Experimenting in Feelsby TheTalentlessPonyChaptersJust Wing ItA Warming GestureBack At HomeHorning InUnworthyLeaving Research BehindJust Wing ItOur story begins on a large hill that rests between the Everfree Forest and Ponyville. On said hill, there was usually nothing of interest. So, why does our story start here? Well, because there was usually nothing of interest. Today, something interesting was about to occur. A blanket was laid out on that hill tonight, and a pony was sitting on it: Twilight Sparkle. A telescope and notepad had been placed beside her. One might say that she was an odd sort. Though she became a princess after ascending to the form of an alicorn, she didn't care much for dressing up all fancy or wearing her crown. She preferred to lay low, wings curled in rather than spread out. Getting so much attention wasn't an idea she was fond of. Don't get her wrong though; she still did her job just fine. She was just a little less 'Princess-y' than the other alicorn rulers. That was okay though; she was just starting after all. ...What wasn't okay though... "Ah, shoot." Twilight squinted slightly in mild annoyance as she peeked through her telescope. Upon doing so, she brought her notepad to her and scribbled down a few notes. "I seem to be approximately two degrees off around Point B. Besides that, Star #205698 is off-center compared to Stars #205687 and #205693." Comparing her current notes to ones she had drawn just yesterday, she pouted somewhat and stared up at the moon. "I guess she lied to me..." she muttered. ...Or maybe she didn't notice? "...Impossible," she said, mindlessly fumbling with a corner of her blanket as she thought. "She does it every night. She must know the layout perfectly." Her wings grew slightly ruffled as she became irritated with her findings; not angry... just irritated. However, her irritation slowly died down as she felt a presence approaching her. Nervously pulling her wings in even more, though they were already clamped tight against her midsection, she turned her head to see a stallion approaching. It was relatively dark out, so she assumed that she had failed to catch his sight. If he did in fact see her, he didn't show it, as he paid her no heed and laid out a blanket. She watched as he magically fumbled about with said-blanket, trying to lay it out just right. Afterwards, she grew curious as she noticed that he had a telescope and notepad of his own. She then studied him as he sat down and looked through his telescope. His fur was a gentle yellow, while his mane was blue and spiked up. His eyes were a lighter blue, and she could just make out his horn, which glowed ever so gently as he brought the notepad to his face. She tried to make out his cutie mark, but failed due to the darkness of the night and said-mark being partially covered up from his tail. All in all, he wasn't much to look at. That wasn't to say he was horrid-looking, but he wouldn't be a face that stood out from the crowd; mostly because he wasn't very tall. Not to say that he was short though; he was average. And though she couldn't be completely sure from how far away he was, she was almost certain that he wasn't built well at all. He wasn't lanky, but muscular was most definitely not the term she would use to describe him. However, unicorns never were known for being buff in the first place, so she didn't focus on such thoughts for too long. Growing more curious over the stallion though, her ears twitched as he flipped through pages of his notepad, looking back and forth between his notes and his telescope. Now, Twilight was never one to get easily excited, but the thought of another pony sharing her love for astronomy was far too stimulating for her not to be. Her wings flared out slightly in ecstasy, but she quickly calmed herself down before trying to get the yellow stallion's attention. "They're a little off-center today, don't you think?" she asked loudly, noticing the confused look on his face after gazing through his telescope. His head jerked up quickly, and he searched for the source of the voice before his eyes settled on her. His look turned to one of great surprise, but he suppressed it quickly and nodded. "Why, yes. Yes they are," he replied, though rather softly. Twilight smiled at him, then glanced down at her blanket. There was more than enough room for two. "Would you like to compare notes?" she questioned, holding up her notepad. He paused for a moment, then nodded again. Seems to be rather cool-headed... Glancing down to his blanket, her horn glowed an intense red as she magically gripped its fabric. She pulled it, along with the stallion, closer to her, but a bit too strongly. The stallion was next to her within milliseconds, and the momentum had sent him falling right into Twilight, whose wings flared out in surprise. Right. Right. Alicorn magic is stronger than unicorn magic. "Eheh. Sorry about that," she said softly, standing up as the stallion regained his composure. "No no. It's perfectly alright, Princess," he muttered, adjusting her blanket, as he had messed it up slightly from his fall. Twilight frowned slightly at his formality, but quickly hid it with a smile when his eyes fell back onto her. "So..." she began, bringing the stallion's telescope and notepad over to them. As she did, she noticed his cutie mark, which she could finally see. It was a shooting star, which further confirmed her thoughts. "I see you have a fascination with astronomy," she said. "Oh, absolutely!" he quickly exclaimed, his levelheadedness vanishing for a moment as he grew excited. "So do I!" Twilight said in response, smiling warmly at him. He seemed suddenly quirky when it came to his interests; she found it rather cute. "This night has me particularly interested," the stallion told her, sitting down on her blanket and gazing through her telescope. "As you said, the stars are off-center. Perhaps it indicates some inner frustration with-" "-Princess Luna allowed me to raise the stars for her tonight," Twilight interrupted, blushing slightly in embarrassment; she hadn't meant to admit that right out front, but she had felt oddly comfortable from gazing at her own work earlier. "O-oh?" "Don't worry. You didn't insult me or anything." She giggled slightly as she held up her notes again, directing a hoof towards the stars. "I noticed right away!" The stallion smiled warmly at her in response, then slid his own notes next to her. "Well, you were still very close. I could hardly tell that they were off." Twilight faked a huff. "Cute," she said. "But I could tell just by looking at your reaction that you knew something was up right away." He blushed slightly, knowing that he was caught, then took his blanket in his mouth and threw it over her. "W-what's this for?" Twilight questioned, gazing down at the pattern of a night sky on the fabric. "It's cold tonight. I wouldn't want you to be chilly," he replied, smiling warmly at her. "O-oh no. I'm fine, really," Twilight argued, though lying somewhat; her wings had been disheveled from the chilly air. "You shouldn't feel obligated to assist me just because I'm a Princess." "It's not a problem," he insisted, tugging and pulling at the blanket slightly as he adjusted it to fit around her body. "Aren't you cold though?" she asked. "Not at all," he replied. Twilight grew doubtful of him, and her suspicious were confirmed as she noticed him rub his right hoof against his left foreleg, as if to warm it. Stretching out her right wing, she rested it on his back, thus draping the blanket over him as well. "...Princess-" "There's room enough for two," she interjected. The stallion seemed displeased with her response, but accepted it and smiled after growing warm from both her wing and the blanket. "...And..." "Yes?" he asked, knowing that she was hesitating. "...Twilight's fine," she muttered, having not suggested that anyone address her informally before. It wasn't Princess-like, but it felt so weird hearing the words 'Princess' emerge from the stallion's mouth when he spoke with her; even more so than other ponies. "Are you sure?" "Positive." The stallion grew quiet for a moment, then smiled softly at her. "Comet Tail." A Warming Gesture"...Twilight?" "..." "Hey, Twilight..." "Nnn..." "Come on... get up..." She felt herself being shaken... "Nooo Spike. I'm not ready to go to bed yet. Just... five more books." "Twilight, you're dreaming." "...Huuuh?" She groaned, feeling her wings involuntarily stretch out underneath her blanket. Sunlight then bathed her eyes in its glow as she slowly opened them to greet the morning. She felt a little sore, but also strangely relaxed, as odd as that sounded. Upon examining her surroundings, she noticed that she was still on top of the hill she had been on the night before. Had she slept there? She never recalled falling asleep, but it was certainly possible. "What are you doing here, Spike?" she asked, turning her head towards her living alarm clock as she sat up, her blanket sliding down slightly from the motion to reveal one of her forelegs. "Looking for you, of course..." Spike replied, saying it as if it were obvious. "Oh?" Twilight asked. "But... I didn't ask you to do that if I didn't come back..." she muttered, feeling somewhat guilty. He came all the way out here by himself, just to look for me? "I know, but I woke up this morning and you weren't there, so I figured I'd come get you," he retorted, sheepishly putting a hand behind his head and trying to put on a straight face. "You know... cause I didn't have anything else to do." Twilight giggled. He had missed her, she was sure; even if he wouldn't admit it. "Alright then, tough guy. Let's head back home." she told him, directing a hoof towards Ponyville. "I'll even make you breakfast for all that trouble you went through to find me." "Aw, awesome!" Spike exclaimed, suddenly looking excited. Twilight chuckled at how easily-excitable he was, then stood up and shook the blanket off of her back. She was about to place it into her saddle bag too, until... This... isn't mine. She curiously eyed the pattern of the blanket. Hers had been laying under her the whole time. "Hey, Twilight..." "Hm?" she asked, turning her attention away from fabric. "...Who's that stallion over there?" Spike questioned, lifting a claw to point. Her mind suddenly clicked. That's right... Looking over to where her assistant had pointed, she noticed a sleeping figure lying against her telescope. "Comet Tail..." she whispered, bringing the stallion's blanket with her as she trotted over to him. "Comet Tail?" Spike asked, raising a brow. "Someone you know?" "...Kinda..." Twilight replied, not sure of what other answer she could possibly give. She then turned her attention to the notepad in front of him; her notepad. He... finished my notes for me. The objective of finishing her notes hadn't even occurred to her last night. She remembered starting to jot down how well she did arranging the stars, but after he had arrived, it was like she had gone there just to sit around and chat. Smiling a bit at the sight of the sleeping stallion, she bent down to him and gently nuzzled his cheek. "Thank you~" she whispered, feeling immensely grateful that somepony would stay up so long just to do something for her. At least, she assumed that he must've stayed up long. His position was awkward, as if he had fallen asleep the instant he finished. Twilight quickly amended this by laying his blanket out and putting him onto it, fixing the angle of his legs so he'd be comfortable. "There we go..." She then levitated her notepad and telescope into the air, turning to Spike with a smile. "Grab my blanket. We can head home now." He looked at her with a skeptical expression, then shrugged and did as she told, lifting the blanket to his head as an easier way to carry it. "Got it." "..." "...Twilight?" Spike grunted a bit as he noticed her looking back at Comet Tail. She seemed to be in a daze. "Twilight," he stated, more sternly this time. Though quiet at first, she seemed to react to him and turned her head. "Hm? Oh. Just... ah... hold on." Ripping a blank page from her notepad, she quickly wrote something down on it before setting it where her telescope had been. "...Alright. Now we can go." The two then took off, leaving the note and Comet Tail behind. Whenever you have time, please visit the library. I'd like to thank you for what you did last night. Twilight Sparkle. Back At Home"Mmmm~" Twilight smiled as she watched Spike exit the kitchen, rubbing his tummy in an almost obsessive manner. "That was the best breakfast I've had in forever!" he told her, grinning and licking his lips. "Glad you liked it," she said, taking a moment to giggle at him before turning her attention back to the bookshelf. "You bet I did!" he exclaimed. "You're awful at cooking usually, but when you go by the book, it always ends up awesome!" She squinted, not taking her eyes off the bookshelf. I'm... not sure if I should take that as a compliment, or just pretend I didn't hear it. "So, what are you doing anyway?" Spike questioned, taking a seat on the stairs as he watched her curiously. "Trying to find a book," she stated simply. "Well, there's one there... and there... and over there. Oh! And there's a few more there too!" he joked, chuckling at Twilight's unspecific answer. She just rolled her eyes and smirked, facing him once again as she brought out one of the books with her magic. "No no. I'm looking for a very specific book. I've read it before, but I've forgotten a few things," she explained. "YOU!? Forget something in a book?" he asked, reeling back in surprise. His tone showed just how unsurprised he was however. "It was something that was unimportant to my studies. Even I forget things, Spike," she told him with a slightly annoyed expression, knowing that he was rubbing it in. He grinned and gave her a small shrug, then hopped off the step and grabbed the book from her hand, nearly shoving it in her face as he held it up. "Well, we both know that you can't find books to save your life. Which one are you lookin' for?" he asked. Twilight grunted. She didn't want to admit it, but it was a bit of a quirk of hers that she always failed to find her own books, no matter how hard she tried. "Ailments and Sicknesses," she muttered, swiftly snatching the book back. She turned to put it in its former place, but was quickly interrupted by- "FOUND IT!" She jerked her head back to Spike to see him pull out a large purple book. Hmph... that was fast. Hiding her disappointment at her inability to find things, she put the book in her hoof away and trotted up to him, muttering a quick "thanks" before taking the hardcover from him. "It was next to your Astronomy books," he explained, jabbing a thumb at the bookshelf he had taken from. Upon turning to it, he noticed the star symbol on a few of them and gained a curious expression. "Sooo... who was that Comet Tail guy?" he suddenly asked, being reminded of the stallion's cutie mark. Twilight blinked, then sighed a bit as she sat down, placing the book on the floor and opening it. "I thought I told you already?" "You told me that you 'sorta knew him' or something," he replied. "But that was it." "Why the sudden curiosity?" she asked, raising a brow at his prying. "Well, you must've known him pretty well to leave him a note like tha-" "YOU READ MY NOTE!?" Twilight asked, her wings flaring out as her cheeks turned a light shade of pink. "You didn't honestly think I went back there to make sure you didn't forget anything, did you?" he questioned casually with a smug grin. She scrunched up her snout in reply, practically glaring daggers into him. "...Nosy." I should've known that his offer was too innocent. "H-he was just there when I was taking notes. That's all," she explained, folding her wings back in as she tried to focus on the book once more. "Then he finished them for me when I fell asleep, okay? So I just wanted to return the favor," she explained. Spike reeled back slightly, this time in actual surprise. "You... fell asleep?" he asked. "...Yes," she replied flatly, blushing in embarrassment. "..." "D-don't look at me like that! He just had me feeling all comfortable, and I fell asleep because of it, alright? End of story!" she shouted, promptly shoving her face back into the book in front of her. "A-alright..." he muttered, a bit stunned at her outburst. "It's just that... you never fell asleep at an assignment like that before," he explained. "...I know." I have to admit; I'm curious about it myself... "Is that why you got that book out?" Spike questioned, taking a seat next to her. "Do ya think 'sudden drowsiness' is some sort of symptom?" "...P-perhaps," she answered softly. "What else are you looking up?" he asked, knowing from Twilight's tone that there was more than just that. "Knotted-up stomach... cheeks feeling hot... legs going weak-" "Sounds like you're getting sick or something," he interjected. "That's why I'm looking through the book!" she said swiftly, knowing that her statement was obvious. "I figured..." he started to say. "...but?" she asked. "...but it doesn't look like you've got those symptoms now," he pointed out. She blinked in abrupt surprise. He was right. Why was she feeling ill last night, yet not today? "Coming!" Spike suddenly called, getting up and running to the door. D-did someone knock? I didn't notice... "Oh, hey! It's you!" Twilight flinched slightly, knowing what he meant when he said that. "C-Comet Tail?" she questioned, looking over to see the yellow stallion enter the library. "I-I got your note," he replied, pulling out her letter from his saddlebag. "O-oh! Right, of course!" Frantically standing up and grabbing her book, Twilight hesitantly walked up to him, nearly shoving the hardcover into Spike's claws, earning a grunt from her assistant. "I... just wanted to thank you... f-for finishing my notes," she explained. "Oh?" he asked, gazing at her inquisitively. "It was no big deal. You fell asleep, so I-" "It's absolutely a big deal!" she interrupted, looking surprised that he was shrugging his kindness off. "I can't thank you enough!" Comet Tail blinked for a moment, then smiled slightly as he looked around. "Really, it was no problem," he said. "So... is this your library then?" "Uh..." she began, her mind going blank for a moment. Upon getting a quick jab from Spike however, she jumped slightly and nodded. "Y-yep! I live here too!" "Is that right?" he asked, sounding somewhat amused as he gazed at the large selection of books before him. Walking over to one of the shelves, his tone lowered to almost a whisper. "I-I've been meaning to come here actually. I wanted to pick up a book on-" "-Astronomy?" Twilight guessed with a small smile. "U-ur... yes," he replied, smiling back with a bit of nervousness. Spike stood between the two for a moment, then glanced at Twilight and chuckled. "You can just feel the awkward tension." "S-Spike!" she shouted, quickly using her magic to fly him upstairs. "Hush!" She then turned her attention to Comet Tail and shyly ran a hoof through her mane. "S-sorry about that." "Don't worry," he told her with a gentle smile, promptly pulling out one of the astronomy books. "...do you mind if I check this one out?" "Oh, of course! ...I-I mean, of course not!" Twilight stuttered, her cheeks going somewhat red at her error. T-there go those symptoms again... Comet Tail merely nodded as she marked down his name and the book's title in her Library Checker. "There you go. It's yours!" she said, giving the book back. "Thank you," he stated politely, levitating the hardcover with his magic and heading towards the door. "A-ah, wait!" "Hm?" "U-uhhh..." Twilight blinked, suddenly unsure of what she stopped him for. "Could I... invite you to dinner this afternoon; as thanks for what you did last night?" she asked. "P-Princes-" "Twilight, please," she reminded him. "I wouldn't want to cut into your free time," he admitted. "You wouldn't be, and I'd really like to do something for you! So, please?" she asked. "I-if you're sure-" "Absolutely!" Comet Tail was quiet for a moment, then gave a nervous smile (that seemed to happen a lot). "In that case... how about I meet you down at the Ponyville fountain at 6, and we can go from there?" he asked. "Sounds good!" Twilight replied, being strangely... loud. Meanwhile, Spike rubbed his head and headed down the stairs as Comet Tail left, closing the door behind him. "What was that all about?" he asked. "You were so forward..." "..." "...Twilight?" "H-hm?" "Your face is all red," he pointed out. "I-it is?" she asked, rushing to the nearest mirror to confirm. "Wasn't that one of your symptom things?" he questioned. "Y-yeah..." she replied. And that's when she knew... "...Spike, I'm going to get to the bottom of this," she said. "Huh?" he asked, looking confused at her sudden determination. "You mean... your 'illness'?" "Exactly," she replied. "It's too much of an oddity to ignore." He raised a brow. "So... what you're saying is-" "Get my equipment." Horning InThere he was. Standing right at the fountain, as he had said. And he was staring right at her. Or, more specifically, the huge saddlebag she was carrying. "Important supplies Prin-er... Twilight?" he asked, raising a brow as he directed his hoof towards her back. "O-oh, these?" Twilight questioned, smiling sheepishly as she turned slightly, letting him see her saddlebag better. Was she hiding a filly in there or something? "You could say that." "Ah. I see," Comet Tail muttered. He went silent for a second, taking a moment to simply stare at her, before shifting his gaze downwards. "So, did you have any place in mind?" he asked. She smiled in return, glad to have the attention taken off of her saddlebag. "There's this little place I've been hearing about lately. Everypony says that I've gotta try the food there sometime, but I've never gotten the oppurtunity." "That place? I think I might know what you're talking about..." he told her. "Oh yeah? Then... could you please lead the way?" she asked, blushing slightly in nervousness. In her earlier determination for supplies, she had forgotton to get directions. "Of course," he answered, turning and heading down a dirt road, with Twilight following closely behind. The short silence they shared together didn't last long, as Comet Tail was quick to turn his head to her as he trotted. "Would you like me to carry that bag for you? Looks heavy..." She blushed slightly in response. "O-oh no, it's fine. I'm part earth pony; I can carry it." "Ah, right." His eyes then flashed a foreign emotion before he turned his attention back to the path. "If you insist." That was nice of him... ...Ah! Suddenly stopping in her tracks, Twilight sat down and reached into her saddlebag, pulling out a small device that she swiftly stuck to her foreleg. Comet Tail halted as well, eyeing her curiously (though a little less curiously than he probably should've been) as she fumbled with a notepad that she pulled out. "Heart rate increased noticably... cheeks feeling instantaneously warmer..." she muttered as she wrote. "I thought you already took all of your notes last night?" he questioned in a bit of a joking manner. She looked over at him, then grinned nervously as she frantically put her things away. "Right, right. We were heading to that one restaurant, right?" He nodded, and she quickly got back to following him as he continued to walk, observing him all the while. His breathing seems to be hitched somewhat, and his straight face appears to be forced. Comet Tail glanced over at her suddenly, making her jump a bit, as it was right as she finished her thoughts. However, he quickly looked away and focused back on the path. Twilight scrunched her snout at the scene with curiousity. That was odd. He looked at me, then suddenly looked away. My heart seemed to jump a bit too... "You're somewhere else today, Twilight," his voice suddenly rang in her ears, making them shoot up as she gazed at him. "H-hm?" she asked, trying to mantain her composure. Though, admittedly, being part-pegasus, it was difficult to not show fear or nervousness, as flared-out or ruffled-up wings were usually a sign of such things. She had once complained about it, but her friends thought it was a nice new quality of hers; something about it making her seem 'more expressive', or something. "You didn't have to take me anywhere if you would've preferred not to," he muttered. "Now, don't start that again," she told him with a bit of a smirk. "I said I wanted to, and I meant it. I'm not the Element of Honesty, but that doesn't meant I'm a liar!" Comet Tail took a moment to stare at her, then shifted his gaze towards the sky. "Mmm... I see," he whispered. "Like starlight..." "Starlight?" Twilight asked. "You're talking about astronomy, right? The stars?" He nodded, suddenly smiling blissfully. "The stars have a tendency to make predictions of the future, correct?" "On occasion," she replied, tilting her head in mild confusion. "Well, predictions are never a lie. It is merely theory. The stars are wrong sometimes, but predictions cannot be faulty, as predictions are all they are. They're always honest." There was a brief silence between the two for a moment, but Comet Tail was quick to break it as he winked to Twilight. "Besides that, they move. They never 'lie' for too long," he said. She giggled cheerfully at his sudden joke, her wings nearly flaring out from the surprise of his unseriousness. "A-ah, I made you laugh," he said softly, sounding amazed that he managed to do so. "Hah~ It was a good one though," she told him. "O-oh? I'm glad," he stated, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink. And Twilight's eyes widened at the sight.... Though relaxed just a second ago, she was suddenly in full gear. "You're doing it too!" she suddenly shouted, reaching into her bag as fast as she could. "H-hm?" Comet Tail grunted, taking a step back in surprise. "I need to record this!" "W-wah!" He was swiftly knocked over by her as she attached her device to his hoof, eyeing the numbers that appeared carefully. His heart rate's gone up... some of it is probably from surprise, but- Her thought process halted as she realized what she had done. Looking over at him, Comet Tail's face was a deep crimson red. "U-uh..." Twilight stuttered, blinking obliviously for a moment. "I... I-I'm so sorry!" Quickly jumping off of him, she snatched the device off and placed it back into her saddlebag. "I, uh... don't know what-" "Don't worry about it," he said calmly as he sat up, though looking away from her. ...Did I... make him upset? "Let's get back on our way now, shall we?" he asked. "..." "Twilight?" he called as he began to walk, back facing her. His calm tone was forced. "O-oh! Y...yeah." And she followed. Unworthy"Nope. Sorry about that, Princess Sparkle." "Comet Tail? I've afraid to say that I've never heard of him, Princess Twilight." "Sorry, haven't seen him, Princess." "Me neither, Miss Princess. Is he important?" Twilight sighed as she remembered everypony's words, feeling dejected at her sudden inability to find Comet Tail (and their need to call her 'Princess'.). Why could she never find things when she needed to? Looking up, she noticed one more pony that she had yet to ask. With her head hanging in expected disappointment, she gradually walked towards her. "Excuse me?" she called out. The pony turned to her, jumping a bit before beginning to bow. "P-Princess Twi-" "Skip the formalities please. I just need to ask a question." "O-oh! Um..." Standing up awkwardly, the pony shifted her gaze left and right before settling on Twilight. "O-okay?" "Have you seen a pony named Comet Tail around?" Twilight questioned. "He's yellow, has a blue mane, and... light blue... e-eyes..." Focus! "Comet Tail? Hm..." she pondered the question for a moment, then nodded. "Well, I can say that I've seen him at least once. I haven't heard that name before, but I did see a pony of that description heading towards the big hill yesterday night," she explained. Twilight blinked at the mare for a moment, then sighed. "Thank you." "Did I disappoint you, Princess Twilight? I-I'm so sorry if I di-" "No. No. It's fine," she assured. "I suppose there's no harm in looking there anyway. Thank you." Before giving the pony a chance to utter another 'Princess', Twilight flapped her wings and took to the sky. If I remember right, then the hill is... this way! Reeling back, she promptly charged towards the hill, feeling happy that she had gotten used to her wings by now. Otherwise she'd have to go through a crowd. And, when you're an alicorn princess, you kind of become a bit of a big deal to everypony. ...Geez... Twilight huffed as she flew across the sky, thinking about what she was about to do. How did Rarity's little speech have such impact on her? What am I even meant to say to him? I didn't even make a list on what I could say! And how could Rarity tell that he liked me back? She probably doesn't even know him that well. ... I guess I'll just have to wing it though. No turning back now, and she did tell me not to think about it too much. Oh Rarity, you better be right! "And another thing!" Twilight's left ear twitched at the sound. ...Spike? Slowing her speed as she approached the hill, she began to notice two figures standing there; one clearly smaller than the other. She chose to stay hovering above, watching the two, who she now recognized as Comet Tail and Spike, from a distance. "If you even dare to think that you're anywhere close to Twilight, you've got another thing coming, bub!" Spike shouted, poking the stallion that stood in front of him. "You're nothing compared to her, got it!? She came all the way from Canterlot to come to Ponyville, and she was being mentored by Princess Celestia. She's saved all of Equestria countless time, and has written more scrolls and performed more spells than you could even count." He seemed to growl slightly under his breath as he noticed Comet Tail's straight face. "And let me just remind you, in case you've forgotten. She's an alicorn princess now, and shouldn't even have time for the likes of you! She'd probably have to reject you on the spot, even if she, somehow, didn't want to! So you might as well-" Twilight had heard enough. Landing hard on the ground behind her assistant, the ground shook slightly between the two, making Spike jump and let out a small yelp. "Spiiike," she slurred angrily, narrowing her gaze at the dragon. He turned to her, his eyes widening slightly. "T-Twilight..." "What are you doing?" she asked. "U-uh, well, I-" "How could you even say things like that, Spike? Not only is it rude, but you're not in a place to say such words!" she berated, directing an accusing hoof at his chest. "You are not in my place. You can't speak for me, as much as I'm sure you'd like to. Even if you're only trying to look out for me, that doesn't mean-" She paused, noticing the look on Spike's face. It reminded her of... "That's... that's what this is all about, isn't it?" she questioned. "You're jealous. Just like when I found Owlowiscious." Spike whimpered, looking downwards, thus confirming her suspicions. "Oh, Spike..." Her expression softened, though her tone still held firm. "You should know this by now. No one can ever replace you. No matter what animal, or pony, or whatever, walks into my life, I will always make time for you," she promised. He was silent for a moment, then smiled slightly and looked up at her. "I... I know. And I'm sorry, Twilight." "I know you are. But you have to learn to control your emotions. Just because I'm an alicorn princess, doesn't mean-" "He's right." Twilight and Spike flinched slightly at the voice, almost forgetting that Comet Tail had been standing there. "...W-what?" Twilight asked, looking up at the stallion's face. "He's right," he repeated. His face was calm, but his sad tone betrayed it. "I have no chance of ever measuring up to an alicorn princess. I'm a Ponyville unicorn. I never even learned the higher forms of magic. How in Equestria would anyone be able to see me with a pony like you?" He glanced at Twilight, who looked positively shocked. "I really am nothing, compared to someone as beautiful and talented as yourself, Twilight," he added. "...So then... you insisting that I didn't have to take you anywhere... that was all because..." "Multiple reasons for that really." Comet Tail gazed at the sky for a moment, then closed his eyes. "Do you remember when I said that I had been meaning to visit the library?" Twilight just nodded dumbly, unaware of what he was getting at. "I have actually. Multiple times. Even before you ascended to alicorn status," he told her. "H-huh? But... I never even saw you," she muttered. "I came in, but always left before you had the chance to see me." He hung his head, clearly feeling pathetic, but not willing to show it. "I've... admittedly, always had an infatuation with you." Twilight's eyes widened, her cheeks growing red as he continued. "That's why I came to the library. I'd look around at the books, but I never had the guts or courage to speak with you, whether you were an alicorn or not." Sitting with just his hind legs, he gestured a hoof towards himself. "I mean, me... Comet Tail, a unicorn that nopony has probably ever heard of... talking to the Twilight Sparkle. The Twilight Sparkle who helped return Princess Luna to her former uncorrupted state. The Twilight Sparkle who defeated an Ursa Minor without any violence. The Twilight Sparkle... who managed to defeat the god of chaos himself!" He then raised his hooves into the air, as if giving praise. "Princess. Twilight. Sparkle. The newest alicorn princess and wielder of the Element of Magic itself!" That's... that's why he got so quiet when I tackled him... he felt my earth pony strength... he saw my horn and wings... it reminded him... After a short pause, Comet Tail lowered his hooves and stood back up. "I like stars. That's all. I am unable to compete with such a wonderful pony," he said. Twilight was silent, but she didn't have to say anything, as Spike was quick to cut in. "You shouldn't be so hard on yourself," he told him. "I'm not," Comet Tail shot back, his expression still trying to remain stiff. "I'm realistic." "Brutally realistic," Spike huffed. "Spike," Twilight whispered sharply. "It's fine." Comet Tail muttered, looking downwards. "Now, I-I..." His voice seemed to falter for a split second, but he quickly recovered. "I should be heading back home now. I apologize for taking up so much of your time." And with that, he attempted to move past her. "H-huh? N-no, wait!" Twilight was quick to jump into his way, her wings flaring out to block even more of his path. Comet Tail stepped back in surprise. "P-Prince-" "None of that. Don't call me Princess. It's Twilight. Twilight," she told him, narrowing her gaze to show her seriousness. She felt her legs grow somewhat weak from staring into his eyes, but she was determined to stand her ground. Comet Tail was quiet, his eyes shifting from her eyes, her wings, her hooves, her horn, then back at her eyes. "N-now, look..." Twilight began to say. Geez, it had been so easy for him to say it. Now I'm frozen stiff! "I-I know that you're concerned. I know that you worry about what ponies might think if I'm seen with you. But... I-I don't care," she uttered softly, slowly getting closer to him. Her legs felt like they might fall off, but she kept going anyway. "I-I never planned out what I wanted to do in this situation, but I-" "Just kiss him already!" Spike suddenly interjected. "E-EEK!" A sudden push from the dragon made Twilight squeal in surprise before her lips crashed into Comet Tail's. The stallion staggered back at her sudden weight on him, sitting down to prevent the two from completely toppling over. And, suddenly, his expression softened. Upon needing the air, he pulled away from Twilight and gazed at her face, not saying a word. Though she was speechless for a moment as well, she quickly shook off the shock, then placed her hoof on his. "I know you think you aren't worthy of me, but I don't believe that," she whispered. "So... could you... please... just give us a chance?" He was quiet, staring into Twilight's eyes and not cracking a smile. She feared that she hadn't gotten through to him, but, very slowly, he gave her a smile and put a loving hoof to her cheek. "I suppose I could do that. For you," he teased with a gentle tone. Upon hearing those words, Twilight grinned wide and embraced him, her wings practically shaking from joy. Comet Tail embraced her back, slowly stroking her mane and, admittedly, shaking himself. He almost couldn't believe that she was right there, loving him back. But it happened. "Thank you... my little starlight." Leaving Research BehindIt was quiet in the Ponyville Library. Well, almost. It was quiet if you didn't count the snoring dragon upstairs... That didn't last very long though. The shutting of the front door wasn't enough to disturb Spike, but a sudden sigh from Twilight- "T-TWILIGHT!? I-I WASN'T SLEEPI-WHOA!" THUMP He groaned, having fallen out of his bed. Upon getting up, he looked over to her and tilted his head, seeing her come in with a rather blank expression on her face. "Uhh... you're back?" he asked, not sure of what else to say... and partially trying to draw attention away from the fact that he was sleeping on the job. "Mmhm," Twilight mumbled, slowly unlatching her saddlebag and letting it fall to the ground. "You alright, Twilight? How'd it go?" Spike questioned, hopping down the stairs and searching through the bag for her notes. "It was..." She paused to think of the right word. "...nice." "Nice?" he asked, raising a brow skeptically. "That's all you have to say, Miss Study-Happy Dictionary-Head? Nice?" Hoping to get more answers from her notes, he opened the notepad and skimmed inside. "...You didn't finish again," he said, noticing that her notes came to a halt before she even went into the restaurant. "I know." "It's not like you, Twilight. What's up?" "I don't know." "...Very specific." Spike let out a small grunt and put the notepad away. "Okay then. What does 'nice' mean then? Did you have an actual good time, or what? You're all spacey." Twilight blinked at the question, and finally seemed to snap back to reality after a moment. "I-I really don't know. I went into the restaurant with him and..." "..." "..." "And?" Spike asked, pushing her to go on. "We... had a good time. That's all to say." Traveling over to her mirror, Twilight noticed the redness of her cheeks and frowned slightly. "It's hard to explain. I don't even like going out to eat that much, but... it was nice, even though we didn't really do anything." she muttered. "...That doesn't make any sense," he said, raising a brow once more. She was about to speak again when- SLAM The door, having nearly fallen off its hinges from the blow, opened wide as a white purple-haired unicorn came charging in. "R-Rarity?" Twilight asked, blinking. "R-Rarity..." Spike said dreamily, nearly drooling. The suddenly-there mare gave a flip of her hair before galloping at Twilight, looking ready to tackle her down at any moment. "WHERE IS HE!? WHO IS HE!? WHAT'S HIS NAME!?" she asked loudly. "W-what are you talking about Ra-" "HOW DID YOU TWO MEET!?" "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!?" Twilight questioned, yelling back to gain her friend's attention. Rarity blinked for a moment, then smiled excitedly. "Don't you play dumb with me, Twilight! I saw you earlier!" "Saw what? Me with..." She paused for a second, then tilted her head. "...Comet Tail?" "Ah! Ah! You blushed! Right there! Eee!" Tip-tapping her hooves about in excitement, she grinned cheerfully. "I knew it~" "...Knew what?" Twilight questioned, earning a gasp from the white mare. "D-don't tell me! You haven't even noticed it?" "Noticed what?" As if Twilight's words were the worst designed dress ever, Rarity nearly fainted as they were spoken. "Please do not say that I have spell it out for you, darling!" she said. "You've gone out to dinner with the stallion and haven't even made a move?" "Made a move?" Spike questioned, coming back to reality from curiosity. "It must at least be obvious to you, Spike," Rarity said, turning to the dragon. "They're clearly in love!" "L-LOVE!?" Spike and Twilight asked in unison. "What? Did I say something odd?" the purple-haired mare questioned. "I was only stating the truth." "H-how would you even come to such a conclusion?" Twilight asked, grabbing up her notepad and showing it to Rarity. "It's utter-nonsense for one. A-and for two, how could you even tell something like that?" Suddenly, Rarity was silent. "...You... you're serious, aren't you, deary?" she asked in reply. "Of course. I'm just sick with something... or something... I guess," Twilight answered, though her tone full of doubt. Rarity's expression softened, almost looking as if she was pitying her friend. "I saw your face. I saw his face. You both were clearly feeling it, even if you didn't show it." When did Rarity become as random as Pinkie Pie? That sounds ludicrous! "What does love feel like then?" Twilight questioned, choosing it best to play along with Rarity's 'game'. "Like the greatest feeling in the world!" she replied cheerfully, suddenly looking excited again. Wrapping a foreleg around Twilight, she put a hoof to her heart. "You feel so warm when you're around that one pony. Your heart beats at the most rapid of rates, and your cheeks grow ever redder as you get closer. You sometimes even find it hard to do things, because you're always thinking about them and can't stand to stop." Spike blinked at her as he listened to her explanation. "...That sounds horrible," he muttered. Rarity gasped. "It's not! It's the most wonderful thing in the world!" "...So... is that it? I'm in love with Comet Tail?" Twilight asked, blushing slightly as she picked up her notes. "That can't be right... none of my calculations even remotely pointed to tha-H-HEY!" she yelped as Rarity snatched the notepad from her. "Twilight... deary...." she said softly, placing her hooves on Twilight's. "This isn't something to be calculated. It can't be calculated. It isn't science. You can't put it into some silly mathematical equation and hope it makes sense," she explained. "You don't think it. You feel it." Though blinking in confusion only a second ago, Twilight suddenly began doing so in acknowledgement. "I... I... think I get it." Rarity smiled warmly. "Good. Now skedaddle. I'll never forgive you if you don't go talk with that patient stallion in the next five minutes!" Twilight didn't say another word and rushed out the door, leaving Rarity to squeal in excitement. "Oooo~! This is SO great! Soon enough, they'll be spending all their time together as a full-on couple! And it'll be all because I straightened her out when I did! Haha!" she cheered. Rather lost in her own little world, she turned to Spike and giggled. "Looks like you've got competition Spikey-Wikey~" she joked, giggling a bit. After a moment though, she gasped. "That reminds me. I need to get back to Carousel Boutique!" And with that, she rushed out the door as well, while Spike just stood there... alone. "...All of her time...?"
Just Wing ItOur story begins on a large hill that rests between the Everfree Forest and Ponyville. On said hill, there was usually nothing of interest. So, why does our story start here? Well, because there was usually nothing of interest. Today, something interesting was about to occur. A blanket was laid out on that hill tonight, and a pony was sitting on it: Twilight Sparkle. A telescope and notepad had been placed beside her. One might say that she was an odd sort. Though she became a princess after ascending to the form of an alicorn, she didn't care much for dressing up all fancy or wearing her crown. She preferred to lay low, wings curled in rather than spread out. Getting so much attention wasn't an idea she was fond of. Don't get her wrong though; she still did her job just fine. She was just a little less 'Princess-y' than the other alicorn rulers. That was okay though; she was just starting after all. ...What wasn't okay though... "Ah, shoot." Twilight squinted slightly in mild annoyance as she peeked through her telescope. Upon doing so, she brought her notepad to her and scribbled down a few notes. "I seem to be approximately two degrees off around Point B. Besides that, Star #205698 is off-center compared to Stars #205687 and #205693." Comparing her current notes to ones she had drawn just yesterday, she pouted somewhat and stared up at the moon. "I guess she lied to me..." she muttered. ...Or maybe she didn't notice? "...Impossible," she said, mindlessly fumbling with a corner of her blanket as she thought. "She does it every night. She must know the layout perfectly." Her wings grew slightly ruffled as she became irritated with her findings; not angry... just irritated. However, her irritation slowly died down as she felt a presence approaching her. Nervously pulling her wings in even more, though they were already clamped tight against her midsection, she turned her head to see a stallion approaching. It was relatively dark out, so she assumed that she had failed to catch his sight. If he did in fact see her, he didn't show it, as he paid her no heed and laid out a blanket. She watched as he magically fumbled about with said-blanket, trying to lay it out just right. Afterwards, she grew curious as she noticed that he had a telescope and notepad of his own. She then studied him as he sat down and looked through his telescope. His fur was a gentle yellow, while his mane was blue and spiked up. His eyes were a lighter blue, and she could just make out his horn, which glowed ever so gently as he brought the notepad to his face. She tried to make out his cutie mark, but failed due to the darkness of the night and said-mark being partially covered up from his tail. All in all, he wasn't much to look at. That wasn't to say he was horrid-looking, but he wouldn't be a face that stood out from the crowd; mostly because he wasn't very tall. Not to say that he was short though; he was average. And though she couldn't be completely sure from how far away he was, she was almost certain that he wasn't built well at all. He wasn't lanky, but muscular was most definitely not the term she would use to describe him. However, unicorns never were known for being buff in the first place, so she didn't focus on such thoughts for too long. Growing more curious over the stallion though, her ears twitched as he flipped through pages of his notepad, looking back and forth between his notes and his telescope. Now, Twilight was never one to get easily excited, but the thought of another pony sharing her love for astronomy was far too stimulating for her not to be. Her wings flared out slightly in ecstasy, but she quickly calmed herself down before trying to get the yellow stallion's attention. "They're a little off-center today, don't you think?" she asked loudly, noticing the confused look on his face after gazing through his telescope. His head jerked up quickly, and he searched for the source of the voice before his eyes settled on her. His look turned to one of great surprise, but he suppressed it quickly and nodded. "Why, yes. Yes they are," he replied, though rather softly. Twilight smiled at him, then glanced down at her blanket. There was more than enough room for two. "Would you like to compare notes?" she questioned, holding up her notepad. He paused for a moment, then nodded again. Seems to be rather cool-headed... Glancing down to his blanket, her horn glowed an intense red as she magically gripped its fabric. She pulled it, along with the stallion, closer to her, but a bit too strongly. The stallion was next to her within milliseconds, and the momentum had sent him falling right into Twilight, whose wings flared out in surprise. Right. Right. Alicorn magic is stronger than unicorn magic. "Eheh. Sorry about that," she said softly, standing up as the stallion regained his composure. "No no. It's perfectly alright, Princess," he muttered, adjusting her blanket, as he had messed it up slightly from his fall. Twilight frowned slightly at his formality, but quickly hid it with a smile when his eyes fell back onto her. "So..." she began, bringing the stallion's telescope and notepad over to them. As she did, she noticed his cutie mark, which she could finally see. It was a shooting star, which further confirmed her thoughts. "I see you have a fascination with astronomy," she said. "Oh, absolutely!" he quickly exclaimed, his levelheadedness vanishing for a moment as he grew excited. "So do I!" Twilight said in response, smiling warmly at him. He seemed suddenly quirky when it came to his interests; she found it rather cute. "This night has me particularly interested," the stallion told her, sitting down on her blanket and gazing through her telescope. "As you said, the stars are off-center. Perhaps it indicates some inner frustration with-" "-Princess Luna allowed me to raise the stars for her tonight," Twilight interrupted, blushing slightly in embarrassment; she hadn't meant to admit that right out front, but she had felt oddly comfortable from gazing at her own work earlier. "O-oh?" "Don't worry. You didn't insult me or anything." She giggled slightly as she held up her notes again, directing a hoof towards the stars. "I noticed right away!" The stallion smiled warmly at her in response, then slid his own notes next to her. "Well, you were still very close. I could hardly tell that they were off." Twilight faked a huff. "Cute," she said. "But I could tell just by looking at your reaction that you knew something was up right away." He blushed slightly, knowing that he was caught, then took his blanket in his mouth and threw it over her. "W-what's this for?" Twilight questioned, gazing down at the pattern of a night sky on the fabric. "It's cold tonight. I wouldn't want you to be chilly," he replied, smiling warmly at her. "O-oh no. I'm fine, really," Twilight argued, though lying somewhat; her wings had been disheveled from the chilly air. "You shouldn't feel obligated to assist me just because I'm a Princess." "It's not a problem," he insisted, tugging and pulling at the blanket slightly as he adjusted it to fit around her body. "Aren't you cold though?" she asked. "Not at all," he replied. Twilight grew doubtful of him, and her suspicious were confirmed as she noticed him rub his right hoof against his left foreleg, as if to warm it. Stretching out her right wing, she rested it on his back, thus draping the blanket over him as well. "...Princess-" "There's room enough for two," she interjected. The stallion seemed displeased with her response, but accepted it and smiled after growing warm from both her wing and the blanket. "...And..." "Yes?" he asked, knowing that she was hesitating. "...Twilight's fine," she muttered, having not suggested that anyone address her informally before. It wasn't Princess-like, but it felt so weird hearing the words 'Princess' emerge from the stallion's mouth when he spoke with her; even more so than other ponies. "Are you sure?" "Positive." The stallion grew quiet for a moment, then smiled softly at her. "Comet Tail."
A Warming Gesture"...Twilight?" "..." "Hey, Twilight..." "Nnn..." "Come on... get up..." She felt herself being shaken... "Nooo Spike. I'm not ready to go to bed yet. Just... five more books." "Twilight, you're dreaming." "...Huuuh?" She groaned, feeling her wings involuntarily stretch out underneath her blanket. Sunlight then bathed her eyes in its glow as she slowly opened them to greet the morning. She felt a little sore, but also strangely relaxed, as odd as that sounded. Upon examining her surroundings, she noticed that she was still on top of the hill she had been on the night before. Had she slept there? She never recalled falling asleep, but it was certainly possible. "What are you doing here, Spike?" she asked, turning her head towards her living alarm clock as she sat up, her blanket sliding down slightly from the motion to reveal one of her forelegs. "Looking for you, of course..." Spike replied, saying it as if it were obvious. "Oh?" Twilight asked. "But... I didn't ask you to do that if I didn't come back..." she muttered, feeling somewhat guilty. He came all the way out here by himself, just to look for me? "I know, but I woke up this morning and you weren't there, so I figured I'd come get you," he retorted, sheepishly putting a hand behind his head and trying to put on a straight face. "You know... cause I didn't have anything else to do." Twilight giggled. He had missed her, she was sure; even if he wouldn't admit it. "Alright then, tough guy. Let's head back home." she told him, directing a hoof towards Ponyville. "I'll even make you breakfast for all that trouble you went through to find me." "Aw, awesome!" Spike exclaimed, suddenly looking excited. Twilight chuckled at how easily-excitable he was, then stood up and shook the blanket off of her back. She was about to place it into her saddle bag too, until... This... isn't mine. She curiously eyed the pattern of the blanket. Hers had been laying under her the whole time. "Hey, Twilight..." "Hm?" she asked, turning her attention away from fabric. "...Who's that stallion over there?" Spike questioned, lifting a claw to point. Her mind suddenly clicked. That's right... Looking over to where her assistant had pointed, she noticed a sleeping figure lying against her telescope. "Comet Tail..." she whispered, bringing the stallion's blanket with her as she trotted over to him. "Comet Tail?" Spike asked, raising a brow. "Someone you know?" "...Kinda..." Twilight replied, not sure of what other answer she could possibly give. She then turned her attention to the notepad in front of him; her notepad. He... finished my notes for me. The objective of finishing her notes hadn't even occurred to her last night. She remembered starting to jot down how well she did arranging the stars, but after he had arrived, it was like she had gone there just to sit around and chat. Smiling a bit at the sight of the sleeping stallion, she bent down to him and gently nuzzled his cheek. "Thank you~" she whispered, feeling immensely grateful that somepony would stay up so long just to do something for her. At least, she assumed that he must've stayed up long. His position was awkward, as if he had fallen asleep the instant he finished. Twilight quickly amended this by laying his blanket out and putting him onto it, fixing the angle of his legs so he'd be comfortable. "There we go..." She then levitated her notepad and telescope into the air, turning to Spike with a smile. "Grab my blanket. We can head home now." He looked at her with a skeptical expression, then shrugged and did as she told, lifting the blanket to his head as an easier way to carry it. "Got it." "..." "...Twilight?" Spike grunted a bit as he noticed her looking back at Comet Tail. She seemed to be in a daze. "Twilight," he stated, more sternly this time. Though quiet at first, she seemed to react to him and turned her head. "Hm? Oh. Just... ah... hold on." Ripping a blank page from her notepad, she quickly wrote something down on it before setting it where her telescope had been. "...Alright. Now we can go." The two then took off, leaving the note and Comet Tail behind. Whenever you have time, please visit the library. I'd like to thank you for what you did last night. Twilight Sparkle.
Back At Home"Mmmm~" Twilight smiled as she watched Spike exit the kitchen, rubbing his tummy in an almost obsessive manner. "That was the best breakfast I've had in forever!" he told her, grinning and licking his lips. "Glad you liked it," she said, taking a moment to giggle at him before turning her attention back to the bookshelf. "You bet I did!" he exclaimed. "You're awful at cooking usually, but when you go by the book, it always ends up awesome!" She squinted, not taking her eyes off the bookshelf. I'm... not sure if I should take that as a compliment, or just pretend I didn't hear it. "So, what are you doing anyway?" Spike questioned, taking a seat on the stairs as he watched her curiously. "Trying to find a book," she stated simply. "Well, there's one there... and there... and over there. Oh! And there's a few more there too!" he joked, chuckling at Twilight's unspecific answer. She just rolled her eyes and smirked, facing him once again as she brought out one of the books with her magic. "No no. I'm looking for a very specific book. I've read it before, but I've forgotten a few things," she explained. "YOU!? Forget something in a book?" he asked, reeling back in surprise. His tone showed just how unsurprised he was however. "It was something that was unimportant to my studies. Even I forget things, Spike," she told him with a slightly annoyed expression, knowing that he was rubbing it in. He grinned and gave her a small shrug, then hopped off the step and grabbed the book from her hand, nearly shoving it in her face as he held it up. "Well, we both know that you can't find books to save your life. Which one are you lookin' for?" he asked. Twilight grunted. She didn't want to admit it, but it was a bit of a quirk of hers that she always failed to find her own books, no matter how hard she tried. "Ailments and Sicknesses," she muttered, swiftly snatching the book back. She turned to put it in its former place, but was quickly interrupted by- "FOUND IT!" She jerked her head back to Spike to see him pull out a large purple book. Hmph... that was fast. Hiding her disappointment at her inability to find things, she put the book in her hoof away and trotted up to him, muttering a quick "thanks" before taking the hardcover from him. "It was next to your Astronomy books," he explained, jabbing a thumb at the bookshelf he had taken from. Upon turning to it, he noticed the star symbol on a few of them and gained a curious expression. "Sooo... who was that Comet Tail guy?" he suddenly asked, being reminded of the stallion's cutie mark. Twilight blinked, then sighed a bit as she sat down, placing the book on the floor and opening it. "I thought I told you already?" "You told me that you 'sorta knew him' or something," he replied. "But that was it." "Why the sudden curiosity?" she asked, raising a brow at his prying. "Well, you must've known him pretty well to leave him a note like tha-" "YOU READ MY NOTE!?" Twilight asked, her wings flaring out as her cheeks turned a light shade of pink. "You didn't honestly think I went back there to make sure you didn't forget anything, did you?" he questioned casually with a smug grin. She scrunched up her snout in reply, practically glaring daggers into him. "...Nosy." I should've known that his offer was too innocent. "H-he was just there when I was taking notes. That's all," she explained, folding her wings back in as she tried to focus on the book once more. "Then he finished them for me when I fell asleep, okay? So I just wanted to return the favor," she explained. Spike reeled back slightly, this time in actual surprise. "You... fell asleep?" he asked. "...Yes," she replied flatly, blushing in embarrassment. "..." "D-don't look at me like that! He just had me feeling all comfortable, and I fell asleep because of it, alright? End of story!" she shouted, promptly shoving her face back into the book in front of her. "A-alright..." he muttered, a bit stunned at her outburst. "It's just that... you never fell asleep at an assignment like that before," he explained. "...I know." I have to admit; I'm curious about it myself... "Is that why you got that book out?" Spike questioned, taking a seat next to her. "Do ya think 'sudden drowsiness' is some sort of symptom?" "...P-perhaps," she answered softly. "What else are you looking up?" he asked, knowing from Twilight's tone that there was more than just that. "Knotted-up stomach... cheeks feeling hot... legs going weak-" "Sounds like you're getting sick or something," he interjected. "That's why I'm looking through the book!" she said swiftly, knowing that her statement was obvious. "I figured..." he started to say. "...but?" she asked. "...but it doesn't look like you've got those symptoms now," he pointed out. She blinked in abrupt surprise. He was right. Why was she feeling ill last night, yet not today? "Coming!" Spike suddenly called, getting up and running to the door. D-did someone knock? I didn't notice... "Oh, hey! It's you!" Twilight flinched slightly, knowing what he meant when he said that. "C-Comet Tail?" she questioned, looking over to see the yellow stallion enter the library. "I-I got your note," he replied, pulling out her letter from his saddlebag. "O-oh! Right, of course!" Frantically standing up and grabbing her book, Twilight hesitantly walked up to him, nearly shoving the hardcover into Spike's claws, earning a grunt from her assistant. "I... just wanted to thank you... f-for finishing my notes," she explained. "Oh?" he asked, gazing at her inquisitively. "It was no big deal. You fell asleep, so I-" "It's absolutely a big deal!" she interrupted, looking surprised that he was shrugging his kindness off. "I can't thank you enough!" Comet Tail blinked for a moment, then smiled slightly as he looked around. "Really, it was no problem," he said. "So... is this your library then?" "Uh..." she began, her mind going blank for a moment. Upon getting a quick jab from Spike however, she jumped slightly and nodded. "Y-yep! I live here too!" "Is that right?" he asked, sounding somewhat amused as he gazed at the large selection of books before him. Walking over to one of the shelves, his tone lowered to almost a whisper. "I-I've been meaning to come here actually. I wanted to pick up a book on-" "-Astronomy?" Twilight guessed with a small smile. "U-ur... yes," he replied, smiling back with a bit of nervousness. Spike stood between the two for a moment, then glanced at Twilight and chuckled. "You can just feel the awkward tension." "S-Spike!" she shouted, quickly using her magic to fly him upstairs. "Hush!" She then turned her attention to Comet Tail and shyly ran a hoof through her mane. "S-sorry about that." "Don't worry," he told her with a gentle smile, promptly pulling out one of the astronomy books. "...do you mind if I check this one out?" "Oh, of course! ...I-I mean, of course not!" Twilight stuttered, her cheeks going somewhat red at her error. T-there go those symptoms again... Comet Tail merely nodded as she marked down his name and the book's title in her Library Checker. "There you go. It's yours!" she said, giving the book back. "Thank you," he stated politely, levitating the hardcover with his magic and heading towards the door. "A-ah, wait!" "Hm?" "U-uhhh..." Twilight blinked, suddenly unsure of what she stopped him for. "Could I... invite you to dinner this afternoon; as thanks for what you did last night?" she asked. "P-Princes-" "Twilight, please," she reminded him. "I wouldn't want to cut into your free time," he admitted. "You wouldn't be, and I'd really like to do something for you! So, please?" she asked. "I-if you're sure-" "Absolutely!" Comet Tail was quiet for a moment, then gave a nervous smile (that seemed to happen a lot). "In that case... how about I meet you down at the Ponyville fountain at 6, and we can go from there?" he asked. "Sounds good!" Twilight replied, being strangely... loud. Meanwhile, Spike rubbed his head and headed down the stairs as Comet Tail left, closing the door behind him. "What was that all about?" he asked. "You were so forward..." "..." "...Twilight?" "H-hm?" "Your face is all red," he pointed out. "I-it is?" she asked, rushing to the nearest mirror to confirm. "Wasn't that one of your symptom things?" he questioned. "Y-yeah..." she replied. And that's when she knew... "...Spike, I'm going to get to the bottom of this," she said. "Huh?" he asked, looking confused at her sudden determination. "You mean... your 'illness'?" "Exactly," she replied. "It's too much of an oddity to ignore." He raised a brow. "So... what you're saying is-" "Get my equipment."
Horning InThere he was. Standing right at the fountain, as he had said. And he was staring right at her. Or, more specifically, the huge saddlebag she was carrying. "Important supplies Prin-er... Twilight?" he asked, raising a brow as he directed his hoof towards her back. "O-oh, these?" Twilight questioned, smiling sheepishly as she turned slightly, letting him see her saddlebag better. Was she hiding a filly in there or something? "You could say that." "Ah. I see," Comet Tail muttered. He went silent for a second, taking a moment to simply stare at her, before shifting his gaze downwards. "So, did you have any place in mind?" he asked. She smiled in return, glad to have the attention taken off of her saddlebag. "There's this little place I've been hearing about lately. Everypony says that I've gotta try the food there sometime, but I've never gotten the oppurtunity." "That place? I think I might know what you're talking about..." he told her. "Oh yeah? Then... could you please lead the way?" she asked, blushing slightly in nervousness. In her earlier determination for supplies, she had forgotton to get directions. "Of course," he answered, turning and heading down a dirt road, with Twilight following closely behind. The short silence they shared together didn't last long, as Comet Tail was quick to turn his head to her as he trotted. "Would you like me to carry that bag for you? Looks heavy..." She blushed slightly in response. "O-oh no, it's fine. I'm part earth pony; I can carry it." "Ah, right." His eyes then flashed a foreign emotion before he turned his attention back to the path. "If you insist." That was nice of him... ...Ah! Suddenly stopping in her tracks, Twilight sat down and reached into her saddlebag, pulling out a small device that she swiftly stuck to her foreleg. Comet Tail halted as well, eyeing her curiously (though a little less curiously than he probably should've been) as she fumbled with a notepad that she pulled out. "Heart rate increased noticably... cheeks feeling instantaneously warmer..." she muttered as she wrote. "I thought you already took all of your notes last night?" he questioned in a bit of a joking manner. She looked over at him, then grinned nervously as she frantically put her things away. "Right, right. We were heading to that one restaurant, right?" He nodded, and she quickly got back to following him as he continued to walk, observing him all the while. His breathing seems to be hitched somewhat, and his straight face appears to be forced. Comet Tail glanced over at her suddenly, making her jump a bit, as it was right as she finished her thoughts. However, he quickly looked away and focused back on the path. Twilight scrunched her snout at the scene with curiousity. That was odd. He looked at me, then suddenly looked away. My heart seemed to jump a bit too... "You're somewhere else today, Twilight," his voice suddenly rang in her ears, making them shoot up as she gazed at him. "H-hm?" she asked, trying to mantain her composure. Though, admittedly, being part-pegasus, it was difficult to not show fear or nervousness, as flared-out or ruffled-up wings were usually a sign of such things. She had once complained about it, but her friends thought it was a nice new quality of hers; something about it making her seem 'more expressive', or something. "You didn't have to take me anywhere if you would've preferred not to," he muttered. "Now, don't start that again," she told him with a bit of a smirk. "I said I wanted to, and I meant it. I'm not the Element of Honesty, but that doesn't meant I'm a liar!" Comet Tail took a moment to stare at her, then shifted his gaze towards the sky. "Mmm... I see," he whispered. "Like starlight..." "Starlight?" Twilight asked. "You're talking about astronomy, right? The stars?" He nodded, suddenly smiling blissfully. "The stars have a tendency to make predictions of the future, correct?" "On occasion," she replied, tilting her head in mild confusion. "Well, predictions are never a lie. It is merely theory. The stars are wrong sometimes, but predictions cannot be faulty, as predictions are all they are. They're always honest." There was a brief silence between the two for a moment, but Comet Tail was quick to break it as he winked to Twilight. "Besides that, they move. They never 'lie' for too long," he said. She giggled cheerfully at his sudden joke, her wings nearly flaring out from the surprise of his unseriousness. "A-ah, I made you laugh," he said softly, sounding amazed that he managed to do so. "Hah~ It was a good one though," she told him. "O-oh? I'm glad," he stated, his cheeks turning a light shade of pink. And Twilight's eyes widened at the sight.... Though relaxed just a second ago, she was suddenly in full gear. "You're doing it too!" she suddenly shouted, reaching into her bag as fast as she could. "H-hm?" Comet Tail grunted, taking a step back in surprise. "I need to record this!" "W-wah!" He was swiftly knocked over by her as she attached her device to his hoof, eyeing the numbers that appeared carefully. His heart rate's gone up... some of it is probably from surprise, but- Her thought process halted as she realized what she had done. Looking over at him, Comet Tail's face was a deep crimson red. "U-uh..." Twilight stuttered, blinking obliviously for a moment. "I... I-I'm so sorry!" Quickly jumping off of him, she snatched the device off and placed it back into her saddlebag. "I, uh... don't know what-" "Don't worry about it," he said calmly as he sat up, though looking away from her. ...Did I... make him upset? "Let's get back on our way now, shall we?" he asked. "..." "Twilight?" he called as he began to walk, back facing her. His calm tone was forced. "O-oh! Y...yeah." And she followed.
Unworthy"Nope. Sorry about that, Princess Sparkle." "Comet Tail? I've afraid to say that I've never heard of him, Princess Twilight." "Sorry, haven't seen him, Princess." "Me neither, Miss Princess. Is he important?" Twilight sighed as she remembered everypony's words, feeling dejected at her sudden inability to find Comet Tail (and their need to call her 'Princess'.). Why could she never find things when she needed to? Looking up, she noticed one more pony that she had yet to ask. With her head hanging in expected disappointment, she gradually walked towards her. "Excuse me?" she called out. The pony turned to her, jumping a bit before beginning to bow. "P-Princess Twi-" "Skip the formalities please. I just need to ask a question." "O-oh! Um..." Standing up awkwardly, the pony shifted her gaze left and right before settling on Twilight. "O-okay?" "Have you seen a pony named Comet Tail around?" Twilight questioned. "He's yellow, has a blue mane, and... light blue... e-eyes..." Focus! "Comet Tail? Hm..." she pondered the question for a moment, then nodded. "Well, I can say that I've seen him at least once. I haven't heard that name before, but I did see a pony of that description heading towards the big hill yesterday night," she explained. Twilight blinked at the mare for a moment, then sighed. "Thank you." "Did I disappoint you, Princess Twilight? I-I'm so sorry if I di-" "No. No. It's fine," she assured. "I suppose there's no harm in looking there anyway. Thank you." Before giving the pony a chance to utter another 'Princess', Twilight flapped her wings and took to the sky. If I remember right, then the hill is... this way! Reeling back, she promptly charged towards the hill, feeling happy that she had gotten used to her wings by now. Otherwise she'd have to go through a crowd. And, when you're an alicorn princess, you kind of become a bit of a big deal to everypony. ...Geez... Twilight huffed as she flew across the sky, thinking about what she was about to do. How did Rarity's little speech have such impact on her? What am I even meant to say to him? I didn't even make a list on what I could say! And how could Rarity tell that he liked me back? She probably doesn't even know him that well. ... I guess I'll just have to wing it though. No turning back now, and she did tell me not to think about it too much. Oh Rarity, you better be right! "And another thing!" Twilight's left ear twitched at the sound. ...Spike? Slowing her speed as she approached the hill, she began to notice two figures standing there; one clearly smaller than the other. She chose to stay hovering above, watching the two, who she now recognized as Comet Tail and Spike, from a distance. "If you even dare to think that you're anywhere close to Twilight, you've got another thing coming, bub!" Spike shouted, poking the stallion that stood in front of him. "You're nothing compared to her, got it!? She came all the way from Canterlot to come to Ponyville, and she was being mentored by Princess Celestia. She's saved all of Equestria countless time, and has written more scrolls and performed more spells than you could even count." He seemed to growl slightly under his breath as he noticed Comet Tail's straight face. "And let me just remind you, in case you've forgotten. She's an alicorn princess now, and shouldn't even have time for the likes of you! She'd probably have to reject you on the spot, even if she, somehow, didn't want to! So you might as well-" Twilight had heard enough. Landing hard on the ground behind her assistant, the ground shook slightly between the two, making Spike jump and let out a small yelp. "Spiiike," she slurred angrily, narrowing her gaze at the dragon. He turned to her, his eyes widening slightly. "T-Twilight..." "What are you doing?" she asked. "U-uh, well, I-" "How could you even say things like that, Spike? Not only is it rude, but you're not in a place to say such words!" she berated, directing an accusing hoof at his chest. "You are not in my place. You can't speak for me, as much as I'm sure you'd like to. Even if you're only trying to look out for me, that doesn't mean-" She paused, noticing the look on Spike's face. It reminded her of... "That's... that's what this is all about, isn't it?" she questioned. "You're jealous. Just like when I found Owlowiscious." Spike whimpered, looking downwards, thus confirming her suspicions. "Oh, Spike..." Her expression softened, though her tone still held firm. "You should know this by now. No one can ever replace you. No matter what animal, or pony, or whatever, walks into my life, I will always make time for you," she promised. He was silent for a moment, then smiled slightly and looked up at her. "I... I know. And I'm sorry, Twilight." "I know you are. But you have to learn to control your emotions. Just because I'm an alicorn princess, doesn't mean-" "He's right." Twilight and Spike flinched slightly at the voice, almost forgetting that Comet Tail had been standing there. "...W-what?" Twilight asked, looking up at the stallion's face. "He's right," he repeated. His face was calm, but his sad tone betrayed it. "I have no chance of ever measuring up to an alicorn princess. I'm a Ponyville unicorn. I never even learned the higher forms of magic. How in Equestria would anyone be able to see me with a pony like you?" He glanced at Twilight, who looked positively shocked. "I really am nothing, compared to someone as beautiful and talented as yourself, Twilight," he added. "...So then... you insisting that I didn't have to take you anywhere... that was all because..." "Multiple reasons for that really." Comet Tail gazed at the sky for a moment, then closed his eyes. "Do you remember when I said that I had been meaning to visit the library?" Twilight just nodded dumbly, unaware of what he was getting at. "I have actually. Multiple times. Even before you ascended to alicorn status," he told her. "H-huh? But... I never even saw you," she muttered. "I came in, but always left before you had the chance to see me." He hung his head, clearly feeling pathetic, but not willing to show it. "I've... admittedly, always had an infatuation with you." Twilight's eyes widened, her cheeks growing red as he continued. "That's why I came to the library. I'd look around at the books, but I never had the guts or courage to speak with you, whether you were an alicorn or not." Sitting with just his hind legs, he gestured a hoof towards himself. "I mean, me... Comet Tail, a unicorn that nopony has probably ever heard of... talking to the Twilight Sparkle. The Twilight Sparkle who helped return Princess Luna to her former uncorrupted state. The Twilight Sparkle who defeated an Ursa Minor without any violence. The Twilight Sparkle... who managed to defeat the god of chaos himself!" He then raised his hooves into the air, as if giving praise. "Princess. Twilight. Sparkle. The newest alicorn princess and wielder of the Element of Magic itself!" That's... that's why he got so quiet when I tackled him... he felt my earth pony strength... he saw my horn and wings... it reminded him... After a short pause, Comet Tail lowered his hooves and stood back up. "I like stars. That's all. I am unable to compete with such a wonderful pony," he said. Twilight was silent, but she didn't have to say anything, as Spike was quick to cut in. "You shouldn't be so hard on yourself," he told him. "I'm not," Comet Tail shot back, his expression still trying to remain stiff. "I'm realistic." "Brutally realistic," Spike huffed. "Spike," Twilight whispered sharply. "It's fine." Comet Tail muttered, looking downwards. "Now, I-I..." His voice seemed to falter for a split second, but he quickly recovered. "I should be heading back home now. I apologize for taking up so much of your time." And with that, he attempted to move past her. "H-huh? N-no, wait!" Twilight was quick to jump into his way, her wings flaring out to block even more of his path. Comet Tail stepped back in surprise. "P-Prince-" "None of that. Don't call me Princess. It's Twilight. Twilight," she told him, narrowing her gaze to show her seriousness. She felt her legs grow somewhat weak from staring into his eyes, but she was determined to stand her ground. Comet Tail was quiet, his eyes shifting from her eyes, her wings, her hooves, her horn, then back at her eyes. "N-now, look..." Twilight began to say. Geez, it had been so easy for him to say it. Now I'm frozen stiff! "I-I know that you're concerned. I know that you worry about what ponies might think if I'm seen with you. But... I-I don't care," she uttered softly, slowly getting closer to him. Her legs felt like they might fall off, but she kept going anyway. "I-I never planned out what I wanted to do in this situation, but I-" "Just kiss him already!" Spike suddenly interjected. "E-EEK!" A sudden push from the dragon made Twilight squeal in surprise before her lips crashed into Comet Tail's. The stallion staggered back at her sudden weight on him, sitting down to prevent the two from completely toppling over. And, suddenly, his expression softened. Upon needing the air, he pulled away from Twilight and gazed at her face, not saying a word. Though she was speechless for a moment as well, she quickly shook off the shock, then placed her hoof on his. "I know you think you aren't worthy of me, but I don't believe that," she whispered. "So... could you... please... just give us a chance?" He was quiet, staring into Twilight's eyes and not cracking a smile. She feared that she hadn't gotten through to him, but, very slowly, he gave her a smile and put a loving hoof to her cheek. "I suppose I could do that. For you," he teased with a gentle tone. Upon hearing those words, Twilight grinned wide and embraced him, her wings practically shaking from joy. Comet Tail embraced her back, slowly stroking her mane and, admittedly, shaking himself. He almost couldn't believe that she was right there, loving him back. But it happened. "Thank you... my little starlight."
Leaving Research BehindIt was quiet in the Ponyville Library. Well, almost. It was quiet if you didn't count the snoring dragon upstairs... That didn't last very long though. The shutting of the front door wasn't enough to disturb Spike, but a sudden sigh from Twilight- "T-TWILIGHT!? I-I WASN'T SLEEPI-WHOA!" THUMP He groaned, having fallen out of his bed. Upon getting up, he looked over to her and tilted his head, seeing her come in with a rather blank expression on her face. "Uhh... you're back?" he asked, not sure of what else to say... and partially trying to draw attention away from the fact that he was sleeping on the job. "Mmhm," Twilight mumbled, slowly unlatching her saddlebag and letting it fall to the ground. "You alright, Twilight? How'd it go?" Spike questioned, hopping down the stairs and searching through the bag for her notes. "It was..." She paused to think of the right word. "...nice." "Nice?" he asked, raising a brow skeptically. "That's all you have to say, Miss Study-Happy Dictionary-Head? Nice?" Hoping to get more answers from her notes, he opened the notepad and skimmed inside. "...You didn't finish again," he said, noticing that her notes came to a halt before she even went into the restaurant. "I know." "It's not like you, Twilight. What's up?" "I don't know." "...Very specific." Spike let out a small grunt and put the notepad away. "Okay then. What does 'nice' mean then? Did you have an actual good time, or what? You're all spacey." Twilight blinked at the question, and finally seemed to snap back to reality after a moment. "I-I really don't know. I went into the restaurant with him and..." "..." "..." "And?" Spike asked, pushing her to go on. "We... had a good time. That's all to say." Traveling over to her mirror, Twilight noticed the redness of her cheeks and frowned slightly. "It's hard to explain. I don't even like going out to eat that much, but... it was nice, even though we didn't really do anything." she muttered. "...That doesn't make any sense," he said, raising a brow once more. She was about to speak again when- SLAM The door, having nearly fallen off its hinges from the blow, opened wide as a white purple-haired unicorn came charging in. "R-Rarity?" Twilight asked, blinking. "R-Rarity..." Spike said dreamily, nearly drooling. The suddenly-there mare gave a flip of her hair before galloping at Twilight, looking ready to tackle her down at any moment. "WHERE IS HE!? WHO IS HE!? WHAT'S HIS NAME!?" she asked loudly. "W-what are you talking about Ra-" "HOW DID YOU TWO MEET!?" "WHAT ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!?" Twilight questioned, yelling back to gain her friend's attention. Rarity blinked for a moment, then smiled excitedly. "Don't you play dumb with me, Twilight! I saw you earlier!" "Saw what? Me with..." She paused for a second, then tilted her head. "...Comet Tail?" "Ah! Ah! You blushed! Right there! Eee!" Tip-tapping her hooves about in excitement, she grinned cheerfully. "I knew it~" "...Knew what?" Twilight questioned, earning a gasp from the white mare. "D-don't tell me! You haven't even noticed it?" "Noticed what?" As if Twilight's words were the worst designed dress ever, Rarity nearly fainted as they were spoken. "Please do not say that I have spell it out for you, darling!" she said. "You've gone out to dinner with the stallion and haven't even made a move?" "Made a move?" Spike questioned, coming back to reality from curiosity. "It must at least be obvious to you, Spike," Rarity said, turning to the dragon. "They're clearly in love!" "L-LOVE!?" Spike and Twilight asked in unison. "What? Did I say something odd?" the purple-haired mare questioned. "I was only stating the truth." "H-how would you even come to such a conclusion?" Twilight asked, grabbing up her notepad and showing it to Rarity. "It's utter-nonsense for one. A-and for two, how could you even tell something like that?" Suddenly, Rarity was silent. "...You... you're serious, aren't you, deary?" she asked in reply. "Of course. I'm just sick with something... or something... I guess," Twilight answered, though her tone full of doubt. Rarity's expression softened, almost looking as if she was pitying her friend. "I saw your face. I saw his face. You both were clearly feeling it, even if you didn't show it." When did Rarity become as random as Pinkie Pie? That sounds ludicrous! "What does love feel like then?" Twilight questioned, choosing it best to play along with Rarity's 'game'. "Like the greatest feeling in the world!" she replied cheerfully, suddenly looking excited again. Wrapping a foreleg around Twilight, she put a hoof to her heart. "You feel so warm when you're around that one pony. Your heart beats at the most rapid of rates, and your cheeks grow ever redder as you get closer. You sometimes even find it hard to do things, because you're always thinking about them and can't stand to stop." Spike blinked at her as he listened to her explanation. "...That sounds horrible," he muttered. Rarity gasped. "It's not! It's the most wonderful thing in the world!" "...So... is that it? I'm in love with Comet Tail?" Twilight asked, blushing slightly as she picked up her notes. "That can't be right... none of my calculations even remotely pointed to tha-H-HEY!" she yelped as Rarity snatched the notepad from her. "Twilight... deary...." she said softly, placing her hooves on Twilight's. "This isn't something to be calculated. It can't be calculated. It isn't science. You can't put it into some silly mathematical equation and hope it makes sense," she explained. "You don't think it. You feel it." Though blinking in confusion only a second ago, Twilight suddenly began doing so in acknowledgement. "I... I... think I get it." Rarity smiled warmly. "Good. Now skedaddle. I'll never forgive you if you don't go talk with that patient stallion in the next five minutes!" Twilight didn't say another word and rushed out the door, leaving Rarity to squeal in excitement. "Oooo~! This is SO great! Soon enough, they'll be spending all their time together as a full-on couple! And it'll be all because I straightened her out when I did! Haha!" she cheered. Rather lost in her own little world, she turned to Spike and giggled. "Looks like you've got competition Spikey-Wikey~" she joked, giggling a bit. After a moment though, she gasped. "That reminds me. I need to get back to Carousel Boutique!" And with that, she rushed out the door as well, while Spike just stood there... alone. "...All of her time...?"
