Twilight wills the magic in her horn to life, lifting another box and floating it out into the library. She lifts two at the same time, then goes for three. It's still easy. Her magic has been steadily improving, even after leaving Celestia's tutelage. Unfortunately, the door is quite small, so three at a time looks to be the limit for now.

It's a shame. She's been looking for something to take her mind off the letter to Braeburn. Despite her promise to Applejack, she still hasn't sent it. She was up all last night agonizing over it, writing it and re-writing it. Even after hours of frustration, she couldn't bring herself to finish it.

"I can't believe it! My own room!" Spike says, slowly dragging a box that Twilight could easily lift. "I don't think I've ever had my own room before!"

"Well, you are getting awfully grown up. Look at those spines!" Twilight says. Spike looks exactly as he has for the past year. He stops dragging the box and runs a claw through his spines.

"Maybe soon I'll be big enough to impress Rarity." He poses, flexing his adorable little muscles. "What's that, Rarity? Oh yeah, you know, big awesome dragon muscles, no big deal. What's that? Why yes, I'd love to be your date to the Gala this year!"

Twilight giggles, shaking the boxes she's levitating. "Keep it together, Romeo. We've got a lot more stuff to move if you want to move in by tonight."

"Right! Right." Spike goes back to dragging his box, giving it his all. The box crawls across the floor. Twilight's never seen the little dragon work so hard.

Her reasons for suggesting this were pretty selfish at first. Between her night with Braeburn and her... solo explorations, Twilight had come to the conclusion that she needed a little more privacy. It wouldn't do to have Spike in a little basket at the foot of the bed while trying to make love to Luna, after all.

Then she had remembered that there were whole rooms in the library just full of junk she'd barely even looked at, gathering dust. Once all this junk had been shoved in the basement, this particular room would be Spike's.

"You think we could have a party once it's ready?" Spike says.

"What, like a housewarming party?" Twilight says.

"Yeah! We can invite all our friends... and Rarity! To Spike's Spectacular Roomwarming Party!"

"You should get Pinkie Pie on that." Twilight smiles, then something occurs to her.

No, he's just a kid, I shouldn't ask him.

But he is always talking about Rarity. Just what is going on in that little dragon brain of his?

"Spike, can I ask you something?" Twilight says.

"Sure, Twilight."

"Why do you love Rarity?"

"Aw geez, Twilight, come on. You're just gonna make fun of me again."

"I won't this time, I promise. Really. I mean... you know she's a unicorn, right? And you're a dragon? Don't you think that's a little strange?"

Spike stops his work and pauses, staring into space. "That's okay," he says.

"That's okay?" Twilight raises an eyebrow at him.

"Yeah, I don't care. She's amazing. I don't care if it's strange."

"Oh... kay... well why her?"

"Oh, that's easy! She's beautiful, and smart, and gorgeous, and talented, and pretty..." Spike counts his words on his claws, rambling on.

Maybe this is normal for dragons.

I really wouldn't know.

Or maybe I damaged his brain by raising him around ponies.

She frowns at that thought.

"...and kind, and generous of course." Spike finishes his list.

Ha, he's so adorable. So childish. I ask him why he loves her and he just lists a bunch of generic good adjectives.

"She's a little older than you, too. Don't you think that's strange?" she says.

"I told you, I don't care. Every time I see her it's like... she's just so perfect. She's so amazing. I just want to make everything nice for her and be with her forever. I want to make her happy." Spike is staring dreamily into space. He snaps back to reality. "You really aren't gonna make fun of me?" He glares at Twilight.

For once, Twilight can't think of a sarcastic quip. "No, Spike. That was actually really sweet."

"You won't tell Rarity what I said, will you?" Spike says, suddenly looking terrified.

"Of course not. Although she would probably like what you just said."

"Really?"

"Sure. I wasn't kidding, that was sweet. You really are a little Romeo sometimes."

Spike puffs his chest out for a moment, beaming. Then he stops, looking confused. "Well what about you, Twilight? I never hear you talk about anyone you like," he asks.

"Whoa. Really? You want to hear about who I like?"

"Why not? I always talk about Rarity. Besides, I don't think you have anyone like that. Other than your books, maybe." Spike snorts.

"Ha ha ha," Twilight deadpans. "Well, for your information, my little assistant..."

Spike's jaw drops. Twilight hedges on whether she should tell him or not.

Well, why not?

He seems to get this stuff a little bit.

I tell him everything else. This is bonding!

"I do have a crush on somepony. I think I might even love her," Twilight says.

"Her?" Spike says.

Whoops! Too much? No, go with it, he has to find out sometime!

"Uhhh... yes, Spike, her. Sometimes, two ponies love each other who are the same gender, and..." she starts to explain, feeling heat in her ears.

"Yeah, I know all about that stuff, Twilight."

"What?!" Twilight's jaw drops. "How do you know all about... that stuff?"

"Pinkie Pie told me."

"Oh."

Going to have to have a talk with Pinkie.

"You don't think that's strange?" she says.

"I'm a dragon who likes a pony. Whatever." Spike shrugs. "So who is it? Is it one of your friends?"

Twilight gets a wicked grin. "No, it's Princess Luna."

"Whoa!" Spike does a double take. "The Princess? And you make fun of me for liking Rarity!"

"Yeah, I guess that's not really fair."

"So why do you like Princess Luna?"

"Oh, that's easy! She's beautiful, and powerful, and lovely, and mysterious, and..." Twilight trails off.

Now who's being childish?

You can't come up with anything better than that?

Can't I?

Twilight's mind races.

Why do I love Luna? Every time I think about her I get all excited and light-headed. And she's beautiful... and stuff... and... I sound exactly like Spike. And I laugh at him when he talks about Rarity.

Well, what else is there to it?

Have I done anything with Luna?

We talked in Canterlot... ugh, I was so drunk I can't even remember what we talked about. Do I even know her, really? Sure I do, she's the Moon Goddess... I know about her... I know her sister! She isn't anything like her sister... is she?

"You okay, Twilight?" Spike says.

"Huh?"

"You were doing that thing you do. You spaced out."

"Oh... I was just thinking, Spike."

"Thinking about Luuuuuuuuna?" Spike jeers.

"Heh heh... yes, actually," she says.

Maybe I really shouldn't make fun of Spike anymore.

"Come on, let's get this finished up." She goes back to floating boxes out of Spike's soon-to-be bedroom.

"Okay." He goes back to his Sisyphean box. "Hey... when my room's done, you think Rarity would hang out in here with me?"

Twilight actually drops the boxes she's holding, startling Spike.

"Heh... sorry. You, uh... you should ask her," Twilight says.

He couldn't have meant... no, that's all in your head.

For just a moment she had seen it clearly – Spike and Rarity lying in bed, basking in afterglow. Spike was smoking a cigar and wearing a glorious mustache while Rarity gazed lovingly at him.

He's just a kid.

What is wrong with me?

"Hey, do you hear that?" Spike says, pausing.

"Hear wha–" Twilight says, but Spike shushes her. Twilight perks her ears up, and then she does hear it.

"Oh no, not again," she groans.

"Whoa! Whoa! WhooooooooaaaaaaaaaaaAAAAAAAAAAA!" Rainbow Dash's voice grows louder and louder before a brilliant blur comes flying in through an open window. She crashes into a bookshelf, spilling the contents everywhere, then rebounds into a stack of boxes on the floor. When the dust clears, Rainbow Dash is sitting in the middle of a wasteland of mess, shaking her head. Twilight groans.

"Dash! We've talked about this before. The door is right there!" Twilight says.

"Eh. Doors are for chumps." She jumps to her feet, flicking dust out of her wings. "Besides, I'm getting better. Just gotta go a little slower next time."

"Yeah, this time you didn't mess up EVERY book in the library," Spike says.

"Heh... yeah, I'm working on it, Spike," Dash says.

"I guess we better start cleaning this up. Are you going to help?" Twilight asks.

"Nope! I need to talk to you about something. Let's go get some lunch," Dash says.

"It's almost dinnertime," Spike says.

"Like I said, lunch. Come on, Twilight, my treat."

Twilight feels her stomach growl. She can practically hear it echoing off the bookshelves around her. "That sounds nice, actually," she says.

"Oh! Oh! Let's go to Horsia's!" Spike says, hopping up and down.

"Hold up there little guy." Rainbow Dash waves a hoof. "Me and Twilight need some grown-up talk time."

"Grown-up talk... what do you mean?" Spike says.

"Uh... girly grown-up stuff. Makeup or something, I don't know," Dash says.

"Whaaaaaat? No fair," Spike says.

"It's fine, Spike. I'll bring something back for you. You just keep working on your new room, we'll clean up this other stuff when I get back."

Spike groans loudly and makes a big huffy show of getting back to work. Twilight giggles – she can tell by the wagging of his tail that he's still happy about the food.

"Here, Rainbow Dash, let me show you something," Twilight says as she opens the front door. "Oooooooh! Wow! What brilliant mind invented such a contraption?" She swings the door back and forth on its hinges, looking amazed.

"Yeah, yeah, laugh it up." Dash struts outside. Twilight follows, giving one last glance back at Spike.

Twilight picks at her salad absentmindedly. Most of it is still on her plate.

Guess I wasn't as hungry as I thought.

She's been watching Rainbow Dash wolf down her food for the past few minutes. It's almost impressive. The pegasus attacks her meal with the single-minded intensity of a vicious predator. As Twilight watches, she takes a momentary break and flags down the waiter, asking for another coffee.

How does she stay so skinny?

Twilight had caught herself staring at Rainbow as they walked over here – well, as Twilight walked. Rainbow Dash couldn't stay on the ground for more than a few moments. She kept fluttering up, spinning in lazy circles around Twilight, exuding energy.

She's got a great body.

Dash is definitely her most athletic friend – AJ might be stronger, more solid, but Rainbow Dash has the tight, firm muscles of a creature built for speed.

What would it be like to sleep with someone like that?

Twilight's head is about to take a few guesses as to that question when Rainbow Dash burps loudly.

"Well, that was attractive," Twilight says.

"'Scuse me." Dash gives her a meek look.

Twilight surveys the table now that Dash seems finished. Her side is a half-eaten salad. Dash's side is an empty plate with several empty side dishes, and a few cups of coffee. Dash gulps down the latest one, sighing with satisfaction.

"How do you do it?" Twilight asks. "That's a pegasus thing, isn't it?"

"What, all this?" Dash looks around at the aftermath of her lunch, as if she has no idea how it got there. "Flying burns a lot of calories, Sparkles. You never read that in one of your books?"

"I have read it, it's just weird to see it in action. You don't look like you eat the way you do."

"Yeah, no such thing as a chubby pegasus pony. Food, coffee, sugar, energy drinks, you name it – we gulp it down."

"Huh. Lucky I guess."

"What, are you worried? You look great. Especially for a girl who sits in a library all day. Or maybe that magic horn of yours burns the calories, too."

Does my horn burn calories? How do I not know this stuff?

"Thanks, I guess," Twilight says.

Wait a minute, did she just call me pretty? I think she did!

"So. Anyway," Dash says. "All that stuff you were talking about yesterday. The scale, who likes mares and who doesn't, that stuff."

"Yes?"

"That scale is really great, by the way. Clever. I dig it a lot."

"Well that one was mostly Pinkie Pie."

"Yeah. Ah, Pinkie..." Dash gets a faraway look for a second. "I wanted to ask you about... well, you. Since I'm supposed to be helping you find a mare."

"Right, right. Sticking to the plan."

"Eye on the prize, exactly," Dash says, then perks up, remembering something. "Oh, and the whole Braeburn thing. I wouldn't beat yourself up over it. So you had sex once – big deal. You two aren't married or anything. You gotta keep moving!"

Twilight suppresses a wince. She's been trying hard not to think about that, after her failure to write the letter. "Can we not talk about that?" she says.

"Perfect! That's the spirit! Just move on."

That's not really what I meant, but fine.

"Alright, so moving on... you sure you're really up for this? Dating a girl, I mean?" Dash asks.

"Oh yeah. Very sure."

"Really? How do you know?"

The sound of Rarity moaning her name plays in Twilight's ears. She sees Rainbow Dash, from her very first real sexual fantasy, writhing on a bed.

"I... uh... I guess I find mares attractive. Like Luna. And I think about them. Instead of stallions," Twilight says quietly.

"Ah, you do clop to mares! Good, I thought so."

"You thought so?" Twilight raises an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I had a feeling about you," Dash says.

"Huh," Twilight says, not sure how to take that.

"But you've never tried it?"

Twilight can almost feel Rarity's silky mane on her snout. She shakes her head. "No, no. I mean, not unless the one kiss with Luna counts."

"You sure?" Dash pins her with a very serious look. "Because I'm trying to help you out, Twi. You gotta be up front with me."

Up front? Of course...

If I had just been more up front with Braeburn...

But I promised Rarity!

What to do...

Compromise!

"Alright, fine. I have tried out a mare before. But you can't tell anypony, and I can't tell you who it was," Twilight says grudgingly.

"Lemme guess... Rarity?"

Twilight's jaw almost hits the table. She looks around nervously, expecting everypony in the restaurant to be looking at them. No one is listening. Hardly anyone is there.

"How did you...?" Twilight says.

"I knew she was gonna do that." Rainbow Dash pounds the table with a hoof.

Twilight's head spins. She hears Pinkie Pie's menacing "FOREVER!" somewhere in the back of her mind. How in all of Equestria did Rainbow Dash know...?

"Okay, what exactly happened with you and Rarity?" Twilight asks.

Dash looks away, fidgeting a little. "What do you mean?" she says.

"What do I mean? The weird comments, the looks, and now I find out you know about me and her. What is going on?" Twilight says.

Rainbow Dash opens her mouth to speak, but thinks better of it and just sits there.

"Dash. You were just telling me to be up front. Come on," Twilight says.

"She asked me not to tell anypony," Dash says.

Twilight feels her glare soften. "Yeah... she did that with me, too," she says.

They both pause, looking at the table.

"It's not like any of us are gonna judge her!" Dash says suddenly, throwing her hooves up in the air. "We're her friends! You and me are real open about this."

"I guess she tries to be more private about this stuff," Twilight says.

Rainbow Dash snorts. "Yeah, when it comes to her privates. She's more than happy to gab about ours."

"That's not really fair. I asked her to talk about my love life," Twilight says. Rainbow Dash just snorts again, crossing her arms and sulking.

Wow... There's whole dimensions to my friends I never knew about before.

She's seen Dash angry before, but not like this. She seems almost hurt.

They both sit for what feels like a long time.

"Dash," Twilight says finally, "It's okay if you don't want to talk about it. I won't pry."

Rainbow Dash looks at her and softens a little when their eyes meet. She takes a deep breath. "Do you want to talk about it?" she says.

"I have to admit, I'm really curious now," Twilight says.

Rainbow Dash sits still for a few seconds more, then gets her usual determined look in her eyes.

"Okay then. But we better order some more food. It's a long story."