Twilight growled and kicked the mountain of crumbled up parchment. She'd been trying to write a letter to the Princess for nearly an hour. She didn't know what to say. She wasn't even sure if she was trying to apologize, ask for more information, or just talk about magic as usual.

Now that the scratching of her quill had stopped she heard a soft, almost subliminal tapping sound.

"Come on in, Fluttershy!" She called.

As the door opened she magicked the mound of papers into a ball that was almost as big as her.

Fluttershy walked into the room. "Hi Twilight. How do you always know when it's me?"

"Oh, just a lucky guess." She chuckled. Laughing with seeing a friend helped lighten her mood a bit.

"What's that?" She pointed to the big paper ball.

"Oh, just scrap paper." Twilight rolled the ball into a corner. "So, what's up?"

"I was just wondering how you were doing. There's a really silly rumor going around town. That you asked the Princess to marry you." She giggled nervously.

"Marry? It's way too soon for that! I just-" She stopped, realizing what she had just blurted out.

"Oh, so it is true that you love her then?"

Twilight nodded.

"And she doesn't feel the same way?" She said sympathetically.

"I don't know. Maybe. Either way it isn't fair to her. She'll live forever and I won't. It's just simple math."

Fluttershy put a sympathetic hoof on her shoulder. "Well, maybe so. But I don't think you can figure out love with math. She'd be lucky to spend whatever time she can with you."

The two friends hugged and Twilight felt much better.


Visiting with Fluttershy made Twilight feel better but that evening she again found herself on the balcony gazing toward Canterlot.

"Hello Twilight." Princess Luna remembered to keep her voice down but it still made Twilight jump.

She turned, not meeting the dark blue mare's eyes. "Hello Princess…are you mad at me?"

"Why would I be angry?"

"Did Princess Celestia tell you what happened?"

"Yes, she told me."

Twilight turned and put her front hooves on the railing. "I shouldn't have just sprung that on her so suddenly."

"Twilight, ponies have been asking for my sister's hoof in marriage since our reign began. As well as dragons, griffons, and many creatures that live much longer than ponies. She always turns them down politely but firmly. And none of them have ever made her cry."

"Oh and I made her cry. I'm terrible!" She buried her face in her front legs.

"You misunderstand, Twilight Sparkle. None of those proposals mattered enough to make her cry."

"So…what are you saying?"

"All I can say is that this is not easy for Celestia. But you are very important to her and it was very brave of you to tell her your feelings."