirling around her and partially obscuring the rest of the world.

Cautiously, she examined herself for injuries; she had some bruises due to slamming into the rocky plain upon her reappearance from the teleportation, but luckily they were not severe. Her horn wasn’t spitting sparks anymore – as she had predicted, the teleportation spell had used most of the pent-up energy.

She slowly trotted up a nearby slope, pausing at the crest to survey the environment. She looked down to where she had rematerialized, wincing as she realized that she was actually standing on the lip of a crater that had most likely been created by the blast from her rogue teleportation. She shook her head and continued on. It's great that I could get away before I did any damage to Ponyville, but I need to find out where I am.

From what she could make out, she was on an outcrop about two-thirds of the way up a mountain, one of a series of jagged peaks that were half shrouded in mist and clouds. They formed a circular fort around a basin, which was overgrown with lush plant life – but Twilight couldn’t make out any more from her current height.

Geez, I must be further away from home than I thought I’d reach, she thought. She couldn’t see any pony dwellings at all. A sound caused her to snap her head upwards - a whimper, which seemed to have come from one of the rocky ledges above her. Hmm, should I investigate? The unicorn gazed around her with narrowed eyes, trying to pinpoint the direction the sound had come from.

She tested her balance on the slanting rock then half-crawled, half-pulled herself onto the higher ledge. As she scrambled to her hooves she heard the indistinct whimpering again, which she could now discern was coming from a secluded cave further along the ridge. There must be somepony, or some animal there that’s hurt.

Reaching the lichen-encrusted mouth of the cave Twilight took a wary step in, squinting to make out anything in the darkness therein.

“Hello?” she called, her voice echoing in the darkness.

She heard a faint rustling, and then – a musical voice, like fairy bells in her ears: “Twilight?”

Spike rushed back into the library, not even bothering to close the door as he raced to the kitchen as fast as his stubby legs could carry him.

“Twilight! Rarity!” he shouted. “They don’t have it! So you have to go to Zeco-”

His expression froze, slack-jawed with disbelief. There was nopony in the kitchen. “Twilight? Rarity?” he called again.

Maybe they went to another room? He ran out the kitchen and up the stairs to Twilight’s room, and flung the door open. “Hey!”

Still nopony.

He searched every room in the library, but there was still no sign of the two ponies.

The dragon sat down on the lowest step of the stairs, and buried his face in his claws. Where did they go?

“Rarity?” Twilight said into the darkness, not daring to light up her horn for fear that her magic might run out of control again.

A soft blue glow kindled into existence, reflecting off the gloomy walls. “Twilight? Is that you?!”

The alabaster unicorn lay on the slick cave floor, shuddering in a heap of her own feathers.

“Yeah,” said Twilight, perplexed. She crossed to Rarity’s side and lay down close to her, almost wincing at the prickly sensations of the feathers but hiding the motion. More seriously, she could tell instantly that the fashionista’s body was very cold.

Rarity nuzzled Twilight weakly. “You found me so quickly… thank you.”

“Actually, I don’t know how you got here as well. I know I teleported here, but I don’t know where we are!” The enormity, and bizarreness, of the situation sank into the bookworm’s mind. “Do you know how you got here?”

The fair unicorn shook her head. “I was picked up roughly, and reappeared in a most brutal fashion! One of my hooves is hurt… sprained, but it is not that serious.”

Twilight leaned closer in concern. “Which one?”

Rarity showed her and the bookworm nuzzled it gently. She noticed absent-mindedly when raising her head to gaze into her love’s eyes that Rarity’s face was mostly covered with fuzzy down instead of proper feathers. “Does it hurt a lot?”

“Not that much darling… but I do have a bit of trouble when moving it.”

“I’ll help you when we have to walk.” Twilight rested her chin on a hoof, thinking. “We’ll have to find the way back. And if I’m not mistaken, some of my spell must have leaked when I teleported… stupid poison joke!”

Rarity shuffled, trying to get up. Twilight let her place her injured hoof around her shoulders to brace herself. The barbs of the stiffer feathers dug into her flesh, but she felt no pain. She couldn’t, not with the fashionista’s scent in her nose and her sweet voice murmuring her thanks in her ears.

They took an unsteady step, then steadier ones, and Rarity let the light from her horn fade as they emerged into the light outside.

Twilight slid down the outcrop, then supported Rarity as she did so too, making sure that she didn’t put pressure on her sprained hoof.

They made their way gingerly down the thin ledges around the mountain, mist and cloud billowing around them and the temperature growing chillier as they met cutting winds that blinded them with their ferocity, stinging like a million knives slicing at their skin. When the fog was too dense to see anything clearly the fashionista relit her horn and they hugged closely to the steep mountain sides.

Every so often they would pause to take a brief rest, sitting down and leaning against each other to share what warmth they could. Rarity was still shivering as late afternoon came, which was effectively sunset in the bleak craggy landscape.

Twilight wrapped her hooves around the fair unicorn. “Maybe we should find a place to stay for the night,” she suggested, “It’s getting dark.” If they didn’t start looking for a cave until after the sun set it would be too late; it would be gravely perilous to navigate in the dark, even with a unicorn illumination spell.

Rarity nodded, wincing as her swollen hoof continued to throb. She was grateful that Twilight had done her best to keep it from getting more serious, letting the fashionista brace herself on her whenever possible. She was tired already, and felt a bit guilty knowing Twilight had walked the same distance with her as an added burden.

They were both hungry, and they knew it, but there was simply no source of food on the slopes; the forest in the basin when they reached the ground was their only option for that.

Twilight gave Rarity a soft kiss on the cheek, just leaning there for a while, inhaling deeply her love’s fragrance. “Rarity, can you point a light there?” she asked, indicating the walls in front of them.

In response, Rarity made the glowing orb surrounding her horn glow brighter. It was wearying, but she kept it up. She could rest later. The light glanced off the steep rock face, various layers and outcrops rising like gigantic steps before them.

They peered into the folds of the mountain, trying to find a sheltered eave that could offer them protection from the elements.

“Hmm, how about there?” Twilight asked, pointing somewhere below them. “I think I saw something there.”

They trotted forward for a better viewing angle and Rarity obligingly aimed the light again, allowing them to discern a small shadowy indentation down below them.

“Let’s go see if that one’s okay,” said Twilight, frowning as she tried to plan the easiest way to get to the cave. This ledge or that ledge? Which one would be easier to get a purchase on? The slope?

When she was satisfied with a route, she turned her head, gazing into Rarity’s eyes. The alabaster unicorn smiled and nuzzled her. She felt weak from the day of exertion, but knowing that a brief respite awaited gave her some more energy. Twilight hefted Rarity’s foreleg back around her shoulder and they trotted over to the designated step in the rocks.

Twilight clambered down then reached out to help Rarity. She led the fashionista down to another ledge, which was wide enough for them to stand comfortably on. In this laborious fashion they made it down slowly, one level at a time, to the small eave.

It was much like the one in which Rarity had been teleported into in appearance, but now it was darker outside, even the outer lip of this cave was pitch black. Still, Rarity’s spell let them make out the major features of the fairly spacious cave.

Twilight found a spot on the floor that wasn’t too rough and cleared it of its light coating of dirt with her hoof. She grimaced; the stone surface was bound to be freezing if the temperature kept dropping with the onset of night, as it was already beginning to do. They had nothing to spread on the ground… Rarity was shivering enough as it was and Twilight was feeling the cold spread in her body as well.

“Um, can you heat this up with a warmth spell?” she asked, gesturing to the patch of ground she had cleaned. The spell was one that converted energy into heat, which was useful in many situations, but there was a major drawback – the spell caster would have to use up a significant amount of energy to power the process. She gazed at Rarity, worried that she might be too fatigued.

The designer nodded weakly, her eyelids heavy. She lowered her head and sent a pulse into the ground; almost all the remaining magic that she could muster. While the spell was only temporary, Twilight hoped that it would suffice; maybe Rarity could renew it every few hours after she got her rest. She cursed herself for not being able to use magic – but the risk that it would run amok again was too great.

They lay down on the warmed surface, Rarity adjusting her injured hoof so that she wasn’t resting on it. She felt miserable, lying on the bare ground, but she was too tired to care. And Twilight was beside her; there was nothing that sensation couldn’t make up for.

“Thank you…” she breathed, leaning into the bookworm. “I must have been such a burden…”

Later, Twilight couldn’t say why she didn’t answer with words but instead with actions: wrapping her forelegs around Rarity and pulling her into a deeper, more aggressive kiss than they had ever shared before. She pressed the fair unicorn to her chest as if reassuring herself that they would never separate, all the while kissing Rarity again and again, her mouth opening slightly, letting their breaths mingle, the heat from it forming small clouds of mist; night had fallen rapidly, and with it the temperature.

She closed her mouth around the fashionista’s lower lip, sucking it gently. Rarity moaned in her throat, and they forgot the cold, the fact that they were stranded, in danger of freezing and hungry. Twilight ran a hoof down her beloved’s back, the feathers smoothing along the trail she brushed.

She slowly pushed forward with her tongue and Rarity let her inside, licking at her tongue, then sucking it lovingly. Twilight’s tongue curved to the roof of Rarity’s mouth and tickled it, stroking gently. Rarity met the intruder with her own and the red-hot muscles entwined as they danced and swirled around each other.

Both ponies slowly pulled away from the kiss, their breaths ragged. “That's a nice way to warm ourselves…” Rarity giggled.

“We should keep on doing it, it’s getting really cold here,” Twilight replied, already moving in for another round.

“You’re really eager, aren’t you…?”

“Maybe.” Twilight smirked. Then it occurred to her that Rarity was acting a bit differently; usually the alabaster unicorn would take the lead in their more … physical interaction, but this time it was mostly her, Rarity not really doing anything but lying back.

She’s probably too tired to do anything, thought Twilight. But she hadn’t missed that her beloved was also doing something she normally despised – lying on the ground, in the dirt. Also, Rarity was covered in feathers, and had been hiking for a long distance – but she hadn’t complained about it at all. She’s still self-conscious about her looks, but she’s holding that all in… for me.

With that revelation, Twilight held Rarity even tighter, the warmth of the other unicorn filling her heart. “I love you,” she said, not really thinking about it; it came so naturally from her mouth, as naturally as breathing and exhaling.

“I love you, Twilight… I love you too, so much,” Rarity breathed, her eyes almost brimming up with tears of happiness. She snuggled into the lilac mare, her eyes half-lidded, content. It didn’t matter that they didn’t know where they were, or that they were spending the night in a cave in the mountains.

And there was no other pony around… so why not?

Rarity rolled Twilight onto her back. The adorable lavender mare let out a surprised squeak before the fashionista pounced on her.

Twilight felt her hooves scrabbling down Rarity’s back, rumpling her feathers – she risked it though. On a whim, she slapped Rarity’s flank.

Time seemed to stand still for the two of them, the only indication of its passing the steady reddening of their faces.

Twilight said, lamely, the first thing that floated up in her mind. “Uh… I’m thinking about when I should tell Princess Celestia and my parents.”

“Yes, that…” said Rarity, unfazed by the sudden change in their conversation, murmuring into Twilight’s shoulder. “And my parents as well, and our friends.”

“Only Pinkie knows now, right?” Twilight absent-mindedly drew a hoof up and down the torso of the feathered unicorn. “So yeah, we’ll have to find a chance to tell the others. I’m thinking of paying a visit to Canterlot… you should come and meet my parents – they don’t know… yet,” she said, trailing off.

“I don’t know how my parents will take it either, Twilight…”

“We’ll work this out, after we get back…”

There was no response; the fair unicorn had fallen asleep in Twilight’s forelegs. The bookworm smiled, gave her love a gentle kiss, then closed her eyes.

Twilight stretched, trying not to jostle the sleeping form of Rarity in her embrace. It was morning, the entrance of the cave bright, almost beckoning to her. The previous night they had woken once, shivering; Rarity had warmed the floor again with considerable effort.

The lavender unicorn gave Rarity a kiss on the cheek, causing her eyelids to flicker open, blinking and a bit disoriented.

“Good morning, Rarity,” said Twilight, brushing her love’s cheek with a tender hoof.

“Oof…” The fashionista stretched as well, and responded by pressing her lips to Twilight’s. They both had slight morning breath, but neither of them cared. The second time sleeping with Twilight… who’d have thought it would be in a cave? she thought drily.

Twilight’s stomach growled loudly, causing her to grin sheepishly. “So I guess we’d better get down this mountain quickly… is your hoof feeling better?”

Rarity examined her hoof; it was still a bit swollen, but when she moved it experimentally it didn’t hurt like the previous day, rather it was reduced to a duller throbbing. “It’s much better now, darling, and yes, we must hurry today.”

They got to their hooves, limbs a bit stiff from resting on the solid ground, and ambled to the mouth of the cave. The weather was much more pleasant, the brisk air of the early morning refreshing, but without the strong winds that they had experienced the previous day.

Rays of Celestia’s sunlight filtered through the mist, the golden particles dancing and swirling almost ethereally around the couple.

The basin looked closer than it had the previous night and they smiled in relief at each other, a bit weak from fasting but hopeful nonetheless. They trotted along the mountain, their going easier – or it was, at first.

Twilight felt it first, the subtle shifting of the foundation beneath her hooves. She frowned, and then continued, Rarity following her lead. Without warning the shift became more pronounced – it was like the very earth had been torn from under them, the rocks sliding and giving way, their hooves coming loose and unable to find anymore purchase.

Twilight and Rarity, the rocks collapsing far below them, felt their hooves scrabbling in thin air. They screamed out as gravity grasped them in its iron embrace, dragging them off the cliff edge and into free fall.

Author's note:

Whew! As you can see, I've made some edits to the previous chapters. While it's not a re-write, I've smoothed some lines and paragraph indents etc., so it should be easier to read now. And here's a sleazy bonus that is Rarity's dream mentioned in Feel for Good Measure. The comments don't correlate because I shifted the chapter text around when doing the edits... sorry if it confuses you :) And hoof stomp as always, to awesome awesome proof-reader Starfall!