A Little Visit

by Annabelle RTH

Chapter 43

Twilight’s POV

“Oh, come now Flash. This was bound to happen sooner or later.”

His head was on the table next to a bowl of ice cream while I was stroking his back, hoping to soothe him through this difficult time.

“She’s my baby sister…” he managed to say before plopping another spoonful into his mouth.

“I know and she always will be. You don’t have to worry about that.”

“I’m not ready, she’s not ready,” He choked out.

“Maybe. Maybe not.”

I knew the letter would come soon but I didn’t realize the extent of the effect it would have on him. I found him curled up on the couch earlier today after he finally read the letter Ruby had sent him.

I still remember the day my letter came. She made me promise not to tell Flash. I still can’t believe she came to me for advice in the first place.

---

There’s something I want to talk to you about, but you can’t tell Flash. I don’t know what’ll happen when he finds out, so you need to promise me you won’t tell him.

---

I sent a message to Ruby, and we arranged for my visit to her family’s home. I told Flash I was to visit Ruby on my own and... well he was glad I was comfortable enough to visit Ruby on my own but stressed the idea that his parents would embarrass him and asked me to not dump him over the things they would inevitably say. It was a joke, but I think he was genuinely concerned about what his parents would say to me without him there.

When I arrived, Posey answered the door. “Twilight! Oh, we’re so happy you came.”

“Hello Posey, I’m glad you are hosting me today.”

“Come on in, I was just making dinner.”

She gestured to me to follow her, and she led me into the kitchen. “Ruby’s upstairs working on her homework.” I saw her reach for a tea kettle. “Not to pry, but what sprung this on?” She paused and turned around to look me in the eyes frantically. “N-not that we don’t like having you, but this is the first time Ruby’s invited one of Flash’s girlfriends over... come to think of it, not even our son in law has been here just him.”

I waved with a smile to ease her blabbering. “To be honest, I’m not sure. Has she been acting strangely lately?”

“Not that I’ve noticed. Please have a seat. I’ll call her down in a minute.” She poured two cups of tea.

“I see. She’s asked me to keep a secret from Flash which worries me. She and him seemed so close, I-I didn’t know what else to do. I don’t like this idea of keeping a secret from him either.”

She brought the teacups to the kitchen table. “Sugar?”

“Yes, thank you.”

“You’re very welcome.” She sat down and she took a sip of her tea. “I might have an idea of what’s going on.”

“You do?”

She beamed. “Absolutely. The good news is, it’s nothing to worry about. The bad news is, you’ll have to deal with my son in a difficult state.”

“What do you mean?”

“Flash has dealt with this kind of news in a few ways: he eats, he exercises, he cries.” She used her wings to count off each of Flash’s reactions and then took another sip of tea. “It’s an improvement to spying and reconnaissance.”

Now, I was truly lost. “I’m sorry but-”

“Twilight!”

I turned around to see Ruby jump and fly right towards me.

“Oh, I’ve missed you so much. Have you reviewed my latest draft? What do you think of Ash’s art style?”

“Ruby, Sweetie, let Twilight breathe.”

“Oh, right.”

She released her hold on me. I wasn’t having trouble breathing but her bombardment of questions left me at a loss for words. What kind of secret could this young filly have that constituted me keeping a secret from her older brother who she adores so much?

“Come on, we can hang out in my room.” She tried to lead me away.

“Have you finished your homework?” Posey stared at her daughter.

“Uh, Twilight can help me with my homework,” Ruby tried to reason.

“Do what you can first and then she’ll be up to help you.”

“Awe, Mom.” Ruby tilted her head slightly.

“Go on,” Posey flicked her hoof halfheartedly.

Ruby pouted but went upstairs as instructed.

“You have quite the hold on her lately,” she told me.

“I...” She was smiling but I couldn’t help but detect sadness in her voice. “I hope I'm not intruding,”

“Hm, not at all. It’s just-” She set her cup down and looked into it. She sighed. “She’s our last one and now... she’s reaching that age where she’d rather go to her friends than to me. It’s hard wanting to be in her life when she’s starting to push me out. She won’t be as dramatic and rude as Cardinal was but-” She cleared her throat. “Anyway, Your Highness, I-I mean Twilight, this isn’t about me, this is about Ruby. I don’t want to butt in, but I would appreciate it if you could make sure she doesn’t rush into anything. That she and Ash can have their big feelings without it consuming them.”

“Big... feelings?” I blinked as I realized what Ruby’s secret could be... I was more prepared to help bring the Crystal Empire to its former glory.

After dinner, Ruby led me to her room. I wanted to talk to Cadence. I wanted Ruby to speak to Cadence instead of me. How can I possibly advise a filly on these matters. I only know the perspective of this matter as a grown pony, not a young filly. Why did she have to choose me? Why not her mother? Her mother had to give me a small pep talk... She provided some excellent talking points about this but... this feels odd... to be play this messenger between her and her mother.

“So...” I used my magic to show her the letter. I whispered, “What’s going on?”

“Promise me you won’t tell Flash.” She held my hooves in her own and pleaded with eyes.

“I promise.” I freed my hooves. “Cross my heart, hope to fly, stick a cupcake in my eye.”

“That’s funny. I like it. Hold on.” She fished around for something in her desk. When she pulled out several pieces of parchment, she started to explain. “I wanted to see if we could add a love story to our latest comic. They were supposed to be side characters but we kind of entered spin-off territory and well...” She showed me the page as she hopped back onto the bed. “We kind of decided to explore their background more which led to us exploring their childhoods and then this happened.” A pegasus and an earth pony held hooves as they jumped into a pond. It was a watercolor with thin lines. The style seemed more appropriate for a children’s book than an adventure comic. I recognized Ruby in the sketch. Older maybe, with the addition of tan spots to her muzzle and a pink coat. Ruby sent a photo of Ash once and I recognized the dark coat and speckled mane on the earth pony colt.

“Ash drew this?”

“Yeah, he changed the style a little. Before,” she held out another page, “it was more punchy, and bold.” This page used brighter and darker colors with thick lines. The characters looked more angular than in the previous page.

“The style softened when you tried to incorporate the love story...?”

“It started out the same, but it changed when we wanted to show more innocence in the characters. We were trying to imagine them at around our age and one night... I was just writing, making notes about plot points and fillers and when I wanted to have an idea of what Silver Belle would be thinking... this happened.” She handed me another piece of paper.

He’s touched my hoof before. He’s held my hoof before, when we would go exploring in the woods so we wouldn’t lose each other. This was an accidental touch, a brush if anything, so why does it feel different? Why does a simple brush of his hoof suddenly when passing a quill suddenly make me stop to look at my hoof, the quill and him? Why do we look at each other then look away? And then get right back to work like nothing happened... because nothing happened. But maybe, something should happen. Maybe I want something to happen.

“There’s more. Every time I try to put myself in Silver Belle’s place, I end up writing about Ash. Is this... am I... am I in love with Ash?”

“No!” I gasped. I coughed and cleared my throat. “Sorry, but, no, no.” Posey made it clear that she did not want her daughter thinking she loves a colt.

“Then, how come when I look at him, I’m happy, like really happy, like even when we’re working on our own, I look at him and I just smile. And, and there’s like this feeling in my chest. It’s like it’s weightless but full. Is that how you feel around my brother?”

“Well,” I sighed, “it’s something like that.”

“But you don’t love my brother?”

“Well...” When did this turn into an interrogation? “I can’t call what I feel for him love just yet. I care about your brother very much and we make each other happy.”

“Then... this isn’t just a crush, is it?”

“Maybe, maybe not.”

“You sound like my mom.”

I needed to follow the script less closely. Posey warned me that Ruby would be more dismissive if whatever I said sounded too much like her.

“She’s a wise mare.”

“I know, but I guess I thought this would be clearer if I talked to you.”

“How so?”

“Because you and Flash are still fresh.” She turned to me. “I thought you could tell me exactly how it feels to really like somepony or what it’s like to have new love. Mom and Dad have old love, they’re married with a life together. She wouldn’t get it.”

“You think your mom doesn't remember being a young filly?”

“Not like you can. Not like this.”

“Maybe that’s true but she’s also seen your siblings go through a first crush, a first love, a first date. She’s been there for it all.”

“So, what you’re saying is I should talk to my mom?” She looked at me with disappointment.

“I think it would be a good idea,” I encouraged.

She sighed. “Okay, but can you still help me?”

“I’ll try my best.”

“If... I do like Ash, do you think it will change anything?”

“Like what?”

“Like, will we be able to work together? Right now, sometimes, I just stare at him when he’s drawing and then I don’t get anything done. I haven’t been meeting my goals like I used to.”

“Well, then things have already changed. It’s up to you to remedy them the best you can.”

“What should I do?” She looked at me with sadness and worry.

This felt harmless enough to give an actual answer. “Well, you could take a step back. It has been a while since you’ve sent Flash and I pages from your own work.”

“I don’t want to cancel on him. .”

“Not cancel, just take some time for something purely Ruby not Ruby and Ash.”

She gasped. “You’re right. All I’ve been doing is collaborating. I haven’t touched my idea for a seapony adventure.”

“There you go. Can’t wait to read it.” I smiled seeing her excited to write again.

“Thanks Twilight.” She smiled and hugged me, but when she pulled away from me, she suddenly frowned.

“What if we stop liking each other at all?”

This filly is all over the place with worry... kind of like I was.

“I worried about that too. That I might say or do something that tears Flash and I apart.”

“What did you do?”

“I took a breath.” I took a breath to show her Cadence’s trick. I exhaled. “And then I exhaled and let the worry go with a wave of my hoof.”

“Really? That’s it.”

“That’s it. Try it.”

Together, we took a breath and waved the worry away.

---

Flash raised his head and looked at me. “A comic book. That’s all it took.” He plopped another bite of ice cream into his mouth. “I should’ve been there to keep an eye on her.”

“Oh, Flash, what could you have possibly done to make an impact?”

“Slow down the clock.” He sounded so miserable. I wanted to cast a spell to pull those feelings out of him.

“Maybe.” His mother said he would be dramatic. She was also right in saying that it’s better he stuff himself to the brink of popping than to fly straight to Canterlot to stop Ruby from hanging out with Ash.

He groaned. “I’m sorry. I’m sorry. I shouldn’t be a sad sack. I should be enjoying this time with you. Again, I’m so sorry I had to work during the Grand Galloping Gala.”

I giggled as I wiped away ice cream stuck to his muzzle. “It’s all right Flash. Our duties come first. That was the agreement.”

He took a breath. He looked at the letter again and I could almost see the wheels turn inside his head.

“I know this is shocking Flash. Believe me, I wasn't sure what to do when Ruby started asking me questions.”

He blinked and suddenly he snapped his head towards me. I almost heard the crack of a whip. He stared into my eyes with great conviction. I was mesmerized or paralyzed...

“What questions?”

“Hm, nothing!” I cleared my throat. “Nothing really.”

“All right.” He shrugged and got up to return the ice cream tub to the fridge.

“Um, is everything all right, Flash?”... This was... unsettling. He was in such despair until now.

“Yeah, no, yeah.” He turned towards me with a smile that... I don’t think I’ve ever seen before. Normally, his smile made me smile back but this one made me feel exposed. “Everything’s fine. It’s not like my sister to write to my girlfriend about a colt she might like. He took a step towards me. “And now said girlfriend is trying to minimize her part in my sister taking action. How am I doing so far?”

“Fl-”

“I’m not done.” He raised his hoof to silence me.

“But-”

“And now,” he moved towards the table and leaned on it across from me, “I’m wallowing and said girlfriend is trying to not tell me she knew all along.”

“Well-”

“How long have you known?”

“A few months.” Wow. How did he do that?

“Right.” He turned away from me.

I shook my head. “What does it matter?”

“It matters because she,” at this moment somehow, his interrogation turned into a moment of joy, “trusts you.” He smiled.

“What?” I felt my jaw drop.

“Twi,” he made his way to my side, “I know she must’ve sworn you to secrecy. And the fact that she entrusted you with something so personal makes me so happy.”

“So... you’re not mad?” I said through emotional whiplash.

“Oh, what that whole thing, nah.” He shook his head. “I was just messing with you a bit.” He winked.

I gawked, “How dare you?” I faked anger.

“You still kept something pretty big from me. I think I’m allowed this one.”

I humphed and turned away from him but I kept a small smile on my face. He reached over and took my hoof in his. I turned to see him kiss my hoof. I sighed; glad he was going to be okay.

“Seriously though, thanks for helping Ruby. That must’ve been awkward.”

“A little.” I nodded. “But I also felt really honored. I never thought somepony would come to me for romantic advice.”

“You’re the smartest pony she knows, of course you’re her best bet.”

“I... do my best.” I looked away and felt myself blush.

“Don’t be so modest.” He tucked his hoof under my chin to get my attention. I just smiled bashfully at him. Still, I felt a slight touch of giddiness reaching my hooves.

He sighed and kissed my cheek. “At any rate,” he moved away from me and addressed the comic draft that arrived along with Ruby’s letter, “ready to dive into this comic?”

“Are you?”

He took a deep breath. “It doesn’t matter, she gave us a deadline.”

Author's Note:

Hi Everypony, I had been mulling a Ruby-centric chapter for a while from snippets of her stories to reading letters from Flash and Twilight. I ended up here somehow.

Happy reading!

Annie