35A/N: Pony fic number 3. Rarity/Dash, Applejack/Fluttershy... it should be obvious what's next on my list. Yep. Twilight/Pinkie. This one will be two parts, I think. I hope this works. Enjoy.
Disclaimer: My Little Pony: Friendship is Magic belongs to Hasbro.
Twilight Sparkle gave a long sigh as she sat peering over a tall stack of books in her library home one day. She was bored. She had absolutely nothing planned that day. To make it even worse, Spike was off to Canterlot for the day again, so there wasn't even anyone to talk to. Back in the old days, she would have relished the solitude as a chance to get some serious reading done, but after so long in Ponyville, now it just felt kind of lonely.
Still, she was sure she could find at least some book to keep her interested. There just had to be something. Her usual books weren't doing it for her at the moment. Maybe she just needed to look at something different she hadn't read before? This was a library after all; there were still a lot of books she had never read, on a lot of topics she still didn't know anything about. Moving languidly to her shelves, Twilight stared blankly ahead. Then, without examining anything very closely, she retrieved a moderately thin book she didn't recognize with her telekinesis.
Her eyes found the title on the front. She read it aloud, "The Secrets of Dating: A Young Mare's Guide."
Twilight frowned and pushed the book back a little. Then, curiosity suddenly hit her. This was certainly something she knew literally nothing about. She smiled awkwardly, unsure of what she was doing. She sighed and slowly opened the book's front cover. She began to read the text slowly.
"Dating is an important part of any young mare's life. This book serves as the ultimate guide telling you everything you could ever want to know about making sure that first date (and all those after) goes absolutely perfectly," Twilight read aloud, with little enthusiasm.
Though not yet convinced, the words started to make Twilight think. She had never been on a date before. She couldn't even remember being asked on one. If this book was right and it was such an important part of a young mare's life, was she missing out on something? Maybe this really was something worth investigating? Twilight was not a romantic like Rarity or Spike; she had never really given the idea of romance even all that much thought. She'd go so far as to admit she lacked a fundamental understanding of said, she was all for trying new things.
She began to read the first chapter of the book: "Finding a Date". The text described certain qualities a young mare should look for in a potential date, how to approach somepony for a date and how to respond when one is asked on a date. Since she hadn't been approached yet, Twilight doubted somepony would just suddenly ask her now. If she was really going to do this, she would have to find someone on herself. That decided she, trotted forward, determined to get started.
By the time she was outside, it hit her that she had absolutely no idea where to even start. She glanced at the ponies all passing by. She had been in Ponyville for multiple seasons now, but she was still a relative newcomer. Though most faces were at least familiar to her, she didn't know all these ponies very well.
The book had recommended asking an acquaintance, but she wasn't even sure most of these ponies were even that. She stood for a moment outside her door, pondering who to ask. Surely she knew some nice colts who would be willing to go out with her. She began to think on just that subject, but the number of names that came to mind were quite few.
"Well... there's Big Macintosh..." Twilight muttered. "But I really don't know him to well... a-and..." She hung her head and sighed. "This is going to be awkward..."
She looked around some more. She hadn't ever noticed it too much, but the Ponyville population really wasn't very evenly split between the sexes. Twilight gave a very long sight and rolled her eyes.
"This would sure be easier if it didn't have to be a colt..." she said under her breath, as she shook her head.
It was then, that out of the corner of her eyes that she caught sight of two vaguely familiar faces. Two young mares, an earth pony with a cream coat and blue and pink mane and a unicorn with a mild green coat and pale blue mane, were walking by in stride with each other. They seemed to trot almost too close to one another, and pleasant smiles graced both their faces.
"Maybe..." Twilight started as she observed. "Maybe it doesn't have to be a colt after all..." Twilight nodded rigidly. "I'll consult the guide!"
Twilight excitedly went back inside and grabbed the dating guide. She read through it quickly. It did seem to be written with a colt in mind for the date being sought from the pronouns used, but it didn't say as much in specific terms. Twilight wasn't entirely sure, but she figured it would still work. Maybe. She decided she'd just take the guide with her this time as a reference. That decided, she emerged from her home once more.
Twilight began to walk slowly down the street. As she did, she brought the book before her and began to glance at it as she walked. She still wasn't sure who to ask, even if it not having to be a colt opened up a lot more options. She read the section on qualities to look for. "A pony should look for somepony strong and dependable; somepony they know they'll always be able to count on when things get tough," it said. Twilight nodded.
"Hey, Twilight! Whatcha up to?" a familiar voice suddenly called to her from behind and above. Twilight turned her head even though she didn't have to in order to recognize the caller.
"Hi Rainbow Dash," she said with a smile. "I was just..." she stared back at the book in front of her and the text on its pages. Her eyes lit up. Dash was perfect! She shut the book forcefully and nodded several times. "I was just looking for you, actually."
"Oh?" Dash started, smirking. "Something only the best young flier in all of Equestria can handle? Go ahead and hit me with it, Twilight!"
Twilight glanced at her book again. The text read, "the best way to ask somepony out is to just be direct and ask them. You're not going to get anywhere if you're too shy." Twilight nodded.
"Whatcha read-" Dash started, flying in closer. Twilight quickly hid the book behind her.
"Rainbow Dash," she said, giving a bold nod. "I want you to go on a date with me!"
Dash stopped in her tracks. She stared at the unicorn for a long while, a dumb look on her face. She was silent for a moment, then she just started laughing. She laughed uncontrollably until there were tears in her eyes from laughing too hard. Twilight just stared at her, wondering what she was doing wrong.
"So..." she started awkwardly, forcing a smile. "Is that a yes?"
"Bahahahahaha! Twilight..." Dash continued to laugh madly. "That has to be the funniest thing I've ever heard..."
"Umm... yeah..." said Twilight, pulling out the book. She looked for a section about how to respond when your prospective partner laughs uncontrollably in your face, but she wasn't finding anything.
"The Secrets of-" Dash began to read the title of the book. Her incessant laughter reached a new peak. "Twilight, you nerd... this is just too much..."
The pegasus pony just laughed and laughed and Twilight's embarrassment only grew and grew. Finally, she had just had enough. "Uh... well, forget I asked, Dash..." she quickly said, and then she bolted away as quick as she could.
When she was sure Dash was far away and not coming after her, she brought the book to her face again. Dash probably just wasn't the right sort of pony to aske. She read more on what she should be looking for, "consider your future with this pony. If possible, he should be somepony who is hard working and reliable. Honest, down to earth personalities, though maybe not as immediately alluring in the beginning are often more ideal if you're looking for something long ter-"
Twilight's reading was interrupted suddenly as she ran into something. She fell backwards, her book falling on the ground.
"Um... Twilight..." a very familiar voice called to her once more. "I'm thinkin' it really ain't so great an idea to be readin' and walkin' at same time..."
"Oh... Applejack," Twilight started, shaking her head rapidly to regain her senses. She noticed it was Applejack's sales stall she had walked right into.
"Ah... yeah..." said Twilight, laughing awkwardly. "I'm sorry, Applejack... I was just..."
"Ah, it's fine, Twilight. I know how you get with those there books," Applejack said warmly. "Ya just gotta keep at least one eye on the road or there's sure to be trouble."
"I'll keep that in mind," said Twilight, smiling at her friend. "Thanks!"
"Ain't no problem at all," said Applejack, smiling. "Care to buy an apple?" she said, waving a hoof over what she was selling.
Then it hit Twilight. "Hard working", "reliable", "down to earth"? This was describing Applejack!
"Yes," Twilight said, feeling she had gotten somewhere.
"Oh, so you do want an apple?" Applejack started, tilting her head.
"No, that's not it," said Twilight, shaking her head.
"So what then?" Applejack asked, expressing mild frustration.
"Applejack," Twilight started in a strong voice. "Will you go on a date with me?"
Applejack blinked repeatedly then took a step backward. She narrowed her eyes and stared at the other pony, looking confused. "Beg your pardon?"
"Will you go on a date with me?" Twilight repeated, much less firmly then before.
"I thought that's what you said..." Applejack said, irritation appearing on her face.
"Well...?" Twilight started, gulping.
"Er... Twilight..." Applejack gave an awkward laugh. "What the hay are you askin' that for...?"
Twilight looked away and then down. Her eyes met the book on the ground. Applejack followed her to it. She frowned.
"A Young Mare's Guide..." she read from the cover. "Listen here, Twilight. It's about time you learned something important!" Applejack raised her voice.
"Um... yeah?" asked Twilight, forcing her own awkward laugh and smile.
"Your books are just dandy for learnin' about some things," the hard working pony started, actually looking a little angry. "There are just some things you can't be learnin' from no book."
"But this book seems pretty informative," Twilight countered with a nod.
"Twilight, you silly pony..." Applejack said, shaking her head. "This just ain't how you do it right!"
"I guess that's a no, then?" Twilight started, opening her eyes wider.
Applejack just frowned disapprovingly and scowled at her.
"I'll just be leaving then..." said Twilight with a nervous laugh, grabbing her book and slipping off, all while her friend still glared at her.
Twilight trotted off quickly, a little lost as to what she was doing wrong. Ah well, she'd just try someone else. She'd get the proper response out of someone, she was sure. She opened the book and began to read a little more from it. "You want to look for someone who can connect to you emotionally. A little sensitivity and kindness can go a long way." Twilight nodded and lowered her book. She blinked quickly. Fluttershy was right in front of her, playing with a small cat, a smile on her face. Twilight smiled. This time, the book was clearly talking about the very pony who had appeared in front of her.
"Hey, Fluttershy," said Twilight, approaching the meek pegasus. Fluttershy glanced at her. "What's up?"
"Oh, hi Twilight," the pegasus pony said in a soft voice. "I was just playing with this little guy," she giggled and smiled at the cat. "I'm watching over him for his owner."
"I see," said Twilight, nodding. There really was nopony more kind and sensitive than this one. "That's really great."
"So what about you, Twilight?" asked Fluttershy, tilting her head in curiosity.
Twilight thought about how exactly she should ask Fluttershy to go on a date with her. It seemed a little harder to just come out with it than it had been with the other two. The book had said to be direct when asking, but Twilight knew she was going to have to be a little softer with this pony. She looked down and coughed.
"Um..." she said in a low voice. "There's something I'd like to ask you, Fluttershy..."
"Yes, Twilight?" Fluttershy started, nodding softly.
"Well... er..." Twilight spoke, wondering if she should even say it. Then resolve hit her and she stepped forward. "Will you go on a date with me?"
Fluttershy's face seemed to suddenly pale in shock. She shook a little and then made some high indistinguishable sounds. Twilight wondered then if perhaps she hadn't made a mistake. She took a step back, looked at the ground and then at the other pony.
"I... er..." Twilight started with an uneasy laugh. Flutttershy said almost nothing for about a minute. Twilight began to wonder is she had broken her somehow.
"I'm very flattered that you feel that way about me, Twilight... " Fluttershy finally managed to stiffly reply in a very quiet voice, her face reddened by a deep blush.. "But I'm just not sure I can think about you like that..."
"Oh..." said Twilight with a sigh. "Alright then. Guess I'll go ask someone else then."
"Ask someone else?" Fluttershy started, surprised by the words, looking a little panicked.
"Yeah," said Twilight, pulling her book out and opening it. "I'm sure I'll find someone who will say yes..."
"Oh...!" Fluttershy started as she stared at the dating guide book Twilight was reading. "Umm... Twilight..."
"Yeah?" Twilight responded.
"That's not..." she spoke in a meek voice, looking at the book closely. "I-I mean..." she stuttered and stopped herself. "Er... never mind."
"Okay then," said Twilight, nodding. "Sorry to trouble you then."
"Umm... it's quite alright, Twilight," Fluttershy meekly replied.
"See you later then," said Twilight with a smile as she began to walk away slowly.
"You too, Twilight," Fluttershy called back, some awkwardness still in her voice, waving her hoof at her friend.
As she walked, Twilight gave a long sigh. Another attempt to find a date had ended strangely. Twilight pondered Fluttershy's reactions, but they really didn't make sense to her. Just what was she doing wrong? She still wasn't ready to give up though. She started to read her book again. Once more, she consulted the section about qualities to look for in a date, eager to find out who she should ask next. "It's always a plus if the pony your after is a real romantic. A little charm can go a really long way. Likewise, no young mare should ever be ashamed to let simple style and good looks sway her decisions."
Twilight nodded. This bit was clearly about Rarity. This firmly decided, Twilight began to trot quickly ahead in the direction of Carousel Boutique. It didn't take very long before the familiar dress shop was in Twilight's sights. She approached it readily and knocked at the door. It opened shortly after.
"Ah, Twilight, do please come in," said Rarity, appearing in the door, smiling at her fellow unicorn pony.
"Thanks," said Twilight, walking through the door, which Rarity closed behind her. "I hope I'm not disturbing anything."
"No, no. Don't worry about that. Work is light today. I have more than enough time for a visit from a friend," said Rarity in a warm voice.
"Great!" said Twilight, smiling.
"Now then," Rarity said, nodding. "What can I do for you today, Twilight?" Rarity asked, looking quite eager. "You need a dress? Or maybe you just want another makeover~!"
"I... uh... no, that's not it today," said Twilight, shaking her head.
"Oh?" said Rarity, tilting her head. "That's too bad." The stylish unicorn gave a short sigh. "So what did you come to me for today?"
"Well... actually..." Twilight started, feeling a little nervous. "There was something I wanted to ask you, Rarity?"
"Go on," Rarity urged, nodding her head.
"Would you go on a date with me?" Twilight asked, finding her courage.
Rarity's eyes widened in shock. Unlike the others, she was hardly stunned though. She hardly missed a beat before starting to speak. "My word, Twilight... I do question why you might suddenly propose such a thing?"
"Well... I just wanted to try it..." said Twilight giving a nod. She then raised the dating book. "This book says it's important..."
Rarity examined the book and shook her head in disapproval. "Twilight, I must say this rubbish is simply beneath you."
"What?" said Twilight, surprised. "That book is really no good?" She hung her head. "That must be why all the others reacted so strangely."
"The others?" Rarity started, some fear appearing in her eyes. "Please tell me you didn't ask all of our other friends on dates too, Twilight?"
"Yep," said Twilight, nodding. "I asked Rainbow Dash, Applejack and Fluttershy."
Rarity shook her head and frowned. "And how did that go?" she asked, rolling her eyes, looking as if she already knew the answer.
"Dash laughed at me, AJ actually got kind of angry with me, and Fluttershy... she just seemed really shocked..." said Twilight, forcing a grin as she recalled the peculiar reaction.
"As they all should have, Twilight. This really is quite ridiculous," Rarity said, shaking her head once more.
"Is that book so wrong?" Twilight asked, not quite getting it.
"Some of the things written it are probably pretty good, I'd have to read it myself to find out," said Rarity evenly. "But you see, Twilight. That's really not the point. It's the very idea of this book that's the problem."
"What do you mean?" asked Twilight, confused.
"It just doesn't work like that, Twilight. Romance is not something a pony should need a guide for. It's something that needn't be studied and analyzed. It's something that just happens..." Rarity explained in a low voice.
"Ah... I understand..." said Twilight, laughing awkwardly.
"Do you? Something tells me you don't understand it at all..." said Rarity, actually sounding kind of troubled. "That you would ask out your friends based solely on what some book says... it really does seem to say you don't even know what it means to date someone."
"But that why I wanted to find out," said Twilight, nodding. "It's just like when we had that sleepover with Applejack. New experiences can never be a bad thing. And the best way to understand something is to try it for yourself."
"There are some key differences between this and that, Twilight," said Rarity, shaking her head. "Dating isn't just some activity you do to have fun. It's rooted in love."
"Love?" Twilight questioned, not entirely sure she was following the other unicorn.
"Yes, Twilight," said Rarity. "To put it simply, a pony would have to be completely crazy to agree to go on a date with you without love being there."
"Oh..." said Twilight, trying to think up a solution. Her eyes lit up as a thought hit her. If love was what was needed, all she needed to do was fall in love. It was that-
"And don't think you can just suddenly force yourself to be in love, Twilight. It doesn't work like that," said Rarity in a quiet voice. "It's just not something that can be forced."
"Alright then..." said Twilight, hanging her head in defeat. "Guess I've taken this as far as I possibly can..." She gave a long sigh. "Thanks for cluing me in, Rarity..."
"It was my pleasure, Twilight. I'd hate for my friend to stay so misguided," said Rarity, flipping her hair proudly.
"I guess I should probably leave you to your work then," Twilight said, giving a weak smirk.
"Nonsense! Please, Twilight, stay as long as you please," said Rarity with a firm shake of her head. "I really do have a dress that I think you would look just perfect in!"
"I'd really love to..." said Twilight glancing upward as she backed up. "But... uh... I just remembered I have stuff to do. Lots of serious stuff."
"Oh? Stuff?" Rarity said, showing curiosity at the nondescript word.
"Yep. Stuff," said Twilight, nodding several times. "Important stuff..."
"You don't truly have a thing to do today, do you Twilight?" Rarity asked, seeing right through the other pony's act. Twilight gave an awkward laugh as she blushed.
"Er... I do... I do..." said Twilight trying to think of something. Eventually she gave the first excuse that popped into her head. As it was, her mind went to the one close friend she hadn't seen that day. "I promised Pinkie Pie that I'd spend time with her today."
"Oh, is that so?" said Rarity, looking as if she didn't completely buy it. "Well, if you must then... Carry on."
"See ya later, Rarity," said Twilight as she turned to leave.
"Yes. Do come again, Twilight," Rarity said with a nod to her. Twilight hurried out the door.
She gave a sigh of relief, knowing she had just narrowly escaped an endless dress up session. As much as she valued Rarity's company, and as much as she genuinely really liked the dresses Rarity would have her wear, she wasn't in the mood for that today, especially not after embarrassing herself in front of Rarity and everyone else. Besides, even after hearing what she had from the other unicorn, curiosity still had it's hold on her. No, perhaps more than before even, she wanted desperately to understand romance and dating.
Twilight began to consider her next course of action. She'd return home to find more and better resources. She hated not understanding something. Her library surely had many books to consult. She'd be able to unravel the bigger picture in no time, starting with finding out just how to fall in love.
Collecting her dating book and her confidence, she stepped away from Carrousel Botique. She didn't manage but three steps from the door, when from out of virtually nowhere, something hopped spontaneously hopped into her path. It was something very pink.
"Hi, Twilight!" said Pinkie Pie, her eyes lit up with excitement as she jumped up and down next to the other pony.
"Oh... hey, Pinkie..." said Twilight, smiling at the pony.
"I'm all ready," said Pinkie with an enthusiastic nod.
"Ready?" Twilight questioned. "Ready for what?"
"Hanging out with you," said Pinkie Pie eagerly. "Like you told Rarity."
Twilight was stunned. "Pinkie... you heard that?" she started, disappointed. "You were eavesdropping..."
"Nope!" Pinkie replied firmly.
"Then how did you know?" asked Twilight, deeply confused.
"My back left hoof tapped seven times, then I sneezed twice," said Pinkie in an explanatory voice, like that made everything completely clear.
"What does that mean?" asked Twilight, rolling her eyes a little.
"Duh! It means Twilight Sparkle said she would spend time with me, silly," said Pinkie said, laughing at her. "Everypony knows that!"
Twilight just stared at her odd friend for a while, unsure what to even think. She had given up trying to question things like this. "Um... okay... Pinkie..."
"So what are we going to do first, Twilight?" asked Pinkie eagerly, a big grin on her face.
"Er... well... I was going to do some research..." said Twilight dismissively, hoping her friend would take the hint.
"That sounds boring," said Pinkie. "I think we should play a game instead!"
"Pinkie... I really don't-" Twilight started in a low voice.
"Quick! Guess what I'm thinking about, Twilight!" Pinkie cut the other pony off to shout, her body becoming rigid as she looked Twilight in the eye.
"Uh... cupcakes," Twilight guessed, rolling her eyes then giving a reluctant sigh.
"Nope!" Pinkie responded immediately
"Balloons?" said Twilight, glancing at her friend's cutie mark.
"Nope!" the other pony repeated, shaking her head
"Parties?"
"That's not it either."
"Pinkie... I really don't-" Twilight started, fed up with the game.
"I'll give you one hint," said Pinkie, nodding. "It's a pony."
"Fluttershy?" said Twilight reluctantly.
"Nope."
"Rainbow Dash? Applejack? Rarity?" said Twilight in quick succession.
"No, no and no," said Pinkie Pie firmly.
"Mr. or Mrs. Cake?" asked Twilight next, thinking about the other people Pinkie knew.
"Not right," chimed Pinkie Pie.
"Princess Celestia?" Twilight guessed next, smiling.
"Nope!" the pink pony called out.
"I give up!" said Twilight, tired of guessing. "Who are you thinking about?"
Pinkie tilted her head slightly and smiled. After a moment, she said, "I forgot."
"Pinkie, that's-!" Twilight started, showing signs of anger.
"That was fun," said Pinkie Pie suddenly. "What do you want to do now, Twilight...?"
Twilight shook her head, honestly hoping her friend would slow down. "What I want to do is-"
"Oh! Oh! I know," said Pinkie bouncing up and down.
"Yes, Pinkie Pie...?" Twilight asked, giving a long frustrated sigh.
"We should go see what Rainbow Dash is doing!" said Pinkie, nodding several times.
Twilight smiled deviously. If she could dump Pinkie off on someone else, she'd be free to go research some more. "Okay, Pinkie," she said. "Let's go find her..."
"Goodie! Rainbow Dash is always fun," said Pinkie Pie with a smile. "Of course you're really fun too, Twilight."
"Thanks," said Twilight smiling a little, suddenly feeling a little sorry about what she had just thought. Pinkie could be a little annoying sometimes, but Twilight really did value her as a friend.
Still, Twilight had undertaken a new quest. She was going to uncover the mysteries of this world of dating and romance she couldn't seem to penetrate, no matter what it took. She couldn't let Pinkie Pie get in the way of that. To get a head start, she began to read the dating book again as she walked. Rarity said this book wouldn't help her, but Twilight was positive at least some of its contents might prove helpful.
"Whatcha reading?" Pinkie Pie excitedly questioned, her head popping up between Twilight and the book.
"A book," said Twilight with an amused roll of her eyes.
Pinkie giggled. "You're funny, Twilight. Of course it's a book!" Pinkie examined the pages. "What book is it?"
"It's about dates," said Twilight in a low voice, kind of ashamed to be admitting it.
"Oh!" said Pinkie, nodding excitedly. "I've had those before. They're kind of tasty."
Twilight stared at her friend for a moment completely confused. Then slowly, she figured out in her head what Pinkie was getting at. "No, Pinkie. I don't mean the type of fruit called the date..."
"You don't? Pinkie twisted her head almost too much, clearly surprised. "Then what?" she demanded.
"I mean like... you know... when..." Twilight suddenly became very embarrassed. She didn't understand why. This was Pinkie Pie she was talking to after all. "When two ponies go out together..."
"Oh! That kind of date," Pinkie Pie started. "Why you reading about that, Twilight?"
"I'm just curious..." Twilight admitted with a blush. "I don't know anything about this sort of thing... and when there's something I don't know about... I kind of like to figure it out."
"I see, I see!" Pinkie said with exuberant nods. "I think that's really cool!"
"You do?" Twilight asked, a little surprised.
"Yep, yep!" Pinkie Pie continued nodding. "Say, Twilight, have I ever told you the story of the time I threw that absolutely amazing anniversary party for Mr. and Mrs. Cake?"
"No, you haven't," Twilight shook her head, interested in hearing the story.
"Well..." Pinkie started, taking a deep breath. "You see, I really, really love Mr. and Mrs. Cake since they let me stay at Sugarcube Corner and watch out for me and give me all the yummy, scrumptious, super-tasty cakes and sweets I could ever, ever want. So one time I wanted to do something super extra special, you know, to pay them back. So I was like, 'what can I do?' And then I was like, 'I don't know. What should I do?' Then suddenly it hit me! I'd throw them the most super exciting fun party ever and it would be awesome!" Pinkie spoke a mile a minute, leaving Twilight momentarily stunned.
"I see... so..." Twilight finally managed, not sure where the story was going.
"So, I wanted the party to be a surprise since surprise parties are super, super fun. And I wanted it to be for a special occasion, so I waited and I remembered they were having their anniversary and so I decided to throw the party the day after that since I was sure they probably wanted to be alone actually on their anniversary since that just seems right, but on the day after I was sure they'd be happy to have a party so I decided that would be when I scheduled the party, so I scheduled the party," Pinkie bounced and smiled as she continued her story. "And then I made a whole bunch of cakes and cupcakes and other sweet stuff in secret while they weren't around and hid them for the party, and I was really proud of it all and I was sure this was going to be the best party ever!"
"Yeah, so what happened?" Twilight asked, by now used to the impossible rate at which words were spilling from the excitable earth pony's mouth.
"I invited everyone. I invited Rarity and Rainbow Dash and Applejack and Big Macintosh and Granny Smith and Cheerilee and Flower Wishes and Caramel and Mr. Breezy and Ditzy Doo and the Mayor and lots and lots of other ponies. So then when the party came, it was like everypony in Ponyville was there! Of course this wasn't true since someponies couldn't make it, but I understood since sometimes not everypony can make it and it still felt like everypony was there at the party except the ones that weren't, but I'm sure you know what I mean. And so we all surprised Mr. and Mrs. Cake and they were both really, really happy and surprised that I had prepared such a totally super awesome party all by myself. But then something happened..."
"Yes?" Twilight questioned, still waiting for the pay off.
"I accidentally tripped and dropped a whole tray of cupcakes," said Pinkie, giving a little jump, looking more intense. "But I decided to eat them all anyways since they still looked good to me."
"Okay..." Twilight started, tilting her head, a little confused. "Then what?"
"We all had a super fun time and everyone was really happy," Pinkie said, her voice finally slowing down.
"Alright..." Twilight spoke. "What does any of that have to do with dating or romance?"
"Not really anything," said Pinkie, stopping to think. "Weren't you listening? It was about me throwing a super awesome party!"
"I see..." Twilight gave a weak laugh. "Then why did you tell me it?"
"Because you said you hadn't heard it before, you silly filly," said Pinkie, punctuated with giggling.
Twilight just stared at her, deeply confused. Then she started to laugh. Wasn't she used to this by now? This was just how Pinkie Pie was. "You sure are a crazy pony, Pinkie Pie..."
Pinkie Pie giggled happily and smiled at her friend. Twilight's eyes widened. Rarity's words returned to her. "To put it simply, a pony would have to be completely crazy to agree to go on a date with you without love being there," the fashionable unicorn had said. Maybe this would work then? Surely firsthand experience was the best way for her to figure this dating thing out. With a certifiably crazy pony like Pinkie Pie, it just might work.
She glanced back in her book. There weren't any passages about, hyperactivity, sweet obsession, compulsive party-throwing and general insanity being good qualities to look for in a date. There was a single line mentioning that a good sense of humor could be important, but that was the only thing she saw that said Pinkie Pie to her. Twilight shook her head and stowed the book away. Regardless of all that, this might just be her only chance. She had to take it.
"Pinkie Pie," said Twilight suddenly, stepping forward.
"Yeah?" Pinkie started, smiling and turning toward Twilight.
"Would you go on a date with me?" Twilight asked, unafraid.
Pinkie looked taken aback for a moment. Then her eyes lit up. She smiled. "Oh my Celestia, yes, yes, yes! I'd really, really like that a whole bunch!"
"Really?" Twilight started, a little surprised.
"Yep, yep! It makes me super happy that you'd ask me, Twilight," said Pinkie with a healthy bounce.
"Well... alright then," said Twilight, smiling. "Let's meet up tonight."
"Okay!" said Pinkie Pie eagerly.
"Awesome. See you then, Pinkie..." Twilight said as she began to walk away.
"Bye, Twilight! This is going to be fun..." Pinkie said, still looking very excited as they parted.
Twilight began to trot back home. She'd use the time before her date with Pinkie to read a little more. She still didn't know very much about dating. She had only read the first couple chapters of her dating book and wasn't even very sure what you did on a date. By the time the sun set that day, she'd be an expert.
Scarcely an hour late, inside her library, Twlight put down The Secrets of Dating, having read it in its entirety. She stared ahead blankly, unsure of what she had just read. The last few chapters had been about certain... activities... ponies were supposed to do when they were dating.
Twilight wasn't sure what to think about this. It confused her. Sure, she had heard about such things before. She wasn't that sheltered. But to read about it being described in such terms... and as such an integral part of the dating process... she just wasn't sure what to think. It did say these things weren't supposed to happen ideally on the first date, but just the thought of doing such things with Pinkie Pie made her feel very funny.
This was just an experiment though. She was only taking this so far, just to increase her understanding of the subject. Then again... this was definitely a part of it she had absolutely no experience with. Pinkie Pie had seemed legitimately excited too. Twilight didn't know how far the pink pony wanted to take this. She didn't know how far she wanted to take this. She didn't know anything.
A little scared, Twilight rested her head on her desk. She didn't feel like reading anymore. She wondered if she really had made a terrible mistake. She sighed as she briefly considered canceling the date. Her thoughts then turned to the brightness of Pinkie Pie's smile.
"No... I started this," said Twilight to herself. "I'll see it through... no matter where it leads..."
That decided, Twilight glanced at her clock. In just a few hours, she supposed, she'd finally have her answers. That was, if the anxiety didn't kill her first.
A/N: Part 1. Very romance light, I know. This one required a lot of set up. Pinkie is really hard to work with. She really is just one crazy pony. Twilight is a lot of fun. I highlighted her extremely socially awkward side, her over reliance on books and her tendency to get overly excited about things. I might have gone a touch overboard with all that, but it's for comedic effect for the most part. The second part will be more romance focused, obviously and I hope to actually get into Pinkie Pie POV, though I'm dreading that to an extent, since it just sounds really challenging (do don't be surprised if part 2 is also Twilight POV). Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this story so far. Thanks for reading.
