"Hey, Twilight..." Pinkie began slowly, trying to figure out what to say. Twilight pulled away from their snuggling to look into her eyes curiously. The pink pony didn't ever use that tone unless she was about to say something important.
"Yes, Pinkie? Is something wrong?" The earth pony shook her head, but she seemed bothered by something.
"No, nothing's wrong. I just... I gotta go soon..." She diverted her gaze to the ground, drawing circles in it with a hoof. Pinkie didn't want to leave so soon, but she knew she had to if she really did want to get the doll back. Plus, today was a work day for the Cakes, which meant she'd have to help out at least a little.
Twilight's smile faltered. Had her silly heart really deluded her into thinking that they wouldn't have to be apart ever again? It felt like a betrayal that it could trick her into an illogical state of mind. Even so, she understood that they were busy ponies with lives other than each other. She'd have to open the library up today, too. But that didn't mean she liked it.
"It's okay, Pinkie... I understand." She got up off the ground and trotted over to the door. Pinkie got up too, following the unicorn with sad eyes. The moment had been ruined.
"Hey, come on, Twi... I'll be back! Why don't you turn that frown upside down for me?" The pink mare was suddenly right in front of Twilight with an encouraging smile, though her eyebrow was furrowed in a way that suggested she was paying attention to even the minor details. Pinkie's eyes were focused on Twilight's mouth, waiting in a hopeful manner for the edges to curve upward.
The lavender mare watched, wondering how a pony could possibly care so much for another. Eventually, Twilight conceded and let a small smile grace her features, if only to keep one on Pinkie's face.
"Wait... I'm about to be brilliant!" Pinkie exclaimed loudly, causing Twilight to jump. "You could come with me and we could both bake!"
Twilight raised a hoof to her head, rubbing it. It was still early in the morning, and yelling something in a pony's face was a surefire way to give them a headache. Especially when that exclamation came from a high-pitched voice like Pinkie's. The unicorn shook her head.
"Sorry, Pinkie, I have to take care of the library today. Since it's winter, ponies will want to curl up and read a book at home, and I don't want to leave Spike here by himself. You know how he has a hard time moving around when it's cold..." Twilight pointed out. Pinkie nodded slowly.
"Oh... Well, that's fine! I understand; we don't want anypony to be sad without their books, right? I'll come back after work... Those same ponies will want their cupcakes while they read their books!" Pinkie smiled, pulling Twilight into a hug. "I'll see you in a while, okay?"
Twilight returned the embrace and gave the party mare a kiss on the cheek. "See you later."
The earth pony pulled away and opened the door, stepping outside. She literally had cold feet. "Bye-bye, Twilight! I love you!"
"Me too, Pinkie." The pink pony stood there, staring at the unicorn expectantly. Twilight stared back, feeling increasingly awkward. "What?"
"You just said 'me too,' which means you love yourself and not me!" Pinkie said, waiting for Twilight to tell her what she wanted to hear. The unicorn rolled her eyes playfully at her and pretended it was a hassle.
"Okay, Pinkie... I love you too." The pink pony smiled before bouncing away. Twilight watched as Pinkie waved, and continued on her way.
Huh... Didn't she say she was going to Sugarcube Corner? The unicorn thought, wondering why she was going the opposite direction. Almost... like she was going toward Sweet Apple Acres. Well, it's Pinkie. She's probably just taking some shortcut I've never seen. Or maybe she needs to get some sort of ingredients for the Cakes. Twilight figured, trotting back inside.
