My Little Pony-Friendship is Magic

The Romancing Quest

By Doctor Scraps

Disclaimer: My Little Pony- Friendship is Magic is property of Hasbro and all affiliated parties involved, and the author claims no rights to any characters, settings, or events. This story was written for entertainment purposes only.

A/N: Having to stay up all night to prep for a graveyard shift tomorrow, I decided getting this chapter done would be the best expense of my time. This is the chapter where cute things happen. And maybe a little bit of continuing with the story that I think might be developing.

…

Chapter 12

…

Rarity had become obsessed.

Five days had passed since Rarity, Sweetie-Belle and Applebloom had been witness to Trixie sneaking into Twilight Sparkles home, with Twilights assistance. Rarity had been adamant about shouldering the blame for Twilights unfaithfulness to poor, sweet Big Macintosh, dedicating every spare minute she had outside of work to studying and gleaming from her various novels of romance and debauchery for some inspiration to go with her plan to return Twilight to the light.

The affair needed to be exposed, but only to the involved parties. Celestia forbid Applejack catch wind of it, or all of Ponyville might be rendered to splintered ruin in her fury and pursuit. She needed a way of ensuring that Twilight, Macintosh, and Trixie crossed paths at the same time, while Twilight was in the company of one or the other. That was the general plan. For that, she needed info.

"Sis, why are we in the bushes again?" Sweetie-Belle asked as she batted at an offending limb that kept brushing her face, while Rarity peered intently through a pair of binoculars aimed straight at the Library, the window lights coming on as late evening approached.

"Because, dear, we need to observe Twilight and Trixie…" Rarity readjusted the leopard print pitch helmet she was wearing, ensuring her perm hadn't been to terribly disturbed. "…Now, read to me what you and Scootaloo documented yesterday."

Sweetie-Belle sighed and pulled out a notebook. "Lunch Time, Twilight meets with Pinkie Pie. Went to bakery. Scootaloo and I ate a brownie. Met with Applebloom shortly after. Lost sight of Twilight. Saw her again an hour later. She went home. 4pm- Thought heard a sneeze from the balcony, turned out to be Spike. Returned home to meet with you."

Rarity blinked. "That's all?"

"We didn't wanna break into her place twice!" Sweetie-Belle protested.

"Touché, my love, touché." Rarity conceded as she returned to her binoculars. "Ooooh, I know she's still in there. Unless she's been coming and going in the dead of night. How sneaky of her…and yet, subtly romantic…"

"Can I go home now? I'm hungry." Sweetie-Belle asked.

"Ah, yes of course, dear…Make me a salad, and put it in the ice box for me, would you?" Rarity said, taking her eyes off of the library just long enough to miss a cloaked figure dark across the field in and into Twilights bedroom window.

…

Trixie was getting a bit tired of all the sneaking around, not that she didn't understand the reasoning behind it. After going to all that trouble to publicly announce which of the two, Trixie or Mactintosh, would be dating Twilight Sparkle, this new arrangement was definitely a social arrangement one…eased into, rather than shouting from your open window.

Trixie trotted into the living room, where Twilight was busy with her nose stuck in a volume of lore and knowledge, thick enough to kill a pony by Trixie's analysis. Twilight soon diverted her attention to Trixie, smiling pleasantly..

"How'd the show go?" She asked, referring to the engagement in Manehattan Trixie had ventured off to attend. Trixie crawled up onto the couch alongside Twilight and let out a weary, if not a bit frustrated, sigh.

"…I've suffered worse crowds for better money." Trixie admitted with her head turned up high.

"Well, keep your chin up…Not like that, you know what I mean. I bet you'll knock them dead next time." Twilight returned her attention to her book. Her attention didn't remain there for long, as she felt somepony's gaze burning a hole in the side of her head. Turning back to Trixie, she was graced with Trixie looking at Twilight with a wide eyed gaze, while her head was tilted a bit at a downward angle, hooves neatly curled in front of her. This was, Twilight discovered, Trixies "cute" look. It also doubled as her "pay attention to me, please" look, a more…adorable…variation of the "pay attention to me, peasants!" expression she used in her show. It was her "subtle" way of expressing she wanted to be affectionate. Twilight simply smiled and scooted closer to Trixie, nuzzling her nose against her neck.

"Silly Trixie…" Twilight purred.

"D-don't twease me…" Trixie used her cute voice, pawing at Twilight with her curled forelegs. "I haven't seen you since yesterday."

Twilight giggled and closed the book. Now that Trixie was home, she could get started on dinner. She could already hear Spike puttering around upstairs complaining he was starving to death.

"No Macintosh tonight?" Trixie asked, laying her head down on the couch as Twilight got up to trot into the kitchen.

"Not tonight. I guess Granny Smith was giving him a small guilt trip about always spending the night over here and not with the family."

Trixie felt her heart skip. In the days since she and Macintosh had discussed this…shared relationship…she had yet to spend a night alone with Twilight. Her imagination was already beginning to run off with her, picturing herself under Twilights quilt, and Twilight saucily crawling towards her across the bed, whilst purring 'don't worry…I'll be gentle'.

"What's with that expression?" a boyish voice rattled Trixie out of her fantasy, looking down to see Spike looking up at her, a scaly brow arched questioningly. Trixie shook her head, laughing uneasily. "Oh, nothing, little one. Just…compiling my thoughts?"

Spike hated it when Trixie called him 'little one'. He didn't need the reminder. "Right, well Twi wants to know how you like your grass."

…

It was during dinner that Twilight suddenly took notice how…old Trixies cape was. The colors were definitely faded, and the collar had a rip in it. She pointed it out, politely of course, however Trixie cursed all the same under her breath, pulling the garment off to inspect the frayed thread.

"…Ooh, great, now I have to make a trip all the way into Canterlot to get this fixed…"

"I could have Rarity fix it for you." Twilight suggested.

"Oh, but…Wouldn't that expose us a bit…prematurely?" Trixie asked.

"Oh don't worry about it. I'll just mix it in with some things I need to take to her anyway tomorrow. She never charges me for simple mending"

"Well…It would save me a few bits…" Trixie ran her hoof over the rip in the fabric of her grandfathers cape. An then imagined what horrors Rarity would visit upon it if she knew if it was hers.

Spike looked to Twilight, gnawing on a lapis lazuli. "…Does she always faint like that?"

…

In the theater, the audience goes "my what a good scene that was". The actor, on the other hand, goes "I can't believe my pacing was off." When the rains come in Ponyville, everyone goes "what a delightful drizzle". The weather team captain goes "I think we may have gotten the west fields a little too damp."

Always the same, when you are a professional, you tend to always see the mistakes you make more than the successes. The same goes into bringing the night. Bringing the day was simple. Wipe the sky clean, make it blue, summon forth the burning sphere. The night required a bright white disc, the proper shade of a blackish blue sky, and then, the stars. Good heavens, the stars. Princess Luna mused to herself that she could spend all night, and still think they weren't quite right, just before Celestia came to wipe her canvas clean all over again.

Her satisfaction with her work had flatlined in the previous few days. She found herself now sitting on a bench, staring up at her nights work, nitpicking how the constellations weren't spaced right, that cluster was too clustered…That star shouldn't even be there…

"Excuse me…?" A soft voice chimed in, disturbing Luna's critique of her work. Beside her, a yellow Pegasus with a pink mane was sitting there, watching her.

"Oh…Lady Fluttershy…I didn't hear you approach…" Luna nodded to her. In greeting.

"Well, I mean…I noticed that you were sitting in my front yard…" Fluttershy motioned to the bench itself, which was situated not far from Fluttershy's front door.

"Oh, I see…" Luna ran a hoof over the smooth wood.

"Not that I mind, you are the Princess after all…" Fluttershy quickly added, before tilting her head curiously. "…But, what are you doing here?"

"Just…looking at the stars, I suppose." Luna looked skyward, Fluttershy doing the same.

"…They're so beautiful."

"They're rubbish."

"Oh…I-I see…If you say so…"Luna sighed.

"…I'm just being difficult…" Luna said.

"Would you…like to be alone?" Fluttershy asked. Luna shook her head.

"No…I'm a little tired of being alone…That's how it was back then you know…All alone." Luna mused. "…I would go out, and bring the night, but there was no one to talk to…Everyone was afraid of the dark…Afraid of me, perhaps. Sister always said it was something else the subjects feared. What I would have given for one soul to speak with then…"

"I'm sorry." Fluttershy said.

"Hmm? Oh…I'm just talking to myself again…"

"But I'm listening."

"I…T-that's true, isn't it?"

"Princess?"

"Yes, Fluttershy?"

"What was Equestria like back then…?"

"Oh…Well, I was very young when sister brought me to this world, after she banished the evil Nightmare and the Darkponies that had enslaved the Earth Ponies…"

…

Twilight hummed as she used her levitation magic to brush her teeth, tilting her head side to side. In the mirror, she could see Trixie dressing into her powder blue, star printed pajama's.

"Mmm mhrrr myrrh mmmm." Twilight attempted.

"Rinse and spit, my love, rinse and spit." Trixie instructed, using her magic to fasten the buttons on her pajama top. Twilight gargled and spat.

"…I said, you know, you're the only one in this house that wears clothes."

"Well…it's not a crime to like the feel of fabrics, now is it?" Trixie stated haughtily, turning with a swish of the tail to trot into the bedroom.

Crawling into bed, Twilight took her favored position in the middle, on her back, with her front hooves resting on her stomach. Trixie wiggled in next to her, fidgeting some. And then fidgeting more. Twilight cracked an eye.

"…I think this is Macintosh's side of the bed…" Trixie grunted as she shifted her flank around under the blanket.

"…How can you tell?" Twilight asked, closing her eyes again.

"…There's this big…Macintosh shape indent in your mattress." Trixie explained.

"Then get on the other side…" Twilight suggested. She had a moment of quiet before she 'oof'ed as Trixie crawled over her to get at the other side of the bed., and then more wiggling and shifting. Then Trixie sighed in approval. Twilight sighed as well.

"Goodnight, Trixie…" Twilight yawned.

"Goodnight, my love…" Trixie cooed as she snuggled up against Twilight. This was nice…No Macintosh and his big hooves getting in her way of being snuggly with Twilight. None of that farm smell either. Would it kill him to bathe before coming to bed? No, it was just her laying there against Twilights side, listening to the soft sound of her breathing…and Trixie not being the least bit sleepy. She was a little too giddy about having Twilight all to herself for a night, that she almost kicked and squealed in delight. The fear of being banished to the sofa kept her quite silent and still.

"Trixie…"

"Yes?"

"Your tail is swishing."

…

Dawn was approaching. Luna had something of a natural clock for these things. She had no idea how long she and Fluttershy had spent talking…well, Luna doing most of the talking, but at some point she had eventually found her way to bed. She yawned and stretched her midnight blue wings, pondering going out to see Celestia raise the sun before going back to bed…when she had a realization…She was not in her room, and this was not her bed. For one, her bed was circular…this was a common square bed. Secondly…That was definitely Fluttershy sleeping soundly beside her.

Luna tapped her hooves together, feeling a bit awkward. "…What…happened last night?"

…

Rarity had given up on laying in wait for Trixie, and eventually returned home to muse and grumble in a ladylike fashion. She had stayed up late browsing her paperback copy of 'The Tack Shed Diaries', nibbling some bonbons. Come morning, she was still turning things over in her head, while pretending to contemplate a new dress design. Her attention to her scheming was diverted by Twilight, whom had appeared with a few articles that were in need of some repair.

"I'm sorry for bringing you these. I'm just such a klutz when it comes to sewing." Twilight confessed as Rarity sorted through the old quilts and whatnot, giving varying expressions of 'you keep this in your home'.

"Oh, don't be daft, darling. It's my pleasure to assist you. Besides, it's good to work on something that's not a dress…What is this?" Rarity pulled out a star-studded cape. A very shabby cape at that.

"Oh, that…t-that's the cape you made me for that dress mishap. Remember?" Twilight smiled through her teeth, adding a nervous laugh. "That was a crazy time, huh?"

"Hmmm…I remember all my works, even the bad one's, and this one, Darling, is definitely not one of mine…This is Trixie's cape!" Rarity recalled that pattern, and that gem that made up the clasp.

"W-What? No! No no no. No. No. Definitely not. No it's not." Twilight stated. Rarity glared. "It's not."

"You are a terrible liar, Twilight Sparkle." Rarity leaned in close to Twilight. "You're not hiding something…Scandalous, are you?"

"Have you been reading those books of yours again?" Twilight tried to brush it off with a small laugh, but Rarity was having none of it.

"Yes, but that's beside the point. You have been acting very peculiarly of late, Twilight. Is there something you want to tell me?"

Twilight swallowed. She had practiced tell everyone about the arrangement with Trixie and Macintosh…but the mere thought made Twilight feel sick, and her mind brought about horrible thoughts of everypony looking down on her, judging her.

"Nothing at all!" Twilight chirped, starting to back up for the door. "Just let me know when you finish them! Bye!" And with that, Twilight zipped out.

Rarity wrinkled her nose and sat the materials she'd been given aside. "…You're only fooling yourself , dear Twilight. But fear not, soon I'll have this affair blown open, and though it may sting, I swear I will cure you of your addiction to love!"

…

"Apples! Come get yet apples! Farm fresh, and juicy sweet!" Applejack called out in a singsong voice as she and Macintosh tended to the apple stand in the center of town. "Worm and pesticide free! I swears! Ah, howdy there, Twilight!" The orange Earth Pony called out to her friend, she was trotting with quite a bit of stride in her step through town.

"Ah, hey there, Applejack." Twilight slowed her trot as she came up on the stand. "Hey Mac."

"Howdy." Came a reply from behind the stand, the only evidence of Macintosh being present being his flank and tale peaking out while he busied himself with preparing baskets.

"So whatcha doin' at market this mornin', Twi?" Applejack asked, batting her eyes. "In the market to display some generosity to your good old buddy Applejack and buy a bushel?"

"Oh, thanks but…EEP!" Twilight nearly choked as down the street, she spied Trixie at a vender, buying some roasted pinecones. "Hey, AJ, I'll be right back. Do you need help, Mac?"

"Nope."

"Are you SURE?"

"Eeyup."

"You sure, bro, you been back there an awful long while. You ain't just lettin' yer sis do all the work, now is ya?" Applejack turned to regard Macintosh's flank, giving Twilight time to slip off and get to Trixie.

…

"What are you doing out here?" Twilight squeaked. Trixie just stared at her with a confused, yet mildly amused glance, biting off a petal of her pine cone.

"…I got snackish, and felt like stretching my legs."

"But everyone will see you!"

"Everyone knows me by my cape and hat. I am wearing neither. My cutie mark isn't exactly one-of-a-kind…"

"That's besides the point!" Twilight kept glancing around in case Rarity, or Rainbow Dash came their way.

"Look…Twilight, we're going to have to let the cat out of the bag sooner or later…Oh, look, there's Macintosh and Applesmack…Why don't we go over there, and together we can-OOF!" A sudden flurry of dark orange and purple came out of nowhere, tackling Trixie on the back of the head.

"I gotcha, you home wrecker!" Scootaloo cried out as she clung onto the Pegasus's mane.

"Get off me, you little squirt!" Trixie shrieked, trying to shake and buck the filly off her head.

"Never! Feel the wrath of the Crusaders!" Scootaloo tugged on Trixies mane, causing her to rear back and knock over a vendors displayed goods. Twilight frantically skirted around Trixie trying to get a hold on the little filly with her magic, but Trixies jerking around was not doing her any favors.

"What in Tar-" Applejack was just coming over to see what all the fuss was about…when Trixie outright plowed into her, toppling all three into a pile.

Scootaloo lifted into the air, and was brought face to face with a very cross Twilight.

"Uh…Hi…" Scootaloo smiled sheepishly.

"…Twilight…" Applejack's voiced called from underneath Trixie, whom at the moment was down for the down.

"…Er…Sis?" Macintosh peered down at his sister beside Twilight. "…About that…"

Twilight could only give a nervous smile.

…

To be continued…